CAG Foreplay #37: Needs More Zombies (3/20/08)

CAG's shipwreck & mrs. shipwreck preview the new releases for the week of March 19th, 2008. This week's offerings will have you hunting more terrorists in Vegas, playing leisurely sports with cartoony characters, reminiscing with Solid Snake, and singing songs poorly in front of friends and family.

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Multi-Platform

Sega Superstars Tennis Dev. Sumo Digital Pub. Sega Systems: DS, PS2, Wii, 360, PS3 MSRP: $29.99-$49.99
Coming off their recent Olympic success, sixteen of Sega's franchise characters decide to broaden their athletic pursuits and prove that Mario and friends aren't the only ones that enjoy leisurely sporting activities. The characters willing to cash in include Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, NiGHTS, Ulala, AiAi, Beat, and that monkey from Samba de Amigo. So it's pretty much exactly what you would think it would be: a simplified Virtua Tennis with themed courts and player specific special shots. And much like the training games in Virtua Tennis, there are several mini-games that help you unlock additional characters and content, and with my penchant for zombies (fat zombies, of course), the House of the Dead mini game that has you smacking tennis balls at waves of the undead intrigues me greatly. Overall, the game probably skews a little young, but if you grew up on Sega consoles like I did, this is fan service that surely won't fault. - ship

Best Deal:
Circuit City is offering a free tennis racquet attachment for your Wiimote with the purchase of the Wii version of Sega Superstars Tennis. Fry's is offering the Wii, 360, and PS3 versions for $45 each.

Purchase At Amazon $49.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $48.07 (99 cent shipping)
Purchase At Fry's $44.99
Purchase At Amazon $29.95 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $28.84 (99 cent shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $39.95 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $38.46 (99 cent shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $49.95 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $48.07 (99 cent shipping)
Purchase At Fry's $44.99
Purchase At Amazon $49.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $48.01 (99 cent shipping)
Purchase At Fry's $44.99
Purchase At Circuit City $49.99 (Free Wiimote tennis raquet accessory with purchase)


Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2 Dev. Ubi Soft Montreal Pub. Ubi Soft Systems: 360, PS3 MSRP: $59.99, $69.99
Rainbow Six stays in Vegas as the direct sequel to the popular first-person tactical shooter doesn't stray too far from the original. The game now features a more robust leveling-up system that not only tracks your kills for experience points, but also factors in how you go about getting those kills. This leads to unlocking items for your custom character that you might actually find beneficial to your style of play. Also featured this time around is a jump-in/jump-out two player co-op mode that allows players to tackle the full campaign with a buddy without any unneccessary hassle. And off course, all the great multiplayer modes are back so there will be plenty of terrorists to hunt, but a couple new modes have been added to go along with the new weapons, gear, and maps. Nothing about Vegas 2 is going to change your opinion of the series, but if you enjoyed the last game and are simply looking for a more refined way to shoot bad guys in the face, this is a no brainer. - ship

Best Deal:
A lot of stores want your Rainbow Six Vegas 2 business this week. Best Buy is offering a code to unlock an exclusive in-game assault rifle. Circuit City is giving away a "gamer's energy kit" and fuzzy dice with your purchase. Buy.com is offering the standard versions for $54 shipped and the "Limited Editions" for $65 shipped. Target is offering a free $10 gift card with your in-store purchase. And best of all, if you have a Fry's nearby, they are offering the 360 version for $40!

Purchase At Amazon $59.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $57.68 (99 cent shipping)
Purchase At Best Buy $59.99 (Free code for exclusive in-game assault rifle)
Purchase At Circuit City $59.99 (Free gamer's energy kit and fuzzy dice)
Purchase At Buy.com $53.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Target $59.99 (Free $10 gift card with purchase)
Purchase At Fry's $39.99
Purchase At Amazon $59.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $57.68 (99 cent shipping)
Purchase At Best Buy $59.99 (Free code for exclusive in-game assault rifle)
Purchase At Circuit City $59.99 (Free gamer's energy kit and fuzzy dice)
Purchase At Buy.com $53.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Target $59.99 (Free $10 gift card with purchase)
Purchase At Amazon $69.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Best Buy $69.99 (Free code for exclusive in-game assault rifle)
Purchase At Circuit City $69.99 (Free gamer's energy kit and fuzzy dice)
Purchase At Buy.com $64.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $69.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Best Buy $69.99 (Free code for exclusive in-game assault rifle)
Purchase At Circuit City $69.99 (Free code for exclusive in-game assault rifle)
Purchase At Buy.com $64.99 (Free shipping)


Wii

Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 Dev. Konami Pub. Konami Systems: Wii MSRP: $39.99
(Deja Preview) The premier footy franchise hasn’t really changed up the formula this year, but the graphics are slightly improved (still not spectacular) and the AI has been tweaked. The computer now does a better job of adjusting to your tendencies, so if you do indeed have tendencies, watch out! (Attention moms, we are now halfway through this preview so feel free to pass out the orange slices and Capri-Suns.) As always, the game is fully customizable so you can edit in your favorite players, like Senor Slidetackle, Goalie McGoalieguy, or even Jonathon Brandis of Ladybugs fame. I’d suggest avoiding the DS version though, as even JB can’t save that one from getting pummeled by the critics (this is the pre-Sidekicks JB after all). - ship

The Wii version actually has a pretty unique control system where you control your player with the nunchuk and point and drag where you want a teammate to make a run with the Wiimote. Once you get used to it, it's supposed to be a pretty fun way to play. - ship

Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Pro Evolution Soccer 2008.

Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $38.46 (99 cent shipping)


Worms: A Space Oddity Dev. Team 17 Software Pub. THQ Systems: Wii MSRP: $49.99
A 2D turn-based strategic take on how the battles of worms would play out if they were fighting in outer space. For instance, weapons like exploding sheep would obviously not make a lick of sense in space combat, so in come... try to follow me here... exploding robo-sheep. I know it's a bit of a stretch, as is the $50 price point, but they've somehow also added gesture controls to Worms. The odd thing they failed to add is online play. That's right, the $10 version of Worms on XBLA gets you four players battling it out online. Five times that price gets you and your friends waggling your worms on the same couch. Those better be some amazing robo-sheep. - ship

Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Worms: A Space Oddity.

Purchase At Amazon $49.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Deep Discount $48.99 (Free shipping)


WWII Aces Dev. Arcade Moon Pub. Destineer Systems: Wii MSRP: $39.99
WWII Aces, which I can only imagine is supposed to be pronounced "WaWii Aces", is a flight combat game that is not even as good as that pun. And that's a freakin' terrible pun. Not in the it's "so bad it's good" sort of way either, it's just terrible. If you don't believe me, invite a friend over to play some of the split-screen co-op and you can hear it straight from his/her mouth. Ill-fated Wii controls, poor graphics, boring and repetitive missions - this one is going down in a blaze of glory. And not in the "so bad it's good" Bon Jovi way either. - ship

Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for WWII Aces.

Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free shipping)


DS

Championship Pony Dev. Coyote Pub. Destination Software Systems: DS MSRP: $14.99
Nuture, train, and make your pony pretty as you compete in three day events including "Cross Country", "Show Jumping", and "Dressage". If you do well enough, you earn money to buy more ponies, since your first pony is obviously not good enough to win championships and keep you happy. Poor first pony, I feel so sad for her; all she wanted was to be loved. Could you at least bring her of the barn for some zany mini-games from time to time? - ship

Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Championship Pony.

Purchase At Amazon $14.99 (Free shipping on orders over $25)
Purchase At Deep Discount $13.99 (Free shipping)


Diary Girl Dev. Pub. Konami Systems: DS MSRP: $29.99
Instead of purchasing a third-party personal organizer for your tween, why not turn the DS they already own into one? That's the idea behind this colorful DS title that offers and electric journal, horoscopes, calendar, to-do list, and, of course, mini-games. - mrs. ship

Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Diary Girl.

Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $27.64 (99 cent shipping)


Fantasy Aquarium Dev. Pub. Bold Games Systems: DS MSRP: $19.99
For the fish lover on the go comes the new DS title Fantasy Aquarium. The fantasy part is that you can select sharks, whales, and dolphins as part of your aquarium. Game play involves customizing the environment down to the last plastic plant, and taking care of the necessary maintenance "fun" that comes with owning a tank. Gamers must feed their fish, test the salinity of the water, and monitor water temperature. Two weeks into Nintendogs, my puppy had run away, so I'm looking forward to a really nice cutscene of my fish floating belly-up. - mrs. ship

Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Fantasy Aquarium.

Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free shipping on orders over $25)


Go Pets: Vacation Island Dev. 1st Playable Productions Pub. Konami Systems: DS MSRP: $29.99
This action-adventure title with the kid-friendly cover is a Animal Crossing and pet simulation hybrid. Gamers raise their cats and dogs, dress them, and interact with other pets online. The graphics, while colorful and slightly trippy, aren't that good. It's definitely not worth the $30 that Konami is charging for it. - mrs. ship

Best Deal:
Amazon is offering Go Pets: Vacation Island for $10 off the regular $29.99 price.

Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free shipping)


Homie Rollerz Dev. Webfoot Technologies Pub. Destineer Systems: DS MSRP: $29.99
(Deja Preview) Another DS title featuring a message: even stereotype-laden capsule-machine toys should aspire to have their own video game. If Bratz can pull it off, why can't the Homies? Homies, for those of you not familiar, are small Mexican-American figures created by David Gonzales and sold in those little machines outside of supermarkets. They can now be found in Destineer's quirky new DS kart racer. The game itself features ten Homies, including a talking chili pepper and one who drives a motorized wheelchair instead of a traditional vehicle. The cars (or wheelchair) can be pimped out with different weapons, and each character has his or her unique storyline. The goal is to earn RESPECT with every win. One question: does Destineer have a lawyer that thought this was a good idea? - mrs. ship

Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Homie Rollerz.

Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Deep Discount $28.99 (Free shipping)


Lost in Blue 3 Dev. Konami Pub. Konami Systems: DS MSRP: $29.99
I have to admit, I missed out on the first Lost in Blue and never got into the series after that. These survival adventure games revolve around being stuck on a deserted island and having to hunt and forage to stay alive. The third installment of the series is the most cartoon-based as far as animations go; even cut scenes, though well-done, are cartoony. The gameplay hasn't changed a bit since the first title, and even Nintendo Power gave this game a mediocre review score (5.5/10). This should be MOTS for franchise-lovers, but for the rest of us it seems more like a strain to play. - mrs. ship

Best Deal:
Family Video is offering Lost in Blue 3 for around $28 shipped.

Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $27.64 (99 cent shipping)


PS3

Condemned 2: Bloodshot Dev. Monolith Productions Pub. Sega Systems: PS3 MSRP: $59.99
(Deja Preview) The disturbing, first-person hobo bludgeoner is back and more fleshed out this time around. The locales are more varied, the crime scene investigations are more in depth, and the items you can beat people with approach Dead Rising levels of wackiness (albeit a much more sadistic form of wackiness). Unlike the first game though, Bloodshot offers a greater mix of gunplay to go with the unsettling atmosphere, so expect to actually find weapons with more than a Barney Fife level of ammo allowance. All in all, if you’ve got the stomach for this type of game, it seems to be an excellent horror game that improves on all facets of its predecessor. And if you’ve got the stomach for mediocre multiplayer, well have fun swinging blunt objects at your fellow iron-gutted friends online. - ship

Best Deal:

Purchase At Amazon $59.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $57.68 (99 cent shipping)
Purchase At EB Games $59.99 (Free Multiplayer Strategy Guide)


Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds Dev. Clap Hanz Pub. Sony Systems: PS3 MSRP: $59.99
I love golf games, and everything fun about playing them is condensed into the Hot Shots Golf franchise. The graphics are improved, as we would expect them to be. The standard triple-click meter is present and accounted for, but there's also a new Advanced Shot mechanic that forces you to read your character's movements while swinging. It sounds similar to the hand-motions of the dancing ladies in Sid Meier's Pirates!. The gameplay overall is easily learned. The characters are leveled-up throughout the game using loyalty that you earn after playing with them. Overall, the game has gotten great reviews. The one downside is the lack of character customization and voice chat during online multiplay. The new courses look amazing, and the biggest new feature is the online game play: up to 8 players in a single game or up to 50 players in a tournament! I smell a CAG Classic coming on! - mrs. ship

Best Deal:
Circuit City and Fry's are offering Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds for $49.99.

Purchase At Amazon $59.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $57.68 (99 cent shipping)
Purchase At Circuit City $49.99
Purchase At Fry's $49.99


Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore Bundle Dev. Blitz Games Pub. Konami Systems: PS3 MSRP: $69.99
(Deja Preview) Alright! Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" is definitely in this game. Do you really need to know anything else? Seriously, even if the whole 40 song soundtrack was just that song over and over, wouldn't that be enough? You and seven of your friends competing to see who could out Celine each other will be enchanting... near, far, wherever you are. - ship

Best Deal:
Family Video is offering Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore Bundle for $66 shipped.

Purchase At Amazon $69.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $64.89 (99 cent shipping)


PS2

Metal Gear Solid: The Essential Collection Dev. Konami Pub. Konami Systems: PS2 MSRP: $29.99
Essentially a collection of Metal Gear Solid 1, 2, and 3, Metal Gear Solid: The Essential Collection collects what are considered essential prerequisites for the upcoming Metal Gear Solid 4. So, in case that isn't clear, you'll get the original PlayStation version of Metal Gear Solid, the Substance version of Sons of Liberty, and the Subsistence version of Snake Eater. Not a bad deal at all for $30 when you consider the prices that Substance and Subsistence fetch on their own. - ship

Best Deal:
Family Video is offering Metal Gear Solid: The Essential Collection for around $28 shipped.

Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $27.64 (99 cent shipping)


Samurai Warriors 2: Xtreme Legends Dev. Omega Force Pub. Koei Systems: PS2 MSRP: $29.99
To the extreme and rocking the mic like a vandal, the third Samurai Warriors 2 iteration to be released within the last 18 months adds new playable characters, new weapons, an additional level, and a new "Mercenary Mode". Chances are that if you've bought this game twice already, you're probably going to buy it thrice. (Chances are you would also be CAG's resident expert on all things Koei, Rei no Otaku.) If you're not him, maybe you should consult him to see whether now is the time to plow through throngs of hapless, shuffling guys futilely holding weapons or whether it is wiser to wait another six months for Samurai Warriors 2: Flavor Blasted Fighters to hit store shelves. Hey, if they came out with Samurai Warriors 2: Xplosive Pizza, even I might have to bite. - ship

Best Deal:
Family Video is offering Samurai Warriors 2: Xtreme Legends for around $28 shipped.

Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $27.64 (99 cent shipping)


SingStar 90's Dev. SCE London Pub. Sony Systems: PS2 MSRP: $29.99
Singstar 90's offers nothing new when compared to the previous four Singstar titles, so all you really need to know about this karaoke title is the song-list. Wow, it's a varied one. From Nirvana to Paula Abdul to MC Hammer to New Kids on the Block to R.E.M., the nineties were full music that gets stuck in your head for days. Interestingly enough, Billy Ray Cyrus and Lisa Loeb are featured on the International track list but not on the American one. Sad. If you still remember all the words to Ice Ice Baby, this game's for you. - mrs. ship

Best Deal:
Family Video will save you a couple of bucks on both the game only and bundled versions of Singstar 90's. Target is offering the bundled version in-store for $39.

Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $27.64 (99 cent shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $49.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $46.87 (99 cent shipping)
Purchase At Target $39


PSP

Hannspree Ten Kate Honda SBK Superbike World Championship Dev. Milestone Pub. Valcon Systems: PSP MSRP: $19.99
If any of that title makes sense to you, you might want to try this budget motorcycle racer that came out in the UK last year. It's officially licensed (by all that stuff in the title I'm assuming) including ten tracks and official riders. But like most of these realistic moto racers, the controls are really touchy so you'll probably be picking gravel out of your virtual thighs after the first turn. Maybe the unlockable pictures of the "Pit Girls" will help ease the pain. - ship

Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Hannspree Ten Kate Honda SBK Superbike World Championship.

Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free shipping on orders over $25)


PC

Chessmaster Collectors' Edition Dev. Encore Pub. Encore Systems: PC MSRP: $19.99
If you collect virtual chess games, settle for no less. "What makes this a collector's edition?", you may ask, "a metal case, a developer's commentary disc?". No, they've repackaged the 10th edition of the game and added in a six month subscription to a "pay to play" online chess service. That might not be too bad if the series wasn't on the eleventh version already that includes free online play. Still, if you're a collector... - ship

Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Chessmaster Collectors' Edition.

Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free shipping on orders over $25)


Jane's Hotel Dev. Pub. eGames Systems: PC MSRP: $19.99
This new strategy game for the PC is all about Jane and her quest for world dominance. No, wait, she just wants to make her hotel the best in town. Apparently we should want to help her do just that by ordering the maids around and getting coffee. If that isn't my dream job, I don't know what is. - mrs. ship

Best Deal:
Amazon is offering Jane's Hotel for $18.

Purchase At Amazon $17.99 (Free shipping on orders over $25)


Lost Empire: Immortal Dev. Pollux Gamelabs Pub. Paradox Systems: PC MSRP: $29.99
Conquer the galaxy in this 4X (Explore, Expand, Exploit, Exterminate) turn-based strategy game. (Yes, I finally broke down and looked up what in the world a 4X game was.) You can pick from one of six races and according to my understand of that fourth "X", kill the other five. You'll have to be extremely interested in performing scientific experiments and constructing ships before you're the only one left existing though. Exiting preview. - ship

Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Lost Empire: Immortal.

Purchase At Amazon $29 (Free shipping)


Unreal Deal Pack Dev. Epic Games Pub. Steam Systems: PC MSRP: $59.95
To appease our offended PC listeners, I checked Steam prior to recording the show this week and noticed that there was a pretty good deal on all things Unreal. For a limited time you can get Unreal Gold, Unreal II: The Awakening, Unreal Tournament: Game of the Year Edition, Unreal Tournament 2004: Editor's Choice Edition, and Unreal Tournament 3 for $54. Not too shabby if you were really needing an ungodly amount of Unreal in your life. And believe me, nobody needs any Unreal II in their life. - ship

Best Deal:
Steam is offering the Unreal Deal Pack for $54 for a limited time.

Purchase At Steam $53.95


Mac

Enemy Territories: Quake Wars Dev. Splash Damage Pub. Aspyr Media Systems: Mac MSRP: $49.99
This well-received multiplayer-centric first-person shooter makes a quick stop on the Mac prior to its arrival on consoles later this year. Quite un-Quake-like, this wide-open Battlefield style game focuses on capturing objectives and squad tactics. You can pick from various classes within the human and Strogg armies before venturing out into the online wasteland which is complete with a nice variety of deathbringing vehicles. - ship

Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Enemy Territories: Quake Wars.

:mac: Purchase At Amazon $49.99 (Free shipping)


The Sims Castaway Stories Dev. EA Games Pub. Aspyr Media Systems: Mac MSRP: $29.99 (Deja Preview) Marketing pitch: Research shows that a large demographic of people who like "The Sims" also like watching television shows like "Survivor" and "Lost" and occasionally like to visit beaches in real life. Send it to the presses! - ship

Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for The Sims Castaway Stories.

