System requirements for The Otherside: Realm of Eons: OS: Windows Vista, XP / CPU: 1.0 GHz / RAM: 512 MB / Hard Drive: 200 MB / 64MB VRAM and DirectX 7.0 or later Key Game Features
* 25 beautifully detailed locations * More than 10 challenging mini-games * Hundreds of hidden objects to find * Dozens of puzzles to solve * Atmospheric visuals and sound
System requirements for Jodie Drake and the World in Peril: Windows 7/Vista/XP / Processor speed: 1,5 Ghz / RAM: 256 MB / Graphics Card: 64 MB / Sound Card: Windows compatible / DirectX version: DirextX 7 compatible Key Game Features
* 64 levels * Seven mini-games * Two difficulty levels * Comic book style story scenes * Professional voiceover
As this is April Fool's Day I'm a little loath to say anything of great importance just in case it's taken as a joke. I'll just stick to what I've been up to.
I spent most of the weekend working on Eagles Over the Western Front, sorting out the original artwork scans that I'd done the week before. I've made a first pass of all 89 pages, although there's a certain amount of work still to do on
A round-up of forthcoming books relating to or reprinting British comics and cartoons, along with some selected original graphic novels.
APRIL 2011 Beano Summer Annual. D. C. Thomson ISBN 978-1845354466, 11 April 2011. The Broons and Oor Wullie Summer Annual. D. C. Thomson ISBN 978-1845354473, 11 April 2011. Darkie's Mob by John Wagner & Mike Western. Titan Books ISBN 978-1848564428,
A round up of recently released titles reprinting or relating to British comics. Some titles announced for publication in the past few months but which have yet to appear can be found on the Upcoming Releases listing. An expanded, annotated and illustrated version of this list covering releases in 2010 can be found here.
MARCH 2011 Hurricane & Champion: Companion Papers to Valiant by
System requirements for Passport to Perfume: Windows Vista, XP SP1 & 2 / Pentium IV 1.2 Ghz processor or faster / 256 MB RAM / 800 x 600 minimum screen resolution Key Game Features
* 16 elegant perfume bottles * 48 ingredients to mix and match * 14 upgrades to better run your shop * Five exotic hidden object locations * Six assembly management locations
System requirements for The Treasures of Mystery Island: The Ghost Ship: Windows XP, Vista or 7 / Pentium 4 or Athlon 1.5 GHz processor / 256 MB RAM / 128 MB 3D video card / DirectX 9.0 or later Key Game Features
* Four massive chapters * 60 spine-shivering locations * Unlimited hints and tips * Interactive tutorial * 15 mini-games
Features Dozens of puzzles Hundreds of hidden items The complete story Riddle game - Absolutely FREE System Requirements Windows XP/Vista Processor 600 Mhz or better 128 Mb RAM 64 Mb of video memory DirectX 9.0
System requirements for Aerie - Spirit of the Forest: Windows XP, Vista or 7 / 1 GHZ processor / 512 MB RAM / 200 MB hard drive space / 32 MB 3D graphics card / DirectX 9.0 or later Key Game Features
System requirements for DinerTown Tycoon: Windows Vista, XP SP1 & 2 / Pentium IV 1.2 Ghz processor or faster / 256 MB RAM / 800 x 600 minimum screen resolution / Sound card recommended Key Game Features
* Five neighborhoods to save * Over 90 recipes to add to menus * More than 70 ingredients to stock * Over a dozen restaurants to manage * 25+ characters from the Diner Dash series
System requirements for Masters of Mystery: Blood of Betrayal: Windows XP/Vista / 1.5 GHz / 512 MB RAM / DirectX 7.0 / 3D Supported Video Card Key Game Features
* Over 40 levels * 25 photo realistic scenes * Hundreds of hidden objects to find * Crime scene mini-games * Captivating storyline
(* The next in our series of contents listings for Hurricane Annual. I only have a broken run of these but, thanks to the help of a couple of readers, I've already filled some of the gaps. Currently I'm still missing the contents for 1966 and 1968, and there are still a lot of artists' names to be filled in. If you can help, please get in touch.)
It's official. My 360 has suffered its now THIRD red ring of death since I bought it. It is now, however, out of warranty and will cost nearly $150 to get it fixed. Since one of the main points of this blog was to NOT spend money on games, this defeats the purpose. This leaves me with a few options:
1) Screw it, throw out my 360 and erase all twenty 360/XBOX games from my backlog. 2) Buy a used 360 for the same price as the repair 3) Call MS and raise hell
I've had recent problems with Microsoft lately. They automatically renewed my Gold membership for their new price of $60 without my permission, and then refused to cancel it or refund me the money - on a cancelled credit card by the way. I eventually got the credit card to charge back the amount and got it settled, but as soon as that gets worked out the damn system shits the bed.
