The most realistic game physics...

Simply amazing...

Two Great Time Wasters

If you're a fan of wasting time online, especially with online games, you'll love these two flash games.

The first one is Fracuum (rhymes with vacuum I suppose?). It's a very simple concept. You control a square and you must reach the end of the maze, while avoiding obstacles and gaining power-ups. But the really cool part is that you can actually see the levels ahead of you because as you get closer to the middle, it zooms in for you. So you can plan your paths accordingly. Very fun.

http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/594354

The next is Army of Ages. It's a 2D real time strategy in which you must defend your stronghold against a rebel alien invasion and eventually defeat them. Sounds like it's been done, but Army of Ages has taken the traditional RTS in a fun, cartoony way. You start off in the Stone Age and can progress through many ages. I got up to some 1800's Steampunk era. Plus the weapons and artillery are very cool.

http://armorgames.com/play/11789/army-of-ages

Uncanny Valley

Here's a preview of what we can expect next gen graphics will look like. CryEngine 3 was used to build this. And if you've got a high end gaming system, you can experiment with the development tools youself.

It's all very impressive, but I'm truly amazed with the realism of the ocean. It's hard to emulate the properties of water, and I think they pretty much nailed it. And it's about time we got realistic foliage, rather than wonky branches with sharp construction paper leaf cutouts.

Developers at Epic have also been working on their Unreal Engine. And with more licenses, Unreal powers some of the most popular games, including iOS titles. Here's a preview of some of their latest features.

Don't forget to hit HD on these if you can!

Kara

From the studio that brought you Heavy Rain (one of my favorite games), Quantic Dream has released a short called "Kara". They released a short in 2005 called "The Casting" and gave us a bit of insight of what to expect in Heavy Rain. This new short definitely explores new possibilities and avenues, but it is uncertain whether it'll be connected to their next game.

The short itself is actually pretty good and emotional. Check it out! Slightly NSFW.

Fable: The Journey

Fable: The Journey is the fourth game in the series, and will take place 5 years after the end of Fable III. An evil entity known as The Corruption is in pursuit of you, and you must reach the Spire while encountering all sorts of adventures across Albion.

As you can tell from the screenshot, Fable: The Journey is a first person game. That's because it will exclusively be a Kinect title. You will be using your arms to control how your character interacts with the world. You can cast spells, and craft yourself a shield, spear and hammers to defeat enemies. You can also craft fishing rods and telescopes for mini game fun. And as the screenshot shows, you must control the reigns of a horse carriage.


This is a huge step from the traditional adventure RPG genre of the past Fable games. It seems like a lot of fans are disappointed with the Kinect addition, but I will keep an open mind and try it out. Who knows, it might actually be fun!

Check out the youtube link for a gameplay demo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2Q1dgegSIo

Burrito Bison Revenge

I encourage all of you to check out this highly addictive game, and sequel, Burrito Bison Revenge. It's one of those "see how far you can launch the object" game, but incredibly fun. At first it might not be very rewarding, but you earn cash each round, and once you begin purchasing upgrades and power-ups, then the addiction begins! Set aside a couple hours to play this awesomely, cartoony, colourful adventure!

http://www.kongregate.com/games/JuicyBeast/burrito-bison-revenge

Super HD

While most of us are happy enjoying our primitive HD TVs, even some of us just getting one now because they're more affordable, NHK Science & Technical Research Laboratories has already created Ultra High Definition. Back in 2003, they built a prototype using 16 HD recorders capture a 30 minute long test footage. That was highly experimental, but they've been hard at work since!

Imagine a TV 16 times bigger than yours now, while retaining that quality. In 2009 SHARP demonstrated an 85" LCD display capable of 7680 x 4320 pixels. The average TV size now is about 46 inches. With a projection of 60 inches by 2015, things will get ridiculous.

But don't expect to see it in Best Buy anytime soon. The ETA for this is between 2016 to 2020. Mainly due to limitations of storage and broadcast distribution of content.

So when you're watching HD now and thinking, "This high def is really showing off an ugly side of that news reporter", pretty soon you'll be able to see pores clogging up and shedding skin cells float away into dust.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultra_High_Definition_Television

Happy Old Munchkin

Just look how happy he is.

He should be a meme!

