Bursting into action, Captain America takes on the unstoppably adorable forces of Red Skull and his giant teddy bear army in the latest episode of the Barrel Roll show!

Wes returns to tell the tale of Captain America Super Soldier. But before we can get into that it must be told that Jesse and Jonah are also back (as per usual) to bring us the latest in the same games they’ve been playing the last several weeks. This includes Disgaea 4 and Xenoblade Chronicles, but has expanded into Jesse returning to, and finishing Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies. His Dragon Quest inspired mood was brought on, not only by the recent info about part ten, but also on the fact that his import copy of Dragon Quest Collection has arrived.

In an attempt to keep things “funky fresh”, Jonah has invested some time into Jetpack Joyride and Swords & Soldiers HD as well. When he wasn’t busy pummeling Nazis, Wes also delved into Icarus and Quarrel. Two great tastes that taste great together.

All that plus the news, new games this week, and the winner of our Bastion soundtrack giveaway is picked on Barrel Roll! #135, “Captain America’s Epic Yarn”.

Middle Song: Eye Trickle Scuba Wagon by Shnabubula – Buy the Album

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Walking around the multitudinous booths and the general insanity of PAX, I spied a bizarre little game starring an afro puffed robot.  As a fan of robots and Dr. J style afros, I knew I had to check it out. On a side note, I think my spell check is racist. It refuses to recognize afro as a word. But if we can somehow find a way to get past culturally insensitive spell checking software, there is a game to talk about.

Frobot is a hybrid puzzle/shooter starring one well coiffed little robot on a mission to save his five super fine robot girlfriends. Gameplay takes place in a top down perspective as you solve puzzles and blow up other robots. I’m a little bit Wii-tarded, so any game that requires moving around and using a cursor by aiming at the screen feels off to me. It is even worse when people are watching me try to solve puzzles while I am busy accidentally exploding myself over and over. As a semi-professional games journalist, I managed to shrug off the laughter of onlookers and continued to explode myself in a glorious fashion.

If you can find the right group of people, multiplayer could be very intense. I told the PR girl that it felt like a combination of Bomberman and Combat for the Atari. She then looked at me like I was crazy and asked, “Do you mean like Wii Tanks?”

After the PR girl made me feel old, I totally owned her with a combination of skillful shot placement and her letting me win. The basic set up feels a lot like Bomberman with the shooting from (sigh) Wii Tanks. You are thrown into a variety of arenas and try to blow each other up. The difference is the much wider variety of weapons and defensive tools you are given. Weapons include bullets, missiles, mines, and even a remote controlled exploding disco ball. Bullets ricochet off of walls like Captain America’s shield and you can guide the explosive disco ball by pointing the Wii-mote.

From my limited time with the game, I wasn’t really sold on the single player campaign. But if you are a fan of Bomberman or Atari Combat and you have some friends that enjoy exploding, I would check out the multi-player when the game releases later this year.

Although I’ve been a fan of teh Penny Arcadez for years, I’ve never made it to their annual gaming convention. As if that wasn’t enough, this was to be my first convention as a member of the gaming press. I had a Media Badge and everything. I had all sorts of interviews set up with PR reps and developers. What if they didn’t like me? Or worse, what if they didn’t like my suit?

I couldn’t make it out for the start of the convention on Friday, but as Saturday morning rolled around I fueled up on an over-caffeinated Wired energy drink (triple the safe dosage of caffeine!!!) and a couple of protein bars as I set out on a gloriously gray, overcast Seattle day.

After overcoming my complete confusion about how to work the elevator buttons at the Sheraton Hotel, I managed to retrieve my Media Pass and made it into the convention center. Walking in, there were giant screens and loud music everywhere, and the convention was still a half an hour from starting. It was not quite the sensory overload that everyone told me it would be, but everywhere I looked there was something to see, whether it was a demo station playing Gears of War 3 or some excessively hot PR girl.

Very quickly lines started forming for the big titles. If there was a line offering free gold and a line for Portal 2, Portal 2′s line would still be longer. You science buffs out there might not realize it, but if the lines for Portal 2 and the line for Duke Nuke’em Forever were to ever meet, the resulting explosion would give birth to a whole new universe.

