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[Green Gibbon!]

So let's try talking about games outside the "degenerate dissension over the latest installment in an incessant franchise that has not been worth acknowledging at all for years" or "please recommend some games for this 20-year old console that I couldn't afford until it dropped to $15 because I spend all my money on weed" genres.

Mario Galaxy 2 is definitely out, and unless I'm mistaken, so are Alan Wake, Red Dead Redemption, and Mod Nation Racers. Someone here must have at least one of these.

So, talk.

Galaxy 2 came out I think Thursday over here - I'm gonna pick it up today assuming I can find it (doubtful), but I don't really know when I'll have time to start it (properly). Red Dead 2 is the first Rockstar game I've ever even been able to cast my gaze upon without spontaneously scoffing, which is pretty big news in my world.

Alan Wake fails to grab me looking (quite deliberately) like some bad paperback fiction I would've stickered with a 20% off label for a secluded endcap during my tenure at Barnes & Ignoble. On the other hand, the setting and themes (much like Heavy Rain) are unique for a game and I wouldn't want to miss out on something that it turns out is actually awesome. So should I add that to my Amazon cart or should I just trust my instincts and leave it alone?



Oh, and not totally related but I had to mention it because nobody else has - Little Big 2 looks awesome. I should bitch slap all of you for failing to begin a thread about that.

[Segaholic2]

I've had Mario Galaxy 2 since Tuesday but haven't played it at all due to an unusually busy work week. I might get around to it over the long weekend.

I'm interested in Red Dead Redemption and Mod Nation Racers but Gamefly sent me Lost Planet 2 instead...

Did you like LBP1? I don't remember. I'm anticipating LBP2 greatly but unfortunately I don't really have the time to invest in creating content in games like that and MNR. So I just reap the benefits of more devoted people's efforts and feel like I'm missing out on half the experience.

[Kogen]

I got Mario Galaxy 2 recently, although I never did beat 64 or get the first one (or that thing on GC). It seems good so far, but I think the camera and controls can be a bit wonky. I really preferred the controls for 64 in comparison, but from what people told me it plays basically like the first, so I am sure others know about that. Something I particularly liked so far is that the rock suit essentially has a perfectly working spindash move in 3D. Too bad some other franchises cannot do that!

Alan Wake I have just heard described as "Luigi's Mansion HD" and Mod Nation Racers looks fairly stupid. Red Dead Redemption just seems like everything else Rockstar makes and I cannot stand to play any of that since I passed the age of 15.

I also got Yakuza 3 recently and that seems pretty rad if no one tried that yet.

[Protodude]

I'm about 30 stars into Galaxy 2, and it's more or less like the original but with plenty of new abilities to mess around with. Some of the comet stars where you go back to older levels are still kind of bullshit though.

Also I don't know if it was ever mentioned here but they cut out plenty of quests in Yakuza 3, enough to screw with the experience you get apparently.

[Green Gibbon!]

Little Big's my favorite game for the system, with respect to Metal Gear and Uncharted 2. The main difference is that I still pop Little Big in from time to time.

Despite having completed the entirety of the creator tutorial, I never did actually make a level. I can't imagine any gainfully employed individual over the age of 19 would have the time or patience for that, which is kind of a tragedy. If Little Big had existed when I was 13, I wouldn't have had to tape together sheets of legal paper to sketch out elaborate platformer stages by hand. On the inspirational side, though, there are obviously dozens of very, very talented 15-year olds in the world, and I'm satisfied to appreciate their amateur artistry.

That's why I was interested in ModNation, I think it's meant to be like the Little Big of kart racers, right?

Red Dead Redemption just seems like everything else Rockstar makes and I cannot stand to play any of that since I passed the age of 15.

I also got Yakuza 3 recently and that seems pretty rad if no one tried that yet.

This was intentional irony, right?

[Green Gibbon!]

Oh, by the way, has anyone tried Infinite Space? It's been out here since last year, but it looks far beyond my abilities to interpret. And I really want to play it.

