Super Smash Bros. Brawl - Wii Review

16 05 2008

Wii is king console of the party games; and this game is just one of the many reasons why. Super Smash Bros. Brawl is an excellent game for people of all ages. I haven’t really played the previous games in the series - but I’ve heard no complaints from the Nintendo devotees in my youth group that have - they even remember some of the moves and it’s usually impossible to beat them!

The basic core of the gameplay has not changed much at all. Up to four players, using a variety of controls (the Wiimote alone, the Wiimote and Nunchuck, a classic gamepad, or a Gamecube controller) can jump around crazy interactive maps with cute and cool Nintendo characters (including some fun cameos from other game-worlds), trying to knock opponents out into the heavens. That’s it - and it’s simple - but oh so fun! It’s easy to pick up and play, but tough to master - which most people say is the best thing about the best games. Tons of characters to unlock and different moves for each means that when you do master one character you have 30+ more to explore.

Options are plentiful! There is a very fun single player mode with a co-op option that works great, and you can unlock all of the characters by playing through this silent-film of a story. You can take the smashing online if you’d like. You can make your own levels and download other people’s custom levels. You can tweak the gameplay rules and settings in vs. matches in a dizzying number of ways. There are so many options to choose from that you will likely never get bored. The kids in my youth group love the game and play it often (they’ve unlocked lots of the characters for me - hehe).

On the content side of things there is lots of “smashing” going on in various silly and cartoony ways. There is no blood, but the action is relentless. If you have kids that might be inspired to carry on beating each other up after the game is over then you might want to be wary of the game’s influence - but it’s so zany and light-hearted that it shouldn’t be a problem for most. There is no language or sexual content that I’ve seen. There is the descriptor of crude humor. All I’ve seen in that regard is that some characters fart and smack others with their tails. The game is rated T for Teen for cartoon violence and crude humor by the ESRB.

I’m giving the game 5 stars even though I’m not the world’s biggest NIntendo fan. I can’t really find anything wrong with the game to complain about. The game is funny and fun and the gameplay is flawless. Maybe I’ll see you for some online smashing once I get my friend code sorted out! For content I’m going to give it a green light for being a very family-friendly game; but I’ll add a caution to parents that their kids may be inspired to start a pillow, food, or sock fight if the power goes out!

Christiangamer Score:

Content:




Awards And Disses Are Up

15 05 2008

Hey kids!  Christiangamer is now an official review site!  Er, well, cause now we have this spiffy star-based ratings system to award or bash games with!  I made these stars myself too!  Also we have a nifty system that rates a game based on content for all you concerned parents out there.  Based on a traffic signal, this system should be a little better than slapping a big M on a box.  Check it all out here or up on the nav bar.

See ya!

Lyle




Super Mario Galaxy - Up For A Spike Award

12 05 2008

But, really I just thought the video was cool! This is one of the most refreshing games I’ve played this year and as the video commentator mentions; is a great change of pace from the content-heavy titles that are getting all the press these days. Check it out! I haven’t reviewed the game for this site yet, but will post a Now Playing Review asap…

from www.gametrailers.com posted with vodpod




FTC Says It’s Getting Harder For Kids To Buy M Rated Games

8 05 2008

The Federal Trade Commission has been investigating retailers and how strict they are about selling M-rated games and other mature media to kids. The report is right here and it’s worth a read. Check out this chart:

So things are getting better. I know that my Gamestop guys are enforcing the rules. How is it in your neck of the woods? What are the restrictions at your house when it comes to Mature or R+ rated content in media? Do you have any guidelines in place? I believe the best way to fix this issue is for parents to know and be involved in what they’re kids are into.




New Lord Of The Rings Game!

8 05 2008

My Geek-o-Meter is going crazy! It’s being developed by Pandemic (the creators of the hugely popular “Star Wars Battlefront” series) for the Xbox 360 and PS3. They say it’s coming in the fall even though it was just announced today. I found this story at IGN. They have posted an interview with a developer… interesting stuff! They even spell Gandalf wrong!

Here’s a quick rundown of some features that were announced:

  • 2 campaigns - good guys 1st; then you unlock the bad guy campaign (A “what if” Frodo failed campaign)
  • Campaigns follow the movie timeline with battles added from the books and eluded to in the books
  • Online co-op through the campaign with 4 players
  • Split-screen local multiplayer
  • Various 8 player online modes
  • Class-based fighting with ‘vehicles’ (like horses and oliphaunts and what not)
  • Heroes unlocked like Battlefront II: play as Aragorn, Legolas, the Balrog, and even Sauron

This sounds pretty awesome!




