As we eagerly anticipate the release of Assassin’s Creed 2, why not take a step back in time to go through some of the mythology and conspiracy unveiled in the first game’s cryptic epilogue?
What did those symbols mean? What events were coded in blood on the walls? Click the link to reveal all.
Curioser and Curiouser. 3D Realms, creators of the Duke Nukem gaming franchise (and the longest-standing gaming vaporware in history) have issued a statement to the effact that:
a) They’re still going and
b) Take-Two was trying to strong-arm a purchase of the Duke Nukem franchise by deliberately sabotaging funding negotiations at the last minute.
Strong words. We’ll see what the courts say.
Let’s face it, Peggle (iTunes link) is somewhat of a gaming phenomenon. Over the last year PopCap Games’ colourful hybrid of Puzzle Bobble and Pachinko has managed to find a home on just about every mainstream entertainment device from the Xbox 360 to the Nintendo DS, leaving a trail of addicts in its wake.
No multi-platform assault would be complete without a presence on Apple’s iconic iPhone however, and it’s just on that device that I too, as a latecomer to the game, finally succumbed to its charms.
The premise is the same as always: Fire a ball from a cannon at the top of the screen and try to hit as many orange pegs as you can in as few shots as possible. Run out of your assigned 10 balls and it’s game over, but a multitude of power-ups and bonuses can help you avoid that fate.
In short, a simple game with a simple premise, exactly the kind of thing that lends itself ideally to the iPhone’s form factor and control scheme: you can touch the screen to aim your cannon, touch a ‘wheel’ on the side of the screen for ultra-fine aiming, or double-tab the screen for even finer aiming resolution. With that level of control, even the pickiest of Peggle Masters won’t have reason to complain - even left and right-handedness can be configured.
The things about Peggle is its sheer joyful presentation. From the music to the colors, to the festive fireworks announcing your victory, the game’s overall feel just screams‘one more level.’ It’s exactly that pervasive charm that had me lose track of the three hours I spent perfecting the game’s latter levels, oblivious of my wife’s departure to bed or the fact that it had gotten dark outside.
Those three lost hours accounted for just over two-thirds of the time that it took me to complete the game’s Adventure mode, which while not a lot in terms of overall game time certainly justifies the £2.99 price of admission. That’s not all however. The game also offers a fiendish array of individual Challenge modes, as well as a Duel mode allowing two players to face-off for the highest score by taking turns on the ball. Overall, the game’s modes and its inherent re-playability raise it more than a few notches above the myriad one-shot games populating the App Store.
Peggle’s iPhone implementation is not completely flawless however. During the game’s most visually intensive moments - usually on victory sequences - the colorful visuals seem to struggle a little. This is by no means a show stopper, and in no way affects the actual gameplay.
Take it from an avid iPhone gamer and newly-certified Peggle Master: I highly recommend this game - it’s pretty much guaranteed to keep you busy for hours on end.
Sony are dicks. Even the most hardcore fanboy secretly admits that their favourite electronics company is prone to acting like a bunch of douche bags. ATRAC? MiniDisc? UMD? How much money has Sony made their faithful consumers waste in the name of hopeless, self-serving proprietary formats? You get my point.
Unfortunately, Sony’s latest trademark dick move is one which will affect an entire generation of nostalgic movie buffs. By buying up the publishing rights to Ghostbusters: The Video Game and subsequently announcing said game as a PS2/PS3 exclusive, Sony have at least temporarily denied the film’s massive gamer fanbase their long awaited thrills.
I say temporarily because if there is one thing Sony likes more than dead-end formats it’s money, and they must therefore surely realise that the already completed Xbox 360 version of the game will earn them more on store shelves than if buried in a safe at Sony HQ. The exclusive will therefore likely be nothing more than a timed exclusive.
Still, I guess one can’t be too harsh towards the PlayStation maker: with its latest war cry in the console wars being “Dominance! *(in three-to-five-years)” they could be forgiven for trying to get three extra people to buy their laughably overpriced console. As an avid gamer and child of the 80’s however, I can’t help but wish they’d chosen a less meaningful franchise to exploit for their stunt.
Jack Thompson, former ambulance-chaser and currently disbarred nutjob, has not yet given up the fight to reclaim his status as the world’s most annoying lawyer.
Thankfully, there is some justice in this world: the U.S Supreme Court has declined to hear his appeal, hopefully putting an end to his fight to have his permanent disbarment overturned.
Knowing his history however, I would not be surprised if Mr. Thompson were to attempt to take his claim to a higher authority. Does the Vatican have jurisdiction in the state of Florida?
An interesting rundown on the pitfalls of new display technology when it comes to displaying old (as in REALLY old) 8 and 16-bit games.
It would seem that if you’re a fan of retro gaming you simply can’t do better than a good old Cathode Ray Tube, as modern displays’ fixed-resolutions and digital fudgery will result in your old Mario losing its pixel-perfect edge.
Now, where did I put that copy of MAME?
Massively has a very well-written article on the failures of sci-fi themed massively multiplayer online games.
With the overwhelming advantage of fantasy themes in the current MMO space, it would pay well for designers of the next generation of sci-fi MMO’s to take heed of the pitfalls that felled their predecessors.
I for one think it’s about time the world got an accessible, enjoyable MMO that didn’t involve beards, leggings and pointy ears.*
( *Vulcans excepted )
I know, it’s ridiculous and it does nothing. But I want one, dammit! - Pip Boy 3000 iPod Touch Mod
Reviewing technology with an occasional sprinkling of art and humour.