:mac: Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)


On The DL with the Shipwrecks

Spelunker Systems: Wii (NES) MSRP: $5
If you liked Pitfall but wish it was really hard, had very sensitive controls, and you died a lot, this NES title sounds right up your alley. You do get to carry an air tank, which I guess adds something to the gameplay. - mrs. ship

Super R-Type Systems: Wii (SNES) MSRP: $8
The side-scrolling SHMUPs just keep invading the Virtual Console as another R-Type game is released. It's kind of odd that they've already released the more current R-Type III for the system prior to this one, but both are pretty similar. You control a spaceship as it flies through corridors and shoots at aliens while trying not to get shot by aliens. Because if you do get shot, it's all the way back to the beginning of the level for you! - ship



Feedback:
Did we miss a good sale on a game? Did we miss previewing a game completely? Well, the only way that everyone can know a better deal is out there is to let us know about it. Post deals you've found or games that we missed in the thread so that CAGs can make sure they are getting the absolute best prices on new releases.

Thanks Ships, going to listen in a few.

I haven't listened yet, but Metal Gear: The Essential Collection only comes with the first disk of Metal Gear 3: Subsistence and is missing the second disk.

[quote name='IGN']While The Essential Collection includes MGS3: Subsistence, it only includes Disc 1 of the remake. That means that while players will receive the new camera viewpoint, all of the extras on the second disc have been lost. That means that items such as the multiplayer mode, Duel Mode, Demo Theater, and original Metal Gear games have been excluded from this collection, which is unfortunate. There were hours of additional content thrown into the second disc of Subsistence, which would be great for fans. While it makes sense to remove some features, such as the multiplayer since the service is no longer supported, the other items could've been republished for relatively little cost.[/QUOTE]

The fact that it is missing the MSX versions of the original games is ridiculous.

Hurray, more foreplay (better than aft play).
Hey, Condemned multiplayer is more average than mediocre. (Yes it's no Halo or CoD4 but crimescene is good fun).

So im guessing cag foreplay will no longer be monday nights? seeing as how youve missed said deadline two weeks in row.

If you need someone to play Viva Pinta Party Animals with, I'll help ya score some achievement points. Here's my Brawl code btw:

thorbahn3/Thor3
3437-2861-4343

Mr.Ship still "Awaiting Registration" in Brawl my Code is 3351-3691-4427

whats the song in the begining?

[quote name='bobthecat23']whats the song in the begining?[/quote]

It's a remix of the Worms theme song.

Great show Ships! Can't wait to get my hands on that pink&purple diary game. YESSSSSS!

...have you thought about trying the actual board game? There are a TON of great, unique board games meant for a more mature audience that I think video gamers could really get into. I do a ton of board gaming and while it's a very niche hobby, the percentage of people that play board games and also play video games is pretty large...I just don't think the general population even know these types of games exist. It's great to see XBL bringing Carcassonne, Settlers, and even Wits and Wagers to a new audience. Hopefully some people will investigate board games further because of it!

Good show guys, sent an invite to Mr. and Mrs. for some Carcassonne action.

Something tells me Ship's friend list is full because I don't even get a pending message for him on Xboxlive.

SW2XL is probably my most wanted Warriors game in awhile. DW6 was really good, but SW2 is still my favorite of the games and this expansion adds 4 new characters (Toshiie Maeda finally)! It also increases the level cap to 70. Can't wait to max out Ginchiyo again!

Btw, it should be up on the XBL marketplace any day now for 2400 points.

I think all these PC gamers need to realize that the focus of CAG (as a whole) really is the console and handheld scene. PC games come up every now and then, but take a look at the forums. How many are related to consoles/handhelds? How many are related to PC gaming? If you really want PC gaming to become more prevalent in the CAG community, maybe you should DO something about the lack of info about PC gaming here, other than complaining that it doesn't get covered enough. Get active in forum threads related to PC gaming. Maybe start your own podcast about cheapass PC gaming and if it's good, maybe Cheapy will add it to the lineup of CAG podcasts. A community can only offer what it's members contribute, after all. Or, if you're unable to do that, and you just want a place where a lot of people play PC games, check out Gamers With Jobs. They have a good-sized Steam community, and seem to have a good number of PC gamers. They also have an interesting podcast. I'm not even a member in their forums, but I subscribe to their podcast. I'm sorry, I'm not trying to lecture y'all here, but to ask the ships and Cheapy and Wombat to add things that they don't know much about, that they're not really interested in just doesn't make a lot of sense.

Ok, now that I've got that off my chest...

Good show this week guys, though not too many games I'm interested in (never got into the R6 series). I'll probably end up picking up Hot Shots Golf, and when you guys talked about the Pinball game I went and ordered it from Amazon, but other than that, a cheap week for me (which is good because I know for sure I'm buying at least one game next week). Loved the Powerpuff Girls reference.

/tk

[quote name='Rusty Ghia']I haven't listened yet, but Metal Gear: The Essential Collection only comes with the first disk of Metal Gear 3: Subsistence and is missing the second disk.



The fact that it is missing the MSX versions of the original games is ridiculous.[/QUOTE]

I had this preordered since the day I heard about it, but that's a deal breaker for me. I really wanted a comprehensive set in one nice box, but this isn't it.

