The OnHerCam Network of sites is thrilled to announce that we’ll be working with professional comic artist, Gary Yap, to bring an little edge to our websites.  As part of the launch of the upcoming OHC 2.0, we will have a bit of a focus on things such as anime, comics, and other artistic means that are quite popular among our users and models.  Gary will be producing some exclusive comics of our OHC models and our solo models as well as overseeing our new comic / anime section to be released as part of OHC 2.0 later this summer.

Full Gallery of Gary’s Work HERE

Gary Yap began his professional artistic career in the field of comic books, working on such titles as Green Lantern, the Monsters from Outer Space, the Trouble with Girls, and the critically-acclaimed parody book – Loco vs. Pulverine. In 1997, he moved into the field of animation, working on the Simpsons, the Oblongs, and – most notably – King of the Hill, where he earned two Emmy nominations for ‘Outstanding Achievement in Storyboarding. He has since returned to the comics field with his own project – Machete – as well as working with Scott Lost on Lost’s The 2nd Shift and Michael Kingston on Headlocked. He also runs Art Over Life Studios (www.artoverlifestudios.com) with his business partner – Usher writer/director, Roger Leatherwood.

Final Fantasy XIII. Just saying that name online has the effect of causing a stir among Final Fantasy fans and pretty much anyone who has ever loved an RPG. The company who is responsible for this game, Square-Enix, have brought us a lot of amazing RPG’s throughout the years. Any RPG fan will most likely be able to look through their collection and find that one of their favorites was made by either Squaresoft, Enix, or Square-Enix after their merge, but what about FF13? The buzz and the fanbase are all very mixed, and it oddly mirrors how the game plays out. There are good parts, and there are not so good parts, but the question here is, is it worth the hype? Is it worth your time and money? Today we will look into why it may or may not be all that we have been expecting.

So I’d like to start with a positive, but everything in this game seems to have good and bad parts of it, so lets just dive right into the first area, the story. This is of course what should be the main focus of any RPG game, especially one coming from the so called Kings of the genre, Square-Enix. Xenogears, Final Fantasy 6 and 7, Star Ocean 2, Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross, when you think of great Japanese RPG’s you’re bound to have one of if not all of these games come into it. All these games were well written and are adored by RPG fans, but somewhere along the way, sometime after the merge, it seems the company lost its knack. One of the first games the company released was Final Fantasy X-2, for example. One of the first sequels to a main line Final Fantasy game and is to this day considered one of the worst. But we’re not here to talk about the old days or how much Square-Enix has changed, we’re here to talk about Final Fantasy 13, and sadly I have to say I have yet to be impressed.

The story starts you right in the middle of the action, you play as Lightning and Sahz, two of the main protagonists of the game. Their goal is to… well.. see this is where the problems start, right at the start. The main problem with FF13 is bad writing. The story, once you sort of know whats going on (about… 7 hours in?) isn’t bad but the way it is written is horribly confusing. All the characters have a habit of throwing out terms like Fal’Cie and l’Cie around like we would say cat and dog, but they never explain what they really are. I admit sometimes it is nice to have some mystery but you can’t expect me to care about what a Fal’cie is 2 minutes into the game when I haven’t even figured out why the main characters are there in the first place, or why everyone is being attacked, or who is attacking, none of it makes sense. It’s not mystery it’s just confusion and the writing staff did a terrible job at it. The characters aren’t very interesting until quite a bit into the game, when things finally start being explained, but by that time you’re already bored and you probably don’t care.

She looks just as confused as me..

I have a theory, the game lacks a character to act as a blank slate. Someone you can discover things with. Take for example, Tidus from FF10. Yes he was a whiny little twit but the fact that he was stupid meant that the characters had to explain to him what was going on, and in turn we learn what is going on. In FF13, everyone knows everything already so you almost feel like you’re in a room and people are talking about a hilarious story, except you came in half way through and you have no idea why it’s so interesting or funny. It’s just flat out bad writing. If you can get through all that to around chapter 9 then maybe you’ll find something interesting but by that time, you’ll be annoyed with the other issues like I was.

