New Games |
- Live show: Happy Independence Day!
- The DTOID Show: 'In the Year 1997...'
- Do you buy into the concept of 'Videogame Hipsters?'
- Review: The Journey Down: Over the Edge
- Final Fantasy VII 'coming soon' to PC with new features
- My favorite 4th of July videogame memory
- Podtoid 208: It's Covered in Weeping Sores
- July Car Pack for Forza Motorsport 4 adds ten new cars
- Meet The Behemoth's Tom Fulp and Dan Paladin at SDCC
- The Daily Hotness: Living in the garbage
| Live show: Happy Independence Day! Posted: 04 Jul 2012 10:30 AM PDT [Mash Tactics airs Monday through Friday at 4p.m. Pacific on Dtoid.TV. Watch King Foom play a variety of games, each day with its own theme. With a heavy focus on community and viewer interaction, you can be as much a part of the show as anything else.] Happy 4th of July from all of us at Dtoid.Tv! As most people will probably be out partying, watching fireworks, and blowing their fingers off with M80s ... we're not planning anything too crazy for the show tonight. This evening will be a pretty low key broadcast where we'll get together, game out, have a couple drinks, and celebrate our independence, in our own special Mash Tactics way. |
| The DTOID Show: 'In the Year 1997...' Posted: 04 Jul 2012 09:00 AM PDT
Happy Independence Day, dear readers! I am, of course, referring to AMC's annual marathon of the film Independence Day, starring Jeff Goldblum and Will Smith. Those two make a better couple than Bobby and Jamie Deen! (I assume they're lovers, no?) Anyway, since the studio is closed for patriotic awareness, Max and I had no choice but to call on our teenage selves to stand in for today's episode. Fortunately, teen Max and Tara are equipped with the hottest gaming news, reviews, gossip, and cheat codes this side of 1997, so strap yourself in and prepare for a ride through time and space! |
| Do you buy into the concept of 'Videogame Hipsters?' Posted: 04 Jul 2012 08:00 AM PDT
[Art by DippyDude] The first time I was called a "videogame hipster" was about two years ago, back when I was hosting The Dtoid Show. Call of Duty: Black Ops had just come out, and I was reviewing the Wii version of the game. I liked it a little more than the 360 version, mostly because I enjoy the feel of pointer controls. That was "hipster" strike one. On top of that, I kept getting sidetracked by Bit.Trip FATE. Black Ops was the game I was supposed to be playing, but every time I'd turn on the Wii, I'd get the uncontrollable urge to fire up FATE one more time to shoot for a perfect score. That was "hipster" strike two. Two strikes was apparently enough for my housemate and Chill Bros. co-host Venom to go off on a tirade about how I was a "videogame hipster." Needless to say, I was puzzled. To me, a hipster is someone who intentionally seeks out and aligns themselves with unpopular, uncool things in order to make themselves appear special and different in their own minds, and in the minds of others. That wasn't me, but of course, that's exactly what a hipster would think about themselves, right? Jim Sterling doesn't think he's a hipster either, but he doesn't like Shadow of the Colossus. Doesn't that mean he's a hipster? If not, then why am I a hipster because I don't like GTA or Uncharted? Isn't the videogame world one of the few places where we don't get caught up in rating people and things by subjective and unquantifiable terms like how "mainstream" or "alternative" they are? That's how it was when I was young, but maybe times have changed? These important issues and many more are just a few of the things that we discussed with Tim Rogers (editorialist and game developer) on last week's Sup Holmes; check out the full episode in video or podcast form if you're nasty. Tune in this Sunday at 1pm PST/4pm EST when we invite Christine Love, developer of Analogue: A Hate Story on the show to talk about whatever. It's going to be fantastic. |
