Let's Play Banjo-Kazooie! Ep.1

That's right, Kamu and I (Riley) are playing Banjo-Kazooie for the Nintendo 64! Or rather, I'm playing it and he's talking... Also, the weird freezing glitch in the video was fixed before Episode 2, so don't worry about it after this! Anyway, enjoy!

Editorial: E3 The After Party

Written by: Kamu Chung-Hoon

With the biggest news of E3 come and gone it is now time for gamers around the world to voice their concerns and to judge the good, bad, and ugly of E3 2012. 

A quick lesson for anyone who doesn't know, E3, or the Electronic Entertainment Expo, is an annual convention hosted by the Entertainment Software Association where video game developers and companies get the chance to show off the hottest new games and gaming hardware coming to the market. Often seen as the pinnacle of gaming news June is highly anticipated by gamers alike who cannot wait to sink their teeth into the new and now. In recent years E3 as a whole has been grand, but the major companies who get hours to showcase their new products have been letting consumers down a little. In 2012 Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony, Ubisoft, and EA pull all the stops in their attempt to make this year’s E3 the best one yet.

            Monday afternoon Microsoft took the floor as the first big company to have a showcase; and they did not let that go to waste. Wasting no time, they opened up right away with a Halo 4 trailer followed by some much anticipated Halo 4 game-play. For me personally, I had planned on waiting maybe half a year after Halo 4 came out and just picking up on a sale like I did with Halo Reach, but after seeing these new trailers and game-play my mind was completely swayed. Master Chief looks better than ever, and the new enemy archetype is sleek and deadly with a whole assortment of new crazy weapons. Definitely a great hook to lead with and they didn't stop there. After Halo 4, Splinter Cell Blacklist was announced and had a great demo shown. Microsoft then began to move south, for me at least, with some trailers for Madden 13 and FIFA 13, which both had their new features and looked to be like good steps in each series next installment. Then, when the Gears of War Judgment trailer began to play I was hooked again, only to sadly see a short and very mysterious trailer about Baird. With the final expected trailer being Forza 4 so far, Microsoft led into their hardware business. They spoke on how Kinect was going to take the future (More gaming, less doing) and talked about the new Xbox Smart Glass, allowing for Phone and Tablet accessibility. Xbox Live will also be seeing Internet Explorer (Finally, even if it is Explorer...), giving gamers the ability to finally run the internet on their Xbox! Following up with the new Tomb Raider game and three never before seen trailers, Microsoft had a pretty sweet run. Before ending the show they showed off the new South Park game with Trey Parker and Matt Stone as well as Usher who showed off some new moves for Dance Central 3. The final piece was what everyone (sarcastically) has been waiting for, Black Ops 2, showing off some on-rail shooting as well as some more of the futuristic aspects. Microsoft overall had a nice conference, leaving most people wanting more with some missing game such as Borderlands 2, but definitely set up a hard act to follow.

Next up was EA's attempt to show off some new products, and I said attempt because it was far from amazing, although they definitely got some stuff you cannot miss. Right out of the starting box was a flashy demo for Dead Space 3 showcasing the new co-op play. It ran very smoothly, and the idea of Necromorphs now hiding under every step you take is quite horrifying. With the series looking better than ever the demo ended with another twist as Isaac entered a bit of a sticky situation. EA talked about the next Madden 13, and a new Sim City game, Social, with enhanced game-play and a much more intricate building system. They talked more about their response to Call of Duty Elite, Battle Field Premium, with score counters, kill totals, and new features to really make the game shine. I enjoyed their news on SWTOR, with an all new planet and species coming to the series this year as well as new missions to hook even more new players. They elaborated more on their new FIFA game, and spoke about their Football Club, a sort of tracking system for all things FIFA (Like how many credit card numbers are stolen...). A new UFC game is coming soon, not much was elaborated, and a new Need For Speed: Most Wanted was talked about with sleeker graphics and a more developed graphics system (Those crashes were wicked.). I personally would just re-release Need For Speed Underground and Underground 2, those are the money makers. The finale entitled Crysis 3, finally shedding more light on the bow and jungle setting. I have not played Crysis or Crysis 2, but the wicked trailer made me want to go pick them up and give them a shot. EA actually had quite a few awesome games and did more than hold their own against the “Big Three”.

