If you check out the comments in Yashoki's latest blog you will see how I was concerned at having not yet received my patch in the mail. Well, not even a half an hour later I checked my mail on my way out to work and low and behold, it has arrived!
Woot!
Same weird postage as Yashoki.
What have we here?
Excelsior!
Where the patch is headed.
I really couldn't be happier right now. I was told to expect the patch to arrive in the first week of May and I was actually getting worried that the first prize I ever won on Destructoid had been lost in the mail. I can't wait to get it on my backpack. I owe congrats to all the winners and a big thank you to Destructoid, Niero and Collete. You guys kick ass!
As a kid, my parents were very strict with what sort of media their two little boys could get their hands on. So when I was a kid, the only way I could play violent games such as Splatterhouse, Doom and Mortal Kombat was to go to a friend’s house. Therefore, I had very limited experience with this series before I sat down to play it for my entry into Cowzilla’s Game of the Month Club.
For my entry I’ve spent a lot of time with the arcade version of Splatterhouse and Splatterhouse 3 on the Genesis. I also played but spent much less time with Splatterhouse 2 on the Genesis and Splatterhouse: Wanpaku Graffiti, the Japanese only NES game.
This was my first time playing the original Splatterhouse and I was impressed. The sprites are incredibly detailed and gory and the sound effects are awesome. The way it sounds
when you bury your fist into some zombies face is just perfect. It’s just as good as Conrad said it would be.
The gore effects in this game are awesome.
The gameplay on the other hand, is a bit simplistic. It’s still fun, don’t get me wrong, but I unfortunately played Splatterhouse 3 first, which has much more advanced gameplay, more on that later.
If you wait around too long, this purple mist will come along and ruin your day.
I hate this screen, it takes place right after the first level and it sucks. It's nothing but these leeches that jump at you from either side of the room, you only have 4 hits per life so you can't make too many mistakes. It always takes me a couple tries to pass this.
I love smacking enemies up against the wall with my 2x4. So awesome
My time with Splatterhouse 2 was brief, not because it’s a terrible game, its average, but because it feels like a watered down Splatterhouse 1. The graphics aren’t as detailed or gory and the gameplay is virtually the same. The levels aren’t nearly as interesting as the first game either.
The one thing I liked about this game, which other people didn’t, is the way the bosses death animations can kill you. I had been warned, but the first boss still got me with his bile when his stomach exploded. I thought it was cool, even if I had to kill the bastard again.
When the first boss dies, this is the wrong place to stand
Elevators, it has them.
Splatterhouse 3 is by far my favorite game in the series. The game feels a lot deeper than the previous two. The pseudo 3D movement makes the game feel more modern and the Monster transformation adds a bit of strategy to the beat em up gameplay.
I love the graphics in this game, while not as crisp as the original arcade Splatterhouse; it looks great for a Genesis title. The animations are great too. I love how Rick will grab enemies and head but them or throw them across the room. Even though I am still jabbing the same button to kill enemies, the variety of animations does a lot to keep me interested. I also love the short cut scenes that advance the story between the rooms. This game easily has the most engrossing story of the series which isn’t saying much, but it’s something.
The map is very easy to use
My favorite part of this game is by far the non-linear levels. It gives the game a ton of replayability. The map system is also great and the game would be lost without it. I’m a little undecided on the timer present in each level. It always gives you enough time to do some exploring before each boss but if you want to see everything on your first play through, you’re going to get the “bad” storyline which occurs when the timer has expired when you complete the level. It is interesting to see the different storylines, but at the same time, sometimes I want to go the long way and see the good ending, oh well. The game is still magnificent.
The story in this game is pretty creepy.
Monster Rick and the first boss.
I love the way some enemies change after they have taken damage. Here is the first boss after Rick has beaten him half way to death.
The last game I played in the series was the Japanese only, Splatterhouse: Wanpaku Graffiti. The first thing I want to say is this game is hard, much harder than any other game in the series. It’s also fast, Rick can move much faster than in any other game. It’s a fun game and I plan on playing it more and getting better at it but for now I’m going to stick with Splatterhouse and Splatterhouse 3.
The characters are superdeformed and look great for an NES title.
The first boss does indeed do the thriller dance...
...right before kicking my ass.
