Clover Studios is like a hot chick that got her heart broke by that jerk of a boyfriend Capcom a few years back. She got over it, changed her name to Platinum Games, and is dating a nice fella named Sega. It’s nothing longer term, but they’ve had a few beautiful kids together. First was MadWorld, then Infinite Space, and then Bayonetta. Now Platinum Games is pregnant with their newest bundle of joy named Vanquish. I know, I’m sorry about the dating/pregnancy analogy. Give me a break here. I’ve just had a kid so it’s the first thing that came to mind.

What’s the best way to describe Vanquish? Take the core gameplay Gears of War, the speed of Outrun, jets of Virtual On, add one part slow-mo, mix in a liberal dash of color, a dollop of style, lighting quick action, guns galore, a pinch of God Hand melee, and one of the coolest mechanized suits this side of Evengelion, and you’d kind of have an idea.

You’d like a more detailed description? Well fine! Read on for more ramblings on the game.

From the get go, Vanquish is not your ho hum standard third person shooter wannabe. Everything about this game screams speed and action. You could huff it and run like a punk, or you could slide on your knees like a possessed guitar player mid solo with jet packs strapped to your boots. This ability greatly changes the gameplay. Going from cover to cover or long range shooting to up close melee is quick and easy. Gone are the clunky transitions between up close melee and shooting that plagues most third person shooters. The first time I slid on the ground, firing my weapon at full throttle in slow mo, hurdling my body towards an enemy under a rain of bullets, and unleashed a volley of melee attacks upon my foe, I was hooked.

For those familiar with the trappings of third person shooter, you’ll feel right at home with the payload of weapons. Automatic main gun, heavy machine gun, shotgun, and grenades fill out the roster. The weapons may be standard in name, but there is nothing slow or sluggish about any weapon. Firing off any one of these bad boys gives you a very satisfying stream of bullets. Each weapon also changes your type of melee attack from a back flip kick, punch combo, or charge.

Graphically this game has a style all its own. It does resonate the played out space marine vs. alien kind of vibe, but it’s in the details where things become drastically different. Your suit is made up of an array of bladed metal pieces that morph and shift in shape as you shoot, slide, and move. Frankly, it all looks awesome. There were times I couldn’t believe all the action and mayhem unfolding before my eyes.

Someone at Platinum Games must have heard my grumblings about camera speed and control. You can not only adjust the speed of the camera when in third person view, but also the camera speed when aiming, and the camera speed when zoomed in. This allows the player to select a higher speed when in third person mode, but a slower camera speed when precise aiming is needed.

Both the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions look and play identical (though the PS3 gets a slight edge because of the better controller). In light of the botched PS3 version of Bayonetta, I sincerely hope this means Sega got the message and will port Vanquish correctly.

As amazing as Metroid Other M is, Vanquish takes things to an entirely new level. I will be there day of when the game is released October 19th, 2010. I’m still amazed Capcom let this group go more than three years ago. I’d say Vanquish is the big middle finger to Capcom while Platinum Games says, “See what you missed baby”.

So go download the demo and play the goodness for yourself. For those who have played the demo, post your thoughts and opinions.

For some reason unknown to me, I’ve had a fascination with the wild world of retro. Have you ever wondered what Stars Wars would look like in the simple beauty that is silent film? You’re right, neither have I. Now I know.

After some uncomfortable pains early this morning, my wife and I headed to the hospital to see if this kiddo was ready to pop out. Though it was contractions, there was no sign of delivery. No worries, the baby was doing great so we headed home and went back to sleep. So here I sit typing this up as we wait and see. We have a c-section scheduled for 5:00 A.M. Tuesday morning (who pick these times?!) if the baby doesn’t come before then. I’ll be away from the site and my computer in general for the rest of this week. I will be taping a few videos and doing some special stuff, but you’ll have to wait to see what that is until this weekend or later.

For those interested in what’s going on, I’ll be updating my Twitter feed throughout the entire process.

Substance TV’s Twitter (now The Baby Countdown!)

Thanks again to all the viewers and fans who’ve sent their kind thoughts and words. I’ll be posting an update video later this week covering what’s going on with Extra Joy and Volume 1 of Substance TV. The next time you see me, I’ll be a papa of two!

Why did I not know about this sooner? I know I’m completely behind the curve on this news, but it is my duty to inform you the people of this monuments event. Shout it from the rooftops even! The Back to the Future trilogy has been the Blu Ray collection I’ve been waiting for. This release coincides with the 25th anniversary of the franchise (geeze I feel old), and is slated for Tuesday, October 26th, 2010!

It will feature an all new restoration of the film with a boat load of bonuses (including a huge brand new retrospective). All I can say is, “GOTTA GET BACK IN TIIIME”.

Check out the link for more detailed info.

Indeed I say WOOT! The largest video game concert in the world, Video Games Live is set to make its Wichita debut with the help of the Wichita State University Orchestra and choir November 9 at Hartman Arena! This might not mean jack to you, but I live in that little town called Wichita, so this is awesome news. I’ve heard a lot of positive talk about the show, but I’ve never gotten a chance to go myself. It’s time to right that wrong.

Seems there will also be some special events including a pre- and post-show festival, interactive game demos, prizes, a costume contest, game competitions, and a meet-and-greet with top game composers and designers. I’m hoping by that time I’ll have an HD camera to get some footage of the event and possibly do a few interviews. If nothing else I’ll bring back some pictures of everything.

Tickets go on pre-sale tomorrow! As much as I loathe Tommy Tallarico, I’m pumped for this event and will most likely pick up a ticket. If you’re in or around the Wichita area, don’t miss out on this concert.

BTW: For those not in the know, ICT is slang for Wichita. GANGSTA!

I’ve never seen a group of people so fearful of a 1-up in my life.

A few weeks ago, my original Dreamcast bit the dust. Oh it turns on. It just won’t read discs. Thankfully Dr. Shawn with Game Repair took my Dreamcast into his personal care to see if he could bring it back from the dead (he’s a witch I swear). In the meantime I needed another Dreamcast to fill the void in my entertainment center. What is a boy to do……

A quick search of my local Craigslist solved that problem. This gentleman (sucker) was selling his Dreamcast, cables, two controllers, and two blue VMUs for $20. The sweetest part of the whole deal, it was an early model capable of playing burnt games (t3h romz). After we made the exchange (this sounds like a drug deal), I took a closer look. Well more like a smell as everything was permeated by the stench of smoke. The system and controllers showed the classic signs of stick-this-in-a-corner-and-never-clean-it. After a good cleaning and some TLC, she was good as new.

