Bit by Bit: June 24-30

It has been a pretty busy week as usual.  Other weeks I did not get a chance to play many games.  This week I played the most in a long time and it feels great.  While I did play a lot of games, I also bought quite a few games.  Found Red Steel 2, Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story and God of War all on sale this week and also picked up Penny Arcade's On a Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 3 on Steam, which got me Cthulhu Saves the World and Breath of Death VII for free.  Got six games for under 40 dollars, now that is amazing.  

Game of the Week
Out of the games I bought I sadly have not played any of them yet.  I have been spending most of my time with Pokemon Conquest.  Other than that I tried the Rhythm Thief demo from the Nintendo eShop and played my Game of the Week.  This game has been my Game of the Week many weeks before way back in March and it is again this week as a new piece of DLC was just released.  The game in question is no doubtingly, Mass Effect 3.  This past Tuesday, BioWare released the Extended Cut DLC that added additional scenes to the ending to help explain it to those who could not connect the dots and would go onto whine and complain until BioWare did something.  The release of the Extended Cut DLC got me to spend four hours playing the final two missions over again in order to experience the extended ending.  Revisiting Mass Effect 3 for the first time in close to three months, just reaffirmed why I love this series and this game.  After just a few waves of enemies, I got in a grove again as I would be flicking between using my weapons, biotic powers and other abilities at a quick pace.  There are a couple moments I still dread such as the Kai Leng  boss battle or defending the missile launcher as I have always found them hard.  There are some exhilarating moments such as stabbing Kai Leng with the omni-blade or the run to the Citadel beam to balance out my minor frustrating moments.  While I never had a problem with the original ending, the extended ending does a much better job of explaining what exactly happens instead of leaving it open for fan interpretation as the original ending was very open-ended.  It does offer more fulfilling conclusions that the original ending.  Where BioWare goes next with the series is up in the air, but I cannot wait to play whatever is next be it a whole new story or new downloadable adventures with Commander Shepard.

Most Anticipated Game of the Week
There is not one game that I am highly anticipating this week.  There are a few promotions I am anticipating, but nothing more.  Steam's annual summer sale hopefully is coming this week, which should be awesome.  Also the new Club Nintendo reward games will be revealed tomorrow.  So hopefully Nintendo will give Club Nintendo members four games that are worth spending their coins towards.

Video of the Week
The video that I am sharing this week has nothing to do with video games.  It does have something to do with a little sci-fi franchise that you might know as Star Wars.  The guys at teddiefilms have put together a parody of Gotye's song, Somebody That I Used To Know.  The parody is called The Star Wars That I Used To Know and it tells a story of heartbreak that all Star Wars fans can relate to.  Enjoy.

On the Download: June 24-30 Part 2

On the Download continues with a look at the console and PC downloadable games released this week.  I will get to the meat and potatoes of this post, I would like to highlight two other downloadable games/DLC.

First, the second episode of Telltale Games Walking Dead adventure game was released this week for XBLA, PSN and Steam.  The second episode, called Starved for Help, continues the story from where the first episode, A New Day, left off.  You are able to find Starved for Help as an individual download for 5 dollars on XBLA or PSN or you can pick up the Season Pass and get the entire series when each subsequent episode is released.

Next piece of business is a piece of free DLC for Mass Effect 3.  When the game came out in March, there was a lot of backlash around the game's ending.  While I did personally enjoy the original open-ended ending, it did bring up a lot of questions that got most fans that could not connect the dots themselves angry.  This Tuesday, BioWare released the Mass Effect 3 Extended Cut DLC.  The Extended Cut DLC does not change the ending of the game, it adds more scenes to the final 30 minutes of the game in order to help gamers get a better understanding of the Mass Effect 3's ending.  By better understanding, I mean BioWare basically lays out every single little detail for those gamers who could not do it themselves.  Hopefully this DLC does satisfy some of the haters, but no matter what BioWare does there will always be a core group of gamers that will hate the ending of Mass Effect 3 no matter what.  If you have Mass Effect 3, download the Extended Cut DLC as it is absolutely free and gives a better understanding of the game's ending.

The next piece of DLC I am going to talk about is for the biggest RPG of 2011, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.  The first big expansion to the world of Skyrim is called Dawnguard.  In Dawnguard, the vampire lord Harkon has returned.  Harkon seeks the power of the Elder Scrolls in order to accomplish his goal of blanketting Tamriel in eternal darkness by blocking out the sun.  As the hero of Skyrim, you must choose between joining Harkon in his dark goal or the collective of vampire hunters known as the Dawnguard in stopping Harkon and his vampires.  Which faction you choose to join will affect the perks you receive, your homebase (Castle Volkihar for the vampires and Fort Dawnguard for the vampire hunters) and some other bonuses exclusive to each faction such as being able to transform into a vampire lord or hiring Armoured Trolls.  Dawnguard also adds new combat options and weapons such as the crossbow and mounted combat, new shouts, new quests, new skill trees, new dragons and other enemies and the ability to alter your appearance at anytime for a price of 1000 septim.  At the moment, Dawnguard is only available on XBLA for 1600 Microsoft points because Microsoft paid Bethesda for timed exclusivity for the DLC.  Dawnguard should be coming to PSN and PC sometime in the near future.

Penny Arcade Adventures: On a Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness has been on a long hiatus.  The first two episodes in this episodic series were created by Hothead Games, but in 2010 the developer discontinued production on future episodes to focus on DeathSpank.  Back in late 2011, Zeboyd Games, the makers of indie RPG hits Cthulhu Saves the World and Breath of Death VII, announced they would pick up where Hothead Games left off and make the third episode in this series.  The most striking difference between Episode 3 and the first two episodes of Penny Arcade Adventures is the 16-bit inspired graphics that are very similar to RPGs from the SNES.  Episode 3 is completely inspired by RPGs from the SNES era as the combat and presentation are very similar to past RPGs mixed with modern design sensibilities.  Episode 3 is suppose to last 8 to 12 hours with more content to be added with free updates.  Currently Penny Arcade's On a Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 3 is only available for PC through Steam, but it will will be released for XBLA, Mac, Android and iOS at later dates.  If you do have Steam, you can pick it up for 5 dollars and buy it before July 2 to get Cthulhu Saves the World and Breath of Death VII for free.  Three indie RPGs for 5 dollars that is a great deal.

On the Download: June 24-30 Part 1

You are not reading the title wrong.  This week On the Download will be split into two parts to cover the good amount of noteworthy downloadable games released this week.  It did not take long for the downloadable game space to start dropping big release after another.  This week alone, we got the expansion to the biggest RPG of 2011, the extended ending to the biggest RPG of 2012, the next episodes in the Penny Arcade and Walking Dead series of games and two big 3DS downloadable releases.  Got a whole lot to cover in On the Download this week.  Today, we will be looking at the two big 3DS downloadable releases.  Along with these games, you can also download the demo for Rhythm Thief for free and get VVVVV on sale for 5 dollars.

A few months ago, Zen Studios released Zen Pinball 3D for the 3DS.  Now Zen Studios has brought their successful Marvel Pinball game to Nintendo's portable system as well.  Marvel Pinball 3D is the same game you may have experienced on the Xbox 360 or PS3, now with 3D visuals and being able to take it on the go.  Marvel Pinball features four tables that players can enjoy.  The four tables are each based on a different Marvel property.  One for Iron Man, one for Captain America, one for Blade and one for the Fantastic Four.  Each table has a corresponding villain that acts as the boss for the table.  For example, you battle Red Skull on the Captain America table or fight the Mandarin on the Iron Man table.   Marvel Pinball 3D also features online leader broads and in-game challenges to keep players occupied.  For those interested in another pinball game for the 3DS, Marvel Pinball 3D costs 8 dollars to download.