The PR people were super cool. I know that’s their job, but they were nice and polite even when I continued to die repeatedly. I haven’t yet mastered the ability to play the game while they are giving me their spiel. They would patiently explain the game’s mechanics while I fell down into holes over and over or got hit in the head because I forgot I was supposed to block.

I got a huge kick out of talking with the indie developers. Forget the big guys’ huge booths and million dollar budgets. Give me the folks from Retrograde, Puzzlebots, and Retro City Rampage (as well as a bunch of others) any day of the week. Their creativity and passion were more impressive than anything else I saw at the show. It was cool to get their perspective on stuff like Piracy (bad) and Zombie Piracy (good).

Even more important than the games, though, was the swag. Swag is king at any convention. Everyone wants it and they are willing to go to all sorts of extremes to get it. I have no idea what I am going to do with all these buttons and pins, all I know is they are free and I want them. You learn very quickly the value of having either a bag or a friend with a bag you could throw your $#%& in.

All the games were nice and all, but the true highlight of the show was when the escalator stopped for a second and 200 nerds froze in a panic like they were trapped. It took a good 5 seconds before someone yelled out, “Now they’re stairs.” It was like I was living in one of those jokes from the Reader’s Digest (which still exists right?). The most uncomfortable moment wasn’t the variety of people that needed some sort of pants support (i.e. a belt or rainbow suspenders) that kept flashing the Mario crack. No, not even sweaty nerd butt could compete with the terror of watching some sweaty forty something year old guy, begging some 18 year old cosplayer for a hug. It’s a gaming convention, not a strip club buddy. I kept expecting Chris Hansen to jump out and yell, “Gotcha sucka!” Which he’s probably never done in his life, but would be amazing none the less.

By the end of my 2-day adventure at PAX I was tired, sore, my feet hurt, and I had drank way too many energy drinks. Some of my notes look like they were written by an 84 year old man because I was shaking so much from overdosing on caffeine and drinking a 5-Hour Energy.

In the end, it was a grand and glorious experience and I can’t wait for next year.

P.S. To everyone that was in the morning queue on Sunday: A Green Lantern would decimate a Jedi.

Metal Slug XX proudly hearkens back to its arcade roots. The game was designed to get you to “insert coin”, and if you want to see the end you either have to have the reflexes of a cat ninja or hit continue 83 times like me.

Can a game that unapologetically kills you for every misstep be fun?

Heck yeah.

Full disclosure: I am a huge fan of the Metal Slug series. However, my love for the series has never translated into skill. I am like the overly enthusiastic guy at the Y with the $200 basketball shoes and the retro Dr. J jersey who can’t make a layup to save his life. Sure, I might look like I know what I am doing, but as soon as the game starts, the illusion is shattered in a hail of gunfire. It is a testament to how amazing the game is that I can forgive the fact that I died 240 times before I beat it.

Metal Slug has always felt like it was designed for players to have a massive health bar and then, right at the end of development, they took the health bar out. Metal Slug XX continues this tradition of one hit death around every corner.

For those of you unfamiliar with the series, take old school, side scrolling, Contra-style action and crank the difficulty and the humor up to 11. This is old school, run and gun, side scrolling action at its finest.

I have played just about every Metal Slug game and I have no idea what the story is about. I know there is a bad guy General and apparently some guys from the future, but I really have no idea and I don’t really care. All I need to know is there are POW’s to rescue and bad guys to shoot. Those of you looking for character and plot development should look elsewhere.

Metal Slug is about shooting hundreds of guys and rescuing POW’s.

Metal Slug is not for everyone. To get even halfway decent at the game, you are going to have to study the levels and learn how to avoid the numerous obstacles and bullets. Even with careful planning, there will still be times where you will laugh at how impossible some sections seem. If you are not a fan of replaying a section over again to try to get a perfect run, you’ll probably breeze through the game, hitting continue every 30 seconds, in an hour and a half.

The inclusion of combat school helps with the replayability. With over 70 missions that challenge your skills, dedicated players can pour hours into this mode. I practiced one level enough that I was able to get through it without dying, which might qualify as a minor miracle.

While the game doesn’t quite reach the level of all time classic, Metal Slug X, The Captain and I still give this one a hearty recommendation to anyone who thinks modern games have become too easy, or anyone that appreciates old school Contra style action. At $19.99 you really can’t go wrong with Metal Slug XX.

