Hump Day Music: Mass Effect Theme

It has been a couple of weeks since we had a new edition of Hump Day Music.  With the launch of the PlayStation Vita, the last two Wednesdays were dedicated to previewing the most interesting games in the Vita's launch line-up from both first and third-party developers than getting over the hump with some video game music.  Hump Day Music came at the right time as it is almost the day I have been waiting months for, Mass Effect 3 launch day.  I will fully explain my love for the series next week, which I have deemed Mass Effect week here on Silver Bit, but to keep things short for right now Mass Effect is my Star Wars in a way.  To get everybody ready for all the Mass Effect loving that will be going on next week with the Mass Effect Theme.

Not as synonymous as the Legend of Zelda Theme or the Super Mario Bros. Theme or even the Halo Theme, the Main Theme music for Mass Effect is just as great.  Those who have played either games in the series will immediately recognize it and the subtle more ambient tone of the piece.  My favourite part of the piece starts at the 20 second mark as things start the ramp up.  The electronic vibration sound just starts to get louder and louder and more lively until the boom of the percussion where all the other instruments come and the piece really comes alive.  It is a great piece of music that I did not fully respect until I heard it played by the Video Games Live orchestra.  It is at least worth a listen considering Mass Effect 3 is less than a week away.

Launch Station: SSX

Well it is the calm before the storm.  This week has quite a few big releases such as Binary Domain, Mortal Kombat Komplete Edition and the game featured in this Launch Station, SSX, but next Tuesday will be insane.  We got Mass Effect 3, Street Fighter X Tekken, MLB 2K12, MLB 12: The Show, Unit 13 for PSV and few more that I can't remember at the moment.  Next Tuesday will see the release of close to ten games.  Gamers better get ready March 6th, 2012 will be a day to remember.  We are still a week away so let us stay in the here and now and take a look at the high-anticipated return of SSX.

It has been close to five years since SSX has graced a video game console.  Originally EA introduced SSX's first foray into the current-gen consoles as the gritty looking SSX: Deadly Descents (or SSX: Black Ops as fans named it).  After a lot of backlash from fans, EA changed the name to simply SSX and got rid of the dark grittier direction in favour of a lighter tone more in line with past entries of the SSX series.  For returning fans, the gameplay is the same as previous entries in the series.  Take control of one of many snowboarders as you snowboard down a mountain successfully preforming tricks, which builds build your Tricky meter that allows you to perform more intricate tricks, that all builds your score and earns you more money to buy gear and other characters.  For the new SSX, EA Canada has pulled all the stops as they have used geotagging data from NASA to create 27 realistic mountains and 9 realistic peaks from the Canadian Rockies to the Himalayans for the game.  SSX offers a rather simple single player mode as you take the role of a member on Team SSX having to compete in snowboard events in order to earn respect and money for your team.  The Deadly Descents that were mentioned in the original subtitle for SSX are actually in the game.  These Deadly Descents serve as boss battles testing your different snowboarding abilities.  For those not into snowboarding solo, you can play SSX online or asynchronously with friends through SSX's version of Need for Speed's Autolog called RiderNet.  Much like in the recent Need for Speed games, when you post a high score or any other achievement in the game it is sent to all your friends as a challenge.  If they beat your high score, you are sent challenges from them, but if they do not, you will receive money to be used on unlockables for your game.

Being a fan of SSX 3 from the last generation of consoles, I have been looking forward to SSX since EA showed off the new lighter tone back at last year's E3.  After playing the demo, I am very much excited to play SSX as it looks like the series has not skipped a beat since it last showed up on home consoles.  The snowboarding is smooth, the tricks are easy to pull of, the animation is fluid and overall it looks to be one fun ride.  For those who have waited to get there hands on a new SSX game for a long time or fans of sports games in general, SSX looks to be the game for you.  For everybody else, download the demo and see what you think.  You might be surprised how SSX's cartoony graphics and polished gameplay pulls you in.

Off the Newsstand: Game Informer Issue 227

Between all the games coming out, the Vita launch, the normal weekly posts like On the Download and Bit by Bit and reviews, there has not been many times when yours truly has time to give his insight on the magazines he is reading.  Since the last Off the Newsstand, I have read issue 235 of Electronic Gaming Monthly (the only supposedly monthly magazine that is bi-monthly) and issue 226 of Game Informer.  So I have been busily reading away don't you worry.

