In case you missed them:
[url=http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/21/psp-goes-pink-with-pink/]Pink PSP[/url]
[url=http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/home-entertainment/pretty-in-pink-ps2-due-this-november-195475.php]Pink PS2[/url]
(both at Engadget)
Europe only!
Yes, for those of you who didn’t know, the Xbox Live Vision package has had it’s street date broken at a few places. [url=http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=105110]Someone at Cheapass Gamer has a nice review of the package for us.[/url] Unfortunately, Totemball is not a pack-in. Even worse, the pack-in is Uno, which most people already have.
Apparently it’s a pretty good camera. I’ve recently considered picking up a cheap EyeToy and some games, so that has me a little curious. Don’t know if I’m so interested in Video chat or picture attachments to my messages, though.
There’s also some info on some upcoming games for Xbox Live with camera support. They seem to be updates or ports of the games in [url=http://www.freeverse.com/bbbg/]Big Bang Board Games[/url] by Freeverse that have been given added camera support.
[url=http://arstechnica.com/journals/thumbs.ars/2006/8/21/5053]The 360 Live Vision Camera reviewed[/url] (Arstechnica)
[i]Liberty City Stories[/i] is the fourth [i]Grand Theft Auto[/i] game on the PlayStation 2, and the first port of an original PSP game (strange, it usually happens vice versa), which we have already [url=http://www.snackbar-games.com/r345.html]reviewed[/url]. I won’t go into the story, because that has been covered in the PSP games’ review.
So what has changed during the port? Well, I’m afraid nothing really, which is a real shame. The controls have been adjusted to the two analog sticks of the PS2, but that’s about it.
The sound remains the same. The music and radio stations aren’t the best, but the funny dialogs and great voice acting certainly make up for it.
Graphics look the same on the PS2 port, as in the PSP version. While on the PSP it was/is jaw-dropping, these kind of graphics in 2006 (even on the PS2’s hardware), are pretty lame. I wished that at Rockstar they would have beefed up the graphics, even if just a little bit.
There are also no added features (not like there aren’t plenty). You still can’t swim, fly helicopters, and all the things that didn’t make it in the PSP version, which is also a shame. I think I am not the only one that would have paid full price for a game that has a bunch of added features that were in San Andreas (weapons, side missions, and features), new radio stations and decent graphics.
But don’t be sad; [i]Liberty City Stories[/i] is still a fun game. Since it was designed for the PSP, the missions are quite short, but there are plenty. The game could take you dozens of hours to beat, if you play all the side missions.
Even though the game is budget priced, I recommend renting it. With the lack of added features, the fact remains that it is “just a port” and that it is not too long compared to other GTA games… it simply can’t justify a purchase for me.
Despite the fact that the soccer World Cup has been over for more than a month now and while I was waiting for [i]FIFA 07[/i], I decided to get this game and try a few things out.
All of the countries in the world are listed in this game. So let’s say that I wanted to play as a country that didn’t get in (my home country, Hungary). Then I could! I think this is very cool. I would, of course, have to go on a long and hard road of qualifying for the World Cup (which by itself is no easy task) before actually winning it.
If you don’t want to play in qualifiers, you can immediately jump into the World Cup with the countries that actually got into it in real life. However, I think it’s a bigger honor if your country didn’t qualify in real life, and you take them to victory in the game. (Plus, this gets you more achievement points.)
There are also Global Challenges in which you can recreate certain events in FIFA history. This is a very fun concept; not to mention the 500 achievement points one can get by completing all of the events. (You also get 50 achievement points for completing just one event the first time.)
In case you don’t know about soccer, there are two 45 minute periods in a game. Of course, the game is not 90 minutes long; the timing goes much faster. There are some additional minutes added by the referee in case of injuries, penalties and the likes. If there are no goals, and the game happens to be near the finals, there are two 15 minute overtimes added. If there are still no goals, then you shoot penalty kicks.
The gameplay itself is pretty good, but there are a few aspects that keep it from being a great game. If you are new to the game (or to the genre), you will find the game to be frustrating. The learning curve is a bit steep. Memorizing all of the ways to pass, do tricks, and all that jazz will take some time. Sometimes the controls are a bit unresponsive as well.
The graphics are excellent and horrible at the same time. The stadiums and fields look nice, but when there are close-ups to players, they sometimes look outright freaky. A few times while in close-up to Rohnaldino, I got the impression it was an alien from the Ridley Scott film. However, ball and character animation is great-looking. The character animations are alright, but faces aren’t the best at times.
The sound is alright. Commentating can get a little annoying, but the soundtrack is [mostly] listenable. Good thing they are only in the menus. I also think that it was a very special touch to play the national anthem when you win a game.
If you have [i]FIFA 06[/i], this is a rental without a doubt, and even if you don’t have it, I still suggest renting it. The game is fun, but I don’t think it justifies a 60 dollar purchase on the Xbox 360 (especially when on other platforms they are 30 dollars). Rent this, and wait for the upcoming [i]FIFA 07[/i] which is coming at the end of September.
So, there’s one big title coming this week. Can you guess what it is? Also, some game with Pac-man, and American McGee plasters his name on another game I couldn’t care less about. Enjoy!
[b]Madden 2007 – you name it[/b]
The big news for this week is Madden, which is hitting every system you can think of. Will the series bring new features and updated graphics, or will the monopoly on the NFL license result in a weak attempt to kick a dead horse? No matter what the outcome, one thing will be sure: We can expect insightful commentary like “The Ravens will have to kick or run the ball in if they want to score any points.” Thanks, John. Without you I’d never know what to do next.
[b]Pac-Man World Rally – PSP, PS2, Gamecube, PC[/b]
Namco adds to the ever growing library of Mario Kart clones, only this time with Pac-man. I might get it anyways. It’s Pac-man and Mario Kart at the same time!
[b]Bad Day L.A.[/b]
American McGee tries to take on the Bush White House with sarcasm and fails. Ugly graphics, childish humor, and mild racism drive his point home in a way that couldn’t be misunderstood. There’s a demo out if you don’t believe me. For the easily amused only.
Well, not a very exciting week, except for you Madden fans. But if you like the NFL, this is the only game you’ll see them in this year.
