Metal Gear DLC for LittleBigPlanet = Amazing!!!

LittleBigPlanet gets all crazy on Tuesday with the Metal Gear Solid-specific DLC with new Sackboys and Sackgirls along with new levels created by Media Molecule. The Metal Gear-inspired levels look amazing and add along the charm of LBP from the paint gun to Snake Sackboy. This is obviously the best DLC for LittleBigPlanet so far since they have been adding more themed Sackboys like Street Fighter and Santa along with more objects for user-based levels. If this Metal Gear DLC is a success, which will be, then who knows how other games will get the LBP treatment (Final Fantasy VII - Sephrioth Sackboy does exist, or even Street Fighter).

Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion is out at Japanese Arcades

Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion, Namco's first major update to Tekken 6, is now out at Japanese arcades. Just like Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection, this ain't your bread and butter update. Tons of gameplay changes in terms of moves (either new ones or change in properties), two new characters with Lars and Alisa, the health meters going back to green and red, new stages and customizations, and a new crappy announcer that reminds me of Tekken 5.0. As for an American release, it is likely to come here (at least SoCal) in a month or two at places like Super Arcade in Walnut. I guess I'm returning to Tekken soon - even though I suck when I play normal T6 against the stiff competition compared to Street Fighter IV.

OutRun goes downloadable...

Sega surprisingly announced OutRun Online Arcade today for Xbox Live Arcade and Playstation Network for an early 2009 release. Developed by Sumo Digital (who did OutRun Coast to Coast for PS3 and XBOX), this is pretty much a cleaned up version of OutRun 2 SP (Special Tours) for the Arcade (maybe Coast to Coast too). I have actually wanted to this in downloadable form and Sega finally answered. This is hopefully a start of a new vision for downloadable games by Sega like Capcom has been doing since last year. Maybe more classic racers by Sega (there are so many to choose from) are just waiting to be revisited again.

The plunge from 360 to PS3 is going down!!!

I have been thinking lately about some risky decisions involving the plunge from the 360 to Sony's almighty Playstation 3. I'm about had it with Microsoft's hardware issues regarding the 360 from red rings of death (I dealt with it four times), stratching discs, and so on. If you're going short-term, the 360 is still a viable console, but people eventually have to realize if your console is manufactured from launch to last year, that thing is going to die out eventually. If you're able to get a Jasper 360 (the newest model out now), you're safe from any RROD issues. I'm been a supporter of this system ever since its launch getting it on the first day three years ago. Now, after five strikes, I have given them so many chances and it is about time to make a change. The Xbox has pretty much reached its peak last year and this year as their lineup for 2009 exclusives-wise looks bleak for now (Halo Wars, Alan Wake, Halo 3 ODST). Sure, they have been making strides to get former third-party exclusives to their system ever since the 360's launch (GTA IV, FF XIII, Tekken 6 BR, DMC4), but since their hardware issues have probably prevented them from getting more sales, the 360 is running out of life.

With my likely jump to PS3 sometime soon, I would give up a lot of stuff and memories the 360 provided me for three years. From 56,030 achievement points, Xbox Live Arcade, Rock Band and Guitar Hero taking my money week after week, and shooter-heaven with Halo and Gears, Microsoft has been pulling the right strings in terms of giving people more games that people want on their system. I don't mind being rhythm game-less for a year till the inevitable Rock Band 3 and Guitar Hero 5 come out. Their Live service has been proven a success over time even though you have to pay 50 bucks a year to subscribe and play against others online with XBL Gold. I spent so much money on anything Marketplace related from themes, gamer pics, Rock Band songs, DLC, XBLA games, and so on. Plus, I will leave behind a friends list of 60+ people even though 20 of them are worth playing against (Gears 2, SSFIIT HD Remix). I am keeping my 20 GB HDD in case as I have an extra 20 GB that came with the Halo 360 to sell off.

