Ok, after a long delay because of "car auction work" and the beginning of the new school semester, it's finally time for a new review. This time we find a game from a genre that I have not touched for about four or five years, the skateboarding genre. The genre has been absolutely owned by the Tony Hawk franchise for about eight years now, so "skate" (which is spelt with a lower case s on purpose) is a welcome change to the genre. Tony Hawk was a very, VERY fun game franchise...until it took a turn and decided to become "Jackass" with four wheels. Don't get me wrong, Bam Margera and the gang are absolutely hilarious guys and all, but it just doesn't transfer into good game material (at least for me).
skate takes place in the open-ended city of San Vanelona, which is absolutely HUGE for a skateboarding game and allows for some really creative thinking in how to acomplish everything that one must to complete the mile-long list of missions and challenges to be found in the game. The most surprising thing about the game is it's take on skateboarding...which is dead on realistic (GASP!). Rather than the absurd take of rail grinding down the trunk of an elephant onto a dumpster, pulling a 1080 within the blink of an eye, landing in a manual...(fill in about 10 more lines worth of tricks)...and ending with a double back flip Christ Air, skate does something brilliant. It realizes just how hard most of the tricks in the game are in real life, and gives them a point system in accordance. For once, a 360 kickflip actually MEANS SOMETHING.
skate's trick system is really what sets the game apart. Every jump or board spin is completely controlled by inputs on the right joystick of the controller, which takes a little bit of getting used to. Give it about fifteen minutes, though, and you'll find this is the best thing to happen to the game genre in years. Grabs are performed rather easily, and skating around the city comes with relative ease, minus the occasional wipe out when you hit a curb. There are no stats in the game either; you basically start as good as you're going to get, so the game utterly depends on the player's skill. There is still plenty of character customization, though, which is something EA has become an expert with. Famous skaters in the game look quite good, and the world as a whole gets a solid thumbs up for looks; it's pretty and definitely gets the job done. The random cars that show up every now and then are a bit of a bother and dont look too good, but hey, this game isnt about cars, its about skaters.
Overall Score: 8.9 out of 10. This game is good. Really, really good. It looks good, sounds good, has a GREAT soundtrack...it's just polished to a nice sheen. It takes skill to play, which I'm sure will turn away plenty of players, but as of now it is outselling Tony Hawk BIG TIME, which gives me hope for this genre. I can see people getting bored with the game quick, though, and once you've beaten it I dont see much reason to go back and play it again. Still, the game is one hell of a party while it lasts.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Monday, January 7, 2008
Music: Sneaky Sound System
Oh I've needed an album which I can just groove to for quite some time. Sure, Daft Punk's "Alive 2007" is packed full of energy, but really it's just new versions of songs that fans of the group have heard for a few years already. Out of nowhere I was recommended a self titled album by Sneaky Sound System and decided to give them a go. The album was released originally way back in August of 06, and I had heard a few clips of songs from it in various online videos and such, but I hadn't been able to get a good listen of the entire album. Then, this past December, a limited edition version of the album was released with new remixes of Sneaky Sound System's (SSS) works. "Remix" is a word that draws me like a moth to the flame, so I decided to fork over my wallet and take a spin.
This album is, at times, just really damn fun. There is a common vein through every song that has a disco-esque vibe to it, especially in songs like "UFO" or "I Love It" that keeps the level of energy high throughout the album. There is a pretty heavy emphasis on the bass throughout as well, really hitting home the point that this is an album that is supposed to be danced to. A few of the songs actually made me thing of "Lights" by the Scissor Sisters for some reason, though SSS's work is much more techno-pop-ish.
This album is very, VERY much a visit to the past, screaming carefree 80's at every moment that it can, but also takes the modern pop genre into consideration when it comes to its lyrical forms. The female lead singer, who calls herself Miss Connie apparently, does a great job, but the album does at times taper off, especially in songs where she isn't prominently featured such as "You're Hot". "Hip Hip Hooray" seems like a wrench thrown into the mix just to suddenly cause unneeded chaos, and some of the songs just seem lacking in overall quality as though the group suddenly gave up and decided to work on the next track.
Of the remixes offered with this version of the album, the Stylaz Fuego Remix of "UFO" and the Tonite Only Remix of "Pictures" stand out as the strong support of this half of the album. The remixes offer a bit of a different taste of the original works that may draw in a different audience, which is good since the remixes are all of the best works off of the original album. the Bag Raiders mix of "Hip Hip Hooray" really gives this version of the song an edge. The remixes really save this album from the brink of utter forgotten-ness.
