Netflix Coming to Wii, Third Time the Charm for Walmart Video Rentals?
Highlights from this morning’s other big tech headlines….
- It appears that Nintendo is finally catching up to the other next-gen console manufacturers, as it will reportedly soon add Netflix-streaming capabilities to the Wii. The service will require the use of a disk, just like the PS3. Since the Wii maxes out at 480p, increased HD resolution and HDMI hook-ups are now officially long overdue. [From: Engadget]
- Walmart has toyed with online video rental services for several years, but it has backed out on its plans each time. The company is reportedly considering another attempt, as it may currently be engaged in acquisition talks with Vudu, a Web-based on-demand video service. [From: All Things Digital]
- Working in retail or customer service seems incredibly simple and stress-free — until you actually step behind the counter and get vehemently lambasted by angry customers. Google may be realizing this fact, as it’s been receiving significant backlash over fees connected to its Nexus One smartphone. To exacerbate matters, the company has also reportedly been painfully slow in addressing customer concerns. [From: The Wall Street Journal]
- Researchers have identified another vulnerability in GSM smartphones, particularly with 3G’s KASUMI system. Creating the encryption hack required just a few hours of work on a standard PC. [From: Ars Technica]
- According to the Korea Times, officials with South Korean Apple partner KT have revealed some significant and intimate details about the next-gen iPhone. The iPhone 4G will reportedly add an OLED screen, will support video chat, and (Hooray!) will feature a removable battery. [From: PC World]
- The economic doldrums have forced many manufacturers to lower prices and cut costs, but the recession may soon spark some significant price hikes, as well. Because of decreased production of components, analysts are predicting that PC prices will soon increase — for the first time in over six years. [From: Ars Technica]
- Train travel provides a relaxing, scenic, and stress-free form of transportation, but the trips can be incredibly expensive and the cars can sometimes lack necessary modern amenities. Amtrak is at least trying to address that lack of modernization with technological upgrades, including the March addition of free Wi-Fi service to its Acela Express. [From: Wired]
Netflix Coming to Wii, Third Time the Charm for Walmart Video Rentals? originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 13 Jan 2010 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Launch Primer: Bayonetta
Ever find yourself in a situation where all of your friends are talking about the latest and greatest game, and you can’t contribute to the conversation because you haven’t been paying attention? Solve that problem with our Launch Primers: everything you need to know (except the spoilers) about a game that’s about to be released.
Bayonetta
Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
MSRP: $54.99
ESRB Rating: Mature
All Bayonetta Content
Videos | Previews | Screenshot Galleries | News Stories
What kind of game is it?
Bayonetta is a 3D action game of the “beat-‘em-up” variety. It’s all about combat: physical melee attacks combined with ranged weaponry and magic, used to fight hordes of enemies big and small (but mostly big). It’s also somewhat about unrestrained scenario design and the attractive qualities of the female form. Somewhat.
Who’s the developer?
Platinum Games is the development studio that formed when Hideki Kamiya left Capcom in 2006 along with fellow developers Shinji Mikami and Atsushi Inaba. Between the three of them and their associated teams, there is a strong (and creatively unique) lineage of both 2D and 3D action game design, as they were responsible for Devil May Cry, Viewtiful Joe, God Hand, Killer 7, P.N. 03, and Okami. Oh yes, also a little game called Resident Evil 4.
Platinum’s most recent game was last year’s MadWorld for Wii, a similarly bombastic and violent action game.
What’s the story?
Bayonetta is set in the present day in a fictional European city, but its story begins 500 years ago when a “dark event” led to the slaughter of the Witch faction…excluding one survivor who goes by the name of Bayonetta. On a mission of revenge, Bayonetta sets her sights on the forces of Heaven responsible. That’s right, Kamiya is turning the tables on who is “good” and “bad” in the game, emphasizing the sadistic side of combat. Protest-prone religious groups might just want to let this one go.
Haven’t I played this before?
We’ve come a long way since Kamiya’s original Devil May Cry, and he’s putting some major twists on the 3D beat-‘em-up formula. Bayonetta’s combat strategies need to incorporate the use of Witch Time (slow motion activated by a close dodge), Torture Attacks (brutal finishing moves usually performed by her demon-possessed hair), picking up dropped enemy weapons, and animal form transformations. Also, Bayonetta has guns attached to her feet and can spin around like a backyard water sprinkler of death.
Multiplayer/Online?
Not only is Bayonetta designed to be single-player only, there’s a difficulty mode that encourages you to play with just one hand. No clue why it’s designed like that. Nope, no clue whatsoever.
What’d we say?