| Review: The Journey Down: Over the Edge Posted: 04 Jul 2012 07:00 AM PDT The Journey Down was a classic-style, 2D pixel art adventure game which you can still play for free. Now it's a slightly larger, fully voiced, gorgeous adventure game that mixes 3D animated models with painted backgrounds. The result is a visual treat. It's a bit unusual to see a remake of a series that only had one episode, but this new direction is a very welcome one. Inventory puzzles, minor theft, and mischief will make any adventure game fan feel right at home, while the use of macabre masks and black African themes and characters make it feel fresh. It's certainly an uncommon setting. The Journey Down: Over the Edge (Mac, PC [reviewed]) Bwana is a good-natured, laid back pilot and petrol station owner who is scared of heights. Living in one of many bays of the shining, yet corrupt, city of St. Armando with his best friend and engineer, Kito, he has an uncomplicated life. Unfortunately for him it seems like the universe was just saving up, and in the space of one evening it dumps a whole heap of complications on him and his short friend. Journey Down's tale of a city gripped by corruption, one essentially being run by a single corporation, is a compelling one. Bwana finds himself in the middle of a huge cover-up, where the ominous Armando Company has made everyone believe that the mysterious "Underland" is a deadly and dangerous place and that even looking over "The Edge" is now completely illegal. He's chartered to take the somewhat haughty academic, Lina, over The Edge to find out what the heck is going on. But first he has to fix his decayed plane, the one he hasn't flown since he was a child. The high-stakes mystery looms over the adventure, which in contrast is simple, fun, and lighthearted. Bwana is a wonderful protagonist and I found it impossible not to smile constantly at his cheeky comments and often oblivious nature. He's that great mix of almost relaxed enough to be considered lazy, but also rather ingenious. He's quickly become one of my favorite adventure game "heroes" in a very long time. Unfortunately there are a couple of occasions where he's used to criticize the sort of obtuse puzzles that many adventure games are known for, it's not subtle and it's a bit silly when he then has to actually solve said obtuse puzzle. These puzzles are stupid, so go solve one. Really? There is one instance where this did elicit a chuckle from me, however. When Bwana gets frustrated and pretty much gives up trying to solve it, only to solve it in his anger. That, at least, was clever. Thankfully, most of the puzzles are actually great. Not difficult, not even challenging, but great. Sometimes I like to moan about how puzzles in adventure games have been killed off by the dying attention spans of the audience. Skygoblin's solution has been to make them short, sweet, and most importantly -- funny. There's always a pay-off, be it a visual gag, a joke, or the satisfaction of outsmarting an annoying French fellow. All of them feel connected to the slightly goofy logic of the game world. There's a wee bit of backtracking, but the game is limited to only a handful of scenes, so it feels more like getting the most out of a location rather than lazy design. Accompanying Bwana on this short adventure is a truly excellent soundtrack. Simon De Souza's smooth jazz reggae kept me gently bouncing in my seat, relaxed to the point where I almost slide off it. There's variety though, too. The tracks match the atmosphere perfectly. Those of you who picked the game up before Skygoblin wised up and slashed the price -- the original one was absurdly high for one episode of who knows how many -- can get the soundtrack for free. Lucky devils. Unfortunately, your ears will not be as delighted by the voice acting. Anthony Sardinha and David Dixon do a superb job voicing Bwana and Kito respectively, but that's where it ends. The rest of the cast run the gamut from forgettable to pretty bad, with a couple being horrible racial cliches; notably the French doorman and Japanese chef. Making matters worse, the recording quality is all over the place. In one conversation the quality can change multiple times, and it's impossible not to notice this. It's simply not very professional and mars an otherwise polished experience. I'm not just throwing the word polished around, either. The last things I expected to see in Over the Edge were cut scenes, but there are quite a few, and they look fine. And by fine I mean fine, not merely alright. Feel free to add an extra "i" or two in your mind. The 3D models are simple, but effective, and the cut scenes add a lot of extra life to the proceedings. With the price now more reasonable, I feel very comfortable telling you to buy this game immediately. The gameplay is pretty traditional, but the setting, music, and lovable characters keep things from being tired. Yeah, another great adventure game. Of course, the genre's been dead since the late '90s, so this is all a fever dream. It's also worth noting that Over the Edge is part of an indie bundle right now. iOS and Android versions are being tinkered with too. |