Gameplay for example! The battle system is a very fast paced turn based system using the active time bar that a lot of the older FF games use, except it’s done oddly. You only control one of your characters the whole time, and you issue commands of sorts to your 1 or 2 other characters through the paradigm shifts. The battles are fast and interesting for a while, then you find out about the stagger meter. Basically it’s a meter that you need to build up by hitting an enemy with magic attacks and normal hits, and when its full the enemy becomes staggered allowing for attacks to deal more damage. For bosses it works well and keeps fights challenging and interesting, but then they start using it on normal enemies too where it takes you about 2 minutes to even stagger them, then you have to deal a bunch of damage which usually takes them down to half health before the bar goes back down and you have to stagger them all over again. This ends up making random encounters last a lot longer then they should when you’ve got 3 bigger enemies attacking you that all need to be stunned. I took about 15 minutes once on a normal fight because of this and it becomes really tedious really fast and drags things out (usually into the mud). Other then the battle system, there really isn’t much else to the gameplay. The maps are really just straight narrow halls (even when its a forest, it still acts like a hall) with very little branching and no puzzles to be seen. Supposedly around chapter 11 (30 hours into the game) an area is available that is big and vast and you can explore it but who wants to go through 30 hours of tedium to get to it?

Looks hectic and fast, but somehow manages to be slow and clunky. Sure is pretty though!

Lastly is the presentation, there is no denying the game looks beautiful. The facial expressions on the characters look dead on, the areas are lush and colourful, and everything looks brilliant. The music is not bad either, though fails to capture some of the original FF charm. It’s obvious they put a lot more effort into making the game look pretty then they did the rest of it though, which is sad. It’s a very pretty game to watch, unfortunately the shiny objects can only mask the problems the game has for so long.

Overall this game is very mixed. On one hand the graphics are gorgeous and everything seems nicely polished, but once you start getting into it you start noticing the polish is there to advert your eyes from the gaping holes. I really wanted to like this game but it pains me to know that a game this bad gets notoriety while other great games get left in the dust due to lack of publicity or being an original idea. On top of that the liner nature of this game just bores it’s audience who are costumed to exploration and challenging puzzles. This game almost perfectly depicts what is wrong with this generation of gaming and hopefully other companies will learn from Square Enix’s mistake.

Once in a while, game developers stop trying to think about how to make lots of money and decide to actually try something… different for a change. This year one game company known as Quantic Dreams decided to do just that in their newest title, Heavy Rain. This PS3 exclusive was hyped to be something we haven’t seen in a long time, an adventure game with a very heavy (no pun intended) emphases on story and characters as opposed to action and hacking away at hords of enemies. The story seemed emotionally charged, meaningful and well thought out, but is this the case? Is Heavy Rain the type of game that will leave you thinking? Lets dive in and find out!

Story:
This is definitely the main focus of this game. The game wants to draw you in and get you involved, and it seems to do a really good job of it. It starts out a little slow but if you give the game some time, it will definitely sink its hooks into you and you will not be able to break free until the end of the game. The story revolves around a serial killer named the Origami Killer, who kills young boys and leaves their bodies for the cops to find, with an orchid and an origami figure in their hands. The mystery of who this mysterious killer is is what drives the story further, but that is not all. There are 4 main characters you play the game as. Ethan Mars, the main protagonist of the game, is dealing with the loss of his first son Jason after a tragic accident. His life since then has fallen apart and things are only going to get worse as his son, Shaun, is kidnapped by the origami killer. Ethan’s story revolves around him trying to get his son back and are easily some of the most emotionally charged and interesting in the game. Some of the things he must go through are very torturous for him, and really show just how much he cares for his son. He has some other mysteries about him too but I will not spoil those for you.

The next character is Jayden, an FBI agent on the trail of the origami killer. His sections are very much about investigation though there are some twists as well. He uses a system called ARI which lets him find clues easier and get instant information about them, such as who’s blood it is and that sort of thing. Jayden was a very interesting character and it is fun to play as him trying to figure out the clues on the crime scenes, as well as tracking down suspects. Next is Madison, and while I don’t want to get too much into who she is, she has some of the most intense sections of the game that you will experience. Lastly is Scott Shelby, the PI who’s been hired by the families of the victims of the Origami Killer, you go around as him finding clues left behind by the killer. Once again, I can’t say too much without spoiling the story, but this games story and characters all feel very real and will have you hooked up until the thrilling climax (which changes depending on your choices, more on that later) The story is outstanding and apart from a few very minor details (like why is the medicine at the back of the convenience store and not near the front) the story is tight knit and very enjoyable. 10/10