You know what? I think I'm done with this stupid company and their low quality product. Screw it. I'm done. Any objections? Wanna talk me off the ledge?
Batman. Star of comics and movies and afternoon television, loved by millions of fans the world over, a multi-million dollar industry on the name alone - yet no one has ever successfully made a Batman video game that captured the essence of the movies or the comics in any real way. Freshman developer Rocksteady came out of nowhere with their attempt at a decent Bats game - and holy hell did they deliver.
Story. Arkham Asylum came out in the Summer of 2009, but it was still riding the immense popularity wave of 2008's The Dark Knight. And while it didn't have story ties with Christopher Nolan's modern masterpiece, Arkham Asylum's main villain is The Joker, and with the hysteria over Heath Ledger's portrayal of the clown-faced maniac, the game really hit a sweet spot in the market.
The main storyline of Arkham Asylum is this: you (Batman) capture Joker and return him to Gotham's home for the criminally insane. Joker seems awfully cooperative as he is wheeled into the institution Hannibal Lecter style in the game's creepy opening. Indeed, you played right into Joker's plan as he takes over the Asylum by setting all the inmates free.
The majority of the story is that setup alone - there's no real big twists or turns or story arcs. There's a ton of atmosphere and sense of place, most of which is derived from a series of Batman comics based around Arkham. But in terms of driving plot, it's a single mission: stop Joker. There are story threads that are told through hidden audio diaries - these are actually recordings of doctor/patient sessions with some of Arkham's most infamous villains. They give a lot of depth to the game's plot and characters, but don't really advance the main plot that much.
Regardless, the amount of story that is here is just right. Because this game is all about the action, baby.
Gameplay. Finely tuned doesn't even begin to describe this game. The developers captured every element of Batman's character and then some. Doing so meant blending several different game styles which can often result in a mess of a game, but Rocksteady studios absolutely nailed it.
One of the first things to comes to mind when one thinks of Batman is the gadgets. In Arkham Asylum you have eight gadgets to play around with - from the iconic Batarang to the remotely detonated explosive foam, to the ridiculously-fun-to-use zip line, you will feel like a fully equipped Dark Knight.
In addition to sweet gear, Batman also has to be stealthy. There are specific rooms within the Asylum that are swarming with armed thugs - the most threatening enemies in the game. If you're seen, it only takes two or three shots to take you down. To make sure you aren't seen, you are given the all important "detective mode". This is activated by a single button press and allows Batman to see through walls to see the position of the thugs and whether or not they are armed. You can also hang from gargoyles around the to evade and hide from trouble.
Detective Mode
These rooms are all about pattern recognition and patience. But once you start methodically taking out the guards and hearing their shouts go from taunting to pleading, you actually feel like the all powerful caped crusader. These are by far the most exciting parts of the game once you get it right.
Even with all this coolness of knocking out baddies, Batman's original occupation was a detective. The Detective Mode which allows you to see enemies through walls, also allows you to track down clues and follow invisible footprints. There are quite a few times throughout the game where you're tasked with finding an answer to a puzzle rather than finding the soft spot in a goon's head. While these sections were relatively easy, they were challenging enough to be enjoyable, and offered a welcomed break in the action.
In addition to the campaign based puzzles, there are also "Riddler Challenges" scattered everywhere. Almost every room in the game has a pun-based riddle associated with it and solving it will give you experience points and will usually unlock character bios for you to peruse. Many times you can ignore the riddle and just point at the thing that sticks out in a room, but other times they can be real noodle scratchers. But Riddler didn't only leave riddles for you to solve, he also hid little question mark trophies everywhere - sometimes easy to track down, other times deviously difficult. I was obsessed with finding as many trophies and answering as many riddles as possible. I got about 75% of them, but the time I spent trying to figure out these puzzles easily extended the game's length by 3-4 hours for me - easily my favorite aspect of the game.
Probably has something to do with that elevator...
The final thing I'll mention is that you are in a mental hospital for the criminally insane - that's a scary place, and this game reminds you of that every chance it gets. You won't be jumping out of your seat or trading in Silent Hill 2, but the creepiness is definitely there real thick. The best component of this is the Scarecrow's induced hallucinations.You'll start to see the environment around you change radically in a way specifically targeted to terrify Bruce Wayne - and you in the process. It's freakin scary. Here's a non-spoilery sample:
How much poop is in your pants right now?
The amount of variety of gameplay in this game is immense. I didn't even mention the Metroid elements, Zelda elements, or the hand-to-hand combat. While it doesn't quite match the pacing of Uncharted 2, it destroys it in the amount of gameplay styles packed in there. You will never be bored while playing this game. Never. Never ever. For real.