Then last week as I’m browsing through Craigslist, I find a listing for a “business” selling used games right around the corner from where I work. The guy specifically states he’s selling used Dreamcast games. I have to use Google Maps to find the place as it’s not where one would expect a used game store. In fact it wasn’t a used game store at all but a row of storage units set up like an outdoor flea market. As odd as it was, I looked around. Most of the stuff was either junk, sports games, common crap, or overpriced uncommon games. I didn’t take the time to do a full scan as the guy was eying me like a hawk (I guess there was a rash of 6′4″ ogres stealing stuff in the area).

Sitting in the middle of a row of old tables was this steering wheel. Nothing special at first glance, but upon closer inspection I discovered it was a Dreamcast wheel for $5. It even had a VMU still lodged in the slot (guess the guy figured it had to be in there). I’m no steering wheel expert (in fact this is the first steering wheel I’ve ever owned for any video game system), but a quick search of the net revealed this was a pretty top notch steering wheel for the time. A few rounds of Daytona USA confirmed it. Second Dreamcast deal, complete.

So last night I’m browsing through Craigslist, refreshing my browser every few minutes, and up pops a listing for another Dreamcast. Now if this was another Dreamcast, I would have passed on the deal. Reading the listing my heart skipped a few beats. It read:

Sega Dreamcast Set with 12 games, memory card, 2 controllers, keyboard, ect. Games included are Skies of Arcadia, Grandia 2, Phantasy Star online, Sonic Adventure, NBA 2K, NBA 2K1, Resident Evil Code Veronica, NFL 2K1, Wetrix, Virtua Tennis, Sword of the Berserk, and Bass Fishing. Excellent condition $45.00 for all.

Fourty-five bucks for all of that? My fingers couldn’t dial the number fast enough. A stately man answered the phone, and as calmly as I could, I informed him I wanted to purchase his Dreamcast lot. We scheduled the meet up for today after work. After going to the wrong gas station down the street, I arrive at the correct gas station. I drive up to find a man in his late fifties with a box of Dreamcast items. A bit odd, but alright. He lets me inspect the box to make sure everything is in order. Upon first glance I noticed some items not in the listing and certainly not Dreamcast related. In the box was a copy of Chrono Trigger for the DS, Summon Night: Swordcraft Story, and Golden Sun for the GBA (both with boxes and instructions mind you). I figured it was stuff he was selling to someone else, but as I paid him the cash and took the box, he protested not. He only said this was his son’s Dreamcast and he was getting rid of it (not sure if his son knows about this or not but whatever). He even commented that he got a flood of texts and calls after he put the listing up (good thing I was the first one). All I could think was: SCORE!

Now the deal trifecta is complete. I’ll keep a lot of the stuff, and sell others, but it was the thrill of the chase. All I gotta say is, Craiglist indeed rocks. Commerce in its’ purest form. No fees, no mailing, no Paypal, just an exchange of goods between two people. God Bless ya Craigslist.

Sidenote: It’s always befuddled me how someone who takes such terrible care of his console has it work like a charm, yet someone like myself who takes immaculate care of his system has it die on him. Seriously, these guys do everything but run over the system with a steam roller and it’s just fine. The gaming gods are cruel indeed.

I have a rabid love for all things Platinum Games. Their latest outing, Bayonetta, is one of my favorite games this gen. So it’s no surprise when a game by the name of Vanquish hit the scene, I was as happy as a little school girl.

Until now, we’ve only been treated to still screen shots. Gametrailers just released the world premiere trailer of Vanquish in action. And wow, just wow. It looks to give the 3rd person shooter a good kick in the pants. Jetpacks, sliding on the ground into back flip kicks, shooting in slow-mo, thousands of missiles, and action galore make for a tasty mix. Just as Platinum Games perfected the 3rd person action game, I’m betting they’ll perfect the 3rd person shooter game. We’ll see when it’s released for the PS3 and 360 later this year. Until then, enjoy the mayhem.

When one thinks of the phrase “Scum of the Earth”, what comes to mind? For some it’s lawyers. For others it’s used car salesmen. Still for some it’s Lady Gaga (C’mon folks, just stop listening to her. Like a stray cat, if you stop feeding it, it will slowly die off).

But ask that same question to a gamer and the response will be one company: GameStop. From the workers trying to push their EDGE card, terrible trade in values, bad customer service, used games with no manual or cover, sucky pre-order bonuses, jacked up prices, or the lack of video game knowledge, many folks do not heart GameStop. As a general rule of thumb, I agree with this sentiment. Most of my video game shopping is done online, at local used stores, pawn shops, or thrift stores. GameStop is usually my last resort.

When I first found out GameStop was offering a free demo of Monster Hunter Tri, I was mildly interested. Throw in $5 off the game and a free 500 Wii points card if I pre-order? Now you’ve got my attention. I begrudgingly pre-ordered the $60 edition with the Wii Classic Controller at a GameStop near my work. As is the case with GameStop pre-orders, you don’t get the bonus until you pick up the game. Seems they had a problem with people pre-ordering, getting the bonus, and never picking up the game. I have no idea who would do such a thing.

The blessed release day arrived and I swing by GameStop after work. I give them my name and phone number. Easy enough. They find my pre-order and ring me up. I ask about the free 500 points Wii card, and the employees tells me, “Oh, it’s in the box”. Luckily I had just got off the phone with Erik a few minutes before who told me there was no card in the box. I inform this bright gentleman that the card is not in the box but handed out separately. His eyebrows twinge as if to signify confusion. Another employee comes around the counter and informed him that yes, the card did come separately. So the two of them stumble around looking around for it. Seriously, on the day of a new release, you don’t know about your own store’s pre-order bonuses? Finally after a few minutes they find a stack of cards and hand me one.

Alright, halfway there. He rings me up and I notice my total is only $5 less than the normal price. It should be $10 off: my $5 pre-order, and the $5 off pre-order bonus offer. I bring this to his attention. Once again a look of bewilderment appears on his face. He has no recollection of any kind of offer. This time he has no epiphany, no discovery, no great thought. He just stares at me. After a good five minutes of discussion, still nothing. So instead of wasting my time arguing with this slack jaw, I had a better idea. I took my game and promptly went to another GameStop close to my house to resolve this situation.