Gameplay:
The gameplay is really quite literally a series of quick time events. You press buttons and move the analog sticks in directions to make the characters interact with things. This does make the game at times feel like more of an interactive movie but at other times, namely during fight scenes, you get a very strange sense of urgency that a lot of even the most action oriented of games fail to meet. It is a hard feeling to describe but the fact that you know a character can die, and the story will still go on without them, makes the scenes all the more intense. There are lots of different choices you can make in the game, and they all have effects on how the story plays out. Characters can die, even main ones, and things can unravel very differently depending on how you go about everything. I personally remember talking to a friend about how my story turned out and he said it felt like a weird alternate reality version of how his turned out. There are a ton of different endings and different ways the scenes can turn out, so the replay value if you are into the story is very high. On top of that they have new downloadable content on the way, one of which is available now to those who preordered, and it is just as fun as the rest of the game. I think my only gripe with the gameplay is walking which uses some very weird tank like controls. You press R2 to walk forward and left and right to turn, unlike most games that just have you press left on the stick to go left. But it hardly detracts from the experience so it’s just a minor complaint. The gameplay gets 9/10

Presentation:
This game is absolutely gorgeous, there is no way anyone can deny that. The character models are stunning, the landscapes look very real and everything fits together so well. The amount of motion capture that has gone into this game is staggering. Faces move like faces should, bodies movie like bodies should, and everything feels very real. There were even times that I’d forgotten it was computer generated at all because of how real they looked at times. The music is also very well done and fits the moods of the chapters very well. Ethan Mars’s theme in peticular is especially moving and really captures the feel of the game perfectly. On top of all that the voice acting is outstanding, probably some of the best in a game to date. All the actors take the game very seriously and it shows. As far as presentation goes this game is pretty flawless. The presentation gets a 10/10

Overall:
This is a game you just have to experience to understand. It is about 10 hours (I know because I actually devoted a whole day to playing it my first run through and I couldn’t put it down) and has a lot of replay value if you want to see how much you can change things. This game is a must have for those who love a murder mystery or love stories with heavy character involvement. You really do start caring for these characters and that is a lot more then you can say about most game characters these days. Final Verdict: 9.5/10

Earlier in the month, Apple went on an unannounced purge of its iPhone App Store and removed any application that it deemed too adult to be purchased. It unleashed a flurry of protests from tech bloggers, app developers and pornstars. They felt Apple was being far too paternalistic in their decision to eliminate apps they had previously approved through their already controversial process.

However, the problem didn’t end there. Within days, it was discovered that apps such as Playboy and Sports Illustrated, both of which feature women in bikinis or lingerie, were allowed to remain in the store without any interruption whatsoever. When pressed for an explanation to what appeared to be a discrepancy in their original explanation, Apple’s Phil Schiller, head of worldwide product marketing, claimed that organizations with a well-known brand would be allowed to keep their apps alive since Apple was aware of what it was they were offering Apple’s customers.

Yes, you read it right, indie apps are screwed. While Apple has been making inroads to the developer community in recent months after a couple of years of imposing rather Draconian roadblocks like the length of time between submission of an app and inclusion to the App Store, awkward reasons for refusing an app, and deleting apps after initially approving them, this represents a huge step backwards. I suspect this could be a game-changer for some who have simply become fed up with the entire process. Some will likely walk away as did Facebook iPhone App guru Joe Hewitt after he became frustrated with Apple. Others are going to figure out a way around the roadblocks. Below is a short list of who I think will be the winners and losers in the upcoming months:

WINNERS

Google: Google was the first major company who had an app submission rejected for no good reason by Apple (which resulted in a legal battle being fought in the courts and through the FCC). Depending on who you ask, the Google Voice iPhone app was rejected by Apple shortly after submission because 1) AT&T wanted any competition with their services killed 2) Apple’s growing unease about Google starting to move in on their territory 3) it genuinely violated the terms of agreement Apple has with its developers to not submit apps that duplicate native features already present on the iPhone.

Google responded by bypassing the App Store altogether and reconfiguring the app in the new HTML5 format and releasing it on their own (much like they did with their Google Wave application). Unlike traditional web apps, which consume an inordinate amount of battery life, HTML5 presently requires much power and apps built on it tend to operate more like an App Store application. This could very well be a game changer for many who feel they have been shafted by Apple.

This is a significant development by Google. By bypassing the gatekeepers in Cupertino, Google has shown there is a way to produce a quality app without the need to craft 5 different versions of it for every smartphone out there. Just one. Now all they need is for some other major industry to embrace it to get the ball rolling (see “the adult industry”).

HTML5 Developers: If you’re a web developer and not already familiar with this very new and increasingly popular format, you would be doing yourself a favor to start learning it now. Those skills are going to be in demand soon as tech companies start to realize the advantages to having more control over an app’s development and content. Besides, learning something new is fun (and profitable when you’re the only one on the block who knows it).

