We start with the rumors flying around about the successor to the Xbox 360. Will it use Blu Rays, will it have some sort of measures in place restricting gamers from playing used games on the console, and will it actually use a stupid name like Xbox 720? Then in our main topic we address ludology vs. narratology. Does story or interactivity take precedence or does it truly depend on the game? Watch as Brian and Landon duke it out in this extra long episode!

After dozens of calls between agents and countless meetings, we’re honored to have Norm Caruso as our special guest on Boomzies.

You might know Norm from his show ‘The Gaming Historian’. It’s a documentary series covering the history of video games. From Donkey Kong 3, Game Genie, Vectrex, Medal of Honor, Sonic the Hedgehog, he covers it all. He’s also co-host of the Level 7 podcast.

Make sure you’re there on Feburary 4th at 10pm CST sharp for this very special episode of Boomzies.

If you haven’t already, check out thegaminghistorian.com for more information on Norm and his shows.

The dark one George Lucas has officially announced his retirement from ruining our childhood in film. We take a look back at his career and the future of his popular franchises. Then in our main topic we ask are video games the new TV? With video game consoles turning into all in one entertainment devices, will it dethrone TV or merge into one ball-o-media goodness? All this and more in Issue #27 of Boomzies!

After an impressive launch, the PS Vita has experienced a bit of a slump in sales in Japan. Does this spell disaster for the fledgling handheld or is it too early to tell? Then Landon and Brian talk about the games, music, movies, and all things geek they are excited for in the fabled year of doom, 2012.

The other day someone told me that Batman was not a super hero based on the fact that he is only a man, no special powers, just a regular guy. At first I gave my response, a bit angrily I might add, and went on my way. Then I thought to myself, if this person feels this way then surely others do too. Now I wouldn’t be a good Batman fan if I didn’t squash this thought and spread the good word of the Bat. So here it is, my full thoughts on not just why Batman is a super hero but why he is quite possibly the best super hero ever.

Get ready for the long haul on this one folks.

The first assumption here is that to be a super hero you must have some sort of meta-human power. These include but are not limited to; flying, super-speed, super-strength, x-ray vision, power of will, invisibility, and for good measure leaping tall buildings. While these attributes can certainly make one a super hero, they do not define it. Instead it should be defined by the ability to fight crime and injustice on a large, or if you will, super scale. This already makes Batman a super hero by the mere fact he defends Gotham, not to mention the entire world, daily.

There are plenty of other super heroes who are merely mortal as well. Green Lantern’s powers do not come from within but are granted by a ring. Yes, he does amplify those powers with his will, but will alone does not constitute a power. Captain America is only a government guinea pig for a super soldier formula, which grants him his powers. These do not take away from the men or their “super hero-ness” it only means they are not Superman, but I don’t see people arguing if they are considered super heroes.

In fact by Batman being only a man makes him one of, if not the greatest of super heroes. He teaches us; boys, girls, young and old, to overcome the limitations we are taught to accept as mere mortals. He shows us we can do and be better. Granted he has the cash to put his fantasy to greater heights than we can achieve, but it does not stop us from dreaming.

Batman knows he is a human, therefore he understands weakness, pain, and suffering. This makes him a stronger and better hero than others. While Superman can feel pain, he does not know the true weakness of being human. There are only a few instances in comics where he looses his powers and becomes human. In those instances though when Superman regains his powers, he is a better man. He becomes a more powerful hero because he understood weakness, because he was mortal for an instance. Batman is in this state at all times, yet he continuously overcomes it and that is no small feat.

Bruce Wayne is not able to be Batman forever. Inevitably he will have to step down. Being human means you age at a steady pace and Bruce Wayne will grow old. Batman will not. Being Batman is more than being a man, it is being a legend. The cowl can be passed down and live forever, thus extending the legend. See in recent history with Bruce Wayne’s “death” and Dick Grayson taking over the mantle of The Bat (or see Batman Beyond where Bruce trains young Terry McGinnis to be Batman), the legend lives, and grows, with each new installment it grows stronger. Characters like Superman cannot pass on his ability, while he grows old at a slower pace eventually he will be gone, and gone forever.

Batman isn’t called the worlds greatest detective for nothing either. In fact he is so intelligent he has a plan to take down virtually any super villain as well as his fellow heroes should they turn. He has taken down Superman on multiple occasions. This is a testament to not only his skill and training, but his intelligence and will. See The Dark Knight Returns. Batman also has the greatest rogues gallery, and yes, you can be judged by your counterpart. From the insanity and instability of the Joker to the shadowy and illusive nature of Catwoman, Batman truly has faced it all. One of the reason’s Batman’s character has been around for 70+ years is because his foes are so unique and interesting. Nobody wants to read about a hero defeating boring characters.

In conclusion to this lengthy thought, Batman is 100% a super hero any way you slice it. While he doesn’t have meta human powers he does indeed have the ability to fight crime on a large scale. He teaches us to be better, to overcome the limitations we are taught to accept, and to be fearless. Batman is more than a man, more than a hero, he is a legend and it doesn’t get much better than that.

The newest installment in the Mission Impossible franchise hit theaters this Holiday and this time around it is directed by none other than Brad Bird (Yupp, the Incredibles guy). In my opinion with the James Bond franchise swinging towards more realistic scenarios, I’m seeing this franchise taking over in the high impact action movie scene. Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is back a few years after the events of MI:III and his team this time around consists of Brandt (Jeremy Renner), Benji (Simon Pegg) and Jane (Paula Patton).

Ghost Protocol is by far the funniest Mission Impossible, large thanks to Simon Pegg’s character who frequently comes into the action sequences and steals the scene with his comments. By no means does this take place of the action, because this movie has tons of it.

Find out more of my thoughts after the jump.

Like I said, this movie has some insane action scenes and they feel even more realistic because of how they are filmed. Everyone knows Tom Cruise is insane, fact of life at this point, but in that insanity comes an incredible actor. If he can do it, he will. To film one of the more intense, “Holy Shit” moments in this movie he is literally hanging on the side of the largest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Check out the image below, he is really doing it.

The rest of the cast truly hold their own weight throughout the film. I’ve already mentioned Simon Pegg’s character is really funny, but Paula Patton is as gorgeous as she is deadly in this movie. No wonder Tom Cruise is dangling over the Burj Khalifa if it allows him to work with her. Also, Jeremy Renner is no slouch in this film with plenty of action scenes as well as some good humor to boot.

The mission, should they choose to accept it, is to stop the character Cobalt from receiving a list of nuclear trigger codes from an assassin, to top it off they have no support. Tensions are high throughout the whole film, they visit some gorgeous locales such as Dubai and India, and the action flows from start to finish.

Truly MI:I set the stage for a new action franchise, MI:II strayed a bit while MI:III knocked it out of the park. Ghost Protocol comes back, delivers and then some. This movie is a solid choice this holiday season, it delivers thrilling action, great comedy, and the usual Mission Impossible twists and turns! Go see it today!

The Adventures of Tintin is out now and is it worth your holiday cash? The advertisements say that it takes the best parts of Indiana Jones and Pirates of Caribbean and mashes them together. In a nutshell, yes that is how this feels, and that is a damn good feeling. Tintin is at it’s heart a true adventure film, delivering a fantastic journey that essentially anyone can enjoy. This film is kid friendly but by no means a kid movie.

My full thoughts after the jump.

The title sequence does a great job of highlighting Herge’s original vision while beautifully transitioning into the CG film, all the while being a really fun backstory to the characters. The first thing you notice when the movie begins is how gorgeous the animation is. The way the characters move and interact, especially Snowy the dog, are so lifelike it’s unbelievable. Throughout the movie you visit one beautiful location after another; from oceans to deserts this movie has it all.

I only saw this film in 2D so I can’t account for the 3D although the movie is so beyond colorful I would almost recommend the 2D as 3D can dull the color palette of most films. Not to mention the surcharge of 3D films is a bit high for my tastes. To each their own though.

Honestly this film puts Spielberg back to his old self, pre Crystal Skull (which I don’t believe is as bad as everyone makes it out to be, but definitely the weakest example of Indie). Like I said this is a true adventure film and kid friendly but not a kids film. What I mean by this is there is nothing vulgar about it, feel free to take your kids to this film but the characters carry guns and are frequently put into mortal danger. One of the main characters is essentially a drunk through most of the film, so definite alcohol references.

Overall, 100% worthwhile film. It has great adventure and locales, top notch animation, and definitely worth your holiday cash. Take your family out to see The Adventures of Tintin and you will not be disappointed!

An episode of unequaled e-drama, Brian and Landon discuss the SOPA bill, how it could change the internet as we know it, and why you should be concerned. Then in our main topic we duke it out over the five best and five worst games of 2011. Some we agreed on, others we disagreed on, while still others we fought over like cats and dogs. Don’t miss the epic battle in the last normal Boomzies of 2011!

Tell us your best and worst games of 2011 in the comments below.

You asked for it and after weeks of trial and tribulation, Boomzies is finally available on iTunes! Let me tell you this was no easy feat. It sure seemed like it would be easy enough, but oh was I ever wrong. So for you hip to the ways of Apple and iTunes you can get your Boomzies on.

New issues of Boomzies will be made available every Monday for download on iTunes as a video podcast. You can either search the term ‘Boomzies’ on the iTunes store or click on the link below to be directed right to the Boomzies iTunes show page:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/boomzies/id490146814

Now here’s where we need your help. If you’ve got an iTunes account, show us a little love by subscribing, rating, and commenting. Because when it all comes down to it, we’re a bunch of egotistical self loathing individuals who only find worth in the praise of others. So enjoy and share the love of Boomzies unto the ends of the internet!

