Tag: Xbox Live Arcade

Geekscape Games Reviews: ‘Ori and the Blind Forest’

by jake108

For those of who have had Ori and the Blind Forest flying under your radar, you are definitely doing yourself a disservice. Developed by Moon Studios, Ori and the Blind Forest tells the tale of an unlikely hero destined to combat fierce creatures in an attempt save the forest of Nibel. The game itself looks stunning and is easily one of the most artistic titles you’ll find on console. Don’t believe me?

After booting up the title, I was immediately drawn to the music. This attraction only grew as the game went on. It’s safe to say that Moon Studios has done an excellent job at coupling some of the game’s most heartfelt music with the images being portrayed on screen. For example, I can pretty much guarantee you will notice the game’s score at the main menu. It’s rhythm and melody matches the game’s world to such a degree where I cannot imagine one without the other.

And while we’re on the subject, let me offer some advice: Ori and the Blind Forest‘s prologue is not for the faint of heart. With careful use of composition and and color, Moon Studios manages to pull off what few games can do throughout their entire story, which is the ability to convey emotion. Trust me, play through the prologue of the game and you’ll want to see this character out till the end.

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One of the favorite things about this game is the art style. While that may come off a little cliché, I must say that fluidity of the world is impressive. Everything from the blades of grass to falling leaves fills the world with life. All of this adds to one overarching story with multiple characters who serve the story in way that makes it easier for gamers to understand.

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The game’s story is told through narration and action, which often supplements the narration. Luckily for us, the narration is always brief and subtitled. Still, you must pay attention to each snippet of information to have a full understanding of the game’s narrative and characters. Falling behind can be easy if you’re not focused. In this way, Ori and the Blind Forest isn’t a game you boot up when you’re looking to kill time. It’s clear the developers and storytellers demand your full attention and are keen on rewarding you for doing so. While there are elements of exploration, each piece of the world feels necessary.

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I admit, I was unsure how much I would like Ori and the Blind Forest‘s gameplay. Having had my nose in the books for the last three years due to school, I was only able to get away to play FPS’ or sports games. Regardless, Ori and the Blind Forest is easy to pick up. I must say that a lot of the puzzles were completed through trial and error, though, the repetition in doing this did not bore me either like other games.

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For those of you who have never played a game like Ori and the Blind Forest, another game on the Xbox One I can relate it to is Max: The Curse of Brotherhood. This title was free a while back for Xbox Live Gold members and shares much of the same elements of exploration and problem solving. What separates Ori and the Blind Forest from Max is its replayability and the repetitive nature. Anyone who did not enjoy Max: The Curse of Brotherhood will find solace in the fact that Ori and the Blind Forest will keep you interested as it’s lively art style should keep you from getting bored.

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Overall, I would say Ori and the Blind Forest is a solid purchase. The game is single player, but offers a good amount of playtime. Leveling up and choosing what abilities to master will keep the game fresh upon multiple playthroughs and should be subject to debates among friends. If you’re looking for a game with story and a unique art style, Ori and the Blind Forest is your game. Just be aware, the prologue is just as good as Up as far as tugging at your heart strings goes.

Today Is Your LAST CHANCE To Buy ‘Marvel Vs. Capcom Origins’ On PSN

by Josh Jackson

If you haven’t downloaded Marvel Vs Capcom Origins, the two pack that includes the original Marvel Vs Capcom in addition to the mid 90’s classic, Marvel Super Heroes, now is the time.

Capcom-Unity announced at the end of today, the game would be pulled from the Playstation Network for purchase, with Xbox Live Arcade getting hit on December 31st. Following suit with other Marvel titles under Activision’s control, and even Capcom’s own Marvel Vs Capcom 3, which went out of production last year, it seems like games are getting hit pretty hard thanks to Marvel and Disney working towards reclaiming all of the super hero licenses.

Have you already picked up these classic fighters? If not, you better jump on it before it’s gone forever. Marvel Vs Capcom Origins is available now, (but not for long,) at $14.99.

Source: Shoryuken.com

Geekscape Games Presents: Ten Returning IPs the Xbox One Needs

by Josh Jackson

Since last week’s Xbox One reveal, the internet has been on fire with speculation, rumors and an endless stream of unanswered questions. Many have tried to make sense of it all, including us here at Geekscape, but one of the solid facts that came out of the conference was that 15 exclusive games, including seven returning IPs, would release within the console’s first year on shelves.

If you’re like me, you’ve been starving for Xbox exclusives. While I think it’s still the console of choice for multiplatform and online gaming, save for the occasional Halo, Gears, Forza or Dance Central release, Microsoft has been pretty thin in the exclusives department.

The Xbox One is going to want to launch strong, and contrary to popular belief, the green machine had plenty of great exclusives during the Xbox and early 360 days. Even without Halo, Gears and Forza, the company has plenty of titles in the vault to draw from. With seven slots for returning franchises, let’s look at 10 games that can help the next Xbox be “The One” for gamers.

10: Dance Central

Starting off with this game probably lost me a ton of readers. Still with me? Good.

