Dare to Play the Game

Welcome to another edition of Dare to Play the Game. I’m your host that had a really strange week. Those of you who are close to me probably understand more than the general populace reading this column. But lets just say I got some me time and will have a lot more me time in the upcoming …onths. But I’m going to make use of it, and breathe new life into my world. Just maybe I’ll also get you freaks a lot more video game coverage. We’ll see.

A nice little number in green today. So lovely, so lovely. I’m disapointed, I haven’t caught Morgan’s eye as of yet. I mean do I have to write long love letters, naughty limericks, haikus with lots of flavor (and sweet & sour pork?). Just let me know, I’m pretty easy to get motivated. Point me in the right direction and smile a lot. It helps, that and a little “come here boy” action doesn’t hurt either.

The PlayStation 3 will be nigh impossible to find when its recently-reduced 400,000 units are launched November 17. But for those lucky 400k people, a choice will have to be made: go with the $600 60GB version complete with HDMI output, or the $500 20GB/no HDMI model? The choice may be made for them, however, as the premium pack might be much (relatively) easier to find than the core pack.

Gamasutra is citing a report filed by Lazard Capital Markets analyst Colin Sebastian predicting the initial PS3 shipments will be 80% $600 versions and 20% $500 versions. IGN contacted Sony, and while the company hasn’t announced the official availability of each pack, it confirmed for us that the 80%/20% ratio was the preferred ratio of retailers it has been talking to.

November 17th, right at thanksgiving…look at that. Color me excited *sarcasm*. 400,000 units, somehow I don’t think I’m getting one. Cause 1) I’m not sitting outside the store for 12 hours and 2)I’m not wasting the cash. What’s more their marketing strategy now smells of bait and switch. Now, true I would purchase the $600 version if I had the cash. But what if somebody only had enough for the $500; doesn’t seem too cool to me. Also, $100 price difference for HDMI and 40gb of space? Anybody look at Hard drives lately, you can buy a 300gb for under $100. Consoles are still pulling the wool over gamers eyes.

Devil May Cry 4 Website Opens
The real deal isn’t until September 15th, though.

Capcom has been counting down towards today, teasing Devil May Cry fans they’d have their first look at Devil May Cry 4 the latest game in the series, which, as it turns out, is only sort of true. Between the upcoming Tokyo Game Show, where the game will apparently be playable, and a cover story on the latest issue of Game Informer, the website doesn’t tell us much we didn’t already know.

In fact, although there’s a link to screen shots, they’re locked until September 15th, although you can check out some blurry, small-ish images on a brief development diary Capcom’s thrown up on the website. That, or you can check out some magazine’s website and take in the first direct-feed screen shots from Devil May Cry 4. Where would you find that, though? Truly baffling.

DMC4?!! WOOOOOO, yeah babie. The sultan of sword and gunplay is back. DMC3 was a return to the original as you can read about in one of my fine reviews and DMC4 can hopefully only mean more of it. I’m not sure if this will be PS2 or 3, but most likely it will be 3. I hope they bring back the option to play as Vergil, that was a welcome add-on to the SE. As long as the ambience is there and a nice helping of wise cracking Dante to boot, count me in.

Wooooo! Sham-on! Michael Jackson could at one time actually do no wrong. I mean how many singers or bands can you think of that released a video game in their likeness and it sold like hotcakes and actually was a good game? (you say Revolution X/Aerosmith and i’m going to hurt you). Hoooo! Anyhow, this little action game was a true treasure was a NintenDon’t proud alumni. You were Michael Jackson, and you were on a quest to save kidnapped children from the clutches of Mr. Big. Now Michael rarely used violence to beat enemies, instead (*grabs crotch and declares*) he used dance moves. Sure, the irony is overwhelming now; but it was one of those rare games that seemed to play at the right difficulty (except for the last stage) and was fun. You had synthesized Michael Jackson hits (Smooth Criminal and Bad to name a couple) and could beat people down with a twirl of your hat. (So Annie are you okay?) There was even rumored sequels but those never came to be as allegations and other nasty things reared their ugly heads.

With yet another season of Simpsons opening this fall and a new movie in the works, I figured it was time to go and revisit the only Simpsons game (well maybe Hit & Run too) that was worth anything. The one in the arcades. Based off of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 4 player standup that was so famous, the Simpsons game was a great beat em up. The story was that Smithers stole a rare diamond and gets bumped into by the Simpsons. As luck would have it the diamond would find its way into Maggie’s mouth and then Maggie was taken away by Smithers. You played as either Homer (strong man and punch king), Marge (Vacuum, oh my kingdom for a Vacuum), Lisa (whip me babie), and of course Bart (eat my shorts man for putting me last). The various stages were filled with Simpsons alumni and was just a blast to play. Unfortunately we will probably never see this game come to any compilation legally as it is in license hell due to of course the Simpsons name and debate over who owns what. Sad, it truly was a masterpiece.

PS2

IGPX
One Piece: Pirates’ Carnival
Rule of Rose

PSP

Bomberman
Bounty Hounds
Rengoku II: The Stairway to HEAVEN

XBox

Fuel
Pro Stroke Golf: World Tour 2007 (and nobody cares, wtf is with the delay)

Gamecube

One Piece: Pirates’ Carnival

DS

Cooking Mama
Harvest Moon DS
Mech Assault: Phantom War

GBA

My Little Pony: Crystal Princess

Could we have gayer names for video games this week? Just asking. Rengoku II: The Stairway to HEAVEN, Cooking Mama, Rule of Rose, My little F’ing Pony. What the heck, I quit; I relinquish my man card into the world. Done, I tell ya. *minutes pass* Okay I’m back, go pick up Bomberman for your PSP this week, its your best bet. And go find three friends too w/psps for a friggin sweet time.

My auctions didn’t do so hot, in fact I didn’t even get bids on three of them. I’ll just have to repackage them and get something for them next time. The idea is just to get things out of my house. On the buy front; picked up two original Gameboy games for my Super Gameboy: Link’s Awakening and Metroid 2. Solid solid classics. Then at Target on Monday night; Champions: Return to Arms for PS2, awesome price of $7.48. I always wanted to try one of the Champions games, this price pratically begged for one. They had Goldeneye for PS2 for $4.98 and Metroid Classic Series GBA for $4.98. I passed on both of them; Goldeneye doesn’t look all that wonderful to me and Metroid Classic, I don’t own a GBA & I rather go buy the silver or yellow cart for the original NES. Have a fun week kidoes.

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