P.S. A big thanks to Coldguy from That Guy With The Glasses and Norm from The Gaming Historian for their help. I couldn’t have gotten this podcast working without them!

Even before I saw the trailer for Metal Gear Rising Revegance, I was giddy like a little school girl. Platinum Games developing a Metal Gear game in conjunction with Kojima Productions? Yes please! The trailer only solidified what I felt would be the must have game of 2012. The rest of the night, none of the other announcements at the VGAs matter. Just Metal Sweet Mother of Mercy Gear!

So I was honestly surprised when I saw some of the negative comments about the game. I was very tempted to respond to many. Some I did, while others I simply ignored. But I thought why spend my time making one or two comments to random folks on the internet when I can assemble all my thoughts in one big mega epic article. Hence this monstrosity was born!

So with that here are my thoughts on this group of dissenters.

First and foremost, can we all simmer down about the name of the game? Is “Revengeance” an odd mix of two words? Sure. The Japanese have a quirk about mixing words and sounds together. In fact the name “Konami” is a conjunction of the names Kagemasa Kozuki (current chairman and president), Yoshinobu Nakama, and Tatsuo Miyasako. Hence mashing together revenge with vengeance isn’t so abnormal. In the grand scheme of things, does the title to a game in any way make it look, sound, feel, or play better? No. Beyond that bit of logic, when as gamers did we buy video games based on “That’s such an artistic and beautiful name”? Do you remember when you first heard the name “Play Station”? I remember thinking, “What, it’s a station you play? How weird of a name is that?” Years later here we are and the name Playstation is part of the gaming lexicon and rolls off our tongue without a second thought. The same goes for Revengeance.

In terms of this not being a Metal Gear Solid game, you’re exactly right. It isn’t. Kojima and crew specifically left the “Solid” out of the title because it is not part of the “Solid” series in many ways. It is a Metal Gear game, based in the Metal Gear universe. Kojima himself stated, “We’ve only said that the period setting is several years after MGS4. Metal Gear Rising is not part of the Metal Gear Solid series.”

Now that we’ve gotten this “Solid” thing off the table, let’s move onto the complaint of “This isn’t a Metal Gear game”. Well boys and girls, last time I checked, Hideo Kojima did in fact create the Metal Gear series. So between you, me, or him, who would you think is the best candidate to decide the future of the Metal Gear series? I don’t know about you, but I’m personally going to go with Mr. Kojima.

A few complain it’s not the classic stealth gameplay they’ve come to know from the Metal Gear series. As Ed McMahon would say you are correct sir! Question being who made the rule the Metal Gear universe can only handle stealth and sneaking games? Are we as gamers so jaded, close minded, and stubborn we can’t accept a different kind of gameplay style in our Metal Gear games? In that case, someone call Nintendo and cancel Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros., Super Mario RPG, or any game starring Mario that isn’t a classic side scrolling platformer. Hey I love the Metal Gear games because of their stealth. It makes it unique and fun. With that in mind I’m also open to other styles and places this franchise can explore. How truly sad we’ve become when a fun game is shot down simply because it’s not the same old same old. C’mon people, think outside of your little world for a nanosecond.

Then I’ve heard some people complain that it’s missing Metal Gear’s “serious atmosphere”. Wait….what? You mean the same Metal Gear series which featured a playable naked Raiden in MGS2 running around as he covered his family jewels with one hand and punched with the other? This was made even more weird/creepy when it was discovered Raiden had no family jewels to speak of. It’s true! If you did a flip and paused the game while he was in mid-air, you could see he doesn’t have anything there. Just a genderless void. There’s even a part where President Johnson walks up to Raiden, cups his crotch and asks, “You’re…a man?” What’s with Metal Gear and crotches anyway?

Ahem….back on subject.

I’ve even heard some say the game is too over the top and not realistic enough for a Metal Gear game. Realistic? Fortune, Vamp, The Sorrow, and Psycho Mantis explicitly had supernatural powers? (Vamp’s nanomachines and Fortune’s electromagnetic shield only amplified their innate abilities). Raiden himself stops a city-sized Arsenal Gear carrying 25 Metal Gear RAYs and hundreds of Gekkos in MGS4. This series is all about over the top and as about far from reality as it gets.

Still others say Raiden is too powerful. Granted you don’t want a character so powerful it makes the game mind numbingly easy. With games like Bayonetta, Platinum Games has proven you can have a character that looks and feels infinitely powerful, but with limitations set in gameplay and story to create a challenge. It’s the mark of a well balanced game. Though as I reminded you earlier, this was the same Raiden capable of stopping Outer Heaven with one hand. Outer Heaven is a city-sized Arsenal Gear whose hangar alone carried 25 Metal Gear Rays and hundreds of Gekkos. If he wasn’t strong enough to toss a single Metal Gear Ray into the air, I’d be a little worried.

Of course this wouldn’t be complete without those whining about the graphics. I’m still amazed graphic elitists exist today, but sadly they do. Personally I think the game looks gorgeous. The art style, use of color, and design of the characters is top notch. Past that, Kojima explained he asked Platinum Games to incorporate “A Raiden that moves at 60FPS, that controls well, and looks good”. So we have not only a good looking game, but one that moves at a buttery smooth framerate. If that doesn’t sell you on it, then that’s your personal opinion…..poopy as it may be.

But then there’s the complaints about the story. The old build of MGS Rising story was set between MGS2 and MGS4. When Kojima Productions decided to go with Platinum Games, they decided it was limiting and changed it to after MGS4. Platinum’s game design demanded the story to be changed. They made it explicitly clear the gameplay comes first. May I say finally! A developer who gets it: gameplay first, everything else second. This is a video game by the way. Sound, graphics, and story are important, but should not take the place of gameplay. Kojima Productions stated the original project failed due to the previous director. He didn’t have a clear vision for the game design. They made the mistake of starting work on the story, mocap, etc. first based solely on the “cut anything” gimmick. They tried to add gameplay elements, but it always felt not enough to make a game. They made multiple prototypes, but it never really worked. Moral of the story, work on the game play first, worry about the other stuff second.

For those assuming the story will suck, please stop it. Just stop it. Unless you have direct access to the script your words are wasted. It’s been confirmed gameplay is 100% Platinum Games, while story and cutscenes will be handled by Kojima Productions. Remind me again why everyone is so worried about the story when it’s been confirmed the team responsible for story in every Metal Gear Solid game is writing this one? As they go through the development of the game, they check with one another, making sure the characters and the world are presented correctly as it should be in Metal Gear universe. It says a lot when both teams have a mutual respect for one another and work together to make one harmonious creation. I personally think the story is in good hands.

Worst of all, there are those bothered by the idea of Platinum Games developing the game. I guess I could understand this complaint to an extent. Having an outside company come in and develop a game which you’ve loved for years is a scary thought. We saw what happened when Konami allowed an outside company develop a Castlevania game. The results were disastrous. So one would naturally be concerned about Platinum Game developing a new Metal Gear game.

Well as is the case with movies, I look to the director to gauge whether a movie has the possibility to be great. I look at their past work and history to determine if I want to see that movie. In the case of video games, I look to the developer. Platinum Games might be new to some of you, but the team members which comprise this little company are no spring chickens. In fact some of your favorite games were developed wholey or in part by Platinum Games. Titles like Viewtiful Joe, Okami, and God Hand were all developed by Clover Studios of Capcom. In 2006 the Capcom Board of Directors voted to shut down the studio. The members of Clover Stuios would leave Capcom and found the studio now known as Platinum Games. This is a development team with decades of expierience and talent. They have not only created amazing games in the past, but titles such as Mad World, Bayonetta, and Vanquish have proven they’ve still got what it takes.

To those who say, “This is just Bayonetta with a new coat of paint”, have you truly played Bayonetta? Sure it’s a third person game featuring a sword as one of the many weapon you can dispatch enemies with, but to make the gross overstatement it will be just like Bayonetta is simply silly. Bayonetta’s gameplay system is deep and intuitive. Not only that, nowhere in Bayonetta can you chop enemies into thousands of bits. This is but a trailer. I’ll wait to pass judgement on the depth of the gameplay system until I can play the actual game. I’d advise everyone else do the same.

This is why I’m stoked for Metal Gear Rising Revengeance. Past the awesome trailer, past the viceral cut it all up gameplay, past the story, past the guitar ladened rock tunes, past even the title, it’s being developed by a studio that’s proven themselves time and time again. It says something of Hideo Kojima when he realized the game was at a standstill and not progressing in a forward motion. I imagine as creative person, it’s a humbling experience to admit when your work in progress has failed to meet the goals you set out to meet. This is why I have so much respect for both him and Kojima Productions. They saw the inevitable reality and put the project in the hands of a team capable of handling such a high action ninja game. This is a game that could not have been created by only Kojima Productions or only Platinum Games. Their individual talents and skills can now come together in one harmonious array of swords and bloody good action. To create something new through an exchange of ideas. A true collaboration.

No matter your opinion of the game, have the decency to at least rent or try it when it’s released. If I can get past my jadedness and play both Dark Souls and Skyrim, I hope the rest of you can do the same.

Here is an in depth video covering the truth behind the history Metal Gear Rising Revengeance.