While many gamers who identify themselves as hardcore have mostly shunned anything that has to do with motion controls, Dance Central is the definitive motion gaming experience available and shouldn’t be missed. Right out of the gate, the game tracked movements in ways that new games struggle to achieve years later. Each sequel only got better, culminating with Usher bringing in his choreography to create some incredible routines in the latest entry. Imagine the possibilities with heart beat tracking and expanded joint detection? And throw in the fact that every Xbox One will be bundled with Kinect? The potential sales would be sure to grow given that everyone will have the device. It makes too much sense.

9: Viva Pinata

What started out as being Microsoft’s “Pokemon killer,” it turned out Viva Pinata was anything but. It didn’t help that the game was nothing like the series that it was trying to compete with, but what Rare created instead was an enjoyable farm simulator that sucked hours upon hours out of gamers. The game had tons of charm, addicting mechanics and even a TV show to suck in the kids, but disappeared suddenly after a quick sequel.

Not only did it deserve more of a chance, but it would be the perfect game to display Xbox’s family friendly side. After all, every game can’t be a futuristic shooter. Speaking of, that brings me to…

8:Perfect Dark

There was a time where it felt like Joanna Dark was the most in demand woman in gaming. Building off of the success of Goldeneye, Rare produced an FPS masterpiece at the time for the Nintendo 64, leaving its announced prequel anxiously anticipated.

But almost a decade of patience brought us Perfect Dark Zero, a game that removed most of what made the original so innovative. Instead it left us with a cookie cutter title that was soon overshadowed by big guns like Halo and Gears of War.

The Xbox One would be the perfect chance to redeem the series. Bring back the cheesiness. Bring back the quirkiness. But most of all, please bring back limb damage and hostage taking! Zero felt like such a step back, but I’m sure I’m not the only gamer who would welcome the proper Joanna Dark back with open arms.

7:Alan Wake

Alan Wake was one of the most hyped exclusives for the 360 when it was released. From the talented crew at Remedy, (who developed Max Payne 1 and 2,) this surreal horror game took a page out of Stephen King’s book, (no pun intended, I swear!) Gamers took control of Alan, an author who is trapped in a town where his suspense novels were seemingly coming to life.

Using a unique combat mechanic that felt like a survival horror shooter had a love child with Luigi’s Mansion, Wake was praised for its game play as much as it was for its top notch story. The ending and its DLC practically confirmed a sequel, but it never came aside from a somewhat unrelated Xbox Live Arcade release. While Remedy is hard at work on the new IP, Quantum Break, wishful thinking keeps me hoping for a new Alan Wake game to come to the console. I’m going to wish as hard as I can.

6:Kameo

Much like Perfect Dark Zero, Kameo was also in limbo for far too long. Starting development as an N64 game before being moved to the Gamecube launch, she wouldn’t make her debut for years. Not until the Xbox 360 launched did Kameo finally see the light of day, and while it was completely overshadowed by more anticipated titles like Perfect Dark and Call of Duty 2, it was still more than worthy of gamers’ attention.

Putting players in control of the titular elf, she gained the ability to take the forms of various creatures. Each one gave Kameo different abilities that helped her traverse her world and combat trolls outside of internet message boards. While it was a great first effort, the game had points where it didn’t live up to its full potential. An Xbox One revival can change that and expand on this limitless idea of shape shifting, bringing this mostly untapped series to a new generation.

5:Shadow Complex

Xbox Live Arcade was a popular service when it launched. Bringing arcade classics into our homes with the occasional indy game at a cheap price was a strong perk that gamers ate up. This was all we ever wanted, reserving the big, AAA titles for our retail purchases.

That was, until Shadow Complex came along.

Epic Games blew the lid off of what we expected from a downloadable console game. This Metroid style sidescrolling shooter had a strong story, top of the line game play and graphics that rivaled the 360’s top releases. Setting the stage for digital releases, it’s now expected for titles of this caliber to hit the PSN, eShop and Live Arcade. Why a sequel hasn’t been released is anyone’s guess, but what better way to introduce the new Xbox One and its downloadable service than to tout what I feel is the most influential downloadable game of this generation?

4:Banjo-Kazooie

Another lost Rare franchise, gamers begged for an Xbox version of Banjo-Kazooie, one of the most popular platformers on the N64. After teasing us with a Game Boy Advance release of all things, 2008 finally saw the return of the bear and bird.

It just wasn’t in the way we expected.

But change isn’t always bad, and in the case of Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts, I feel it benefited from it. Less of a platform game and more of a create your own solution puzzle/racing hybrid, Nuts and Bolts let players build their own cars, boats, planes and anything in between to conquer different challenges.

A truly unique and well executed idea with plenty of self referential humor helped put it over the top. The game is still met with hostility since it strays so far from its roots, but if a new game were to expand on the already great ideas of the first Nuts and Bolts, I’d say that’s one way for the Xbox to build towards a better future.

3:Mech Assault

When the Xbox Live service launched back in 2002, Microsoft came out with guns blazing. They knew they had to offer something gamers couldn’t say no to when it came to selling them on a paid subscription service, and their answer was Mech Assault.

A console spinoff to the popular PC series Mech Warrior, this game put players in the cockpit of a variety of robots, each with different weapons, strengths and weaknesses. While the single player mode was there to essentially provide pilot training, the main draw of the game was its multiplayer, and to this day I feel it’s one of the best examples of online gaming done right on consoles.