Earlier this year Renegade Kid cut their teeth in the downloadable game space with Mutant Mudds for the 3DS.  Now a few months after their first downloadable, they have released their second exclusively for the 3DS.  The game is Bomb Monkey.  In the world of Bomb Monkey, these creative little primates created a sport by the name of Blok Bombing.  The goal of Blok Bombing is rather simple.  You will have to stop the bloks from rising high enough to knock you off your perch.  By carefully stacking bloks and using bombs, you can set up combos and earn a higher score.  Bomb Monkey puts a creative spin on the puzzle game genre.  Bomb Monkey features several different game modes (Endless, Rescue, 3 Minutes and Numbers) and both co-operative and competitive multi-player modes for all to enjoy.  Bomb Monkey looks like an unique puzzle game that 3DS owners should check.  The best thing is this game will only set you back 5 dollars if you decide to pick it up.

Hump Day Video: Meet the Pyro

Valve has made many little shorts over the years about the various classes in Team Fortress 2.  From the Scout to Spy, Valve has made some hilarious 2 to 3 minute skits that gives a little insight into the characters of all the classes in the game.  The final skit was released today alongside the announcement of Source Filmaker, which is a free tool that allows users to record and create their own videos inside Valve's Source engine.  The final skit is Meet the Pyro.

The Pyro is not a character to talk, but people always wonder what goes on under the mask of such a deranged individual.  The results are absolutely hilarious and very cheerful.  I will not spoil it as you will have to watch the video to see for yourself.  I will say that what goes on in the Pyro's mind juxtaposes what is actually going on perfectly.  It is another excellent skit from the geniuses at Valve.  It is a video that will definitely get you over the hump that is Wednesday.

Launch Station: Spec Ops: The Line

In an incredibly crowded genre like the first/third person shooter genre, games like Spec Ops: The Line can easily fall under the shadows of genre heavyweights like Call of Duty and Battlefield.  Sometimes this happens for good reason.  Sometimes it causes gamers to overlook what was a pretty good game.  If Spec Ops: The Line falls under the former or the latter, you will just have to try the demo or pick up the game, which just released today.

In Spec Ops: The Line, you play as Captain Martin Walker, accompanied by a Delta Force bravo team,  on a mission to rescue a U.S. Army Colonel by the name of John Konrad trapped in the sandstorm ravaged city of Dubai.  This is not your standard search-and-rescue mission as Walker and company must battle unknown enemies and the forces of nature.  Spec Ops: The Line really focuses on using the natural sandstorms of Dubai to change the game.  Spec Ops' engine randomizes when and where sandstorms start, which makes the game very unpredictable and the environment very dynamic.  Sandstorms can unlock or close off different areas of Dubai or can be used to change the tide of battle.  Spec Ops: The Line's other big selling point is its' mature story that dives into the dark side of war.  To reinforce the mature story, there are realistic choices interspersed throughout the game where there is no defined good or bad choice like in other games.  All the choices fall under different shades of grey.  For those to take the Spec Ops experience online, The Line also features a class-based multiplayer mode.

Honestly, I am not a huge shooter fan so Spec Ops: The Line has not done much to excite me.  For shooter fans, Spec Ops: The Line looks like an interesting shooter that does enough to differentiate itself from the giants of the genre.  It should keep shooter fans busy until the next big shooter hits the market.  If you are a big shooter fan or really enjoyed the demo, Spec Ops: The Line should definitely be the shooter to pick up this summer.

Launch Station: The Amazing Spider-Man

A week after Lego Batman 2 hit the scene, Marvel's web crawler hits the consoles.  Just one week before the corresponding movie releases in theatres, The Amazing Spider-Man hits game consoles.  While there has been a steady stream of quality superhero games in the past few years, gamers are still very cautious with superhero games because they end up as bad as the last Spider-Man game, Edge of Time, more often than not.  With the stinker that Edge of Time was, Beenox has to prove to the gaming world they are not one-hit wonders.  Beenox has to prove that they can make quality Spider-Man games each and every year or Activision will run them out the door and not look back.

Much different than other movie tie-ins, The Amazing Spider-Man game will serve as an epilogue to the movie.  So be warned to those planning to buy it during the first week of release because there will be spoilers.  During the opening mission of The Amazing Spider-Man, cross-species experiments from Oscorp escape into New York City.  In order to combat the cross-species that are running amok in New York City, expert in nano-technology and newest executive at Oscorp Alistair Smythe creates a bunch of robots to hunt them down.  It is up to Spider-Man, which is also a cross-species, from both the escaped Oscorp experiments and Alistair Smythe's army of killer robots.  While Alistair Smythe may be the main villain in The Amazing Spider-Man, the game also includes classic Spider-Man villains such as Rhino, Felicia Hardy, Scorpion and The Lizard.  The Amazing Spider-Man sees the return of the open world gameplay that was made popular in Spider-Man 2 (possibly one of the best movie tie-in games of all-time).  As Spider-Man, you are able to explore New York City to your hearts content.  Swing around, complete side missions and challenges, fight random thugs or take part in multiple different mini-games in addition to the game's main story.  The two major changes to the Spider-Man open world formula are found in the combat and new Web Rush mechanic.  First, the combat has been retooled to be more fast-paced and free-flowing.  The combat in The Amazing Spider-Man is very similar to Rocksteady's Batman games.  Next the Web Rush mechanic makes travelling across New York a little easier.  When you activate Web Rush and highlight the place where you want to go, Spider-Man smoothly transitions to said location.  When Web Rush is activated, control is taken away from the player, but you can break from the animation and go off in another direction altogether.

Personally, it has been hard to tell if The Amazing Spider-Man will any good.  I have not really cared for a Spider-Man game since the last generation of consoles.  I do want to pick up Shattered Dimensions sometime because I have heard many good things about it.  Other than that I am not that interested in The Amazing Spider-Man game.  I do hope Beenox has made a good enough game in The Amazing Spider-Man to get Activision to possibly give them more time to develop future Spider-Man games instead of pumping one out every year.

Bit by Bit: June 17-23

Things look to have settled down this past week.  While the work hours were long, they were a little more manageable this week.  I actually got some serious time to sit down and play.  It was well worth it  too.  With things a little less hectic this coming week, I am hoping to dedicate some more time to gaming.

Game of the Week
Well I gave into all the praise for Pokemon Conquest and bought it this past Thursday.  It was well worth it too as it is my Game of the Week.  Pokemon Conquest starts out a little slow as you learn the basics of the game.  After conquering the first few kingdoms and recruiting more warriors to your army,  which takes about two hours, Pokemon Conquest picks up steam and things really get going.  The combat is fairly simple on the surface, but has a lot of depth for advanced players to dive right into.  My only quibble with the game so far is the finicky touch controls.  For DS strategy games like Fire Emblem and Advance Wars, I always use the touch screen to move units.  I find it easier and more intuitive.  There have been a few times in my 2 and a half hours playing Pokemon Conquest where I had to use the Circle Pad to move my Pokemon to the correct location.  Other than that one quibble, I am having a great time playing Pokemon Conquest and cannot wait to play more.

Most Anticipated Game of the Week
Out of all the announcements that came out of Thursday's Nintendo Direct, I am most excited about the 8-Bit Summer initiative that is coming to the Nintendo eShop.  Finally Nintendo is releasing more Virtual Console games for the 3DS, something I have been very vocal about these last few months.  The one game I am looking forward to picking up from this initiative is Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters as it is the last game I need to complete my collection of Kid Icarus games.  While I would have loved to see Of Myths and Monsters to be released on the eShop this past March to coincide with the release of Kid Icarus: Uprising, I am happy this game will finally make it to the eShop this coming July 19th.

Videos of the Week
Not one, but two videos I have to share with you all this week.  These two videos are actually two parts of a demo of Resident Evil 6.  The demo perfectly highlights Resident Evil 6's survival horror aspects of the game.  You play as Leon Kennedy who is partnered with Helena Harper at the start of the zombie breakout.  The demo actually starts right where the first trailer starts ad Leon has just shot the zombified president.  While I do not like the constant waypoint that tells you exactly where to go, this demo does a much better job of showing the survival horror side of Resident Evil 6.  Why this demo was not shown at E3 is beyond me, but it is a great 18 minute demo that you should take the time to watch.