Source: http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lrvxl1i4zz1qz8gt5o1_500.jpg

Character's Mobility

Controlling a character on screen is almost like an extension of yourself. The actions that character can perform are assigned buttons on the controller (or keyboard/mouse for PC gamers) that you control. You expect the character to maneuver like a regular human for a sense of reality, but also perform some hyper actions for a sense of fantasy. A lot of games have mastered the physics behind this and a lot have failed in this regard.

Since a lot of us Generation Y's grew up playing platform games, it's instinctual to have the character jump when you press the action button. It makes sense, there are obstacles you must get around somehow. But even games beyond the platform genre have incorporated jumping as the main action you can perform (besides shoot/attack).

Some games do not require characters to jump. In Zelda: OoT, Link would automatically leap if you run him off a ledge, but you could not directly control his jumping. The GTA/Red Dead Series could make your character hop, but it wasn't integral to gameplay. It was included to give gamers the familiar sense of how a video game character should be controlled.

I would like to see video game physics of a character with more lifelike characteristics. Perhaps you can trip if you run too fast or run over some debris. If you run into a wall, you actually get hurt. Granted there are limitations to our current control system, but game developers are smart. I'm sure they can figure out something.

Also, I think a really cool way to experiment with character mobility would be to create a sandbox game where you can control a variety of animals. Just imagine controlling a snake slithering around, or a cheetah running at full speed, or a large and cumbersome elephant stomping about.

Image source: http://www.emutalk.net/threads/49810-Mupen64-in-C-on-XNA

Limbo

For $14.99, you can download the indie title "Limbo" for Xbox 360, PS3 or PC. I've never really browsed the indie game section of the marketplace, but after positive reviews, I had to give it a try.

You control a young boy, pressing through a dark and disturbing world. Booby traps, giant spiders and rogue machinery serve as obstacles that you must overcome. You have no explanation as to why you are traversing this eerie world, but it becomes quite clear, you need to get the hell out of there.

Limbo harmonizes visuals and sound very nicely, in a gloomy way. The entire game is black and white, but there is an incredible amount of detail on everything. There are no cut scenes or loading scenes, just one continuous game with an unlimited amount of lives... which is good, because the puzzles and traps can be quite challenging. And they get more difficult.

It doesn't take every long to finish the game, roughly 5-6 hours. It will take you a lot more time to find all the hidden gems though. Very cool and disturbing game.

Hammock of Cartoons

Did you know, Hammock of Games used to be dedicated to my artwork before I changed the blog's content? It was a requirement for a first year animation course to create a blog and post your best artwork. I've been mulling over whether I should create a separate blog, but I don't draw that often to update an art blog, so my art will be shared with zealousgaming for now. No game updates from me, just some silly cartoons...

Musician's Bedroom

Alien Skull

Mutant Aquatic Creature

Rodent Mage

Mythical Creature

Call of Duty Black Ops Zombie Map Pack

So I finally downloaded the Annihilation Map Pack and there's already news of a fourth map pack. Treyarch is taking all my money. This map pack, appropriately titled "Rezurrection" is a remastered collection of the zombie maps in World at War: Nacht der Untoten, Verruckt, Shi No Numa and Der Riese. In addition to the old maps, a new map "Moon" will be included in the pack. From the screens, this one looks amazing. Ascension was pretty fun. Didn't like Call of the Dead that much. And Shangri-La is pretty cool, still getting used to it though. What I really liked were the wonder weapons in each map. Moon will have two new ones. The WaveGun (pic below), which heats zombies from the inside out and the Quantum Entanglement Device. Not much is known about this one except that it replaces the monkey bombs and it can either work in your favour or against you.


My favorite map is still Kino Der Toten. Something about that level that keeps me playing it...

Revenge of the Sunfish

A good friend of mine showed me a YouTube video of this game being played. It is by far one of the most bizarre games ever created... and it intrigued me.

It's hard to tell what's happening in the game, as the levels are very inconsistent. Each level is in a sense, it's own mini game. Visuals, characters and gameplay drastically change. What I thought was pretty cool is how you progress through the game. You're given a certain amount of lives per each level, and depending if you pass of fail the level, you'll go to either Level A or B... and so forth.

