Over the years video games have provided so many of us with so much joy. However, sometimes a great idea gets lost in translation. Here are just some of the biggest blunders in video game history.



Virtual boy


In 1995 Nintendo released the first follow up to the Game Boy with horrifying results. The Virtual Boy was this terrible 3D goggle thing that you put your face into and “enjoyed” the red on black graphics. Headaches, stiff neck and eye strain were the by-product of playing this console. Needless to say, it tanked. I played one once at a Blockbuster when it was first released, and that was one time too many. Nintendo went back to the drawing board tail between legs. To be fair, it was the only failed console Nintendo released which is more than I can say for…



Sega CD/32X/Sega Saturn


Believe it or not, Sega used to make consoles. Moving forward they have been spending the last decade or so doing the thing they do best, making games. But during the 1990’s Sega was really into experimenting with people’s money, yielding brutal Hindenburg-style results. First it was the Sega CD in 1992. As the name would suggest, it was a CD-ROM add on to the successful Sega Genesis. It was pricey, no one made games for it, and the games they did have ran at a slower frame rate than their existing 16-bit counterparts. Harsh.
Next for Sega was the 32X, yet another add on for the Genesis (insert sound of bomb dropping from sky). As I remember there was only one game for it. Again, price, lack of third party support and an overall lack of Sega support killed this one. That’s it right? No, Sega would go on to make not one but two more systems.
On May 11, 1995 the Sega Saturn was released in North America. It was crazy expensive, $700! Crazier still, they are anywhere between $225-$1000 on ebay. I should have kept mine. After three years, few games, disgruntled console owners and bad memories the Saturn was discontinued. I remember how I felt as I swore I would never buy another Sega product ever again. I think many people felt just as I did because in late 1998 Sega released its newest console, Dreamcast. Even though the system was the improvement Sega has been aiming for, it was too little, too late and nobody bought one. Game over.



CDi


In 1991 Royal Philips Electronics attempted to enter the video console wars by pairing up with Nintendo to create an add on for the Super Nintendo. Long story short, the deal fell through and Philips was left with a $700 paperweight. Ouch. Nintendo did give CDi the right to make games featuring Nintendo characters. Those games, (three Zelda, one Mario) were some of the worst ever made. Double ouch.



Atari Jaguar


This blunder needs no introduction. Just the name ‘Atari Jaguar’ is synonymous with just about the biggest dud in video game history. In 1993, Atari re-entered the console business for the last time with the Jaguar. It was over priced, (why were all these terrible consoles $700?) hard for developers to make games for and had this controller that didn’t fit in the average person’s hands. Like Sega, Atari went back to just making games and left the console market for good.



This has just been a taste of the worst. Honorable mentions go to; Panasonic 3DO, Amiga C32, Nokia N-Gage, Neo-Geo and Gizmondo. Stay tuned.

Tuesday May 18th


Tuesday May 18th marked a pretty epic day in the land of video games when some of the year’s biggest titles were released. I kissed my wife and kids good-bye as I hunkered down for some serious gaming. Now with all the games released that day, there was one I completely overlooked, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands. Here’s my review, better late than never.


Our Prince has traveled to see his brother Malik


The story line here is that our Prince has traveled to see his brother Malik somewhere is Persia. When the Prince arrives Malik and his people are under attack by a powerful invading force. Desperate, Malik summons a mystical army thought to have belonged to King Solomon. Long story short, Malik has bitten off more than he can chew and it’s up to the Prince to defeat the mystical army, restoring his brother’s kingdom to its former glory. So far, so good.


Gameplay is exactly what you’d expect


Gameplay is exactly what you’d expect a next generation ‘Sands of Time’ game to be like. The Prince wall runs, jumps, rolls, climbs, swings and solves puzzles just like he always has. Of course, it wouldn’t be Prince of Persia without some swordplay, which feels sluggish and repetitive, as though it was an after-thought. “Hey, should we give The Prince a sword?” The only thing that’s new here is the inclusion of some powers. Back is the ability to rewind time, also The Prince use an ice wave, a trail of flame, a whirlwind power that pushes enemies away, stone armor and something called, “The Power of the Flow.” These are kind of neat little add-ons to a game that otherwise has nothing really new to offer.
The graphics are quite nice, but I feel they pale in comparison to some of the other games I played on the 18th. They don’t seem to have to polish that Red Dead or even Alan Wake have. Don’t get me wrong, the graphics aren’t bad, they’re just not great either.