I still feel that it is not too late to get a Playstation 3 right now considering that their 2009 lineup is stacked compared to 360 and Wii. There is still time to catch up on past games that came out the past two years (MGS4, LittleBigPlanet, Uncharted, Resistance 2) till the new year's batch of first-party games and exclusives (Killzone 2, Uncharted 2, God of War III). Sony's PS3 is a little open towards external devices compared to Microsoft's strict hardware policy on 360 specifically in terms of hard drive space. You can actually use external hard drives on PS3 rather than the 360-only hard drives that are expensive for how much space contained. Sure, I have to buy a new set of accessories for the PS3 (PS Eye, another Dual Shock 3, the ugly chatpad, the awesome PS3-branded Bluetooth headset that comes with SOCOM), but the system itself is more reliable compared to the 360's hardware issues.

If the plunge happens, I want it to happen this weekend. I had enough with the 360 and their stupid hardware problems. I'm tired of wasting money on DLC, themes, and pics. The Playstation Store seems more friendly now with less themes, quality over quantity PSN titles to buy (double dip for SSFIIT HD Remix, WipeOut HD, and upcoming original and innvovative games like Flower and Noby Noby Boy), and Home (it had a rocky start, but the potential is still there to be special compared to the 360's NXE). I also have to cancel my Xbox Live subscription and sell everything Xbox related (my Halo 360 in its current shape, all of my games that I have now, guitars, RB1 drums, controllers, and other accessories) to get enough store credit to pay the system for less. Sorry, Microsoft, I gave you too many chances, but now it is time to join the light side.

UPDATE - The 360's other major hardware issue, stratching discs, has reached the front page of Yahoo. Think about that too if you're still enjoying their system.

If anyone thinks I'm changing to a PS3 fanboy after this, then that's your opinion. I still like the 360 because of its advantages, but its weaknesses are turning to a boiling point for me. Do you still want to believe in the past and present ways Microsoft provides you, or believe in the future with Blu-Ray and more originality with Sony? That's your call...

Will my tag change?? - Hopefully no... My PSN ID will be the same (G Unit Ver1)

UPDATE 2 - This plunge is officially going down this weekend!!!

Games I would buy on PS3 that I want now...

• LittleBigPlanet
• Metal Gear Solid 4
• Motorstorm: Pacific Rift
• Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
• WipeOut HD
• SSFIIT HD Remix
• Pixeljunk Eden
• Buzz Quiz TV
• SingStar

PS3's current 2009 lineup that is stacked...

• Skate 2
• Street Fighter IV (now I have to change my pre-order from the 360 version)
• Flower
• Noby Noby Boy
• Killzone 2
• Resident Evil 5
• Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion
• Infamous
• God of War III (probably 2010)
• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
• Final Fantasy XIII / Versus XIII (2010 as well)

Street Fighter IV on tonight's X-Play...

Tonight's X-Play on G4 (whether u love the channel or not) had a preview of the console versions for Street Fighter IV. While the gameplay footage is not as good as what I posted related to my current favorite game, the interview with Capcom's Seth Killian (I met him at Comic-Con) is surprisingly good (it is a sort of basics interview in terms of questions if u played the game like me lately) if you're never paid attention to the game yet with what's in the console versions, the focus attack, and the online being as good as SSFIIT HD Remix latency wise according to Seth. And yes, I'm buying that stick they showed during this preview (already pre-ordered with the Limited Edition, currently 360, but maybe PS3 if things go the right way).

I can't believe the console versions are just two months for release now.

Semi off-topic: 1up's Game Night might happen this Wednesday featuring either this game or Tatsunoko vs. Capcom. Considering G4 is the first preview of the console versions, expect the major game sites to follow with their previews sometime during the week (Also there's a SF IV preview on the new Game Informer with Uncharted 2 on the cover).

Another Q Entertainment game goes Live... The Meteos Wars Review

Q? Entertainment has been a great supporter for Xbox Live Arcade releasing their successful games that were in previous systems for the current generation of consoles. Lumines Live, Every Extend Extra Extreme, and Rez HD have been wonderful games for the 360 with their artistic experiences of combining visuals and music. Meteos Wars is their fourth game on Xbox Live Arcade being a HD version of Meteos, which originally came out on the Nintendo DS in 2005. For those who never played Meteos before this one like me, it is an unique puzzle game matching up puzzle blocks to launch up rockets to the sky. It is as addictive as other puzzle games like Lumines as well as easy to pick up and play once you understand the core concepts. For this Xbox Live Arcade version, stylus-based controls that were in the DS original are replaced by the controller along with HD graphics and online play. Even though it is Q Entertainment's worst downloadable game so far compared to their previous games, Meteos Wars is still worth playing if you're a fan of the franchise and the developer themselves.