Now for me at least, the show stopper of this year was Ubisoft. They pulled no punches as they kicked the show off with some dancers for Just Dance 4 with Flo Rida singing along. Their rep Aisha Tyler and Toby Turner then took the stage and began listing off game after game in-between their awkward banter. Far Cry 3 was the first game on the list and without any warning you are confronted with boobs, drugs, and murder (who's complaining?); a great way to start anything. Next up was Rayman Legends and a new game, ZombiU. Having played the latest Rayman plat-former, I'm very much looking forward to this new one, with new characters and a five player co-op. ZombiU also looked promising, putting a lot of emphasis on the WiiU tablet to turn, twist, grab, and punch enemies, doors, and puzzles as you traverse a new zombie wasteland. Ubisoft summed up most of the games already shown with a short video showcasing all their new WiiU titles, including Avengers Battle for Earth, Rabbids Land, and Assassins Creed 3. Speaking of Assassins Creed 3, Ubisoft showed a short new trailer followed by some much anticipated game-play to showcase the new foreign setting to the series. I watched as Conner traversed snowy forests, hunted wild deer, and made small talk in the local encampment. Assassins Creed 3 looks like a fresh new start after a few years to help continue the everlasting story of Desmond and the mystery of the Assassins and Templars. If there is any way to end a conference, it’s with a new game, and the new game that Ubisoft revealed was completely mind blowing. It started out by describing a world where everyone is watched and all information about anyone is known by the government. It then cuts to a demo, which shows off the abilities the main character will be able to access. He can jam phone signals, listen in on phone calls, and look up anyone’s nastiest secret. The demo ended with the games title, Watch Dogs, splashed across the screen and a sense of mystery as Ubisoft came to a close. Ubisoft showed that not only can they keep great game series thriving, but they can make brand new games and have a committed community to brining the best of the gaming world to any and all gamers.

That night the second big contender got on stage and Sony wasn’t about to let Microsoft, EA, or Ubisoft take the show. Sony started off loud, with tons of game-play layered with music to get everyone pumped. Jack Tretton begins by saying this year Sony plans on paying homage to the gamers (whatever that means), and showing a preview of a brand new game by Quantic Dream, Beyond: Two Souls. With the main character voiced by Jody Holmes, it’s supposedly centered around the mysteries of the afterlife, but with a short “movie” we’ll have to wait for any more info on this game. Then the most talked about game prior to the event, PS All-Stars Battle Royale, got a live demo; and it was more than just a Smash Bros. rip off. The point is to gain energy so that you can use your supers to kill your opponents, although I was not entirely sure what constituted as “health” in the game. The big selling point the game is that it is cross platform between the PS3 and Vita (And you better believe they put emphasis on that). Regardless, PS All-Stars is looking like a good thing for PS3 and Vita owners. The Vita was shown off a lot more, and although it has some cool controlling features, it’s starting to look like a $300 controller. Vita is also getting some of the greatest PS1 games as well as its own new games, like Assassins Creed Liberation. PlayStation then showed their next edition to the Move and Eye, the WonderBook. The WonderBook is a giant AR card that is picked up by the PS3 and then becomes a book on screen. Claiming to have titles written by even J.K. Rowling the whole concept still seems a bit gimmicky, and based on the live demo, still has a lot of kinks to work out. Saving the best for last, Sony rolls out a God of War Ascension and Last of Us demo back to back. The GoW demo shows off the “old” Kratos and some of his new tricks to go along with the game. It was a little, gentler? Kratos was not as violent as before and a bit more swift than normal, but I’m sure Sony has a plan. Now what rocked was the Last of Us demo. Rushing through the apocalyptic wasteland a lot of game-play is shown as well as some focus on the characters. One of the best games shown by Sony and made me want to get a PS3! Sony was definitely having some troubles with a few technical difficulties but overall they didn’t let that hold them back and finished strong.