Over the years, I’ve gotten to know most of the staff at this particular GameStop, and they are great guys who enjoy games without sucking the life out of you. I’ve even had a few of them over to my house for a gaming night a few weeks ago. So I go to the counter and chat it up with one of the guys I’m acquainted with. I let him know about my little issue. He knew exactly what I was talking about and promptly took my receipt, pressed a few buttons, and gave me my $5 back. Here’s the best part, he hands me a free 500 Wii points card. What is this? A kind gesture from a GameStop employee? In fact it was.

So you know what I do, I put that $5 he gave back to me on a pre-order. He scratched my back, I scratched his. From now on, if I ever pre-order or shop at any GameStop, it will be that location only.

Moral of this story. GameStop as a corporation sucks, but there are a few select individuals who make it suck less. Treat them with a fair share of decency and see what happens. You might be surprised, or supremely disappointed. Not sure which.

If you notice anything out of place, send me an e-mail or message so I can fix it ASAP.

No, no, no, this is not an opinion. This is not a matter for debate. This is the cold hard truth.

But since I’m being honest, here are a few more truths. When it comes to first person shooters in general, I am average. On a good day I can maybe reach the top four in any given round. I’m good, just nothing spectacular. So I stake my awesomeness in Battlefield 1943 not out of pride, but just because it’s true. How did I come to such a conclusion? Simple.

The other night while playing, I scored a total of 1,040 points in a single round!

As you can see, I had 27 kills, each worth 10 points for a total of 270 points. Add in another 130 points for extra points garnered from killing tanks, vehicles, planes, or turrets for a grand total of 400 points contributed from kills. That leaves 640 points in captures, squad assists, and other various tasks which bring us to 1,040 points.

The real question: Why am I so awesome? Ummmmmm, I really don’t know. I don’t play the game radically different from any other FPS. I capture bases and kill enemies. Simple as that. Maybe it’s the combination of skill, class balance, teamwork, capturing bases, and the enemies lighting up as red triangles every time they fire giving me a clear direction in which to shoot. Whatever it is, somehow my gaming brain is in perfect sync.

Now if only I could parlay my awesome Battlefield 1943 skills into something cool like alligator wrestling or knife throwing.

BTW: I’m also awesome at Boom Boom Rocket. That makes me awesome at a total of two games. Not bad for 27 years of hard work.

The enigmatic Kasumi Goto steps into the limelight in BioWare’s latest DLC for Mass Effect 2. You may have heard of her exploits in news reports while traveling through the Citadel and Illium. Titled simply, “Kasumi\’s Stolen Memory”, you are tasked with helping the hooded thief crash a high profile party in an elaborate heist to gain possession of an important object. The object of value is no mere piece of art. Kasumi refers to it as a “gray box” containing the memories of her former partner. More importantly, it contains valuable information critical to your mission and the survival of the universe.

Is this DLC worth forking over seven greenbacks? Read on to see…

After your accept Kasumi’s loyalty mission on the Citadel, a new neighboring system opens up. In pure Bond fashion, Shepard sports a more refined futuristic black suit. The entire mission oozes that 007 swagger. Team up with a beautiful and mysterious babe, invite yourself to the most lavish party, dress to the nines, use a ridiculous alias, hob nob with the galaxy’s well to do, sneak into private lofts looking for clues, break into a safe containing valuable goods, and you’re a regular Sean Connery. Only thing missing is a chick in a bikini running down a beach, but I don’t think Kasumi’s that kind of gal.

Of course it wouldn’t be Bond if you didn’t get into a bit of gun play between it all. It’s less sneaking around and more, “Find a clue, OH NO THEY FOUND US, SHOOT! SHOOT! SHOOT!”. I tell you what, these structures of the future are made with some amazingly effective sound dampening material. I could have re-enacted the cobbling scene from ‘Misery’ and no one would have been the wiser.

Towards the end of the mission, Shepard gains access to a new weapon called the “Locust” SMG. Known as the gun that killed two presidents, it has quickly become my new SMG of choice as it is much more accurate than any other SMG currently in my arsenal. As a Vanguard, my SMG is a mainstay, but the horrible accuracy made it unusable in many medium to long range combat situations. In exchange for accuracy, the rate of fire is slightly slower, but a worthwhile trade-off.

Kasumi is a welcome addition to your crew. As a thief, her skills reflect the trade, cloaking herself, sneak tactics, and a few other tools get the job done. Her specialty skill is a ninja like move, aptly named “Shadow Strike”. She cloaks herself and sneaks behind the enemy uncloaking to deal a deadly blow with her omni-tool. An Overload skill makes her great against synthetics. As with all other loyalty missions, completing the mission gains the character’s loyalty ability. In this case it’s a quick grenade like flash bang that disables the enemy. This makes her effective against both synthetics and organics. If you’re tired of your other tech squad mates, she’s a perfect fill in.

As a character, I enjoyed Kasumi. Her design is slick and looks ripped straight from the next Star Ward Knights of the Old Republic. Though she doesn’t know how to apply lipstick correctly. Poor gal looks like she’s mental or didn’t have a mirror. She’s cool, calculated, and brilliant, with a touch of personality and flare. The voice actor portraying Kasumi fits the bill with an excellent delivery and perfect tone. Compared to Zaeed, she’s a breath of fresh air. Less cliché and more unique. That guy struck me as a tool from the word go.

I’ve steered clear of revealing important details concerning the mission. I want it to be a surprise when you play through. I can tell you the story and resolution is satisfying. At the end of the mission, you will be asked to weigh in on an important decision concerning Kasumi. The ramifications of your decision are unknown at this point, but I would be interested to see how it may effect Mass Effect 3.

I’m not going to sit here and figure out the price point comparative to the retail game or the price per minute. That’s plain stupid. Either it’s worth it or it’s not. No amount of mathematics will change that fact.

Final verdict: Buy it!