In our biggest episode yet we start things off with a special look at the Video Game Awards Show. Which essentially is Brian drolling over the epic and amazing Metal Gear Rising Revengance trailer. Then we talk about the rumors surrounding Shigeru Miyamoto stepping down from his position at Nintendo. What does this mean for the future of the company and Miyamoto? Finally in our main topic we talk about the science of video game sound. From sound effects, music, and voice acting, sound plays a huge role in video games. How has sound evolved and where is it going in the future?

Microsoft surprised me today when it released it’s own Xbox Live app for something other than a Windows phone. Now if you own an iPhone or iPad you can get some of your Xbox 360 experience on the go. I, still high on the new Xbox (ad polluted) Dashboard update, had to download this as soon as possible. First and foremost you should note that this application is free, so you might as well give it a shot if you have an iOS device along with a Xbox 360. Secondly you should note that this app is gorgeously designed if you like simplicity.

Find out my full thoughts on the jump!

The interface for this app is pretty damn slick. The new app imports your avatar, achievements, friends, messages and wardrobe. On all screens you have access to your message box, which you can send and receive messages to anyone on your friends list at any time. Personally, I love this, as I do not have a chat pad for my 360 and hate using the controller to form messages, so now I will use my phone at all time.

From the home screen you have access to Xbox’s spotlight videos which play quickly without issue. You can swipe to the right and get to your account page where your Xbox avatar pops in to greet you. They have the full animations that you would see on your Xbox, which is pretty rad to see my baby Chocobo dancing on my iPhone around my avatar. From here you can access your full friends list with all the same options you would have on your console, you can even see all of their avatars and animations.

With the new Xbox dashboard update came a new option called “Beacons” which has been added to the iOS app. These are basically settings which you can add to say that you are interested in playing a specific title with friends online to help promote online gaming. From the avatar screen you can even fully customize your wardrobe on the fly and it updates automatically, which is pretty neat.

If you swipe right one more time you come to the games page, which shows all the games you have played as well as your achievements. You can compare games and achievements through your phone against your friends list here as well

All in all, this app does most everything you would expect, about the only thing this needs is a marketplace, or potentially themes like the console. If you have an iOS device as well as an Xbox 360 go get this app, it is free, gorgeous, and works. Go, go get it now!

After decades in print, Gamepro is going away. We talk about how this happened and our memories of this once great gaming journalism juggernaut (try to say that three times fast). This is our main topic we talk about the video game graphic ceiling. What will happen if we hit this fabled fidelity and how will it change the industry? Join us as Brian and Landon battle each other for the crown of geekdom!

It’s Black Friday the most deadly time of the year. Brian and Landon share our deals, steals, and tears from the busiest shopping day. And since it’s Thanksgiving weekend, what more appropriate subject than the video games we are thankful for. We look at those games that changed the industry, personal favorites, and influenced future generations of interactive entertainment.

Plus watch as our phone glitches and fails us miserably live on cast.

As I’ve stated before, I’m not on the cutting edge of all things indie gaming. In fact I wouldn’t have known about games like The Binding of Isaac had I not seen them on MANvsGAME’s cast (which by the way you should be following if you’re not already).

Now that my indie credibility has all but been discredited let me tell you about a little game by the name of Project Black Sun. Or better yet why don’t I let the developer Starflower Games tell you about it:

The hero is doing his daily jogging routine until misfortune happens and he ends up in abandoned mines. He tries to figure out the path to get out of there and the game idea is just about that get out of the place, defeat bosses along the way and collecting skills and stuff.

Project Black Sun is a 2-D game inspired by classics like Super Metroid and Castlevania with a dash of survival horror. Well elements of survival horror without the horror. It’s certainly a survival game as it you have weapons with ammo, and sometimes that ammo can be hard to find. Add to that the game can be difficult at times. The atmosphere also adds a dash of tense fear about what’s around the next corner. So let’s call it a survival mildly tense Metroidvania.

With all the comparisons between classic games like Castlevania and Metroid, could this indie title really live up to all the hype?

I got the chance to play the demo of the game and found myself really enjoying it. The demo itself is awesome because it’s the actual full game sans the checkpoints so you get the full game experience to judge whether it’s worth the $6.99 asking price (though spoiler, it’s worth the price of admission). Controls were tight and responsive and to top it all off, it runs at 60 wonderful, beautiful, sexy, sumptuous frames per second. Mmmmmmm frames.

The game is available for download via a Steam-like service known as Desura. What you say you’re not convinced? You want a video to seal the deal? Seriously you can’t take my word for it? I’m hurt…I really am. Alright ye of little faith, here’s your video.

We have a live Q&A session with Richard Ross of Operation Rainfall to get their side of the story and how this organization of dedicated Nintendo fans is seeking the international localization of three Wii games. Then in our main topic we talk about World of Warcraft vs. Star Wars: The Old Republic. With Star Wars The Old Republic beginning beta testing, there’s a lot of buzz surrounding the release of this game. Will WoW retain its’ throne or will Star Wars usurp the the reigning MMORPG king?

Also we talk about bums, how to keep you bum fresh, and how to properly care for your bum……BUM!

Could 3DS titles be getting a $10 price hike? Then in our main topic it’s Operation Rainfall vs. Nintendo and all the issues surrounding this sore subject. What’s all the fuss over Last Story, Xenoblade, and Pandora’s Tower? Why isn’t Nintendo bringing these games Stateside and should they? Tune in to find out!

What happens when you mix funk with a dash of techno, two parts video game, a pinch of chiptune, half a cup of 80’s, and a dollop of PXtone? You get the poppy crisp infectious tones of George & Johnathan. Don’t let their simple moniker fool you, these chaps know how to make some fine music. Their newest album, “Beautiful Lifestyle”, hit the digital airwaves this month and let me tell you, it’s delicious loving for my ear holes.

The entire album feels like a soundtrack from a forgotten video game. The track “Whale” is an example of how the duo perfectly matches the name of a song to the overall vibe and feel of the sounds contained therein. It’s very chill and feels like the ending credits to a classic arcade game. Take a listen.

I could gush on about these two, but their music speaks for itself. “Beautiful Lifestyle” is available for as little as $5 (a steal for 12 epic tracks). Make sure to check out their other two albums “The Best Music” and “The Best Christmas” for more sugary sweet sonatas. You can preview all of their albums and more at:

http://georgeandjonathan.com/

BTW: A big thanks to Coldguy for exposing me to these wonderful chaps!

A new study proves video games just might make you more creative. Then in our main topic we talk about defunct video game grammar. What happened to codes, cheats, passwords, and all those other bits of gaming lexicon we grew up with? Are they dead or have they simply changed? Watch as the epic battle ensues and we even get trolled by an earthquake!

So what would happen if Monsters Inc. made hot sweet lovin’ with Tron? Well besides the awkward love scene between Mike Wazowski and Master Control, you’d get something very close to one of my new favorite web series ‘Level 20-Something’!

The series is about two guys who work at a place called the “Animosity Agency”. They spend their nine to five as the CPU. They are the characters who play against or with the human controlled players. It’s a downright dirty job with lots of pain and little pay. Along the way they meet up with a fiery bartender and get thrown into many of your favorite games in pixel form.

I found these guys through well, uhhhhhh honestly just screwing around on the web searching for new videos. But this is when screwing around on the web pays off. Though I was surprised to see how few subscribers these fine lads had. It’s funny, well produced, and doesn’t suck. So I’ve done my part and subbed and ask, nay demand you subscribe to them as well! Here’s the first episode for your viewing pleasure.

It’s the Boomzies Halloween Horror Cast! We talk about the nerd megafest that is Blizzcon. The changes in WoW that have people up in arms plus all the other big news. Then we gather ’round the campfire and talk about our Halloween memories. The video games that made us wet ourselves, the movies that made us weep like little babies, and everything else that frightens us. Plus watch us botch both of our contests because of our own incompetence. Oh yes it’s that bad.

I know I’m not supposed to say this, but as an Android owner there are times late at night I find myself thinking about the iPhone. It’s not that I’m unhappy with my Android, it’s just the whole “grass is greener on the other side” kind of thing. Plus there are a plethora of features and programs my little Android just doesn’t have.

Though none makes me more green with envy than the ability to play Cave shmups. Oh how I longed for that day when I too could play the goodness of bullet hell shmups on my Android. Well those days of waiting are over because Cave has just announced it’s line of shmups currently out of Apple iOS devices will be coming to the Android OS.

As you know, Android has some difficult specifications limits, in terms of screen size, CPU and memory, particularly for our games. However, thanks to the achievements of our engineers I think we’ll have some good news for people soon.

- Mikio Watanabe-san from Cave

Currently there is no word on a solid release date, but for fans of Cave’s shmups who only own Android devices this is still amazing news! We’ll keep an eye out and update you as information becomes available.

Source Droid Gamers

So I’ve finally summed up my entire experience with Dark Souls. It’s long but hang with me. Let me preface this post by saying I am not a fan of the original Demon’s Souls. I could go into detail, but suffice to say it was not an enjoyable experience. Now I know some of you may think my negative viewpoint will taint my judgment of Dark Souls. First of all, never use the word taint in my presence. Second I can promise you I played the game with an open mind. I simply wanted to give Dark Souls its’ day in court.

This is not a full on review. More of my impressions of the game. Since I played only a dozen or so hours, I cannot give an exhaustive review of every aspect nor do I intend to. This is just my thoughts on my time with the game. I am not the type of person to simply rely on reviews or even suggestions of friends. While these are both excellent sources of information, they cannot substitute playing the actual game. With that in mind I rented a copy of Dark Souls from my local RedBox for a paltry two dollars. A minimum investment for an informed opinion I figured.

