my current games wish / play list

27.01.2011

4 months and no update…I´m getting a bit lazy on this. Today I´ve updated the list and need to comment on some games.

I got Heavy Rain (PS3) as a present from my girlfriend and it is great. The story is amazing, the characters do not only look good, they are well designed, their whole behaviour is amazing. And it´s a totally new interpretation of the video game genre. Go get it ! I was really looking forward to the remake of NBA Jam (Wii, XBOX 360) but I got heavily disappointed because it´s not a good game at all. Just a bad remake. And Mafia 2 (PC, XBOX 360, PS3). Another disappointment in some ways. Read this article (only in german, sorry) I wrote about it.

Last but not least here are the new games on the list.

  • Duke Nukem Forever (XBOX 360, PS3, PC)

Well what to say about this game ? 14 years of development, several times vaporware winner and Wired created the Vaporware Lifetime Achievement Award exclusively for DNF and awarded it in 2003. And in May 2011 it will be released. Unbelieveable but true. You need to get this baby !

  • WRC – FIA World Rally Championship (XBOX 360, PS3, PC)

If you don´t like Dirt 2 (maybe because of its american styled presentation) and if you´re more into the real rally scene then this is your game (and mine too). It has a lot of flaws. The graphic looks as if it is 5 years old, the sound is really not great and you´ll find strange things in the statistics as well as in the career design. But it features a full WRC license (WRC, PWRC, JWRC, etc.) and a really great driving model along with all rallyes from the WRC calendar. The tracks are not a 1:1 rebuild of their real world counterparts but they are pretty well designed. In case you´re still playing RalliSport Challenge 2 on the good old XBOX (like I do) you may give WRC a try.

  • Velvet Assassin (XBOX 360, PS3, PC)

This is a classical stealth action game situated in the scenario of the 2nd world war. You´re playing a british (female) secret agent behind enemy lines. I own this one already and it´s a great game. It´s so dark and scary (it´s also brutal and bloody) and the whole presentation is haunting. But it is not an easy game so expect some frustrating moments although the checkpoints are fairly distributed.

01.09.2010

Today and for the first time I have 2 games for mobile platforms on the list. And hell yeah, the most funny basketball game of all times…

  • GTA Chinatown Wars (Nintendo DS, iPhone / iPad)

This is the first “real” game (not a minigame, or a just for fun game, no a real fulltime title) that I spent hours with on my iPhone. Though the controls are a bit fuzzy cause of the touch controls it´s the best game for the iPhone I´ve played so far. The story is amazing, the graphics are really great (look at them on an iPhone 4 or an iPad and you´ll know what I mean) and it´s simply so much fun.

And – if you don´t like the fuzzy controls there´s also a Nintendo DS version available. I played this one on my oldschool 1st generation DS and yes, the graphics is not so good, the resolution is worse and sometimes even the framerate drops heavily but you got to the point controls and the same great story and gameplay as on the iPhone / iPad.

So what´s the better platform to play ? If you own a Nintendo DS, go get this version for very little money at Amazon or eBay. Having real controls is the big advantage of this version. But if you´re fine with the touch controls in iPhone / iPad games then go get this version. It looks much better and is also available for cheap money at the Appstore.

You can also play the game on the Nintendo DS emulator for PC. See this YouTube video of mine I shot some weeks ago:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VjcACRrdLU

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/launch-trailer-grand-theft/61060 (iPhone)

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/rampage-trailer-grand-theft/46798 (Nintendo DS)

  • Duken Nukem Critical Mass (Nintendo DS)

Well since Duken Nukem Forever won´t see the daylight soon (or ever :-D) the Duken Nukem fans have to look for alternatives. And what we have seen so far from Duke Nukem Critical Mass seems like the game will bring a lot of fun to the DS. I´m still a little bit unsure if a shooter will really fit well into the controls and look & feel of a Nintendo DS (and I mean in concerns of really being a very good game, not just a 0815 shooter). But very soon we´ll know more.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ADn_GiYBds

  • NBA Jam (Wii)

You know what ? I hate sports games, except motorsport. But I loved NBA Jam on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It was the perfect game for people like me. Easy controls, fun gameplay, nearly no rules and big bam slam dunks. Because on TV, NBA is fun and still today I switch to a game from time to time. The remake of NBA Jam for the Wii does nearly the same, what the remake of Goldeneye (originally on N64) does.  1:1 copy of the good old gameplay, add some features, improve the graphics a bit (well I´m not so sure on Goldeneye) and release it for the Wii. It´s pretty arguable if this is a good concept or not. Some say it´s simple money making. And yes, they are right. Other say, a good copy is better than a worse self-made – and they are right too.