The Adult Industry (potentially): Traditionally, the adult industry has always played the role of kingmaker to new technology (BetaMax anyone?) and this could be no different. But could is the operative word here. Since HTML5 is so new, no one has really taken the time to exploit it, but now that Google has entered the fray, the industry is in a position to be the force that drives it into regular use. There are already so many apps available that have been stymied (and now banned) by their inability to use Flash. The industry is in an excellent position to show the world what this format is capable of, if they chose to do it.

LOSERS

Adobe and/or Flash developers: Sorry, guys, it’s been a nice run, but your days are numbered. Either stop fighting the tech community’s embrace of HTML5 or get on board. You don’t have to like it, but Jobs’s refusal to use your product has boxed you into a corner and you don’t need to look around all that hard to see the number of companies Apple has damaged or put out of business by their own refusal to adapt to a changing marketplace. AIR will never be the product you keep hoping it will be, so it’s time to face facts; you’re at a crossroads (or think of it as a technological Darwinian state, if you prefer) – adapt or die.

Steve Jobs: Jobs is one of the last corporate titans who will so willingly and often buck the marketplace and do what he wants. Most of the time, that instinct has served him well. It’s hard to argue that when it comes to hardware design, his vision has revolutionized the technology industry. The eMac, iPod, iMac and iPhone have each changed the way tech companies approach hardware design and made Jobs a household name. Even his commercial failures, like the Newton, have been profitable for the tech industry.

However, his record in terms of software design has been more spotty. Sure, iTunes changed the way people consume content online and put a major dent into online piracy, but applications like MobileMe and iWork and have never really taken off in comparison with its competitors, many of which are offered at little or no cost to the consumer.

Jobs’ refusal, right or wrong, to prevent Flash applications from finding a home on the iPhone has spurned development into other ways to get web-based video or animation to the iPhone. Many have opted to use Apple’s own Quicktime, but it’s an extra step to cater to the iPhone market (one that is too large to simply ignore). Embracing the HTML5 format could potentially create a situation where the notoriously control-conscious Jobs no longer has any input over what goes on the product he created.

The Adult Industry (potentially): At some point, Apple will probably relent and re-introduce adult-themed apps back into the store (there are some signs that in addition to the parental options available via the 3.o software update, iTunes will introduce an “Explicit Content” section of the store), but that fix is only temporary until someone else throws a fit about Apple profiting from porn on the iPhone. Suicide Girls, iEva and iTeagan will probably make their way back on your phone, but for how long?

If the industry fails to embrace the challenge laid out by Google, content producers will find their fortunes minimized and at the whim of a corporation who does not have their interests at heart. Going independent has always been a hallmark of the industry when all other avenues have been closed to them. This time the door was slammed in their face and if producers and studios fail to take up the challenge and go their own way, they could see one of the most profitable aspects of the industry throttled and bottlenecked by the very technology that should be their greatest ally.

Cross-posted at Wet Girlz Blog

Intro

Back in 2008 Wii owners were treated to one of the first great “mature” games on the system. That game was No More Heroes, created by the very strange Suda 51 (yes that is what this man likes to be called) it was an action game that boasted lots of blood, swearing, and everything you would never see in a Zelda or Mario game. And that is exactly what we got. The game did very well in reviews and since its release has gained a fairly decent fan base, so it’s no surprise that Suda 51 decided to make a sequel. But the question is does this sequel live up to its predecessor or does the game fall flat?

Story
The story continues from the first game, sort of. You once again play as Travis Touchdown as he once again gets thrown into the strange world of assassins. This time though the assassin fights have become almost like a sport for the fictional city of Santa Destroy. Fueled by the death of someone close to him, Travis decides that it’s time to take down the UAA (the group who runs the assassin fights) by fighting his way back up to rank number 1, ending the fighting for good. Travis himself is still the insane psychotic killer we knew from the first game, the difference is instead of him just wanting to get laid at the end, he wants his revenge on the one who killed his friend. He also seems to go through quite a bit of development. Yes that’s right Travis’s character actually has growth. The story itself keeps the game moving but unfortunately, the assassins you fight don’t feel as fleshed out in this game as they did in the first, which is too bad considering a lot of them seem very interesting. Even so, the game is just as crazy as the first and the ending is even a little touching which is strange and welcome. The story gets an 8/10