Oddly enough, the last time it was seen was not on the Xbox, but as a DS title that flew under the radar. I think it’s time for the king to come home. Mech Assault sold gamers on live over ten years ago, I don’t see why it can’t sell them on the “One” now.

2:Crimson Skies

Now if Mech Assault was the game that successfully launched Live into the public eye, Crimson Skies launched it into the stratosphere. An arcade style dogfighting simulator, players took control of World War II style planes in an alternate timeline where steampunk-like technology was intertwined with the weapons of the 1940’s.

Unlike Mech Assault however, Crimson Skies had a strong single player campaign, with an entertaining story, a variety of challenges and a colorful cast. Taking its fast paced action to the internet was still its main draw though, and it was easy to sink hours into shooting down people from all over the world, the simplicity and fun of it all was my favorite reason to own an Xbox.

Since then, the franchise hasn’t even been mentioned outside of an Xbox Original release on the 360. No sequel must mean Microsoft doesn’t want my money! That can change though, because Xbox One will be a lot more attractive if it will take me to the skies again. I’m just waiting for it to sweep me away all over again.

1:Killer Instinct

It’s ironic that the number one game on my list is the only one to never appear on an Xbox console. Acting as Nintendo’s answer to Mortal Kombat back in the day, Killer Instinct and its sequel took violent, over the top fighting and added the depth of a traditional fighter. Last seen in 1996, generations of N64, Gamecube, Xbox and 360 owners have begged and begged Rare to bring back the popular brawler. Rare listened, and we got…

Grabbed by the Ghoulies!

But seriously, Rare has heard our cries. We did get a Sabrewulf spinoff after all, and they don’t hide their love of trolling fans. These are the same guys who hid comments about the game in Banjo-Kazooie, going as far as hiding mock box art for the non-existent game inside of an in game briefcase.

Killer Instinct 3 BanjoTrololol!

But there can only be one reason… One good reason that Rare has waited for so long. They want it to have the biggest impact as possible when it’s finally released. What better way than to launch with a brand new console? I can imagine the roof blowing off of E3 as a 17 year old franchise is revived with new graphics, updated presentation and the same fighting that we’ve been anxiously awaiting for years. I can’t think of any better time to launch it than now.

Are there any games I missed? Are you really looking for Sudeki 2 or Otogi 3? Or did I give too much credit to certain games that don’t deserve it? Sound off below and let us know!

Check Out This Leaked Footage From ‘Star Wars: First Assault’

by Shane O'Hare

Damn this is exciting news! Last October a few images leaked, for a new first person XBLA game called Star Wars: First Assault, and just recently the guys over at Kotaku were able to release details on the game. Most intriguing bit of news was that is supposed to be a predecessor to the long lost Battlefront III. Well today, we got our hands on some leaked footage from the game, also from our friends at Kotaku.

 


Star Wars First Assault Footage by AGBLeaks
 

 

That is some crazy cool looking stuff right there! We get a peak of some new weapons, and what looks like a riot shield from long, long ago. The one thing I feel comfortable speculating is one of the game types, it appears that there will be a bomb transport gametype, like the one in Team Fortress 2.

 

No other news has been put out/leaked as of yet, but what we got in the last few days is AWESOME! Being a hardcore Battlefront I and II fan, I cannot be more excited!

SDCC 2012 Video Game Round-Up: South Park: The Stick of Truth

by jake108

South Park: The Stick of Truth

Let me just start by saying any South Park fan will love this game. Using animation that looks exactly like the series, SoT provides a genuine South Park experience by combining hilarious lines of dialogue and classic characters to deliver an awesome title within the South Park universe.

Gameplay was shown for the first time behind closed doors. Character customization is available, but was not shown. The game starts with the task of making new friends. These new friends are none other than the characters you love. Witty lines of dialogue will keep you checking every possible thing out that appears on-screen. Battles are a combination of real-time combat and turn-based combat. When being attacked, users can block and set yourself up to use a counter.

After, you choose what kind of attack to use, as well as choosing whether or not to use special attacks. Gamers can also combine powers to deliver a one-two punch of sorts when battling multiple enemies. You will definitely recognize characters of the South Park Universe appearing in different situations and in special attacks.

Check out the E3 2012 Trailer below!


South Park: The Stick of Truth is set for a March 5, 2013 release.

Geekscape Games Reviews ‘Babel Rising’

by jake108

Babel Rising casts you as an angry god set on destroying everyone and everything that is contributing to building a tower set to reach the heavens. Anyone familiar with the Tower of Babel story can already get the gist of this Xbox Live Arcade title. Still, is Babel Rising worthy of your attention?

Babel Rising is all about gameplay. If you’re looking for a dense story, you can stop reading now. The concept is simple: hurl stones, fireballs, ice, and gusts of wind at figures who are building a tower. The campaign consists of missions with objectives and is better served as a tutorial for leaning the four different set of powers you have. Each power set has a total of two types of attacks, basic and heavy. As you use your powers, a meter will fill up based on what power you use. Once one of the meters fills up, you will be able to use a special attack meant to deal a great amount of damage.

Your tools of destruction are Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water. None are similar and depending on what game mode you’re playing, you will have the option to choose what two sets you want with preference being an underlining reason for choosing.