| Final Fantasy VII 'coming soon' to PC with new features Posted: 04 Jul 2012 06:00 AM PDT Recent news about Final Fantasy VII possibly releasing on Steam has put the game back on our collective minds. It appears that won't be happening as predicted, but Square Enix is putting out an updated PC version of the game on its store. This website -- which is, I have to say, rather slick -- has the juicy details. They're adding 36 Achievements, a character booster (huh?), and most importantly, cloud support for game saves. That last one is a must, in my mind, but doesn't always get implemented. The system requirements are also listed:
Can you dig it? Final Fantasy 7 PC "coming soon" says official website [Eurogamer] |
| My favorite 4th of July videogame memory Posted: 04 Jul 2012 05:00 AM PDT This isn't a particularly exciting holiday tale. It doesn't involve an abominable snowman, or misfit toys, or an elf that wants to be a dentist. It is just a simple story about something that happened on one dark and unassuming 4th of July night many years ago. A night that I will never forget for the rest of my life. A few years ago, I used to live in an apartment building at the foot of the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles. There was nothing really special about the place, but it did have one cool feature: There was a patio on the roof that you could access to relax in the sun, barbeque, or, in my case, play board games with friends. On July 4th, though, this rooftop patio turned into the place to be. Because it was on an elevated spot in the city, you could see for miles in all directions -- from the skyline of downtown to the beaches of Santa Monica. When it got dark and the fireworks started, you would literally be surrounded by hundreds of colorful and, frankly, magical explosions. It was a pretty amazing experience. On one particular 4th of July night, my friends and I went to the rooftop like we always did. We brought some stuff to drink and sat back in the patio lounge chairs, ready to have an incredibly great night. As the sun went down, others from the building started to join us. Even the rooftops of nearby buildings were starting to fill up. It was turning into quite the fun rooftop block party. After the first firework, everyone became silent. We all stared in awe as the bright orange and red colors burst into the surprisingly clear sky. Suddenly more fireworks began to go off, followed by more, and more, and more! Before long, fireworks were exploding from every single angle. As the night went on, the spectacle of it all only got more impressive. People were laughing and smiling, not believing what they were seeing. Then it started. Almost in perfect unison, the grand finales of all the firework displays began at the exact same time. If you know firework finales, you know that they are the most insanely awesome part of the show. Bursts of color and sound seem to never end, as all the remaining fireworks are lit, one after the other. Now try to imagine this happening with dozens and dozens of finales at the same time, all surrounding you at once. Needless to say, it felt like the world was coming to an end, one fabulous color explosion at a time. During the craziness, I had friends look and me, speechless. It truly felt like we were caught in the middle of a war zone. A very happy, exuberant war zone, but a war zone nonetheless. All of sudden, amidst the beautiful chaos, it happened. Someone from another rooftop yelled something at the top of their lungs. "IT'S THE DAY OF LAVOS!" I couldn't believe what I heard. Did he just ... ? Did he just scream ... ? YES, he did! He just yelled "IT'S THE DAY OF LAVOS!" in the middle of this out of control fireworks display. This man was my hero. And, boy, was he accurate. It really was the Day of Lavos. If anyone has played Chrono Trigger and reached the part when Lavos destroys the planet ... well, this night wasn't too far off. Once I realized what this ... this amazing guy said, I lost it. I started laughing and gasping and smiling from ear to ear. My hero. Anyone that would think to shout that phrase -- and so loud, mind you -- was officially about to become my new best friend. But I had no idea what roof the guy was standing on. I knew it had to be close, but Los Angeles is a pretty big city, and there were many nearby buildings to choose from. I had no idea who said it or where it was even coming from. I would never figure out who screamed