Panasonic is coming back to games with a new portable console by Sean B.

Panasonic recently announced the advent of yet another game console entering the already heated portable arena. The system has been dubbed the Jungle, coining such phrases as "we ARE online gaming". So what type of online games will dominate the system?  Primarily MMO's, including the already teased Battlestar Galactica as a launch title. That's right, this device will allow you to grind as you go -- if you decide to anyways.

So how's it looking? According to engadget, the Jungle will operate under a custom Linux system, which is hopefully good news to those seeking a user friendly experience. The actual device will also feature a high-resolution display and full QWERTY keyboard paired with a d-pad and button arrangement. Mini HDMI and micro USB ports can also be found on the end, as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Facts aside, let's just get to that damned elephant in the room. Do we really need another one of these things on the market? Sure, it has a fresh new approach, claiming to have a mastery of online portable gaming, but so did Nokia's N-Gage and Tiger's easily forgotten Game.Com (pronounced "Game Com") from the late 90s. We already have a market saturated with portable phones and other devices excluding the obvious contenders like the Nintendo DS, PSP and Apple iPhone. This all seems like another obvious ploy to cash in on the whole "hardcore" or "true" gamer mentality we've witnessed this past decade. Many companies have slapped key terms and phrases (like their description of Online Underground being a "Kick-a$$ new show") on to multiple game related projects in order to make themselves seem more appealing to gamers. I know, marketing is marketing, but either way, enough is enough.

Panasonic has already created a simplistic marketing site for their seemingly clunky toy, featuring teaser videos for the Jungle's mission, BSG Online and a web show titled "Online Underground". The first video doesn't really say (or show) much besides everything I've already mentioned. It's portable and it specializes in online gaming. As for BSG Online, the first thing that comes to my mind is yet another obvious tie-in product to keep an already satisfying but aging product line interesting, which could be dangerous. And finally, we have Online Underground. Yeah, a profit funded web show sponsored by a company to be shown exclusively on their new device, how underground is that? Best reason to probably avoid these terms.

Overall, We're looking at a system that doesn't really offer anything new. Hopefully we see some impressive ideas emerge from the Jungle, but the track record of other portable systems, promising or not, has remained one-sided for years. The Game.Com introduced the idea of online portability, but nobody cared. The Game Gear and Lynx gave players an opportunity to play games in stunning full-color presentation, but folks weren't impressed; we can probably blame that on short battery life. Panasonic, I personally salute you for your confidence and determination, but I'm honestly a little pessimistic about this whole concept. We'll all just have to keep posted and see what happens.

Metroid becomes Japanese again...that's good right? By Iodine

Other M marks the return of the console based Metroid games to Japanese developers. Instead of building upon the groundwork laid out by US developer Retro Studios, Team Ninja under the guidance of Yoshio Sakamoto (one half of the original creators) decided to take their baby in a different direction.


Back in the early 2D games Story was handled with a quick introductory paragraph. In the modern portable games, static cut-scenes filled with text attempted to birth a character for Samus. With the first person perspective Metroids story was treated as an aside with logs and data mining. Other M takes its overblown plot and stands it center stage.


Right from the title Metroid: Other M – or MOM for short – the game hits you over the head with its paternal theme. There’s a daddy issue with Samus and her former team leader, Adam Malkovich. Then there’s the android modeled after Mother Brain , MB. She feels like the daughter of her creator, Madeline Bergman. Notice the running gag with the initials. And finally the Galactic Federations brilliant plan on controlling the Metroids with MB via “the first thing a baby sees equals mother” method. We can all thank Samus for teaching us that one at the end of Metroid II.

All of this is contrasted by long time villain, Ridley. Spoilers ahead! When you complete the game we learn how - a Ridley - grows. He starts off as a white fur ball that molts into a geeky salamander and ultimately transforms into the winged, fire breathing demon he is. I assume he’s either cloned himself or has asexual reproduction. Either way Ridley is a parentless monster unlike his cohorts.


By the way, the Galactic Federation ship with onboard zoo and nasty science experiments was already done in Metroid Fusion. Why are we retreading plot here?