Get More: GameTrailers.com, Resident Evil 6 - Campus - Visitor's Room Gameplay Part I, PC Games, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Get More: GameTrailers.com, Resident Evil 6 - Campus - Visitor's Room Gameplay Part II, PC Games, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Nintendo Direct 6.21.12 Impressions

Nintendo Direct is a mini-conference where Nintendo announces new and exclusive Nintendo announcements and showcases their upcoming games.  Nintendo Direct serves as a way for Nintendo to keep Nintendo fans up-to-date on the newest happenings in the Big N directly from them instead of through video game websites or magazines.  It is a very cool idea and personally these videos have always been fun to watch.  Last night, Nintendo hosted another Nintendo Direct that focused mainly on Nintendo 3DS, but had a little section to showcase a game or two for the Wii.

First and foremost, I really did enjoy this Nintendo Direct as it did wrapped all the information about 3DS and Wii into one concise 20 minute video that flowed perfectly.  My one big grip is that a lot of the big announcements that Nintendo shared with us should have been at E3, not this 20 minute mini-conference.  The major announcements of the Nintendo 3DS XL and Namco Bandai helping develop the new Smash Bros. games along with the reveals of Fire Emblem and Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask should have been showed E3 because it would have definitely improved Nintendo's okay showing at the event and it would gotten out to more people than just this little mini-conference that usually is only viewed by Nintendo fans and video game journalists.  While I can criticize Nintendo's decision to omit a lot of this huge announcements, the Nintendo Direct did what it was suppose to do.  It got Nintendo fans excited for the next wave of 3DS games and the Kirby Dream Collection for Wii.  I would have liked if Nintendo gave a concrete release date for The Last Story, but that is just minor.  We got a price and date for the 3DS XL, a rundown of all the third-party 3DS games, looks at New Super Mario Bros. 2, Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask, Kirby's Dream Collection, Fire Emblem, Pokemon Dream Radar, Pokedex 3D Pro and Pokemon Black 2 and White 2.  One of the other big announcements for me at least was the 8-Bit Summer initiative for the Nintendo eShop.  If any of you have read some of my On the Download posts, I have been crying to the heavens about the lack of Virtual Console games on the eShop.  It seems somebody at Nintendo of America has heard my prayers.  There will be two Virtual Console games released each week in July starting July 5th including Kid Icarus: Of Myths & Monsters, which should of come out alongside Kid Icarus: Uprising in my opinion.

All-in-all, this Nintendo Direct mini-conference was very good.  It was packed to the brim with great content and announcements.  While some of this stuff should have been at E3, I cannot fault this mini-conference for Nintendo's obvious gaff.  If you want to check it out, I have provided the video for you to watch below.  Enjoy and have a nice day.

On the Download: Quantum Conumdrum

For the last few weeks there has been a little drought of noteworthy downloadable games to justify doing a new edition of On the Download.  With retail releases slowing down for the summer, gamers look to downloadable initiatives like the Summer of Arcade for XBLA and the just announced 8-Bit Summer for the Nintendo eShop to keep them entertained during the summer gaming drought.  To officially start the summer is Airtight Games' Quantum Conundrum just released yesterday for download on Steam.

From the mind of Kim Swift, the lead designer of popular puzzle game Portal, and her team at Airtight Games, Quantum Conundrum is a first-person physics-based puzzle game in the vein of Portal.  Instead of thinking with portals, you manipulate objects and the environment by switching dimensions on the fly in order to solve puzzles.  In Quantum Conundrum, you play as the 12 year old nephew of eccentric scientist and inventor Profesor Quadwrangle.  You are dropped off at Professor Quadwragle's mansion to spend some time with your uncle.  Shortly after arriving at the mansion, an explosion occurs, which causes the Professor to go missing.  Trying to figure out what is going on, you stumble upon a glove that turns out to be the Interdimensional Shift Device (ISD for short), which must be used to navigate Professor Quadwrangle's mansion in order to find your missing uncle.  Throughout Quantum Conundrum, you use the Interdimensional Shift Device (ISD) to shift between four dimensions (fluffy, heavy, anti-gravity and slow-mo) each with their own attributes to solve puzzles in each room of Professor Quadwrangle's mansion.

There is no doubt.  Quantum Conundrum is very similar to Portal, but they were designed by the same person.  You can see why there are big similarities between the two.  While I do not think Qunatum Conundrum will reach the popularity or universal acclaim of Portal, it is a unique downloadable puzzle game that looks to test your brain in new and creative ways.  From what I saw at E3, I was very impressed with Quantum Conundrum and it is a game that looking to download in the near future.  At the moment, Quantum Conundrum is only available on Steam for 15 dollars.  For console owners, do not fret as Qunatum Conundrum is coming to XBLA and PSN on July 11th. 

Hump Day Music: Duel of the Fates

Star Wars has a long and storied history with video games from the original Star Wars arcade cabinet to the recently released Star Wars: The Old Republic.  This piece of music I am sharing with you all today is one of my favourite pieces from the vast orchestrated tracks from Star Wars' vast soundtrack.  It was most likely in a game as it is one of the big themes for the Star Wars movies.  While the prequel trilogy left a lot to be desired for Star Wars fans, it still had the incredible musical prowess of John Williams producing the score for them.  One of the best pieces of music to debut in the prequel trilogy is Duel of the Fates.

For those who remember the incredible three-way lightsaber battle between Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan and Darth Maul at the end of The Phantom Menace, Duel of the Fates was the music that was playing throughout the scene.  John Williams' masterpiece made this scene even more epic than it really was.  As the track goes on, the more intense it gets.  The choir sings at the top of their lungs and notes are held longer.  It brings everything to a grand climax in a rather disappointing movie.  While I cannot pinpoint the exact game or games that Duel of the Fates has been in, it would be nice to find this piece of music in any upcoming Star Wars games or even an episode in The Clone Wars, an incredible show that any Star Wars fan should get over their hate of the prequel trilogy to watch.

Launch Station: Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes

Ever since the original Lego Star Wars came out in 2005, the Lego gaming franchise has had incredible success with every entry.  From Star Wars to Harry Potter to Indiana Jones to eventually Lord of the Rings, Traveller's Tales has legofied many great franchises.  The first Lego Batman was the best selling Lego game in the series so Traveller's Tales has created one of their most ambitious games in Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes.

Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes begins with Joker breaking out of Arkham Asylum to join forces with the nefarious Lex Luthor.  Batman and Robin must team up with Superman and the Justice League to take down Joker and Lex Luthor.  Lego Batman 2 has many similarities to other Lego games such as collecting studs to buy new characters and items or constructing objects in order to solve puzzles.  Lego Batman 2 does have some different aspects that make it stand out from other Lego games.  Lego Batman 2 is the first fully voiced Lego game in the series.  No more mime acting and grunts that all the other Lego games used to convey their story.  Also in the audio department, Lego Batman 2 uses of Danny Elfman's score for Batman and Batman Returns and John William's score for Superman along with some original music to make up the game's soundtrack.  Outside of the linear story missions, Lego Batman 2 allows you to explore Gotham City to your heart's content as any character you have unlocked while playing the game.  Lego Batman 2 includes new gadgets for Batman and Robin to use and new vehicles to drive around in.  Lego Batman 2 also features the two player dynamic split-screen co-op that was introduced in Lego Star Wars III where the more you move away from each other the more the screen splits.

Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes looks like another good Batman game.  While I personally enjoy Rocksteady's Arkham series to the Lego Batman games, Lego Batman 2 looks to further evolve the Lego game series to keep up with modern gamers.  Lego Batman 2 is a perfect way of introducing the younger generation to one of the most popular super heroes of all-time compared to the more mature Christopher Nolan movies and Arkham series of games.

Launch Station: Pokemon Conquest

There are certain crossovers that you do not think will ever happen.  Well nobody saw Pokemon being mixed with a feudal Japanese setting and historical figures.  First released in Japan as Pokemon + Nobunaga's Ambition, many people including yours truly had their doubts that Pokemon Conquest would make it to our shore.  Well Nintendo must have saw the incredible amount of interest the game got when it was announced in Japan that they decided to bring it over to North America.

