Dare to Play the Game

Legal briefs, Hot Coffee, Street Fighting, and a Chic. It’s a new column, yeah babyie yeah!

Welcome to Dare to Play the Game. This is the weekly column/blog where we explore the world of gaming from the view of a very demented and emotionally insecure 30 something year old man. But since Tom Cruise is too old and Adam Sessler doesn’t have any time on his hands, you got me, Kedrix. I hope every week to explore a few news stories, do some regular features, get all retro and…even include a release schedule for you folks to enjoy. Chances are like most regular internet columnists I will get bored and complain that I get too much/too little viewer mail and just up and quit. Though I hope not. Well, what are you waiting for….lets check out releases!

Releases for the Week of June 26th, 2006.

PS2

Micro Machines V4
Pirates of the Caribbean: Legend of Jack Sparrow
Ruff Trigger: The Vanocore Conspiracy

X-Box

Crusty Demons: Freestyle Moto-X
AMF Extreme Bowling 2006
IHRA Sportsman Edition

X-Box 360

Over G Fighters

PSP

Micro Machines V4
MTX Mototrax
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
World Tour Soccer 06
Juiced: Eliminator

DS

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
Sudoku-Mania

GBA

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest

*looks over releases*, hrmm if I didn’t know any better, I’d say Pirates of the Caribbean comes out soon at the movie theaters. Could we saturate anymore the video game market with movie tie-ins? I’m just asking….really. In fact, if we don’t make a trivia game based on the movie the Break Up, I think I’m going to throw somebody else’s X-Box into a nearby lake. Sadly, looking over the other releases, the Caribbean ones might be the best things going. Everything else is begging for bargain bin treatment down the line if it isn’t already. Kudos to World Tour Soccer 06 for coming out after US and Mexico are already eliminated. Man, that sucker will sell like hot cakes in the states this week outside of pre-orders. The only thing slightly intriguing here is Micro Machines and if I need to take my bowling lifestyle to the extreme in AMF Extreme Bowling 2006 (implying there was a previous bowling game that did well enough in 2005, scary). But in possibly better news this week Halo 2 gets lowered to $29.99. This begs the question of 1)Doesn’t everybody who owns an X-Box/360 have this game? And 2)Would it kill them to officially go ahead and drop it to $19.99? Seriously though, this game is $20 at most used venues and Wal-Mart’s anyway. So go get it, or watch a copy of Red and Blue. (I have to throw the dvd plugs in or else it makes the site look bad)

Quick news stories of interest

Ted Price, President of Insomniac Games, best known for the Ratchet & Clank series, has filed a legal brief in support of the Entertainment Software Association’s (ESA) lawsuit to overturn Louisiana’s new videogame law on constitutional grounds.
As reported last week, Judge James Brady temporarily blocked implementation of the law which seeks to criminalize the sale of violent video games to minors. Price has submitted an impassioned, 21-page document arguing that games are as much a means of expression as books, movies and music.

You know, I’m all in support of restricting the sales of certain games to minors; but those games need to be defined to a tee. Explicitly state game A, game B, game C. These laws become so broad that they are subject to anybody’s implementation. I mean you could block any game outside of some crossword puzzles if you are liberal enough. So good call on Ted’s part, especially considering his games could become part of the ban if a particular store in Louisiana took it seriously. Game A, Game B, Game C, not that anybody would ever be able to decide what those games should be. I guess just using the ESRB would be out of the question. Yeah that would make sense I forgot.

The New York District Attorney has handed Take-Two subpoenas requesting documents dating as far back as October 1, 2001. Some concern Take-Two’s financial and acquisitions reporting, while several target the hidden “hot coffee” minigame specifically. Take-Two said today it is cooperating with the summons, and briefly summarized the situation:

“Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. today announced that on June 19, 2006, the Company received grand jury subpoenas issued by the District Attorney of the County of New York requesting production of documents, covering various periods beginning on October 1, 2001, including those relating to: the knowledge of the Company’s officers and directors regarding the creation, inclusion and programming of hidden scenes (commonly referred to as “hot coffee”) in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the submission of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas to the Entertainment Software Rating Board for a rating, and the Company’s disclosures regarding hot coffee; disclosures and presentations by the Company of certain events…

Blah, blah, blah, blah. Really, the rest of it was legal jargon that would make me feel stupid. I don’t understand why this is still news and what the big deal is. The game already had prostitutes, running over people, killing, destruction, and gang references. Isn’t ruining some hidden loving really just overkill at this point? Anyhow, point said I have a copy of the original and its nothing anyway. Especially with Leisure Suit Larry and Playboy the Mansion flaunting it and they get flatly ignored. (which you can buy any of these titles for $20 and under…just so you know). Expect Rockstar’s release of Table Top Tennis to get the same treatment once they find the hidden patch to make your player go postal and spank the umpire with your paddle in an explicit manner. (that will get them going)

Ode To Morgan Webb

Well we are a video game column, and we have to adopt a cover girl for me to lust after and wish I was the lucky man to have her as my girlfriend/wife/bowl full of cherries. Who better than Morgan Webb. For those in the world living under a rock, she is on Tech Tv, does X-Play and a host of other things they ask her to do while looking ever so cute. Really, she’s quite rare for tv, she acts what I conceive as normal and doesn’t have any pop Barbie doll qualities about her. She also seems to understand the video games she reviews on tv. That, and I just want her. *sigh*, look for more interesting notes about her in the weeks to come. Or at least until the stalker police come and find me.

Reasons the Sega Genesis was better than the SNES

Street Fighter 2: Championship Edition

Street Fighter 2 was one of the best fighters ever, hands down. Before Nintendo locked up the licenses for several years in Super Street Fighter II, the Sega Genesis had the elusive championship edition with the 4 extra playable characters that SNES didn’t have. Balrog, Vega, Sagat and M. Bison (I still play with Sagat a lot even today). Besides, it was always fun to be extra cheap with the Bison attacks and counters. The controllers were also better suited too once Sega introduced their 6 button adaptation. I mean who wants to control their kicks and punches on L1 and R1 anyway? X,Y,Z was so much easier and Nintendo just didn’t catch onto this for a while. They also had that whole blood problem which we will explore more in the future.

Retro Game of the Week

River City Ransom for the NES

This week’s Retro game is the fantastic River City Ransom. It has many more adaptations in Japan but has developed a cult like following here. Basically you are one of two brothers that go on a journey fighting various gangs here and there to save the girl of their dreams. While this might sound like another Double Dragon clone, it’s the RPG aspects of this game that make it a thrill to play. You beat up various gang members for coinage and then you spend it at the shops and restaurants which increase your skill in Punches, Kicks and so many other categories. You also get special moves that you can use on your enemies to make the game more exciting and interesting. Plus the super deformed characters and the geeky type movements just make this a blast to play. 5/5, I give this game my highest recommendation and it is pretty easy to find on Ebay or a Game Crazy near you…look to pay about $10-$15.

Some Final Thoughts and Mutterings

Thank you for reading my first weekly column, I really do appreciate it. If you are curious, I did buy some games this week, Gun, World Poker Tour (thank you travel channel), and Wild Arms 4 all for the PS2 from Circuit City for $8.96 a piece. I also snagged Castlevania II off of Ebay for about $5 including shipping. Expect a review on Wild Arms 4 when I get to it as it was released this year and should be a good title. Finally, if you get a chance, read my new review of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories for the PS2. Thanks and good day. Oh by the way, stop thinking about Morgan Webb now, that’s my job!

As Always,
Kedrix of Aldrianian
(*The Forgotten One*)