“Friday Old Games” is a series of articles in which we review a game from the older generations of consoles, share why we picked it, and whether or not it holds up with time.

The first thing that sets Paperboy apart from other games of it’s day is the story. Paperboy isn’t out to save a princess and he isn’t trying to save the world. He is just a guy trying to do his job.

Paperboy’s only goal is to deliver to his fellow townsfolk their newspaper. Sure he might knock over a few headstones, or break a window or two, but he is just a kid trying to earn a little money. I like to imagine that Paperboy is saving up to take his dream girl out for a night on the town.

The goal of the game is simple: deliver papers to your customers. You get more points for getting the paper in the mailbox and bonus points for destroying the stuff of non-customers.

Your delivery route takes you down the most dangerous street in the world. Battle hardened soldiers would hesitate before venturing down this street, and the protagonist is no Captain America. You face countless obstacles from dogs, crazy old ladies, r.c. cars, tornadoes, breakdancers, even Death himself. It is like stepping into the “Hurt Locker,” you’re just waiting for something to pop out and kill you. At the end of the street is a training course where you can hit jumps and throw papers through targets for more points. Performing well on the training course is a key part of getting high scores.

The game forces you to strike a balance between speed and caution. If you go too fast you won’t have time to dodge the dozens of obstacles in your path. If you go too slow a little dog or little old lady will most likely chase you down from behind. I like to go a little faster than is probably sensible and chuck the papers as I fly by. I pretty much rely on providence to insure that my papers make it to the mailbox.

"Things were quiet. A little TOO quiet."

Why did I pick this game?

This was one of those old school games that I grew to appreciate over the years. When I was a kid I didn’t understand the simple genius of the premise. I was also put off by the game’s brutal difficulty. It wasn’t until I married my wife that I really played Paperboy for any length of time. It was her favorite game when she was growing up so we had to play it. I went out and found a Midway Arcade Collection and she insisted we play on hard. Playing Paperboy on hard is like standing in a circle of runes and calling out the names of ancient sleeping Lovecraftian gods. It’s not going to end well.

Even though I died a lot and reset numerous times (and might have yelled at the television once or twice) I still had a fun time. There is something about Paperboy that makes me want to go for a perfect run. I convince myself that I am always on the verge of perfection. If only I hadn’t ran into the r.c. car or the little old lady hadn’t surprised me, I could make it all the way to Sunday. It is that feeling of always being on the cusp of greatness that keeps me coming back.

Is it worth playing now?

Captain America and I highly recommend this game. Paperboy did receive a couple of updates and sequels, but none of them ever seemed to quite capture the magic of the original release. I recommend either tracking down an old NES copy or picking up a Midway Arcade Treasures. Or if you have one of those newfangled next gen systems you can download it.

Video games based off popular Marvel and DC Super Heroes have always been kind of a Russian roulette of aweful. You never quite know if the game you are about to check out is a decent title, or if you are about to be lured into a van and molested by another Superman 64. Fortunately, with Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 the chamber appears to be empty.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 follows, or at least tries to follow, both the “Secret War” and “Civil War” story lines. I say “tries” because about halfway into “Civil War”, Vicarious Visions decided that the original story was insufficient and needed to be changed.

To the dedicated comic book fan this may be an outrage, but the story they provide will be enough for a good portion of the population. The character writing is ultimately what ends up saving the story. It is clear that at this point in time, Vicarious Visions knows the characters they have written into the game. Deadpool is hilarious, Captain America loves his country, and Wolverine compensates for being Canadian. (Just kidding, Canada. You guys are great.)

This is especially useful since it sounds like the developers went to great lengths to make the voice acting sound as generic as possible. At some points, the only way you can tell who is even speaking is by listening for their distinct quips.

The game itself plays much like its predecessor, albeit with a few minor tweaks. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 rids itself of the horrendous item system, and instead replaces it with medals that you attach to your entire team. These medals are acquired by reaching milestones, finding them in levels, and accomplishing certain tasks in the game. They  do everything from changing stats to increasing the number of fusion stars you can have queued up at the same time. While more of a novelty in the regular difficulties, equipping the correct medals on “legendary” can decide whether your characters live or die.