As the final company to go up, Nintendo did not disappoint, with a slated 23 new titles to be talked about at the conference as well as the specs for the WiiU. Miyamoto wasted no time in shedding some light on the game that I personally had been waiting years for to be unveiled at E3, Pikmin 3. He treated gamers with a long video showing off new lands, enemies, and friends while describing what makes this new Pikmin installment so enthralling. He also showed off a new Pikmin type, the Rock Pikmin, which can be used to break sturdy objects and enemies by repeatedly tossing the Rock Pikmin at them. With many new Pikmin, the ability to control up to four operators, and the mysterious disappearance of Captain Olimar, Pikmin is back and looks better than ever. Nintendo used this as a platform to then dive into information on the WiiU, starting with the overall design of the new gamepad and the way it will change game consoles to be independent of the television. Of course, with any new Nintendo console there must be a Mario game to go along with it, and New Super Mario Bros. U is that game. This installment in the New Super Mario Bros. series adds new features to the fast paced plat forming action everyone already loves to help keep the game series fresh. Big additions are new baby Yoshi types and the ability for the player with the WiiU gamepad to place blocks in game for Wiimote players to utilize. Along with a new Wii comes time for some new Miis, and Nintendo’s invention of Miiverse isn’t just for making a character. Miiverse helps WiiU players keep in touch through hubs where they can then send messages and help each other out in games. Nintendo also spoke on the many third party games coming to the WiiU, such as Arkham City Armored Edition, Scribblenauts Unlimited, Darksiders 2, and much more. But Nintendo wasn’t only focused on mainstream gaming; they also had new news for fitness and music genres. Wii Fit U is the new Wii Fit that not only let’s players use the Balance Board but the WiiU gamepad to optimize their gaming workout experience, while SiNG is a new music game that tries to tie the whole party together by offering singing and dancing that multiple people can attempt. Nintendo didn’t leave out the 3DS from the show either and showed trailers for New Super Mario Bros. 2 and Super Paper Mario Sticker Star as well as announcing they’d be having another conference later completely devoted to the 3DS. Finally Nintendo closed with their answer to Wii Sports, NintendoLand. NintendoLand (for the WiiU obviously) will have WiiU users all over meet up in a central hub where they can play a handful of new mini-game type games together to get a better feel for how the WiiU gamepad works. It was obvious that they would need some type of launch title to help players become more acquainted with WiiU controls; it was just a bit gimmicky and the game demo shown seemed to lack real entertainment value. Closing off with a bang (There were video game fireworks), Nintendo wraps up a very impressive conference with confidence that 2012 marks the year of new beginnings.

Altogether, E3 this year was quite a show, with many new titles and gaming hardware being announce. Personally for me Pikmin 3, Watchdogs, Halo 4, Dead Space 3, and Last of Us were some of the best parts and I cannot wait for their releases. Even with some gamers feeling a like there should have been a little more, E3 2012 was fantastic and the rest of the gaming industry for 2012 and 2013 has quite a lot of great things to look forward to. 

Sincerely, The Worlds Mightiest #1 Employee

Editorial: My Thoughts on the Press Conferences of E3

Written by: Riley Hooper

Hey everyone! As I'm sure you know, this year's E3 has come to a close. There were some amazing announcements, and demonstrations of games, but of course, there were just as many, if not more, disappointments surrounding this year's show.

So, I'll just leave my rankings for "Best of E3" in terms of press conferences. The press conferences are where each big company really gets to show off their stuff and try and tell the world that their awesome. So, it's important to have a good conference, especially since hundreds of thousands of people see them.

