Last year, I was totally bummed out over the fact that I missed out on the Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddess concert. I told myself then that if they ever came back, I’d buy tickets as soon as possible. In fact, I bought the tickets for tonight’s show so long ago that I almost forgot that it was happening.
Jett Plays: 001 – Injustice: Gods Among Us
In my first attempt at a Let’s Play video, I take on the world in Injustice: Gods Among Us. I’ll be the first to admit that it is lacking on the production front, but I’m doing what I can with the tools I have. Hopefully it’s still an entertaining watch and I promise I’ll get better as I do more of these!
Red Faction: Guerilla Impressions
The sensation of power that came with using Parker’s hammer for the first time was awesome. I don’t know what space age technology or magic is packed into it, but it breaks stuff really well. With it, you can topple any building in the game, which is probably a lot more fun than it should be. During the few hours I’ve put into the game, the most fun I had with it was though aimlessly traversing through Mars, while destroying every building I came across.
Hands-On: The PlayStation 4 Controller
I’ve never been a fan of the DualShock. Despite it becoming the archetype that almost every controller has followed since, I never liked the placement of the left analog stick. On the PlayStation 3 DualShock, I hate the mushy triggers and how my thumb constantly slips off the convex-shaped sticks. Despite keeping the same general form factor, the PlayStation 4 DualShock is a notably improved controller.
Fan Expo Sports Strikes Out
If Fan Expo 2013 was the latest battleground between nerds vs. jocks, the nerds crushed their competition in a lopsided victory. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, as this is the first time that sports has been featured. However, the sports aspects of the show themselves turned out to be a bit of a letdown.
The Recurring Bosscast: 024 – A Clown And Her Dolly
To celebrate one year of recording shows together, this episode of the Bosscast includes our pre-Splitkick podcast debut. Jett got to play the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 at Fan Expo, though that’s not nearly as cool as meeting Loonette from the Big Comfy Couch.
Jett – In Third Person
Jason – Downstab
Mat – Biff Bam Pop
Building a Better Fighting Game Tutorial
Fighting games are some of the most difficult and intimidating to learn. It’s very easy to get overwhelmed by all of the variables at play, from complex button inputs, to a seemingly endless stream of online competition ready to beat you to a pulp and brag about it. Even fights against the computer can prove difficult when it appears to have a counter to all of your tactics. How does one get better at fighting games?
Before the advent of training mode, all you could do was suck until you eventually didn’t suck. Then training modes became standard on console fighters, though it was mostly used as a place to practice combos rather than actually learning the nuances of combat. As a means of addressing this shortcoming, fighting game developers have implemented tutorial-like modes into their games. However, I still feel like they’ve all fallen short in some way or another. The end result is the fact that most games in the genre do an inadequate job of teaching players how to actually play, which will drive those dedicated enough to seek information elsewhere, or drive others (maybe most) away.
What can fighting game creators do to help players become better grasp their games? I think they’re almost there, but not quite. Why?
Eyes-On A Whole Bunch of Games At Fan Expo 2013
Besides the handful of games I got to play at Fan Expo 2013, I saw a lot of other titles on current and next gen platforms. Some of these were live demos that us common folk were playing, while others were part of a sizzle reel. I didn’t get to experience enough of them to formalize a post, though I’ll throw in a quick word based on what I saw. Enjoy!
Check Out My Kickstart Guide To Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 On Splitkick.com
Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is still one of the best and hottest fighting games around. If you’re a beginner-level player and are looking to improve your skills, my Kickstart Guide on Splitkick might be the boost you need!
Check out the Kickstart Guide to Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3
Hands-On With Driveclub
Driving games are synonymous with console launches. Most console manufacturers use them to demonstrate the raw horsepower of their platform in a way that appeals to a wide audience. Gran Turismo would have been the obvious choice, though Gran Turismo 6 is set for a PlayStation 3 release later this year. Probably realizing that GT wasn’t going to work out in time for the launch of the PlayStation 4, Sony has greenlit Driveclub from the makers of Motorstorm.
I got to play a pre-release build at Fan Expo, which consisted of one time trial race. It was enough time to me to realize that this isn’t for me, and that it may not be the next gen racing game to beat at launch.
In Third Person 