The DLC clocks in around 60-90 minutes depending on your pacing. Not only is the story and mission interesting, Kasumi as a character is well worth the price of admission. Add in a new outfit for Shepard, a SMG with decent accuracy, a few tech upgrades, a chance to gain extra Paragon or Renegade points, a 15 point achievement, and you’ve got yourself one fine package. For fans of BioWare’s Dragon Age, you’ll get a kick out of the included easter egg within the mission. The DLC is priced at 560 Microsoft space bucks or $7 in the States.

BioWare has a way of crafting a compelling narrative that captivates and makes you genuinely care about these virtual people. It’s part of what draws you in and keeps you coming back for more. Problem is, I always want more. Keep the DLC coming BioWare. I need my fix!

BTW: For those who chose Tali in your quest for love, Kasumi has a few words to say on the matter once you complete the mission and talk to her back aboard the Normandy. I’m curious to know if the conversation is exclusive to Tali or if Kasumi has something to say about each crew member depending on who you chose. For those that bought the DLC, what were your thoughts?

Just this week, Rare made it quite apparent they were not interested in reviving or revisiting old franchises (source: kotaku). In an odd turn of events, Rare seems to be backtracking. Sources close to both Microsoft and Rare say a new Killer Instinct game is in the works.

Details are scarce, but we do know the graphics engine will no longer use pre-rendered models. All graphics will be rendered in real time 3-D, a first for the Killer Instinct series. It’s also assumed this will be exclusive to the Xbox 360. The only other piece of corroborating evidence is a memo sent to all Rare staff last month. I can’t tell you how this got into our hands, but it was worth it. While cryptic, it seems to point towards the development of a new Killer Instinct title. Decide for yourself:

Proof of a new Killer Instinct in development!

Wow, just wow. I can’t wait to play this game when it comes out.

The other night I’m in a party on Xbox LIVE. You know, shootin’ the breeze with a few friends, catching up on life, and seeing what’s new. I was playing a bit of Battlefield 1943 while the rest of the party was deep in Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer. Feeling like the third wheel, I asked the guys what other games they had. To my surprise, each of them responded with, “I only have Modern Warfare 2”.

What?

Of course one guy chimed in, as if to impress the others, “Well, I have NBA 2K7”. Wow. Great. Of course curiosity got the best of me. I asked, “What other games are you interested in?”. Each of them say in unison, “I really don’t care to buy any other games and mostly likely won’t”. They didn’t even have a simple Xbox LIVE arcade game. Nothing. Just Modern Warfare 2.

Let’s do that magical math dance and figure the least you would have to spend to get this setup.

Xbox 360 = $200 (base arcade system)
Modern Warfare 2 = $60 (new price)
Xbox LIVE = $50 (1 year access)

We’re talking about dropping at least $310 to buy the system, game, and online service. All this to play one game? Look, I could care less what others do with their money. This just doesn’t make sense. Why spend all this money for one game? I can think of a few dozen better ways to spend $310 on a single experience. Mind you, these gentleman have owned an Xbox 360 for a few years and have a considerable amount of disposable income (well at least two of them do). It’s like going to a fancy restaurant and getting the steak every time. You’d miss out on a wide array of other great dishes.

My plea to you: rent, borrow, demo, but somehow step out of your comfort zone and experience new games. Think outside of your preconceived notions. I would have missed out on an amazing series like Mass Effect had I not just tried it.

So go forth and try!

I know the premise of reviewing what amounts to a bunch of skins for your virtual shipmates is a tad ludicrous, but follow me on this one.

There is no denying I’m a sucker for anything Mass Effect 2, I mean I bought a book based on the game. That fact may make me a wee bit biased. The DLC includes one new costume for Jack, Thane, and the best of all, Garrus. Here’s my quick thoughts on each costume.

Jack’s costume is my least favorite of the three. For some reason, it doesn’t fit her persona. She looks like a poor man’s Geordi La Forge. It’s all a little too buckle crazy for my taste. The black looks alright, but her tattoos are her costume. Her original costume is still the best so this costume is pretty much worthless for me.

Thane’s new costume is kind of interesting. Though for being a trained assassin and sniper, I’m not sure why he has sunglasses on. Wouldn’t that make things more difficult? Thane has a new dark grey outfit with red accents and it looks pretty nice. Seems to fit his persona much better than Jack’s.

Now all this DLC would be a waste if it wasn’t for Garrus’s new costume. I won’t ruin the game for you, but when you find Garrus in Mass Effect 2, he gets pretty beat up and his armor shows it. In a way, it was cool to see Garrus with his beat up broken armor on. It reflected his character and what he had gone through. Even after finishing his loyalty mission, Garrus still wore the beat up armor. Wouldn’t he want to fix it? I mean after 46 hours, he’s still wearing it! This new DLC costume fixes the problem.

First and foremost, his armor is fixed! The glowing blue lines around his armors give it a very Tron vibe. Overall the armor has a very metallic feel. Though what’s with the dual microphone?

Bottom line: I would only recommend this if you’re a die hard fan of Mass Effect 2. I personally enjoyed this DLC, though I know it’s not going to be for everyone. Note, this adds no new content or story, it’s just costumes. I would say save your money for the Kasumi DLC slated for April 6th.

And would you believe it, but there are already remixes of this song. I knew I may be exposing my ears to some awful music. Try as I may, I couldn’t resist. I must say, I’m glad I went on this little musical adventure. A remixer (I guess that’s what you call them) by the name of geckoyamori posted a remix of this song but with a decidedly Sega Genesis flair to it. The arrangement and sound is leaps and bounds above the original. Just listen.

That is some seriously amazing stuff right there. He also has some amazing remixes of other songs from Mega Man and even a reinterpretation of Super Metroid with a Sega Genesis vibe.

geckoyamori’s 8 bit collective page
geckoyamori’s Youtube page

The God of War III Ultimate Edition is hard to come by these days, but thanks to the laziness of others, you may prosper. Many who pre-ordered the Ultimate Edition at Gamestop have not picked up their copies. After 48 hours, Gamestop is required to release these games to the general public. In a move that confuses and elates me, Gamestop has lowered the price of the Ultimate Edition from $100 to $80. We’re talking about a $20 price drop on a hard to find version of the game that’s a little over a week old. Huh?

But who cares. Now you can possibly get your grubby little hands on this sweet set. Here’s the scoop, the Ultimate Edition is not on Gamestop’s website, so forget about trying to do a store locator or find it online because you won’t. Call your nearest Gamestop and ask if they have any copies in. Make sure they actually check and ask if any pre-orders have not been picked up. If they have none, politely ask them to check their system for any copies at other Gamestops in the area. Take note of the stores showing the game in stock, but don’t take their word for it and go sprinting over there. Call each store up to make sure. Ask them to hold it back and take your happy self on down to pick it up.