Babel Rising has Kinect functionality which allows players to control the elements with their hands rather than a controller. While some might enjoy this Kinect functionality, I found that using a controller was overall more responsive to what I wanted to do and who I wanted to attack. The resulting conclusion will have you sitting on the couch while trying to drive up your high score.

Babel Rising offers up both multiplayer and cooperative modes. These multiplayer modes are not Xbox Live enabled. Babel Rising is a case of what you see is what you get. While it’s good to pass the time, there’s really nothing serious or “hardcore” about Babel Rising.

Babel Rising is available today on the PSN and XBLA for $9.99 and 800 Micorsoft Points respectively. Babel Rising will also be available on iOS devices, Android, and Windows PC.

E3 2012 – Geekscape Previews Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD!

by jake108

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater franchise is very near and dear to a lot of gamers hearts. Growing up, every kid and myself had a blast grinding around an abandoned hanger bay as Spider-Man. Should those memories be left in the past? Or should you pick up your virtual skateboard for another round this summer?

As I was playing, I had someone come up and ask me how the gameplay was. After a couple of failed attempts at reaching the top of the hanger bay, I calmly told him it was familiar and new at the same time. Now, knowing that answer may have sounded incredibly philosophical and provided no help at all, I quickly handed him the controller. It was after a long and “Sloppy” list of tricks when he agreed with my statement.

I’m not worried for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD, in fact, it may be even more fun with friends. There’s no question this HD treatment will cause some nostalgia. In fact, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD contains maps from both the first and second game from the 90’s. And if that wasn’t enough, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD will feature songs from the original two games.

Anyone who was good at any of the past installments should be able to pick up a controller and know what they’re doing. I had trouble my first go around due to having an extensive amount of hours logged in using a Playstation controller rather than an Xbox 360 controller. Still, you’ll find that you can adjust easily.

The full list of features is as follows:

– HD Upgrade: Game was rebuilt and polished by Robomodo using Neversoft’s original code.
– Classic levels: The style and feel of the best 7 levels from THPS and THPS2 (Warehouse, School 2, Mall, Phoenix, Hangar, Marseilles and Venice) refreshed for today. Tony Hawk himself put a call out to his fans on Twitter during the summer of 2011 to decide the final levels.
– The Top Pros: Today’s biggest skate pros round out the cast including: Nyjah Huston, Chris Cole, Eric Koston, Andrew Reynolds, Rodney Mullen, Lyn-z Adams Hawkins (Pastrana), Riley Hawk and, of course, Tony Hawk himself.
– Refined controls: The skaters’ animations, tricks and combos reflect the evolution of the THPS games. For example, you can do manuals in levels from the first THPS, a trick that didn’t enter the franchise until THPS2. However, reverts are not part of trick combos, as the scoring system is based on THPS2.
– Endlessly fun objectives:  Players pursue the same global and level-specific goals as the original games, including S-K-A-T-E, Secret DVD (used to be VHS tape!), and many more.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD is set to come out his summer as part of Xbox Live’s Summer of Arcade line-up.

E3 2012: Zeno Clash II Set for a 2013 Release!

by Josh Jackson

Game publisher Atlus has announced that Zeno Clash II, the sequel to the celebrated indie 1st person brawler, will be making its way to Xbox Live Arcade, Playstation Network and Steam will be released in early 2013.

Even at the early stages of development, this beat em up looks gorgeous. It seems like punching people in the face will never have looked so pretty. Aside from graphics, plenty of new features have been added including lock-on abilities, pinpoint accuracy for where your attacks land and RPG elements that will help you create your fighter the way you want to.

But most importantly, the addition on online co-op will be what expands the possibilites of the game more than anything. Traversing the world of Zenozoik is promising to be enough of an experience as it is, so exploring it with a friend can only make it better, which is the goal the developers are trying to meet according to Andres Bordeu, co-founder of developer ACE Team.

 “The world of Zenozoik is one of wild dreams and wilder nightmares. This is part of the reason we are working on Zeno Clash II, to give players the opportunity to explore Zenozoik with a friend via online cooperative multiplayer, turning those moments of wonder and awe into a shared adventure.  We will make certain that going back and forth between solo and cooperative play preserves the consistency and impact of the narrative experience, while still allowing friends easily drop in and out of the game’s fulfilling exploration and visceral melee combat.”

 

Keep a black eye out for Zeno Clash II early next year.

Geekscape Games Reviews Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown

by Josh Jackson

Many fighters have come and gone over the years, but ever since Virtua Fighter hit the ring and revolutionized 3D fighting games, its popularity has endured. Thanks to an incredible level of depth amongst its unique cast, while the game is known to be difficult to master, few games in the genre are as rewarding when all that practice pays off. After five games and multiple revisions, we’ve arrived at Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown, the definitive version of the latest title in this beloved hard hitter. And while it makes some concessions compared to the retail version, this title’s value is hard to argue.

Jean Kujo and Taka-Arashi Join the Fight!

Featuring 19 unique fighters, (two of which are new to the US,) Virtua Fighter has plenty of moves to master between each character. From the easier fighters to master like siblings Jackie or Sara Bryant, to the technical marvels like flagship character Akira, there is sure to be a fighter to fit any gamer’s play style. The game has been reanimated and rebalanced since its last go around, so not only does it look prettier, but the moves look sharper, the damage output has been tweeked and the controls feel a little more forgiving as far as timing. But don’t pick up your pitchforks yet hardcore fans! The game still takes a ton of technical skill to be good at.

