Xbox 360 Death
A common problem has befallen me – I am of course talking about the death of my Xbox360. Whilst many people complained about the ‘Red Rings of Death’ when their 360 went wrong, I never suffered any of that even though my console was getting on a bit. When there was a huge press release about Microsoft increasing the warranty to three years on the Xbox 360, I thought ‘I don’t need that; mine has crashed twice since I got it’.
All that has sadly changed since buying Ninja Gaiden 2 for my Xbox 360. It was only about 3-4 weeks ago that I got it, but pretty much into the first week of playing it would start to crash. Not much, then more frequently, and now it has become pretty much unplayable (apart from, bizarrely, Xbox Live Arcade games). So, my Xbox 360 is now pretty much a rather heavy paperweight.
As I mentioned before though, I don’t get any Red Rings of Death on my games console. What I get is (at times at least) a weird bleep, and then the machine freezes. A quick Google search reveals approximately 1,300,000 results for ‘Xbox 360 freezing’ so I’m not the only person to have this problem. A quick look at YouTube videos seems to suggest that the main board has gone.
That’s just great – given that went on my laptop not that long ago. They just don’t make things like they used to. I remember the amount of times my SNES fell off the desk. Did that stop? Nope, not ever. It’s probably still going in an old people’s home somewhere.
What’s the plan then? Well, I guess I’m not going to do much gaming for a while. I’m still really annoyed as I was enjoying Ninja Gaiden 2 – I think I’m going to write to Microsoft and complain – the Xbox 360 has seemingly put lots of really fine scratches all over the disc too. Whether this will affect the machine (or make the game unplayable if Microsoft fixes it) remains to be seen. I will of course keep you informed.
What I Have Been Playing 09/06/08
You may have (correctly) noted that unfortunately there’s not been a lot of updates recently. Don’t worry, I haven’t died or given up gaming. I’ve just been rather busy with work, other work and finally actually getting time to play some games.
First up has been Forza Motorsport 2 (Xbox 360). I still haven’t managed to bloody get to level 50, which means my playing continues. I will say that it looks very good in HD though and I’m having a blast just lapping the Nurburgring over and over.
G.R.A.W. (Xbox 360) has made a welcome appearance after a certain mate of mine persuaded me to try the split screen two player. We actually managed to complete the first mission for a change and so it’s back on the agenda.
Ninja Gaiden 2 (Xbox 360) demo and full game are well worth a play. It’s not as heard as they say in the magazines, if you are able to hold down the the left trigger then you should do reasonably well. Combat is a series of stops and starts and if you can get the hang of that along with positioning yourself well you shouldn’t have any trouble completing this 15-20 hour gem.
I’m hoping to really crack on with Ninja Gaiden 2 later this week and I have a full week off coming up from work so I might just buy Grand Theft Auto 4. Then again, there’s still Neverwinter Nights 2 on the PC to get around to playing. Oh, the choices! Lastly, there’s a handheld to buy for the ‘real’ holidays. A Nintendo DS or the PSP? They’ve both really come into their own in the last few months so that choice is going to be very difficult indeed. I’ll catch you in a few days. In the meantime, remember, hold left trigger. Release on a counter, double-tap X then press Y for an ‘Obliteration technique’. If that doesn’t help you win, you’re a really rubbish gamer…
Far Cry 2
No doubt Far Cry was a good game - but Fary Cry 2 on the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC is shaping up to be even better. Kotaku has an excellent feature on the upcoming release of this FPS/sandboxer of a game, so here’s the skinny:
“Where at its heart Grand Theft Auto IV is an action game, Far Cry 2 has its roots deeply embedded in the bedrock of shooters and from what I saw during my short time with the game it seems to remain true to those origins.
I asked the developers about the similarities and he seemed genuinely surprised, I think that’s because most of these similarities are obvious design decisions made once you’ve decided you want to create a sandbox game and the parallels are for the most part quite superficial.
Friends for instance. In Grand Theft Auto IV, you can call them for help, but they don’t really get involved in missions. In Far Cry 2 they are your salvation.
Playing through a chunk of the game, I got caught up in a particularly hairy firefight. As is often the case when I play games with an option for a stealth approach, I stumbled into an enemy camp and managed to alert just about everyone there without firing off a single shot.
Soon I was taking fire from all sides. As would be expected, the aiming and controls in Far Cry 2 are excellent, well-honed mechanics. Whether you’re sniping, firing off rockets (which can be laser guided to a target), or just popping off rounds from a rifle, it is easy to land precision hits, even on the go.
The enemy artificial intelligence seemed quite robust after I tipped them off to my presence. A man in a wooden watch tower fired off sniper rounds at me as men tried to flank me from both sides. I managed to take out the sniper and two men and then blew up a nearby gas canister to try and distract the rest of the bad guys. Unfortunately, that seemed to attract the attention of nearby men, who cruised into camp on a jeep.”