If I look at 2 statements by big publishers of the videogame industry from the last days (Ubisoft: “We will only focus on the (already established) money making titles.” THQ: “People who sell or buy used games are criminals and doing harm to the industry.”) I can´t see any revolutionary development at all and we all know that there are some “only for the money” players in this game (did anyone shout E.A. ?). So doing remakes of some classic titles can´t be that wrong, though it looks like they asked some consultants from the music industry what to do.

Anyway…here are the videos. Enjoy them !

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-2010-nba-jam/101702

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/exclusive-debut-nba-jam/63071

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/bracket-of-nba-jam/100193

11.08.2010

Wow – 3 months since the last update…

  • GoldenEye 007 (Wii) & James Bond Blood Stone (XBOX 360 / PS3)

Just a few days after I wrote this article Nintendo announced a remake of the good old Goldeneye, known from the N64. It´s still the best James Bond game ever and I´m very curious on what the remake will be like. The trailers look so ugly, they could have been shot directly on a N64.  But it wasn´t the graphics which made Goldeneye so good on the N64. It was the incredible gameplay, the great multiplayer (yeahhhhhh 4 people splitscreen) and the “real” Bond atmosphere.

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/remember-one-goldeneye-007/701817

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-2010-goldeneye-007/101474

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-2010-goldeneye-007/701355

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/sdcc-10-goldeneye-007/702352

Also Activision announced a new James Bond game, called Blood Stone, just a few days after Nintendo. I have played Quantum of Solace – the predecessor –  on XBOX 360. And it wasn´t that much fun. A boring shooter, no highlights, in my opinion one of those bulk production games, trying to profit from the James Bond brand. The new trailer looks promising and I´m very curious who´ll be the winner in the battle of the Bond titles. It´s also a battle of the technologies – the low performance Wii versus the high performance XBOX 360 / PS3. My bet is on the Wii. Yours ?

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/debut-trailer-james-bond/701796

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/sdcc-10-james-bond/702004

  • Alpha Protocol (PC / XBOX 360 / PS3)

Alpha Protocoll is a mixture between a strategic and an action game. It features character developing, known from RPG´s and a solid story. You´re playing the agent Michael Thorton and you have to save the world – what else ;-). Though the critics weren´t too good on the game, I think it´s worth a try, mainly because of it´s genre mixture.

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/launch-trailer-alpha-protocol/100773

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/small-world-alpha-protocol/100278

http://www.gametrailers.com/game/alpha-protocol/9237 … more

  • Mafia 2 (PC / XBOX 360 / PS3)

Will it be the new GTA ? Will it be the better GTA ? Will it be as great as part 1 ? So many questions about the upcoming Mafia 2. International release will be the 27th of august. Then we´ll know more. If we take a look at the trailers, it looks brilliant and will surely feature a great atmosphere. But will it be good enough to beat GTA IV or Saints Row 2 ? I don´t know, but I know that I´ll spend some money to find out…and by the way – the demo is already available on XBOX Live and the Playstation Network and can be downloaded for the PC too.

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/exclusive-kick-mafia-ii/702414

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-2010-mafia-ii/101200

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/exclusive-boom-mafia-ii/62666

http://www.gametrailers.com/game/mafia-ii/5403 … more

  • F1 2010 (XBOX 360 / PS3 / PC)

Codemasters develops the first F1 game since Formula One Championship Edition for the PS3 (which was on this list below). Since it´s impossible to get this one for an acceptable price (you have to spend around 40 EUR on that…wahhhhhh) I replaced it with F1 2010. The guys at Codemasters know how to do a racing game. They have proven this with Colin Mc Rae Dirt and Race Driver GRID. I don´t like both but I let´s see how they do with a F1 game. And honestly, there is no alternative on the market and there won´t be one in the near future.