For those who took advantage of the 50% trade in offer earlier this year, this is a supreme way to spend your leftover spoils. If you’re lucky, they may have saved back the pre-order bonus. Ask if they happen to have any around. They might just be swell enough to hand one over.

The sooner you call, the better your chances of scoring a copy so get to it! Happy hunting and enjoy.

I’ll admit it, I’m obsessed with Mass Effect 2. As the last name of the credits scrolled by, one all consuming thought entered my brain: ME WANT MORE! Even after investing 42 hours and pouring over every single mission and quest, the addiction couldn’t be satisfied.

I was a little more than excited when I heard about the Firewalker DLC coming March 23rd. While at the same time, I was worried. I loved the original Mass Effect, but let’s be honest, the Mako was a big brown smeared turd that made planet exploration a chore.

So is the Hammerhead a worthwhile addition to the Mass Effect world, or nothing more than a Mako with a new paint job? Read on to find out…

Once the Firewalker DLC finished downloading, I accessed the galaxy map, and a new system appears for exploration. Scanning one particular planet reveals an anomaly (surprise, surprise). This new planet is a barren fiery wasteland with rivers of molten lava. As you exit the lander, right smack dab in front of you is a huge metal container. A simple decryption, and voila, there she is, the Hammerhead. I have to say, it looks pretty sweet. Much sleeker and sexier than the Mako.

Right off the bat, I could feel the difference in the vehicle. First and foremost, it’s a hovercraft. Turning left and right is as simple as pressing left and right. Steering and speed are controlled by the left analog. Yes, this is the same setup as the Mako, but since this is a hovercraft, it can move in any direction seamlessly. Simple as that. No worry about backing up or making a sluggish uncontrollable 3 point turn.

As this mission/tutorial begins, I’m directed towards a glowing blue cylinder (hmmmm me thinks this is a sign). I head in that direction, but there is a valley between me and my goal. Like the Mako, ‘A’ makes you vehicle jump, but the similarities end there. Your jump is less of a small hop into the air (with a uncontrollable fall to the ground), and more of a steady ascension upwards (and a soft graceful landing). You can go much higher than before. Holding ‘A’ will continue to move the craft skyward for a few seconds. After a few seconds, the boost stops and you fall. But unlike the Mako, once your boost ends, you can press ‘A’ once more to boost back up giving you greater control of your momentum.

After clearing the gap, I get to the first checkpoint marked by a yellow circle on the ground. The games prompts me to press ‘Y’ to begin a scan. Now this next part I don’t quite understand. I move the Hammerhead into the middle of the circle and begin my scan. For some reason, the Hammerhead goes into seizures as it scans shaking and moving all around. This moves me out of the circle, and the scan fails. The next try, I do my best to wrangle the vehicle into the circle by using the left analog to compensate. A few seconds later, I’ve scanned the point and it’s on to the next point. It’s just weird that your ship goes into contortions while scanning. Must me a bad flux capacitor.

While you can move forward by pressing up and the analog, you also have access to a boost via the left trigger. As the name implies, it makes you go faster. I get to a point with debris and I’m prompted to clear it by shooting the Hammerhead’s weapon. Pressing the right trigger shoots a small missile like projectile. The rest of the mission plays out the same, scan, scan, and scan. Pretty much, the first mission is set up to do nothing more than a glorified tutorial, and in that respect, it does the job well.

After the first mission is complete, new missions open up in other parts of the galaxy. Most feel like a glorified tutorial with some action bits mixed in. You won’t be blown away by any means, but as a side distraction, it’s entertaining.

This DLC is available as part of the Cerberus Network, so this DLC is a no brainier for me. For those who bought it used, the Cerebrus network will run you 1200 Microsoft points ($15 in the States). As a stand alone DLC, it’s a bit underwhelming in the story department. In fact there is no story, it’s straight up gameplay. So don’t think of the Firewalker DLC alone as $15. There is a plethora of other content available through the network. And with new content in the future, I’d say it’s a worthwhile addition.

Think of this as BioWare’s official apology for the Mako. I look forward to seeing future content released using the Hammerhead with a little more meat.

Bottom line: If you get the chance, check this out. Think of it as an introduction to the Hammerhead. It’s not a groundbreaking addition, but it’s still a blast to play.

For those who downloaded it, what are your thoughts?

From the creators of Substance TV comes Extra Joy!. A weekly show covering everything from video games, toys, comic books, movies, TV, music, art, design, culture, news, and much more. Every week Brian and Erik will pick three things they are playing, watching, listening to, reading, or thinking about and give you the quick rundown. Enjoy the first edition!

Let’s face the facts, ever since Sonic & Knuckles on the Genesis, the Sonic series has sucked hard. Sorry, as much as you’d like to think Sonic Adventure was a good game, you’d be wrong. Dead wrong. Sonic Adventure was a nice try, but it still sucked. After the 100th time of falling off a course into the white abyss as Sonic lets out a pitiful “NOOOOO!” because the camera couldn’t keep up with the action, I had enough. The phrase “by Sonic Team” ranks up there with “by Uwe Boll”. The only true fan base of Sonic are those too ignorant to know better, or those trying to hold on to some shred of hope.

It’s no surprise the recent release of a Sonic 4 teaser has brought a certain optimism to the failing franchise. A return to 2-D and the classic platforming is a sight for sore eyes. But then I remember how time and time again Sega has failed us. Like a battered spouse we keep coming back even when we know the pain won’t stop.

Through the darkness, there may be a light. See Sonic 4 is not just being developed by Sonic Team. Sega is getting help from a little known company named Dimps.

Dimps is an Osaka-based development studio with an additional office in Tokyo, Japan. Employing a staff of 218 people, it is known for developing such games as the Dragon Ball Z: Budokai trilogy for the PlayStation 2, and the Sonic the Hedgehog games specific to the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS under the guise of Sonic Team.

