August 25, 2008,
4:31 pm,
Games and PC
So, I’m finally getting around to personalizing this blog. The header is now semi-done and more edits to this theme will follow. I could have made my own theme but I got lazy. I’d figure I would use something already done and just change up a few things. I find WordPress’s theme engine to be a bit cumbersome with LOTS of php files repeating the same markup over and over with subtle changes. One day I’ll finish the one I started on (which looks much more different than this one), but for now small edits on this one should do.
Bionic Commando: Rearmed (PC)
So I finally bought Bionic Commando: Rearmed after much mulling about the non existent Steam version. Despite distribution shortcomings, the game is REALLY good. For those who don’t know about Bionic Commando, its a classic NES game made by Capcom some time ago. Ben Judd (American Producer For Capcom Japan) was set out to prove his worth so to speak at Capcom Japan.
So he contracted a developer named GRIN out of Sweeden to make two games. One was named Bionic Commando the sequel to the NES game and the other was Bionic Commando: Rearmed which is a remake of the original on NES. The game was released for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. Since I am a PC guy at heart, I bought it for PC and played it using a cheapo Logitech Precision controller (It doesn’t even have analog sticks).
Stage Select Screen
I gotta say, this game is good. First of all, there is no Jump button. There never was in the original. You get around by using the bionic arm. In the original, it was just used to grab things or swing around like Spider-Man. But in the remake, it can pick up barrels and people. The object of the game is to save a character named “Super Joe” however it evolves into stopping the evil mastermind who kidnapped him from taking over the world. Basically, you shoot stuff while skillfully using the bionic arm to get from point A to point B. The game is fueled by PhysX, now owned by Nvidia. On PC, this game is able to take advantage of the new GeForce PhysX platform released sometime earlier in August. The engine will also be used with the Bionic Commando sequel which looks as equally gorgeous as this game however its not 2D like this one. I guess you can call Rearmed 2.5D.
It costs $15 ($10 for 360 & PSN), but it will be the best money ever spent. It even features Challenge Rooms to test your grappling skills and Co-Op so that you can save the world with your friends, Or fight them in Multiplayer. Don’t be fooled by the graphics and the videos you might see. The game gets progressively harder when in Co-Op or a higher difficulty level. Hard is…well damned Hard, and I don’t even want to know what Super Hard is like (yeah, yeah make jokes but its really not). You are still here…Go buy the thing already.
It seems that my hopes have been crushed. Bionic Commando: Rearmed has been released but the Steam method is nowhere to be found. I was really looking forward to playing this game today through Steam, but it looks like Capcom has issues. I can wait a few days to see the resolution of all this. But I cannot guarentee that I can buy this game now since they refuse to release on the biggest online game distribution platform of the world.
You know that addition never fails. The PC version of Bionic Commando: Rearmed has been announced finally. But with an extra price point of $15. The other versions for XBLA and PSN are $10. I still don’t quite know how that works but I’m sure that royalties are a lot higher with Microsoft atleast. Anyway, I’m glad this is now confirmed and I can look forward to running this game in the ground from overplay.
The Confirmation: http://www.bioniccommando.com/us/blog_entries/view/331
August 6, 2008,
9:21 pm,
PC and Tech
IF you don’t know by now, you will soon. IF you own a G80+ series card (GeForce 8, 9, 200 series) then Nvidia is preparing a new driver that allows PhysX enabled games to use the Video Card as a physics card. Now the problem becomes not that it allows this, but explaining to people the difference between the new v177 graphics driver and the CUDA PhysX driver. Maybe this will all get sorted out in the end but having to explain that PhysX doesn’t affect the game unless the game supports it is annoying.
It seems that I am getting my wish. Another update to a game that I was looking forward to gets announced and…its a delay. Battlefield Heroes was pushed back to later this year into the heap of chaos that is Fall/Winter releases. I can easily see this get pushed into 2009.
Finally, Bionic Commando: Rearmed will be released soon. But what does that say about the PC version which seems to be absent from a particular blog announcing the XBLA and PSN versions.
For a while now I’ve been wondering where some games went.
Bionic Commando: Rearmed (PC, 360, PS3)
For example, I remember a Bionic Commando supposed to be released sometime this year. While I’m not impatient, they have been hyping this game for a while now and I’m starting to wonder will we ever get to see it. Its main remake, Bionic Commando obviously is going to be released in October this year which is not too far away now.
SSFTHD (PC, 360, PS3)
Another from Capcom coincidentally is Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix (now say that 10 times fast). This game is supposed to be released before Street Fighter IV which is now slowly taking the lead in development time. The Arcade version is already done and the console version is on the way. This game is going to become a foot note to SF4 if they don’t ramp it up.
Battlefield Heroes (PC)
The free MMO style Battlefield game with the new buisness model that is supposed to be a success is now in closed beta. The open beta is supposed to be this summer. Well, summer it is and the game still is not available to the immediate public. Those who I have read about in closed beta says the game is very ready for open beta. Though this is a free game, I am willing to wait but there are many other emerging free games being released this year more than anything. This can be overshadowed if they don’t make a move soon.
So, that was some E3 huh? I’m pretty sure that USA Today and Fox News will be buzzing about the latest Nintendo shovelware that was announced. The traditional market however is not that amused by what happened. Microsoft announced a casual focus including Mii ripoffs called “Avatars”. They have also mentioned a mega dashboard update which looks heavily derivative of Windows Media Center and Apple’s Front Row. Among the dark cloud’s sliver lining, Netflix compatibility, Gears Of War 2, a new game called Lost Remnant and a full fledged Final Fantasy game which was once exlusive to the PS3.
Speaking of the PS3, its announcements was as easliy boring save for a Little Big Planet, Powerpoint like display of Sony accomplishments. Resitance & improvements to the PS3′s online offerings has also has seemed to save the day.
Third Party Developers are the winners here in this aspect. Many popular 3rd party games were displayed and announced. PC gaming is also getting a lot of attention, where once developers on console would have never thought of porting a game to the PC is now porting them en masse. I guess you can thank Microsoft for that or the fact that the PC has always been a big platform with many potential customers. If you haven’t yet noticed this trend, then you need to look no further than world renowned Capcom Entertainment. Many of its top sellng titles are being ported to PC including Devil May Cry and Street Fighter IV which fully take advantage of the power available.
The most disappointing of the 3rd Party fun was Konami. The Rockband competitor called Rock Revolution looked lack luster and disappointing to those who have experienced both Guitar Hero and Rockband. Also, the showing of a Wii Castlevania fighting game that looks worse than Soul Calibur II on the Gamecube. A saving grace maybe was a showing of the DS title Order of Ecclesia.
Overall, E3 atleast to me is circling the drain before it falls through it.
On another note, I came across a free game called TrackMania Nations Forever. TrackMania is a very good looking racing game that throws Mario Kart like tracks in the mix. The physics of the cars allows you to run through loops, half pipes, super jumps and multiple air tricks. The game also has editors for custom cars and tracks. ITs counterpart TrackMania United Forever is a retail game that unlocks several features. This game could easily be free across the board if the advertising placements were more robust. For now there seems to be only two types of banners in the game, one for Toyota and another for one other company. The TrackMania Forever games also has an online mode which lets you race against people via lan or the Nadeo servers. (Nadeo is the name of the developer.) I like the game for the most part but most of the one lap tracks leaves you wanting more.