Pokemon Conquest is a crossover between Nintendo's Pokemon franchise and Tecmo Koei's Nobunaga's Ambition series.  Pokemon Conquest is a turn-based tactical strategy game much like the Final Fantasy Tactics games.  The player takes control of a young Warlord linked with a Eevee on a quest to conquer and unite the Ransei Region.  On your way to completing your quest, you will befriend Pokemon and rival Warlords to build your forces and fight the evil Warlords that currently rule the Ransei Region.  The battles in Pokemon Conquest are 6-on-6 turn-based skirmishes that will have you on your toes as you choose the right Pokemon for the every-changing battle conditions.  Every Warlord both friend and foe has a special ability that can be used to boost their Pokemon's powers, which can turn the tide of battle when in a tough spot.

The more I read up on and talk about Pokemon Conquest, the more I want to go out and buy it.  The Pokemon franchise has been taken in so many different directions with so many lacklustre spinoffs that many fans including myself have strictly stuck to the core RPGs.  Pokemon Conquest looks like the best Pokemon spinoff in ages.  It has incredible potential to sell very well as there are millions of 3DS and DS owners.  If you are a fan of tactical strategy games or Pokemon, Pokemon Conquest is game that will definitely find a home in your DS.

Bit by Bit: June 10-16

This past week has been extremely busy with everything that has been going on in my life.  At least I eked enough time to write and play a few hours of games.  Hopefully things will settle down in the coming week as my work schedules are not too crazy.

Game of the Week
In the past week, I picked up quite a few games for my Wii.  Yesterday, I bought A Boy and His Blob, Klonoa and Little King's Story yet have not gotten a chance to play any of them.  My Game of the Week goes to game I picked up last Sunday, Pikmin 2 for Wii.  Having missed out on both Pikmin 1 and 2 when they came out for the Gamecube, I made sure I did not miss out the Wii re-release.  Having never played a Pikmin game, I was worried that I would not like the RTS-like gameplay as I am not a fan of RTS games.  My worries were all for nought as Pikmin 2 is really fun.  I need to get farther into the game to make my final verdict, but the first few hours of collecting items, raising Pikmin and exploring the world has been a lot of fun.  I have not played the games on Gamecube so I do not know how well they controlled at that system.  I can say that the Wii controls are very good and works amazingly well with Pikmin's gameplay.  For those who missed out on Pikmin 2 the first time around or  somehow misplaced their original copy of the game, Pikmin 2 for Wii is a great buy especially with its 20 dollar price tag.

Most Anticipated Game of the Week
If the The Last Story was not pushed back to some undisclosed time this summer, it would have been my Most Anticipated Game of the Week.  Due to the fact it has been delayed, my Most Anticipated Game of the Week goes to Pokemon Conquest.  A mix between the charm of Pokemon mixed with the tactical gameplay of Nobunaga's Ambition, Pokemon Conquest looks to be the most promising Pokemon spinoff in years.  Also Pokemon Conquest has gotten some high praise already from some critics, so it looks like a DS game that should be one any gamer's radar.

Video of the Week
E3 is over.  The great guys and gals over at Screwattack have compiled their list of the 5 Best and Worst Moments of E3 2012.  You might not agree with everything on these lists, but it is an entertaining recap of the good and bad from this year's E3.

Get More: GameTrailers.com, ScrewAttack - Best and Worst of E3 2012, PC Games, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Off the Newsstand: Nintendo Power Issue 279

Have faced a little drought of magazines this last little while.  It has taken a few weeks to get ahold of my newest issue of EGM and I am still waiting for the newest Game Informer, which I can buy in store yet I have not received my copy the issue as a subscriber.  Finished my latest issue of Nintendo Power, just before the craziness of E3 so I did not get a chance to publish my thoughts on their pre-E3 issue.

As the pre-E3 issue Nintendo Power had one big surprise with the cover story.  There will be a new Castlevania exclusive to the 3DS coming this Fall.  Called Castlevania: Lords of Shadow- Mirror of Fate (was that ever a mouthful?), this new entry in the Lords of Shadow lore follows four different characters as they venture through Dracula's castle during different time periods.  Nintendo Power's cover story revealed that you will get to play as Trevor and Simon Belmont.  Mirror of Fate looks to merge the great combat of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow with the structure of past handheld iterations in the Castlevania series such as Dawn of Sorrow and Portrait of Ruin.  This cover story is the main reason why I am so excited for this 3DS game as it looks great.  The cover story was followed by a list of the greatest and worst moments in the Castlevania series to celebrate the franchises' 25th anniversary.    Other noteworthy articles found in this issue of Nintendo Power were the Essential Games for the Wii article that listed the games that Wii owners should have in their collection, a fascinating look into how the team at Mistwalker created the cast for The Last Story, interviews with Masahiro Sakurai and Jools Watsham and a review of Pokemon Conquest.

Overall, Issue 279 of Nintendo Power was another great issue.  It had one great cover story, a reveal that no other magazine or gaming site that was exclusive just to Nintendo Power, some excellent articles and a solid selection of previews and reviews.  Also as a pre-E3 issue, it did not take away any thunder from the big show unlike another magazine by the name of Game Informer.  While I have not received my issue yet, I have looked through the newest issue at my local video game store.  Enough of my little tangent.  Issue 279 of Nintendo Power is a great read for any gamer and a must-read for Nintendo fans.

Launch Station: Gravity Rush

The PlayStation Vita has fallen to the wayside since it launched in February.  Games have been trickling out bit by bit, but nothing substantial has come to Sony's newest handheld other than some pretty good ports of console games.  While the danger of the Vita becoming a port machine, much like the PSP did, is ever lingering, Sony looks to inject some much needed with the release of Gravity Rush, the newest game from their Japanese studio.

Gravity Rush started out as a PS3 game before being transferred over to the PlayStation Vita.  The transfer was due to how Gravity Rush complimented the Vita's many control options.  In Gravity Rush, you are able to control gravity by first pressing the R button then tilting the Vita or using the right analog stick to steer your character.  You play as Kat, who has somehow by coincidence has lost her memory.  Early in the game, Kat runs into a mysterious black cat that empowers her with the ability to control gravity.  Using her newly bestowed powers, Kat must protect the citizens of the floating city of Hekseville from the Gravity Storm and the mysterious Nevi monsters.  The gravity-controlling mechanic allows players to fly through the air, walk up walls or even perform devastating gravity attacks.  Hekseville is an open world for Kat to explore.  You are also able to complete side missions and fight additional enemies, which helps Kat gain experience that can be used to level up her many abilities.

Even this early in a handhelds' life-cycle, it is hard to tell if it can bounce back from such severely poor post-launch support.  It is always a possibility, but the Vita is still in dire straights at the moment.  Sony's handheld really needs a game to get people's attention.  While I do not think Gravity Rush will be the Vita's killer app, it will attract the attention of most gamers and Vita owners as it is the most original game on the system.

Hump Day Video: Wreck-It Ralph

Caught in all the hooplah surrounding E3 last week, a little trailer snuck by many gamer's radars.  A trailer for an upcoming Disney movie which looks absolutely incredible.  The movie is called Wreck-It Ralph.  Wreck-It Ralph stars a video game villain named Ralph.  After years of getting beaten up by Fix-It Felix over and over again for 30 years, Ralph does not want to be the bad guy anymore.  So Ralph abandones his game in order to find a game where people respect him.  The trailer is only 2 and a half minutes long, but it crams a lot of funny moments and cool video game references and parodies.  From Heroes Duty and trying to speak Q*Bertuese to cameos from iconic video game villains such as Bowser, Dr. Robotnik, Zangief and Clyde, this trailer will no doubt make any gamer laugh.  Wreck-It Ralph looks so good that I am making sure that I see it when it releases in theatres this coming November.  Now I hope you enjoy the trailer.

Launch Station: Lollipop Chainsaw

Suda 51 is well-known among the video game faithful to bringing some of the most bizarre and extremely mature games on the market.  Starting with Killer 7 back in 2005 for the Gamecube and PS2, Suda 51 and Grasshopper Manufacture target niche audiences with their games.  In turn, many of Grasshoppers' games are not extremely profitable, but have become cult classics in their own right.  The newest game from the minds of Suda 51 and his team at Grasshopper Manufacture juxtaposes the dark grungy zombie movie aesthetic with colourful sparkles and stars of a bubbly high school cheerleader.  This game is Lollipop Chainsaw.