that now legendary phrase. Dammit, I thought, there goes our Crono and Lucca BFF bracelets I already had picked out in my mind. Accepting I would never find him, I just smiled and enjoyed the rest of the show, content with knowing that someone that cool lives in the same neighborhood as me. As the fireworks came to a close, I knew that I would never forget this moment for as long as I live. It was just so cool ... and special ... and absolutely perfect. To this day, I still have no idea who yelled "IT'S THE DAY OF LAVOS!" from that rooftop. If you are reading this, Lavos dude (my forever nickname for him), please know that I think you are awesome. Really awesome. Even though I have no idea who you are, you are responsible for one of my greatest videogame memories. I think about you every 4th of July. If I ever get the pleasure of meeting you, I will have a high-five ready. |
| Podtoid 208: It's Covered in Weeping Sores Posted: 04 Jul 2012 04:00 AM PDT [Major thanks to Sir Tobbii for the header image] On this week's edition of Podtoid, new regular co-host Conrad Zimmerman joins Jim and Jonathan for a rip-roaring round of chat including a moral dilemma involving miniature human poop, the magic words that make any horrible situation okay, and a brand new Willem Dafoe movie pitch that involves steamy romance and eight-legged vocal chords. Elsewhere, we chat about iPads for a bit, we discuss Resident Evil 6, fondly remember Pikmin 2 and plan to replay that sweet sweet Grandia. We also can't resist slagging off Batman: Arkham Asylum on Wii U again, because that's always fun, and there's rage to be had over the way Square Enix pronounces things. All this and more on Podtoid! As ever, you can subscribe to us on iTunes and RSS, buy our Android App or download directly! |
| July Car Pack for Forza Motorsport 4 adds ten new cars Posted: 03 Jul 2012 08:00 PM PDT
It never occurred to me just how much DLC Forza Motorsport 4 has. Hell, the entire series has a mountain of DLC. Not that it's a bad thing, I guess I just never thought about it. That Season Pass would have really come in handy. At any rate, the "July Car Pack" is this month's DLC for Forza 4, available today, and it's sure to not disappoint. In it, you'll find the 2012 Spyker C8 Aileron, 1995 RUF CTR2, 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG, 1956 Lotus Eleven, 1954 Jaguar XK120, 1952 Hudson Hornet, 1998 Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600, 2012 Ascari KZ1R, 1973 AMC Gremlin X, and the 2011 McLaren 59 McLaren GT MP4-12C GT3 (my personal favorite). That McLaren might be worth the price alone. I would do unspeakable things for the real-life counterpart. I've recently been in the market for a new car, after all. I'll just use up a couple of my wheelbarrows of cash for one. You can download the "July Car Pack" this very second for 560 Microsoft Points, and you can check out the trailer/gallery that shows off the cars if you're not convinced it's worth the cash. |
| Meet The Behemoth's Tom Fulp and Dan Paladin at SDCC Posted: 03 Jul 2012 06:00 PM PDT The adorable and ever-accessible Behemoth, creators of Castle Crashers and the upcoming Battleblock Theater, will once again be making an appearance at San Diego Comic Con, providing opportunity for fans to meet the minds behind the indie studio's signature look and style. On July 13-15, co-founders Dan Paladin and Tom Fulp will be meeting fans and signing autographs from 1-3 P.M. The assorted Behemoth crew will also be lugging over some new merchandise, including the new before seen black Chonku Chonku t-shirt, as well as the Chonku Chonku machines and Behemoth scarves made popular at PAX Prime and PAX East. Check it all for yourself at booth number #4219 next weekend! And snag me a scarf while you're at it, I was so bogged by wet brain at PAX East that I completely forgot to get one. |
| The Daily Hotness: Living in the garbage Posted: 03 Jul 2012 04:59 PM PDT
Maybe Oscar the Grouch had it right, man. Dumpster living is pretty classy, and a great alternative to, well, a lot of worse options. Plus, affordable housing? Good stuff. Interests me, anyways! Today, Rob Parker contributed a salient piece on the critically acclaimed Journey, Chris Carter responded to assertions made by Anita Sarkeesian in her recent interview with Dtoid (don't read most of the comments, if you want to stay sane), a bunch of things that you should buy are on sale, and more! Destructoid Original: News: |
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