It's not very easy too. You'll find yourself dying more often than... living. A lot of the levels just require you to get to the end without hitting any enemies, some are keyboard mashers, and other levels ask you stupid puzzling questions.

Psychedelic visuals, poor character animations, artwork that looks like it's been drawn by a 6 year old... Revenge of the Sunfish has it all. And it's only a puny 20 MB so even the most inferior systems can run this garbage.

Download link: http://www.thegamehippo.com/game/150

You may get an error message about a missing dll file when trying to run the game. You can download it here: http://www.dll-files.com/dllindex/dll-files.shtml?cncs32

Just put it in the same folder as the game's executable.

Uncharted 3 Multiplayer Beta

If you purchased Infamous 2 or you are a PS Plus member, you'll have exclusive access to the Uncharted 3 Multiplayer Beta. If you don't have it now, it's too late, as the servers are being shut down July 14th for awhile until the full game is released November 1st this year.

There are 3 maps in the beta. The newest one being Yemen, which wasn't originally available at first, but updates are constantly being sent out. I find them a bit small in comparison to other multiplayer games, but not too small so that it's constant chaos (e.g Nuketown). And they're nicely done too. Lot's of tactical options for navigation.

I haven't played the Uncharted 2 multiplayer, but from what I've read, Uncharted 3 multiplayer is a step up. You have a new "kickbacks" feature, temporary enhancements to your gameplay, like spawning an RPG, speed boosts and cluster bombs.

The pace is very different from a regular FPS multiplayer, but it's a lot of fun. I like 3 team deathmatch, where you are paired up with a buddy and take on 2 other teams. And the controls are the same as the single player mode. You can scale up walls, climb ledges and monkey around.

Definitely something to check out, I can't wait for the full version :)

Image sources: http://cdn.gamerant.com/wp-content/uploads/Uncharted-3-Multiplayer.jpg

http://www.naughtydog.com/images/uploads/2011_06_24_U3_Beta_details.jpg

Black Ops: Map Pack 3 Annihilation

With the wildly successful Escalation map pack, Black Ops fans are no doubt eagerly awaiting what Treyarch has to offer with the 3rd map pack. The maps in Escalation were amazing. They offered a more tactical approach to the gameplay, rather than the run-and-gun style in First Strike. Check out the video below and comment what you think. I'm a bit wary of Hazard and Hangar 18, as they look like they could get dull after a few plays.

Tags: GameTrailers.com, Annihilation DLC Preview HD, PC Games, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

New job and such...

Sorry I haven't been posting as often as I originally intended. I started a new job and I've been extremely busy with band practices, so I'll try to update as often as I can. In the meantime, here's an idea I had of what a public hammock would look like (sticking with the hammock theme). I think I used Photoshop CS2 for that one. Click on image for better quality.

Role-Playing Mario

We're all well aware of the billion games Mario has been featured in. From huge successes like Super Mario Galaxy, to epic failures like Mario is Missing, there's a Mario game for everyone... except FPS Mario. I don't think that would fair too well. Although, Donkey Kong 64's mulitplayer mode had third person shooter, and the buffoonery of apes shooting each other with fruit guns was quite entertaining.

There's one Mario game in particular that stood out to me: Super Mario RPG. I'm not talking about the 2-D, side-scrolling Paper Mario series. Those were fine, but the one for Super Nintendo was special. Nintendo took a bold move, drastically shifting its gameplay and giving it the isometric view. They stayed true to the RPG formula. Mostly because they teamed up with Square (aka Square Enix).

Smithy's Alternate Forms. One of the weirdest boss battles

I really liked how you team up with Bowser to fight a common enemy. There's so much ingenuity and authenticity in this game, it remains as a Super Nintendo classic to me. If they hadn't went the Paper Mario route, and expanded on what they already had, I think there could've been something truly amazing.

Hidden Boss Battle: Culex from Final Fantasy

Mortal Kombat Review

Gory goodness. That's all I have to say about this game.

But if you want a more in-depth review, do read on. Mortal Kombat (also known as Mortal Kombat 9) offers hours of pure entertainment. You may be thinking; it's just another installment in a dragged out series, and it'll just end up collecting dust on the shelf until the next one comes out, right? Wrong.

