Be Excellent To Each Other

yesterday's games (some weather thing, some fish photoing thing) are bleak.

I found Sealife Safari quite relaxing, actually. The trial was too short to figure out whether it was worth splashing out, though (arf). Might be a rip-off of that Wii game Endless Ocean, but without having played that one it's difficult to tell.

I really wanted to like Elements of Destruction, but I couldn't work find my recharge stations and kept dying. I might go back and have another try, paying attention to the instructions next time.

Ooh.. Soul Calibur today - haven't played that in ages. *downloads trial*

SOUL CALIBUR GET.

(it's the 'complete game', with the extras and what-not - and it looks lovely, all sharp and 'remastered' and that)

SoulCailbur4 in but a few weeks too. (Hence the timing)

I'm finding it quite hard to resist the tempation to get both.

I'm a little surprised that there's no online multiplayer (doesn't bother me too much as I'd get my arse kicked anyway) in it as I figured that would've gone down well. No mission mode from the Dreamcast version either. Still, very much worth the 800 points.

As I said, it's probably out to provide some kind of promotional thing for SC4. And not to compete with it - adding in online would've done just that.

It's a straight port of the arcade, hence the lack of multi and mission.

A dealbreaker for some.

I assume the arcade version doesn't have all that museum stuff though?

You'd assume. The port excuse is a poor one anyway imo. They're just being lazy and don't want to compete with the retail product. If that's the plan,. throw an emulator together and give the thing away.

I'll just slap Soul Calibur II in the Wii and play that instead. I can "be" Link and cheaply win every round. Yes.

Despite the fact that I'm almost certain to get SCIV later this month, I couldn't resist. Knowing there were all those SC related gamer points and all. Only to be endlessly frustrated by repeatedly getting to 24 kills out the required 25 in extra survival.

I had one attempt at that and got hit on the 4th enemy so I don't think I'll be going back to that mode as my Soul Calibur skills are pretty poor. The only character I've really used is Sophitia so I'm going to have to get used to some of the others, if only to get the achievement for using three characters.

It feels squished playing in a 4:3 format nowadays. Still enjoyed playing the demo, but I think I'll save my dosh for IV.

(It has bigger boobs and more bum too)

All you need for that is to start and die with three though. It's really easy. Although not insultingly easy like the "go into the art gallery" one.

Advice for the extra survival would be use one of the girls, they're the quickest people in the game, which is what you need. I'd go for either Taki or Xianghua as they also have relatively good range too. (And with some patience, you could probably spam Takis upside-down spinning splits kick to victory, quick, long range and horizontal. If it doesn't connect though, you're screwed, as it has a long recovery time)

Other advice: Alter the default control setup.

I thought the trial was ok, but I don't really see the fuss over SC. I tried playing 2 a few years ago and won through on normal difficulty without losing a round. A bit boring.

If you'd gone for the mission mode, you'd have probably found it considerably less easy by the end. And been highly amused by the appalling story line.

I think that's why I enjoyed it and Dead or Alive 2 on the Dreamcast - both accessible fighters for those who aren't necessarily into the depth of the more complex games so even folk like me can get somewhere but there are usually higher difficulty set-ups and modes for the more dedicated folk.

Sorry, the point I'm making is that I'm rubbish at fighting games, so for me to be able to win without losing at all, it just seemed... wrong.

It's a very friendly and invitin(aarh I have a stuck key!) ame is Soul Calibur. Thin is, it's not about completin the ame so much as it is bein able to master it - to be able to play as the different character, and win with each of them. It's all about the two-player ame anyway - which isn't quite so ood as that in its Xbox-era sequel, but is still damn ood.

ugh... Schizoid is horrible. I think it's the first game from M$'s new inhouse team.

the golf thing is better but a bit average.

I was hoping the golf game would've been good but I turned it off when it told me to steer the ball in mid-air.

ah, though about downloading thew golf game, but i probably won't now

liked SC demo, but probalby not enough to spent money on it..