5. Sony - Sony's show started off strong with an announcement of a new game from the creators of critical hit, Heavy Rain". This new game, titled "Beyond: Two Souls", stars none other than Ellen Page, and, like "Heavy Rain" plays out a lot like a movie. The game's apparently about a girl (Page) who can see a spirit, which gives her psychic powers, making the whole experience very actiony. I enjoyed "Heavy Rain", so "Beyond: Two Souls" looks interesting. I'm just worried that it becomes too much like a movie, and not enough like a game. Sony also showcased their new game, "Playstaion All-Stars" which is pretty much "Smash Bros." with Playstaion characters like Sly Cooper and Kratos. As a fan of "Smash Bros.", "Playstation All-Stars" looks like an amazing game to me. As the show went on, however, Sony lost a lot of appeal. There was a lot of emphasis put on having as many downloadable titles available, which points to a disc-less next generation console. Then came the absolute worst part of all of the E3 conferences: Wonderbook. Sony is making a game where you read. They're playing it off as interactive because it utilizes giant AR cards and the Playstation Move setup to "Bring the books to life". Then, while trying to show off "Wonderbook" live, it wouldn't work. The game wouldn't pick up the reader's gestures with the Move wand, which just made the whole thing drag on. "Wonderbook" was so boring that people barely clapped when it was announced that J.K. Rowling, one of the world's most popular authors, would be working to create content for the game. After "Wonderbook" Sony tried to win their fanbase back with a live demo of the new God of War game, "God of War: Ascension". Ascension serves as a prequel to the GoW trilogy, and while it received much applause, I noticed a glaring flaw with the game. Kratos wasn't acting like Kratos. Kratos, the Ghost of Sparda and eventual God of War, has always been one of gaming's most brutal characters, using slow, brute force to demolish everyone and everything that was in his path. Even more, Kratos loved to kill and would relish each bloodsoaked moment, taking time to appreciate his kills and really give them that extra bit of brutality. However, in Ascension, Kratos was moving lighting fast, darting from enemy to enemy, killing them as fast as possible, almost like a ninja. This isn't the Kratos that we know and love. Sony severely changed one of its flagship characters, and that just can't be excused. But, despite the atrocities of "Wonderbook" and "God of War: Ascension", Sony was able to save itself with a live demo of "The Last of Us" a game set in post-apocalyptic America where you really have to fight to survive as an older man and his teenage girl companion. The game plays a lot like Uncharted (no surprise there since they're both made by Naughty Dog), and if you don't know about Uncharted, it's a 3rd person shooter. The point is, "The Last of Us" is extremely realistic, and really makes you feel like you're in danger and that you need to be careful and do whatever it takes to survive. I even got this feeling just by watching someone else play. The demo also showed off some pretty gory, action filled scenes, which were just amazing. But, it was just not enough to save Sony.

4. Nintendo- I have to give Nintendo some credit. They started off strong. Like Lexington Steel strong. Mr. Miyamoto himself started off the show by walking onstage and announcing that Pikmin 3, a game wanted by millions (including our own Kamu), was in fact a reality, and that it would be coming to the WiiU. Of course, they showed a short trailer, and then Pikmin was gone. Everything was down hill from there. The rest of the show, Nintendo continued to show off WiiU and 3DS games, but most of them either weren't exciting or just didn't seem like good games. For example, they announced that Batman: Arkham City, an amazing game, would be coming to the WiiU, but its already been beaten a dozen times over by millions of people. So I honestly don't think it'll sell well for Nintendo. The crowd barely cheered. There were a few gems of the show, most notably a new Scribblenauts which really allows you to create ANYTHING to solve puzzles. You can even draw new inventions. But, Nintendo really dissapointed me with their ending. They announced a game called NintendoLand, which is essentially a collection of minigames based on different Nintendo franchises, like Animal Crossing and Metroid. The game looks fun, but they seriously bogged it down by having the game's creator come onstage and describe, in explicit detail, how to play the minigame based off of Luigi's Mansion. There was a video going in the background, but it would constantly pause to let him explain a game aspect. It was like watching a boring tutorial. That, combined with a large lack of entertainment, is why Nintendo gets 4th place in my book.