Gameplay
The game plays very similarly to the first, which is a good thing. the action is fast and tight and the bosses are all very fun and unique. The sandbox like map of the first game is gone however, leaving us with a map and menus to click on locations as opposed to Travis riding his motorcycle to his next match. Though this may seem like an odd choice it actually works a lot better, since the map from the first game was fairly barren anyways. You no longer need money to advance to the next ranking battle and boss, so the mini games are optional, though if you want to buy clothing or the two extra beam katanas (you get 4, 2 from the story the other 2 from a shop) then you’re going to want to play them. Lucky for us they are a lot more fun this time around. Instead of the odd and tedious mini games we had in the first game, we now have 8 bit old school type mini games which really match the style of the game. Though not all of them are fun, there is a decent variety and you are bound to find one that you are willing to play over and over to get more money.

But we didn’t buy the game to play 8 bit mini games, no, we bought it to kick ass and chop some heads off am i right? Well Travis has a few tricks up his sleeves to let you do just that. First is his trusty beam katana. This time there is even a weapon that lets you have 2 out at a time, which is pretty badass. Travis will use a variety of high, low, strong, and fast attacks to bring all who oppose him to their knees (if their knees are left after hes done that is..) He also has kicks and punches, which can then be used to pull out a random wrestling move that will instantly defeat your enemies if you do it right. Last but certainly not least is his special modes. In the corner you will see a tiger. This is your ecstasy gauge. When you land a lot of hits without getting hit yourself this gauge fills up and once the tiger is red hot and ready to fight you can either press the minus button on the wiimote to unleash Travis’s darkside mode or you can keep lobbing peoples heads off until the random roulette spins in a certain way which will let Travis do a lot of different things ranging from shooting fireballs out of his katana to turning into a tiger with instant kill capabilities. Does it make sense? Of course not but its No More Heroes and its badass and fun as hell.

Duel Wielding Beam Katanas... Badass

Even though the mini games could be more fun, and the combat while fighting the henchmen may not be as deep as it could be, the bosses are really fun and we even get a few surprises in 2 characters who are now playable for a period in the game (I wont say who, it’ll be a surprise) which is why the gameplay gets a 9/10.

Presentation
There is no denying it, this game is stylish as hell and is one of the best looking games on the Wii, period. No More Heroes 2 really pushes the Wii and shows that it is possible for the system to look amazing. The character details are nice, the graphic style is gorgeous, and the design of it is really something to behold. On top of that, the voice acting is great (Quinten Flynn reprises his roll as Travis) and the music is really very catchy and good. You can really tell they tried their best with this game and it’s great to see that someone knows the Wii is good for more then plumbers who eat mushrooms and fitness training. That’s why the presentation gets a 9/10

This guy wont know what hit him...

Overall
This game is really a great game, and not in just the “well it’s a good Wii game” sort of way, it is a flat out great game. It really seems to come together perfectly, with the story, the game play, and the presentation all complimenting each other. Is it as good as the first one? Yes and no, but in its own right it is amazing and for fans of the series or any Wii owners looking for some action, it is a must play. That is why this game gets a 9/10.

Back at the beginning of the PS2 era, the action game genre was revolutionized by a game that formed out of scraped ideas for Resident Evil 4. That game would be called Devil May Cry and has become a classic that will be remembered for years to come. The series then had a few sequels (the 2nd of which was trashed by fans, while the 3rd was hailed as one of the greatest action games of all time and the 4th is a mixed bag for fans) and the creator of them, Hideki Kamiya, has created other series most of which have done quite well. Viewtiful Joe and Okami are two of my favorites, so it’s easy to see why I was excited about his latest work, Bayonetta. But did it live up to expectations? Lets find out in my review of Bayonetta for the PS3 and X Box 360.

So I wont go too much into detail about the story itself, because honestly I’m still confused after beating the game. But I don’t think that makes it any less enjoyable. You see the story itself seems to be more of a way to create insane senarios for our Heroine, Bayonetta, to deal with in her own unique way. The game feels almost like a satire of the action genre, with overly sexual themes and the kind of over the top action that makes riding a missle like a surf board seem like an every day occurance. The cutscenes are very well thought out though and the voice acting is very decent. The basics of the story? Bayonetta is a witch, she uses guns on her hands and feet, and she brutally destroys the angels that are trying to kill her with her hair that can morph into giant hands and monster heads, and because she is also wearing this hair as a suit, when she uses it to attack she gets more and more naked… Makes sense? Nope. Is it awesome? Very awesome.