I can see how these games got so much attention for their violence back in the day. They certainly are not for kids but I don’t see why a 13 year old couldn’t handle it. It’s not like you’re killing humans. On the other hand, the toned down graphics in Splatterhouse 3 (when compared to the arcade original) do absolutely nothing to affect the gameplay so I personally don’t care at all.
If you can only play one game of this series I would highly recommend Splatterhouse 3, it has displaced Streets of Rage as my favorite Beat em up of all time. Its combination of non-linear levels and Rick’s monster transformation make this game a must play in my book. Check it out and then don’t hesitate to throw your two-cents in on your Cblog.
I fully understand that in his attack on "casual" gaming, Dan Houser was really just attacking the buzzword of "casual" which I can fully appreciate. However, I think we need to get captain obvious in here when he starts talking about how "people still want games that are groundbreaking."
Of course we do Dan! The hardcore gaming audience will always exist. In fact, we get converts from the so called casual crowd every single day. Another fact, your game is absolutely praised by the causal crowd. It is seriously one of their favorite games, right up there with Madden, Bejeweled and Halo. So yes, the term "casual gaming" sucks, but when you make statements that can be taken way out of context like "Fuck casual gaming" you're only making yourself look bad. I love the hell out of your game and I think the writing is the best part but man, that was a really stupid thing to say.
Moving along, I was really looking forward to Wii Fit, but after watching this video, I think I've found my training program. [Video possibly not safe for work, it depends on your bosses stance on fat kids in their underwear.]
This is my current wallpaper. I think it's pretty badass, if you like it too, enjoy.
Thats right, according to computerandvideogames.com, GTA 4 has topped CoD4 and Halo 3 on the Xbox Live activity list. This news isn't surprising to me. The game is a masterpiece. However, I doubt this will last. In my opinion the multiplayer isn't anything to go crazy over so once people start beating or getting bored with the storyline I think we will see CoD4 and Halo 3 rise to the top again. Here are some numbers released by Xbox Live:
1 million users went online with GTA 4 in the first 24 hours.
2 million achievements were unlocked in the first 24 hours.
15 million+ achievement points were unlocked in the first 24 hours.
1.5 million game invites were sent in the first 24 hours.
I can only imagine these numbers were helped by bullshit reviews like this one. As amazing as the game is, it is not flawless. I haven't beat the game but I can see why it is getting 10/10 all over the place. From here all we can do is look forward to Destructoid's review of them.
I’m not at all familiar with Forbes magazine or their writer Mary Jane Irwin. In fact I’d say I’m about as familiar with them as they are with video games. Har Har Har. Anyways, she wrote an article about GTA 4 recently that I have a couple of things to say about.
Scott Steinberg, vice president of product marketing at Sony Computer Entertainment America, predicts we're about to see the "GTA Effect"--box office sales, television ratings, Internet traffic will all dip as everyone "hunkers down" to play through "Grand Theft Auto IV" on game consoles. Of course, he gets paid to say things like that.
Just because he is paid to say it doesn’t make it untrue. It’s not just the phenomenal games that are keeping gamers out of theatres though, it is also ticket prices. If I wait 3-4 months I can pay 6 dollars and my girlfriend and I can watch Iron Man on PPV from the comfort of our living room. Compare that to 11 dollars per ticket at the box office and you’ll see why I almost never go to theatres.
…those sneaky kids at Rockstar hid a really nasty Easter egg inside "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas." Only the most die-hard fans who were willing to hack or patch their game could find it.
You acknowledgment that you had to hack and patch your PC copy of San Andreas to find Hot Coffee means it is in fact, not an Easter Egg. Next!
Like what Hillary Clinton doesn't? In that case, "GTA IV" will be right up your alley. If you grow tired of running around town executing fellow crooks, you can spend some much needed R&R bashing cars into pedestrians. "Grand Theft Auto IV" is all about doing whatever you want, whenever you want. Some commentators call the game a satire of American culture. Others, who have asked it be removed from retailers, just call it wacko.
Well, bashing into peds with my car gets old kinda quick, as does using them for target practice. If I ever find myself bored in the game, I usually turn it off. Really though, Mary Jane (if that is your real name) you should recognize that you can also go bowling, play darts, race cars, play an arcade game, do crazy stunts with sports cars and motorcycles and play pool, among other things. GTA has a whole world of non violent activities for the player, it’s just a shame so many journalists only want to focus on the hooker killing, which is something the game never forces you to do.