Presentation. Batman has always been dark, and gritty and sort of gothic (well, except for that stupid Batman and Robin movie), and Arkham Asylum captures that aesthetic perfectly. Its appropriate use of the gray scale is spot on, but the game adds variety by pushing you through a lush greenhouse garden or the night-sky lit Asylum courtyards, or Batman's alternate batcave - bathed in the blue glow of technology, its environments are just as varied as its styles of gameplay.
The voice acting and scripting is damn near perfect. Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill voices the Joker, reprising his role from the animated series. Batman still has that goofy, over-the-top gruffness to his voice, but at least its consistent with the movies.
"No! That's not true! That's impossible!" I mean..."Let's put a smile on that face..."
The little details in the game are fantastic too. For example, as you play through, Batman's suit gets ripped and his cape gets shredded - evidence and reminders of your physical struggles through the experience.
The music is awesome and reminiscent of the Tim Burton Batman music. Swelling horns and orchestration punctuates each area and victory.
The only thing I didn't like was how close the camera hung on your character. Batman took up like the entire left third of the screen, which made it hard to see at times. It's totally nit-picky and you definitely get used to it after a couple hours, but it's the only negative thing I could say about the game. Here, see for yourself.
Yo, you all up in my business. My biznass.
Stuff I Loved:
Perfect blend of seemingly endless gameplay styles
Top notch voice acting, scripting, and graphics
Freakin scary when it should be, exciting when it needed to be and methodical when you wanted it to be. Awesome.
Stuff I Hated:
Literally nothing. I was never frustrated throughout the entire game. Ever.
If you don't own this game, change that. It's by far one of the top ten games of this generation. Here, let me help you. Batman Arkham Asylum on Amazon
Features Different planets to explore Very child friendly A Funny, robotic adventure Free robot games - Absolutely FREE System Requirements Windows 98/ME/2000/XP/Vista/7 Processor 800 Mhz or better 64 Mb RAM DirectX 8.0
(* Continuing our series of contents listings for Hurricane Annual. I only have a broken run of these, so if anyone can supply contents lists for 1966, 1967, 1968, 1972 and 1973, I'd be very grateful.)
Hurricane Annual 1969 (Fleetway Publications, 1968, 160pp, 10/6, cover by ?) 2 * [Misc. Material] * Contents * ms 2 * [Misc. Material] * Fantastic - But True! * ia 4 * [Comic Strip] * The Gun That
Hell yes. This game is tippity top notch. Extremely well developed, thoroughly engaging, right mood, right controls - it's a legitimate gem of a game. Definitely in the top three of the games I've played so far in this blog.
Description Ride a BMX bike on the beauteous hilly terrain and reach the end of track before the energy bar approaches zero to explore more new exciting levels. Every stage you need to be very careful against the challenging rocky surface and use your skills wisely to avoid crashing as you have limited lives. Pick up the energy pills to recharge your energy level. Have Fun! Instructions · Pedal - Up Arrow Key · Slow Down - Release Up Arrow Key · Lean Forward / Backward - Left or Right Arrow Keys · Brake - Down Arrow Key
This is an expanded and annotated, illustrated listing of titles reprinting or relating to British comics. A full listing covering releases in 2010 can be found here.
JANUARY 2011
Dan Dare: Trip to Trouble by Eric Eden & Frank Bellamy. Titan Books ISBN 978-1848563667, 28 January 2011. It's chocks away once again as Dan Dare, Pilot of the Future, returns! First published in classic British
You might be wondering if there's truly snow in the background. The answer is YES. And we got a slew more on Wednesday!
Sullivan turned 2 on March 20th. We kept it a low-key affair: just us family hanging at the house with Gma Lynette in town too! It became even MORE low-key when the home-cooked meal I had planned went ary and I declared, moments before supper-time, that we'd be having pizza instead.
At least the cake was yummy!
Fun "parking garage" from Mama and Dada. It's a hit!
Fun T-ball set from Aunt Jo and Uncle D. As you can tell, he's all about it. Ready to take it outside soon!
System requirements for Jojo Fashion Show: World Tour: Windows XP/Windows Vista/Windows 2000 / 1 GHz Pentium 3 or equivalent / 512MB RAM / DirectX 7.0 Key Game Features
* A 10-city tour * Realistic models * Design your own clothing * 50+ styles in 100 levels of play * Style descriptions and tips
System requirements for Farm Frenzy 3: American Pie: Windows 98/ME/2000/XP/Vista/7 / 700 MHz processor / 1024 MB RAM / 100 MB hard drive space / DirectX 8 Key Game Features
* 90 all-new levels * New characters * New buildings * Unlimited game time * Never-before-seen Endless Mode
