Grand Theft Auto IV Decision

I made up my mind and picked up the X-Box 360 version of Grand Theft Auto IV yesterday. In the end, the exclusive content downloads in the foreseeable future was a good enough reason for me to sacrifice a little bit of better load time and graphical performance. I don't understand why developers are being lazy about providing an optional ability to upload game data into the X-Box 360 HDD for those who own it. They are using the 360s multiple SKUs as an excuse rather than focusing on a solution to provide the most optimal gaming experience on the system. Shame on them.

The 360 version wins this round.

Bad Special Edition: Grand Theft Auto IV

A day has passed since the release of Grand Theft Auto IV and I still haven't picked it up yet. The reason behind this is mainly the fact that I am very torn between the PlayStation 3 version and the X-Box 360 version - yes, there is a dark side of being a poly-gamist. After merticulously researching a number of comparison videos and descriptions, the PlayStation 3 version definitely looks better but the X-Box 360 version is getting downloadable contents in the future. The "Achievement" system on the 360 is not too big of a factor for me though I think at this point, Sony should start something similar on their console without waiting for the arrival of the ultimately misguided Home. One thing for sure, I will not be picking up the Special Edition of the game:

Rockstar may know how to make great games but their marketing team just plain sucks.

Do you not see how terrible this Special Edition package is? For additional $30, you get an art book, a soundtrack CD, a safety deposit box, and.... a Rockstar duffel bag. That's right. A duffel bag. So enticing... Not! The problem with this package is the following: It should now be mandatory to enable artwork to be viewed digitally in the game, perhaps as an unlock-able. The soundtrack should be easily accessible in the game's option screen. The safety box and the duffel bag just lack any creativity whatsoever. Ordering this from Amazon.com will also get you a license plate - I can't believe what Amazon included here is better than the other extras you get from this entire package. There should only be one edition of a game release and that one edition should be "special" in itself with a lot of additional contents. The current level of appreciation for video game as something more than a mere "toy" should encourage developers to include "the making of" feature on every single game so that the creative process can be properly honored... without stealing more of a gamer's hard-earned cash.

Preview: Arcana Heart

Arcana Heart (2008)
Developer: EXAMU Inc./AQI
Platform: PlayStation 2
Purchase Date: 04/27/2008

It's all about the friendship...

Don't let the super-cute, hyper-feminine presentation of Arcana Heart fool you. This game contains one of the better 2D fighting action out there. You play through the game as one of the 11 "Maidens" - teenage girls who can communicate with powerful spirits known as the Arcana.

The Maidens.

What differentiate Arcana Heart from the rest is its smart fighter customization system. After you have selected one of the Maidens, you then have to choose one of 11 Arcana to partner with. Basically, half of your special moves come from your selected Maidens and the other half from your selected Arcana. The Arcana can also provide special traits to your character. There are a total of 121 possible combinations and they are definitely fun to experiment with.

What an imaginative attack animation!

This game certainly shows that there are still a lot of unexplored potentials to the 2D fighting genre. Let's hope we will see more of them in the future alongside the eagerly awaited Street Fighter IV.

FIRST IMPRESSION: 4 out of 5

Review: SingStar '90s

Singstar '90s (2007)
Developer: SCEE London Studio
Platform: PlayStation 2
Induction Date: 04/24/2008

If you read my American Idol Encore review, you probably know that I love to sing. This is the reason why I also own all of the games on the SingStar series. This latest edition provides 30 additional songs for you to mercilessly butcher, alone or with a bunch of friends. This sing-well-or-die gameplay mechanics is still as addicting as ever well beyond its original conception on the first Karaoke Revolution.

Why am I singing this song?

Speaking of KR, I do prefer that series more than SingStar because of one continuing problem that has yet been addressed by Sony: Here, the original artists sing along with you and they are not on a separate track that can be muted. You can increase the microphone volume but for the most part, this issue really takes some of the fun away especially if you have friends who like whispering instead of singing. The two things that still make this series worthwhile are the original music videos that accompany the songs unless you rather use the EyeToy (not compatible with the PlayStation Eye) and the ability to switch discs in-game (not possible when played on the PlayStation 3 - darn it).

The playback of a music video within a music video.

With so many songs to choose from within that era, it is unfortunate that '90s contains many lackluster track selections that include lame abominations such as Vanilla Ice's Ice Ice Baby and the hideous U Can't Touch This by MC Hammer. I wish they would include Lisa Loeb's Stay and Meredith Brooke's Bitch that can be found in the European release. 30 songs also seem to be a bit lacking than the normal 40 you get from an average KR title. Still, you would only improve your SingStar experience and lifetime by picking this one up. I just hope that they are going to allow these PlayStation 2 SingStar discs to interact with the inevitable PlayStation 3 version. Nothing of that sort is happening with the European release at the moment. I hope that will change very soon.

RATING: 3 out of 5

Wii 'R Us

Isn't it ridiculous that the Nintendo Wii is still generally out of stock? Isn't it more ridiculous that people are still getting a modest chunk of cash selling the darn thing on eBay? Some of these eBay sellers are pretty filthy too, listing the console as being bundled with "5 free games" when technically, you get only 1 sports compilation game. Well, apparently the people at Toys 'R Us have been saving up their stock to celebrate the launch of the new Mario Kart Wii...

The electronic newsletter I received today claimed that they will be selling a huge number of the console this Sunday. The great thing is that Toys 'R Us are accepting a $200 deposit for those wanting to reserve it. The other nice thing here is that they are not selling it in a bundle. I am sure the eBay bloodsuckers are already racing to the nearest Toys 'R Us. Good luck, Wii hunters!