Every time I look at you, I am reminded of the first time we met; you shambled up to me, and sweetly moaned "braaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiins" in my ear. Oh, how I laughed. Then, you went to touch my arm, but slipped and fell over and face planted into the dirt. I then emptied my revolver into your gross, papery brain-sack, and scooped up your rotting brain meat, before heading off on my merry way... we were like ships passing in the night. Good times!
However, since that first encounter, my thoughts have been plagued by one question: what's your fascination with barfing on stuff? I mean, really! What's with that?
There was a time when we used to have fun with each other, but nowadays it just seems like it's all "oh, hey! I'm going to barf on this", and "oh man, I totally just tossed my cookies on that dudes shoes!". I'm sorry, but you've changed; you're no longer the carefree shuffling brain-eater I grew to love, and this barfing obsession is going a little bit too far -- you're going down a path that I just can't follow. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I love you, but I just can't live like this anymore. Either you change, or I'm leaving you. I don't like forcing you to make this choice, but something has to give.
Right now in the iTunes App store (what other app store is there, really? Droid Marketplace? blech) which is a side-scrolling Simpsons arcade style beat-em up. It's called, simply enough, The Simpsons Arcade, and while it is not the exact game that you remember from your childhood, it is a good enough reminder to justify the $0 price tag that comes with it. As an added bonus, its actually pretty funny, and the gameplay is solid (if you don't count that horrible iPhone virtual joystick).
Do yourself a favor and pick it up. I can only vouch for the free "lite" version, so if you go and do something stupid with your money, that's aaaalllll you, buddy.
Mark and I went to the Anaheim Comic Con last weekend. It was my first time going to any type mass nerd gathering and I absolutley loved it. Yes, Mark and I made fun of all the cosplayers and hackneyed "celebrities" trying to sell their autographs, but we were also constantly surpised by the parade of fandom going by at all times. Pimp Bobba Fetts, the BTTF DeLorean, droid convoys and more Ghostbusters than I can remember. Mark's new camera took some incredible shots while Mark was holding it up, but we really didn't get enough footage. Sorry guys. Maybe at San Diego we'll do it right.
I've known Mark for over 10 years but I've never seen him as excited to meet someone as he was with this guy. His name is Graham MacTavish and his sign said "from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2", so logically we thought he did the voice for Soap MacTavish. Turned out he's not. Misleading much?
I just ran across this site, and despite their horrible names, I find these controller add-ons a little interesting. Straight from their website:
FPSFreek was developed to improve your accuracy in first person shooter environments, helping you react and hit your targets faster. FPS Freek extends the length of your analog stick, increasing your range of motion, giving you 40% more linear distance from full stop to stop.This gives you more leverage and increased control without disturbing your natural gaming feel. FPS Freek will help you to aim and lock in on your target faster, while putting less strain on your finger.
SpeedFreek was developed to give you more control in racing games, enabling you to improve racing times when running against the clock. The unique curve of SpeedFreek enables you to hug the turns in racing games, without your fingers slipping off the controller or creating unnecessary friction on your fingers. SpeedFreek keeps your thumb on the existing control surface, with no disruption between the natural geometry that you have learned to use. SpeedFreek’s supporting side walls enable sharper movements while adding to your control and precision in racing games.
What do you think? They're $10 each. Somehow, I don't think they'll make me that much of a better gamer.
Because Mega Man 10 released earlier in the week, and because it reminds me so much of Mega Man 2, I thought I'd share the Mega Man 2 Rap with you. Clocking in at over seven minutes it's pretty long, but it's worth watching, especially if you played Mega Man 2.
It's that time of year again. Chocolate Jesus Bunny time. What better way to celebrate than by remembering our favorite video game rabbits, from the past and present?
6. Brutal: Paws of Fury (1994, SNES/Genesis/Sega CD) Brutal: Paws of Fury was one of those many fighting games trying to cash in on Street Fighter II's success. This one came out way too late to be taken seriously. One of its central characters was a rabbit monk, Kung Fu Bunny. Not a very good game, but we've got to start somewhere.
5. Jumping Flash (1995, PSOne) Jumping Flash is your typical giant-bunny-robot 3D platforming game. Okay, it was pretty crazy back in the day, and a demo of it came out with the PSOne on launch day. I remember being floored by how immersive 3D gaming could be. Today, it would probably just make me nauseous.
4. Bucky O'Hare (1992, NES) This side-scrolling Konami game tried to be the next Mega Man, but it never really took off. I remember renting it as a kid, but it was too hard for me back then (probably too hard for me today, honestly). There was an arcade game that was supposed to be good, too, but I don't remember it. I still remember the theme song from the TV show, though!
3. Rayman: Raving Rabbids (2006, Wii) Mark, Tyler and I had a Rabbids party, back when we weren't famous editors, and back when we still had high hopes for the Wii. Rayman gets captured by rabbits (cleverly disguised as "Rabbids" - those French game developers are tricky!) and you have to play a bunch of mini games. The game is amusing, but not quite laugh-out-loud funny. Apparently there have been a few sequels released already, I didn't even notice.