The special attacks are another aspect of the game that received an overhaul. Each pair of Super Heroes/Super Villains has a unique (or at least somewhat unique) attack giving you the possibility of over 200 fusion attacks. There are several different types of fusions to use against your enemies, each with a high score system that rewards the player with a health pack if used correctly. This makes learning to use the right type of attack at the right moment paramount. Use the wrong one a couple of times and you may find yourself restarting at a previous checkpoint.

My main complaint is the same one I had for the original. The face buttons simply seem backwards. There are many times, even after playing through the game twice, where I will hit the wrong button on the controller while both playing the game and attempting to navigate the menu. Why in the hell do you have to press “Y” to jump and “X” to access your character in the menu screen on the Xbox 360?

The presentation is where the game starts to fall apart. Aside from the button issues I mentioned previously, the game suffers from a number of rather annoying bugs. Players can get stuck in the environment, forcing everyone to spend the next few minutes trying to break the camera constraints in order to reset the player’s position.

The NPC’s that join you will sometimes break and refuse to activate whatever switches or buttons need to be activated so you can progress through the level. That happened to me on a number of occasions and the only way to fix it was to reload the level and hope it worked next time.

Even though the graphics are much improved over its predecessor, the graphical style chosen for the game is not the best suited for a brawler. Many of the levels are too dark, and following your character around the screen can become quite the task. There were a number of times where I completely lost track of where I was, so I would just mash on the attack button until my eyes could finish playing Where’s Spider-Waldo.

The poor camera placement certainly did not help either. The cameras are, for the most part static, and will occasionally attempt to pan across the scene to keep up with the players. This leads to rather awkward views, and can even end up in a position that keeps the players from seeing the action on the screen. To be fair, this has always been an issue with 3D brawlers, especially when the multiplayer element enters the picture.

Despite all of the game’s flaws, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 is a fun brawler and a great addition the series. It fixes a few of the issues that plagued the first game and most of the issues in this title could easily be fixed by a patch. If you were a fan of the previous title, I suggest you pick this up. If anything, give this game a rental. There’s enough there to keep you busy for a while, especially if you decide to play through both the pro-registration and anti-registration paths.

]]> http://www.wingdamage.com/review-marvel-ultimate-alliance-2-xbox-360-ps3-wii/feed/ 2 http://www.wingdamage.com/review-shin-megami-tensei-persona-psp/ http://www.wingdamage.com/review-shin-megami-tensei-persona-psp/#comments Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:00:05 +0000 Dave Corvin http://www.wingdamage.com/?p=3920

Over a decade ago, Revelations: Persona was released for the original Playstation and, although it was never a huge success, it achieved a large cult following. Gamers who tried it were enthralled by the unique setting, characters, and story. The game quickly became a sought after collector’s item. E-bay prices quickly soared up into triple digits.

Atlus apparently got tired of seeing other people making hundreds of dollars selling their game on E-bay and made the wise choice of remaking it. Read on to see if this cult classic stands the test of time.

The first thing that stands out about Shin Megami Tensei: Persona is the unique setting. Even today, most RPG’s take place in mythical, Tolkien style fantasy realms or steam-punk style towns. Persona breaks away from all that by starting you off in a Japanese high school. Your characters are hanging out in a classroom when one of them poses the idea of playing the Persona game. As the story progresses, demons are unleashed and the city is sealed off from the outside world. To defeat these demons, your party learns to unlock the hidden potential of the “personas” that dwell within them. These “personas” are based on a concept from psychology where people put on different masks in different situations that change the way they behave. In SMT: Persona, this concept is expanded upon to the point that your party members are literally able to use these “personas” to defeat demons.

After some initial fumbling around on my part (trying to figure things out), I came to really like the battle system. The battles are quick enough that they don’t drag out, but complex enough that you have to pay attention. With a lot of RPG’s, I can zone out and get into “grind mode” where I am just holding down on the “X” button to continuously attack. SMT Persona would have none of that. Every time I thought about zoning out, an enemy would take me by surprise and I would have to actually strategize or face defeat. This meant I was constantly engaged in what was going on because I was afraid that, if I wasn’t paying attention, I would die.