Great show! However for Hour of Victory, that one level just takes time and you shouldn't have to get out of the tank until you go through the gate for the last part of the level. Just play the first part slow and learn where the rpg guys are and blow their buildings from as far away as possible.

I play mostly PC games when applicable for major releases. I play consoles a lot too but since you said over and over to not listen if you play PC games I deleted it and stopped listening.

I like listening to you guys but I suppose I can listen to something else since you don't want me listening.

terpkristin :

I can't count how many PC game deals and discussions i've had on these forums. Just because you don't participate in them doesn't mean they aren't here. So STFU on things you don't know about.

Also I'm very happy to be your Koei expert XD Believe it or not Koei does change things with each sequel/expansion. Granted many of the changes can only be seen by series fans, but then at this point I think that's who they're making these games for.

Wow... I have listened to the podcasts of CAG for a while now... the song at the end of this episode caused me to sign up for an account. R6 original mission success song? That was the first game that had me stuck on gaming. Good show!!

Om Nom Nom Nom Foreplay

Well I'm glad i nabbed MGS3 Subsistance version on CCity clearance for 8.96, im only getting the MGS 3 pack for Sons of liberty Substance.

Well if you enjoy listening, I'd suggest continuing to listen.

I'm not sure why this whole PC gaming thing is such a touchy subject.

[quote name='j.elles']I play mostly PC games when applicable for major releases. I play consoles a lot too but since you said over and over to not listen if you play PC games I deleted it and stopped listening.

I like listening to you guys but I suppose I can listen to something else since you don't want me listening.

terpkristin :

I can't count how many PC game deals and discussions i've had on these forums. Just because you don't participate in them doesn't mean they aren't here. So STFU on things you don't know about.[/QUOTE]

[quote name='funkpanda']So im guessing cag foreplay will no longer be monday nights? seeing as how youve missed said deadline two weeks in row.[/QUOTE]

No, this week the show WILL be on Monday night. Our schedules have just really gotten messed up this week (and last week) and haven't seemed to gel well with recording and not being tired and boring while doing so. When we started the show, I was only taking about 3 classes a week, so I had a lot of time to research and make the outline, etc... Now, working 60 hours a week, I'm struggling with not being grumpy at the end of a long day (just ask Ship) But, I don't like releasing the show later in the week because the games are then already out and the CAGcast is out on Fridays. So, look for the show Tuesday morning. And look for us to be more consistent.

[quote name='vosos102']...have you thought about trying the actual board game? There are a TON of great, unique board games meant for a more mature audience that I think video gamers could really get into. I do a ton of board gaming and while it's a very niche hobby, the percentage of people that play board games and also play video games is pretty large...I just don't think the general population even know these types of games exist. It's great to see XBL bringing Carcassonne, Settlers, and even Wits and Wagers to a new audience. Hopefully some people will investigate board games further because of it![/QUOTE]

I LOVE board games, and we used to play them a lot. I guess it's just laziness that keeps me from lugging out a board versus turning on a system. Plus, iPod the cat eats the pieces and sits in the middle of the game board. But we'll look out for some of those games you suggested.

[quote name='terpkristin']I'll probably end up picking up Hot Shots Golf, and when you guys talked about the Pinball game I went and ordered it from Amazon, but other than that, a cheap week for me (which is good because I know for sure I'm buying at least one game next week). Loved the Powerpuff Girls reference. [/tk[/QUOTE] You'll really like the Pinball game. It's a sleeper title, much more fun that we thought it would be.

Mrs..or Shipwreck.. anytime you want to play Carcassone.. I'm online... feel free to invite me to a game..

i played some Carcasonne but it's okay. not my type of game for long term play. but if mrs. shipwreck wants to rock out on CoD4, send me a party invite. i rarely see Shippy on when i'm on ;_;

i still haven't opened up my copy of SSBB yet so no friend code from me yet. I've been addicted to Apollo Justice. Shippy/mrs. shipwreck, if you finished all the previous Phoenix Wright games, you should jump into Apollo Justice asap!

btw Shippy, my copy of Vegas 2 arrives soon so if you wanna do some multi (after i beat the single player), feel free to msg me. ^^

Hey Shipwrecks, Crimson and I'd probably be up for a bit of Carcassonne or just about any other 360 game if you can catch us online, and I'm not training with the CAG Grifball team. Shoot us a friend request when you get the chance:

HotShotX: ColHotShotX
CrimsonSnipette: CrimsonSniper87

Perhaps we'll do a couples night, lol.

~HotShotX

Great show, guys!

Not So Fun Fact: Jonathan Brandis killed himself in 2003.

Random Dismay: Okay, we all have things we are ashamed of in our musical past. I myself confess to owning in my youth the work of New Edition as well as a Kenny Loggins album (and I can’t even plead “Footloose,” although I owned that too…it was the first album I ever bought). But Billy Ray Cyrus? BOTH of you owned that album?! Oh Ships….Say it ain’t so.

Then again, your preview of Fantasy Aquarium actually has me wanting it, so perhaps I am the one in need of counseling.