If you’ve played any of the Sonic Advance series or the two Sonic Rush games on the DS, you’ve played a Sonic game developed by Dimps. We officially have Dimps, not Sonic Team, to thank for the handful of good Sonic games developed in the past few years. Not to mention they also co-developed Street Fighter IV, so their resume of work is impressive. I do stress the term “co-developed” as Sonic Team still has their grubby little hands in the creation of Sonic 4 (meaning they could find a way to royally screw it up).

O.K., so maybe I spoke too soon. Sonic 4 may suck. I can’t be sure. But knowing Dimps has a major role in the creative process could mean the end of the nightmare and the dawning of a new age for the Sonic franchise.

We’ll known for sure when the game is released later this year.

- Brian

These days there’s a million and one ways to play Tetris. Even with all these advancements, we’ve always played as the passive controller of these blocks from the outside looking in. Now what if you could switch the viewpoint? Instead of seeing the blocks from the outside in, see how the blocks see the world from the inside out. Well now you can. In first person Tetris, you take on the viewpoint of the Tetris block as it spins and the outside world turns in tandem.

I can so clearly see the plight of these poor blocks and it makes me understand them a little better. So will you take a little time and see what life is like from the view of a Tetri?

www.firstpersontetris.com

BTW: Thanks to ltbarton for the link

- Brian

In the January Free Play we were giving away a complete copy of Treasure’s underrated classic, Wario World for the Nintendo Gamecube. And the winner of the January Free Play is……

ltbarton

Congrats and enjoy my good sir!

Ah the month of February. For us here at Substance TV, the month of February is indeed about love. Oh but not the love between two people, but the love of between a person’s head and the pavement. What better way to celebrate this kind of love then by giving away a game that celebrates the bond of fist and face. So this month we are giving away Urban Reign for the PS2. This game is all about mayhem of the fist and foot variety. This was the first game we reviewed in episode one of Substance TV, and even all these years later, it still stands the test of time. In fact, like a fine wine, the passage of time has made it even better.

Urban Reign is also a game that provides many “Bein’ the Man” moments. You know, those times where somehow you pulled off that awesome gaming feat and amaze even yourself. For reference, check out the video of us doing just that. So for the February Free Play, we want you to tell us about your “Bein’ the Man” moment. Was it when you beat the last boss on Contra III on hard with just your machine gun and one life? Did you beat M. Bison in Street Fighter II with a double perfect? Whatever it is, tell us about your “Bein’ the Man” moment. My “Bein’ the Man” moment was in F-Zero GX for the Nintendo Gamecube, but instead of describing it to you, I’ll do one better and show you some footage.

As with every Free Play, you can enter by posting a comment here or on the YouTube video (which will be up soon). But this month, you can also gain an extra entry by submitting a video response to the YouTube video. Either tell us about your “Being’ the Man” moment on video, or better yet, show us some actual footage of you doing some amazing video game feats. If nothing else, show us a few pictures of your moment. This gives you a total of three possible entries into the contest!

Deadline for entries is February 28th at 11:59 P.M. so get to crackin’.

Thanks again to everyone who has participated and good luck to all.

– Brian

It’s fair to say Blaster Master Overdrive lived up to the hype, since it was released merely two days after it was announced. The verdict? Well, Overdrive turns out to be a failed experiment and feels very much like an unfinished game. Here is list of fundamental issues I had with the game:

1. The tank’s main gun overheats. (The gun has it’s own bar that drains with every shot, but refills). This means you have to wait for the gun to cool down before you can use it. What now?

2. The tank jumps half as high as the original NES game. Not nearly high enough.

3. The BLAAHHHH looking enemy explosions.

4. Walking outside of the tank in the sidescrolling areas feels like you should be using a walker.

5. You no longer can throw grenades, instead you have a rocket launcher that fires a shot every 2 seconds.

6. THE FLIPPIN’ TANK’S GUN OVERHEATS!

But, the enemy’s are in full color instead of monochromatic. Hmm… I guess that’s game’s biggest plus. As a no name freebie Flash game, it may work, but as a Blaster Master game, it fails. So please, spend your hard earned money on anything but this.

- Erik

From out of nowhere, Sunsoft announced yesterday the release of a new Blaster Master game titled: Blaster Master Overdrive. Announced on 2-6-10 for a release on 2-8-10 via WiiWare for 1000 Wii points (talk about no hype). This isn’t even listed on the ESRB website. Sunsoft likes to surprise us I guess. From first impressions, this COULD BE and amazing game. It looks and sounds reminiscent of the old style and many game mechanics look intact. But is Sunsoft rusty after all these dormant years? Will find out Monday when the game is released. We will be purchasing the game tomorrow and will post impressions as soon as possible to let you know if it’s worth your Wiibucks.

- Brian

As promised, episode 11 is out! As previously mentioned, we cover Shinobi III for the Sega Genesis. We also take a look at Klonoa 2 for the Playstation 2. You know how I mentioned we had a big game up for review, well I wasn’t lying. Substance TV has the exclusive first video review of the brand new shmup from our boys at Cave, Mushihimesama Futari Ver. 1.5.

We’ve made a few additions and improvements to the show to make it more enjoyable and viewer friendly. Give us your feedback on the show. We always strive to make it better and better each episode, and your comments and criticisms help in that.

BTW: Right click the icon below to download the Windows Media version instead of streaming it. Doing so will allow you to watch the episode in the highest quality running at 60 frames per second.

DOWNLOAD:

As an exclusive bonus of being the totally awesome people you are by faithfully visiting this site, we’re giving you the release date of episode 11 of Substance TV. In production since late October, the final game I was patiently waiting for came in last month, giving me the chance to finish the episode. As a cherry on top of the aforementioned bonus, we’ll reveal one of the games up for review. For those who recognize the ninja like figure in white as the infamous Joe Musashi, you already may know.

One of the games up for review is…. Shinobi III for the Sega Genesis.

I won’t go into any detail as I’m saving that for the show, but just to put things into perspective, Shinobi III is not the most amazing game in this episode. Episode 11 will have the exclusive first and only video review of a brand new next gen game. Needless to say you’ll want to tune as this is a game you need to know about.

Speaking of tuning in, when should you? Good question. Episode 11 of Substance TV will premiere on Sunday, January 31st, 2010 on both YouTube and this website. For those who watch it here at www.substance-tv.com, you’ll be able to watch the full high quality version, with perfect audio clarity, and all while running at 60 frames per second. Oh yea, we don’t screw around when it comes to quality.