Grand Theft Auto IV Makes 500 Million

7 05 2008

In it’s first week. It’s not really a surprise that it sold a lot; but that’s a lot of money…

The previous record holder, Halo 3, made around 300 million in its first week. To keep things in perspective, remember that Halo 3 was only developed for the Xbox 360 and GTA IV is on both the 360 and the PS3. GTA IV made more money in it’s first week than “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” made at the box office. Again, for perspective’s sake, remember that movie tickets are much cheaper than 60 dollar video games - so the movies still sell better than games; they just don’t make as much money in their first week…

the press release is here

And now I’m officially sick of hearing news about the game. But I’m sure more will come… And it is relevant because it shows just how big video gaming is getting. If you have kids, you know that it’s a big deal. So the hype for this game will lessen a bit - but it’s already achieved/exceeded the money-making and high ratings it was expected to get.

Not only is the game the biggest gaming debut of all-time; but it’s still the most highly rated [recent] game ever [Legend of Zelda, Ocarina of Time is 99]. The metacritic scores are 99 for both the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game as of this writing. It’s getting more hype and praise than any other game in history.

Those pages are here: GTA IV Xbox 360 and GTA IV PlayStation 3

It’s a little off-topic but I’ve picked up some kid-friendlier games that I should be able to get impressions/reviews up soon for. I’m working on a scoring system for this site that scores on technical merit and a separate scoring system for advising parents on content issues. Is it a quality game? Maybe. Is it a quality game for your kids? Maybe not.




GTA IV: Steals Top Spot On Xbox LIVE

6 05 2008

Over on Major Nelson’s Blog (one of the head community guys at Xbox) there’s a list of games each week that shows us which games are being played most on Xbox LIVE.  Single player games and multiplayer games are all taken into account - as long as you are connected to LIVE they know what you’re playing…creepy huh?  Anyway, for many many weeks in a row Call of Duty 4 has been king of the hill, prior to that it was Halo 3.  And this week the new kid on the block is none other than (no real surprise) Grand Theft Auto IV.  Here’s the official list from the Major:

  1. GTA IV
  2. Call of Duty 4
  3. Halo 3
  4. Guitar Hero III
  5. Gears of War
  6. Rock Band
  7. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six® Vegas 2
  8. Iron Man Demo
  9. FIFA 08
  10. Forza Motorsport 2



Duck Hunt Lamp?? Sweet!!

5 05 2008

I found this over at nintendowiifanboy.  Apparently a user of that site, fluffypants, is a pretty big Duck Hunt fan.  Being one of my favorite games from ye olde days; it’s inspiring!  It’s an elegant weapon from a more civilized age…

It’s beautiful!!!




Grand Theft Auto IV: Christiangamer Impressions

3 05 2008

I’m at about 10 hours in according to the game; so this isn’t a full review.

As a Christian minister for 13 years I have seen many things; some great, some awful. I’m currently reading a book by Randy Alcorn simply called Heaven. Let me tell you, reading a book on Heaven while playing a game based on humanity’s current hell is an odd but thought-provoking experience. And the hell that the game portrays is a convincing one. GTA IV is cynically and broodingly spoofed from today’s real-world crises and is incredibly well imagined and artistically rendered. From a technical and gameplay standpoint – it’s actually pretty amazing. I’ll save the other praises for the actual review (yep there are parts of the game that I like).

I don’t advise you to go there however – I can’t. It’s the American-Dream-Nightmare come true in 3-D. And the content is really, really rough. This game grabs the M rating by the throat and squeezes it into submission. It’s only by the thinnest strips of clothing possible that the game doesn’t venture into AO territory. I don’t really get all that offended by R-rated movies as long as there is some depth in them (”Saving Pvt. Ryan” vs. “Saw”). But honestly, I was not prepared for the degree of, or the amount of, content I have experienced so far in the game – more on that in a minute.