Also, on the subject of Lost in Blue: That series makes me really sad, because “Survival Kids,” the Game Boy Color title it descended from, is actually a really great little subsistence RPG. Somehow, Konami lost its way, because none of the LiB games have managed to capture the niftiness and innovation of that title.


[quote name='mrs. shipwreck']I LOVE board games, and we used to play them a lot. I guess it's just laziness that keeps me from lugging out a board versus turning on a system. Plus, iPod the cat eats the pieces and sits in the middle of the game board. But we'll look out for some of those games you suggested.[/quote]

Yeah, I definitely think a reason that the online versions of Uno, Carcassonne, etc. are so effective is that they simplify all of the scoring, shuffling, keeping track of pieces, rule adherence, etc. that makes card and board games a bit of a pain in the real world. And most important of all, there's always someone to play with. My wife and I enjoy playing Scrabble fairly regularly, and my family still plays cards a lot, including Uno. But there's not always someone around when you want to play (or they're far away), and that's why XBLA and other online solutions are so great.

If they ever come out with an XBLA version of Scrabble, we may never leave the house.

[quote name='HotShotX']Perhaps we'll do a couples night, lol. [/quote]

Great idea!

[quote name='Tybee']

If they ever come out with an XBLA version of Scrabble, we may never leave the house.

[/quote]

you never know. considering the success of Uno, a Live version of that game is possible.

[quote name='LiK']you never know. considering the success of Uno, a Live version of that game is possible.[/quote]

I just read somewhere that an XBLA version of Ticket to Ride is in the works--keep 'em coming!

[quote name='LiK']you never know. considering the success of Uno, a Live version of that game is possible.[/quote]

Oh, I'm actually kind of astonished they haven't done it already, precisely because of the success of Uno and other card and board games on XBLA, not to mention on the Internet in general. There's been a lot of discussion lately of Scrabulous, the overwhelmingly popular unlicensed Scrabble clone on Facebook (which will probably get shut down due to a lawsuit by Mattel, who own the rights to Scrabble). I frankly cannot think of a more perfect game to port to XBLA. Besides the money to be made, it would be a big PR win, because Microsoft gets to claim a big casual title with lots of educational appeal.

BTW folks, Mrs. Tybee is new to XBL and would love someone to play Uno and Carcassonne with who isn't a 13 y.o. trying to mack on her or a scary mouth breather. I know the CAGs will treat her right, so if you feel like adding her, her gamertag is Blonde Rage.

Tybee, tell her i sent a request. i promise i won't mack on her or make scary voices

Ship

It is good that you didn't get Rainbow Six Vegas at Best Buy. The "exclusive" gun is obtained with a simple cheat code that works on any copy of the game. To unlock the gun go to the main menu of the game and do the following:

(Hold RB) Down, Down, Up, Up, X, B, X, B, Y, Up, Up, Y


Enjoy.

Info obtained from Kotoku.

I'm interested in playing the SW2: Xtreme Legends, but I'd rather have it as a separate game, such as Empires, rather than an add-on expansion. I despise the fact that they changed the SW2 game on my Achievement list to reflect the new title, even though I never played the new version.

Kudos and thank you to you both for your intelligent use of the pause button for a podcast. Every other podcast that I listen to either keeps tape rolling and doesn't cut it, or spends minutes telling me they are going away and that they are back. Thank you for just using the pause button and not wasting my time letting me know time has passed. I think this is one of the many signs that you both produce a fantastic and entertaining podcast. Thank you!

Been listening to your podcast for the last couple of months and love it keep up the good work...

On a side note I saw the post on CAG about what you guys look like and I gotta say I totally had a different picture in my head...

My thoughts of Mrs. Shipwreck was close but I thought you were more of a redhead and the only reason I thought this was because you sound just like this girl I used to know and she was a gamer too and I think you guys have the same day job I believe I remember hearing that your a vet... Hmm you didn't go to school in Las Vegas/Henderson area did ya?

As for Shipwreck in my head I keep thinking your John Kransinski. He's that guy from "The Office" and in that new George Clooney movie "Leatherheads". C'mon I can't be the first person to make this comment... Oh well thx for reading and keep up the good work...

There actually is a dress-up part of Hot Shots Golf, as you create an avatar for the online portion of the game, so you earn clothing pieces and items as you play through the challenge mode. The online mode, pre-golf, is like a rip-off of Home where you wander around various lobbies on various floors of a clubhouse to chat with others or find games or tournaments to join.

Great show you two. I also have been having a lot of fun with Carcassonne and wish I had a better deal on MS Pts so that I could feel justified in paying for Catan. I would like to play more board games (even those on XBLA), but my family is very impatient for them. We CAGs should look each other up.

I've been trying to find some decent deals on RB6 Vegas (1st one), since when the sequels for games come out, that's the signal for me to buy the first one at fire sale prices.