A renewed control system makes it easy to pick up and play, while still keeping combos the same for klassic MK fans. The challenge tower offers a seemingly endless variety of mini games that are loads of fun. And the story mode is very extensive and enjoyable (if you can stomach the corny dialogue at times). Plus, the fatalities are very gory. You'll be pleasantly surprised which ones they brought back too.

Also, the krypt is back, offering you tons of items to unlock. I'm happy to have also seen kodes that can be inputted on the vs loading screen. Something that hasn't been implemented since Mortal Kombat Gold. And the level design is phenomenal. There's so much depth in each stage, and activity going on around you.

MK 9 isn't perfect. You can only play online if you have the online pass, which comes with your first purchase of the game. If you bought a used copy, you'd have to purchase the pass for $9.99. And online play is laggy at times, making some fights very unfair. Also, Shao Kahn is incredibly cheap. Blocking doesn't help much, and his hits take away a lot of health. I had a very difficult time beating him on medium. There is no exclusive Xbox 360 character like there is with the PS3, being Kratos.

Definitely a game to check out. I'd wait for a price drop, it's on the more expensive end of newer games, $69.99.

What were some of your favorite MK games?

Cooking with Scorpion video from Deadly Alliance

Crysis 2 Review

I'm about a few hours into the game, but I figured it's enough to give a moderately accurate review. Some of you weren't too happy with my Portal 2 review, so I'll keep this one spoiler-free.

The strongest feature of the game has to be the stunning visuals. Probably some of the best graphics I've seen to date. Gorgeous environments, lush scenery, and magnificent backdrops all make you stop and "smell the roses" when you're playing. There is much to look at. And what was really cool was how much you can explore the levels. After you killed every bad guy in an area, it's hard not to go around and see what you may have missed. You'll truly appreciate all the hard work and care that went to into level design.

There were some annoying bugs, and poor AI made it quite annoying at times. The enemies either spotted you from miles away, which then voided your stealth approach, or they stare right at you and don't do anything. You also have the ability to pick up any item and toss it. It can serve as a distraction to enemies, but I wish your throw would be...ahem...manlier. I tried my best to calculate an accurate trajectory, but the throw never goes far enough. And there's a noticeable lag between the button press and the throw. The game also takes a couple hours to get going, but it's worth sticking around for.

Crysis 2 also has a strong competitive multilayer. I haven't played much of it, but it's really fun. The maps are incredible, and leveling up is rewarding. I definitely recommend Crysis 2 for its lasting appeal and quality gameplay.

This is a video of me turning on a TV, then shooting it and watching it dance as sparks fly.

Let bygones be bygones...

So in an effort to forgive PS3 owners of the month of downtime, Sony is releasing a "Welcome Back Package" to those who still kept their PS3 systems. It will available to download as soon as PS Store is back online on May 24th. The North American package includes your choice of two of the five full games:

• Dead Nation
• inFAMOUS
• LittleBigPlanet
• Super Stardust HD
  
• Wipeout HD + Fury

And for PSP owners, they'll have the choice of the following two of five full games:

• LittleBigPlanet (PSP)
• ModNation Racers
• Pursuit Force
• Killzone Liberation

After 30 days of PS store being back online, gamers will not be able to download these titles anymore. So act quickly! In addition to the full downloads, you'll also get:

• A free selection of "On Us" rental movie titles over one weekend.
• 30 days free PlayStation Plus membership for non-PSN Plus members
• Existing PSN Plus subscribers will receive 60 days of subscription
• Existing Music Unlimited Premium Trial subscription members will receive an extra 30 days of premium subscription
• Additional 30 days plus time lost for existing members of Music Unlimited Premium/Basic
• Users of Home will receive 100 free virtual items.

The European version of the Welcome Back Package has Ratchet and Clank: Quest for Booty instead of Super Stardust HD. The German market has Hustle Kings instead of Dead Nation, and Everybody's Golf 2 and Buzz Junior Jungle Party instead of Pursuit Force and Killzone Liberation for the PSP games. Killzone Liberation will not have online play.

What do you think? Is this a fair compensation? Perhaps not for the most loyal PS3 owners, but I haven't played any the games they're offering, so I'm happy with it.

Image Source: http://lacedwithgrace.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/gift.jpg