[Segaholic2]

Yeah, MNR is the second game in Sony's "Play Create Share" design philosophy or whatever they call it. From what I hear, creating decent tracks in MNR is quite a lot easier to do than creating high-quality levels in LBP. For example, one of the track editing modes is simply driving your cart on a blank flat surface. The track creates itself around you as you drive, turn, descend and ascend.

[Cuckooguy]

I got Mario Galaxy 2 earlier this week and I've played a bit, it's pretty nice so far, nice new power ups to screw around it. It doesn't have that "oomph" the previous did but I guess that goes without saying. Only beaten the first World (with minimum Power Stars) and I imagine there's about six of them, so about 1/6 through 'til the final boss? I rather like the new power ups and stage gimmicks, as it makes tackling each planet a different experience so there's always something new to do around the corner (so far).

I really like Mega Man 10, as I'm really glad and surprised that series can continue making new stage-specific gimmicks that continue to keep me interested. I haven't beaten it because I've ran out of patience sometime in the Wily Fortress, I guess I'm getting too old for not being able to finish Fortresses in one run (I've beaten pretty much ever other MM game to completion).

Another game I played in the past few months was Resident Evil 5. I played it from beginning to end with my sister as my partner, and I had loads of fun with it. When I look at the game in retrospect, I think I would've said RE4 was superior if I played RE5 solo, but since I didn't, I found it really fun having to complement eachother in what weapons we carry and how we count on each other to do so and so. My impression so far is RE5 DUO>RE4>RE5 SOLO, But I guess I can't solidify that unless I play RE5 Solo (which I have no plans of doing whatsoever).

As for other games I've played... my job has pretty much gradually killed my interest in browsing other potentially good games.

[Xyton]

SMG2 got something stupid like 17 perfect scores listed on Metacritic, for what that's worth. I've been enjoying it muchly so far: It stays fun and varied, and doesn't have the more mediocre levels that were sprinkled through the first one. Also, many little refinements (like the way you choose stages_ don't hurt anything, either. In short, I recommend it.

[Shadow Hog]

The track creates itself around you as you drive, turn, descend and ascend.

You can descend and ascend in that? I was trying the PSP demo, and I couldn't do that for shit, as if the tracks HAVE to be flat as Super Mario Kart stages.

[P.P.A.]

I might get Super Mario Galaxy 2 eventually since it looks like it's a great game, but I'm in no hurry. It's not like it'll be out in Europe any time soon anyway.

The only games I'm truly looking forward to are the English releases of Hexyz Force and Yggdra Unison as well as the PSP version of Knights in the Nightmare and Blaze Union, but the last to aren't even out in Japan yet so I presume they'll take a while.
To be honest I don't really look forward to Yggdra Unison as it looks very lame but hey it's a Sting game and a Dept. Heaven Episodes game so it's not like I have a choice. I already bought the OST, though it is just as bland as the gameplay scenes I have seen so far.
Hexyz Force looks like Evolution 3, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing. It seems like a charming RPG and despite not being a part of the DHE series it looks charming enough to try it out. I don#t expect it to be outstanding but a humble RPG nevertheless.
I'm a bit sceptical regarding some design choices in Blaze Union (why are there people in cowboy suits and 19th century military dresses in a mediaeval setting when Yggdra Union had such a coherent and believable style), but in the worst case scenario it will be a game that is slightly inferior to but still plays like Yggdra Union, with some neat little graphcis improvements (like more character-specific sprites and battles where the opposing soldiers actually meet each other on one field), which provides some moe backstory to the original game, so even if we're unlucky it will just not be an excellent game but still a great one.
As for Kitten PSP, I do wonder how a game tuned to a touchscreen is going to work with a dpad, but maybe the change of pace in terms of control will actually be better for dodging stuff since you#re in less of a hurry.