Samus has always been the silent, but strong type. She also happens to have tits that aren’t perched up in front of the camera lens. That’s a rare sight in any medium. In Other M, Samus sort of retains those aspects, but she has this inane internal dialog. She glosses over her past and repeats key plot points through a voice actress that’s terribly dull. Worst yet she freezes up in the face of an adversary she’s conquered numerous times. It makes you wonder how she’s survived so long. I understand Sakamoto’s intention of making Samus more human, but this wasn’t the way to do it. This kind of past meddling is a cheap way of building an imperfect version of a character without affecting her modern day status. Why not follow thru with the suit mutation gimmick and the Galactic Federation manhunt at the end of Metroid Fusion?

The franchise staples such as suit upgrades, missile/energy tank hording, and map plotting are all present. Except it all unfolds in a polygonal world from a third person perspective. The sideways controller works surprisingly well for this setup. Even though the directional pad lacks the technical finesse of an analog stick, the game compensates with auto aiming and simple floor layouts. The dodge tactic and enemy finishers spice things up considerably. The player can enter a first person mode by pointing the controller at the screen. The transition is pretty smooth thanks to a slight slowdown that allows you to orient and aim.

For as refreshing as the changes are, the game feels shallow. In previous Metroids there were hundreds of missiles to collect. With Other M there’s eighty total. On top of that the player can regenerate their payload at any moment. That just defeats the whole purpose of hording them for combat. Through a convenient plot device, suit upgrades are authorized by the team leader. There’s one moment in particular where Samus enters a flesh melting hot zone without her protective Gravity Suit. Adam chimes in with an okay to wear it about half way through the level. What the fuck game? The map layout is also very linear with most items being tucked behind background elements thanks to tricky camera angles.


Atmosphere has been completely abandoned. The soundtrack in the Prime games really put an eerie edge on the discs. The music in Other M lacks memorable hooks and is far too minimal. Quite often there was nothing but silence. For instance there’s an “investigation” scene where the camera pans behind her shoulder.  You creep along completely expecting a good jump scare, but nothing happens. No spooky ambiance, sudden noise, or action otherwise. I don’t know if the section was cut, incomplete, or just badly executed. But it does serve as a reminder of how important sound design is to creating tension.


Other M is a rough start for this new type of Metroid. The plot sequences are long winded and the disc is light on content. However the groundwork holds some promise if the developers shift focus back onto creating enticing game play. All I ask for is a perilous new world full goodies to excavate. Leave the space drama for film and animation please. 

Nintendo 3DS impressions By Sean B.

We've all been eager to hear updates regarding Nintendo's newest piece of hot, sexy awesomeness - the 3DS. Yeah we know, you're still depressed about that whopping $300 price tag, an amount you might as well use on an Xbox 360 or Playstation 3 if you haven't picked one up already. Let's just set this injustice aside for a minute and discuss something more juicy (and we aren't talking about a retro Starbusts commercial).

Remember Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII, the exclusive mobile prequel in Japan? Though not officially announced, there's a chance we may experience it on the 3DS. According to claims on Andriasang, Square Enix Producer Hajime Tabata recently stated (via Twitter) "If I were to make something for the 3DS, I suppose it would be a remake of Before Crisis Final Fantasy VII. I'd redo the scenario structure and game design for the 3DS. I think I'd like to make an action RPG BCFF7 where a large number of Turks players play simultaneously."

Tetsuya Nomura and Yoshinori Kitase have also expressed interest in working on a remake, making it more of a potential reality to come. Tabata also claims that outside of his current endeavors, including The 3rd Birthday (PSP) and Final Fantasy Agito XIII (PS3), his next project will probably be a High Definition title, meaning a 3DS Before Crisis would still be pretty far off. Regardless of how many months or years we'd have to wait, it's still pretty nice to imagine a legion of ShinRa Turks charging into an epic battle on a portable Nintendo console - in 3D.

PPR 29

We are a week early on this episode of Press Pause Radio and for very good reason. Episode 29 is a star-studded event that is so huge, it could barely be contained in our bi weekly schedule. We welcome special guests Drew Zimmerman of the now defunct Pixel Dreams podcast, Steve Black Jr. of The Pokémon Podcast and Ray Barnholt of 1up.com, as well as the Retronauts and Sound Test podcast.  We at Press Pause Radio are truly humbled to have such great guests, and it was truly a pleasure to record with them all.