Virtua Fighter will help you get better though. And that’s through its many single player modes. Aside from the standard Arcade and Score Attack gauntlets, the Training Mode that VF4 made famous returns, which walks you through each fighter’s move set and slowly builds up your skill. Two modes that are obviously missing though are the single player tournament mode, which has been a staple of the series for years now and the ability to customize fighters. But then again, as a $15 download rather than a full retail release, it’s not surprising that something had to go. So now to build up ranks, instead of winning tournaments, a new License Mode gives players objectives to achieve during a series of fights. Clear these challenges, move up in rank. It’s as easy as that. As far as new costumes, there technically IS a way to dress up your fighters, but you’ll have to shell out extra cash for costume DLC.

Jackie and Sara Bryant Continue Their Rivalry... in HD!!!

Aside from the single player content, the bread and butter of competitive video games is its online component. Especially in a game like Virtua Fighter where timing is key, the slightest bit of lag can completely ruin a fight. Which is why I’m glad to say that my matches were almost completely lag free across ranked and player match. The new room match that adds lobbies to the fights surprisingly didn’t drop in quality either, even with a few different people waiting around. It’s good to see that Sega took this aspect of the game so seriously, especially with how bad lag is on certain big budget, full priced fighters.

So if you couldn’t tell from my glowing review, if you’re a fighting fan, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t own Virtua Fighter 5. The only question is whether or not it’s worth it if you own any of the previous versions. Well, how much value do you place on two new characters? How about the value of the final version of a fighting great that’s been balanced to near perfection? Not to mention that the online community is sure to receive a shot in the arm with this new release. If you absolutely have to be on top of the curve, there’s no question about it, but if you’re a more casual fan who’s perfectly happy with the previous games, there’s no urgent need for it either.

Akira Wants Some Pai...

But for the average gamer who doesn’t have a mock up arcade machine and a room plastered with Akira, Shenmue or Yu Suzuki posters, Final Showdown is still a blast to play. It might take some time to learn and undoubtedly has fewer modes than its predecessors, but the modes it does have will keep you busy for a long time. It moves fast, looks gorgeous and has 19 completely unique people to master. No clones, no similar movesets, nothing of the sort! And at $15 with what feels pretty close to a full retail experience, how can you go wrong? My only issues are the fewer modes and holding out on costumes to turn them into DLC but with the game being so cheap, some extra cash for bonus content is hard to be mad at. I’m incredibly hard pressed to find a reason not to recommend Final Showdown, and is easily one of the premier fighting games in the 3D genre. What else is there left to say? Jump online, download this game and lay a beat down on some mofos!

Geekscape Games Reviews Mad Riders

by Josh Jackson

There are racing games, and then there are EXTREME racing games! Or at least there were, but they have really gone out of style in recent years. Even kings of extreme like SSX have become more tame in more recent titles. But does that stop Mad Riders? No! This digitally released ATV racer has style to spare, with gorgeous visuals to boot. But is that enough to deserve a go around, or does this title stall at the gate?

Mad Riders features 40 plus tracks over about a half a dozen locales, all of which look fantastic in motion, (though I can’t say the same for the character models. The audience has a severe lack of faces.) By performing well in races, players will level up, unlocking new tricks, vehicles and outfits along the way. Like great arcade racers of the past, collecting special icons, racers can manually trigger boost charge stations, shortcuts and ramps… but not until you unlock the ability to do so. It feels really limiting in the beginning, since you literally can’t do anything but drive forward or boost when the game starts up, but as the game expands, that’s where it reaches its full potential.

Performing tricks throughout the races nets extra experience points while earning more boost power for extra speed. Plus, it gives you great practice for when other modes come into play. Some of the usual features include checkpoint races where racers have to hit certain spots to advance and trick contests where the racer with the most successful tricks throughout a lap wins. But Mad Riders has some lesser used ideas that make it speed ahead of the competition. Race modes like Perfectionist, where racers repeatedly complete the same lap for a set amount of time to earn the fastest single lap, are great to play. Especially with friends both locally and online.

For all of its modes, Mad Riders is pretty straightforward, which is probably its biggest flaw aside for the slow progression. Even with the large amount of tracks, many of them feel the same. The AI isn’t too difficult, so it won’t take too long to place 1st in every track the game has to offer. Not to mention that there’s nothing more puzzling than being warped to the back of a ramp because your back tires scraped the side of a rail, barrier or edge. Hey game, just because I was close to falling doesn’t mean I actually fell!

Complaints aside, Mad Riders was a pleasant surprise that took me back to a simpler times in gaming. Feeling like the closest thing we’ll ever get to a new Jet Moto, while this racer doesn’t do much to reinvent the wheel, (aside from a few great game modes,) it’s racing, online capabilities and trick systems are simple, yet effective. Plus, for only $10, you can’t go wrong with so many tracks and vehicle types, even if many of them feel similar. So if you’re an arcade racing fan, want a gorgeous HD racer or miss simple, classic style titles, should you download this title? Frankly, you’d be mad not to.