[G.Silver]

Hey I just got Fantasy Zone Complete for PS2! It has a remake of FZ2: Tears of OpaOpa, dressed up to look like it would if it were made on the old System 16 hardware instead of the Master System. I totally missed it when it came out and--ok yeah, I did that on purpose, sorry.

Red Dead 2 is the first Rockstar game I've ever even been able to cast my gaze upon without spontaneously scoffing, which is pretty big news in my world.

In a rare moment of watching TV with ads on it, I saw the ad for Red Dead 2 and I thought surely it was some sort of joke? The characters in the ad spout every cliche cowboy one-liner I've ever heard, but the footage they show, of course, is totally straight. I couldn't tell if I was supposed to think it was funny or take it seriously?

I just started playing Galaxy 2 and don't really have much to say about it, except that I like it a lot and I wish there were more games like it. And by that, I guess I just mean good platformers that I care about.

[Kogen]

Red Dead Redemption just seems like everything else Rockstar makes and I cannot stand to play any of that since I passed the age of 15.

I also got Yakuza 3 recently and that seems pretty rad if no one tried that yet.

This was intentional irony, right?

Nope!

[Delphine]

The characters in the ad spout every cliche cowboy one-liner I've ever heard, but the footage they show, of course, is totally straight. I couldn't tell if I was supposed to think it was funny or take it seriously?

Rockstar is usually pretty self-aware. I haven't seen this teevee advertisement, but in game it's probably meant to be funny. I hope.

This thread reminded me that Alan Wake was out, so I grabbed it last night (at the sketchiest Best Buy). I've played so many horror games that I don't scare easy anymore, but I can definitely say things get creepy. The game itself is fairly genre-savvy, which pleases me. (It starts out with a Stephen King quote spoken over a fly-over reminiscent of The Shining. This was the moment I knew I had made a wise purchase.) I'm only two episodes in so who knows what will happen, but it feels solid so far. The combat is pretty easy to get into. Alan is a much better shot than that other horror writer caught in a nightmare.

Two things about it do annoy me -- as in every 360 game ever, there's a collectable item that has no bearing on the game and is only there to earn GP. Then there's the product placement. There's a very obvious close-up of his phone at one point, to let us know he uses Verizon, and the flashlight batteries are all lithium Energizer batteries. Supposedly there's a Ford placement, too -- I know shit about cars, so it's entirely possible the one I was driving for that five minutes was a Ford truck, I dunno.

[Arcade]

Why play Galaxy 2 now when I am still saving money for the Wii Mario Bross?

That game is not on my list this year, maybe when the game becomes player choice andf thus is cheaper...

Yeah it sucks to live here, wish I could get used games for five or nine bucks like you guys....

[Delphine]

Haha, what? I just spent $60 on a game. I wish I could get games for five or nine bucks, too.

[Esrever]

I'm really enjoying Galaxy 2! But there's one big difference between it and the original that I really wasn't expecting.

In the original Mario Galaxy, each "main" level usually had six stars -- three from the regular missions, two from the prankster comet missions, and one that was just hidden somewhere. Then there were also a handful of one-off levels that only had a single star.

In Galaxy 2, pretty much every level has either two or three stars -- one or two from regular missions, plus one from either a prankster comet mission or a prankster comet-esque challenge from a supporting cast member. (A few levels have a hidden star instead of a second mission, but not many.)

The end result is that there is a much broader and more varied selection of levels... but those levels only house one or two missions, so they feel smaller and more narrowly focused than those of the original. It's much more common for a design idea to become it's own separate level, rather than becoming just one corner of a larger level. I'm not sure if I like that more or less, but it certainly pushes the game's design philosophy even closer to Mario 3 and farther away from Mario 64.

(As a note... I haven't counted, but I bet there are probably about the same number of prankster comet missions as the original. There's never more than one per stage, but there are a lot more stages that have them. And like the first, the speed run and daredevil missions make up about half the missions and are generally pretty lame compared to the others.)

[Crisis]

I use a Mac and live in Europe. I feel like I live in the gaming dark ages.