Sterling McGarvey reviewed Bayonetta and gave it a score of 4/5:
"Bayonetta is a wonderful experience that I emphatically recommend for fans of the genre. Granted, the objectification and ogling of the titular character can be rather uncomfortable at times (the end credits and post-credits should be watched in solitude, if only to save yourself heaps of awkward explanation) and the awful storyline reads like an elementary school child’s book report on The Divine Comedy, but like (ahem) adult entertainment, plot is secondary to action. And in that sense, the team at Platinum Games has truly forged a refreshing new entry in the hack n’ slash action genre."
See it in action:
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The First Decade: The Industry’s Turning Points in the 00s
The 90s marked some truly revolutionary moments for gaming, not the least of which was the leap to 3D games. As the first decade of the 21st century folds, there’s been no shortage of pivotal moments for the gaming industry. Some of them seem fairly evident. Most of them functioned as a smaller spark that led to a bigger explosion. Would Xbox Live be where it is now had Bungie not incorporated so many features into Halo 2? Was the Wii really the sole turning point for casuals to start playing games, or was Brain Age the kick-off? Put on your tinfoil hats, kids. Here are ten turning points of the 2000s:
2000: PlayStation 2 launches in North America.
Why did this event change the course of the gaming industry? In October 2000, the average DVD player cost $300, as much as a PlayStation 2. The PS2 was a console designed as an entertainment machine. It helped Hollywood transition from VHS to DVD by hitting a movie-buying demographic. Not only were standards set for the Xbox, it ultimately came to decide the next wave of console hardware five years later. Backwards compatibility and movie playback were suddenly important features that every console needed (even if you need to hack the Wii to get it to happen).
Ripples you can see today: You can see so many of the Xbox 360’s success in the PlayStation 2: get to market first and secure (timed) exclusive games, faulty hardware be damned. Sony took a similar gamble with the Blu-ray format (is The Dark Knight to Blu-ray what The Matrix was to DVD?). And multimedia integration, from Internet browsers to Netflix, wouldn’t be conceivable without our game consoles providing us with entertainment outside of videogames.
2001: Sega withdraws from the hardware market following the failure of the Dreamcast.
Why did this event change the course of the gaming industry? Sega’s demise in March of 2001 served as a testament to Sony’s power at the time (the PS2 crushed the Dreamcast in Japan well before it even touched US shores) and served as a warning to Microsoft, which was releasing the Xbox a few months later. Would consumers have tolerated a four-way dance between console manufacturers? It seems rather doubtful. Also, Sega’s lucrative exclusive franchises — Sonic, 2K Sports — became ubiquitous, at least, for a few years.
Ripples you can see today: One could argue that pre-Halo 2 Xbox Live resembled the best elements of SegaNet, and that fundamentally, the Xbox modeled itself after many facets of Sega’s machine. After Xbox? Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games. Sonic vs. Mario in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. A litany of botched attempts to resurrect 16-bit classics for contemporary tastes.
2004: Halo 2, World of Warcraft, and Half-Life 2 all launch in the same month.
Why did this event change the course of the gaming industry? These three games came to define the way we played games for years to come. Bungie’s sequel was a shot in the arm for Xbox Live subscriptions and previewed many of the features that would set the standard for Microsoft’s online service on the next machine. Blizzard took a previously niche genre, added some baking soda and boiled it down to a solid, quickly consumable mass. You see where this is going. Despite a rocky launch, Valve’s sequel brought in millions of new Steam users, which gave it the install base for its real strategy: digital distribution of PC games.
Ripples you can see today: A great deal of today’s Xbox Live was established on the shoulders of Halo 2, and Microsoft’s commitment to online gaming has been key to its dominance. As PC games lose physical retail real estate, Steam has become the dominant force in PC game sales. Thanks to the widespread popularity of WoW, MMOs are mainstream fare. Loot and experience points have moved out of role-playing and into other genres. Think about that when you hit Prestige.
2004: EA snatches up the rights to the NFL license.
Why did this event change the course of the gaming industry? On the heels of Sega/Take-Two’s price slash on NFL 2K5, EA’s aggressive takeover of Madden didn’t endear them to legions of nerds who hate sports. Aside from the awkward position it put the publisher in from hardcore gamers, it sparked a pissing contest over the arguably most lucrative game genre for publishers. Sega ultimately withdrew from sports sims altogether and sold its Visual Concepts studio to Take-Two. Take-Two quickly responded to EA by shoring up an exclusive deal with Major League Baseball to secure exclusive third-party rights.