Ubisoft’s Mad Riders Reveals Groundbreaking Trailer of a Trailer…

by Josh Jackson

Ubisoft’s new ATV racer, Mad Riders, is scheduled to debut on Xbox Live Arcade and PSN this week, and what better way to build up the excitement by releasing a new trailer?

Except this isn’t just any trailer. Mad Riders has the balls to show off the trailer of the trailer! While the game has a solid release date, we have yet to receive comment on when the highly anticipated trailer will debut. But until then, the video below will have to suffice. And that won’t be hard to do with all of the insane tricks and intense racing that the video shows off. Plus, it’s clear that the developers don’t take things too seriously, which is always a plus with me.

Look for a full review of Mad Riders soon!

Geekscape Games Reviews Joy Ride Turbo

by jake108

We got our first glimpse of Joy Ride Xbox Live Arcade title a little over two years ago. At the time, it was a free-to-play title incorporating the use of our Avatars in an arcade-based racing world. Soon after, Microsoft revamped the title for Kinect use. Now, a year later, a controller-based port has arrived to the Xbox Live Arcade with an 800 Microsoft Point price tag. Is this joy ride worth the price?

Graphically, Joy Ride Turbo is a treat. Playing through each track was entertaining thanks to a few key components. Each race track comes with a variety of shortcuts leading to new portions of the track altogether. Gamers will also be treated to hidden collectables around the track, usually found in the shortcuts themselves. When racing on a map for the first time, it’s easy to overlook your competitors and instead focus on the track’s surroundings while performing back flips and barrel rolls with your vehicle.

Joy Ride Turbo comes with both single-player and multiplayer modes. While the modes aren’t plentiful, they are what is expected from an arcade racing title. Off the Main Menu, you’ll find:

Championship Series – Players choose from 100 HP to 300HP in an assortment of tracks that are mostly class-restricted.

Stunt Park – Players choose from 100 HP to 300 HP in an attempt to find every hidden car part and trophy, while collecting coins.

Aside from those, you also have the standard Quick Race option. On Xbox LIVE, you’ll find the options to race and visit stunt parks. My major gripe about this arcade title is the way matchmaking is set up. Unfortunately, when you enter a lobby, you are not able to invite any friends. Instead, you are forced to create a private match. This may prove to be a bit of a hassle, especially if you just want to invite one friend.

Joy Ride Turbo’s gameplay is solid. Players can drift, perform mid-air tricks, all of which goes towards your ability to boost. Just as in Mario Kart, players will also have the opportunity to  gain weapons and power-ups to use on the race track. With friends, these modes can be quite fun. Joy Ride Turbo supports up to 4-player split-screen, and up to 8 racers on Xbox Live.

Car customization only goes as far as changing the color. However, seeing your avatar racing is pretty great. If you’re into kart racing titles, definitely check out Joy Ride Turbo.

Joy Ride Turbo is available now for the Xbox Live Arcade!

Geekscape Games Reviews Fable Heroes

by Josh Jackson

Since its debut on the original Xbox, the Fable series has been a staple in Microsoft’s first party lineup. And why wouldn’t it be? It’s taken gamers through a second life where they could be a badass warrior, hold down a part time job, have seven wives and buy house after house without ever having to get off of the sofa. But since Fable III, the the tales of Albion have taken somewhat of a back seat, but as you and I know, when there’s a gap in sequels, make a spinoff!

This is where Fable Heroes comes in. Switching gears from the typical Action/RPG style, Heroes is a lighthearted hack n slash that takes players across many familiar locations from the franchise’s history, except presented through a puppet stage play that looks like it could have been ripped straight from an episode of Mr. Rogers. Choosing between puppet versions of the four heroes of Fable II at the start, (brutish Hammer, magic user Garth, expert marksman and all around douche Reaver, and the Hero respectively,) each character provides different playstyles that only become more varied as you unlock more puppets to use.


Once you’re actually in the game, you won’t find anything mindblowing with the game play, but it accomplishes its purpose well enough. Choosing between weaker quick attacks, more powerful flourish moves and an area clearing attack at the cost of some health, beating mini versions of iconic series foes like Hobbes, Hollow Men and Balverines without taking damage builds up a multiplier to increase the amount of gold your earn with each kill. You’ll want to make the most of these cash increases, because not only can you spend gold on upgrades and earn dice rolls for the upgrade board, (more on that in a bit.) There are always four players on the screen at once, so if you’re not cool enough to have any friends, the AI will be your new wingman. And just like a brain dead friend, they tend to stand next to hazards, refuse to move forward at points, and are just all around bad most of the time. My recommendation? Force them to be a ranged character, because the game clearly favors the melee fighters who rack up multiple kills at a time while poor little shooters fire one shot at a time at a horribly slow pace. Even when they do kill something, they’re so far away from the dropped cash that the close ranged characters will snatch it up anyway. This is serious business because the game is always comparing your results with the rest of your team, and trust me, you probably won’t want to be the one laughed at in last place.

Fable has been about choices from the start, and while you won’t be making any life altering decisions in Heroes, being able to take control of your destiny does come into play. Near the end of each stage, the team gets to choose between branching paths that will take them to drastically different areas, usually coming across seperate sets of enemies and end stage challenges. At the end, you’ll either come across a towering boss where the team will work together to slay, or competitive mini games where outlasting your friends is the key to victory. Aside from the paths, while treasure chests full of power ups are scattered throughout the game, special good and evil chests eventually appear. Good chests usually benefit the team in some way, by giving a random member a boost in strength or making it rain money. Evil chests do the opposite and have a chance of sabotaging one of your team mates… assuming it doesn’t backfire and target you instead.