I bought Braid just to give Steam for Mac a reason for being on my hard drive. It was a lot of fun! Stunningly beautiful visually, and presumably also aurally, if the sound hadn't been distorted beyond recognition by time manipulation. It was also a bit short, although only because I cheated on some of the more bullshitty puzzles, which I'm not sure is a point in its defence.

I also bought Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom, but I'm terrible at it. Like, really awful. What's the best controller setup? I'm using the GC controller just because that's what I always use when I get the chance.

I don't like the long-term implications of Galaxy moving away from larger levels (64 is easily my favourite 3D Mario), but I loved the original and I'm sure I'll love the sequel, when it eventually gets here.

[Green Gibbon!]

It's possible to cheat in Braid? Lord knows I tried and it never seemed to work.

[gr4yJ4Y]

He probably just looked up how to solve the puzzles online.

I played the ModNation Racers PS3 demo and spent some time working on my character, but couldn't figure out how to get it into my car and onto the track. I had to use the default car and character for the racing, which was a bit disappointing. I blame tiny text, due to playing it on an SD TV. It looks like there's a ton of stuff to do with the characters and the car in terms of visually customizing them (you can't do anything to customize the stats), but most of it will need to be unlocked, much like with LBP.

The level creation gave you the ability to do just about anything you wanted with a fairly grounded track (no loop-de-loops or scripted ramps). You can make hills, valleys, make-shift ramps (high hills with steep valleys), change the tilt, change the width and give the roads 1 of 3 textures. It looks like you can make a basic level in a few minutes or spend some extra time on it, refining the tilt and widths of the levels. I had trouble making my levels decent while playing around with lots of hills, widths, and tilts, but there is some depth there for people willing to put the time into it. There should be some good tracks popping up online.

[Opa-Opa]

I cheated on some of the more bullshitty puzzles, which I'm not sure is a point in its defence.

Travesty!

A friend of mine lended me his PS3 and I finally got to play and finish Metal Gear Solid 4 and play a LOT of Demon's Souls. Awesome game. Kind of reminded me of Phantasy Star Online.

[Senbei]

The characters in the ad spout every cliche cowboy one-liner I've ever heard, but the footage they show, of course, is totally straight. I couldn't tell if I was supposed to think it was funny or take it seriously?

I'm bewildered by this. I can't tell which spin the game is trying to take, drama or parody. I haven't gotten too far in the main story, but all of the side-quests have been almost pointedly insipid endeavors without moral, climax, or often even resolution. They're not funny, they're not particularly upsetting -- they're just not emotionally engaging at all.

I've never really played a GTA game before, so I don't know if this is how Rockstar works. I thought GTA was supposed to be a satirical series with a humorous flair, but I just don't know what to make of RDR. It doesn't seem to have a point -- I've been trying to make it through the main story, but the characters and situations are too boring. I was holding out for a while to see if something interesting happens, but recently I rediscovered Arkham Asylum and have been trying to get 100% on that.

[Green Gibbon!]

I started Galaxy 2 last night - I'm only like 4 stars in and of course I love it so far, but one thing that pisses me off - and it was a problem in the first one too, though I'd completely forgotten about it - is that the range of the motion detection seems angled too low. I can't touch anything at the top of the screen because the cursor just disappears and occasionally I get the annoying blue border and "please check the controller range" message. Granted, I do sit below both the TV and Wii sensor bar, but I do not have this problem with any other game.

Is this just me?

[Esrever]

That is super weird! It's never happened to me before.

I hope you're able to figure out why it's doing that!

[Green Gibbon!]

I've tried playing from different angles, but no matter how high I align myself, the cursor disappears a good 3 or 4 inches away from the top (this is on a 26" screen). It's even worse at the upper corners. There's no way it could be the angle anyway, because it doesn't happen in the Wii menu or any other game I've ever played except Mario Galaxy 1, and that was on a different TV on a different shelf in a different room in a different hemisphere!

Surely this can't be just me!