Ripples you can see today: Aside from FIFA, Madden could very well be the reason why EA’s been able to withstand a litany of big duds over the past year. Although exclusive deals hurt gamers on the surface, there have been some less-discussed benefits. Sony regained its footing in first-party sports games with MLB: The Show, which is quietly one of the best exclusives on the PS3, and a continuous top-seller on PS2. Can you find a better sim-centric baseball experience on console? Debatable.
2005: Hackers find a sex mini-game in the PC version of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Rockstar Games claims that it’s a user-created mod, which holds water until someone uses a cheat device to unlock the minigame on console versions. Hilary Clinton gets involved and suggests regulating the gaming industry. Congress passes a resolution to find out whether Take-Two (Rockstar’s parent company) intentionally deceived the ESRB in submitting San Andreas for rating.
Why did this event change the course of the gaming industry? Moreso than any disbarred Florida attorney’s lawsuits and Game Politics forum trolling, “Hot Coffee” forced the industry, from retailers to marketers, to police themselves with a stringency never seen prior. In order to prevent government interference in regulating mature content, the ESRB has taken a heavily proactive stance, including an agreement with the software industry to restrict M-rated trailers and demos from consumption by minors. The organization ducked another potential debacle less than a year later, as The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion was re-rated from “T” to “M” following news that users had modified the code to allow nudity.
Ripples you can see today: It’s harder for youth under 17 to buy an M-rated game than to get into an R-rated film or buy a CD with explicit content. Instead, it’s easier for them to convince their asleep-at-the-wheel parents to buy them Modern Warfare 2 and ruin the multiplayer experience for the rest of us.
2006: Nintendo releases Brain Age, which extends handheld gaming beyond a niche audience.
Why did this event change the course of the gaming industry? Some argue that Nintendogs was the pivotal moment for the Nintendo DS. Although Brain Age didn’t have the lasting power of a virtual Chihuahua, it opened up the market beyond Pokémon-playing tweens and grown men who unironically wear Mario t-shirts. The last time a game reached this level of critical mass on a Nintendo handheld was Tetris, which Nintendo bolstered with an ad campaign showing businessmen playing it.
Ripples you can see today: Brain Age marked the advent of lifestyle games on the DS — previously a Japan-only niche — for Western audiences. Now you can buy cookbooks, language software and math tutors for your DS. Wii Fit doesn’t seem so crazy once you consider how much Nintendo has iterated on the idea of everyday life as a metagame for its software.
2006: Activision purchases RedOctane for shy of $100 million.
Why did this event change the course of the gaming industry? Six months after the release of Guitar Hero, Activision snatched up RedOctane and the rights to the Guitar Hero name. Harmonix remained independent until September 2006, when MTV purchases the Boston-based developer. A year later, the music game wars ignited.
Ripples you can see today: Amidst a decade of tumult and reluctant transformation for the music industry, video games have proven to be a lucrative source of exposure for artists. There have been unforeseen consequences — witness Warner Music Group’s boycott of music games over royalties or the numerous lawsuits levied at Activision regarding its liberal use of musician likenesses — but the genre has undoubtedly had a profound impact on the music industry. Guitar Hero has made Activision one of the world’s biggest publishers, while some have argued that Rock Band has been a money pit for EA and MTV Games — analysts have said that even with The Beatles: Rock Band’s critical success and public awareness of the product, it will likely struggle to break even.
2006: E3 marks a massive changing of the guard.
Why did this event change the course of the gaming industry? After years of anticipation for the PlayStation 3, Sony reveals a handful of games, a controller sans rumble, features that were arguably vestigial at the time, and a price point that was hard to swallow during better economic times. It was an exercise in how to collapse from grace.
The following morning, Nintendo showed off Wii, shook off the struggles of the GameCube, and pointed to a bright future filled with new ways to play games.
A few hours later, Cliff Blezsinski took the stage to show off a live demonstration of Gears of War at Microsoft’s press conference. It was followed by the announcement of Grand Theft Auto IV and exclusive downloadable content for Xbox 360, as well as the announcements of Fable II and Halo 3.
Also, the Expo itself was so insanely jam-packed and crowded that the ESA tinkered with the formula twice before restoring it to a slightly slimmer state in 2009.
Ripples you can see today: It has taken years for Sony to recover from two hours of awkwardly-lain presentation (and several firmware updates). Microsoft ripped several pages from Sony’s playbook and executed them to a tee, which has been at the root of the company’s success up to present day. Nintendo set the stage for a fantastic year of gaming that catered to both new gamers (Wii Sports) and its core audience (which has sputtered out following Super Mario Galaxy). E3 went through a crazy diet to trim the fat, but now it’s a sleeker, slimmer spectacle filled with the same media buzz.