And so my journey into the dark abyss began…

Starting the game up, I was greeted with the typical character customization screen we’re all familiar with. I tinkered around with a few of the options. Some of them seemed very clear on the affect they would have on gameplay and/or my character. Other options were more vague while still others were downright misleading or false. After a bit of tinkering around I settled on the Hunter.

The game opened with a cut scene telling of an ancient evil bent on doing bad things and yadda yadda. Ya know your typical end of ages plot. While certainly not a new idea, it didn’t really affect my judgment of the game. I don’t get hung up on story so it really wasn’t an issue. Hey, I’ll fight the endless legions of evil for nothing more than a slice of pecan pie.

The environments were nice. A normal high fantasy type of setting. I did like a lot of the enemy designs. Some were just plain screwy. I gotta believe the art team at From Software were taking a hit off the old magic pipe when coming up with some of these ideas. The graphics did a good job interpenetrating the overall art direction. Areas felt varied and expansive without a lot of repeating elements. You can tell a lot of time and dedication went into this world.

Starting the game out I reacquainted myself with the controls. For the most part they did the job. Though game developers is it too much to ask for custom button mapping? Seriously, it doesn’t take that much effort. In fact it takes less effort to allow me to assign any button to any action than to program it. Plus it allows disabled and handicapped gamers a chance to play the game as well. Games like Skyrim have this option and it makes the experience that much more enjoyable. Anyway targeting was performed by clicking in R3, something I still don’t understand. Why would you use the same stick for targeting and target switching that you use for camera control? Also roll was assigned to the ‘O’ button when for me it would have been much more convenient assigned to the ‘X’ button. Again button mapping would solve this little issue. Other than that the controls worked well.

On a side note, why is there no pause button? Even when I’m not connected to the online world I can’t pause the game. Look I realize this is supposed to be some grand connected online experience, but what if I need to pee mid game? What if I need to get a drink, get the door, take the dog outside, or any of a dozen different things normal human beings do? Must I be tethered to my screen until I find a save point? I’m forced to sit the controller down and hope there’s not some enemy who’ll pull my innards out from my eye socket while I’m taking a leak.

The battle system certainly harkened back to the days of Demon’s Souls. Slow and deliberate. I understand many people enjoy this kind of battle system. For me, it’s way too lethargic. You can’t really take on more than about two enemies at once. That and they must be in front of you at all times. Trying to attack/defend an enemy in front and in back does not work. This lead me to draw out enemies so I could finish them off one at a time. It was too risky to engage multiple enemies at once. Again, that is the way they designed the battle system, but I felt it only hampered the experience for me.

Though the worst offender of the combat system is the almighty stamina gauge. This is represented by a green bar underneath your constantly-abused health gauge. Swing your sword, and some stamina is used up. Follow through with a combo attack, and some more is expended. Defend an enemy attack, and more of that sweet green bar is depleted. Any action other than walking will most likely require stamina. Of course it refills over time when not in use. The speed of the stamina gauge depends on your stats and certain other factors. If it runs out, you’re left open for an attack. This system was most likely implemented to bring more of an active RPG element into the game. Personally I’m more of an attack as fast and as much as you can kind of guy. I don’t like a bar dictating when I can attack, defend, parry, run, or roll. Just let me play. Though this aspect also affirms the methodical pace the game requires. That being said the battle system does work. Maybe not to my liking, but it’s certainly serviceable.

I have a very love/hate relationship with how Dark Souls’s world is setup compared to Demon’s Souls. On one hand I love the idea of an open world. No longer are areas segmented by endless loading screens. It flows to make the experience more organic. On the other hand I really hate the fact the game doesn’t do a better job pointing you in the right direction. I understand you are supposed to find out for yourself by searching around. That’s the whole point. Though there are not many if any clues as to where you should go in relation to your current level/quest. I have no problem figuring out clues, but some are far too cryptic and vague.

For instance I went into an area with a ton of skeleton enemies near the beginning of the game. As I was told later by other more experienced players, I was not supposed to go there until later in the game. So why is it open? Why allow me to wander aimlessly for the better part of an hour if this isn’t the way to go? The argument could be made you should look at the clues on the ground or talk to the various NPCs, but even those don’t give you too many specifics as to your next destination. I feel the game should have done a better job providing clues or leading you in some sort of logical progression.

Then there’s the music, or lack thereof. Where is it? I’ve heard many people say, “Oh it builds ambience” or “It accentuates your footsteps and the clang of your sword in battle.” I could certainly understand that line of thinking. That is if the game truly did a magnificent job of building said ambience. For me it felt very empty and hollow without music. Granted certain areas and boss battles had music, but most of the game was merely sound effects. Even a simple light background track would have greatly enhanced the game. I later got a chance to listen to the full soundtrack and really enjoyed it! I would have loved it if they included these songs throughout the whole game as you triumphantly charged to your own impending death!

Speaking of dying, there’s a lot of it in Dark Souls. I’ve been told by many people Demon’s Souls is a “hard” game. I’ve also been told Dark Souls is even harder than Demon’s Souls. Truth be told, the actual game itself wasn’t difficult, but the way in which it’s designed gives the illusion of difficulty. I’d go so far as to say the game is downright unsportsmanlike. Simply put it sucker punches you. Let me give you example of what I mean.

So I’m heading up this straight staircase and about halfway up I spot a flaming barrel. Mind you I’m walking at a normal pace so my first instinct is to run back the other way. Of course as we’ve covered before, nothing you do in Dark Souls is fast. This includes turning around and running. So of course I’m run over by this barrel and it just so happens it also pushes me off the edge of the staircase causing me to fall to my death.

How was I supposed to know that was going to happen? I had no advance warning or sign of this impending danger until it was too late. Fact of the matter is, the barrel was put there to hurt me. It wasn’t a test of skill. I was halfway up the stairs with no way to avoid the attack other than rolling off the side of the cliff and dying (which kind of defeats the purpose of my whole quest). I tried turning and running as fast as I could, but there was no way to avoid it.

You may say, “Well you’re just not quick enough.” Keep in mind you’re talking to a guy who beat Bayonetta on Non-stop Climax mode and is a bullet hell aficionado. I may not be the fastest gaming guns in the West, but I can assure you my reaction skills are quite intact. It’s the slow mechanics of the game mixed with its’ penchants for sucker punches that caused my death.

I’ll give you another example. I go up another flight of stairs, mind you with a bit more caution after my last incident with a barrel to the face, and find before me a long bridge. There’s a few enemies scattered about. Nothing serious, only a couple of archers and a few swordsmen. I walk towards them and get to about a third of the way across the bridge when out of nowhere a dragon sweeps in and blazes the entire bridge with fire. Of course this sets me on fire thereby melting my flesh and taking a ton of health. I hobble back the way I came as the red dragon perches itself on the opposite side of the bridge. I imagine it’s having a good lulz over the whole thing.

Again, how is that fair? Someone told me I should have known a dragon would reign fire upon me by the black char marks on the bridge. What? Am I Columbo now? I’m supposed to derive, “Hey there’s a dragon that will come out of the sky and burn you with hellfire” from a few black spots on the bridge? Still others said I should have looked for the red marks players left as clues. They will give you hints or general ideas of danger, but nothing as specific as “Big red dragon will burn you to a crisp if you step foot on this bridge.” That has nothing to do with skill. You will get hit by it. It’s not an option and you can’t be good enough to avoid it. It’s not hard just a sucker punch.

Oh but it doesn’t stop there my friends. No I’ve saved the best sucker punch for last. After being steam rolled by a barrel and turned into dragon a shish kabob, I entered a spiral staircase. I slowly climbed the staircase and said to myself, “I bet the game is going to troll me right now.” How little I knew. Carefully I progressed upward to see what would greet me at the top. Before I reached the top I saw the golden armored foot of a powerful enemy above. “Ha!” I said to myself as I proceeded to slowly walk back down the spiral staircase. Even if he had seen me, I could at least run away and get to better ground.

But the game had other plans because coming up the spiral staircase was another enemy. This then lead to what I liked to call the “Dark Souls Oreo of Infinite Pain”. The two enemies were the crunchy chocolate cookies, and I was the creamy white middle. Though unlike a tasty Oreo, there was nothing good about this. My first instinct was to try and run. Well the powers that be designed the game so I could neither jump over or go around the enemies in this staircase. I was stuck. I couldn’t defend as I would have to block front and back with perfect precision and pray they didn’t both attack me at once. I couldn’t attack them as that would leave me open for a counter attack by one or both of the enemies. Even if I could do anything, my stamina gauge would run out and I’d be dead anyway. So there I was, getting gang banged by both enemies. I resigned myself to death.

And that’s where my journey with Dark Souls ended. All the issues up until this point were something I could possibly get used to or understand how others could. Once the sucker punches came, I was officially done.

The best analogy I could use is Mike Tyson’s Punchout for the NES. You all remember that game right? Hard as nails. You had to earn every victory and it only got more difficult as you progressed. Even so it was beatable. Remember how you beat Mike Tyson at the end (or Mr. Dream if you had the lame version)? You looked for patterns. He would raise his eyebrows or move in a certain way. It was at that moment you knew you had to take action either by dodging or punching. Sure you’d get wailed on the first few times, but after you understood what those signals meant, you adapted and became better finally beating him. Dark Souls offers none of that. It’s like playing Mike Tyson with no signs or patterns of attack. Just a flurry of attacks you can in no way be prepared for until you’re knocked out. Sound like fun? Not to me. Not to me my friend.