Getting to know Niko:

Niko Bellic is a tormented soul, wracked with memories from the past that bring him pause in his pursuits. He acts like he is trapped by the world and the rampaging guilt, anger, addictions, and love of money that seem to make it go round. He knows that the things he’s doing are wrong but so far, at around 10 hours into the dark adventure, that knowledge won’t stop him from whatever it is he has to do. He’s definitely driven by something; he must be. He came to America to escape the kind of life he is tragically plunging right back into. That sounds a lot like Hell.

And it’s a real tragedy. The character of Niko Bellic could be transformable. He looks like he wants to find some redemption, but he doesn’t – at least not yet. These tragic stories rarely have a happy ending so I’m not holding out that much hope for Niko’s tale. But there was one conversation in the game that was actually meaningful to me: one of the many bosses of the game has a wife (and he treats her terribly) that believes in God and holds onto hope. She tells Niko to not give up on either. It was a short, but refreshingly sweet moment in the game.

As a character in a linear story progression, Niko obviously struggles with the situations he is in and is given some options to be mean or merciful. So far, though, it’s only been one time that I have been given a choice to kill a target or let him go. That seems to fly in the face of what Niko usually does. I’m wondering why there haven’t been more missions that can end in mercy… (I guess that would make him a low-quality criminal or something…)

Back to the content:

I can’t really recommend the game to anyone. I’m not going to tell adults what they should do, but here is some honest critical thinking about it. There is some interesting stuff in there – but you have to wade through all kinds of junk to get to it. I was very naïve about how full of content it is and how depraved it could get. One reviewer stated that GTA is the sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll of video gaming. I think that’s being pretty gracious, actually. Here’s a quick run-down:

Language – strong and unrelenting. For a crime drama that’s pretty typical in the movies, but it gets to ridiculous levels here. Think of the foulest R-rated flick you’ve seen. This is worse (blanket statement generalization there – but you get my point). The f word alone is used to a degree that its’ shock value as the ‘king of swears’ gives way to a kind of ear-and-mind-numbing stupidity. Yeah, these are low-life characters we’re talking about here, but surely some real criminals have a broader vocabulary. Is it realistic? I don’t know. Is it necessary? Surely not.

Tasteless humor – I haven’t heard and seen this many dirty jokes since middle school. Pervasive use of slang (for body parts) and objectification makes women sound like worthless toys. It’s everywhere - Ads, TV programs, business names and bowling pins all band together to make you giggle – which is funny – because it’s not funny. Even if I wasn’t a Christian, I would be seriously disappointed in the ‘humor’ as being senseless locker-room-quality stupidity. They package it up as genius-level satire and all the critics seem to agree with that; and while I see the satire in some of it, it still seems juvenile.

Sex – I’ve seen footage of the worst parts of the game on gaming websites online, so I have no desire to re-visit this in my living room. This stuff is in the game.

In the opening scene of the game you see a half-naked girl beating a tied-up guy with a whip. In the tutorial for the optional activities you see scenes from the strip club. According to whattheyplay.com, there is no nudity in the game. But there is tape-for-clothing…

You can go to a strip club and order a lap dance. Apparently if you pay up enough you can have multiple girls dancing for you (if you can call it dancing – it’s more like simulated sex). That’s pretty embarrassing stuff to have in a game. I’ve heard some of my fellow Xbox LIVE players bragging about this – I just don’t get it. Most people think it’s funny. Thankfully it’s optional; but it’s still in the game.

You can hire a prostitute. The camera stays outside the car while three levels of service can be bought. Due to the open-world-do-anything-you-want nature of the game, you can then kill the prostitute and get all your money back. This will be shocking you on the news networks soon as videos of this so-called “refund gameplay” have been surfacing all over the internet. I have a feeling that this will get some serious political attention. Defenders of the game will say that these videos are taken out of context to get people riled up, to which I respond, “In what kind of context could you justify that?!” The message here is: sex is cheap, women are cheaper.

You can also go on dates (it seems innocent enough at first) and if the date is “successful” you may be invited in. The camera pans out to a beautiful view of the apartment building and the sky (epic moment I guess) and you hear the sound of your date yelling your name. Classy. Also, if you remember the “Hot Coffee” controversy from GTA San Andreas there is a nod to that debacle in the game. When you have a ‘successful’ date – you unlock the “Warm Coffee” (“Successfully date a girl to be invited into her house”) achievement on your Xbox 360. So Rockstar is flaunting their own controversy. The bottom line is that the sex in GTA IV is so suggestive that it would only take a bit less clothing to be considered at least somewhat pornographic.