2008: Apple launches the iPhone App Store, which enables software developers to make applications to sell on the wildly successful iPhone.
Why did this event change the course of the gaming industry? After years of venture capitalists espousing the gospel of mobile gaming amidst a veritable Tower of Babel of handsets and carriers, the ubiquitous appeal of the iPhone provided indie game developers with the opportunity to unleash their games on a wider platform.
Ripples you can see today: Smartphones are taking over as the norm, and with platforms narrowing, Apple and Google-branded operating systems are becoming a legitimate platform for handheld gaming, complete with user-friendly digital distribution. Games that flop on traditional portable platforms could find a new wider audience on iPhone or Google phones. Rockstar Games appears to be making the leap (GTA: Chinatown Wars did lackluster numbers on both DS and PSP); will it be the only publisher?
2008: Activision and Vivendi-Universal/Blizzard merge and become the world’s biggest game publisher overnight. Literally.
Why did this event change the course of the gaming industry? It came on the heels of Activision’s revival as a serious and legitimate threat to EA’s dominance as the top third-party publisher in the world, following a year that delivered Guitar Hero III, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Spider-Man 3, Shrek the Third, and Transformers. Laugh at those last three if you want; they filled Bobby Kotick’s coffers handsomely. Blizzard, at this point, had a mammoth share of the PC market with World of Warcraft.
Ripples you can see today: The combination of uncertain economic times and rapid globalization of the industry has led to more mergers, such as Square-Enix and Eidos, which gives the Japanese publisher even more leeway in Western markets. Also, seven music game variants in one calendar year.
Ripples you will see tomorrow: An abundance of plastic instruments piling up in landfills. What will cultural anthropologists think of us hundreds of years from now?
Honorable Mentions
The Three-Year Cycle (2001, 2004, 2007): A glut of AAA titles every three years, thanks to the arduous process of creating huge blockbusters. Funny enough, there’s been a Halo every one of those years (and a Metal Gear Solid in two of them).
Jason Hall’s Metrics Speech (2004): Before the former WB executive’s speech, no one really talked about tying performance bonuses to game scores. Now, metrics rule the way games are made and developers are paid.
The Economic Downturn (2008): Publishers like EA have been battening down the hatches, Midway is an afterthought, and the effects are still being seen.
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New trailer reminds us that LOTR: Aragorn’s Quest exists
For the first time since the announcement of the game’s burial in the first quarter of 2010, WBIE has released new media for The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn’s Quest. In case you’ve forgotten about the upcoming Wii/DS/PS2/PSP action-RPG, it’s a kid-friendly game starring a cuddly incarnation of Viggo Mortensen’s Aragorn — and, in the Wii version, an equally huggable Gandalf (for a second player to handle).
It seems that, even though you’re in the middle of a war, hacking up thousands of monsters as per, the game’s been approved for kids because your avatar has big feet.
New trailer reminds us that LOTR: Aragorn’s Quest exists originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 16 Dec 2009 02:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Why Didn’t Anyone Do This Sooner? Playable Waluigi Hacked into Brawl
One character I wish had been included in the Super Smash Bros. Brawl roster is Waluigi. And we were so close; he did have an Assist Trophy, after all, so the model is there.
On that note, the following modder did something that I’m actually a little surprised we (or at least I) haven’t seen more of: applying Assist Trophy models to other characters’ movesets. Seems like a natural move for Shadow or Grey Fox, among others.
Check it out, as Waluigi battles… Scourge? I guess it’s a battle of evil doubles:
As we can see, of course, it’s not quite perfect, as Waluigi seems to keep falling through the stage. Interesting victory animation, though.
Since there is no downloadable content, and there is constant debate about when the next generation of consoles may come, I can’t help but wonder when the next Smash title will come. We’re getting two Super Mario Galaxy games (plus New Super Mario Bros. Wii) for the Wii so far; could another Smash Bros. also happen?
As an aside, does anyone recognize the music from the character/stage select? I think it’s from Brawl, but I can’t remember what part it’s normally played at; I think it might’ve been SSE.
Presenting a collection of Cyber Monday deals for your perusal
Today is Cyber Monday. It’s like Black Friday but with more indoorsiness. And while Black Friday is more of a brick-and-mortar, you’re-there-in-person type of thing, Cyber Monday is all online and there are far too many stores and deals to completely cover. Here’s a head start on some of the better deals from the bigger sites, though.
You’ll find pretty good deals at Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and Dell. Newegg, Office Depot, Office Max, and Staples have a few gems as well. Apple’s got a few discounts but only on accessories. Buy.com’s list is pitiful, as is Radio Shack’s. Target’s not offering a whole lot of electronics deals for some reason but there’s some decent pricing on other stuff.