Do these guys just hate women? Why would any girl want to play this game?
My girlfriend loves this game just as much as I do. And I very much doubt that Rockstar hates women.
Do you think Arnold Schwarzenegger will buy a copy? Why would he need to? He's already had his chance to do this stuff, at least in the movies.
wtf
...if your teen hasn't mail-ordered a chain gun after watching Rambo 50 times, he can probably handle a little “Grand Theft Auto”
My jaw nearly hit the floor when I read this. Thank god for you Mary Jane and for once, I’m saying that about a person. At least you understand that for all its violence and depravity, GTA is no worse than an R rated movie.
Today is a sad sad day for bohemians and scholars everywhere. For those unsure of who he was, Albert Hofmann was the man who synthesized LSD-25 (lysergic acid diethylamide), more commonly known as Acid. He is also the first person to ever experience a full blown psychedelic Acid trip.
Unknown to most people is that fact that Albert Hofmann was also the inventor of Hydergine, which improved blood circulation and Dihydergot, which was a machine that improved people's blood pressure.
In fact, it was while researching respiratory and circulatory stimulants that he first discovered LSD-25 and his first trip was purely accidental. The story goes that when LSD-25 was first discovered they tested it on animals with very little result. It was shelved until five years later when Hofmann decided to experiment with it some more. Towards the end of his experiments he noted that he felt an odd sensation in his body. He didn't realize it at the time but he had absorbed a signifigant amount of LSD-25 through his skin. I'll let Albert describe what happened when he arrived home after the experiments:
In a dreamlike state, with eyes closed, I perceived an uninterrupted stream of fantastic pictures, extraordinary shapes with intense, kaleidoscopic play of colours. After some two hours this condition faded away.
He suspected LSD was the cause and the very next day ingested a dose of the drug to be sure. Some time later he recorded feeling dizzy and seeing visual hallucinations. He also reported an overwhelming urge to laugh. He started feeling anxious and decided to ride home. This infamous bicycle ride is where Hofmann started to feel some of the more intense effects of Acid.
Everything in my field of vision wavered and was distorted as if seen in a curved mirror. I also had the sensation of being unable to move from the spot. Nevertheless, my assistant later told me that we had traveled very rapidly.
The rest, as they say, is history. The pharmaceutical companies and psychiatric researcher's where quick to pick up on this cheap new drug. As where the the various governments of the world, some of whom have been accused of researching the drug as a mind control weapon. It also inspired an entire decade of music in the form of such recording acts as The Grateful Dead, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix. It is also told that Watson and Crick, the famed scientists who came up with the DNA Double Helix model, were on Acid when they did. Kind of makes sense if you know what the Double Helix looks like.
It also provided this intrepid blogger with about a years worth of self discovery right after High School. A time in my life where I was truly lost and LSD help me become found. I'll never forget how beautiful and amazing this drug can be when treated with the proper respect. I will also never forget how many friends I saw never come back from this drug and how close I was to doing the same.
Albert Hofmann was a brilliant man and an amazing inventor. He has improved countless lives with his work and will continue to do so long after he has been forgotten by the majority of his people.
I have this amazing ability to dodge pre-release hype on even the biggest games. I did it with BioShock; I did it with Halo 3 and The Orange Box. Hell, I even enjoyed Assassins Creed solely because I had no expectations of the game before I played it. My latest accomplishment has been to avoid just about everything GTA IV related until approximately 12:30 am eastern this morning. Let me just say, I really did myself a favor.
Everything about this game has blown me away. I really expected to see a pretty version of San Andreas with new characters, a few new vehicles and weapons and maybe a new mini game or two. What I have found is a complete overhaul of the series.
The one thing I really wanted from this game was for Rockstar to make its city more believable and lifelike. I think they have succeeded. It’s the little things really. They way Niko smashes in car windows before stealing them, they way pedestrians smoke and carry on conversations on their cell phones while walking. All these little things come together to make me feel more like I’m in NYC, ahem, Liberty City.