Assassin’s Creed Ending
In case you’ve played through Assassin’s Creed on Xbox 360, PS3 or PC then got to the end and said to yourself ‘now just what the hell was that about?’ - here’s a breakdown of it over at CVG. Here’s a quick snippet:
“Q. Who is Subject Seventeen?
A. That would be you, Desmond.
Q. Is Desmond actually Altair?
A. No, Desmond is a descendent of Altair, and by using the Animus he’s able to locate Altair’s memories that are hidden in his DNA. This means that Altair had at least one child after the events of Assassin’s Creed - otherwise Desmond would not have Altair’s memories locked away inside him.
Q. What’s all this writing about?
A. The room’s previous occupant, Subject Sixteen, left all of the writing that you can see for Desmond to read.
Q. Okay, so why can I not see it until the end of the game?
A. Abstergo washed the messages off of the walls and the floor, but Desmond is able to spot the messages by using his Eagle Vision.
Q. Wait a second. You said that Desmond wasn’t Altair! What gives?
A. He’s not, at least, not yet… Read through Vidic’s emails and you’ll stumble across one that mentions ‘The Bleeding Effect.’ Vidic reports that, after using the Animus for a given length of time, some previous subjects were unable to distinguish between their ancestors’ lives and their own. Their genetic and real-time memories have literally ‘bled’ into one another, which is why Desmond is able to use the Eagle Vision power at the end of the game.
Q. Why only the one power?
A. Be patient! Assassin’s Creed is the first part of a trilogy. By the end of the third game Desmond will have a lot more moves to play with…”
Great stuff eh? I’ve not completed it myself yet but I’m hoping to soon. For the detractors out there, just go and play it a bit more. Granted it suffered from the hype machine, but it is one of the best third person assassin-em-ups (yes that’s sarcasm) there is out there.
Who’s That Then (Here’s A Clue - NG2)?
Do you know who that is? Well do you? I’ve give you a clue - it’s the star of Ninja Gaiden (and of course the coming sequel, Ninja Gaiden 2). It is of course, everyone’s favourite ninja, Ryu Hayabusa! He’s looking more deadly than ever in this trailer and this is one game that looks to be an absolute must buy if you like third person actioners. Whilst it may be a little toned down compared to the original Ninja Gaiden, for some this will be a draw, as it was known for being… well… difficult at times. Ninja Gaiden 2 is an Xbox 360 exclusive due to be released on 6th June 2008 and this here UK games blog will certainly have a review for you. In the meantime, go and watch that trailer again. Just look at that Izuna Drop!
Hilarious Kotaku Parenting Story
Kotaku has a brilliant article on on a Daily Mail story about a woman who gave her children a DS to share, only for them to start exhibiting bad behaviour. Here’s a quick sample:
‘ Hand over the Nintendo and without any effort, you have a window of about two hours of peace, with your child doing something quietly constructive.
Except, it’s not. What is constructive about playing football on a tiny screen, or washing a virtual dog, or watching a hideous pink pony trot around a pink palace decorated with shells?
Fighting to get onto the machine was bad enough, but it was worse when they were forcibly dragged from it.
Our Nintendo had taken the guise of a small but toxic drug which, little by little, was poisoning my children.’
Poisoning her children? Not very likely that a handheld would do that now is it? How about the fact that she bought one very desirable toy and then forced them, without any rules, to try and create a regime of sharing between them? I mean surely that’s doomed to failure anyway. Expecting the console to babysit her children for two hours at a time was also not advisable. Ho-hum, more bad gaming press…
Fallout 3 - Expect It To Be Brilliant
Gamasutra had a chance to talk to Bethesda, the lucky buggers. This here is an excerpt from what they had to say. Judging by it, Fallout 3 should be Oblivion but with even more depth. Amazing.
‘Where are you guys now, and how much do you have left?
PH: Where are we… We are still in alpha, so right now we are in the part of the process where we are ripping things out, putting things in, fixing stuff that’s in and making it better, or fixing stuff that’s in and making it work better, with the goal that within the next couple of months, we’re going to get the content complete where we stop adding or changing content, and just focus on fixing the game problems, the balance in the game, the relationships.
How is that whole process relative to, for example, Oblivion at this point in the development cycle?
PH: In terms of where we are?
Yeah, in terms of where you are, and in terms of your.
PH: Oh man, we’re way ahead of where we were on Oblivion.’
Grand Theft Auto IV - Coming On Friday
Well, perhaps the best selling game of the year is finally being released - this Friday (2nd May). Here’s what the Microsoft team has to say about it:
GRAND THEFT AUTO IV (BBFC 18)
For Niko Bellic, fresh off the boat from Europe, it is the hope he can escape his past. For his cousin, Roman, it is the vision that together they can find fortune in Liberty City, gateway to the land of opportunity.