- 8GB iPod touch for $158 (link)
- Creative Vado HD camcorder for $89.99 (link)
- Garmin nuvi 260w GPS for $114.99 (link)
- Nintendo Wii plus $20 Amazon.com Gift Card for $199.99 (link)
- Full list of deals here…
- 19-inch 720p LCD TV for $159.99 (link)
- Garmin nuvi 205w GPS for $104.99 (link)
- 15.6-inch Acer Aspire Laptop with 4GB of RAM for $399.99 (link)
- EA Wii games for $20 off (link)
- Full list of deals here…
- Nintendo Wii Bundle (system, extra controllers, game, accessory) for $249 (link)
- eMachines 15.6-inch Windows 7 laptop + extras for $368 (link)
- Sony Bravia 32-inch HDTV for $398 (link)
- 8GB iPod nano + accessory kit for $145 (link)
- Full list of deals here…
- ST2410 Full HD 24-inch LCD monitor for $184 (link)
- 1.5TB Western Digital 3.5-inch hard drive for $99.99 (link)
- Inspiron Zino HD desktop starting at $299 (link)
- TomTom One 130 GPS for $79.99 (link)
- Full list of deals here…
- Intel Core i5 desktop with 4GB of RAM for $649.99 (link)
- ASUS 18.5-inch LCD monitor for $79.99 (link)
- Garmin nuvi 205 GPS for $89.99 (link)
- Full list of deals here…
- eMachines 18.5-inch LCD monitor for $69.99 (link)
- Buy one, get one free on all ink and toner (link)
- Samsung 23-inch TV/Monitor for $249.99 (link)
- Full list of deals here…
- Toshiba T135-S1310 13.3-inch ULV notebook with 9-hour battery for $599.99 (link)
- Ativa 21.5-inch LCD monitor for $139.99 (link)
- Full list of deals here…
- Microsoft Wireless Laser Desktop 6000 for $29.99 (link)
- Acer 21.5-inch LCD monitor for $109.99 (link)
- Full list of deals here…
- Monster Beats headphones for $269.95 (link)
- MoGo Talk for iPhone for $116.95 (link)
- Eye-Fi 2GB Geo SD Card for $53.95 (link)
- Full list of deals here…
- Full list of deals here…
Awards: Best of Black Friday
Black Friday is just two days away. If you have what it takes to wake up at the crack of dawn, brave the crowds, and spot the best deals, there are plenty of savings to be had. Here’s a quick list of some of the best deals from the most popular product categories being offered by brick-and-mortar stores, followed by a few prestigious awards that have been given to various retailers.
Doorbuster deals have been marked with and asterisk and, where applicable, the next best non-doorbuster deal has been listed as well.
Best TV Deals
- 19-inch: Walmart $128* / Best Buy $149.99
- 22-inch: Radio Shack $199.99
- 26-inch: Office Depot $299.99
- 32-inch (720p): Target $246
- 32-inch (1080p): Best Buy $439.99
- 40-inch (1080p): Target $449* / Best Buy $499.99
- 42-inch (720p): Walmart $448* / Best Buy $547.99
- 42-inch (1080p): Sears $499.99* / Sears $549.99 (Plasma)
- 46-inch (1080p): Walmart $798* / Best Buy $847.99
- 50-inch: Walmart $598 (Plasma)
Best Netbook Deals
- Best Buy: Compaq 10.1-inch $179.99
- Radio Shack: Acer Aspire One 11.6-inch $249.99
Best Notebook Deals
- Walmart: eMachines 15.6-inch $198*
- Office Depot: HP 15.6-inch $299.99
- Walmart: HP 17-inch $398
Best Desktop Deal
- Office Depot: Compaq $229.99
Best Blu-ray Deals
- Walmart: $78*
- Best Buy: $99.99
Best GPS Deal
- Walmart: TomTom One 125-SE $59
Best Hard Drive Deals
- Target: 1TB Western Digital Desktop $59.98
- Office Max: 500GB External 3.5-inch $49.99
- Target: 500GB Western Digital Portable: $59.98
Best Digital Camera Deals
- Office Max: Vivitar $39.99 (Point-and-Shoot)
- Best Buy: Nikon D3000DX $499.99 (DSLR)
Best Monitor Deals
- Office Max: Acer 18.5-inch $69.99
- Best Buy: Acer 20-inch $79.99
- Staples: eMachines 21.5-inch $89.98*
- Office Max: AOC 22-inch: $99.99
- Staples: Acer 23-inch $139.98
With the best deals in the most popular product categories out of the way, we can now move on to the awards section of the program. Please hold your applause until all of the winners have been announced.