While the last Game Informer I analyzed on Off the Newsstand I did not think highly of, Game Informer bounced back with a surprisingly pleasing February issue that had XCOM: Enemy Unknown as the cover story.  So I was interested to see if the March issue would be just as pleasing when I heard that Naughty Dog's newest IP, The Last of Us would be gracing the cover.  Other than the interesting VGA trailer, Naughty Dog has been tight-lipped on The Last of Us.  I thought this cover story would do what the VGA trailer failed to do, get me at least interested in The Last of Us.  Long story short, Game Informer's cover story failed.  Do not get me wrong if you love anything Naughty Dog touches or are already excited for The Last of Us, this cover story will wet your appetite for a bit.  If you did not care beforehand, this cover story will not give you anything to get excited for.  I was more interested in the sidebar about how Naughty Dog was so close to working on a new Jak & Daxter before The Last of Us or the fact that after Uncharted 2, Naughty Dog split into two separate teams (the Uncharted team and the now Last of Us team) than anything about The Last of Us.  I learned more about Darksiders II's gameplay, mechanics and other features in Game Informer's four-page preview than I did about The Last of Us in the ten-page cover story. At least The Last of Us cover story was better than the South Park RPG cover story.  While The Last of Us cover story might have been a little lacklustre, there were plenty of great articles in this issue of Game Informer from the article on the Interactive Achievement Awards (an awards show that actually honours video games unlike a specific Spike-produced awards show) to the return of My First Game this time with Naughty Dog co-founder Evan Wells.

Overall, the March issue of Game Informer is more or less your average issue.  Much like the January issue, the cover story brought could have been a stellar issue down a notch.  Those interested in The Last of Us, this issue is six dollars well spent.  For those not interested, this issue will not convert you into a Last of Us fan, but does warrant at least a read either by signing out of from your local library or reading it at your local Chapters.

Bit by Bit: February 19-25

From playing games to writing this blog to work to hanging with friends off for Reading Week, it was truly a busy week.  If you missed out on all the posts this week, there is a lot of content for you to check out.  The final edition of Vita Wednesday, two Launch Stations (one for Asura's Wrath, one for Syndicate), On the Download and my review of Run Roo Run for iOS.  Also if you didn't notice, I finally figured out how to put up a Like Box for Silver Bit's fan page on Facebook.  So please like the fan page, it will make it easier to find out when I put up each post.  For those who don't like using Facebook, you can follow me on Twitter at @AJSilver22.

Game of the Week
I would love to say the Mass Effect 3 Demo because I have been playing a whole lot of the multiplayer and loving it, but I want to save my opinions on the demo until sometime this following week when I put up my demo impressions.  So my Game of the Week goes to Valkryia Chronicles for the PS3.  Ever since it released, I heard good things from this mix of turn-based strategy and real-time combat and I wanted to get a PS3 just to play it.  Finally I found it for 20 dollars over at Microplay and I could not just miss out on this great opportunity to pick it up.  It has a slow start and having to individually select each scene to play out is a little annoying, but once I started playing the missions I was entranced.  Valkryia Chronicles reminds a lot of Fire Emblem in the way each mission plays out like a chess match between two commanders.  Also Valkryia Chronicles has a way of wrapping me into the story and world, like Fire Emblem does, to the point that I can waste most of my afternoon and not even notice it until I put down the controller.  If you ever find a copy of this game sitting on a store shelf, do not hesitate to pick it up.  Great gameplay, great story and I only just started.  I cannot wait to see where this game takes me each and every playthrough.

Most Anticipated Game of the Week
So many great announcements this week.  The Last Story is coming to North America this summer, Mario Tennis Open for the 3DS will land on store shelves this coming May and Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II gameplay trailer was released (if you haven't checked it out yet, do so after reading Bit by Bit).  It is so hard to choose just one game, but I have to.  So my Most Anticipated Game of the Week is The Last Story.  From the mind Hironobu Sakaguchi and his team at Mistwalker, The Last Story is an action RPG for the Wii with a lot of promise.  With Xenoblade Chronicles and The Last Story finally coming to North America this year, all those hardcore Wii owners better put their money where their mouth is and show their support.  I have Xenoblade Chronicles pre-ordered and The Last Story will be soon enough.