If you get tired of beating up on the demons, you can actually pause the action to negotiate with them. Each of your characters have four different ways of talking with the demons and each demon reacts differently to the conversations. For example, one demon might respond positively to being bribed while another might want you to flatter them. Figuring out the best way to talk to each demon rewards you with items or spell cards. You can then fuse together two demons’ spell cards and an item to create entirely new personas. Discovering the best combination is fun and will have you conversing it up with each demon to get their spell card.

As if all the demon collecting wasn’t enough, there is a casino full of various games where you can trade your winnings for new equipment. I spent a little more time playing video poker than I care to admit.

The remake seems to have improved upon the original North American release in just about every way. This is a better game than the one selling for $100 on E-bay. In the original release, Atlus tried to make the game more palatable to the U.S. market by making the game easier. Certain characters names were changed, Mark transformed from a Caucasian to an African-American, yen became dollars, and Nanjo became Nate. Why anyone would want to be Nate when you could be Nanjo is beyond me (sorry Nate). With this release, it seems Atlus got everything right.

There are really only two drawbacks to the game. First off, the graphics, while serviceable, are nothing special. Dungeons are navigated through a first person perspective with old school four point turning. These sections have very little textures and the walls and floors look like an early PS1 game. Once you enter a room, the camera switches to an overhead, isometric perspective. These sections have a little more detail, but are still nothing special.

The second drawback is the J-pop music. It is fine and catchy, but I think the game would have been better served by an orchestral score. It is weird to be fighting demons and listening to J-pop. I know this type of music is a staple of the series and there are definitely those who will love it, but a more serious score would just push the game to even greater heights.

These are really small concerns when compared to the opportunity to play the best version of an all time classic. I can’t stress enough how addictive the game can get. For the past few days, my PSP has been constantly within arms reach. I was playing the game so much that my wife had to literally peel the PSP from my hands. SMT: Persona is easily one of the best RPG’s on the PSP. If you like RPG’s, you owe it to yourself to pick it up. Don’t let it pass you by a second time.

The game is available as a download in the Playstation Store or as a physical copy. So, which version to get? They both cost $40, but the physical copy comes with a 2 disc 67 song soundtrack and a nifty cardboard box that looks pretty sweet on your shelf. The download won’t ever crack when your sister steps on it. I would suggest getting the physical disc, unless you have a mean sister or a PSP Go, and I think Captain America would agree with me.

This review is based on a copy of Shin Megami Tensei: Persona provided to us by Atlus.

"You're Welcome"

When I first heard that there was going to be a channel devoted entirely to video games I was ecstatic. There could be previews, reviews, debates, cartoons, the possibilities seemed endless.

I stuck up for G4 when they hired moderately attractive people that knew nothing about games. I defended G4 when they took over Tech TV. I held out hope that G4 would turn the corner and somehow manage to tap into the amazing passion and energy of the gaming culture.

G4 has failed.Turn on G4 and you are more likely to see an old Cops rerun or the show Cheaters, than a show about video games. On the video game channel. It would be like the Golf channel never showing anything about Golf. I am guessing that Golf enthusiasts would be a little perturbed.

At this point G4 is like the poor man’s version of Spike TV. G4 has about as much to do with video games as MTV does with music. Instead of seizing upon the enormous goodwill and passion that gamers have for their hobby, G4 has squandered it. I do not know of any serious gamer that looks at G4 as anything other than a joke. G4 has two somewhat decent video game shows, and as much as I enjoy a good International Sexy Lady or Ninjas, they are simply not enough.

The one redeeming part of G4 is they still show Arrested Development, which is not about video games at all, but is so amazing that it supersedes all other considerations.

There are only really 2 times a year where G4′s video game coverage really comes through for me, during San Diego Comic Con and E3. They are able to get live feeds from the show floors and I prefer watching the new game trailers on my television instead of on YouTube. They actually sit down and talk with the people that are making the games and the interviews are often interesting and insightful. It is these all too brief moments that demonstrate to me that G4 can appeal to the serious gamer without pandering to some stereotypical idea of what gamers like.