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-2010-f1-2010/700510

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/uk-debut-f1-2010/48450

19.05.2010

  • Split / Second: Velocity (PS3 / XBOX 360)

I´ve been an addicted player of Burnout 3 Take Down but I never got used to the free world concept in Burnout Paradise. Split / Second: Velocity seems to be a secret brother of the Burnout series and it promises fast paced racing, compensating it´s lack in content with explosions and the BOOOOMMMM effect everywhere. So exactly my kind of game.

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/downtown-trailer-split-second/64043

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/exclusive-debut-split-second/46433

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/the-shipyard-split-second/60055

10.04.2010

  • Formula One Championship Edition (PS3)

The last two F1 games I played were Geoff Crammonds Grand Prix 2 (PC) a million years ago and Formula One´97 (PSX). From today´s view both are messy, but GP2 was a great simulation and F1 97 looked brilliant…at that time. When I connected my PS3 to the Playstation Network yesterday I found the demo for Formula One C.E. and I remembered that it was a very much hyped launch title for the PS3. After the frustration with Motorstorm (looked not half as good as it was supposed to) and the fact that the PS3 was absolutely unaffordable at launch time I lost focus on this F1 game. So I downloaded the demo yesterday, and it´s far from perfect but I think the best F1 game currently available. I was only shocked about the prices at eBay and Amazon…gotta look for a cheap one…somewhere.

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/preview-hd-formula-one/16987

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/trailer-3-formula-one/18171

  • Midnight Club Los Angeles (XBOX 360)

This is not a typical “must have” game but I think it´s worth a try. I loved the first part of Need For Speed on the PSX but all after versions on any platform couldn´t draw my attention.  Test Drive, Pure, Project Gotham Racing and Forza Motorsport – which all are alternatives to Midnight Club L.A. were a too fuzzy mixture between arcade and simulation (though Forza 3 and PGR 4 are definitely great games). And I´ve never been into that tuning thing, in my opinion wasted time in a racing game. Midnight Club L.A. promises to be a real arcade racer with the focus on fast and thrilling racing action. It has that tuning thing too, but I think it can be easily ignored.

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/south-central-midnight-club/46191

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/launch-trailer-midnight-club/41776?type=flv

  • New Super Mario Bros (Wii)

I missed this game in the last updates of this list, and I still wonder why. I´ve spent so many hours with Super Mario World on the SNES and so New Super Mario Bros is a must have for me. It´s already at home, I only need to find some time to play it.

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/ent-09-new-super/57807

26.03.2010

  • Just Cause 2 (PS3)

This is a real arcade action game. Don´t expect too good game mechanics, K.I. or level / story design. It´s all about the boooooooom effect and some nice physics.

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/things-that-just-cause-2/63538

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/vehicles-gameplay-just-cause-2/63540

  • Red Steel 2 (Wii)

The first part of this game was a real disappointment especially after it´s good locking previews and promising game mechanics.  But in the end the gameplay sucked hard. Now the developers took themself a heart and work hard on the whole gameplay. So now it really feels like a good old sword fight and by the way it is a perfect muscle training for your right (or left) arm. Wii Motion Plus ist required !

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/katakara-showdown-red-steel-2/63530

17.03.2010

  • Brütal Legend (PS3)

I own this one already for the PS3 and it´s so much fun.

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-09-brutal-legend/49772

  • Heavy Rain (PS3)

This game is supposed to be the successor of Fahrenheit and I can´t await giving it a try. Now I only need to convince myself to spend 50 EUR for it.

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/to-catch-heavy-rain/61300

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-2k6-heavy-rain/10758 (the beloved E3 trailer / tech demo from 2006)

  • Uncharted 2 (PS3)

I loved the first part of this game. It looks and feels like a modern Indiana Jones with less adventure and more action components. It looks great on the PS3, has an exciting story and a strong gameplay. I think I´ll have this imported from Amazon UK in a few days.

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-09-uncharted-2/50366

  • God of War 3

This great piece of gaming got it´s place on the list mainly for my girlfriend. She loved the 2nd part of the game and I think she´ll make me buy this one as soon as it´s out.

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/launch-trailer-god-of-war/63218

5 thoughts on “my current games wish / play list”

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