In Lollipop Chainsaw, you play as Juliet Starling, a cheerleader and zombie hunter.  San Romero High School, the high school Juliet formerly attended, is under attack by a zombie horde.  It is up to Juliet and the severed yet still living head of her boyfriend Nick to push back the zombie horde and defeat their rock and roll zombie leaders.  At certain points in the game, Juliet will also be assisted by her sisters Cordelia and Rosalind Starling, who are zombie hunters as well.  Lollipop is a hack and slash game, which plays a little similar to No More Heroes, also made by Suda 51 and Grasshopper.  Juliet is able to use light and heavy attacks.  Light attacks are meant to herd zombies together so you are able to finish them off with heavy attacks.  Killing enemies and saving classmates builds Juliet's star meter, which can be used to execute super attacks once filled.  Nick can be used to extend combos by kicking him at enemies or he can even control zombies when placed on top of a decapitated zombie.

Out of all the games made by Suda 51 and Grasshopper Manufacture, Lollipop Chainsaw has seamed to have gotten a good response from average gamers not just the hardest of hardcore, which is nice to see.  While I personally wait for the reviews, Lollipop Chainsaw looks pretty cool.  A fun little hack and slash game with an incredible amount of charisma and spunk that really exudes from all of its pores.  It should be a very enjoyable game and I really hope it does very well sales-wise.  If you looking for a new game to pick up this week, Lollipop Chainsaw is definitely your best choice.

Top 5 Games of E3 2012

Due to work and the fact I have not had to time to watch every single demo of every single game at E3 2012, I have decided on a Top 5 Games of E3 2012.  There are tons of games at E3 each and every year, but few stand above the rest.  While a lot of games looked good, they were very similar to other experiences we have seen and/or played before.  These five games and one honourable mention really impressed me and brought something new and interesting that the numerous run-of-the mill sequels did not come close to bringing.  Yes, I am talking about Halo 4, God of War: Ascension and Crysis 3 just to name a few.  As with past years, I do not include games that did not have demos on the show floor.  So games such as Watch Dogs and Beyond: Two Souls were not considered for this list even though they both had good showings.  Also a quick notice, there will not be a post until late Tuesday evening as I am working two 14 hour days in a row so I will have absolutely no time to write anything tomorrow.  Now let us get down to one man's opinion of the best games of E3 2012.

Honourable Mention

Quantum Conundrum- XB360, PS3, PC
While it is just short of my Top 5 Games of E3 2012, Quantum Conundrum is creative and unique enough to deserve some love in this post.  From the mind of Kim Swift, the lead designer on a little physics-based puzzle game by the name of Portal, and the team at Airtight Games, Quantum Conundrum is a first-person physics-based puzzle game in which you manipulate objects and the environment by switching dimensions on the fly.  You are in control of the Interdimensional Shift Device (ISD) that allows you to shift between four dimensions (fluffy, heavy, anti-gravity and slow-mo) to solve puzzles in each room of Professor Quadwrangle's mansion.  Quantum Conundrum looks to test your brain in different ways as you jump between dimensions to solve difficult problems.  After learning to think with portals, it is time to think with dimensions.  Quantum Conundrum looks to be a must download when it releases later this month.

5.  Pikmin 3- Wii U
Miyamoto did confirm that Pikmin 3 would be at E3 this year, but most fans including myself needed to see it to believe it.  We were not disappointed as Pikmin 3 is among the best games announced for Wii U.  Pikmin is a real-time strategy game has you directing a horde of up to 100 Pikmin, little plant-like creatures that can be used to accomplish various tasks such as building a bridge, collecting resources or fighting off a dangerous enemy.  With the announcement of the new Rock Pikmin, the use of four leaders and the Wii MotionPlus enhanced controls, Pikmin 3 has the potential of being the best first-party offering for the Wii U come launch.

4.  Paper Mario: Sticker Star- 3DS
Paper Mario: Sticker Star was not even on my radar until I saw the demo Nintendo showed at their 3DS Showcase.  Every single action you do in Sticker Star from combat to solving puzzles involves using stickers.  For example, in order to use the classic jump and hammer attacks in battle you have to use the corresponding jump and hammer stickers or using a fan sticker to move a blade of a windmill from blocking a door needed to advance in the game.  It is an incredibly unique game mechanic that turns the typical Mario RPG on it's head.  Something I personally find completely reinvigorating and exciting and something that has made Paper Mario: Sticker Star a must-buy for my 3DS this holiday season.

3.  Splinter Cell: Blacklist- XB360, PS3, PC
The fruit of Ubisoft Toronto's labour came to light this past Monday with the official reveal of Splinter Cell: Blacklist at the Microsoft Press Conference.  The seven to eight minute demo was perfectly paced and revealed enough of the highly refined mechanics (both new and old) to get anybody excited.  I personally loved Splinter Cell: Conviction and firmly believe it is one of the reasons to have an Xbox 360.  Blacklist takes everything that made Splinter Cell great and cranked it up to 11.  The new Killing in Motion mechanic lets you put together incredible mark-and-execute chains that will make anybodies' jaw drop.  Along with the resources of Fourth Echelon and some pretty cool Kinect voice controls, Splinter Cell: Blacklist should be an excellent debut for Ubisoft's newest studio when it releases in the Spring of 2013.

2.  Rayman Legends- Wii U
While the sequel to Rayman Origins, one of the best 2D platformers on consoles today, has been known for a while now, it does not detract from the fact how awesome Rayman Legends is.  Exclusive to the Wii U, Rayman Legends looks to take the almost perfect platforming, 2D animation and humour and give it all a shot of adrenaline.  Easily the best demo of Ubisoft's impressive Press Conference, Rayman Legends looks to use the Wii U and it's Game Pad in some creative ways.  With the touch screen of the Wii U Game Pad, you can control Murfy, who can assist Rayman and friends by cutting ropes, moving platforms, stunning enemies and collecting Lums.  The demo was capped off with an incredible level that had Rayman quickly platforming through the level while Murfy was playing a little rhythm game on the Game Pad which would help clear obstacles for Rayman.  Rayman Legends had a truly amazing showing this year at E3 that has catapulted to the very top of games to buy when I pick up the Wii U this holiday season.

1.  Tomb Raider- XB360, PS3, PC
Step aside Nathan Drake as Lara Croft is back to take her crown.  One word sums up Crystal Dynamics re-imagining of the Tomb Raider series.  That word is mature.  No more complete disproportionate assets or one liner spewing stereotype of a character.  Lara Croft is a living breathing human being caught in one horrible situation and it is time for her to step up and become a hero.  It is a coming of age story that dives into the origin of this video game icon.  It is more visceral adventure than Tomb Raider fans are use to, but exactly what this series has needed.  The seamless transition from bow and arrow to shotgun to melee keeps the action moving and the use of the environment to get the jump on enemies is absolutely incredible.  Each time Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix show off this game, it keeps getting better and better.  March 5th, 2013 cannot come soon enough as Tomb Raider is my most anticipated game of 2013.

Bit by Bit: June 3-9

It has been one busy week.  So busy in fact that the last time I play a game was this past Sunday.  Have been so busy watching and following all of E3 2012 between work that I have had no time to play.  For this week's edition of Bit by Bit will be a round-up of a few things I want to highlight from this year's E3. If you think this post will be the end of my E3 coverage, I still have one more big post this weekend as I countdown my Top 5 or 10 (depends on how much I work this weekend and all the demos I can watch) Games of E3 2012 sometime this weekend.

Best Press Conference of E3
Out of all the conferences that happened this past Monday and Tuesday, one stood above them all.  That conference was the Ubisoft Press Conference.  While Microsoft was concerned about pushing entertainment apps and Sony wasted time with Wonderbook, Ubisoft got right down to what gamers wanted to see at E3, games.  We went from demo to demo to demo of an incredibly diverse catalog of games.  While there were some sour moments such as Just Dance 4, ShootMania and the awkward hosting, there was plenty of great moments to make you forget.  Far Cry 3 looked good, Assassin's Creed III was great and Rayman Legends was absolutely incredible, but there is one game that stole this conference and the show and was one of the few surprises at this year's E3.  This game was Watch Dogs. Using the city and it's technology as a weapon is one amazing and unique idea that stuck with gamers throughout all of E3.  It capped on a great conference that should go out of your way to watch.