But this is an action game, so the story takes a back seat to the gameplay. Lucky for us the gameplay in this game is top notch action from start to finish. Whether you are fighting one of the smaller angels or attempting to conquor a giant cardinal whos size makes you feel like you’re fighting a sky scraper at times, the game flows quite nicely. Something unique to this game is you can equip weapons to both your hands and your feet, and there is a variety of weapons to choose from, ranging from a Katana to a whip to ice skates to shot guns for your feet, and all of them are fun to use.

The action plays similarily to the Devil May Cry series, you have a bunch of enemies around you and you use a series of attacks and dodging (lots of dodging) to get through the hordes. The bosses are challenging but also very fun to beat. Just learn their patterns and dodge at the right times, and you will come out on top. Bayonetta also has a few unique abilities that are useful in certain situations. In battle she can use something called Witch time which allows her to slow time down and get in a few extra hits on the enemies. She also at certain points in the game, has the ability to “witch walk” which allows her to walk on walls and the ceiling. When this mechanic is used its used very well, I just wish it had been utalized more. She also has the ability to morph into a panther and a bird that can glide, which will come in handy at certain points in the game. On top of that, there is a magic gague that, if you fill up enough, will allow you to use torture attacks which will do massive damage to enemies and look pretty to boot. Bayonetta will pull out a torture device, like a guillotin, and you’ll be prompted to mash a button to rack up points, and then you’ll get to see the enemies die painfully. Bosses also have something similar called a climax move, where bayonetta will summon a giant monster (using her weird magic hair) and the monster will proceed to destroy the boss in fun and different ways.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDKlSmM7PEE (here’s a gameplay video, I’ll do this properly when I find out how to)

The game offers a lot for you to do in game, and since it is an action game you will likely be playing through this more then once. There are multiple difficulties, very easy, easy, normal, hard, and non stop climax mode (did I mention this game has a very sexual theme?) as well as secret weapons, extra costumes, and even an extra character to play the game as. On top of that you’ll want to buy all of the accessories that allow Bayonetta to do different things like deflect attacks and activate witch time when you get hit, as well as all the ablilites and the health and magic upgrades. But we’re not done yet, within some of the stages you can find pieces of hearts that will raise your vitality, pearls that will raise your magic more, and portals that will lead you into special challenges. These challenges are definitely challenging and will test your abilities as a player, but the rewards are again, heart pieces and pearl pieces, so to max yourself out you are going to want to beat them. You can also try to get the best ranking in the levels and post your scores on a leader board for the world to see. And if that wasn’t enough for you, there is also a secret boss. So if you want to collect everything you will be at it for a long time, and that’s the way an action game should be.

Now the question you might be asking is, which version is superior? There has been quite an uproar of hate from PS3 fans due to the lazy port of this game, which consisted of worse load times and not as crisp graphics when compared to its 360 counterpart. Lucky for us PS3 owners, a patch has been released for the game that will fix the load times by letting you install the game. The graphics still take a hit but even with that considered the game looks very good on either system. So whichever system you prefer to play action games on really is the right choice for you, though there is still no denying that the 360 version is superior.

Overall this game is an amazing action game and a must have for all fans of the genre, especially fans of the Devil May Cry series. Fans of Hideki Kamiya’s games will also be pleased with the random references to his older games which definitely gave this reviewer a smile. The game is very stylistic in its music, tone, and art direction (though I hope you like the song Fly Me To The Moon because you’ll hear it a lot) and it’s a joy to see the crazy things Bayonetta does just for the sake of it looking awesome. The action is probably some of the best I’ve ever seen in a game, the story is non sensical in all the right ways, and you will find yourself coming back to this game again and again to try to unlock everything. The game is very hard, especially on the higher difficulties, but if you’re up for getting your ass kicked repeatedly only to feel the sweet satisfaction when you do win (and it is sweet) then give this gem a try.

Soapy’s Final Verdict: 9/10

Since it’s the new year there are a lot of new games coming out soon, and that means we’re all going to forget about the ones we played last year which in my opinion is a bit sad. So this week I’m going to give you all my top 5 games of 2009. The criteria for being on my list is that I have to have played it, so don’t feel bad if I forget your favorite games it likely just means I haven’t played it. I’ll also try not to be too heavy on the PS3 exclusives but there are a couple that were just completely outstanding and I can’t ignore them so sorry if I alienate the 360 players a little with that. But without further adeiu, here are my top 5 games of 2009.