The “So… Are You Guys Actually Having a Sale?” Award
And the winner is… GameStop. Aside from a few anemic doorbuster deals, the store’s Black Friday ad is chock full of plenty of regularly-priced items. Wii Fit and Balance Board for $99? Gee, thanks.
The “Why the Hell Are You Opening So Early?” Award
And the winner is… Old Navy. No electronics deals to speak of other than getting Lego Rock Band for free with any $20 purchase but for some crazy-ass reason, the stores are opening at 3AM on Black Friday. Because the only thing better than being in an Old Navy store is being in an Old Navy store at 3AM and then having to kill time until all the other stores open.
The “Doors Will Probably Literally Get Busted” Award
And the winner is… Walmart. Just like every other year, the retail giant will be offering plenty of insane deals to plenty of insane people. If you’re planning on shopping at Walmart this Black Friday and you’re reading this, you are not insane. Everyone else around you will be, though. Not you. I don’t want any trouble. I’m just a guy with a keyboard.
The “Under the Radar” Award
And the winner is… Target. The store lulls everyone into complacency with everyday household items and then sweeps the 32-inch and 40-inch TV deal categories like a ninja, with a 32-inch LCD TV priced at $246 and a 40-inch 1080p doorbuster TV priced at $449. Well played, Target. Well played, indeed.
The “One-Stop Shop” Award
And the winner is… Best Buy. Pretty good all-around deals, plenty of video game deals (especially the Xbox 360 bundles), and 18-month interest-free financing on all purchases totaling $249 and up if you have a Best Buy card make the store a good option if you want to immerse yourself in the Black Friday madness for an hour or two before going back to bed.
Walmart is another worthy option, although Best Buy’s “everyone waits in line for a ticket to buy doorbusters so there’s no mayhem when the store opens” policy seems a little less chaotic than Walmart’s “holy crap I thought there’d be more cops here now who’s going to stop these crazies from ripping the doors off the hinges sweet jesus they’re just like living zombies except much faster and exponentially angrier” Black Friday sales of years past.
See more Black Friday ads here…
Media: BioShock 2 Gameplay - To Harvest or Not To Harvest, Turret Hack, and Deathmatch
It’s been a while since we last checked in with Big Daddy down in Rapture. Let’s see what he has to show us today.
First up, we are asked “to harvest, or not to harvest?” That’s a question that will no doubt plague us throughout this underwater expedition:
Video Games | BioShock 2 | To Harvest or Not To Harvest GameplayXBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii
More after the cut.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Reflex Review
Before we get going with this review, we must get something off our chest. Activision and Infinity Ward did a bad job of promoting this game. In the beginning of the game there is no reference of Treyarch anywhere. Even the main menu screen has an Infinity Ward watermark in the background. That being said, we feel Treyarch did a great job with the resources they had. You must also understand that this game was ported with only 30 guys in less than 10 months time.
Now the game starts out exactly the same way it had on the HD consoles, this time around though the graphics take a huge step back. Although, we will talk more about the graphics later in the review. The first and almost only change you’ll encounter is in the training course in the beginning of the game before the opening credits. This is where you can fine tune your controls, which we must say, are very impressively customizable. Like The Conduit, you can customize just about everything from your dead zone and Wii remote sensibility to mapping different buttons to do different things. You can also change your reticle to fit with your shooting style, and change between different styles and different colors, and change your shooting styles from standard to precision. Precision shooting is definitely recommended for advanced controlling of the Wii remote and what we played with the entire time. Bottom line is this is as close to keyboard and mouse as you can on a console. Period.
Don’t expect these graphics and you’ll have a great time
The single player is exactly the same as the HD consoles, the big difference here is the graphics, which get the blur treatment. The game is very off and on with graphics depending on what map your playing on. We noticed when playing the first level on the ship that most of the outside textures were really pulled back for obvious reasons. The water looked like a black blob and the ship was very two dimensional. However, the next level when you meet up with the Russians looks very good for the Wii. Foliage, and player models were good looking and the map felt good. As we said before the game is exactly the same as the original so don’t expect anything different. Although the single player efforts were good, the real meat of the game is in the multiplayer.
The multiplayer is the best online FPS experience on Wii to date. The game plays better and has more going on than anything The Conduit has. Every mode is included and up to 10 players can battle within them. This may be a downsize to the HD consoles player count, but it is two more than World at War on Wii from last year. While we played there was no lag, everything ran smooth, and there were no hackers we played with.