Games to Watch
While I will be getting to the games that impressed me the most this weekend in my Top Games of E3 post, there were quite a few games that catch my eye, but not enough to make the list.  These are the games that many gamers should keep an eye on as they could surprise some.  Castlevania: Lords of Shadow- Mirrors of Fate looks like a mix of the best aspects of the Lords of Shadow game with the Metroidvania gameplay of other portable entries in the Castlevania series to great effect and you also get to play as Alucard, Dracula's son, along with Trevor and Simon Belmont.  Dishnonored, while not the best looking, does have a lot of potential considering the many ways you can fulfill objectives.  You can run-in head first, swords swinging, use stealth to infiltrate certain areas or even use your powers of possession to sneak into a facility unnoticed.  Those are two games that were interesting to me.  Some others people should check out are Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time, XCOM Enemy Unknown, Project P-100, ZombiU, Scribblenauts Unlimited and Unfinished Swan just to name a few.

Best Video of E3
Like I mentioned earlier, Watch Dogs stole the show this year at E3.  No game took gamers aback like Watch Dogs did with this impressive demo.  I would love to put it on my Top Games of E3, but one of rules is that the game has to available to played on the show floor.  Watch Dogs was only shown during Ubisoft's Press Conference so it does not qualify.  Even though it does qualify, I would like to highlight here in the Best Video of E3 as the demo showed off at the end of the Ubisoft conference was just incredible and something every hardcore gamer should at least watch once.  Enjoy.

E3 2012 Wrap-Up

The doors at the LA Convention Center closed for the final time on E3 2012.  Today marked the final day  of the video game industry's biggest show of the year.  Now it is a time for everybody to look back at the events of this week and in my case try and watch all the big demos between work, work and more work.  Right here, right now, I want to share some of my observations over what I have watched and followed these last four days.

At the end of the day, E3 2012 did not live up to all the hype, all the media coverage and all the anticipation.  It will not be a memorable event in the annals of video game history.  It was an event that emphasized a lot of the problems in this generation of consoles and showed that the video game industry needs an injection of creativity and fast.  My friend and coworker, who I chatted with throughout all the press conferences, summed up E3 2012 in one word, safe.  A lot of the big games highlighted at E3 2012 were either sequels and/or reboots of established franchises.  Some sequels such as Rayman Legends, Pikmin 3 and Tomb Raider are fine and reasonable, but sequels to God of War, Gears of War, Forza and Dead Space are all unneeded and cause for over saturation in the industry.  With the huge development costs this generation and the evident fear of failure in this industry, publishers and many developers have lost their edge and it was shown at this year's E3.  At the end of last generation, we got the some of the most original games of that generation such as God of War, Okami and Shadow of Colossus.  At the end of this generation, we are going to get an onslaught of sequels and more of the same.  The other big problem was the lack of focus from the console developers.  Microsoft and Sony were the main offenders, but Nintendo is also at fault, which pushed a stupid Nintendo Video series on their 3DS Showcase.  Gamers tune into E3 to see games, not applications and entertainment options.  The fact that I wasted two minutes of my life listening to a Microsoft exec talk about and demo that the 360's Bing Search can now search by genre is ridiculous and unacceptable.  Also the fact Sony did not mention the 25, yes I said 25, Vita games at their press conference to give more time to Wonderbook is beyond stupid and extremely infuriating.  Save this stuff for other venues or have a whole other conference dedicated to these options like Nintendo did for the 3DS.  Putting this stuff on these hugely important conference just causes things to drag and interest to plummet fast.  If Microsoft, Sony or Nintendo want to be the talk of E3, they need to focus on the games, both retail and downloadable.  My final problem with E3 2012 was the incredible lack of surprises.  Most games were either announced or leaked before the show, so there was rarely anything unexpected.  The only real surprises were Watch Dogs, which was amazing, and Nintendo Land, which was just okay at best.  While did cheer when Splinter Cell: Blacklist was revealed at the Microsoft Conference, we all knew it was coming at some point.  Video game developers and publishers need to learn that they need to guard these games close to their chest as the media today will snatch every rumour, every little slip up like vultures.  We need more than two surprises at E3 for this event to be worth remembering.

Overall, I will have to say E3 2012 was the most disappointing E3 in a while.  I am a little more underwhelmed this year than usual.  It is because other than a select handful of games, which I will be highlight in my Top 5 or 10 (still haven't decided) Games of E3, no other game got me excited to play it.  Nothing changed about a number of games I was already excited for like New Super Mario Bros. 2 and Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, my opinions fell on a few games that had weak showings this year such as Halo 4 and Resident Evil 6 and some even improved like Assassin's Creed III and The Last of Us.  Did I enjoy most of time following E3 this year?  Most certainly yes.  Did I expect more than we got?  Yes I did.

E3 2012: Nintendo E3 Press Conference Impressions

Monday was a big day filled to the brim of press conferences.  While Tuesday only has one press conference to speak of, it does mark the first day of show floor is open.  To start the day is Nintendo with their big E3 press conference.  As all eyes were on the Big N, it was their time to deliver and give gamers a reason to buy a Wii U over PS3 or Xbox 360.

The last few Nintendo Press Conferences have been pretty strong.  With the first big unveiling, you would think Nintendo would pull all the stops in order to steal all the thunder away from Microsoft and Sony once again.  Sadly this press conference did not live up the incredible expectations fans and the media put on it.  By all means, it was a decent conference on par with Sony's Press Conference and better than EA's and Microsoft's showings.  While the focus, other than one little segment, was on the Wii U, Nintendo did not do much to give a sole reason for gamers to pick up their newest console over the PS3 or Xbox 360, which will most likely seeing price drops to compete with the Wii U.  The show did start off strong with Mr. Miyamoto and the very first look at Pikmin 3.  Pikmin 3 looked great with all the new features like four new playable characters, a new class of Pikmin and the two different control styles.  The Pikmin 3 showcase was easily the best thing about Nintendo's Press Conference.  Reggie Fils-Aime followed Pikmin 3 by quickly summarizing features of the Wii U controller and the Miiverse, which both had in-depth showcases during the Nintendo Direct video from this past Sunday, before showing off New Super Mario Bros. U.  Super Mario Bros. U was very interesting with a few tidbits at the connection with Miiverse and the asynchronous gameplay use of the Wii U Gamepad like creating platforms that other players can use to get to unreachable areas.  Nintendo then introduced their renewed focus on third-party partnerships with two WB Games for Wii U, Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition and Scribblenauts Unlimited.  Batman: Arkham City did have some cool exclusive features for Wii, but the Scribblenauts Unlimited footage really took centre stage.  We got a set of trailers, one for Wii Fit U and another for a new music game called SiNG, which was one of the low points of the show.  Later in the show, we got some more third-party games now from Ubisoft.  The Just Dance 4 demo was horrid while the ZombiU had an interesting trailer to say the least.  That was followed by Lego City: Undercover, which looked like a very cool mix between the Lego franchise and the open world formula of a GTA, but a lot less violent and graphic.  We also got a quick little rundown of three first-party games for 3DS (New Super Mario Bros. 2, Papar Mario: Sticker Star and Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon) that could of easily been cut out of the conference to make room for more Wii U demos/reveals since there will be a hour long conference dedicated just to 3DS tomorrow evening.  Nintendo ended off the show with Nintendo Land, a virtual Nintendo theme park that integrates with Miiverse and has 12 mini-games based on Nintendo's biggest franchises.  Nintendo Land looks to do for Wii U what Wii Sports did for Wii.  It is meant to get gamers accustomed to the Wii U's new features and controller and would be a great game to pack-in with the Wii U, Nintendo.  The Nintendo Land demo was just okay, but in no way should it have been the final game Nintendo had to show off.  Nintendo needed to end their conference with a bang.  Be it a teaser of a new first-party game or a demo of whatever Retro Studios was rumoured to be working on.  It was a huge missed opportunity and made this conference come out a little flat when everything was said and done.

