Babeled

Although I have never been a giant fan of the Grand Theft Auto games, I have played a few and I say that this latest GTA is a gem. Usually when I have played GTA in the past I was left dissatisfied about what I had actually accomplished in the game and never really understood the point. Like, was the point to just kill people and destroy [excrement]? Either way I never really liked the traditional GTA, but Grand Theft Auto 4 is not traditional.

The storyline is based off of a Russian illegal immigrant, Niko Bellic, who comes to Liberty City to start a new life. However, he soon gets involved with the mafia and various gangs of the city, and finds himself as the playmaker within an escalating war. There are also side missions that Niko can do, usually to get extra cash, such as steal high priced cars for a collector. On his journey throughout Liberty City, a huge city that contains hundreds of people and cars, he interacts with various people, ranging from his cousin to his girlfriend to mob bosses, each with their own personal story.

As usual with any GTA, Niko steals cars, beats up innocent people, takes their money, kills cops, and steals their vehicles. Upon stealing a police car, he can search for current crimes taking place and aide the police in cleaning the streets (plus you get money for this). However beware of the police in this game for they are armed with all the resources to catch you and you definitely don’t want that. The majority of the time, Niko uses his PDA to connect with his friends and enemies, each sending him on some new mission. On top of this he can take his cousin, Roman, and his girlfriend to play pool or go bowling.

My favorite part of the game is without a doubt stealing some of the nicest cars on the streets. Niko not only drives sports cars, hummers, and motorcycles in the game at death defying speeds, but he also flies a helicopter and pilots a speedboat. Driving is difficult at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s natural. While cruising, Niko has the ability change the radio station to listen to whatever you, the gamer, want to hear. In the game, if Niko goes to the bar, he is difficult to control afterwards due to his drunken state. Therefore, when he gets in his car following such a visit, the game simulates drunk driving where the car will be swerving all over the road no matter how good you think you are really driving (impressive simulation). Once again, beware of the police! All in all, I would definitely say this is a great game and a must have! Between it’s exceptional graphics, selection of music, online multiplayer capability, and indepth story line, this game rocks!

Image Used in this Post

GTA4 image courtesy of Flickr user LittleO2 published under the CC license.

Popularity: 10% [?]

I have to admit people that there is something fun and challenging about playing Guitar Hero. After a couple months of owning XBox 360, I have played my fair share of Guitar Hero. I have rocked out to numerous songs, such as “One” by Metallica, “Cliffs of Dover” by Eric Johnson, and “Welcome to the Jungle” by G n’ R. The game is simple. You have the chance to pick among 60 different songs to play on varying levels of difficulty. You play with a guitar that, instead of strings, has color coded buttons down the neck of the guitar. Each button is a different color (from left to right: green, red, yellow, blue, orange). Now the game works like this, you pick a song and an animated guitar comes to the screen that quickly shows you which colors you have to hit while strumming the guitar.

As you play each song, you have the ability to use the whammy bar and use power ups, which you get throughout the song, to make your score higher and truly rock out. I know for “true” guitar enthusiasts this game might be lame and too unreal to get through, however, if you are a video game connoisseur, then you will enjoy this game. Between playing your favorite songs and excelling at it, this game can provide for countless hours of fun, while you constantly try to crush your old score. It is definitely a lot of fun to play one of your favorite songs, without having any real talent (like myself) and truly be a “Guitar Hero”.

Popularity: 16% [?]

1. I hate that your consoles and games become cooler as they get older.
2. I hate how you have developed awesome little franchise characters that I will purchase your system for regardless of whether I want to or not.
3. I hate your inability to deliver a game on time.
4. I hate how you can’t forecast demand for your products.
5. I hate how you are the video game king of the re-release.
6. I hate how Mario games get further and further from the spirit which made him famous.
7. I hate how I can no longer sit on my butt and vegetate when I play your new console.
8. I hate that I can only play some of your sweetest games on a screen no bigger than 3 inches across, probably smaller.
9. I hate the lack of synergy between you and Apple.
10. I hate that you delayed Twilight Princess so long that you decided to make it only worth playing on a system it is impossible to find in the stores because of # 4 above.

Popularity: 60% [?]

Great games do not come around very often…

Smash, Smash, and more Smash - the formula has been simplified this weekend. Hours have been obliterated, characters unlocked and egos permanently damaged. These are the days of our lives and the mission is simple; absolute completion at the risk of total failure. This rare lever of hyper-focus has led to very late nights and a worn out coffee pot. This game is that good. Returning four player mayhem to all its glory, a Golden Age of Gaming that for too long has been held hostage to posterity. In Brawl, Nintendo has a real gem on its hands, and a worthy successor to the popular series.