The biggest surprise for me came when I was taking a bit of a lunch break from the game. I had noticed that you can watch the TV in Niko’s apartment so I decided to check it out while eating lunch. First was a stand up comic who I think was voiced by the incredibly funny Eddie Izzard. Regardless of if the comedian was Eddie or not, he was funny as hell and is worth seeking out. After this comedy act came some forgettable commercials followed by what was to become my favorite part of the game so far. It is called Republican Space Rangers and it’s a cartoon. In my opinion it is the single best parody of the Iraq War ever. It is so freaking funny that you are really doing yourself a disservice by not watching it. In case you are too lazy to seek it out in game, I’ve posted it here for your viewing pleasure:
Republican Space Rangers!
The changes to the driving mechanics are perfect in this gamer’s opinion. Views on this seem to be mixed from what I’ve read. However, I have had very little problem adapting to the more realistic style of driving in GTA IV. Also, the Helicopter and boat controls are much improved as well and make flying around the skies or waterways of Liberty City a joy. My girlfriend and I spent hours just cruising last night, she couldn’t stop destroying boats and helicopters for anything, but I chalk that up to over excitement, not shoddy vehicle controls.
The combat is where I hit my first stumbling block. I really like the manual aiming in this iteration, they really nailed it. However, the lock on combat still leaves a lot to be desired. When I can even get it to work, it is a pain in the ass to get it to target exactly who I want. Also, I’ve heard you can target specific body parts like in crackdown, however, outside of manually aiming I haven’t yet figured out how to do this. I also really hate the melee animations. They look painfully awkward and unfinished to me.
The other area of the game where I feel a slight twinge of disappointment is in the cut scenes. I knew this game would have them but I was really hopping that Rockstar would take the more interactive route found in games like BioShock and Half Life. Also, the animations in these cut scenes aren’t always spectacular. I am reminded very much of the last gen GTAs during many of these cut scenes, especially when characters wave their arms about as they speak.
All in all I’m really psyched about this game. I played it until about 5:30 am this morning, feel asleep for seven hours or so then woke up and played it again all the way until I came to work, which is where I am right now. I cannot wait to go home and further my adventures as Niko, until then, I have the portable Liberty City Stories to tide me over.
I really really really wanted to do a first impressions blog on GTA. However, the game is magnificent and I think I'm going to play it more. You should take a break from it and watch this video. It will probably be the greatest thing you've seen all day.
Wow, this is an odd one. For those of you who don't know Strauss Zelnik is, he is the chairman of Take-Two interactive. Jack Thompson wrote quite a letter to Zelnik's Mother in which he, among other things, implies that Strauss should receive the "Ted Bundy" merit badge from the Boy Scouts of America. No really:
Mrs. Zelnick
Strauss Zelnick, Take-Two Chairman's Mother
New York, New York Via e-mails to intermediaries
Re: Your Son, Strauss Zelnick
Dear Mrs. Zelnick:
Your son, as you may know (or maybe you don't know), is Chairman of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., whose most popular video games are the Grand Theft Auto murder simulator games banned in some countries but sold to children here.
Your son last week was reported to have said the following about Grand Theft Auto IV, due to be released Tuesday, April 29: "We've already received numerous [GTA IV] reviews, and to a one, they are perfect scores. My mom couldn't write better reviews..." Taking your son's thought, I would encourage you either to play this game or have an adroit video gamer play it for you. Some of the latter gamers are on death row, so try to find one out in the civilian population who hasn't killed someone yet.
What you will see in your son's game, if this iteration of GTA is anything like its predecessors, is incredible interactive violence aimed at police officers (whom you can shoot in the head and see the blood spray), innocent bystanders (whom you can run over with your car just for the heck of it), and of course the plentiful female prostitutes you can have sex with and then filet with a knife or stomp with your feet in order to get your money back. Experts note that the recent plethora of cop killings is caused in part by your darling son's entrepreneurial energy. There are three policemen dead in Alabama because of Grand Theft Auto. I was on 60 Minutes about it. I hope Strauss has provided you with a flat screen tv to see the grief of the bereaved families that fills the screen.
The pornography and violence that your son trafficks in is the kind of stuff that most mothers would be ashamed to see their son putting into the hands of other mothers' children, but, hey, your son Strauss has recently assured the world that he is "a Boy Scout, everybody knows that." I'd love to see the merit badges that Scout Troop handed out. Is there a Ted Bundy merit badge? If so, your loving son deserves one now. It should be red and green, for obvious reasons.