On this week's episode we will discuss more news from the Tokyo Game show and current events, Serraxor has a review of SaGa 2: Hihou Densetsu- Goddess of Destiny for the Nintendo DS and we hear from the listeners in a segment we like to call Select Feedback. The featured topic is all about the resurgence of retro or old-school games. It's safe to say that classic games from our past are not only popular once again, but have ignited a new trend in gaming. Our guests weigh in on the "neo-retro" craze and discuss why it has become such a success. As always feedback via our iTunes page or through our voicemail is greatly appreciated. Thanks once again to our guests for making this show a great success.

PPR Episode 29

PPR 28

On this weeks episode of Press Pause Radio we welcome our newest contributing writer Sean to the microphone to discuss recent news from PAX and the Tokyo Game Show. PPR fan and Halo aficionado Corey Kidd also guest stars to talk about Halo Reach, and the entire Halo series. Discussion includes Bungie's history and future after Halo, and how Halo has impacted an entire generation of first person shooters. Feedback for the show is greatly appreciated, as well as ratings on our iTunes page. Enjoy!

PPR Episode 28

New Wiimote with Motion-plus integrated coming soon by Sean B.

Word has been spreading of a new Wii controller that will have the Motion Plus add-on built in to the bottom of the remote. I think I speak for a lot of gamers (including PPR of course) when I say we're not that surprised.

The zany folks at Kotaku were among the first to discover a game titled FlingSmash listed on Gamestop's website as part of a "Wii Remote Plus" bundle. This is apparently a move (no pun intended, honestly) Nintendo has been looking to make for some time, as they also submitted a modified remote to the FCC back in 2008 - possibly a prototype? Kind of strange that Nintendo didn't just stick with this the first time around, or was this simply another blind quest for general profit? Think about it, the only consumers who really benefit from this are procrastinators like me who only have two Wii remotes, or those who are entirely new to the console. As for the family who actually invested in four remotes and four individual add-ons for each remote, screwed again. I personally love Nintendo, but I seriously believe they need to stop finding ways to reinvent devices we're already happy with and start focusing on other competitive edges.
 
As for FlingSmash, there isn't much more we can say at this time. It's a Wii game where you'll fling the remote in order to smash objects, an unfortunate experience some younger children and elderly gamers have already taken part in. The biggest difference is not screaming or crying after realizing you'll have to replace an $800 television, followed by a (hopefully) friendly reminder for grandma to tighten the strap next time.

PPR's Bioshock Infinite impressions

 

So with Project Icarus being revealed to be Bioshock infinite, the trailer was enticing & consice all at once but it had left several questions that came to our minds as we watched the trailers over & over again. Before we anaylize what we have seen & go over the two trailers we were treated to by 2K & Irrational, I want to touch on something that really struck me when Ken Levine was first approached for interview by different facets of Game media after the initial trailer reveal. The main issue that most found & even I also found a  bit myself was that the name Bioshock was there to brandish itself again in the title, was there a significance as to why this Game is involved with the Bioshock namesake or Rapture? Andrew Ryan? Is this Irrational's way of holding on to a successful IP without any risk of commercial failure?

According to Ken Levine various interviews, he just came off very coy on whether or not the game was a precursor or link or if it would even exist in the same universe at all as Bioshock & Bioshock II did. His intention was to leave it all up to initial interpretation by all gamers interested but dissecting what I have seen I feel that the name Bioshock is simply there as a template for an intended formula of what to expect with the experience that you'll have the same way that Final Fantasy does with no real link to it's previous games. where the I notice these patterns that suggest a formula that would suggest the theory I have concocted with the use of the Bioshock name can be seen immediately, Infinite takes place in a completely surreal setting with evidence pointing to Rapture being an underwater city at the bottom of the ocean & Bioshock Infinite taking place within the city of Columbia floating above the clouds in the sky that would never be imagined to have ever be able to exist & it does in this isolated & seclusive state that almost suggests this private & elitist requirement of passage into this society that upholds to a philosophy laced within a governed yet not governed dystopian mindset the way Bioshock used Objectivism, & Bioshock Infinite dabbles in the ideas of exceptionalism. The last significant similarity was the rather  large hulking & nearly unstoppable creature that you encounter more then once in the game as it you confront for the sake of saving a hostage-like character. In prior Bioshock titles it was the focus of saving the little sisters & having a Moral system behind it with how you progress, in Infinite there's a reoccurring main character by the name of Elizabeth who plays the role of the "damsel in distress" however she is not as helpless as I just made her sound which I will discuss in the trailer I will post below which incited this same feeling that I encountered in the ventures that I had with Gordon Freeman & 

Alyx in Half Life 2.