3. Microsoft- Like, Nintendo, Microsoft started out really strong. They showed a trailer for one of the hottest games of the year, Halo 4. Now then, I wasn't excited for Halo 4. At all. But after seeing that trailer, coupled with a gameplay demo, I need that game. They've really changed the Halo franchise by adding new weapons, new enemies, a new environment, and a new story that simply looks brilliant. After, Halo, there was a demo for the new Splinter Cell: Blacklist, showing Sam Fisher climbing around like Ezio and shooting guys in the face. Yes, it was exciting. Tomb Raider was next, showing 18-year old Lara Croft shooting arrows at bad guys and flying through rapids, taking enough damage to shatter every bone in her body. But no, she was fine. That makes me really mad at the creators of the new game, because early on, they stated that they wanted this game to look and feel real. They said that the old Lara was too fake, and was indestructible, but they wanted the gamer to feel like they're in danger when they played as young Lara. Well hitting a rock at 30 MPH and not getting a single scrape is not realistic. That being said, the game does look fun and I am looking forward to playing it. After more games were shown off, such as Madden and Fifa, it was time for Microsoft to do what they do every year and stop talking about games at a gaming press conference. But, what they showed actually looked good for once. They showed Microsoft Smart Glass, an add-on to the Xbox that essentially turns your smartphone or tablet into a WiiU controller, allowing you to get more deeply immersed into the game. For example, when playing Madden, you can draw custom plays on your tablet, and then use it in-game. This is my favorite feature of the WiiU so I'm very excited to see it coming to my Xbox. Of course, Microsoft got a serious hindrance from a representative from Nike, who announced that Nike+ Kinect would be a new exercise game coming to the Xbox. The game looks great for people who like to exercise, since it syncs up to Nike+ shoes, but the way the game was announced was very boring, and didn't make me want the game. Another key focus of Microsoft's press conference was the integration of Kinect voice controls into many games. I own a kinect, and I can honestly say that the voice controls are its best quality. They let you do more than the controller can allow. For example, in Mass Effect 3, voice controls let you switch weapons, use powers, and control your teammates, all without menus that take you out of the game. So, I'm very happy to see that more and more games will be getting voice commands. Microsoft closed its conference in a very predictable manner by showing off Call of Duty: Black Ops. While I'm not anticipating this game, and that feeling wasn't changed by the demo, the amount of cheering that came out of the audience was hard to ignore. I'm sure that the game will sell millions of copies, and it will probably also get good reviews. I'm just not a big FPS fan.

2. EA- EA was one of two companies that focused solely on games, so I've gotta hand it to them. They also showed off some great games. Most notable was Dead Space 3, which adds co-op to the horror franchise, and now takes place on a frozen planet that reminds me a lot of Lost Planet. I'm a huge fan of Dead Space 2, and now that there's co-op, you can definitely expect to see Kamu and I playing Dead Space 3 together. Of course, EA showed off their new sports games, which I'm not a fan of, but I'm sure many people will enjoy them, as there are a lot of changes being made. A new Medal of Honor was also announced, and new Battlefield 3 content was shown off. I liked the last Medal of Honor, but hated Battlefield 3. so you can guess which game I'll advocate. SimCity was shown off, which looks like a lot of fun, and really gives you total control over your city. One of the biggest announcements was that THQ's license with UFC had come to an end, and that EA had bought it. This is so huge because THQ hasn't been making a lot of money lately to the point where they might have to close down. UFC was one of their big sellers, so the loss of the license could mean an end to THQ. I actually love THQ games, especially the Saints Row franchise, so I was sad to see this announcement. Moving on though, a remake of Need for Speed: Most Wanted will be coming out soon, and looks like a total revamp of the the other game. I'll definitely check it out. Then, there was talk of the Star Wars MMO, The Old Republic, and announcements that there would be many updates soon, including one that added Free-to-Play up to level 15. I've played a alot of SWTOR, and I can tell you that it's one of the best MMO's. Definitely check it out when it's free later this Summer. EA closed their conference by showing a demo for Crysis 3, this time set in a New York City that's been ravaged by jungle growth. You still play as some guy in a power suit, but this time you get a bow and arrow! Seriously though, the game looks great. Crysis 2 is one of the few FPS games that I've played and absolutely loved, so I cannot wait for Crysis 3.