Look, this game is not a winner.


Look, this game is not a winner. Maybe it has suffered my wrath a little extra because UbiSoft thought it would be a good idea to release it the same day as ‘Red Dead Redemption’. The music and sound of ‘The Forgotten Sands’ is passable and there is no multiplayer. There really isn’t anything here to warrant this addition to the series. It would have been a better idea for UbiSoft to have remade ‘The Sands of Time’ in HD, make The Prince look like Jake Gyllenhall, and charged the gaming public 400 Microsoft points for it. In conclusion, I’ll play this game to its end; just don’t ask me to be happy about it. 2 out of 5.
Stay tuned.

5. OutRun (1986)

Video games, especially arcade titles, were on the rebound after a major flop in the early 1980’s nearly crippled the entire industry. So when Sega released this arcade racer with a moving cabinet, lush graphics, a killer soundtrack and epic racing action, the recovering video game business and the arcade-going public took notice in a big way. The creator Yu Suzuki billed this game, not as a racing game, but as the ultimate driving game.
As the player, you controlled a man driving with his blonde girlfriend in the passenger seat. You drove a red Ferrari Testarossa convertible, but since Sega did not have a licensing agreement with Ferrari until the sequel, there was no reference to the vehicle actually being a Ferrari. Other cars in the OutRun universe included; 1972 Volkswagen Beetles, 1971 Chevrolet Corvettes, 1985 Porsche 911 Turbos, and 1985 BMW 325Is.
The Gameplay was pretty straightforward. Players controlled the man in the red Ferrari through 5 checkpoints between 5 laps within a set time limit. Before each checkpoint there would be a fork in the road allowing you to choose one of two possible environments.
This game was the first arcade-style racer ever introduced. Duplicated thousands of times over it was responsible for some of the games I will be writing about in this article.

4. Driver (1999)

The person in the passenger seat next to you has just robbed a bank. Your hands tense as you press your right foot to the floor of the supercharged V8 rear wheel drive beast. You focus on the road ahead of you, swerving to avoid oncoming traffic as you narrowly miss the police barricade. You duck into an old abandoned warehouse, the flicker of red and blue lights shining ominously through the windows. You’ve eluded the 5-0, for now…
Inspired by the car chase movies of the sixties and seventies, you play as an undercover cop who is trying to infiltrate an organized crime syndicate. How far will you go?
The gameplay was pretty unique for its time. Basically the protagonists of the story are the cars featured in it. The only time the driver is seen is in between missions during the cinematic cut-scenes. What you have is essentially ‘Grand Theft Auto’ style driving without all the running around shooting people. You drive, that’s it.
The only real downside, in my opinion, is the lack of licensed vehicles. Not a huge deal breaker because these cars are obviously modeled after real life muscle cars of the sixties and seventies. Whatever faults this game had were overshadowed by the amazing car action, epic police chases and great sound effects. It had gamers everywhere foaming at the mouth for this title. (Despite its success, there was never a notable sequel made to this great game. I’m sure a reboot of this franchise is right around the corner, at least I’m hoping so)

3. Need for Speed (1994)

Upon its release, it was clear that NFS pushed the envelope of what was possible in a driving game. First available for PC, with numerous sequels made for the console market, this game was truly groundbreaking. For instance, when most gamers out there were still playing F-Zero, (futuristic, yet low-fi) NFS treated players to realistic graphics and driving physics.
This game boasted a cast of some pretty cool licensed vehicles. The developers even worked with the automotive magazine, Road & Track to match vehicle behavior, including the sounds specific to each vehicle. The Porsche 911 Turbo sounded like a Porsche 911 Turbo. The Acura NSX shifting gears as it accelerated up the street sounded true to life and amazing.
Other than the realism of this title, a large part of the gameplay focused on eluding the authorities. It would become the major theme of subsequent games in the series. Maybe it’s the speed demon in me, but I have always loved games that allowed you to run from the police just as they’re writing the ticket. You could almost hear the cop choking on the exhaust from your tail pipe. It was beautiful.
This game had it all and definitely ushered in the era of the driving simulation. NFS games would become famous for being some of the best out there. Much like Mario, the next NFS title is always right around the corner.