So leaving the debut trailer & now venturing more into the newest Gameplay trailer that was just released around the Internet yesterday, the aesthetic is clearly ever so present in the pacing & animation of the trailer displaying the anticipated gameplay reveal which never felt stale at all, the attention to detail & accuracy of it's display of exceptionalism with the slow zoom out of this mural portraying the philosophy instilled to the denizens of Columbia reading "It is our holy duty to 

protect against the foreign hordes" & then you're character exclaims that he needs to find Elizabeth & as he travels in what baffled me in this weird display of self-abnegation as these citizens attempt to continue their everyday daily lives while this brewing pot of growing chaos & signs of disaster slowly starts growing through out the trailer, seeing people remorselessly clinging to routine while shit gets fucked all around from the old man riding a horse & buggy missing a wheel as it loudly scrapes against the ground & this then once floating city island crash against your floating city island & it slowly descends below to it's doom & again, a woman then sweeping her front porch in front of the building that completely set fucking ablaze & she continually keeps sweeping as if all is well in the street of Columbia. so onward you go in your trek to locate Elizabeth. As you travel further here's where you get this sense of combat being displayed in front of you, picking a gun from the barrel in the Gazebo in the free thinking & free speak radical who spouts on & on about the basic ideals of exceptionalism 

which is much more stressed in the game that I have noticed just from all of the images & messages through the trailers in the tour of Columbia you're given & the talk that Irrational has given through various interviews about how Columbia embraced these ideals beyond gospel & are slowing their descent into chaos. while the combat ensues you're then attacked by the first 

mystical & magical attack being the closest thing to plasmids that you witness with a flock of attacking crows swarming at you as you witness the main character try to steady off the shots he fires in hope of thwarting Charles as the antagonist so brashingly called him & as the moment was seized, you see the main character sprint forward & melee him of the railing of the island as he fell to his death against the one of the mainly dangling monorail cars within Columbia & that presented to me one of the most needed improvements of the Bioshock franchise was melee options then more then one weapon, countless times I saved from the trouble of going into a needless fire fight when I could have easily dealt with my foes via blunt force trauma to their doomed fucking heads with my giant monkey wrench so seeing this happen with the butt-end of my gun & then watch as he was a distant smear. I then picked up the concoction that was dropped & I did with the first use of Telekinesis which it then gave me another Plasmid-like power that I was once combating earlier against Charles with the murderous swarm of crow & then the antagonist escapes in a most perplexing way that probably took me back the most.

The antagonist then hops away with a strange contraption that he slides through out his sleeve & then start zipping & sliding away on the same monorail system in this rapid form of transport like some sort of make-shit steampunk spiderman maneuver & from afar, you then see him reappear through the zoomed in view of your rifle scope firing a cannon at you & destroying the 

same gazebo he was preaching in moments before the conflict. As the main character starts picking grunts off one by one, the player then goes into a cut scene where brandishes the same monorail contraption & you hop on & zip in the same fashion through the monorail & as you are careening through the railed path you then jump to the next rail in another spiderman-Esq maneuver to continue forward to the next venture & enemies also start zipping at you as you repel one with a melee weapon & the camera crawls into a slow motion to for you feel the impact his body makes against the building to where he then makes to where the cannon was but then stumbles into a nearby building for safe cover & realizes that he just stumbled into a pub where again you see all of these men drinking away in this state of denial hidden away in the phoniness of their good cheer until the main character is then again incline to use his Telekinesis power which he used to take the shotgun away from his foe which again is a new addition to the gameplay that I was not expecting as the most you would be able to do is just manipulate singular inanimate objects or propelled projectiles but never has the ability to take a weapon been done before. As the main character then fights off the enemies within the bar, he then encounters the same cannon again in which he escaped before, the cannon then fires directly at the main character in which he catches the missile in mid-air through his telekinesis & fires it back at the cannon overall showing off a much more fine tuned physics engine in which I feel Irrational has really outdone themselves this time. 