Meteos Wars has three single-player modes and online play, a first for the franchise. If you want to play alone, there is the Mission Mode, in which you face off against seven other planets on varying difficulties in succession. The object of competitive play is outlasting your opponent by letting their screen fill up to the top (at least one column is required) or outscoring them if under a time limit. On harder difficulties, the computer A.I. will give you a fight as good skills and fast reflexes are required to defeat them. This mode is worth it for the challenge, but the attack modes like 1-minute attack, 100 meteo-attack, and challenge attack are also worth playing testing various skills whether to score fast or survive. Multiplayer consists of both local and online by matchmaking. The online aspect of Meteos Wars is arguably the most disappointing feature with the majority of matches against online opponents lagging from the start. As a fast and frantic puzzle game, any sense of lag just makes the game feel slow and clunky, which is really unfortunate. Plus, there is not a lot of people that play it online which also takes a while to find matches. 

The core gameplay of Meteos Wars borders down to whether or not you like the controls. Those who played it previously on the DS, the touch-based controls feel right for speed and precision. On the 360 controller, moving pieces around consist of either the right analog stick or the face buttons, which feel slow compared to the DS controls. Those who never played Meteos on DS will adjust to the pad-based controls, but I can tell why this game is meant for a stylus. There is a diverse selection of planets to choose from to face off against CPU opponents or online. Certain characteristics like how the speed of rockets go up, the type of pieces used, and the size of the board do matter when choosing a planet to use. In addition, the Planetary Impact, a new gameplay feature for this version of Meteos, allows planets to do special attacks against the opposition like giving them a crater of unusable blocks or a beam that can eliminate columns of blocks. More planets are unlocked by beating the Mission mode a number of times on varied difficulties as well as accessories to dress up an avatar for doing certain tasks and achievements.

Graphically, the XBLA version of Meteos looks good enough in high definition. On certain planets, the pieces can look small compared to planets that have bigger boards which could be a little distracting at first. Of course, it is not as graphically intensive compared to their previous games like Rez HD since it is a straight out puzzler. There is no sense of slowdown during gameplay other than the occasional lag online as well. As for the sound, it delivers just like Lumines with various electronic tunes and the fusion of music into the gameplay when different sound effects come out as rockets are getting blasted to the sky.

 

Despite control issues and a lack of modes to play, Meteos Wars is still a good puzzle game for 800 Microsoft Points (ten dollars). The gameplay is still as addictive like previous versions for both solo and competitive play. The amount of planets to choose from and learning how to master the gameplay makes it surprisingly deep (If you know how to screen clear effectively, you will dominate online). There is enough replay value offered in terms of unlocking more planets, accessories, getting all 200 achievement points, and downloadable content. There is also a great stat system that tracks everything you done in the game from how many times you beaten mission mode, your online win/loss record, and other gameplay related stats. The online multiplayer is a disappointment as you are bound to run into a laggy match almost every time. If you love puzzle games that can be played in short bursts or a fan of Q Entertainment, Meteos Wars is worth your time and money.

Score = 7.5/10

Pros:

• The core gameplay of matching up blocks to build rockets translates well in HD
• Great puzzle game that can be played in short bursts
• The execution of the audio into the gameplay lives up to the developer's pedigree
• Enough replay value to keep players busy (unlocking more planets and accessories)

Cons:

• The 360 pad-based controls feel slow compared to DS touch-based controls
• The online multiplayer is a big disappointment thanks to lag happening in the majority of matches being played
• Lack of modes (both single and multiplayer) - Maybe more will added as DLC

The Intro Video for Skate 2...

Skate 2 is out next month and a great start for the new year. The intro video is now out courtesy of IGN maintaining the same style as Skate 1's intro with the hospital setting. This time the skateboarders are acting inside a prison of sorts and it is awesome. Well, compare the two intros (Skate 2 is above, Skate 1 is below) and determine which is better. To me, they're both equally awesome.



Random off-topic comment: Damn, Kanye West was at KROQ's Almost Acoustic Christmas concert last night as a surprise guest and I missed out. I expected it and didn't believe it would happen, but KROQ pulled it off after all.