As Joy Division put it, you’re no good for me Dark Souls.

If I have gained anything out of this, it’s the affirmed notion you should always try out new and different games for yourself. Sure you’ll play some stinkers and games that just aren’t for you, but it’s about those few hidden gems that rise to the top that make it all worth it. If you don’t try them, you might miss out on a unique experience. Why do I feel there should be a rainbow with the words “The More You Know” scrolling by?

P.S. If you read through this entire article, kudos to you. Go get yourself an Oreo!

P.S.S. A big thanks to MANvsGAME for his suggestion. Whether I enjoyed it or not, it’s certainly an experience I was glad to partake in.

What is going on with Netflix? First Netflix, then Qwikster, now back to Netflix. Has Netflix lost its’ touch? Then in the main topic it’s the evil of online passes in video games. More and more video game publishers are putting these in games. What does this mean for used games sales and how can it be combated? Pick up your torch and pitchfork and join the battle.

We talk about the life and legacy of Steve Jobs. His impact upon not only Apple, computers, or technology, but the way he changed our everyday lives. Then in our main topic of debate we stoke the fires of the age old debate: console versus PC. Who’s the best in the video game old west? Join the debate as Landon and Brian shoot it out and see who’s the victor once the dust settles!

The fur flies when Brian and Landon claw it out over the new Catwoman costume in ‘The Dark Knight Rises’. Are these new duds the cat’s meow or a chocking fur ball of suck? But wait there’s more! In our main topic we’re sorting out the laundry list of video game pre-order bonuses. With all these pre-order bonuses from countless retailers, how far does a gamer have to go and has it gotten just a little ridiculous? So take arms soldier and join the battle for truth, justice, and all things geek!

As a child of the 80’s, Hi-C Ecto Cooler was my life blood. I consumed so much I’m not sure how my skin didn’t turn radioactive green. Though the product’s named change throughout the years, Minute Maid continued to produce it. Then in 2007, all hope was lost when it and any incarnations of the flavor were discontinued.

Since that fateful day, we Ecto-Cooler faithful have prayed for the day our fabled drink would return! Now our prayers have been answered…well sorta. The fine folks at the Chicago division of Ghostbusters have cracked the Cooler code and unlocked the secrets of its’ formula. Alright so it’s not technically the real thing, but it’s about as close as you can get. That and it’s not expired by about 20 years! Now you too can enjoy the sweet sugary goodness of years gone by. So go out and make a batch yourself or I’ll slime you!

And remember, if someone asks if you are a god, you say, “yes!”

Ghostbuster’s Ecto-Cooler Recipe

In part two of Boomzies #14 we continue to take a look at the highly anticipated Dragon Quest X. With the announcement of a required internet connection and usage fees, has the Dragon Quest series strayed too far? Then in the main topic we talk about the anatomy of video games. What makes a video game a video game and what’s the most important element?

In part one Boomzies #14 we take a look at the highly anticipated Dragon Quest X. With the announcement of a required internet connection and usage fees, has the Dragon Quest series strayed too far? Then in the main topic we talk about the anatomy of video games. What makes a video game a video game and what’s the most important element?

The 2011 Tokyo Game Show has finally come to a close. What games are we excited for and what were we disappointed in? Then in the main event we talk about the recent rash of HD video game rehashes. Are these worthwhile additions or just a quick cash in relying on gamer’s fuzzy happy memories? You tell us!

One of my favorite arcade racers of all time is coming to the Xbox LIVE arcade. Well that is if you believe the Australian Classification Database rating system. No specific date or system has been slated for the release, but we’ve got a hunch it will be coming to Xbox LIVE arcade. Especially in light of all the games Sega has put out on XBLA these past few months. Can you say 8 player online multiplayer? Yes please!

Tell us what Sega games you would like to see come out for digital download.

Of all the games on my radar, Ace Combat Assault Horizon hit me in the face like an angry blue marlin (It makes sense if you don’t think about it). I’ve never been a huge fan of the series. Was always more of a Air Force Delta kind of guy. Though a few months ago a trailer for the game changed all that. Sporting a brand new combat system with dynamic camera angles and arcade like gameplay, I was certainly intrigued.

After gleefully downloading Radiant Silvergun…wait, you didn’t know it was out? Go on, do it. I’ll be here waiting for you to do your gaming duty. You done? Alright let’s continue. Anyway, I perused the rest of the new releases and what do you know, there was a demo for Assault Horizon. Would it be everything the trailers made it out to be? I was about to find out…

The game opens with an elaborate cutscene about bombs and bad guys and who’s the bigger doo doo head blah blah blah. Now I’m sure this will all be pertinent and interesting in the full version of the game, but I’m simply interested in how it plays. After the opening you’re put into the seat of an F-22 Raptor. The game starts things off easy enough by acclimating you with the basic controls. Then things get interesting.

The first thing I noticed was a new “Optimum” control option. This differs from the original control method in that it prevents the player from doing full rolls but it gives you the stability needed to engage in ‘Close Range Assault System’ (CRAS). Once you engage your first baddy you’re told to activate the CRAS by pressing both the left and right bumpers. The camera instantly slams tightly against the top right wing of the plane making the action much more dynamic.

At this point you’ve got two options: fire your machine gun and shred the plane to bits, or lock on with missiles and blow them away. The closer you get to the enemy, the more frequently you can shoot off your missiles. This mode has the added bonus of making both your machine gun and missiles more accurate and deadly. As the enemy tries avoid your attacks the camera automatically follows and leads you in the direction of the enemy. This can lead to some white knuckled weaving through city buildings and shipyards.

Once you land the killing blow, a spurt of gas and oil erupts from the enemy plane and splats onto your windshield. They weren’t kidding when they said “make metal bleed”. It adds a very visceral effect to the whole experience. Got an enemy plane on your six? No problem. Slow down while pressing both bumper buttons to pull a Top Gun and turn the tables on your foe.

Now someone on the Ace Combat team has got to be a fan of old school arcade games because this next trick is ripped right from the After Burner handbook. If you find yourself in the thick of multiple enemies, press ‘X’ to equip what can best be described as mega multiple lock on missile. Firing this bad boy sends up to four missile careening into your enemies.

There’s also another mode where you’re given the chance to pilot a helicopter, a first for the Ace Combat series. These levels are a bit slower paced but hey, a helicopter isn’t exactly the fastest thing in the air. You’re tasked with more escort like missions firing from on high at targets on the ground. While not as balls to the wall as the fighter jet portion, it was a nice distraction as these levels will be interspersed throughout the campaign.

All in all this demo has me psyched for the game. Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.K.S. was the last flight game I enjoyed. By the looks of this demo, Assault Horizon looks to up the ante. Go check out this demo if you haven’t gotten the chance. It’s out for both PS3 and Xbox 360.

I’ve been more then a little excited about the announcement of both the Metal Gear Solid HD collection and the Zone of the Enders HD collection coming to the PS3 later this year. Though it’s just been announced at TGS, and confirmed via Konami’s Metal Gear Solid fan page, that both collections will also be coming to the PS Vita! This is huge news for me as the ability to play these titles portably sounds supremely epic. That and the possibilities of linking up with your PS3 via cloud saving to play on the go and at home makes me happy like a little French school girl.

Now before you all get too excited, this has only officially been announced for Japan. Though if I were a betting man I’d say these games will also be coming Stateside. Until then I shall pray unto the golden statue of Kojima.

BTW: If Sony can keep putting out great games for the Vita, I’ll be hard pressed not to buy one. Nintendo take note, this is how you get people excited about a system. Not gimmicks and gizmos but good games.

DC’s comics has pulled a redux with it’s newly rebooted franchises: Action Comics. Is this new interpretation of Superman true to form or a lack luster retelling of the original? Then in our main topic were talking about the sports game genre. In a world dominated by a boatload of Madden and sports simulation titles, has this genre stagnated into the same tired routine?

When I ask people what games they are hyped for this year, I hear a lot of the usual suspects. There’s Gears of War 3, Elder Scrolls Skyrim, Batman Arkham City, Uncharted 3, and Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword just to name a few. While I’m pumped and primed for a few games on this list, none of them can hold a candle to the atomic bomb of gaming goodness that is Radiant Silvergun. Radiant what you say? Well let me explain…

For those not familiar with this stellar title, it was a shump (shoot em up) developed by the infamous Treasure in 1998 for the arcade and later ported to the Sega Saturn the same year. It’s one of the most sought after Sega Saturn import games today fetching well over $100. Though this is one of the rare cases of a game being not only rare but face humpingly good to boot.

Now after 13 years, Radiant Silvergun is being made available outside of Japan. But wait there’s more! This new version features online co-op, upgraded graphics, a new “Ikaruga” mode, and a few other surprises. Though thankfully you won’t have to sell a kidney to play this game. For just $15 (or 1200 Microsoft space bucks) all the sweet Radiant Silverguniness can be yours.

Even if you’re not a fan of shmups, this is one you won’t want to miss out on. As someone who has owned and played an actual copy of the game, it was well worth the money I spent so $15 is a no brainer. Radiant Silvergun hits Xbox Live Arcade on September 14th. I’m just hoping they keep the epic anime intro from the original. Classic stuff.

Here’s some pretty shiny sexy footage of the game in action.

BTW: Anyone else excited about this remake besides me? Have a special fuzzy memory of Radiant Silvergun?