Our first step in fixing G4 is reestablishing their credibility. To do this we need a show that speaks directly from gamers to gamers. How about a show where you get a few game developers in a room and have them take online questions or quiz each other? Imagine David Jaffe discussing gameplay with Clifford Bleszinski. Then get the guys from Zipper and the guys from Bungie to talk about shooters with the guys from Infinity Ward. Every week you get another group together to talk about games. This show would cost about $12 to produce and would immediately reestablish G4 as a serious gamers channel.

Our next step in fixing G4 is simple and easy. In business, the most important thing is the people you have working for you. You can have the greatest idea or concept in the world, but if you don’t have the right people your idea or concept will never take off. G4 needs to bring on people that are more in touch with the games industry. There are countless editors from dozens of websites or magazines that would be amazing if only given the opportunity.

Don’t just hire some pretty face and have her read cue cards. Gamers are smart people. We can tell when you don’t really care and are just collecting a paycheck. A pretty face might draw people in for a moment, but if you don’t really know what you are talking about, they will turn away. If you actually know your stuff gamers will embrace you, regardless of the fact that you are not a super model. Gamers would rather hear their news from other gamers than vapid, wooden super models that have no real clue what they are talking about.

The next step is putting together some kind of video game centered, fictional show. This could be a cartoon or a live action sitcom, based around video games or gamers. For example, a show focused on a group of video game testers working for some monolithic corporation. How about a show that highlights the trials and tribulations of retired game characters.  How much money would the Bayou Billy or Battletoads license cost? You could have the Battletoads and their roommate Bayou Billy trying to get real jobs or girlfriends or any number of things. The shows could even be short little 5-10 minutes long episodes that they sprinkle throughout the night. The possibilities are endless. I came up with these ideas while I was pretending to listen to someone talk about Pokemon. Imagine if someone was to take actual time and effort.

I believe in G4. I believe that it can be better, that if they just put forth the effort to connect with gamers they will be rewarded. Gamers want to like G4. They want a channel that they can connect with, that treats them and the games they play with respect. It seems so simple, and it saddens me that the suits don’t see it, that they are satisfied with mediocrity.

What do you think am I wrong is any channel devoted to video game destined to be defeated by video games themselves? Am I just living in a fantasy world where me and Captain America save television?

"Are you ready for some Football?!"

I don’t think this one could replace Madden at the top of the charts but I think a combination of super heroes and sports could be awesome. Picture the Avengers playing the X-Men in a football game. On Defense, Wolverine is lined up as a defensive lineman, with Cyclops playing free safety. Colossus is a linebacker, and the other X-Men fill out the rest of the defense. Offense has Captain America as the Quarterback, Luke Cage at Fullback, Ms. Marvel at Wide Receiver, Thor is an Offensive Lineman, and other Avengers fill out the rest of the offense.

The teams are lined up, muscles are flexing and characters are talking trash. Wolverine is smoking a cigar and Captain America is barking out audibles, Cyclops is calling out coverages as Luke Cage cracks his knuckles. As Captain America takes the snap, Wolverine pulls out his claws as Thor swings Mjolnir to meet him. Cap scrambles looking for an open receiver as Ms. Marvel absorbs an Optic Blast from Cyclops, Colossus breaks through the line only to ram right into Luke Cage the two strain against each other until Colossus manages to break free. Colossus is bearing down on Cap just as Cap throws a deep pass over the defense to an open Ms. Marvel who floats in gently for a touchdown.

That is just one example of a simple play. I imagine that the game would be pure chaotic fun. People would be teleporting or shooting energy beams or using one of the hundreds of different powers. There would have to be some way of limiting power usage but I think that if the right balance is struck between football and crazy powers the result would be a blast. You would have to perform well to build up a super meter like a Gamebreaker in NBA Street. Once the meter was full you could unleash your super powers that would result in a turnover or a touchdown. If NFL Blitz were to be bathed in gamma radiation and get super powers the result would approximate what I am thinking.

Most games would be high scoring affairs with constant scoring and lots of big hits and big plays. I would set the games up into 2 minute quarters and I imagine scores of 50+ to be quite common. With all the powers and chaos I think teams would need to be shrunk down to 7 on a side. That would be enough to have some semblance of an offensive line, wide receivers, quarterback, and running back.