2. Mario Kart (1992)

Now, I know what you’re thinking. What? Mario Kart? Really? Bear with me, it will all become clear. Released by Nintendo in 1992 during the Golden Age of 16 bit consoles, nothing like it had ever been done before. You had access to a huge cast of adorable Nintendo characters who would race go-karts around various tracks inspired by the world of Super Mario Bros.
Really cool is that during the racing you would obtain power-ups that could really screw over your opponents. Luigi or Toad is the only thing stopping you from total victory? Throw a turtle shell at him and watch him spin out. Princess Peach is right behind you? Drop a banana peel and enjoy the aftermath. Although you might be dead last going into the final lap, you could still pull off a first place finish.
It was great to see all these cuddly creatures shooting one another with projectiles while jockeying for the Golden Cup.
This game became an instant classic, with each game in the series becoming bigger and better than the last. Mario Kart was a great arcade racer with a malicious twist that was very addictive and satisfying to play.

1. Gran Turismo (1999)

The ultimate driving simulation would be the best way to describe this title. More than 150 licensed vehicles were featured by basically every car manufacturer on the planet. Car companies and vehicles I had never heard of were here. Cars like the Pagani Zonda and the Panoz Esperante became household names. It was a real educational experience playing this game. Not only did you purchase and drive these vehicles, but you also fitted your pretties with upgrades to help give you the upper hand against your competitors.
The gameplay was hyper-realistic and tough to master. You had to acquire specific licenses in order to purchase and drive certain vehicles. However, progression through the game became highly rewarding. So much so that you didn’t mind racing the 24 Hour LeMans, which would actually take about 2 hours to complete in real time.
When it came to writing this article, I knew instantly that this would have to take first place. For its time, it had an incredible amount of detail and polish. It set the bar so high that it is still the standard for which all racing simulations are judged. That’s great for us gamers out there, because Grand Turismo helped influence some great driving games like, Forza Motorsport and Project Gotham Racing which had to be made to the same high standard as Turismo was.
(Side note to Sony – It’s been almost 5 years since I was first promised Grand Turismo 5 on the Playstation 3. Every year it keeps getting pushed back. Come on Sony, release the game already or don’t release it at all. Quit dangling this carrot in front of our faces)

Conclusion

So, that’s my pick for the best racing games of all time. Is there a racing game out there that has had an affect on you? By all means, send me your input. Is there a game on my list you thought I was way off base with? Give me your best shot.

Just this past Tuesday I picked up Red Dead Redemption on the XBOX360. Sorry it’s taken me so long to share my opinions, I have been busy playing the game. Like a lot of gamers out there I got sucked into all the hype surrounding the release of this title. Having read whatever I could about Rockstar San Diego’s newest gem, I was certain I knew exactly what to expect. I was only half right.

Red Dead Redemption

Red Dead Redemption takes place in the “New” Old West. The year is 1911 and industrialization, government and technology are slowly devouring the American landscape. You play as John Marston, part of a dying breed of frontier badasses on a mission of revenge and (of course) redemption.

Gameplay

The gameplay is exactly what you’d expect from a Rockstar game. Lots if missions, side missions, upgrades, weapons, costumes and mini-games. Want to pass some time playing poker of blackjack? Done. Want to break-in horses? You can do it. There is so much variety in this game you can definitely spend hours just riding your horse around exploring the enormous map and it’s colourful inhabitants. The honor system of Red Dead Redemptions is a nice touch. You can play either as the savior of the lawless land, pure as the driven snow, but maybe you want to rob trains, terrorize the populous and have an overall nasty disposition. The choice is yours.

Ggraphics

The graphics of this game push the limits of what these consoles can do. The character models are so detailed, with so much attention paid to the littlest detail. From the scars on John’s face to the muscles in your horse’s legs it all looks beautifully rendered. The environments are spectacular also. The sun setting, the clouds, the dust your horse kicks up galloping into said sunset, the ghost towns, the mountains all have a polish rarely seen in games today.

Music

The music is something I never take notice of in games unless it’s really good or really bad. Well, in RDR it is really good and feels as though it’s been pulled right out of a Clint Eastwood movie. Sound effects are exactly what you’d expect. Guns sound like guns, explosions sound like explosions and so on. The voice talent really shines in this game and was better than I expected.