As someone who's been a PC gamer since the days of the Tandy 1000, I understand how many in the PC gamer community feel beleaguered. Some have taken it upon themselves to display their indignance for any who they think have slighted PC gaming. Considering this site is obviously console oriented (but not exclusive), I simply find it arrogant for people to get their feathers ruffled over some comments that were ambiguous and in no certain way were belittling PC gaming.

[quote name='tcolberg']As someone who's been a PC gamer since the days of the Tandy 1000, I understand how many in the PC gamer community feel beleaguered. Some have taken it upon themselves to display their indignance for any who they think have slighted PC gaming. Considering this site is obviously console oriented (but not exclusive), I simply find it arrogant for people to get their feathers ruffled over some comments that were ambiguous and in no certain way were belittling PC gaming.[/quote]

The kicker of it all was that I wasn't trying to belittle PC gaming, I was trying to suggest ways to make CAG better for PC gamers. Ship, Mrs. Ship, Wombat, and Cheapy have all said in no uncertain terms that they're not really interested in PC gaming, so asking them to talk more about PC gaming doesn't make a lot of sense. Personally, when ship talked about PC games in this most recent podcast, it kind of felt like he was phoning it in. Part of the fun of this podcast for me is their wittiness, and they didn't really have much to say about PC games.

So I was thinking that if some PC gamers wanted to talk more about PC gaming, maybe people who know more about it could do a podcast related to cheapass PC gaming. And, if that wasn't an option (not everybody has the time to invest to do that kind of thing), then I was also trying to suggest checking out Gamers With Jobs, which has a large PC community. I wasn't trying to suggest that people leave here to go there, just giving other outlets I've found that might be interesting, in addition to CAG. I'm not a PC gamer, and on their podcast they talk a bit about PC gaming, but I still find them (GWJ) interesting.

Alas, this is the internet and what happened happens. It is what it is.

/tk

[quote name='LiK']Tybee, tell her i sent a request. i promise i won't mack on her or make scary voices[/QUOTE]

OK, so what is "macking"? Sorry, I guess I'm too old for this type of lingo .

I still need some of the online Carcasonne achievements so anyone wanting to play let me know. I tend to be available late night Pacific time though.

Ships: About Pinball Hall of Fame for the Wii - is this a port of the old PS2/Xbox/GC game or a completely new one? I played that a bit on the PS2 and it was certainly well done but I dismissed this release as just being a port of that. Am I wrong or is it just new to you guys? If it is new, how would you compare it to that title?

[quote name='io']OK, so what is "macking"? Sorry, I guess I'm too old for this type of lingo .

I still need some of the online Carcasonne achievements so anyone wanting to play let me know. I tend to be available late night Pacific time though.

Ships: About Pinball Hall of Fame for the Wii - is this a port of the old PS2/Xbox/GC game or a completely new one? I played that a bit on the PS2 and it was certainly well done but I dismissed this release as just being a port of that. Am I wrong or is it just new to you guys? If it is new, how would you compare it to that title?[/QUOTE]

This is a new Pinball Hall of Fame featuring Williams tables. The older one that you are thinking about was the Gottlieb collection. I personally never played the Gottlieb version because I'm not familiar with the tables on that game. From what I gather around the web, it seems like the Williams version is overall more polished than the Gottlieb version. The Gottlieb version did come out in Europe for the Wii though, so maybe they port that one over eventually.

And macking = hitting on, putting the moves on, sharing a shake at the local soda fountain

[quote name='shipwreck']This is a new Pinball Hall of Fame featuring Williams tables. The older one that you are thinking about was the Gottlieb collection. I personally never played the Gottlieb version because I'm not familiar with the tables on that game. From what I gather around the web, it seems like the Williams version is overall more polished than the Gottlieb version. The Gottlieb version did come out in Europe for the Wii though, so maybe they port that one over eventually.

And macking = hitting on, putting the moves on, sharing a shake at the local soda fountain [/QUOTE]

Cool, thanks. It is wierd seeing your response here so soon as I'm still listening to your voice coming out of my PC . I'll have to keep an eye out for the Pinball game then - at a cheap-ass price of course (yeah, I know it is cheap MSRP, but you know what I mean).

[quote name='io']Cool, thanks. It is wierd seeing your response here so soon as I'm still listening to your voice coming out of my PC . I'll have to keep an eye out for the Pinball game then - at a cheap-ass price of course (yeah, I know it is cheap MSRP, but you know what I mean).[/QUOTE]

FYE and Target are selling the Wii version for $20 if that helps.

shippy, my SSBB friend code, add me yet?

2578-2994-4498

Do I smell another Monday lie?

[quote name='Trenchalicious']Do I smell another Monday lie?[/QUOTE]

No, we recorded tonight. I'm editing the show right now. Show will be out on time.

Recording Monday night = Show out very late Monday or Tuesday morning.

[quote name='shipwreck']No, we recorded tonight. I'm editing the show right now. Show will be out on time.

Recording Monday night = Show out very late Monday or Tuesday morning.[/quote]

Thank God! Such a great show being delayed any is a dagger to our cheap ass hearts! Glad to hear it will be up soon. Thanks!