Score: 7.7 out of 10. The remixes are fun and there are a few songs amongst the main chunk of the album that are good, but too many of the songs seem like things that I have heard before that I just cant give this a higher score. The album does have one common vein in style, but at the same time SSS just cant seem to define exactly what kind of group they are lyrically. The lyrics make the songs change styles constantly, which is too confusing and will turn off many listeners.
This album is, at times, just really damn fun. There is a common vein through every song that has a disco-esque vibe to it, especially in songs like "UFO" or "I Love It" that keeps the level of energy high throughout the album. There is a pretty heavy emphasis on the bass throughout as well, really hitting home the point that this is an album that is supposed to be danced to. A few of the songs actually made me thing of "Lights" by the Scissor Sisters for some reason, though SSS's work is much more techno-pop-ish.
This album is very, VERY much a visit to the past, screaming carefree 80's at every moment that it can, but also takes the modern pop genre into consideration when it comes to its lyrical forms. The female lead singer, who calls herself Miss Connie apparently, does a great job, but the album does at times taper off, especially in songs where she isn't prominently featured such as "You're Hot". "Hip Hip Hooray" seems like a wrench thrown into the mix just to suddenly cause unneeded chaos, and some of the songs just seem lacking in overall quality as though the group suddenly gave up and decided to work on the next track.
Of the remixes offered with this version of the album, the Stylaz Fuego Remix of "UFO" and the Tonite Only Remix of "Pictures" stand out as the strong support of this half of the album. The remixes offer a bit of a different taste of the original works that may draw in a different audience, which is good since the remixes are all of the best works off of the original album. the Bag Raiders mix of "Hip Hip Hooray" really gives this version of the song an edge. The remixes really save this album from the brink of utter forgotten-ness.
Score: 7.7 out of 10. The remixes are fun and there are a few songs amongst the main chunk of the album that are good, but too many of the songs seem like things that I have heard before that I just cant give this a higher score. The album does have one common vein in style, but at the same time SSS just cant seem to define exactly what kind of group they are lyrically. The lyrics make the songs change styles constantly, which is too confusing and will turn off many listeners.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Game: Rock Band
Well, that was a fun little Christmas and New Years break now, wasn't it? Now its time to get back to work, so I decided that I'd review one of the hottest Christmas gifts from this past holiday season, the caffeine based son of "Guitar Hero" and the arcade addiction of a Japanese arcade that is "Rock Band".
If you hate "Guitar Hero" for any reason whatsoever, stop reading this review now. "Rock Band" isn't going to change how you feel about this game genre. In fact, chances are you'll hate it even more after this game after you find out that your voice pitch is way off and you can't keep a beat on fake drums if your life depended on it. Lucky for me, I happen to thoroughly enjoy the "Guitar Hero" experience and so I welcomed "Rock Band" with open arms ready for a good time. And a good time I did indeed have.
First off, let me just say that the game looks GREAT...that is, the few chances that you have to actually see the virtual band playing when you're not concentrating on the gameplay itself. Character customization enters the genre for the first time, and its actually quite fun to design your own little band to be a quirky "KISS" ripoff or soldiers of the Emo movement. Everything is animated very well, so when you watch your friend try to beat the game on Expert, you won't have much of a problem watching it in action.
"Rock Band" sports a pretty remarkable song list for one to enjoy over the course of the game with classics from "Livin on a Prayer" to modern hits like "Here It Goes Again". There is a little bit of something for everyone in this game, especially because you aren't limited to just one style of playing. While the typical guitar playing of the genre stays, you now are also given the choice of playing bass, which is somewhat simpler but at the same time offers a whole new level of depth to the songs that the "Hero" franchise only offers in multiplayer, and it's just done to a much better level in "Rock Band".
If you're willing to fork over $170 for the box set version of "Rock Band", you are also treated to a microphone to belt out your favorite songs into, which actually works pretty well as a game mechanic. It's really, REALLY hard to fail a song while singing, even on the hard difficulty level, if you have any form of pitch control at all. The real selling point of the game, though, is the new drum mechanic, complete with a new "drum set" that comes with the $170 package. This is a real test of the game genre and it's fans, as it is hands down the hardest of the four modes of play in the game, but for some reason feels the most rewarding when one becomes good at it. I have just a little bit of experience with drums, mostly because a few of my family members are superb drummers, so I was able to watch and learn from them from a young age, so the drumming comes easily to me. But again, I must emphasize the point that the drumming is HARD, especially if someone has no prior experience since it is the closest simulation to playing the real instrument that one can get for a low price like this.
