HandsomeDead

I'm all for this, keeping past classics alive in a more playable form. I don't know if I'd buy games again, I'm not sure If I'd get the GoW collection because I have them already, same with a Ico/SotC collection but if they did it to something I originally missed out on then I'd be all over it.

Not played a great deal this week. I started Viewtiful Joe 2 and got a bit into it but then new games destracted me. First was A Boy and His Blob which is really good, better than I thought it would be. I aced the first world and I thought I'm going to ace this game, I rule with this Blob but then the second world didn't offer up its secrets as easily. What I've mostly been playing is Muramasa: The Demon Blade which is excellent, I'm finding it hard to put down. Since its so fast paced I set out to play it in 30 minute bursts but I don't seem to put it down for hours, it can be repetative as there is no other gameplay outside its combat but thats strong enough for me at the moment. Also some more LEGO Rock Band, nothing really to say about it really.. the Jurassic Park parody is pretty funny.

I'm 7 hours in and I'm unsure at the length because the story feels like its coming to a close but there are loads of areas I can't access, and I haven't been to the south side of the world map. I think the other character takes a different route in his story but still, don't know what the fuck is going on. Doesn't help that the story is a bit mad and seems like it could go anywhere.

Its usually small enemies that can be inhaled. Look out for flying enemies on the top screen too, they can usually be inhaled.

I don't even have it yet and the online is fucked. This is why we can't have nice things.

I've never played Shadowgrounds but some say Alien Breed is like it, others say its nothing like Shadowgrounds, some say its a bit like Shadowgrounds but not that much and I'm in that camp. I tried the trial, it was a bit brief but I liked what I played. Gonna pick it up when I get me some points.

Overall Game of the Year: Brutal Legend Best 360 game: Brutal Legend Best DS game: Mario & Luigi: BIS Best PC game: Plants Vs Zombies Best PS3 game: Batman: Arkham Asylum Best PSP game: Rock Band Unplugged Best Wii game: A Boy and His Blob Best Mobile game: Best Downloadable Game: Flower Best Action/Adventure Game: Brutal Legend Best Fighter: Street Fighter IV Best Platformer: LittleBIGPlanet (PSP) Best Puzzle Game: Art Style: Picopicts Best Racing Game: Forza 3 Best RPG: Persona 4 Best Rythym/Music Game: Rock Band Unplugged Best Shooter: Left 4 Dead 2 Best Sports Game: Punch Out!! Best Strategy Game: Plants Vs Zombies Best Visuals: Killzone 2 Best Audio: HotD: Overkill Best Multiplayer: Left 4 Dead 2 Developer of the Year: Double Fine Publisher of the Year: Activision Most Anticipated Game of 2010: Mass Effect 2

Good review, Ben. Makes me not want to try it.

I haven't followed the charts for years anyway and some guy on facebook isn't going to make me care now. And I have RatM's debut kicking around anyway.

I'm listening now, right away (its still going). Because I'm bored and not tired. Firstly, Dante's Inferno is GoW in terms of control and the way it plays. I was really surprised on how similar, I knew the concept would be the same but its like they robbed the game engine and used The Divine Comedy as a basis for a story. I suppose if thats what you want then fine but Dead Space brought lots of inspiration and came to something that was good to play but taking inspiration from one game doesn't do it any favours, its by no means a bad game but personally I'd put other games ahead of it. And Fearn Cotten is horrible, but I like Holly, but then she was around during many Saturday morning hangovers and she made them bearable and despite everything I will always have a soft spot for her... or a hard one.. hey.. hey.. *nudge nudge*...

I see the How to Talk to Girls game is only 80ms. It looks really surreal, if I remember I'm gonna get it when I have some folks round, could be a laugh. I'm not that into shmups but Leave home looks cool, with all the lights and that. I'll check the trial on that.

Were they not impessionable enough for you? Well here's my impression of you. "Oh shizzle, myoi mizzuz took that dress I loike. Wha willah wear daan the dogging sesh naaa." Fine, I just did something more in-depth at a popular forum before so I'll give you the gist since I like you. As I mentioned the combat is something else, its like playing Skate for the first time, something to get used to and learn from the begining, no adopting a style of play from other action games. But if I am going to be down on the game it will be in the way the game copy and pastes its enviroments a bit, I guess it comes with the nature of it having hand drawn graphics. Looks lovely but it probably took ages so the use it again except put some different lighting/weather effects to spruce them up a bit. Overall though, i do give it a thumb up because so far its been fun, decking things is always fun, and here it looks nice too. If that isn't good enough then fuck off to IGN or something and read a review.

Thats what I thought, too. All the voice acting ones point to them wanting celebs there.

It comes into a already crowded genre in the consoles but if it offers most of the tech seen in the PC game then it could be worth playing, or atleast a kick up the arse for other devs.

I think there is a thread for these XBLA indie games but no-one bothered with it, the only ones I've played are the zombies one, Jump and Streets of Fury (which I nearly bought because it was so bad it was funny, but I knew I'd regret it).

So Halo Reach exists.. thanks for the news, Bungie.

Finally, game got. This game, this one right here. Original. It maybe doesn't look like it, you see a ninja jumping and slashing around you think Shinobi, Strider and Ninja Gaiden, whatever. The combat system here is pretty fresh, I've not seen nowt like it. You pull off your moves by holding down the A button and use the left stick to slash around (I use the classic controller). You can get through minions by just wiggling your stick but harder battles and bosses require you to be evasive as well as offensive, random wiggling won't help to much there.. well, it might. It looks horrible, though. ... not.