A few weeks ago I beat Donkey Kong Country Returns. At least the main part of the game. After the final boss was vanquished, a golden temple rose from the jungle floor. So I made my way to this golden temple to reap my reward for beating the game! Only there was one issue, the door was locked! And since Donkey Kong doesn’t have opposable thumbs, he’s not the greatest lock picker. Looks like I would have to go about this the hard way.

As with all good things in life, this wasn’t going to be easy.

It seems I needed eight colored orbs, called “rare orbs”, in order to unlock the secrets of the Golden Temple. Great, but how the heck was I supposed to do that?

See in every level except for boss levels there are letters to collect that spell out K-O-N-G. Collect the KONG letters in every level in a world to unlock a bonus level. Beat the bonus level and you’ll get a rare orb. There are eight rare orbs to collect, one in the bonus level of each World. Once you have them all, The Golden Temple will be unlocked.

Here’s the thing, you must collect all of the letters in the word KONG at once. Meaning if you die in a level, and haven’t yet reached a checkpoint, you have to collect those letters again. You can’t collect one or two levels and then come back. It’s either all or nothing.

I had already obtained six of the eight rare orbs and was only missing two. Now each of these bonus stages had no checkpoints meaning you have to go from start to finish in one run (a.k.a. break your controller after dying for the 500th time). So I set my sights towards world eight’s bonus stage “Five Monkey Trial”.

Now only one rare orb stood between me and the golden temple. Next was world six. After obtaining all the KONG letters in each of the stages, it was on to the bonus stage “Perilous Passage”. I had already faced this level previously and just could not beat it, but I was bound and determined to beat this final challenge.

Finally, all eight rare orbs were in my possession. I made my way to the Golden Temple to finally unlock the surprise hidden inside. With all eight orbs put into place, the door to the Golden Temple opened. What happened next was a surprise.

Yes indeed, the Golden Temple wasn’t the reward but a gateway into the bonus ninth level. My reward for beating this final stage? A silver mirror which unlocked mirror mode. Well it’s certainly not what I was expecting. In fact it just makes more work for me! I thought when DK peeled back the banana and took a bite, maybe he’d turn into Super Kong (that would have been awesome). I’d have even been happy with a new character, color, or even a new level.

Just like in Bayonetta there was no achievement or real prize for my trouble, but hey I did it. I unlocked and beat the Golden Temple baby! Yet another gaming milestone beaten and done. I guess next is trying to find all the puzzle pieces, and if I don’t hate my life after that, a few time attacks and maybe mirror mode.

Though like they say, the journey to the destination is half the fun…or some crap like that.

BTW: If you’d like to see the entire journey to the Golden Temple, check out the videos from our stream on justin.tv.

So Sunday night I was watching MAN from MANvsGAME play through Bayonetta on hard difficulty. A side effect of watching MANvsGAME is s sudden sense of manliness and manitude which inspired me to do a little impromptu Bayonetta playing myself. Though this would be no simple play through on your run of the mill difficulty. No this would be an undertaking of epic proportions. I would play and beat Bayonetta on non-stop climax mode!

And so my journey began…

Anyone who has watched an episode of Boomzies knows how much I heart Bayonetta. It’s simply gaming nirvana. A romp through third person action heaven. And of all the achievements in the game, beating the game on the non-stop climax mode has been my ultimate goal. So what’s the big fuss with this ‘non-stop climax’ mode? Essentially it’s more difficult than hard mode, enemies have more life, and also do more damage.

But here’s where it gets really interesting. See in all other difficulties you have an ability called ‘witch time’. It activates when the player makes a well-timed dodge to an attack. This temporarily slows time to allow Bayonetta to inflict massive amounts of counter damage before the enemies can react. But in non-stop climax mode, you have no witch time making it that much more difficult.

After MAN finished his cast, I started down the perilous road of non-stop climax mode. I had already cleared chapters I-XI and began on chapter XII. Not to toot my own horn but I’m pretty dag nab good at Bayonetta. Though I was a bit rusty. So after getting re-acclimated with the game (a.k.a. dying a lot) I beat chapter XII. From there I made quick work of chapters XIII-XV.

Finally I made it to the last chapter: chapter XVI. This was it! The final boss. The end boss is a huge female deity who floats above you and reigns down attacks from on high. The most annoying attack is one where she shoots three miniature galaxies at you. If any of these hit you, you change into a little girl version of yourself for a short period and are open to all kinds of attacks. After getting hit by it for the 647,382nd time, I figured out a way to avoid it. Though I still died. A lot. But with the power given to me by the viewers of the cast, I pushed on. With our combined strength we landed the final Big Bang punch to the face of the evil god chick thing and sent it hurling into the sun!

The day was won, justice had been served, and the people rejoiced! After four grueling hours my task was complete. There’s technically no in game achievement for beating the game on non-stop climax mode. Though that didn’t really matter. I had beat it and had proof of my deeds. It’s one of those gaming achievements I can say I’m truly proud of.

So for those of you that missed it, here’s me beating the very last boss with ending and credits.

BTW: If you haven’t beaten this game, there be spoilers ahead so watch at your own risk.

P.S. – If you’d like to watch the entire play through, head on over to our Justin.tv page to check it out.

After years of resisting, George Lucas is finally releasing the Star Wars films onto Blu Ray. But there is a disturbance in the force as even more changes are being made! Then in our main topic we talk about genre distinction in video games. With so many more genres and games mixing elements from varied genres, have the lines between genres been blurred too much?

There are times when a man must make a difficult decision. Is she the right one? Should I take this job? Are pink rubber pants the right look for me? But then there are those decisions which can alter the very space time continuum. I face such an obstacle. I must decide which Batman costume my son will wear for Halloween this year!

What one should I choose?! You tell me after the jump!

My choices consist of two similar but very different Batman costumes. First is a costume based off ‘Batman The Brave and the Bold’. Second is a costume based off ‘Batman the Animated Series’. Now this might seem like a simple choice, but after closer inspection it’s a choice filled with more questions than answers. It’s serious internet business! Let us review the candidates.

On one hand, The Brave and the Bold costume has that classic blue and grey vibe. The blue and grey would definitely stand out compared to the ‘Dark Knight’ Batman costume most kids will be wearing. I’m not sure if it’s how the kid is wearing it, but the cowl looks a little better as well. On the other hand the Animated costume is near and dear to my heart because hey, it’s from one of the finest animated series of all time. I like the black and grey, but it seems dull compared to the aforementioned blue and grey.

So here I stand, on the precipice of possibly one of the most important decision of not only my life, but my child’s life. I mean this costume could change my son’s very future and the man he grows up to be. O.K. so maybe not, but I’m still torn between these two costumes.

So here’s where you come in. I need your vote to determine which costume wins!

You can cast your vote below. Voting ends September 9th, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. so get your votes in. The winner will be announced on the September 10th edition of Boomzies. Vote for justice and the American way!

- Brian

If you are a comic book fan, this isn’t new to you. You either are excited about this change or upset (fine, I guess you can be somewhere in the middle too). Some books are going away, some change drastically, and some things don’t really change at all. I am personally upset that the Red Robin book is ending. I have been a big fan of the 3rd Robin, Tim Drake, from the beginning. He isn’t quite going away though, he just won’t have his own book, I can still read him in Teen Titans #1.

Stepping back though, what things are changing?

First off, this is a great time for new readers to jump into the comic book world. If you have ever been on the fence about reading because these books have been around for generations and afraid you might be missing out, no need to feel that way anymore. There will be all new 52 issues, re-numbered to #1’s. Also if you don’t have a comic book store near you, or you prefer your fancy, expensive iPad, DC is making every issue available digitally day of (Yes, that is a BIG deal). And you know these stories will be good.

How can I say that, you might ask. My thought behind this is that if you are going to do something this huge, this drastic, you had better have the stories to back them up. They certainly have the right creative teams, some fabulous writers and artist like Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, and Jim Lee are all leading this change. I’m only worried certain things will be a little rushed to get these characters started up, like all the introductions needed for the Justice League.

The DC Relaunch- patrickhwillems

Click here to view the embedded video.

A few key changes in the DC Universe will be taking place. I will try to break these down as best as possible.

Batman – Not too much changes for Batman himself, but there are some tweaks in his entourage. Batman has been in operation for a few years already (before Superman makes a public debut). Batman Inc. still holds strong, although Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne are no longer partners. Bruce Wayne as Batman takes helm back in Gotham and his son Damian is now his Robin.

Dick Grayson seems to be leaving the cowl behind and going back to being Nightwing and gets his own series again! This is great as I was also upset that he lost his own series during the Battle for the Cowl story arc, but was relieved when he became Batman.

HOLY WHEELCHAIR, Batman! Err…Lack there-of I should say. Barbara Gordan is no longer Oracle and wheelchair bound as she regains her position as Batgirl! Take that Joker!

Superman – First major change is Clark Kent and Lois Lane are not married anymore. No, there wasn’t some crazy Kryptonian divorce, it just hasn’t happened yet. Maybe we will get to see another huge Superman wedding craze like in the 90’s.

He ditches the red underwear. Don’t worry though, his suit is relatively still the same, and don’t freak out if you are surfing the net and see one of the new reboot images of him in jeans and work boots, as that is just a transitional phase before he dawns the real deal.

Here is the biggest change for him in my opinion. I believe this go-around BOTH of his adoptive parents, Martha and Jonathan Kent, are long dead. This will certainly change and affect how Superman is this time around compared to last, we will just have to wait and see it.

Green Lantern – Welp…Sinestro is totally a Green Lantern again. So, there is that.