Number 5: Mario and Luigi: Bowsers Inside Story (Nintendo DS)
This one might seem like an odd choice for some of you but this game is really outstanding. It is a Mario RPG, but this time there is a huge focus on everyone’s favorite spiky shelled turtle/dragon, Bowser! Yep it almost feels like Mario and Luigi take a step back and let Bowser take the spotlight in this game, and it’s all the better for it. Basically Mario and Luigi get sucked inside bowser and they have to help him get his castle back. I wont say too much about the story itself but I will say that I have never liked Bowser as much as I do in this game, it really gives him a sense of character and he becomes very likeable. The gameplay is also very entertaining and enjoyable, though maybe a bit easy if you are an RPG veteran like myself, but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment.

Number 4: New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii)
Yep I did a review of this one already so I will keep it short, but this game is amazing. Without repeating myself too much, it mixes just the right amount of nostalgia and new to blend together a very fun and exciting new 2D Mario platformer. The music is catchy, the levels are unique, and its bloody Mario for god sakes! Mario at his best. And while I feel a little bad about putting 2 Mario games on here already, they’re just both games I can’t ignore. If you want to know more about this one please check out my review and you’ll find out just why it’s so great in full detail.

Number 3: Uncharted 2: Among Theives (PS3)
So this is the first of my PS3 exclusives and I apologize for that but the PS3 had a very very good year so it shouldn’t be too big of a suprise. If you don’t know the basic plot of the Uncharted series, Nathan Drake is a treasure hunter, and he gets himself mixed up in plots to take over the world with anchient artifacts that have special powers. It’s very Indiana Jones like but it doesn’t really try to say it isn’t. Infact the game itself isn’t anything new, it just does everything so right. The gameplay is like Gears of War and Tomb Raider rolled into one, but fine tuned to a T, the story is basically any blockbuster action movie but it’s told absolutely amazingly, there just isn’t anything wrong with this game. They also throw in a multiplayer which I personally find highly fun and addictive. I couldn’t get into Call of Duty 4, but this game caught my attention so take that as you will. A huge improvement over the already outstanding Uncharted: Drakes fortune, this game is not only one of my top 5 of the year but probably one of my favorites of all time so if you have a PS3 you owe it to yourself to check it out.

Number 2: Borderlands (PS3, XBox 360, PC)
Another game I already did a review of, is it really a surprise that it is up here though? I have already praised it once so I again wont go into full detail but this game is just far to addictive and the multiplayer is awesome. I literally played this game for the majority of my day more then a few times. Once again if you want to know more about it I encourage you to check out my review, because I don’t feel like repeating myself too much, but if you are an FPS fan or are an RPG fan looking for something a little different, this game is more then worth giving a shot.

Number 1 Demon’s Souls (PS3)
I feel a bit bad about putting a PS3 exclusive at #1 but honestly this game is just too fun and to awesome to not be my Number 1 game of 2009. I got this game for Christmas and ever since then my life has been consumed by it. I was thinking of doing a review on it but I’m not sure if it’s fair to do a PS3 exclusive, though if you want me to do a full review please let me know! The game is a Japanese game styled off of western RPG’s like Oblivion and Dragon Age. You make your character, choose his or her class, and then you set off into the world of Boleteria which is a world consumed by demons. The thing about this game though, is that these demons? They’re going to kick your ass. Hard. This game is very challenging and that is probably one of the reasons I love it so much, it doesn’t hold your hand it doesn’t coddle you, it throws you into the dark atmospheric and amazing world and tells you to just go for it, and if you die then screw you try again. This to me makes the game probably the most rewarding experience I’ve had in a video game in recent years. It’s got a bit of an old school feeling in that way because you will find yourself memorizing where the enemies are and what the best way to defeat them is. And on top of that you have epic boss fights with monsters that will destroy you if you’re not careful. This game also has a story that you have to piece together yourself, and when you do it’s actually very good. I wont go on too much longer but if you own a PS3 and are a fan of RPG’s, Action games, and getting your ass handed to you on a silver platter, then I highly recommend you check this game out.

So that’s my top 5, to see some runners up please check out my post in the game forum. Thanks for reading!

Mario is back and he’s bringing a whole new bag of tricks to the table. This week our game is New Super Mario Bros Wii for the.. well the Nintendo Wii. It’s a sequel to the highly fun DS game New Super Mario Bros. It is a lot like that game but with a whole lot of improvements and some good old nostalgia thrown in for good measure. Now we’ll look into why this is one of the best Wii games to date and a must buy for all Mario fans.

4 player action

Like the old days, but newer?