Multiplayer

Multiplayer was another part of the game that I was pleasantly surprised with. Get some friends online, get a posse and go gunning for other posses. Enjoy a nice deathmatch with some randoms, have a shootout, capture the bag and partake in several multiplayer challenges. The more you do in multiplayer, the more powerful you become in multiplayer.

RDR

There is so much to do in RDR both online and off, I could easily see myself sinking over a hundred hours into it. Then again, I wouldn’t be married or employed for very long if I did. I really think this game has set the bar as the standard for which all open world games will be judged by. It gets The Straight Goods award for game of the year, so far… 5 out of 5.



Stay Tuned.

Get Red Dead Redemption Now!

Violence and Video Games

On April 20th, 1999 two students at Columbine High School near Littleton Colorado walked into the building and opened fire killing thirteen and wounding twenty-four. Sadly, it became the most infamous school shooting in history. As with any tragedy, people tend to ask why. Why did this happen? How could this be prevented in the future? What were the warning signs? Sometimes the answers to these questions don’t always make sense because they come from us trying to understand what cannot be understood. Sometimes fingers get pointed where they shouldn’t be pointed. The two perpetrators of the Columbine shootings were into “subversive” music, violent movies and of course violent video games. What I am interested in exploring is, do violent video games lead to violent behavior in the youth of today?


birth of violent video games

The beginning of the 1990’s saw the birth of violent video games as we know them today. Video game graphics got to the point where they could depict blood and gore in a realistic (sort of) way. Id games released ‘Wolfenstein 3D’ in 1992 for the PC and the first person shooter was created, spawning loads of violent, shoot ‘em up gameplay. ‘Doom’, ‘Duke Nukem 3D’ and ‘Quake’ would follow in the years to come, each one seemingly trying to outdo the other. First person shooters weren’t the only violent video game genre popularized in the early 90’s. The fighting game suddenly skyrocketed in appeal with Capcom’s ‘Street Fighter 2’ released in 1991. Of course other developers jumped on the bandwagon and in 1992 ‘Mortal Kombat’ was released pushing the envelope further with realistic blood, gore and or course “fatalities”. (November 1997 thirteen-year-old Noah Wilson died when his friend, who was into playing ‘Mortal Kombat’, stabbed him in the chest with a kitchen knife)

Entertainment Software Rating Board

The Entertainment Software Rating Board was created in 1994 as a way for parents to understand the content of the games they were purchasing for their kids. Video game manufacturers would voluntarily submit their games for a rating. If they failed to comply, they risked their games not being carried by retail stores. The rating system is very similar to the ratings given to movies. Ratings commonly given to video games by the ESRB today include; E for Everyone, T for Teen and M for Mature. Straightforward and concise these ratings were even displayed in larger font on video game packaging as of 2003. When I was twelve, this rating system was a real pain in the ass. When the Blockbuster employee refused to rent me a copy of ‘Mortal Kombat 2’ I was forced to get my mom to go in and rent it for me. However, as a parent myself, I can rest assured that my little ones wont be renting Grand Theft Auto 10 without my consent. In my opinion the ESRB isn’t a form of video game censorship, it’s just a tool for parents who aren’t video game savvy like I am. If you think your twelve–year-old is mature enough for ‘Mortal Kombat’ then rent it for him/her.

The Straight Goods

So, this being The Straight Goods, I’m not going to write you to death. I just wanted to say that terrible, violent and horrific things have been happening long before the invention of video games. (In1966 a student at the University of Texas at Austin killed fourteen and wounded thirty-four) I’m not saying that kids should be exposed to violent images, whether they are from video games, movies or the evening news. I am saying that parents need to be parents, get involved in their kids lives and stop letting the TV become a babysitter. Educate your kids about what’s right and wrong, what’s real life and what’s not. Flawless victory.
Stay tuned.

There’s only one more day before Super Mario Galaxy 2 lands in the hands of the masses, but you can get an early start on listening to the game’s soundtrack right now. Mahito Yokota, one of the two composers who crafted Super Mario Galaxy 2’s original soundtrack (along with Koji Kondo), has apparently generously posted the game’s entire OST on his YouTube account (if, indeed, this is the real Mahito Yokota, which hasn’t actually been confirmed).