Of course the hours of multiplayer smashing with your buddies is still in full effect, only this time Nintendo has altered the playing field. Super Smash now boasts a highly satisfying cooperative story mode (The Subspace Emissary) that harkens back to the side scrolling generation of yore. Oddly enough, there is something inherently nostalgic about assuming the role of various franchise heroes engaged in an epic battle of attrition, against an unknown galactic force straight out of Dr. Who.

A small break in the action has given me the opportunity to babel on about this game. Now I need to dive back into the action, there is work to be done before real work smashes me in the face tomorrow.

Oh, and did I mention this game has lag-free online multiplayer action?

And in the meantime check out Jim’s stream of conscious blog storming meanderings if you want to peer into the inner workings of a mad man.

Image Used in the Post

Pit image courtesy of Flickr user Matthew Ev published under the CC license.

Popularity: 12% [?]

Super Dodgeball (NES) - My personal favorite NES game. I liked it so much I traded the 1st Zelda for it when I was 8 to none other than fellow Babeler, Greg Molyneux. A far simpler game in a more civilized day, where you sported a 5 player dodgeball team from your country of choice. From there you would just travel the globe competing in dodgeball matches, ‘til death. The key to world domination hinged upon your ability to throw the ball with such force at an opposing player that it would knock their socks off (literally), leaving your opponent departing to the sky in angelic fashion.

MLB 2K5 (XBox) - I have played a bunch of baseball games in my time (RBI Baseball, Triple Play, etc). This game stands sits alone at the top. It was a marriage of sweet graphics and spot on gameplay. As the batter, you have much more control swinging the bat than with previous baseball games; and as the pitcher, you can have pinpoint control with the nastiest pitch ‘you ever did see’. Play as an owner, franchise, or in a regular season; this game has it all.

James Bond: GoldenEye (N64) - The game that put console 1st person shooters on the map. This game vaporized hours of gaming with my friends, shooting one another stabbing each other, and full on destruction with a well placed proximity mine. As an easy to play difficult to master affair, GoldenEye became an instant pop-culture icon. Advanced weaponry with sophisticated controls and a multitude of hallmark characters, like Jaws and OddJob (who of course was the cheapest player to play with) added to the life-consuming glory. Devout completionists were rewarded with some sweet codes; like paintball mode and DK mode?

Contra (NES) - Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, B, A, Select, Start. Oh, how those buttons bring back such nostalgic memories of my childhood with Contra. A great game for the simple fact you and your buddy had fun blowing stuff up and running through the jungle (over and over again) defeating any foe that stood in your path. With all odds against them, Mad Dog and Scorpion, were at war with the Red Falcon Organization where your goal was clear - total carnage. Caution: Beware of level 3 waterfalls.

Super Mario World (SNES) - A classic game where Yoshi, Mario’s pet dinosaur was first introduced to the franchise. Once again, Princess Peach had been kidnapped by Bowser and Mario, aided by Yoshi, ventured out to rescue her. This game offered a larger world (72 levels) than had ever been seen in any previous Mario game, only this time Mario was reveling in his 16-bit glory. This game also introduced the block switches that would prove most strategic throughout this game and has since become an integral feature in the Mario Universe. Once each switch was hit, all the blocks outlined in that respective color would fill in and by divine Nintendo intervention whenever you needed a cape or a fireball you would go hit the block and wa-la, the item popped out.

Halo 2 (XBox) - This game rocked on so many levels. Following the release of the original Halo, this sequel provided similar graphics, music, and a continuing storyline. However, the developers at Bungie focused on improving available weaponry and vehicles. Master Chief’s arsenal was now augmented with alien weaponry, and he could now operate vehicles in the air, making the game far superior to the original. With an important evolution in the story, Master Chief now had the help of the Arbiter (your antagonist from Halo 1) to doubly kick Covenant arse. Most importantly, this game really solidified Xbox Live’s place online, creating an entire Halo universe where people all around the world could compete with each other, and here prepubescent boys shout unnecessary names and noobs.

Road Rash (Sega Genesis) - In its day, the graphics for this game were outstanding, but what made this game stick out was the sheer ability to drive a motorcycle at death defying speeds. Of course skull bashing with bats and chains didn’t hurt either. The object was to win and win at all costs. If you placed then you would win money which you could use to buy better motorcycles. Only problem was that if the police caught you then you would be given a hefty fine and then you wouldn’t be able to afford that new Kawasaki. Make sure you don’t fall off your bike and get ‘BUSTED’ by Officer O’Rourke.

Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64) - Welcome to the true world of Hyrule as envisioned by legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Ocarina was innovative and groundbreaking, it implemented lock-on Z targeting, which has set the precedent for 3rd person action games ever since. Finally, players could freely roam Hyrule in 3 dimensions, doing the usual things, like killing off monsters, collecting items and performing side quests to gain heart pieces. Link featured some new twists to his arsenal, gamers wasted hours casting a line in the fishing hole (using the Rumble Pack feature), riding Epona, mastering time, and ultimately fighting evil as a child and an adult. Finally Zelda fans were given an explanation as to where Ganondorf came from (the Gerudo Tribe) and his nefarious rise to power. Ocarina added much needed depth to the Zelda story, enhancing the gamer’s experience and their ability to identify with the characters. It was a landscape littered with puzzles that left you scratching your head for hours and it featured massive temples that were some of the finest in video game history. Of course everyone remembers the futility of figuring out the damned Water Temple. Make sure you get the Lake Hylian eye drops to the Goron so he can make you a ‘true’ Bigoron sword.

Mario 64 (N64) - Finally 3D done right, which was made easier by the N64 rocking! Players were able to adjust the camera, execute wall kicks, and make any array of amazing jumps; including back flip jumps and long jumps. The 1-UPs were plentiful and the boards were not only expansive, but very challenging. Ah, the return of the switch blocks, only this time different caps (Wing Cap, Steel Cap, Vanish Cap) would help you in your mission to rescue Peach. Just remember to not let the darn monkey steal your hat, otherwise you could spend a decent amount of time chasing him down to get it back.

Ninja Gaiden (XBox) - Easily the best video game of all-time. Ninja Gaiden for the XBox had all the ingredients of a masterpiece; exceptional graphics and fluid fighting in an immersive 3D world. The cut scenes for this game were so amazing that I still can’t clean up the drool. You have the ability to hone your fighting skills on a multitude of weapons, ranging from the Katana blade to numchuku. The storyline was terrific as you guided Ryu Hyabusa’s quest to protect the Dragon Blade from the Fiends of the Vigoorian Empire. This game was one of the most challenging and tough games to ever hit a console system. The two hardest parts of the game were 1st when Ryu faced the ‘Greater Fiend Alma’ in the Cathedral, which served as the test to see how far you could go in the game, and 2nd the Military Supply Base, when Ryu had to take on tanks and a helicopter with explosive and AFDS Core arrows. If you could make it past Alma and then the Military Supply Base then you were golden in this game. Remember to use the block button and utilize the counter attacks that Ryu has, for these were the small things that really made you a great ninja.

Popularity: 19% [?]

I’ll admit it: I’m addicted to online gaming. There’s something tremendously attractive and satisfying about digitally maiming or killing the twelve year old punk who is incessantly mocking you over the headset that I just can’t seem to get my fill. Despite the fact that I am typically being slaughtered by pre-teen video game junkies, I keep coming back for more in the hopes that one day I will lay waste to all of my team’s opponents in succinct fashion, vindicating all of my previous failures.

Unfortunately for me, I am terrible at first person shooters and quite often am killed far more often than I kill the opposing team members. So, you would think that it gets old being emasculated by gaming nerds who live in their parent’s basements well into their thirties and pre-pubescent boys whose screeching voices make you want to hang yourself from the controller cord that is no longer there (maybe THAT is why all of the controllers are wireless now…), yet somehow it doesn’t and I sign online for another thrashing.

Most recently I have been putting in some serious man-hours with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare on XBox Live. The realism of the game coupled with the fact that there are modern situations/maps and weapons make for a most enjoyable experience where you forget that you’re on the sofa and become totally immersed in the Middle Eastern city or the former USSR states north of Iran. While the single player campaign mode is excellent fun and a good training ground, the online community is really the heart and soul of the game. The AI of the campaign mode enemies is fabulous, but there’s still nothing like squaring off against real people.

Great online features such as the ability to create custom characters utilizing unlockable weapons, upgrades and special abilities fosters the desire to keep button-smashing so you can get that next “perk” or complete the next “challenge.” The ranking system, in which your character continues to unlock weapons and abilities as your rank increases (which is accomplished by earning XP points from killing and wounding enemies as well as completing “challenges”), also keeps your attention because you yearn for the P90 sub machine gun or the .50 caliber sniper rifle which will undoubtedly make all the difference in your gaming prowess. So far, I have found that no matter what weapon is in my hands, someone knows how to use theirs better.

With all of that said, Call of Duty 4 is a must-own if you have an XBox 360 and XBox Live. The drawbacks are few, but one I would like to mention is the lack of cooperative campaign mode. Otherwise, the game is near-flawless. From the realistic sounds, gorgeous and interactive environments, to the intuitive controls you will be immensely satisfied, unless this genre of game is unappealing to you.

Popularity: 26% [?]