It’s Dreamcast Mania!

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Ladies and gentlemen, we here at videolamer pride ourselves on our knowledge and coverage of both current gaming trends and the very best in classic gaming. However, everyone makes mistakes sometimes, and one piece of gaming history has gone unnoticed by us for far too long. Of course I am talking about the Sega Dreamcast.

Almost a decade after its release, the Dreamcast still astounds new comers and old fans alike with its incredible library and fresh ideas. While the three console race of Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft is now ingrained in our minds and memories, we must never forget just how much the Dreamcast brought to the table, as well as how much more it could have done given a little more time. →  All happy games are alike; each unhappy game is unhappy in its own way.

The Month of Metroid has begun with new preview channel

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Starting off the Month of Metroid, Nintendo has sent us Wii owners a little gift this past Friday in the form of a Metroid Prime 3:Corruption Preview Channel. It’s a free downloadable WiiWare channel that gives users a sneak peek into Metroid Prime 3: Corruption for the Wii, which is due August 27th. After watching the two supplied videos (with two more being released the 13th), I have gone into Metroid overdrive, frothing at the mouth for any and all things Metroid.

The first video is a graphically-impressive look into what’s going to happen to Aran on her newest adventure. At the beginning, you see Aran in a skyscraper, with a voice-over telling you that she’s been infected with the infamous Phazon, the same radioactive material that has plagued the universe since the first Metroid Prime game. →  You lost me.

Game genres and classifications

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Recently I’ve been enjoying Gungrave Overdose, which you might remember as being reviewed as a solid little action game with a ridiculous 15 dollar retail price. With a solid combat system and great presentation, you could do a lot worse in the genre.

The question is, what genre am I talking about? The obvious answer is that this is an “action game”. But even though you shoot many enemies, this isn’t Gears of War or Rainbow Six. Gungrave is all about racking up multiple kills in a row with successive attacks, and using your limited arsenal to create combos. Playing it as a simple run-and-gun makes it a far more mindless experience than it actually is. So to be more specific, I would classify this as a “Devil May Cry”- like, something that most reviews agree with. →  How many games must a gamer play before you call him a gamer?

Halo Gamer Fuel

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Time for videolamer’s required report on Mountain Dew Gamer Fuel, the Pepsi/Halo 3 soda tie in that surprised no one but me (seriously, I had no idea about this until I walked into Safeway yesterday). However, unlike every other report you will read, I am actually going to try the damn stuff instead of giving you the typical proto-Internet nerd speech about how all soda is junk, caffeine is a sad addiction, and how dare you actually drink Mountain Dew and reinforce nerd stereotypes that no one actually pays attention to.

First things first – I’m not sure why Gamer Fuel is out now. I mean, isn’t Halo 3 due at the end of September? And if this is supposed to be fuel for our late night Halo tournaments, then shouldn’t we expect to see this soda on the shelves until at least mid October? →  Lamers so loved the world that they gave their only article, so that everyone who believes in reading won’t perish but will have eternal lives.

Brawl Web site reveals completely new material

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As some of you may have noticed, the official Smash Bros. Brawl website finally unveiled completely new material last week.

First off was the new character, Ike, from Fire Emblem. Ike comes without any warning whatsoever – although I’m hoping to see a lot more interesting and varied characters, I’m happy enough that they announced Ike suddenly – it implies there could be more announcements of this sort.

As a character, Ike sounds most like Roy. Some complain that Roy and Marth were too similar in Melee – Ike will only add to these complaints if both of the others return – but I disagree, as Roy and Marth play quite differently, despite how much their moves look alike. I think they can vary Ike’s move style considerably – wielding a two-handed sword, he might actually have more reach than either. →  Frankly my dear, I don’t read a damn.

Multiplayer Worlds of Ass aka Why Tyson Does Not Play MMORPGs

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The list of MMORPGs I have played reads like a high school kid’s job resume; lots of wasted time in short month long bursts. Historically, there have been only two MMORPGs that I have played for a period longer than one month, City of Heroes and Everquest. Even with those two games, I stopped playing after about four or five months. I just can’t stay interested or even begin to get interested in most MMORPGs. I do not think this is my problem though, the fault lies at the feet of online role-playing game creators and the inherent issues that come with the games themselves.

South Park really summed up most MMORPGs when it spoofed the amazingly popular yet spectacularly idiotic World of Warcraft. →  It might come in handy if you, the master of reading, take it with you.

Dragon Questing yet again?

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By now you might have heard the news about Dragon Quest 4, 5 and 6 being remade for the DS. Unsurprisingly, the news is being met with joy more than disgust, because unlike with the constant Final Fantasy remakes, two of these three games have yet to see even one western release.

But with all the celebration comes a sad but true joke that many in the community have made; we probably won’t see these Stateside unless Square can conjure up more Final Fantasy demos. After all the care and attention DQ8 got in its localization, the game sold rather dismally, at least compared to FF12. While RPG fans embraced it, the franchise still doesn’t have the mass appeal that FF has outside of Japan, thus they may not find it worthwhile to get these localized. →  Guitar Hero III: Legends of Read

Matt recommends: Final Fantasy X OST

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In a new column that I just randomly created 7 seconds ago (and one that I’ll probably never return to), I am going to recommend a video game OST that you should listen to, either by purchasing said OST or… you know, “buying it on the Internet,” whatever that means.

So, for my first one evar, I’m going to suggest Squeenix’s Final Fantasy X. Most of you probably had your toes curl the moment you read that last sentence, but hear me out. I know it can’t come close to either Final Fantasy VI or VII’s soundtrack (which is debatable, I might add), but the musical selections that are found in the FFX OST are still some of the best songs you can find in the gaming industry. →  Onimusha 2: Samuread’s Destiny

Hey, did you hear!? GTA IV got delayed!

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Take-Two is not having a good 2007, let me tell you. First, Manhunt 2 is officially banned from Planet Earth, and now Grand Theft Auto IV, the remaining jewel in TT’s crown, has been delayed until Q2 2008 (which means some unknown date between February and April of next year).

Wait, did you hear that? Shhhhh. Omigod, my wallet just breathed! He’s alive! Oh thank goodness! I thought he was a goner, what with Assassin’s Creed, Halo 3, and Haze all coming out at the same time this holiday season. There there, little buddy, everything’s gonna be alright…

Asked on why GTA IV was delayed, thereby destroying what little stock Take-Two has left in its shattered and curly-tailed piggy bank, Take-Two’s Chairman Strauss Zelnick stated “certain elements of development proved to be more time-intensive than expected.” →  Do a barrel read!

On licensed games

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Licensed games are probably the last thing an avid gamer would be worried about. Aside from the occasional gem, they are quite often the absolute bottom of the barrel in terms of quality. I still worry about them however, and there are plenty of reasons to do so. Let’s take a look at why.

The most important thing to understand about the modern licensed game is that it has changed greatly since the old days. Time was when video games were just another niche to exploit. They were never a primary source of profit, and so they never got a lot of money or attention. If they could whip up something playable and use marketing strength to sell enough copies, then that was good enough. →  Sonic the Readhog