The game is fun alone, but it's one hell of a party when all four avaliable instruments are played together. This game is meant to be multiplayer, and if you have any friends that like this genre, you are ready to have a blast playing this game together. My one complaint actually comes in the guitar portion of the game. Anyone who has played the "Hero" trillogy knows what I mean when I say hammer-ons-and-offs are a huge portion of the gameplay, but the visual cue for when to do them is MUCH harder to catch in "Rock Band" than in the "Hero" franchise. Also, the new guitar for the game may be a bit bigger and have more buttons, but one crucial factor is missing. The strum bar (the thing you flick to hit every note in conjunction with holding down the fret buttons) no longer has the satisfying "click" that it's "Hero" counterpart does. However, this also means that anyone who plays the game like one plays a bass will have an easier time dealing with the controller, which is understandable. It takes a bit of getting used to, but don't worry, the controllers all work fine.
Score: 9.0 out of 10. This is such a fun game when you're playing with people who enjoy it. I know plenty of people who bash this game genre, thinking that it's detracting from people playing real instruments and will destroy the music genre in the future, but I personally dont see it that way at all. Did karaoke ruin singers? No, and this wont ruin music. After all, it's a game, and if you get into it, its a REALLY FUN game.
If you hate "Guitar Hero" for any reason whatsoever, stop reading this review now. "Rock Band" isn't going to change how you feel about this game genre. In fact, chances are you'll hate it even more after this game after you find out that your voice pitch is way off and you can't keep a beat on fake drums if your life depended on it. Lucky for me, I happen to thoroughly enjoy the "Guitar Hero" experience and so I welcomed "Rock Band" with open arms ready for a good time. And a good time I did indeed have.
First off, let me just say that the game looks GREAT...that is, the few chances that you have to actually see the virtual band playing when you're not concentrating on the gameplay itself. Character customization enters the genre for the first time, and its actually quite fun to design your own little band to be a quirky "KISS" ripoff or soldiers of the Emo movement. Everything is animated very well, so when you watch your friend try to beat the game on Expert, you won't have much of a problem watching it in action.
"Rock Band" sports a pretty remarkable song list for one to enjoy over the course of the game with classics from "Livin on a Prayer" to modern hits like "Here It Goes Again". There is a little bit of something for everyone in this game, especially because you aren't limited to just one style of playing. While the typical guitar playing of the genre stays, you now are also given the choice of playing bass, which is somewhat simpler but at the same time offers a whole new level of depth to the songs that the "Hero" franchise only offers in multiplayer, and it's just done to a much better level in "Rock Band".
If you're willing to fork over $170 for the box set version of "Rock Band", you are also treated to a microphone to belt out your favorite songs into, which actually works pretty well as a game mechanic. It's really, REALLY hard to fail a song while singing, even on the hard difficulty level, if you have any form of pitch control at all. The real selling point of the game, though, is the new drum mechanic, complete with a new "drum set" that comes with the $170 package. This is a real test of the game genre and it's fans, as it is hands down the hardest of the four modes of play in the game, but for some reason feels the most rewarding when one becomes good at it. I have just a little bit of experience with drums, mostly because a few of my family members are superb drummers, so I was able to watch and learn from them from a young age, so the drumming comes easily to me. But again, I must emphasize the point that the drumming is HARD, especially if someone has no prior experience since it is the closest simulation to playing the real instrument that one can get for a low price like this.
The game is fun alone, but it's one hell of a party when all four avaliable instruments are played together. This game is meant to be multiplayer, and if you have any friends that like this genre, you are ready to have a blast playing this game together. My one complaint actually comes in the guitar portion of the game. Anyone who has played the "Hero" trillogy knows what I mean when I say hammer-ons-and-offs are a huge portion of the gameplay, but the visual cue for when to do them is MUCH harder to catch in "Rock Band" than in the "Hero" franchise. Also, the new guitar for the game may be a bit bigger and have more buttons, but one crucial factor is missing. The strum bar (the thing you flick to hit every note in conjunction with holding down the fret buttons) no longer has the satisfying "click" that it's "Hero" counterpart does. However, this also means that anyone who plays the game like one plays a bass will have an easier time dealing with the controller, which is understandable. It takes a bit of getting used to, but don't worry, the controllers all work fine.
Score: 9.0 out of 10. This is such a fun game when you're playing with people who enjoy it. I know plenty of people who bash this game genre, thinking that it's detracting from people playing real instruments and will destroy the music genre in the future, but I personally dont see it that way at all. Did karaoke ruin singers? No, and this wont ruin music. After all, it's a game, and if you get into it, its a REALLY FUN game.
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