So after you’ve beaten your friends down through skill or through treachery, what do you do with all of your winnings? After each stage, the heroes are transported to a board game, where a roll of the die determines what you can upgrade. The amount of gold or powerups collected determines how many rolls you get, but since it’s all determined by chance, it’s not uncommon to land on squares that you can’t access yet. Imagine being the only one in the group who didn’t upgrade because of crappy rolls? Yeah, it’s a crappy feeling? I appreciate trying something new, rather than the typical “press start to upgrade” routine, but when powering up, unlocking new skills and playable characters relies on chance? Yeah, I’m not having that. On the plus side, all characters keep their upgrades, even if you’re not controlling them, so computer characters keep their gold and can be upgraded for when you decide Reaver is boring and you’d rather be Garth. Wait, what am I saying? Reaver never gets boring.

But even with branching paths, it doesn’t help the biggest problem with Fable Heroes, which is the severe lack of content. The main game is over in about two to three hour, which isn’t helped by the game’s way too forgiving take on dying. KO’ed players can still fight as an invulnerable ghosts and the stage keeps going as long as there’s one player still alive, AI or otherwise. The only drawback, (if you can really call it one,) is that ghosts can’t collect money. But when you’ve already collected thousands in gold that you don’t lose when you die, why do you really care? Reviving is as easy as picking up a health item on the map, but you’re better off dead if you ask me.

Playing through the game again in the harder dark world or unlocking the remaining paths only adds a small amount of incentive to go through it again, but thanks to the shallow, repetitive game play, it might seem more like a chore after awhile. While it might be strange to say, the mini games were the most entertaining sections, giving a much more entertaining break from the action. Especially comparing to what… the boss fights? The ones that are almost indistinguishable from each other? Yeah, I’d rather kick exploding chickens any day. The real bulk of the replay value comes from trying to max out each hero, which is artificially lengthened by the board game I mentioned earlier. But after your first few heroes are completed, will you really care anymore? The only reason I want to keep playing is for the ability to transfer gold to Fable: The Journey when it’s eventually released.

When it’s all said and done, Fable Heroes is a fun little distraction while we wait for the next major entry, especially with a party of four either locally or through Xbox Live. The charming presentation will crack a smile from even the toughest of tough guys and competing against friends is a blast. With that said, the tedious upgrade system, the repetitive action and the huge gap in the amount of content vs. the amount of unlikable almost promises that most gamers won’t play the same small stages over and over just to see the next new character or power. It’s not like I was expecting a full on Fable experience, but with the quality and depth of the Xbox Live titles of today, Fable Heroes doesn’t even compete with older titles like Castle Crashers. Fans of the series will appreciate this new take on their favorite franchise moments, and will even give them a head start with the Kinect version scheduled for this year. But if you were looking for the next great hero of Albion, you won’t find him here.

 

Geekscape Games Reviews “Diabolical Pitch”! A Swing and a Hit!

by jake108

Diabolical Pitch is one of the more unique games available as a Kinect title for the Xbox Live Arcade. Don’t worry, this is a good thing.

Set in a twisted amusement park, you must fight waves of enemies as you progress through different “worlds” with your bionic pitching arm. What sets Diabolical Pitch a part from other games is of course its Kinect functionality, but when coupled its art style and cutscenes reminiscent of motion-comics, Diabolical Pitch sets the stage for future Kinect Arcade titles.

Perhaps my favorite part of Diabolical Pitch is in fact the atmosphere and enemies. With each cutscene, I found myself sitting on the couch, watching the screen intently…and not resting. Gamers will be happy to know that there are more than just the two kinds of enemies seen above. At the end of each world, players will have to engage in a boss fight, but nothing a “Diabolical Pitch” can’t handle.

Gameplay is simple and easy to pick up in the beginning stages, and yes, it is as easy as it looks. As players progress through the different worlds, the option to upgrade your character and even purchase new special pitches become available via cards. In order to engage the “Diabolical Pitch” mode, which is essentially your special attack, players will have to strike a pose in front of their Kinect, and yes, it can be as funny as it looks in real life.

Diabolical Pitch also offers up local multiplayer/co-op in which you and a friend can combine powers to wipe out enemies, or betray one another to win it all. Leaderboards are also present, along with your fastest pitch on each stage.

Diabolical Pitch is available now on the Xbox Live Arcade for 800 Microsoft Points, and worth every point. This arcade title is surely not one to miss for fellow Kinect owners!

Sine Mora – Geekscape Review

by jake108

Whenever I pick up a game that features a sort of ship flying horizontally across the screen whilst shooting down enemies, my mind immediately goes to the Gradius series.

Upon seeing gameplay trailers, Sine Mora immediately piqued my interest. Releasing on the Xbox Live Arcade today, should you drop 1200 of your hard earned Microsoft Points or settle for an old favorite like Aegis Wing?

Sine Mora uses a blend of time travel, talking badass animals, and steampunk-inspired bosses. Visually, the Sine Mora looks fantastic. Not once did I get tired of looking at the assortment of backdrops and bosses the game had to offer. Character designs are also unique in that there are no actual Humans, but rather animals on a fictional warring planet.