So for now, it’s back to work. See you next Sunday!

- Brian

I’ve been a little hush hush about a big secret in my life, but now that my wife has gone public on Facebook, it’s time to spill the beans. My wife and I are going to have another baby! We’ve been a quiet on the subject for a few months now, but we thought it was time to start telling friends and family, and I consider all of you friends.

This is also a major reason why episode 11 has been delayed longer then I’d like. After we found out awhile back, I knew things were going to be a whirlwind, and indeed they were. I wanted to focus my entire attention on being not only a father to my son Avery, who is now almost 20 months, but the new baby to be. That means less time to work on the show, and more time devoted to family. Things are going very well, and from time to time I’m able to do some work on the show. Nevertheless, progress on episode 11 is coming along nicely.

Anyway, thanks for all the support from our fans and friends. We’re lucky to have folks like you around. I’ll keep you updated on all the pertinent baby information as it comes.

BTW: Tommorrow we will be announcing not only the release date of Substance TV episode 11, but I’ll tip my hand and let you know one of the three games we will be reviewing. Check back tomorrow to find out!

P.S. PatrickBoivin has some amazing stop motion videos and has been a favorite video creator of mine for some time now. Check out his YouTube page for more goodness.

For some time now I’ve heard the comments from fans about the missing audio from episode 4. Over the past months I’ve tried all I could to get the original audio back, with little to no help from YouTube. I’ve been searching through the old archives and finally found a version with sound and decided to bite the bullet and just re-upload the episode. So enjoy and thanks again everyone. Episode 11 is going smoothly so look forward to that coming soon!

The month of December is over and the winner of Y’s Ark of Napishtim and the strategy guide is:

SPac316!

Congratulations my man! Hopefully the smooth gooey goodness of Y’s will keep you warm these cold and frigid Winter months.

Now for the January Free Play, we’re giving away a game near and dear to our hearts: Wario World for the Nintendo Gamecube. In a departure from his beloved Wario Ware Inc., Wario beats, slams, and pile drives his enemies in a quest to get his hands on that glimmering gold. Not only is the game play flat out fun, the soundtrack is also amazing. Composed by Norio Hanzawa and Minako Hamano, it fits hand in hand with the on screen mayhem.

On the subject of great soundtracks, for this month’s contest, we want to know what your favorite video game soundtrack is and why. Or if you’ve got more than one favorite, just pick one. One of my personal favorite video game soundtracks is Galaxy Force II. I can remember playing the game in the arcades for the first time. I strapped myself into the full size sit down machine and clunked in two quarters. As the game started, I was greeted by this song.

(Make sure to click the HD button for the high quality stereo mix and slap some decent headphones on while you’re at it!)

Composed by Koichi Namiki, this is a classic soundtrack from start to finish. The driving multi-layered almost jazz like synth melodies with that sweet underlying thumping bass made it pop and shine. To be honest, sometimes I boot the game up not for the game play, but for the music. Those melodies will be stuck in my brain forever. And would you believe it, those same funk bass lines present in this soundtrack were early licks and runs I mastered when learning the bass guitar years ago. To this day it’s been a musical influence on my personal style.

So that’s it, tell us your personal favorite video soundtrack, and you’re entered in the contest. The deadline for entry is January 31st at 11:59 P.M. CST. We’re even playing around with the idea of posting the winning soundtrack on the site to download for free (more details on that as they come). I’ll be posting the video up on YouTube soon to give you and extra chance to enter, but since you fine folks visited our website, you get first crack at it.

Thanks again and best of luck to you!

There’s a lot of awesome new coming out of this years CES. At the moment, I could care less about any of that because Capcom just announced Final Fight Double Impact; An Xbox LIVE arcade DLC of not only Final Fight (yes), but also Magic Sword (yes and yes). Details are sparse, but Capcom has confirmed new HD graphics in the vein of Super Street Fighter HD. Thankfully there will also be an option to play with the original visuals. The standard leaderboards will be present, alongside the most important aspect these games desperatley need:

ONLINE CO-OP!

Even sweeter it’s drop in drop out. Just like to old arcade. Capcom stated the game will be released sometime in March of this year. I myself cannot wait to download this goodness. Both Erik and I are huge fans of both games making this a no brainier.

Now, if Capcom could just do some IP maneuvering like they did with Marvel vs. Capcom 2 and re-release Alien vs. Predator.

Link to video footage

Have you ever imagined fighting all the bosses from Mega Man 2 with all the weapons from the original Mega Man? Madness you say, well then you’ve come to the right place. Our crazy neighbors to the East made a freeware PC game called Rockman 2 de Ippatsu Neta. Of course you could download the game. Only problem being it’s all in Japanese. But who cares, it’s Mega Man right? You don’t need no stinkin’ English patch.

Well evidently someone was drinking their daily recommendation of awesomesauce and decided to translate this little gem into English. Even more awesome, they retitled the game “Rockman2 Boss Battle Extravaganza Thing”. A work of art I tell ya. I haven’t played it yet myself, but I plan on downloading it and trying out this twisted experiment.

ENJOY!

If anyone else had played it, what did you think?

BTW: Thanks to Duece from the Neo Geo forums for this tasty tidbit.

Sorry the site has been without updates the past few days. I caught a lovely bug this weekend and have since been sick like a dog. I’ve not been feeling all that up to posting on the site, but today I’m feeling much better. Thought I would post an update and let everyone know I’m doing alright. I’ll be posting the December Free Play winner in the next few days. As far as episode 11 goes, my voice is getting much better and I should be able to finish the voice over soon. Thanks again for all your support guys (and gals)!

Pursuing around my Twitter feeds, I noticed the announcement from DICE that Battlefield 1943 will be only 600 points (a measly $7.50) on December 31st only.

Hey followers, please help us spread the word, this Dec 31st on XBLA BF1943 is only 600 MS Point!

I can’t tell you the number of hours I’ve put into this game. Well I guess I could, but I’m too lazy to check and partially scared of how much actual time I’ve spent on this game. This is an amazing game and worth the original $15 price point, so it’s certainly worth half of that. I bought this game not only for the 360 at full price, but for the PS3 as well so I could play with Erik and other friends on PSN making it the first game I own on more than one next gen console.