For the teams there are literally hundreds of different Marvel characters any number of which could be recruited for some sweet football action. You could have pre-made teams or random squads or even heroes versus villains. I think with the rich history of characters and costumes the possibilities are virtually endless for DLC. Maybe you are tired of the regular universe heroes and villains and you want some Ultimate action or some futuristic 2099 heroes.

I think this type of game could act as a bridge, maybe a comic fan picks it up cause he loves Luke Cage and finds out he likes football. Or a football fan picks it up and starts thinking I wonder who this Thor guy is? Everyone could potentially benefit. If Football is a success there could be a whole string of sports related Super Hero games. DC Soccer anyone? Hey if Mario can do it why not Spider-Man and Batman?

"An electrifying experience!"

As the Three Amigos eloquently put it in their classic, The Three Amigos, being infamous is even better than being famous. You know, cause your in-famous. This holds especially true for Sony’s PS3 exclusive inFamous. It is good to be inFamous.

As I have outlined earlier, Sony is in desperate need for some sweet exclusive games and Sucker Punch has delivered a knockout blow with inFamous (forgive the pun). I would go so far as to say that this game vaults Sucker Punch right up there among Naughty Dog and Insomniac as one of the premier PS3 exclusive developers.

Sucker Punch is best known for the Sly Cooper series, which is excellent, but geared more for kids. Much like fellow PS3 alums Naughty Dog and Insomniac, Sucker Punch has turned away from the kid stuff for a decidedly more grown up tale. You take on the role of Cole McGrath, a bike messenger who unleashes a massive explosion when he attempts to deliver a package. The explosion gives Cole crazy electricity based super powers. The explosion also plunges the city into chaos and it is up to you to decide if you are going to be a hero or a villain. Gangs have taken over the city and you can actually clear out each district of the city by completing side quests. These quests vary in length and in quality. Completing each not only nets you experience, but will actually remove the enemies from that section of the city.

I am going to unofficially add this one to Jonah’s list of good open world games. The city is open to you, although certain sections have completely lost power so you are in deep trouble if you try to start a fight with no way to replenish your electricity. You maneuver your way through the city like Altair on steroids. Cole will leap up and grab onto ledges, windows, drain pipes, and pretty much anything else he can get his hands on.

By the game’s end, you will be able to float through the air with static electricity, send out electric rockets, throw out electricity grenades, or use a half dozen other nifty powers. That’s right, nifty. The coolest part is stringing your various powers together into your own strategies. I found a healthy mix of electricity grenades coupled with some precision electric rockets to be brutally effective.

The story starts slowly, but picks up a bit as the game progresses. The only thing is, it is up to you the player to find all the dead drops which give you the background info. If you want to just jump around the city shooting dudes with bolts of electricity, you can ignore the story if you want. But if you take the time to piece together all the little bits of information they provide, the end rewards you with a mind blowing twist.

There are the requisite collectible doodads strewn about the city. This is pretty much a given for any sandbox game, but the items are actually marked on your map, so if you want to find them you don’t need to spend $20 on a strategy guide. I love this. Every game that wants me to collect 500 little things flung about everywhere should include a little map with the knickknacks and doodads marked down. That way I don’t have to waste hours searching all over creation for the collectible whatzits.

My only real issue with the game is in the karmic decisions that you are forced to make. There are no real gray areas to any of the moral dilemmas. All of the choices are completely clear. You are pretty much either a bastard or a saint with no in between. After playing through some recent games with a more nuanced approach to moral decisions, it is a little strange to have to decide between feeding people or taking all the food for yourself. I can see why the developers chose to present things in this way, it is simply a small annoyance in such an amazing game.

In the end, the game does a great job of making you feel like the savior of the city or a terrible bastard. One path grants you the power to heal while the other path nets you force lightning. The choice is up to you, but either way you go you’ll end up a super powered electrical storm of rad. And yes, I did get permission from the National Council of Rad to use that sentence.

If you had told me earlier this year that the guys who make Sly Cooper would make one of the best games of the year, I would have laughed as hard as when The Three Amigos defeated El Guapo with the power of sewing. However, Sucker Punch has come through with a very well crafted game that stands tall amongst the PS3 giants and has me excited to see what they have cooking up next. In defiance of reason and Metacritic, I give inFamous a Captain America high fiving a Tiger, then turning to the camera to do the Three Amigos salute… for justice.