Violence – It’s not the most violent game on the market, but it is realistically violent. In the movie “The Departed” blood spray after a headshot looks real, as does a murder flashback scene in a CSI episode. It does in GTA IV as well. When you injure a specific body part, the characters will react accordingly. Due to the new technology of the euphoria engine – people move and act realistically within their environment and make futile attempts to save themselves. It’s almost creepy. Because of the incredible quality of the animations in the game – when you hit somebody with a car and send them flying, whatever their head hits next is splattered realistically with blood and their lifeless body ragdolls to a slump. Not too much to be over the top – but not too little either, it looks exactly right. That’s why I think it’s fairly disturbing. I’m no doctor or CSI, but to me it looks real.

In an execution, which you can perform on some main characters, you can take it a step further. In one scene Niko heads to the character, shields his face from the inevitable blood spray and shoots his victim through the eye. It’s pretty rough and I’m not a squeamish guy – except when it comes to spiders. *shudders*

Now for the bigger issue (and maybe a soapbox):

Many people believe that the game is OK for kids. Parents believe it; and parents buy it for their kids. Rockstar Games will shout it from the mountaintops that this is a mature game not meant for kids to play; but kids will play it – because it’s a video game – and it’s obviously a popular one. Odds are many of the other kids at school are playing it – cue the “but Mom’s” and the “I only like it for the driving…”

As of this writing, users on the website whattheyplay.com have stated they believe that it would be appropriate for 13-year-olds to play this game (read the review then scroll down). Erm… What? 13? That to me is more offensive than the game itself. It’s not the website’s fault, but it brings to light some real issues. Even some of the most liberal friends I have agree with me on this point: GTA is not appropriate for kids. I can’t really believe that people think it is, and some of them will get offended at me saying that. Sorry. In my opinion it’s wrong and irresponsible to let your kids play this game. That’s my opinion. Where do you stand?

I guess the best thing about this game and the controversy surrounding it is that people will be talking. I would say to both sides of the argument: we need to talk it out, be rational, be honest with ourselves and each other, and get to the bottom of it. Christians and critics of the game shouldn’t ignore it, nor should they blindly bash it. Defenders of the game shouldn’t automatically jump to Rockstar’s defense in blind worship just because they made a blockbuster video game.

As I said before, there are components of the game that I like and can appreciate as a gamer; especially the technical aspects of Liberty City. The multiplayer is very innovative as well. I will cover the good stuff more in the final review, but for now I’m just kind of thinking out loud…

I leave you with questions to consider: What is the pull of the game? What is the reason kids want to play Grand Theft Auto? Is it the story? Is it the graphics? Is it the gameplay? Is it the mature content in and of itself? Where do you draw the line in what’s acceptable in interactive entertainment? Is it any different than watching it in movies? Is the rating system good enough? If the story turns out to be as good as every critic agrees that it is, is it worth playing through the junk to get to it?

I hope to answer some of these questions for myself as I get back to reviewing the game…

In the meantime you can check out these eyebrow-raising articles that are basically chats with teenagers about GTA IV:

http://www.whattheyplay.com/features/no-parents-allowed-grand-theft-auto-iv/

http://www.whattheyplay.com/features/kids-talk-about-grand-theft-auto-iv/




Grand Theft Auto IV - Ground Zero

29 04 2008

This might be interesting so I wanted it to go up soon. Here are three pictures. The first is from last night’s GTA 4 release at the local game store. The next two are from last year’s Halo 3 release (same place - but I got there early for Halo 3 and was in the front of the line). The crowd was definitely bigger for Halo. And, thankfully, the crowd was much older (generally) at the GTA release. I was told by the store guys that they only had to shoo one underage kid away (OH!! DENIED!!). He was trying to buy the game without his parents there. There were around 120 people there when I arrived and a few more showed up after me. There were over 150 for Halo 3 last year. This is what a small town in Ohio looks like at the release of a big game.

I played and journaled for about 2 hours last night. I can definitely affirm that the game is very inappropriate for kids. And I’ll be adding my day one thoughts later this evening.  [EDIT] I probably need to de-spoiler those thoughts so as to not ruin the story highlights for unsuspecting surfers.  And so obviously I didn’t do that last night, and I probably won’t get to it today either because of some evening meetings…

Grand Theft Auto IV line (I was at the back):

Halo 3 line from last year (I was at the front):