Overall, Nintendo's E3 Press Conference was an okay showing.  While it did fall flat with no real surprises, what Nintendo did offer was an enjoyable conference nonetheless.  Just Dance 4, SiNG, Wii Fit U and Zombie Reggie were the only real low points of this conference and they did not drag on longer than a minute or two.

Grade:  C+

E3 2012: Sony Press Conference Impressions

As the first day of E3 comes to a close, we saw Microsoft, EA and Ubisoft show their cards.  Some were more impressive than others, but ultimately today we saw what the future holds in gaming from the biggest publishers in the industry.  To close out day one is Sony to either end it with a bang or a whimper.  Surprisingly the result is somewhere in the middle.

The Sony Press Conference had a good starting and ending, but the middle dragged and bad.  The best thing about this year's press conference was that it was much better than last year's boring affair.  Sony gave a good amount of time to each demo, maybe too long for one in particular, and showcased some pretty solid games.  Much like Microsoft, Sony did jump from topic to topic with no sense of focus or direction and it ultimately hurt them and the conference in the end.  Some important topics such as meaningful additions to PlayStation Plus and pushing the PlayStation Vita as more than a port/sequel machine and game showings like The Last Guardian were no where to be found.  Sony's conference started out with the unveiling of Beyond: Two Souls, Quantic Dream's new IP.  It was a very interesting demo that showed off the game's very realistic graphics and gripping story, but like always I would have liked to see more gameplay.  As a first look of a game that will not come out until 2014, it was a good showing nonetheless.  That was followed by PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, Sony's Super Smash Bros. clone, now for both PS3 and Vita.  It was a boring demo that really showed nothing new about the game.  They did reveal two new characters for the game in Nathan Drake and the Big Daddy, but who cares unless they make Kevin Butler one of the fighters.  After that Jack Tretton ran through a bunch of stuff no one really cared about before going into more demos of Assassin's Creed III and Far Cry 3.  While they were new demos for each game, they did nothing to outshine the demos Ubisoft already showed off at their press conference.  Maybe manning a ship in Assassin's Creed III is neat, but the demo really did nothing to make it look that entertaining or interactive for a matter of fact and Far Cry 3's online co-op had some obvious problems with lag and loading textures.  Right in the middle of the show, Sony decided to shift gears and target the casual gamers with Wonderbook, a neat concept that Sony will never fully support in the long run.  They demoed the J.K. Rowling's Book of Spells for Wonderbook, which was absolutely terrible and soo long drawn out that I almost fell asleep due to boredom.  Also on top of that the PlayStation Move was so finicky and non-responsive that it made the demo even worse.  That was clearly the lowest this press conference could go as things got much better with a demo of God of War: Ascension, which is really more of the same God of War experience, but still good.  To end the conference, Sony went with The Last of Us.  While the demo was very impressive yet looked like it played a lot like Uncharted, I thought Sony would save at least one surprise for the very end.  After The Last of Us demo, which has got me a little more interested, the conference just seemed to end and it felt odd.

Overall, Sony's E3 2012 Press Conference was a decent event.  It had quite a few good moments, but nothing that surprised me and got me excited.  Beyond: Two Souls would have been a big surprise only if Sony kept their mouth shut and did not reveal that Quantic Dream was going to announce it at their conference.  The big dip in quality right in the middle along with the omissions of some big topics and The Last Guardian, which I now believe sadly will not see the light of day, hurt this conference more than Sony has actually realized.

Grade:  C+

E3 2012: Ubisoft Press Conference Impressions

E3 2012 is rolling, but other than a few announcements here and there nothing has truly stood out so far.  It is now Ubisoft's turn to impress the gaming public and put on a E3 Press Conference that does not elicit tons of jokes and disgraces like Mr. Caffeine.

Ubisoft has been notorious to have the most inconsistent press conferences in E3 history.  Going from super serious shooter like Ghost Recon right into the hilariously horrible laser tag ripoff or having James Cameron go on about Avatar for 40 minutes straight without any gameplay footage or screenshots to speak of.  It would usually end up being an incredible disaster or somehow luck out with the good far outweighing the oh so bad.  This year was different for Ubisoft.  Other than a few slip ups, which I will get to later, their conference was the best so far.  Most of the stuff that would weigh down past Ubisoft conferences were put in short montages or little clips on the big screen.  Ubisoft got to what gamers wanted, which was core games.  The first demo was Far Cry 3, which was fairly interesting and enjoyable.  It really showed off how Ubisoft was taking the definition of insanity, which was a huge focus of last year's E3 demo and making it into an entire plot point.  It was very interesting to say the least.  Next up was a trailer for Splinter Cell: Blacklist as the amazing gameplay demo was shown off at the Microsoft Press Conference.  While not as amazing as the actual gameplay demo, it was very good and kept things rolling at a good pace.  Then Ubisoft showed off a couple of their exclusives for the Wii U.  They showed a full-on gameplay demo of Rayman Legends, which I can proudly say is exclusive to Wii U.  It was the best demo of the conference as it showed off how Ubisoft is using the Wii U's unique controller to interact with the environment in real time.  My only question is how will somebody play Rayman Legends on their own?  During the stage demo had one person using the Wii U Gamepad and another using the Pro Controller.  While I do have some questions, the gameplay in that demo was just phenomenal.  Next up was the Assassin's Creed III demo, which surprisingly did not close out the show.  The demo really showcased how Ubisoft Montreal has really improved on every aspect of Assassin's Creed.  The combat flowed in a way it should have always been like, stealth and action seem to blend perfectly and the game overall looks to be much more fluid and fast-paced, which is a good thing.  To end the show, Ubisoft revealed a brand new game by the name of Watch Dogs.  You are a hacker in an endlessly interconnected city.  Everything is connected to a central computer and you are able to hack it to do whatever you want.  Search up information about anybody in the city, cause electronics to malfunction and eavesdropping on phone conversations is just a few examples of what you can do.  It looks like an incredibly interesting sci-fi world that I personally would love to explore in the near future.  Even with all the good, there was a few bad parts of the conference.  The Just Dance 4 opening concert with Flo Rida was completely unnecessary, the host was annoying beyond all reason and the ShootMania e-sport competition was soo bad that it almost derailed the entire press conference.

Overall, the Ubisoft E3 2012 Press Conference was the best press conference so far.  It had a few bad moments, but they made up for it with their great gameplay demos and reveals.  It was an entertaining one and a half hour conference that Sony and Nintendo have to strive to out do.

Grade:  B+

E3 2012: EA Press Conference Impressions

E3 2012 had a very bumpy start with a disappointing conference from Microsoft.  As the second conference of the big show, it was Electronic Arts turn to show us their next wave of big games releasing this Fall and early 2013.

Each year EA's Press Conference is one of the most focused out of the bunch.  They get straight to the point and they do not deviate.  This year much like the last two years before, EA showcased 10 games from 10 different developers under the EA banner.  They were all concise and to the point.  It made the conference go by fast and barely drag.  The only thing wrong with EA's conference was that nothing stood out.  No game they showcased really made an impact in my opinion.  It all kind of all blended together.  Dead Space 3 seemed to have an identity crisis as it was more third-person shooter than survival horror.  Madden NFL 13 and FIFA 13 were both a boring list of new features.  Star Wars: The Old Republic had some cool news such as going free-to-play up to level 15.  Medal of Honor: Warfighter was a decent demo of another generic FPS.  Battlefield 3's answer to Call of Duty Elite was revealed in Battlefield 3 Premium, which was less than impressive.  The only things I found really interesting was Need for Speed: Most Wanted demo, which proves why Criterion should only be working on the Need for Speed series and EA's new partnership with UFC (funny how Dana White jumps to the company he said he would never work with when THQ hits hard times).  Also Crysis 3 did have a good little demo to give a satisfying end to the conference.  I believe there were a few missed opportunities such as unveiling the first story-based DLC for Mass Effect 3, giving first gameplay of Overstrike or even unveiling whatever Respawn Entertainment is working on (Riccitiello pointed out both Zampella and West in the crowd, why not reveal something?).