The amount of enemies that then appear on the screen is insane & the last thing about the trailer I want to touch on is when you finally encounter Elizabeth while you're fending off the angry citizens of Columbia & around this time you witness the main character display another familiar plasmid like power which would be the lightning  as you shock the enemies before 

shooting them down, Elizabeth then conjures up a Thunder cloud & as you shoot it with your electricity the cloud showers lethal lightening upon all of your foes reducing them to static corpses along the roads. The main character then continue to fight on through the streets where you witness another bout of teamwork to where Elizabeth takes all of the metal objects around her & creates this miniature meteor that the main character then takes with Telekinesis & shoots forward which brought up several different questions to mind as again, something has been done like this before with Freeman & Alyx, what does Irrational plan on doing to innovate this amazing mechanic littered with potential, would there be any CO-OP suggested through 

this? I can only imagine what kind of relationship gameplay could be involved especially when the escort isn't helpless but becomes a valuable asset to your very survival. The character then come across the last familiar theme displayed in Infinite. This Big Daddy-Esq character comes at you much harder & stronger then any of Rapture's Bouncers or Rosies ever did & again through team work involving the environment, the bridge was collapsed with Elizabeth using a power similar to the 

mutant Gambit from the Marvel X-Men series & makes the top beam support of the bridge in which your foe is waiting on highly explosive & with the main character's telekinesis controlling an actual cannon head he throws towards the glowing area & 

explodes the support along with desperate shots to knock the Goliath down only to witness another Goliath that ends the insanity of the trailer that we all just finished watching.

So that being said, I have laid my impressions & thoughts towards Irrational games latest & we will be discussing it in the newest upcoming episode, so go ahead & let us know what you thought?! write us messages or comments through the usual contacts or just give us a voicemail at 209-566-0190 & stay tuned for the newest episode because it's going to be epic!

-GeorgieBoysAXE

Celebrating the Italian Plumber's 25th by Sean B.

If you're a fan of Nintendo's iconic Italian plumber, there's a good chance you've wanted to see a remake of Super Mario All-Stars on the Wii's Virtual Console. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing like the satisfaction of using cartridges on an archaic system, but this doesn't change the fact that most folks don't have access to these units anymore, and that fishing around for "abandonware" can be highly annoying if you're not naturally into retro game hunting. And yes, there's obviously more money in releasing individual titles for five bucks a pop, but time has passed, we've downloaded our favorites out of the bunch - we're still hungry for more nostalgia. Who else can remember the excitement of hearing Nintendo was releasing an enhanced 16-bit version of every classic Mario game on a single SNES cartridge?

It's felt like an eternity, but it looks like Nintendo will be answering the prayers of many hungry gamers. We were excited to learn that a 25th Anniversary Collection of Super Mario Bros. was announced to hit stores in Japan as soon as the 21st of October. That's right, all four classic Mario games enhanced with 16-bit graphics - this is the classic Mario compendium we've all been screaming for. The best part is that Instead of a download on the Virtual Console, we'll have ourselves a nifty collection on a physical disc, in a limited edition box with a history guide devoted to the life and development of the franchise. Fans who get a hold of this set will also be treated to a musical soundtrack including songs from Super Mario Galaxy 2. 

One can only wonder what else they could have done with a little bit of time. For example, imagine a remake of the original Mario games with the graphics of New Super Mario Bros. for the Wii. Another possible idea would be to make multiple volumes containing different Mario games aside from the obvious classics. It's Nintendo we're talking about here, so we could probably pull ideas out of our 8-bit asses all night. Most people might see this as another opportunity for Miyamoto and Iwata to "print money", but as a long time Mario fan myself, I see it as the perfect addition to any classic gamers library. Even the history book and soundtrack CD are enough to make this package an appealing piece of pixel infested bliss in a box. For now we'll just have to cross our fingers and hope this anniversary collection quickly makes its way to other regions including North America, Europe and Australia.