So the games story is very basic and we have all heard it before. Bowser steals the princess and it’s up to Mario and Luigi to save the day! This time however there are two new players, a yellow and blue Toad (the mushroom men) join the brothers in their quest to save the princess from the evil clutches of Bowser once again. Bowser isn’t alone either however, bringing with him straight from Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World, the Kooplings, his original children, and Baby Bowser as well. As you progress through the 8 worlds you will fight off each of these baddies, who will in the last castle be powered up by Kamek, the Magikoopa from Yoshi’s Island, in a very similar way. With these odds stacked up against Mario, Luigi, and their two new friends, do they even stand a chance? You’ll have to play to find out!

The gameplay is just like the old days on the super nintendo. You progress from one side of the screen all the way to the end goal, trying to traverse through the obstacle filled land as you go. All your favorite enemies are back, the koopas, goombas, the piranha plants, bullet bill, and even a few new faces are added to King Bowsers army of baddies. The platforming flows very nicely, and while it feels slightly different then it did in the Nintendo and Super Nintendo days it definitely feels right. You will never be fighting the controls or wondering why Mario didn’t jump quite where you wanted to.

Along with all the new enemies you’ll encounter you will also find some new power ups. The staples are back such as red mushrooms to make you grow big and fire flowers to make you shoot fire. But this time there are a few new tricks. An Ice Flower which lets you shoot ice turning enemies into ice cubes, which you can then pick up by shaking the wiimote in front of it. You can then throw this ice cube at enemies as it kills everything in its path till it hits a wall and shatters. There is also a penguin suit which has the same ice ability but also lets you belly slide along ice and allows for better swimming in water levels. And last but not least is the propeller hat, which as you’re in the air, if you shake the wiimote it’ll send you hurling into the air further acting as a second jump. All the power ups are intersting and the creative ways they can be used in the levels are very interesting. The only thing I’m disappointed with is while the mini mushroom from the DS game returns, there is no giant mushroom. I quite enjoyed stomping through levels destroying everything in my path! This game also marks the return of Yoshi to the series, though his appearances are limited they are enjoyable.

Of course a Mario game is great with all the enemies and fun powerups but it just wouldn’t be a fun game if the levels you find them all in weren’t interesting. Luckly for us the level design in this game is outstanding. As you play you will find that pretty much all the levels are unique. That’s right every single level has something unique about it. The later levels don’t feel just like harder versions of a level you already beat, they feel new and fresh and they keep your attention throughtout the game. Some levels even have multiple ways to finish, unlocking special paths on the main map and even some cannons that let you skip worlds (though all the levels are so fun I don’t know why you would want to). Each level also has 3 star coins to collect, and if you collect all the star coins in a world you unlock a level in the special world 9, an especially difficult world that will test your abilities as a Mario player.

Finally, the multiplayer. Yes this game has multiplayer but not in the way you used to play it in a mario game. Instead of taking turns and trying to beat a level one at a time, up to 4 players can play at the same time in the same level. This can get quite heckteck and fun, but don’t expect to take it too seriously unless you’re with a group of hardcore mario players. The game offers a bubble feature which lets less skilled players bubble safely over to where you are after you’ve completed the death defying leap over the pit of lava but I challenge you all to go through the game without using it when you’re playing multiplayer, it’s much more fun that way. You can use the other players to jump to higher places by jumping on their heads, you can hold onto other players and jump with them or throw them, sometimes its fun to be mean to the other players but teamwork is the only way you’ll get anything done. The game is just as fun on your own as it is with friends but I highly recommend trying it both ways. (Innuendo not intended) NSMBW Doesn’t take too long to complete if you’re a Mario vet. You could probably beat the game in 3 or 4 sittings depending on how long you play the game straight but that isn’t including the star coin collecting which will be time consuming even for those of us who have been playing since we were 5 year old toddlers.

All in all this game is great. It is full of all that Mario goodness that we grew up with and its presented in such a nice way. You can really tell they were making this game for long time fans. It’s highly modelled off of Mario 3 and Mario World and it’s all the better for it. And if you ask me, the final boss fight in this game is one of the most epic in the series, just thought I’d throw that out there. On top of all that, the music is just what you’d expect from Mario and you will find yourself humming a few of the tunes while you are at work or making dinner, I know I have. Whether this is your first venture into the Mushroom Kingdom or if you’re returning for the 100th time, entry is well worth the ticket price and I highly encourage all fans of Mario or anyone who owns a Wii to try this game out, you will not be disapointed!