I don't think I'll bother with any of them. I've got that 3D Ultra Minigolf, which is reasonably fun, so I'll stick with that.

And yet when Sensible Soccer does it everyone loves it...

does what? Are you referring to my ball-steering comment?

Yep.

Surely it's just a different way of simulating draw and fade?

It's a bit different though due to the pace of the game. In golf you've got time to select the spin and swerve you want before making the shot in all the time you need. It would kill the pace of Sensiif you had to do all that if you wanted to curl a shot in advance.

Nah, this was more 'oops you've messed that shot up - now steer it back on course'.

That sounds a bit shit, yes.

I'd have been tempted by that crossword puzzle game if it supported keyboards rather than having to fumble with the dial-a-letter thing. I guess that keyboard isn't there to prevent the timed modes being too easy.

Not a clue what was going on in that dodgeball game though.

I've just made a list for my 'Another Definitive Guide to the XBLA' feature. 49 games.

I don't envy you on that one - there's some dire stuff. You gonna buy each one?

Yeah, but I'll charge £2 for everyone who reads it...

This week -
1942: Joint Strike - Seems pretty slick though I'm not really into shooters
Go! Go! Break Steady - Music/puzzle game that is pretty mediocre as a either a music or puzzle game.

51.

I should really make a start.

Lol. where is the chutney reviews lol.?

LOLZ when I get a decent video camera to film them on. Care to donate?

You want me to donate? On camera? You sick sick perv.

I yams what I yams.

Er, or alternatively, when you buy a decent digital camera for probably under £100 now. The HP one I bought last December from Wall-Mart can record video and sound well enough for me to have recently used it to record some stuff at the Supersonic festival (coming soon, folks!), and to be able to record 'road trip' videos at quite decent quality, considering the high frame rate required for smooth recording of the passing landscape. That worked out in my head as roughly £110 quid then, and I imagine you could find it for far cheaper by now. The specific model is a HP Photosmart Mz67, for reference.

Ah, here you go. £60 inc. vat. Which is what, about 6 copies of that XBLAH Penny Arcade game? You've got everything you need RIGHT THERE dude.

There's also the N+ Easy Level Pack. 150 easy levels. I've done the first 20 epsidoes in one sittying, and it's lovely.

50 new co-op levels too.

Ok, thanks for that. I suppose anything will be good enough to do web videos, as they get compressed to fuck anyway.

And an expansion for Puzzle Quest for 700 points... sod that. I'm hoping the full game will come down to that level at some point.

Well, 1942 seems to be a bit of a damp squib to be sure. New shmups are always welcome, but the demo seemed terribly uninspired - certainly there was nothing that made me want to plop down 800 points on the full version.
I suppose I'll have to pick up a points card in a couple of weeks to buy GW: Retro Evolved 2, so I might eventually buy 1942 if I'm feeling masochistic and there's nothing else around to spend the leftover points on.

it would be nice if that timed with the return of my funsquare, a present i deserve after weeks withoout it, me thinks

still not picked up the wii version of galaxies..

Erm, I thought it seemed quite good, actually. I agree that waiting for GW2 would be a better idea, though.

1942 is no joke achievements wise. get all S rankings? erk! I can't get higher than an E!

that other game seems alright. rhythm action meets Zuma. the Zuma bits aren't great but overall the vibe feels a bit like JSR.

I can't say I'm overly impressed so far. *

The normal pre-boss bits of each level are far too short and the charged shot is next to fucking useless in most circumstances. The bit after the first boss where you have to dodge planes while a big plan hunts you down and your weapons are broken is potentially exciting only it goes on for far too long and the plane patterns are a load of gash.

Having said that getting the broad shot and shooting the bejaysus out of planes is satisfying enough and it's 2d and a shooter so the odds of me not buying it are rather small. So I did.

*-I've only done the first three levels so it may get better.