2. The Bugs Bunny Birthday Blowout (1990, NES) I borrowed this game from a neighbor and almost didn't give it back. It had two things going for it: the game was practically a Super Mario Bros clone (making it easy to pick up and play), and it was ridiculously easy to beat. You have to battle against all the other Looney Tunes characters in order to celebrate your 50th birthday. I hope the same happens to me when I turn 50.
1. Star Fox (1993, SNES) Peppy Hare may be a secondary character in the Star Fox series, but you can't deny the "wow" factor of the original Star Fox game and its 3D graphics. In today's world of crazy-good graphics, it's hard to imagine how big of a deal that Super FX chip was 15 years ago. This game still hasn't been released on the Wii's Virtual Console (although Star Fox 64 has, but I never played it), but I just may pick it up when it does come out.
Well, it is what it is. Microsoft's Game Room is a robust vintage arcade emulator, and it lets you pay for one session or for the whole game. It's an attempt to bring back the fun of playing arcade games from 25+ years ago. Obviously it's nowhere as fun as building your own arcade cabinet, but it doesn't seem like a bad experience on its own. It's bigget problem is that the games aren't very compelling at all; among the dozens of games available, none interested me. Maybe I'm too young, but I seriously don't even remember most of these titles.
Word to the wise, if you even just start the game it gives you a 5G achievement point. What this means is that you'll never be able to remove this game from the "Played Games" section of your profile. So if you plan on trying it out, you better be ready to let the world know about it.
I'm 10% of the way into one of the most disputed games of 2009; some (including esteemed Easy Mode contributor Steve) though it was the best game to be released last year, while others (like esteemed Easy Mode editor Tyler) sent it back to GameFly before finishing it.
There are a few things that immediately strike me about the game. First of all, there's this weird sheen to everything, and it feels like Joker ran through the game spraying baby oil all over Arkham like it was a bodybuilder's glistening chest. Secondly, some of the controls take a bit of adjustment. The crouch button is mapped to the right trigger, which I usually associate with some sort of action command. Lastly, I'm not a big fan of the game's "detective mode", which based on my experience so far with this game, is better termed "make everything easier mode". This mode lets you see hidden clues and easily spot bad guys, even through walls. It does one thing well, which is overwhelm you with the sense that Batman is totally in control at all times.
One thing I do like is the variety of enemies and characters - it's basically a comic fan's wet dream. I haven't read that many Batman comics, but I like the richness of the Batman universe and I'm glad there's so much to see in this game.
Steve mentioned to me during yesterday's podcast that many of Batman's abilities will unlock in time, and that I'll be able to re-traverse Arkham Asylum with new places to explore. As it stands now, I'm easily frustrated when I see a security door or vent that I can't reach just yet. It feels out of place in the game; shouldn't Batman have all of his skills by now? I'm planning on giving it the college try and seeing it through to the end, and I have a feeling that it'll be a much more rewarding experience for me soon.
It isn't often that we here at Easy Towers feel compelled to give advice, but occasionally we come across some useful information, and being the benevolent types that we are, decide to share it with you. With this in mind, I have decided to pass on some of the tips I learned for dealing with those frustrating chase sequences in Silent Hill: Shattered Memories. Hopefully, these should make these sections easier -- and by extension, more fun -- for you. Enjoy!
Disagree with us? Got an idea? Want to put up your own post with full credit?
Click here to send it to us and we'll post it...as long as it doesn't suck.
About Bloguin
Bloguin is the revolutionary blog network specifically focused on helping bloggers get the most out of their websites. We're currently working on building a large network of online communities and hope to expand our blogging coverage to include a wide range of topics.
Advertisers
The Bloguin Network allows advertisers to promote their products and services to our ever-growing number of visitors. We offer both site-specific ad placements as well as the ability to run a network-wide campaign. If you're interested in working with Bloguin to meet your advertising needs, please contact us.
Bloggers Wanted
The Bloguin Network is always looking to expand. We're specifically looking for blogs in the sports, entertainment, and video games field, but are open to adding any type of quality site. If you're a blogger and interested in joining our network, please fill out our application form.
The Bloguin Login
The Bloguin Login gives you full access to everything our network has to offer. Your name and password will work for each and every one of our sites. Signing up is simple, and will allow you to post in all our forums, create member blogs, and access other cool features! What are you waiting for? Create an Account!
Bloguin is the revolutionary blog network specifically focused on helping bloggers get the most out of their websites. We're currently working on building a large network of online communities and hope to expand our blogging coverage to include a wide range of topics. 
The Bloguin Network allows advertisers to promote their products and services to our ever-growing number of visitors. We offer both site-specific ad placements as well as the ability to run a network-wide campaign. If you're interested in working with Bloguin to meet your advertising needs, please contact us.
The Bloguin Network is always looking to expand. We're specifically looking for blogs in the sports, entertainment, and video games field, but are open to adding any type of quality site. If you're a blogger and interested in joining our network, please fill out our application form.
The Bloguin Login gives you full access to everything our network has to offer. Your name and password will work for each and every one of our sites. Signing up is simple, and will allow you to post in all our forums, create member blogs, and access other cool features! What are you waiting for? Create an Account!