With Passover having just come and gone, it is appropriate to note the following from the Old Testament, Proverbs 22:6:
"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
Mrs. Zelnick, did you train up your son, Strauss, to make millions of dollars by pushing Mature-rated video games to children? Any kid can go right to little Strauss' corporate web site and buy GTA IV with no age verification. Strauss is even marketing the new Grand Theft Auto IV on World Wrestling Entertainment tv shows seen by millions of kids. If you trained up Strauss to do this, then shame on you.
But maybe the explanation for your son's corporate sociopathy is to be found in Old Testament Proverb 29:15:
"The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame."
Maybe you, Mrs. Zelnick, were so taken by your handsome son that you spared the rod and spoiled the child. That would explain why he has brought you, by the way he presently acts, "to shame."
There's another mother you would do well to talk to. Mrs. Crump in Alabama had a son who was a police officer. He's now dead because a teenaged boy unwittingly trained himself to kill him on Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. She has a grief she carries every day that only a mother can know.There are other such mothers in the heartland of America whose inhabitants your son simply sees as commercial targets.
Your son, this very moment, is doing everything he possibly can to sell as many copies of GTA IV to teen boys in the United States, a country in which your son claims you raised him to be "a Boy Scout." More like the Hitler Youth, I would say. Happy Mother's day, Mrs. Zelnick, which this year is May 11, two weeks after your son unleashes porn and violence upon other mothers' boys. I'm sure you're very proud.
Sincerely,
Jack Thompson
Wow, am I right?
The most offensive part to me has got to be when he tells her to find a gamer to play through GTA4 for her: "Some of the latter gamers are on death row, so try to find one out in the civilian population who hasn't killed someone yet."
Okay Jacko, what part of you brain thinks that is a logical sentence? The GTA series has sold over 20 million copies world wide and how many incidents of violence can you point to that are directly related to GTA? Maybe five? I'd say even that is pushing it. So get real Jack, there are millions of us out there who love GTA and are perfectly well adjusted members of society, very much unlike yourself.
These two bloggers and vintage game collectors recently found a major haul at their local flea market. In addition to a couple of 1988 Super Mario Bros. statues they also scored a never finished and never released Atari 2600 game. Sure it's a cabbage patch kids game but to classic collectors this is like finding the worlds best tasting philly cheese steak wrapped in a one million dollar bill.
I'm also a collector of all things video games so I'm incredibly happy for this guy. My own collection only dates back as far as the first video game system I ever owned, the NES. I think if I had my own Atari collection I'd be a little less enthusiastic about his find, unless of course he was willing to sell it to me.
Next, check out this guys driving skills, he nearly wrecks his beautiful Audi when he skids out of control on an oil slick. I'm not sure what helped him more, his driving skills or the amazing technology contained in Audi's suspension systems.
Whats up Destructoid
My names Sean McLoughlin, I'm a part time college student/minimum wage employee, full time Gamer, if you know what I mean. I'm actually a full time student at RPI where I'm in the Game Studies program. Also I do work part time (for little more then New York's minimum wage) at a racquetball/handball gym.
My favorite games can be numerous (as I'm sure is true of most here at Dtoid), but my all time favorites are Final Fantasy 6, Diablo II, Bioshock and Metal Gear Solid. Currently I do most of my gaming on the 360 although my girlfriend owns a Wii so I get some Nintendo love in as well. We also play Hellgate:London on PC. I have a pretty massive game collection but for the sake of space I'll just list the consoles and portables that I own: NES, SNES, Genesis, Game Gear, Game Boy Pocket, Game Boy Advance, Playstation, N64, Playstation 2, Dreamcast, Neo Geo Pocket, Gamecube, Xbox, Nintendo DS, Xbox 360. My girlfriend and I are anticipating the PS3/MGS4bundle so we can complete our PSWii60.
When I'm not in school or gaming you can probably find me reading a science fiction/fantasy novel or an issue of Wired or some such. My favorite authors are Terry Brooks, Terry Goodkind and George RR Martin. I'm also a big fan of movies, my favorites right now are The Departed, Smoking Aces and Crank, although my all time favorite movie/director is Reservoir Dogs/Tarantino. I don't watch much TV and if I do its usually Discovery channel or Science Channel. My favorite band is obviously The Grateful Dead although my musical tastes are quite varied. I listen to everything from T.I. to Metallica to Toby Keith.