We will also say that the visuals on the maps in multiplayer looked great. The textures are blurry looking, but the design of the maps really are so impressive that you will not go back to The Conduit after playing this. We have to give Treyarch some credit for giving Wii owners the best FPS multiplayer experience on Wii right now. Multiplayer is just that fun.
Expect the game to look more like this
The worst aspect of the game has to be the graphics though, and will probably be for most sites when reviewing this. The graphics are muddy, but the lighting has really got a boost from last years WaW, as well as the shadows and character animations. Though, on multiplayer maps the edges of the maps were composed of extremely limited draw distances and gun models were also very suspect. Though we can tell you something that many review sites don’t, when playing on HD tv’s adjusting the picture makes a world of difference. The graphics improved a lot when we brought the sharpness and brightness down a little while tweaking other settings. Regardless, you can tell Treyarch really had to sacrifice some of those textures to include what they did.
Overall, the game is just what you would expect from an HD game like Call of Duty 4 being ported to Wii. Everything is there, from the great multiplayer and single player modes, to Wii specific controls that really trump those found on other consoles. The only real bad part is that the graphics needed a major step down for the port, and we would have liked WiiSpeak support for those who prefer that, though it is not necessary. After playing the game for as much as we did, we really had to wonder what Treyarch could do on Wii with even half the resources and time a developer like Infinity Ward had for their games.
You really have to tip your hats to Treyarch with what they were able to accomplish with this game, and with how well made multiplayer is, you’ll get your money’s worth in this title and then some when months down the line you’re still playing this title.
NintendoDpad Score 85/100
Although it has its flaws, this is the Wii’s best multiplayer FPS experience to date
+Everything you wanted from a port of CoD4
+Controls are arguably, the best on the system
+Multiplayer will keep you playing for months
-Graphics, though better than WaW, could be better
-Makes us wonder what a ground up CoD on Wii from Treyarch could be
Radio Shack Black Friday ad
Oh, I get it. It’s called “Shack” Friday at Radio Shack instead of Black Friday. Because “shack” sounds like “black” and “shack” is part of Radio Shack’s name. So basically, they just switched the two words around. I get it.
Know what else? The damn sale starts on Thursday! What a world! “Most stores open at 10 AM Thursday,” says the circular. And then they open at 5:30 in the morning on Friday! That’s Shack-rilege! See how I worked the name of the store into that one?
Anyhoo, here’s the good stuff. Doorbusters are marked with an asterisk.
Automotive
Gigaware Car Charger for iPod – $10.00
Sirius Stratus 5 Dock & Play Radio + Car Kit – $29.99
XM onyX Satellite Radio – $59.99
Blank Media
25-Pack of Gigaware 16X DVD-Rs – B1G1F
50-Pack Of Gigaware 52X CD-R – B1G1F
Gigaware 25 Pack of 16X DVD-Rs – B1G1F
Gigaware 50 Pack of 52X CD-Rs – B1G1F
Cell Phones
BlackBerry Curve 8520 (w/2-Year Agreement) – $0.00
Gigaware High Power Docking Speaker For iPod – $49.99
LG Xenon Cell Phone (w/2-Year Agreement) – $0.00
Motorola CLIQ w/Motoblur (w/2-Year Agreement) – $79.99
Motorola i776 Cell Phone – $69.99
Nokia 2720 No-Contract Mobile Phone – $9.99
Palm Pixi Cell Phone (w/2-Year Agreement) – $99.99
Palm Pre Cell Phone (w/2-Year Agreement) – $99.99
Plantronics E210 Bluetooth Headset – $19.99
Samsung Impression Cell Phone (w/2-Year Agreement) – $29.99
Samsung Instinct S30 Cell Phone (w/2-Year Agreement) – $0.00
Samsung Mantra Cell Phone – $29.99
Snap-On Covers for iPhone 3G or Blackberry Curve 8300 – $9.99