The OST has 50 songs in total, and all are posted in their entirety. Do note, though, that by its nature, the OST might include just a few (and really, pretty minor) spoilers in its song titles — although if you really can’t guess at just what character might have his own “Final Battle” music in a Mario game, then you must not have been playing a lot of Mario games for the past 20 years.

Super Mario Galaxy was noteworthy for being the first Mario game to feature a fully orchestral soundtrack, and by the sounds of it, Galaxy 2 lives up to the first game’s lofty musical quality. For more on Galaxy 2, check out our glowing game review here.

Fewer changes in the gaming industry over the past few years have caused more debate than the rise of down-loadable content — and even hardware executives are chiming in. Speaking to Gamasutra, Sony Computer Entertainment America vice president Rob Dyer explained why he wants to see more content going on discs and less sold later on the Internet.

“That way, 100 percent of the users are going to get it. 100 percent,” Dyer said. “What are we, north of 70 percent [of PS3 owners] on the [PlayStation Network] now? 73, I think. Microsoft probably the same… [That's] still a significant number of people that aren’t able to get [it], whether they don’t have broadband, whether they just flat out can’t get on the network. Whether or not you do it, they’re not using it. I want it on the disc, that way when they buy it, they get it. So, if I can do that, that’s great.”

Still, Dyer also acknowledged why DLC does remain a component in today’s videogame market. “Now, you can talk about why DLC is important to help limit the used game business and to keep people holding onto [the game],” he said. “I’m all about that, too. I love that. But I want it on the disc so that 100 percent out there that can play this thing.”

J Allard — a man heavily influential to the Xbox in terms of shaping both its technology and branding — may soon be leaving Microsoft, if rumors swirling out of the company are accurate.

ZDNet reports (via Kotaku) that sources say Allard — who currently holds the titles of Chief Experience Officer and Chief Technology Officer, Entertainment and Devices Division — has had a falling out with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer over the recent cancelation of the latest project Allard was overseeing: the Courier Tablet. The project, which was essentially a dual-screen tablet computer, had evidently made it all the way up to “incubation” status (a middle-state between research products and products that go on for production), but was cut short by Microsoft last month without much explanation.

Now ZDNet reports that one source (who has been “a pretty reliable tipster in the past”) says Allard has gone on sabbatical, and is “unlikely to return to Microsoft.” Other chatter has it that Allard was unhappy over the Courier Tablet cancelation, with another source claiming it was Ballmer who “showed Allard the door” over the Courier disagreement. When contacted about Allard’s current status and future, Microsoft gave ZDNet a basic “We’re not commenting on rumor or speculation” response.

It’s been heavily rumored for a while (in fact, SCEA president Jack Tretton even promised it back in March), and now it’s official: Guerrilla Games is indeed making Killzone 3, and the latest issue of GamePro is packed with tons of details on the latest installment in the FPS franchise.

These details come by way of a poster on the GameSpot UK forums, who pulled a number of juicy tidbits from GamePro’s pgame review. Evidently, Killzone 3 will add jetpacks to the gameplay, with the jetpacks described as “surprisingly lightweight and agile” and “easier to maneuver compared to the sluggish incarnations of the gizmo found in other games.” The enemy will one again be the Helghast, although Killzone 3 will show they still “have humanity left in them.”

The setting wasn’t specified very much, although Killzone 3 will apparently have arctic levels, and they’re going for a feeling of “being in a place far away from home, outnumbered by people who want to kill you.” The game is also described as being “like Inglourious Basterds”…whatever that means. And unsurprisingly, Killzone 3 will have to option to play it in stereoscopic 3D, with the effects touted as a “game changer” (you will, of course, need a 3D-capable TV for the effects to work, though).

Another ongoing sale has kicked off, with Amazon celebrating “Dads and Grads” with a host of PC games. All of the Blizzard Battle Chests are there, along with some good deals on the Sims and BioShock 2. Walmart and Amazon are also continuing to offer £10 and £20 gift certificates for new releases like Super Street Fighter IV.

Elsewhere, Steam is offering £300 worth of Sega games for around £90, Good Old Games has the Gabriel Knight Collection and it’s Street Fighter Week on the PlayStation Store. Check it all out below!

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