Wonder Woman, The Flash and Green Arrow – These all look to be staying similar to where they were, we will probably just get a new origin story for each. I’m sure there will be a few tweaks, iron out some things to suit them to today, but their basic timeline looks to stay the same.

Aquaman – Wait…They are keeping Aquaman? Shit… (I’m kidding, don’t hate me if you like Aquaman)

I am very excited about these changes and certainly hope this works out to DC’s favor. How does everyone else feel about the changes? Does this make you want to go out and start reading, or make you shift over to Marvel permanently? Leave us some comments and tells us how you really feel.

- Landon

Fads are just a fact of life. An undeniable cliche we as humans are so easily susceptible to. The dictionary defines a fad as:

“A temporary fashion, notion, manner of conduct, etc., esp. one followed enthusiastically by a group.”

In the context of video games, zombies are the super ultra mega Jersey Shore OMG like totally rad fad of the day. In my last article I talked about a game that’s on the receiving end of a lot of hype, Dead Island. A zombie themed co-op FPS. One of the big draws for the game is the inclusion of zombies. The more I thought about it, the more I realized we have been bombarded with zombie themed games. The list of games containing zombies in the last few years is staggering.

Red Dead Redemption
Call of Duty Black Ops
Dead Rising 2
Plants vs. Zombies
Borderlands
Zombie Tycoon
Zombie Wranglers
Left 4 Dead
Shellshock 2: Blood Trails
Alive 4-Ever
Burn, Zombie Burn!
Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies,
Fort Zombie
Atom Zombie Smasher
I Made a Game with Zombies in It!
Zombie Apocalypse
Zombie Driver
Zombie Panic in Wonderland
Dead Island

As I stated in the aforementioned article, if you’re desperate for a hot theme to base your game on, look no further than zombies. It’s slowly becoming the gaming de facto. It’s almost a surprise when a game either doesn’t have zombies, or at least has zombie themed DLC. Just get it over with and release a 3-D zombie game. Kill two fads with one stone. Creativity has been replaced with the commonplace. Games with zombies in them tend to sell. Developers and publishers alike know this so they continue to churn them out.

This isn’t to say zombie themed games or DLC makes the game itself terrible or any less fun. I can pick out a handful of games on the above list I personally enjoy. Zombies are easy to kill with little remorse because well, they’re already dead. I can also pick out a handful of games that had the word “Zombie” pasted on just because some yahoo in R&D said it was a good idea.

Case and point. I immensely enjoyed Michael Jackson’s music video for “Thriller”. Why, because it was a unique and awesome video for a unique and awesome song. Had every other Micheal Jackson video been zombie themed, it would have been less and less awesome.

Now I won’t pretend video games are the only form of media that’s caught the zombie fever. Movies, television, and comic books all use the undead to a great degree. Case in point, the crossover of ‘The Walking Dead’ from comic book to television adaptation. I simply feel video games have not utilized it as effectively as these other mediums.

So I ask, no beg you video game creators and publishers to use zombies with care. Make amazing games with zombie themes, but use that noggin’ of yours to come up with something new and interesting. Something beyond the status quo.

P.S. We tried contacting a zombie to get their thoughts on this story, but all they had to say was, “NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM.”

A few weeks ago Brian and I did a Boomzies edition where we started things off with the Mass Effect 3 voting issue over the default version of female Commander Shepard (FemShep as she is known). I didn’t realize at the time that the voting wasn’t over. Apparently there was so much outcry about them choosing a blonde FemShep that the BioWare decided to reopen the polls to vote on her hair color. I guess the first round was only about face and hair structure. This past Saturday BioWare unveiled the new FemShep and I for one was pleasantly surprised.

Find out what the new FemShep looks like after the jump!

A red head! Sweet, I am actually pretty excited about that, and it looks pretty nice. I for one didn’t quite get the whole hub-bub around the way BioWare handled the voting. People looked at BioWare like they were being sexist by holding a “beauty contest” for the new FemShep. Look, it wasn’t a beauty contest, it was a fan vote. They realized the growing popularity of people using the female version of Commander Shepard and wanted to use her more predominately. BioWare is even using this version in advertisements and packaging, how is that being sexist if they are giving the female version of their franchise more spotlight? Like I said, I am on the side of not quite getting the issue, I understand how some people might be upset but honestly I think it is a moot point. I think I’ll try to find a way to include “moot” into more articles, it’s a good word.

Watch our edition of Boomzies where we talk about FemShep!

GAME TIME! Well, if you like Madden that is. Madden 2012 hits stores this week and some retailers are trying to get it in your hands for a little less. Other than that, there are some pretty nice hardware bundles, as well as a few other notables.

See all the deals after the jump!

Hardware

• Nintendo Wii Mario Kart bundle is $129.99 at Target (savings of about $20)
• Nintendo Wii Mario Kart bundle is $134.96 at Walmart (savings of about $15)
• Xbox 360 250GB model comes with $75 gift card at Best Buy
• Xbox 360 4GB w/ Kinect bundle $249 at Walmart (savings of about $50)
• Xbox 360 4GB w/ Kinect bundle comes with $60 gift card at Target
• Xbox 360 4GB w/ Kinect bundle comes with ANY 360 game for free at Toys R Us
  The ad doesn’t mention anything about bundles or collector editions

XBOX 360

• Buy Madden 2012 and 2 bags of Doritos to get a $10 gift card at Walmart.
  (Because gamers like their controllers covered in Doritos cheese powder…)
• Buy Madden 2012 and get a free NFL Figure at Toys R Us ($15 value)
• FEAR 3 is $34.99 at Toys R Us (savings of $25)
• Mortal Kombat is $34.99 at Toys R Us (savings of $25)
• Mortal Kombat is $39.99 at Best Buy (savings of $20)
• Cars 2 is $34.99 at Toys R Us (savings of $25)

Playstation 3

• Buy Madden 2012 and 2 bags of Doritos to get a $10 gift card at Walmart.
  (Because gamers like their controllers covered in Doritos cheese powder…)
• Buy Madden 2012 and get two gaming coupons from K-Mart
  A $20 gaming coupon, valid from September 4 to October 15.
  A $5 gaming coupon only good for EA Sports games
• Fallout: New Vegas is $14.99 at Best Buy (savings of $5)
• SOCOM 4 is $39.99 at Best Buy (savings of $20)
• Mortal Kombat is $39.99 at Best Buy (savings of $20)
• Homefront is $39.99 at Best Buy (savings of $20)
• Select Playstation Move games $9.99 at K-Mart: High Velocity Bowling, Kung Fu Rider,
  TV Superstars, The Fight: Lights Out, Eye Pet, Start the Party, & The Shoot.

Nintendo Wii

• Buy any TWO Nintendo Selects (greatest hits) video games and get a $10 gift card at Toys R Us

Handhelds

• Buy any Nintendo 3DS title and get the 2nd half off at K-Mart

As always be sure to check out these retailers full adds for more details on the deals. If there is some great deal though that we left out, leave it in the comments and we will update out list! Thanks and cya next Monday for the next installment in Weekly Bargains!

- Landon

I first heard about Dead Island a few months ago in passing. I didn’t think much of it at the time. I watched a few cinematic trailers and was mildly interested. Though any curiosity I had quickly fizzled once I did a little research. On the surface it’s yet another FPS style game with zombies. The main twist is the introduction of an open world element with co-op. Alright sounds fine and dandy, but there are some glaring issues I have to address.

First and foremost, I’m so sick of zombie themed games. If you’re desperate for a hot theme to base your game on, look no further than zombies. It’s slowly becoming the gaming de facto. It’s almost a surprise when a game either doesn’t have zombies, or at least has zombie themed DLC. Just get it over with and release a 3-D zombie game. Kill two fads with one stone.

Now let’s back up the hype train and look at the most important factor very few people have really focused on: the developer. Dead Island is developed by Techland. Techland? Seriously, this is the game company deserving of all this hype and adoration? Let’s take a quick look at Techland’s illustrious resume of games:

- Crime Cities
- Speedway Championships
- Pet Racer
- Pet Soccer
- FIM Speedway Grand Prix
- Chrome
- Xpand Rally
- Chrome: SpecForce
- GTI Racing
- Crazy Soccer Mundial
- FIM Speedway Grand Prix 2
- Xpand Rally Xtreme
- Call of Juarez
- FIM Speedway Grand Prix 3
- Nikita: Tajemnica Skarbu Piratow
- Speedway liga
- Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood
- nail’d
- Call of Juarez: The Cartel
- Dead Island

The only thing worth even mentioning is the Call of Juarez series, but even that is a mediocre romp through FPSville lost in the shuffle of much better games. The rest is trash or mediocre at best. Wait a second, nail’d wasn’t too bad either. Though compared to what else is offered in the racing genre, it’s nothing to write home about. Please tell me what game from that list screams “AAA developer here!” I can hear it now, “What, the developers of Pet Racer are making an open world zombie themed FPS!? Hot diggity dog, count me in!”

So this is the developer who’s garnered all this hype and praise? Am I missing something here? In a day in age when venerable developers such as Treasure and Platinum Games have amazing games glossed over by the general public (Sin & Punishment: Star Successor and Vanquish respectively), it annoys me to see this no name mediocre developer get the attention and praise for stitching together a tired worn out concept.

Now I may be wrong. This game could warp the space time continuum with it’s pure awesomeness, cure all diseases known to man, and give Ashlee Simpson the voice of an angel. Though as a betting man who looks at the odds, it’s very doubtful. There are a lot of great ideas the developer has implemeted into this game, but just like I wouldn’t trust Kim Jong-il to bring about world peace, I’m not looking to Techland to pull this one off.