Computer Accessories
Gigaware 1.3MP Webcam w/Microphone – $14.99
Gigaware 2.1 Multimedia Speaker System – $10.00
Gigaware Folding Notebook Cooling Pad – $10.00
Gigaware VoIP USB Headset – $10.00
Gigaware Wireless Optical Mouse – $12.99
Logitech Wireless Keyboard and Mouse Combo – $19.99
Netbook Accessory Bundle (USB Hub, Mouse, Earbuds, Cooling Pad) – $29.99
Pinnacle Ultra-Compact USB HDTV Tuner – $39.99
Computers
Acer 11.6″ Netbook w/Intel Atom Processor Z520, 2GB Memory, 250GB Hard Drive – $249.99
Acer 15.6″ Notebook w/AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core Processor, 4GB Memory, 320 Hard Drive – $399.99
Digital Cameras
Buy Any $89.99 Camera In This Ad, Receive a Free Polaroid Pogo Mobile Printer – $0.00
Casio Exilim 10 Megapixel 3x Optical Zoom Digital Camera Gift Bundle – $89.99
Kodak MD81 12.0 Megapixel Digital Camera – $99.99
Nikon S220 10 Megapixel 3x Optical Zoom Digital Camera – $129.99
Olympus 12 Megapixel 7x Wide-Angle Zoom Digital Camera – $149.99
Vivitar 8.1 Megapixel 2x Optical Zoom Digital Camera – $49.99
Digital Media Cards
Sandisk 2GB Memory Stick PRO Duo – $9.99
Sandisk 2GB Type-M xD-Picture Card – $9.99
Sandisk 4GB MicroSDHC Card – $9.99
Sandisk Standard SDHC Card – $9.99
DVD Players
Memorex Upconverting DVD Player – $29.99
Samsung BD-1600A Blu-ray Disc Player – $149.99
Electronics
Casio 32 Mini-Key Electronic Keyboard – $29.99
Discovery 54-Key Electronic Keyboard – $29.99
Discovery Kids Digital Camcorder – $39.99
Emerson Portable CD+G Karaoke Player – $29.99
Gigaware 7″ Digital Photo Frame – $29.99
Gigaware Micro Projector – $99.99
MagicJack VoIP Kit – $29.99
Motorola 4-Pack of 2-Way FRS Radios – $29.99
Panasonic DECT 6.0 Cordless Phone System w/4 Headsets – $69.99
Pandigital 10.1″ Digital Photo Frame – $79.99
Sanyo 720p High-Definition Video Camcorder – $169.99
Skullcandy Headphones – $9.99
USB Turntable – $79.99
Vivitar 720p High-Definition Video Camcorder – $69.99
GPS Systems
Garmin Nuvi 255W 4.3″ Widescreen GPS – $119.99
Garmin Nuvi 265WT 4.3″ GPS w/Free Lifetime Traffic Updates – $169.99
Mio 4.3″ M400 GPS – $79.99
TomTom XL 330S GPS w/Free Dash Mount – $99.99
Hard Drives
Iomega 320GB Portable Hard Drive – $49.99
Miscellaneous
5×7″ Recordable Talking Picture Frame – $10.00
Duracell Color Charger w/2 AA Rechargeable Batteries – $10.00
Enercell Holiday Bettery Tin – $9.99
ESPN GameDay Universal 4-in-1 Remote – $10.00
Gigaware 1.5″ Digital Photo Keychain – $10.00
Gigaware Crystal Skin for iPod Touch – $10.00
Gigaware Laser Etched Skin for iPod Touch – $10.00
Gigaware Retractable Rapid Home Charger for iPod/iPhone – $10.00
RadioShack 25-Piece Mini Tool Kit – $10.00
RadioShack 4.3″ GPS Soft Case – $14.99
RadioShack GPS Home AC Charger – $14.99
RadioShack Weather Cube Radio – $10.00
Rechargeable Spotlight – $10.00
Swiss+Tech Micro-Max 19-in-1 Tool Kit – $10.00
MP3 Players
8GB iPod Touchw/$20 GC – $199.99
Gigaware 2GB MP3 Player – $19.99
Gigaware 4GB MP3 Player – $39.99
Gigaware MP3 Accessory Kit – $9.99
iHome Computer Stereo Speakers w/Dock for iPid – $29.99
iLive 2.1 Home Theater Upconverting DVD System w/Dock for iPod – $99.99
iPod 8GB Nano w/$15 GC – $149.99
iPod Accessory Kit – $30.00
Sansa 2GB Clip Plus Music Player w/1000 Song Music Card – $49.99
Sound Bar w/Dock for iPod – $69.99
Networking
Netgear WNR1000 Wireless-N 150 Router – $34.99
Portable USB Storage
Sandisk 2GB USB Flash Drive – $4.99
Sandisk 4GB USB Flash Drive – $9.99
Televisions
AOC 22″ 720P LCD HDTV – $199.99
Auvio 3.5″ Pocket Digital TV – $79.99
Auvio 7″ Portable TV – $119.99
Samsung 32″ LCD HDTV – $399.99
Video Games
DualShock 3 PS3 Wireless Controler – $29.99
Gigaware Recharging Station for Nintendo Wii – $12.99
Nyko Wand for Nintendo Wii – $24.99
V.Motion Game Console – $34.99
Xbox 360 Elite System w/$60 Cash Back & 2 Games (Lego Batman and Pure) – $299.99
Radio Shack Black Friday Ad [BlackFriday.info]