For those of you who own a 360, and you don’t have this game already, get to it. You won’t regret it. I know Modern Warfare 2 is all the rage now, and I love that game to pieces, but this is still worth the purchase.

- Brian

2010 will be a great year for gaming. I can’t remember a time when I was looking forward to so many great games. Since the new year is just around the corner, I felt it appropriate to cover some the best upcoming titles in January.

First up is Bayonetta on January 5th. Created by former Clover Studios employees, known today as Platinum Games, Bayonetta is a crazy 3rd person action game. You play the role of a witch with four guns (2 in hands, 2 strapped to feet) and you fight against some pretty impressive looking monsters. The gameplay is very similar to Devil May Cry with the slowdown feature of Viewtiful Joe. The game will be released on the PS3 and Xbox 360 and demos for both systems are available now on their respective online services.

Then, we come to January 26th. On this blessed date, we will see the release of No More Heroes 2 for Wii, Mass Effect 2 for Xbox 360, and my personal favorite, Tatsunoko vs. Capcom for the Wii. It seems I just can’t get enough of that insane vs. gameplay. Now Capcom is promising the game will be online enabled, which is a rarity for Wii games.

The other possible late January early February Wii release I’m keeping my eye on is Data East Arcade Classics. The collection will be only $20 and feature (deep breath) BurgerTime, Peter Pepper’s Ice Cream Factory (the rare sequel to Burger Time), Bad Dudes vs. Dragon Ninja, Burnin’ Rubber, Caveman Ninja, Crude Buster, Express Raider, Heavy Barrel, Lock ‘n’ Chase, Magical Drop III, Secret Agent, Side Pocket, Street Hoop, Super Real Darwin and Wizard Fire. WHEW!! I’m sorry about the unconfimed release date, but every site I checked gave me a different date. Majesco’s (the game’s publisher) website says February 2010 and Amazon.com says Feb. 9th, so be looking out for it.

Oh, and lastly, Sega is having a temporary price reduction on their best-selling Virtual Console games. The following games will be available for 500 instead of their normal 800 points through Jan. 6th, 2010: 

Sonic the Hedgehog 1-3
Gunstar Heroes
Toe Jam and Earl
Puyo Puyo 2
Shining Force
Golden Axe
Altered Beast
Streets of Rage 2.

This is just the beginning of 2010 and OMG I need a lot more money.

Till next time everyone,

- Erik

After hearing months ago about the Castlevania’s epic return to a 2D non-Metroidesque action game, I couldn’t help but be excited. I would hear sparse rumors about a release date, but nothing confirmed. I was more than surprised to wake up this morning to find Castlevania is upon us with no hype or fanfare before its release. OMG!

First off, I love the Wiiware and virtual console service. Downloading new games and ones from years past is a good thing. However, the one thing that (use Peter Griffin voice) “grinds my gears” is that Nintendo does not give out release dates for games released weekly. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one surprised that Castlevania came out.

Enjoy this great title today for 10 measly greenbacks. You’ll be glad you did. Consider this article the fanfare the title deserved.

- Erik

The blessed time is now upon us. This Christmas, my family bestowed to me the final key to complete the current-gen trinity. Opening the container the relic had been stored in, I thrust my hand to grasp what my heart had yearned for. Bathed in a white sheen of heavenly radiance, I beheld a beauty like no other. I deciphered the ancient text to reveal the mysteries within, and how to harnass the power of this device. As I interfaced the monolith with electrical power and established audio and visual connection, my journey into the abyss began.

So yea, I’m pretty excited about the whole deal. Now I can finally play some of the more amazing games I have yet to play. Now I bid you all farewell as I start my fantastic journey (a.k.a. play some Wii goodness).

- Brian

I couldn’t have said it better myself. So I won’t. As always, you rock GoodieBag.

I saw these a few months ago on a fellow employee’s desk and my nerd jealously kicked in. Seems these are a one of a kind custom painted pieces. They all look faithful to the original cast (expect for Scotty who looks more like a drunk Brad Garrett). Past that, they spelled Scotty with a “k”. Seriously WTF? Here another question, where in the blue blazes is Bones?! Even with all the oddities, they are still pretty cool. And you’ll see this action packed story only on Substance TV. Yes indeed, turn to Substance TV for all the hottest nesting doll news and scandals!

- Brian

Remember the first time you saw Jurassic Park, Star Wars, Back to the Future or Raiders of the Lost Ark? You probably did not see some of them in the theatres, but always wanted too. Avatar is one of those movies.

Avatar just released on Friday, December 18th is extremely impressive. As a fan of classic science fiction, I know James Cameron has the gift of giving us movies that he himself would want to see. The Terminator movies are a great example of how Cameron pushes the boundries of filmmaking to new levels.  Avatar is no different. The story is cut and dry and very easy to understand. The characters are easy to relate to and yes, there are a LOT of special effects. So many, in fact, that it was hard to tell what was real and what was a CG image. That’s a good thing. Furthermore, the movie is presented in RealD 3D, which adds a new dimension to the art of storytelling. You might find yourself swatting fireflies that float in front of your face.

The music of Avatar is also top notch. I have been a fan of James Horner’s music since I was a child. The soundtrack is a mix between Willow, Apocalypto and Aliens. Quite a score, indeed.

So everyone, I beg, no plead with you to see this masterpiece today you will not regret it. Recommend.

- Erik

Like many other fans of James Cameron’s exemplary work, both Erik and I anxiously wait to see Avatar. But the real question remains, does Cameron still have the magic after being dormant for more than a decade? We’ll find out Friday December 18th at midnight when it premieres in the States. A few hours ago, the movie premiered in the UK (lucky Brits who get the sun earlier than us). Early reports from various news sources already hail the movie as an epic triumph.

The best endorsement yet comes from the one and only Steven Spielberg. Yes, we forgive him for Indiana Jones and The Crystal Skull. We blame it on Lucas. Anyway, Spielberg watched the film last Friday on Fox’s studio lot in Los Angeles and loved it. “He flipped for it,” says a person close to the acclaimed director. This one endorsement goes a long way to ease some of my worry. The only way I’ll know for sure is to see the film myself when it opens. Sadly I already have prior obligations on Friday (a Christmas party with the Mrs. and some friends). Thankfully Erik already has his ticket to the midnight showing in 3-D. At least I can find solace one of us will see it day of.

C’mon James, don’t let us down my friend.

- Brian