Game got. I've done the first world, the first few levels were gentle and getting through any level was easy enough. Its getting all the chests that require a bit of thought, much like the chests in Wario: Shake Dimension. The boss I beat required a bit of trial and error gameplay, because of the one hit kill mechanic and the animations (while amazing) are hard to read. I think its more that I didn't expect a boss and I didn't know how to deal with it. Great game so far though.

To finish up.. Left 4 Dead 2 I think its more than just more of the same, its like they worked on all the little things that made the original game something that wasn't that high on my online shooter list and made it my favourite multiplayer game of the year. Everything is so much more open for competition that wasn't quite there before and is just all the more fun for it. Shadow Complex I do think 2009 wasn't a brilliant year for retail games but downloadable games really shined and Shadow Complex was one of them, perhaps looking back in a few years it might not be considered to be that great but it just filled a hole. No-one makes games like that anymore and its such a shame because the Metroidvania concept is great for addictive action games. The art direction isn't something to be desired but under that generic and boring body is great game. I thought I would pick more, I think Dishwasher: Dead Samurai, Borderlands and Forza 3 are all really great and Bionic Commando was an amazing surprise for me but I'm not gonna put them up because you have to draw the line somewhere.

A Boy and His Blob was despatched the other day and I'm finally getting hold of Muramasa, what a pain that was. Play listed it to pre-order then didn't get it in and Zavvi did the same. Finally found someone on eBay selling it new for the same price. That was more of a pain than was neeeded, it better be worth it

Okay, I'll do my games of the year. Brutal Legend Despite its luke warm reception there hasen't been I enjoyed more this year, the RTS elements weren't perfectly executed but they fit in with the theme of the game and I, pesonally, did start to find enjoyment in these sections. But it wasn't that combat stuff that made me love it, it was a fantastic world to be in, it had a great, epic and positively cliche story and there was this untangible glow to the game, like passion for music legends and games would just pour out of the screen and make a mess of your room. I absolutely loved it and looking around it makes me sad that so many were disappointed by it, it would be sad to see genuinly original games like this disappear. Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story Not only is the bizaar story, characters and situations incredibly entertaining its also home to the most fun and interesting combat system. You play alot of JRPGs and you wonder why even the more poe faced ones just evolve slightly and take a leaf out of this games book, there are no random battles and the battles themselves rely on simple reaction and sign reading gameplay. It just makes the whole thing more involving, I don't want all JRPGs to go in that direction, I do like the laid back and none urgent gameplay at times. Shin Magami Tensei: Persona 4 2009, and a PS2 game is here. This one also doesn't have the random battles but other than that its still an old fashioned JRPG, but I really like this one. The bits outside your usual gameplay is what makes P4 special. It bases its story around the most awkward teenagers, not in a pain in the arse way, they do become endearing. The town of Inaba is just great to be in, as is the TV world you do your questing. Though I should go back and finish it one day... Flower I think I'm only picking this because it was breath of fresh air, just swooping around collecting petals to make a dull meadow spring with life, felt kinda good. I wish I could explain why I found it so entertaining but at this point I think it is different to what gamers have been doing for years, mostly fighting things in one way or another. This isn't that and held my attention for the duration, hell, I could of gone on playing more of it if it wasn't so short. LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias I'm not putting it here to be cool, I really do think it was one of the best games of the year (But then I have put Brutal Legend). Its such a well put together game, despite it being a sequel it consistently surprises, maybe its because it pulled off things you don't expect from a WiiWare game, but then I do think if it turned up on other services it still would outclass its rivals. Charming, smart and enjoyable, what more do you want? ... I'm fed up, to be continued...

I just meant from me.. in this thread, since I've mentioned it for the last four or five weeks.

I'll start with Mario & Luigi: BIS, its the last you'll here of it because I completed it, about 20 hours of RPG fun. I played some more Left 4 Dead 2, I'm not having troubles with Vs mode so I've been playing and loving it, I've won 5 complete games and only need 5 more to get the t-shirt, yay. I played some more Forza 3 again since they released some new cars via DLC and I've been brumming some of them around. I played Disaster: Day of Crisis for a bit and its funny its named disaster because thats what it is.. so I stopped playing it. Finally I looked for something in my collection for something good to play and saw Viewtiful Joe, so I played that. I played it on the easier of the two settings as I remember it was infamously hard, but it isn't, maybe the harder setting is just hard but I'm sure it was just considered generally hard. Anyway, I went through it with no problem 'til I got to the boss rush and final boss. I still can't beat that cunt and any advice on how to will be rewarded. The rest of the game was a slower paced affair than I remember, almost puzzle-y, using the right power in the right situation, that sort of thing. It had a slow start but I really started to enjoy it again, so I'm gonna kill the cunt at the end and then go through the sequel... or just give up and go to the sequel, as usual.

Ha, I didn't notice that. Excellent plug.

Congrats with the drawing, they do look fantastic. Did or is anyone going to get the holiday car pack for it, its 400 microsoft dollers for 10 cars. Cars 'n that. 2010 Ferrari 599XX 2010 Nissan GT-R SpecV 2010 Porsche Panamera Turbo (Ugly car, yuck) 2009 Aston Martin Racing #007 Lola 2010 Jaguar XFR 2009 #2 Audi Sport R15 TDI 2010 Lamborghini LP 670-4 SV 2010 Mercedes SLR Stirling Moss 2010 Ferrari 458 Italia 2010 Audi S4 I did get the pack, just for the GT-R alone but there are a number of others I'm looking forward to having in my garage. You can get the S4 free and I imagine it will include the data so you can see the others when racing online. The cynic in me is telling me that some of the cars were held back, especially the GT-R, I was really surprised when I got the game and it wasn't there.