Video of the Week
If you do not know by now, I love Mass Effect.  I cannot wait until Mass Effect 3 comes out in about a week.  All I will say about this video is epic CG goodness.  I am pumped as ever to Take Back Earth!

Run Roo Run Review

In the annals of portable gaming, 5th Cell has made a name for themselves for their innovative creations like Drawn to Life and Scribblenauts.  As time has gone on, the team at 5th Cell has looked to expand their horizon to the iOS platform.  Their first game made for just for iOS, Run Roo Run captures the creative, simplistic yet extremely satisfying nature of their previous games for other platforms.

In Run Roo Run, you play as a kangaroo by the name of Roo.  Roo is on a trek across Australia from Perth to Sydney in order to her kidnapped joey.  Each level in Run Roo Run is one screen long.  Before you roll your eyes, each level will put your hand-eye coordination and problem-solving skills to the test as you try to get Roo to the checkered flag at the opposite end of the screen without hitting any of the obstacles in your way.  In the entire game, there are 420 levels broken up into 20 destinations between Perth and Sydney.  Each destination includes 15 normal levels and 6 extreme levels.  Also each destination adds a new mechanic to the game that changes how Roo traverses each level.

Run Roo Run is an extremely simple game.  There is only one way to control Roo that is by touching the screen to make Roo jump.  The game’s difficulty comes from timing Roo’s jumps in order to make it to the end of the level unscathed.  Run Roo Run’s simplistic one-touch controls make this iOS game approachable anybody no matter their age or skill.   Among Run Roo Run’s strengths is the amount of content you get for the dollar or two you pay for the game.  You get the 420 main levels and on top of that, every week since the games’ release 5th Cell has been adding 10 new levels for those of us that crave more Run Roo Run.  Run Roo Run also has a very charming 2D art style that complements the simplistic gameplay and plot.  The music is good too, but loops far too often that it more grating than memorable.

The extreme levels in Run Roo Run are extreme in every sense of the word as they will take plenty of tries to find the correct way of completing them.  While most of the extreme levels offer a fair challenge that is satisfying upon completion, there are a few where the difficulty spikes to the point that it is more frustrating than satisfying.  Completing these levels relies more on luck rather than actual skill and timing your jumps.  Other than that big problem, there are a couple little annoyances in the game such as the items in the game being mostly useless and having to watch the opening cutscene every time you start the game, but they do not detract much from this already great game.

With charming graphics, simplistic yet intuitive controls, satisfying gameplay and a plethora of great levels, Run Roo Run is one of the best games you can download from the App Store.  While the difficulty spikes might make some turn off their iDevice in frustration, it is a game that gamers hardcore or casual, young or old can pick up and play.  Sadly Run Roo Run is not a universal app, but one dollar for the iPhone version or two dollars for the iPad version (I have it for my iPad) is a steal considering all the content and great gameplay you get with this amazing app.

On the Download: February 19-25

We are only two months into 2012 and the games are just coming at both retail and in the downloadable space.  It is truly incredible and there are more coming very soon.  As I eagerly wait for more 3DS Virtual Console games and Mass Effect: Infiltrator, more downloadable games have just been announced.  Nintendo just announced that Game Gear games are coming to the 3DS Virtual Console in the coming months, Sega just released the first gameplay trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II and also announced Dreamcast classic Jet Set Radio for XBLA and PSN.  While last week's edition of On the Download was full, not so much this week, but there are two big games to talk about.  So let us get going.

As the second game in Microsoft's XBLA House Party, Alan Wake's American Nightmare looks to bring in fans of the original 2010 Xbox 360 release.  Before you start thinking that American Nightmare is basically Alan Wake 2, it is not.  American Nightmare is it's own independent story set in the Alan Wake universe.  Our titular character, Alan Wake is trapped in an episode of Night Springs that he wrote.  Alan must figure out what in this world is reality and what is fiction while fighting against the forces of the dark and searching for his evil doppelganger, Mr. Scratch.  Other than the story, not much has been changed with the gameplay for American Nightmare.  American Nightmare also includes a multiplayer mode called Fight Till Dawn, which is a wave defense mode much like Gears of War's Horde mode where you have to survive 10 minutes fighting off waves of enemies.  For those interested in Alan Wake's American Nightmare, you can pick it up for 1200 Microsoft Points.