- Brian

Gamestop is receiving a lot of heat over the removal of OnLive coupons from PC copies of Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Has Gamestop gone too far or is this just a case of stopping competition before it happens? Then in our main topic we’re hashing it out about video game prices. In light of the recession, is $60 too much for video games? Can this price be justified with the advent of digital downloads at a fraction of the price and what makes a video game worth $60?

This week has been jam-packed with great videos popping up, and in case you missed them we have you covered. Some are just plain entertaining and some so impressive my jaw dropped. Tron Guy is brilliant, that is all I can say. Check out all the videos on the jump.

Official Duck Tron- theduckbrand

I love advertising when it is good, and it rarely is. This one is so perfect, it is a wonder why we didn’t see it a few months ago when Tron was blowing everyone’s minds. Can’t complain, I get to enjoy it still. The only issue I find with this is that there is absolutely no way that Tron Guy would be able to snag that woman as his wife. Maybe she is his caretaker…I mean, he is wearing a helmet?

Click here to view the embedded video.

New Razor Blade True Gaming Laptop with i7 Processor - mazterFreeman

Holy Ridiculous Laptop, Batman! This video might be too epic for its own good. With the music, all the accents, the way they display the machine, the Asian Steve Jobs. Skip to around 2:15 in the video and check out that sweet trackpad/lcd display. Reminds me of the Optimus Maximus keyboard from a few years back. The biggest issue here is the price tag on the damn thing, nearly $3,000! Good luck Razor, you need to find a way to drop that quite a bit. Is there really that big of a demand for high quality portable gaming?

Click here to view the embedded video.

Jedi Kittens- finalcutking

These are the kittens you are looking for. I think the title speaks for itself, this is a brilliant only 16 second long video. This will make your day infinitely better.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Portal: No Escape (Live Action Short Film by Dan Trachtenberg)- dantrachtenberg1

Wow. Just Wow. Saving the best for last. This has got to be expanded further, I need to see more, you need to see more. Please, someone fund the brilliant people behind this to expand!

Click here to view the embedded video.

As many of you may have noticed, there have been some major shifts here at Substance TV. Hopefully you like them. One of the many new updates is that I am now involved in more than just Boomzies.

Now I figured I should probably properly introduce myself and how I got involved. I’ve known Brian for a few years now, we met while I was working at Gamestop and he was a regular customer. I knew him as “Conan O’Brien T-Shirt Guy!” for the first few months. Essentially he wore the shirt one time in the store, I commented on it and it stuck. Here we are a few years later…

He and I would meet up for lunch about once a week and bullshit on about video games, comics, really anything. We eventually came up with the concept for Boomzies, a new addition to Substance TV. The name of the show comes from some ridiculous statement I would make when either something cool just happened, or something went my way. Boomzies! It just worked for the show.

We created the idea, not necessarily to argue (which it has basically boiled down too, check it out, it is fun), but to provide some really fun and interesting content for viewers LIVE and be able to respond to them. So far so good. We are still working on some major improvements, so stay tuned, it only gets better!

You see though, Boomzies wasn’t enough. I really wanted to be involved in everything. Brian and I are both graphic designers in profession, so I proposed some new design ideas for the website and after some back and forth redesigns we are ready to start launching the new brand! I was really excited that he was allowing me to be involved to this extent. We have some great new ideas for the Substance TV brand, and all the subsequent “channels” beneath it.

Anyways, we will soon have bio pages up so look for that to find out more! Take care everyone.

- Landon

As many of you might know production of the new Zack Snyder Superman reboot Man of Steel has already begun. The new film stars Henry Cavill as Superman and from the image above, he has ditched the classic hair style of the past. This past week the plot synopsis has leaked to the public. Some of you might find it a bit familiar, for better or worse. Here’s a hint, most feel for worse.

See the full synopsis and our breakdown of the new photo after the jump.

Let me preface this article by saying I am by no means a Superman fanatic, if this article were about Batman however we might run out of space, and everyone else would be bored by the end of it. While I’m on the topic, Dark Knight Rises is looking damn good so far. How is everyone liking some of the leaked footage?

With the new DC Comics reboot, and in turn new Jim Lee costumes, what look could we be expecting out of this film? By the released photo of Cavill as Superman, it looks like they have ditched the traditional hair curl, and you can’t really see if they are also ditching the classic red undies and going for the new DC reboot look. The suit looks to have some serious texture to it, similar to the new Amazing Spiderman suit that looked like a basketball. In any case, hopefully we will see more photos released and get a better view of the suit.

Here is where most people find an issue, the plot synopsis:

• “In the pantheon of superheroes, Superman is the most recognized and revered character of all time. Clark Kent/Kal-El (Cavill) is a young twentysomething journalist who feels alienated by powers beyond anyone’s imagination. Transported to Earth years ago from Krypton, an advanced alien planet, Clark struggles with the ultimate question – Why am I here? Shaped by the values of his adoptive parents Martha (Lane) and Jonathan Kent (Costner), Clark soon discovers that having super abilities means making very difficult decisions. But when the world needs stability the most, it comes under attack. Will his abilities be used to maintain peace or ultimately used to divide and conquer? Clark must become the hero known as “Superman,” not only to shine as the world’s last beacon of hope but to protect the ones he loves.”

Okay sooooo……another Smallville? Do we really need one more origin story? I mean, I am all for origin stories to an extent, but this is Superman. 90% of the world already knows Superman’s origin, so I’m pretty sure we can skip past that point. Looks like Warner Bros doesn’t feel the same.

The other thing I have issue with in this film is the statement of “…will his abilities maintain peace or used to divide and conquer…” I don’t know about anyone else, but Superman is the big blue boy scout here to do good all the time, always try, always be…Superman. Don’t get me wrong, this still could be quite a great movie, and I certainly hope it is. From the image above there is already more action than the entire Superman Returns movie (I jest, I actually quite enjoyed that movie, it could have been better but overall I had fun). He is tearing apart some kind of large metal door/vault and I certainly hope there will be more of this kind of action.

Overall, I am cautiously optimistic about this film. Like I said though, I am not a huge Superman fanboy so I can’t say too much on the topic. Smallville was a fun TV show that lasted 10 years, I think we need to see Superman as Superman for an entire film, kicking ass for America and the world!

What are your thoughts?

- Landon

UPDATE 08.27.11

Based on this pretty awful cell phone image, looks like they have decided to ditch the red undies of classic superman, and going with the all blue suit similar to the new DC reboot. I’m on the fence about this, from this image it makes me a little unsure about it, but maybe some new hi-res shots later will change my mind.

So we’re trying some new things here at Substance TV. This is issue one in our weekly bargain series of posts, where we will inform you on some of the current deals on the market video game wise. Coming off of last weeks epic fail of misinforming everyone of the insane sale Toys R Us had on music game bundles and Tony Hawk bundles (everything for $9.99!?) we don’t want to let that happen again.

If you were ever on the fence for buying a Nintendo 3DS this might be the week for you! Obviously the system is reduced dramatically now to a low price of $179.99, but on top of that many retailers are having a sale on their games as well. See all the deals after the jump!

Hardware

• XBOX 360 4GB unit comes with a free $25 gift card at Target this week.
• Playstation 3 320GB Infamous 2 bundle comes with Resistance 2 for free at Target and K-Mart.

XBOX 360

• Gears of War Triple Pack only $19.99 at Best Buy
• L.A. Noir and Brink $39.99 at Best Buy
• Dues Ex: Human Revolution comes with a $10 gift card from Target
• All Kinect titles are $10 off MSRP at Toys R Us

Playstation 3

• L.A. Noir and Brink $39.99 at Best Buy
• Dues Ex: Human Revolution comes with a $10 gift card from Target
• Socom 4, Infamous 2, and Motorstorm Apocalypse are $39.99 each at Kmart
• $20 off a Move Sharpshooter with the purchase of Killzone 3 or Socom 4 at Kmart
• LittleBigPanet 2 is $39.99 at Gamestop

Nintendo Wii

• Wii uDraw Game Tablet Bundle comes with a $20 gift card to Toys R Us
• EA active 2 bundle is $10 at Target
• Buy 1 Get 1 Half off all Nintendo Wii games at Toys R Us

Handhelds

• Resident Evil The Mercenaries 3D for Nintendo 3DS is $19.99 at Best Buy
• Dead or Alive Dimensions for Nintendo 3DS is $19.99 at Best Buy
• Ghost Recon Shadow Wars for Nintendo 3DS is $19.99 at Best Buy
• Buy 1 Get 1 Half Off at Toys R Us on all Nintendo 3DS and DS games
• One 3DS title for $9.99 with purchase of Nintendo 3DS system at Toys R Us

Be sure to check out these retailers full adds for more details and more deals. Their are more
deals out there but these are just some of the highlights. Most notables are the 3DS game sals at
Best Buy and Toys R Us. Target is currently the only retailer doing anything for Dues Ex: HR that
comes out this Tuesday, maybe others will have a sale next week.

If there is some great deal though that we left out, leave it in the comments and we will update out list!
Thanks and cya next Monday for the next installment in Weekly Bargains!

- Landon

The Nintendo Wii is getting a fresh coat of paint with a brand new re-design. What is Nintendo thinking? Then in our main topic we’re talking about music based video games. What happened to the once mighty gaming behemoth and what’s the future for rhythm based games? The good, the bad, we cover it all!