Overall, EA's E3 2012 Press Conference was just okay.  All their games had a good showing and the focus, which Microsoft lacked, was definitely there, but not much that was shown stood out of the humongous crowd of shooters and sports games.

Grade:  C-

E3 2012: Microsoft Press Conference Impressions

Well the future of gaming is now.  The E3 press conferences are were all the big news happens.  Surprising new reveals, huge game demos, and a whole lot of hype.  That is what makes up these press conferences.  Following each press conference this year, I will be writing my impressions on each show.  The good, the bad and the absolutely ugly along with a final grade to wrap up each impression.  Let us start with the first conference of E3, the Microsoft Press Conference.

It is easy to sum up Microsoft's 2012 Press Conference in two words, inconsistent and disappointing.  In the last few years, Microsoft has fallen into a formula of sorts.  They would cram all the hardcore games in the first 30 minutes of the show then the rest of the show would be dedicated to either Kinect or other boring topics.  This year, Microsoft tried to mix things up interspersing hardcore games with casual Kinect games and new entertainment iniatives.  Instead of keeping things focused, it made the show feel all over the place and confusing.  Microsoft focused too much on the entertainment side of things rather than highlighting the reasons to own a Xbox over a PS3 or Wii U.  It came off extremely boring, uninteresting and completely unnecessary.  Microsoft could have easily did a video much like Nintendo's Pre E3 video last night and highlighted all this stuff.  Honestly I do not need or want to know that I can now search movies on my Xbox by genres.  Really?!  The SmartGlass presentation was interesting, but too long drawn out.  One of the main selling points for Internet Explorer working on Xbox when browsers have failed on other consoles is that you use your tablet and/or smartphone to control it, but that leaves one big question.  Why would I use Xbox's browser with my tablet and/or smartphone rather than just use the browser on my tablet and/or smartphone?  Answer that one, Microsoft.  The best part of Microsoft's conference were the game demos.  Splinter Cell: Blacklist and Tomb Raider stole the show while Halo 4 and Resident Evil 6 both had good showings.  I also enjoyed the little interlude for downloadable games.  While it was only a two to three minute montage of trailers, it was far more enjoyable than most of the conference.  To hit home how low this conference got was the final two acts.  To reveal Dance Central 3, Microsoft had Usher perform his new single, Scream live yet forgot to show off any real gameplay.  The final act at Microsoft's press conference went to Call of Duty: Black Ops II.  Not the reveal of the new Xbox, not a new Microsoft game, no Black Ops II.  It was disappointing and also showed how weak Microsoft's first-party development studios have become as they have to rely on a third-party developer to finish off their show.

Overall, Microsoft's E3 2012 Press Conference was a inconsistent mess that came off more of a disappointing whimper than a triumphant victory over the competition.  There are a couple of moments that were truly great, but they were crushed by all the crap that permeated this conference.  Microsoft has made it very easy for Nintendo and Sony to one up them this year.

Grade:  D+

Bit by Bit: May 27-June 2

Have to bless all the rain Cambridge got yesterday.  It gave me a lot of time to catch up on the gaming I have been sorrowfully lacking these last few weeks.  Come this Monday, Silver Bit along with yours truly goes into full-on E3 mode.  So this upcoming week should be extremely busy yet I cannot wait.

Game of the Week
Thanks to the rain yesterday, I got to play a gem of a downloadable game that I just have not had the time for.  Sat down for a good hour and a half, played and beat Journey.  It was an incredibly unique experience and unlike everything I have played before.  The controls are simple yet incredibly intuitive, the graphics and art are just beautiful, the music is beautiful and the puzzles, while simple, are very charming and engaging.  The premise is simple and to the point, get to the mountain's peak.  Journey is a very emotional adventure as you will feel everything from wonder and awe to fear and sadness.  It is an incredible game for the PSN and definitely worth its 15 dollar price point.  If you own a PS3, there is no excuse not to download Journey.

Most Anticipated Game of the Week
It is hard to say what I mostly anticipating this week.  Should I say Pikmin 2 for Wii, which comes out next Sunday or the reveal of the Wii U.  It is so hard just to choose one.  Considering I already highlighted Wii U in my E3 2012: Most Anticipated Games post, I will say Pikmin 2 for Wii.  One of my most naive decisions as a gamer was to never consider picking up Pikmin 1 & 2 for the Gamecube when they were readily available.  Now it is impossible to find them for a reasonable price these days.  Thankfully Nintendo is re-releasing Pikmin 2 as part of their New Play Control series of games and I am making sure that I pick it up this time around.  Hopefully Nintendo also restocks the New Play Control Pikmin for Wii as well so people like myself can complete their collection.

Video of the Week
We are mere days away until E3, but that does not mean game developers can't release their E3 trailers earlier.  There are some good trailers which you can already watch online like the Metal Gear Rising trailer or the Dishonored gameplay trailer.  The best E3 trailer so far goes to the newest trailer for Tomb Raider.  An incredible trailer that has gotten me excited to seeing it action this coming week.

E3 2012: Most Anticipated Games

E3 is home to the big reveals, huge surprises and incredible showcases of the biggest games of the 2012, 2013 and possibly 2014 and farther in the future.  Going into the big show, there is a good number of games and products that we know will be showcased.  This list of games contains the ones I am most looking forward to seeing in all the E3 coverage around the net and on TV.  A few are carryovers from my Most Anticipated Games of 2012 list from the beginning of the year along with some newly announced games that I am most looking forward to seeing more about.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow- Mirror of Fate
Just revealed in the newest edition of Nintendo Power, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow- Mirror of Fate is the first Castlevania game for the 3DS and serves as the bridge between Lords of Shadow and Lords of Shadow 2.  Mirror of Fate is a 2.5D sidescrolling adventure that is very similar to the other Metroidvania style handheld offerings like Dawn of Sorrow and Portrait of Ruin.  You begin the game as Trevor Belmont and in later stages of the game will be able to play as up to three other descendants of the Belmont clan including the iconic Simon Belmont.  From the screenshots I have seen and the cover story I read, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow- Mirror of Fate has quickly jumped up my list of anticipated games.  Really looking forward to see the game in motion at E3 next week.

Fire Emblem: Awakening
Another 3DS game highly anticipated by yours truly.  The newest Fire Emblem has been doing well in Japan since its release earlier in the year yet nothing has been said about a North American release.  E3 seems like a perfect time for Nintendo to announce the newest installment in this incredible strategy game series is coming to our shores complete with accompanying DLC.

Resident Evil 6
Ever since Capcom announced Resident Evil 6 way back in January, I have been hanging on every little thing Capcom drops on the game.  Apart from the trailers and screenshots, nothing else has been showed on the next game in this classic survival horror franchise.  Resident Evil 6 looks to blend the tension-filled atmosphere of the original Resident Evil games with the high-octane action of later installments in the series.  Being Capcom's biggest game of 2012, there should be no doubt that we should see at least one or two demos of the game being showed off next week along with another excellent trailer to boot.

Tomb Raider
Tomb Raider was easily one of my most anticipated games of 2012 until it got delayed until March 2013.  Even though I am a little sad, it means more time for the Crystal Dynamics to make the best Tomb Raider game of all-time.  More visceral, more gritty and more mature than all the other installments in the Tomb Raider franchise, Tomb Raider serves as Lara Croft's origin story.  The E3 2012 trailer was released earlier today and it is just incredible.  If this trailer is a sign of the things to come this year at E3, Tomb Raider should definitely impress.

Wii U
I have stated this fact many times before and I will state it once again.  I am a huge Nintendo fan and the one thing I have been patiently waiting to hear and see more of is the Wii U.  First shown of last year at E3 to some confusion, this year is the full unveiling of Nintendo's next generation console.  The uses of the controller, the final specs of the console, the first-party games, the third-party support and the plan for online are among few of the topics that will definitely be addressed this coming Tuesday.  My anticipation for Wii U has been building for a year now as I have patiently waited for this year's Nintendo Press Conference.  Tuesday honestly could not come any sooner.  It should be incredible.