After the critical success of Pushmo and Sakura Samurai, many are looking to Dillion's Rolling Western, Nintendo's newest 3DS download, to keep the Big N on a roll.  Part action-adventure, part tower defense, you play as the Dillion, a mysterious armadillo ranger, who must defend frontier villages from ferocious rock monsters known as Grocks, who look to feed on the livestock of each village.  Dillion can attack the Grocks by rolling into them, but sometimes the Grocks widely outnumber this one armadillo.  So to even the odds, the villagers have made towers to help Dillion out.  To stop stronger Grocks, Dillion must collect materials by exploring the land and defeating Grocks in order to upgrade the towers. From the sound of things, Dillion's Rolling Western looks to be another unique game from Nintendo available only on the Nintendo eShop for 10 dollars.

Vita Wednesday: Third-Party Launch Titles

Welcome the second and final Vita Wednesday.  Last week, we took a look at Sony's three biggest offerings for their new handheld.  This week we are taking a look at the three biggest offerings from the third party publishers like Ubisoft, Capcom and EA.  If you look at the majority of the games launching with the Vita from third-party publishers land in one of two categories.  They are either a port of a recently released console game or a portable entry of an existing franchise that does not do much to make itself stand out from other entries in the series much like Dynasty Warriors Next and Touch My Katamari.  While I personally wanted to stay away from highlighting one of these two categories in this Vita Wednesday post, I will have to due to the lack of anything relatively new released at launch for the Vita.

Just as Street Fighter launched with the Nintendo 3DS, another Capcom fighter launches with the PlayStation Vita.  This time around Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 gets the portable treatment.  As the definitive version of Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 includes 12 new characters, new modes, new stages, re-balanced gameplay and a more robust online mode.  Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 for the Vita has all the modes and features that the console game has with one new mode exclusive to the Vita.  This mode is Touch Mode.  In Touch Mode, you control your fighter through tapping and swiping the touch screen.  If you are looking for a great fighting game for your Vita, no doubt Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is your game.

From the ever-creative mind of Michel Ancel, Rayman Origins landed on consoles with not much of a splash.  Released in the middle of the insane holiday season, this great platformer was fed to the dogs as juggernauts like Modern Warfare 3, Skyrim and Assassin's Creed dominated the last quarter of 2011.  Sad considering Rayman Origins is in my opinion much better game than those just listed.  If you missed out on Rayman Origins back during the holidays, Ubisoft has brought the lovably limbless hero to the launch of the PS Vita.  This Vita version of Rayman Origins has all the features of its big console brother with a few additions exclusive to Sony's next generation handheld.  Rayman Origins for the Vita has a Ghost Mode, which uses the Vita's Near functionality to receive ghost data from friends and race them in game.  Also Rayman Origins for the Vita features touch controls for the game.  With Rayman Origins coming to a handheld near you, it would be foolish to miss out on this excellent platformer yet again.

At the launch of the PSP, there was one game that caught the eyes and ears of all who played it.  It proved to many the potential of the PSP and quickly became it's killer app.  This game was called Lumines, a puzzle game similar to Tetris that perfectly blended music and rhythm with addictive block-dropping action.  Seven years later, Lumines graces the launch of the Sony's newest handheld with Lumines: Electronic Symphony.  Playing with the title, Electronic Symphony features a soundtrack filled with great electronic music.  Electronic Symphony is more focused on straight arcade puzzle action as you vie for the high score and then upload to online leaderboards.  New to Lumines, Electronic Symphony includes avatars that can gain experience, level up and has abilities that can be used to improve your score.   If you are looking to play with others, Electronic Symphony has online multiplayer.  Like every Vita game, Electronic Symphony has touch controls that can be used instead of the d-pad and face buttons.  For all the puzzle game fans out there, Lumines: Electronic Symphony is a game you should not miss if you pick up a Vita.