So yeah, EA had a pretty solid show, but only one company can win it all:

1. Ubisoft- That's right, Ubisoft wins E3. Well, in my books anyway. They started with a great showing of Just Dance 4, featuring a live performance form Flo Rida, and right after that, Aisha, the star of the show went onstage. Aisha, a representative from Ubisoft, was full of energy, and didn't talk in that slow monotonous voice that everyone else did at E3. She generally sounded excited for the games that were coming out, which made me excited. Joining her was none other than Toby Turner, better known as Tobuscus on YouTube, who sounded just as excited. The show started with a demo of FarCry 3 that involved boobs, tigers and shooting stuff, all in an open world. So yes, it looks amazing. Immediately afterward was a WiiU demo for Rayman Legends, the spiritual sequel to Rayman Origins. The player on the WiiU controlloer controls a fairy that can highlight paths and drop extra coins to help out the other three players. And yes, obviously, this game has four player co-op. Also, there doesn't have to be a player on the WiiU controller. Everyone can play like normal Rayman. The game was very fast and colorful, and even added music that synced up to a high-speed platforming section at the end of the demo. The game looks amazing. Then there was a trailer showing slow motion zombies in London. It was very reminiscent of the Dead Island trailer. The game is called ZombiU, and will be a WiiU exclusive, and is all about survival in a zombie apocalypse. If you die, then you become a new character, and your old character is a stronger version of a zombie, that you can kill to get your items back. It's sort of like Minecraft in that way, where you have to go back to where you died to get your stuff. Again, the game looks amazing, but that should be expected at this point in the conference. Of course, it was only a matter of time before the Assassin's Creed 3 trailer came on. You play as Connor, a native american, who kills the British during the Civil War, and you can kill bears. That's right, bears. Need I say more? The game looks amazing, and I can't wait to play it. Ubisoft closed their show with a surprise. A trailer showing a city where every single electronic device and every record of every person is all connected and stored into one local internet. You play as a guy that can hack into that internet. The game is played in a 3rd person perspective, and is set in an open world. Int eh demo, you caused a power outage to break into a nightclub, found an associate of a man you wanted to kill by scanning all of the faces in the club, changed a traffic light to all green, causing a massive crash, and then got in a gunfight, eventually killing your target, who was in one of those crashed cars. Then, as you were driving away, the game switched to another character, and it was revealed that the game would be co-op, with many people playing at once, all with the same hacking abilities. The game's name was revealed as Watch_Dogs, and, like everything else that Ubisoft showed, looks amazing. Watch_Dogs will definitely be a day one purchase for me.

To sum up Ubisoft, there were a lot of amazing games, and even better hosts, that really made you excited for the games. That's why Ubisoft won E3.

Awesome Art for an Awesome Cause

Hey, I just wanted to talk about something that's kind of big to me. One of my friends very recently broke up with her boyfriend, which has really hurt her. She doesn't have a lot of money and no place to really go to.

But, she is an amazing artist that does a lot of video game and My Little Pony pixel art, along with traditional drawings. Best of all, pretty much all of her art is on sale! I would consider it a personal favor to myself if you people that read this stuff go and buy at least one thing from her. It would really help her out and you'd be getting some amazing art in the process. You can go here: http://squiddbrains.blogspot.com/ to buy her stuff. Please do so. They really aren't that expensive.

Now then, I'll leave you with some preview images.