To explain key plot points, Sine Mora does not employ the use of cutscenes, but instead displays a paragraph or three of English text while a voice actor reads it over in Japanese. This method is definitely a preference, sometimes shared by gamers. Nevertheless, depending on how invested you are in the story and characters, this screen of text can go away with the press of ‘A’.

Sine Mora suffers from a case of the enjoyment of killing things more than caring why you’re doing so in the first place. Being a game that’s not supposed to scare away “newcomers to the genre”, newcomer or not, it all depends on if you like to read between stages.

Combat in the game is unique in that each character/plane comes with a set of attacks and special ability. Some special abilities include speeding up, slowing down time, and a range of devastating attacks which can only be used after collecting the right orb. Players must defeat enemies before a timer located at the top of the screen runs out. Killing enemies will increase your time. While this can prove frustrating at times, it does provide the necessity to strategically utilize everything in your arsenal.

Upon destroying some enemies, you’ll see a variety of power-ups floating around. These power-ups extend your time to prevent you from dying, increasing your firepower, increasing the amount of special attacks, or sometimes provide extra shielding.

Sine Mora does not offer co-op or multiplayer of any kind. The game does include leaderboards for the three different modes, which are: Story, Score Attack, and Arcade. Each mode uses the same set of environments provided in the game’s story. Players can also practice against bosses you’ve already faced.

While I don’t think Sine Mora‘s story was as rewarding as its gameplay, some gamers may find this title to be worth the 1200 Microsoft Points. Then again, if you’re looking from some standard action reminiscent of my beloved Gradius, save your money and download Aegis Wing for free. Sine Mora is available today on the Xbox Live Marketplace.

Geekscape Games Reviews Alan Wake: American Nightmare

by MoreLikeAndy

I don’t know about you, but my American Nightmare would be nothing but reality TV to watch and having to deal with a shitty economy. Wait, that’s already happening! Then I guess Alan Wake has it easy in the latest game in the series: “American Nightmare”.

If you haven’t finished the last Alan Wake DLC, “The Writer”, yet, you might want to before jumping into American Nightmare. I am sure you can play through without having played the DLC, but a lot of the context surrounding what’s going on will be lost on you. Since, to me, Alan Wake has been more about the story than the gameplay, this is a big deal. What surprised me when starting up American Nightmare was being greeted by live action video. It made me wish that the whole game could be played out as an FMV adventure game with how well the production value was on this.

The combat seems to be more fluid than it has been in the previous Alan Wake games which is offset by the amount of ammo given to you. I was never found wanting for ammo at all through the entire story mode. Everywhere you turn, there’s ammo. Just in case you can’t find the big flashy objects that your firearm desires, there are regenerating ammo and battery caches scattered throughout levels.

And although this time around there are new weapons to decimate the Taken, you are better off sticking to the sub-machine gun and shotgun combo. One thing I would have loved to be included while mixing it up with enemies is some sort of indication that I was about to get attacked from behind. I got overwhelmed a lot due to the sneaky bastards getting the drop on me. A subtle audio cue would be sufficient enough for me. Instead, I just mash on the dodge button and float like a butterfly while trying to unload buckshot into my pursuers.

Manuscripts play a bigger role in American Nightmare due to fleshing out the story even more for us story whores and being sort of a currency to unlock weapon cases for more powerful weapons. Finding the manuscripts are dead simple for the most part. Between the mini-map showing you a question mark when you are near one and the blinding light that emanates from the pages like it’s trying to send an S.O.S. to you, no one should have trouble exploring to find the manuscripts. I really, really suggest you find at least 40 manuscripts to get what I feel is THE best weapon in the game, besides light of course. The combat shotgun is essentially the AA-12 (Watch this for a brief primer on why this shotgun is amazing) and when I combined the flares with this magnificent beast, I felt unstoppable.

If you could care less about the story of Alan Wake: American Nightmare and more about shredding the Taken, arcade mode is for you, my good sir/madam. Pick a map, start the 10 minute timer and prepare to survive. With limited ammo for your bigger weapons, strategy plays an enormous role if you want to make it to sunrise as well as getting a reputable score on the leaderboards. The waves of enemies are endless. And the round finishes when you either die or make it the full 10 minutes.

I found it helpful to run around early and grab all of the ammo you can and then save the flashbangs and flare gun for the bigger threats as the waves increase in intensity. When in doubt, just run for your life until the timer runs out if you’re near the end. You won’t get those extra points for killing but at least you’ll survive with your life! More maps are unlocked as you progress through them and the later nightmare mode maps will definitely test just how well you handle the combat mechanics.

As a fan of the Alan Wake story, American Nightmare seemed to hit all of the right buttons for me. The dynamic of Alan Wake and Mr. Scratch plays so well that I was able to let go of the hangup that I had with a certain plot device in the game that I won’t spoil here but would probably be no sweat for Bill Murray. If you were one of many who wanted more Alan Wake, then there is no question that you’ll need to play this. Anyone else should play the main Alan Wake first or at least catch up on the story using the wiki or Youtube videos (although you will miss out on the atmosphere that Alan Wake brings to your senses when actually experiencing it for yourself)!