As they slip into debt and are dragged into a criminal underworld by a series of shysters, thieves and sociopaths, they discover that the reality is very different from the dream in a city that worships money and status, and is heaven for those who have them and a living nightmare for those who don’t.
The highly anticipated fourth trailer is now available on Xbox.com and Xbox LIVE. Watch each trailer online now and get ready to experience Grand Theft Auto IV.
As per usual, the game will feature a mix of freeform gameplay mixed with missions and free-roaming exploration. The real difference this time around is the level of detail. The city really does feel alive and I’m sure you’ll have a great time exploring it. Just make sure to preorder your copy to not miss out.
Ed Boon on Mortal Kombat Vs DC Universe
That’s right, you are going to see Sub Zero versus Superman in the (reasonably near) future. How that will work when Superman is basically invincible is apparently explained in the ’storyline’ - something I’m not quite sure has any business being in a fighting game but there we are. Here’s some of what Mr Boon said:
‘Ed Boon: I’ve always been a big fan of other fighting games. I play all of the big fighting games in the genre - Tekken, Virtua Fighter, Street Fighter and so on. I’ve always wanted to cross over with another series.
When I was a kid I remember buying the Spiderman vs. Superman comics and that was the coolest thing to me because they never originally existed in the same world. There’s a novelty to that.
So, we actually pursued some crossing with some of these other fighting games but it never really panned out. So when this was presented to us by one of our marketing people, it was something we had seen done before with Capcom and Marvel, and we thought that it would be cool to do a really dark, sinister version of that. So not like a cartoony vibrant approach, our approach was like a dark Batman Begins-style flavour.’
Does that sound good to you? It sure sounds good to me. Read the rest after the click at Computer & Video Games.
Ninja Gaiden 2 Xbox 360 Exclusive Date And Info
Ninja Gaiden 2 is due out for the Xbox 360 (it’s an exclusive) on 30/05/08 - so not too far away really. I have to say that I’m extremely looking forward to the game and it should prove to be one hell of an adventure. Here’s what Play.com has to say about it:
- Exhilarating ninja action. Assuming the role of a ninja warrior, players will experience an all-new combat system that requires skill and mastery of their full arsenal of weapons, including Obliteration Techniques that allow players to quickly and stylishly finish off an opponent. In addition to the variety of brutal new primary weapons and enhanced versions of previous favorites, Ninja Gaiden 2 will feature unique acrobatic combat and attacks used not only by Ryu Hayabusa but also by his formidable enemies.
- Easy to play but hard to master. The new auto-healing system in Ninja Gaiden 2, featuring semi-permanent damage restored at save points, is the natural evolution of the franchise’s distinctive gameplay and introduces a new twist to managing health. With a newly implemented auto-healing functionality and save-point system, as well as an extensive story mode and multiple difficulty levels available from the start of the game, the gameplay of Ninja Gaiden 2 will be both accessible to more casual players and challenging to even the most demanding gamers.
- Massive content and engrossing story. The themes of revenge and friendship in Ninja Gaiden 2 give rise to a series of dramatic events to create a truly compelling story. From Tokyo to New York and to the netherworld, the story will lead players through a lengthy, action-packed story mode as they skillfully maneuver Ryu Hayabusa through a demonized world fraught with peril and danger. In addition to the single-player campaign, players can upload Karma scores to Xbox LIVE leaderboards and participate in an all-new Master Ninja Tournament.
- Realistic graphics in next-generation gaming. Built from the ground up from Team Ninja’s in-house gaming engine for the next-generation Xbox 360 platform, Ninja Gaiden 2 represents the best in amazing visuals, responsive control and thrilling combat with an extensive assortment of ninja weaponry.
I’d like to talk about the original if I may. On the Xbox, Ninja Gaiden was incredibly quick and difficult. It punished you if you were particularly bad but rewarded you if you played well. However, even within that, you could play it well two ways. The first was to learn your timings, your combos and so forth, and the second was to judiciously use healing potions etc at your whim. I was the latter, a cousin of mine was the former and used elite ninja skills to complete the game.
From what I’ve read over at CVG, it does sound somewhat like they’ve dulled it down a little, as it features:
‘ The addition of a ‘Quick Menu’ gives you access to items, projectiles and weapons via a few taps of the d-pad. This was brought into the mix via Ninja Gaiden: Sigma, so you didn’t have to keep pressing the Start button. Press up or down and the action pauses, allowing you to change weapons and heal yourself, then press A to return to the action. It’s almost as if Tecmo has worked hard at taking some of the random chaos out of the formula.’
I mean it sounds like they have thought about the game and the concept, but does it really need to provide you with after-battle auto healing and more save points? It sounds a bit like what Subaru have done with the Impreza in the motoring world - tried to open it up to appeal to many more people than it did previously. Either way, from all I’ve seen and read, I really can’t wait to get my hands on Ninja Gaiden II.
