CAG Foreplay #38: Shipocritical (3/25/08)

CAG's shipwreck & mrs. shipwreck preview the new releases for the week of March 25th, 2008. This week features a couple of heavy hitters on the portable front, so hopefully you either are on the go or have a comfortable place on which to go.


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Multi-Platform

Dark Sector Dev. Digital Extremes Pub. D3 Systems: 360, PS3 MSRP: $59.99
Dark Sector dares to explore what you would get if you mixed Gears of War with Krull and then stuck them in an even more generic story and environment. Even so, if you are looking to put some bullets in people and then slice them up with your bladed boomerang, you'll probably have a decent enough time as the graphics look nice and the controls are well done. You can even fly the glaive around with the Six-Axis in the PlayStation 3 version similar to the Kai portions of Heavenly Sword. Unfortunately, there is no co-op play of any kind, so that's going to cut into some of the replay value that Gears of War had going for it, but maybe some of the online multi-player modes will be fun. I must admit, this game appears to have turned out better than what I was anticipating. - ship

Best Deal:
EB/GameStop is offering a free baseball hat with the purchase of Dark Sector. Amazon is offering a free digital comic book download. Family Video is offering either version for around $58 shipped.

Purchase At Amazon $59.99 (Free shipping and free digital download of the Dark Sector comic book)
Purchase At Family Video $57.68 (99 cent shipping)
Purchase At EB Games $59.99 (Free Dark Sector baseball hat with purchase)
Purchase At Amazon $59.99 (Free shipping and free digital download of the Dark Sector comic book)
Purchase At Family Video $57.68 (99 cent shipping)
Purchase At EB Games $59.99 (Free Dark Sector baseball hat with purchase)


Obscure: Aftermath Dev. Hydravision Pub. Ignition Entertainment Systems: PC, PS2, Wii MSRP: $14.99-$29.99
Here's a sequel to a horror game that nobody bothered to buy last generation. Makes you wonder why sequels can't get made for games you actually care about, doesn't it? Well, the last game followed some kids in high school as they were confronted with monsters, where this one deals with some kids in college as they are confronted with monsters. So far there are only a couple of reviews for this game and they vary greatly. All of them agree that the game is not the least bit frightening, but there's an argument for whether or not the two-player cooperative play redeems the game. As a general rule, I've found that if the only reason I'm remotely interested in a game is because of co-op play, the only thing that's going to happen at the end of the day is one other person wondering why I would buy this game. - ship

Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Obscure: The Aftermath.

Purchase At Amazon $14.99 (Free shipping on orders over $25)
Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free shipping on orders over $25)
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $28.24 (99 cent shipping)


Viking: Battle for Asgard Dev. Creative Assembly Pub. Sega Systems: 360, PS3 MSRP: $59.99
They should really make this game title more interesting. It suggests a rather boring storyline; instead it should read "Norse God: Battle for Asgard with Zombies". Doesn't that sound way more fun? The Norse Goddess Hel is angry at being banished, so she's raising the dead to battle against Odin, Lord of Asgard. This action title has some really nice video of the gameplay, and anytime a game description talks of dismembered foes, you're in for a treat. There's a strategy feel to this title, because as you play, you free more Vikings willing to fight along side you. Your map illustrates the camps of both friends and foes, and there are in-game goals that you must complete before going into battle. Yes, the map jumping is the majority of the gameplay, but there are larger battles to survive as well. There are periodic frustrations mixed that make the game more average than spectacular, and the frame rate of the battles is slow. It has been reported that the frame rate is more evident on the PS3 version and that the PS3 also has some problems with the graphics. If you love blood, guts, and gore (and expect nothing more), you'll probably love this title. However, the majority of gamers will probably see how great this game could have been and be disappointed. - mrs. ship

Best Deal:
EB/GameStop is offering a free art book with the purchase of Viking: Battle for Asgard. Circuit City is offering a free $10 gift card with the purchase of the game.

Purchase At Amazon $59.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $57.68 (99 cent shipping)
Purchase At EB Games $59.99 (Free art book with purchase)
Purchase At Circuit City $59.99 (Free $10 gift card with purchase)
Purchase At Amazon $59.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $57.68 (99 cent shipping)
Purchase At EB Games $59.99 (Free art book with purchase)
Purchase At Circuit City $59.99 (Free $10 gift card with purchase)


Wii

Octomania Dev. Idea Factory Pub. Conspiracy Entertainment Systems: Wii MSRP: $19.99
This new puzzle title has an animation style similar to Pokemon with traditional falling-block gameplay. I mean, falling octopus gameplay. The main character, Kari, has screwed up a magical spell, resulting in millions of octopi (yes, that's the plural for octopus) to fill the land. The game offers a single-player story mode, endless mode, online multiplayer, and local co-op play. There's a tutorial mode as well, but the gameplay is pretty simple and involves grouping octopi of the same color under large nets. This title looks like a solid puzzle game that probably isn't anything spectacularly new. But, with the $20 price tag, it's a solid buy. - mrs. ship

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

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


Opoona Dev. ArtePiazza Pub. Koei Systems: Wii MSRP: $49.99
A band of brave warriors known as Cosmo Guards are entrusted with saving the world and maintaining universal peace. A young boy name Opoona finds himself alone on a new planet after his siblings are found missing and his parents are injured (sounds like a great new planet, huh?). He then must get a job, meet people, and become licensed to travel before he can leave to look for his siblings. Koei is calling this title a "lifestyle RPG" , which seems to mean that the RPG elements are simple yet solid, which makes this title perfect for the Wii's newbie gamer audience. The art style is unique, with Opoona looking sort of like those Fisher Price people I had as a kid. The controls are done exclusively with the nunchuk and are reminiscent of Fight Night. The battle system is real-time with nothing all that spectacular to set it apart. While this title is definitely unique, it's simplistic style, animation, and lack of voice-overs makes it a little too simple for me to pay $50. A game worth playing for sure, but not at such a high price point. - mrs. ship

Best Deal:
Family Video is offering Opoona for around $48 shipped.

Purchase At Amazon $49.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $46.87 (99 cent shipping)


Rebel Raiders: Operation Nighthawk Dev. Kando Games Pub. XS Games Systems: Wii MSRP: $29.99
In 2006 a near-futuristic jet fighting game that took around two hours to finish came out for the PlayStation 2. Two years later, we've got a Wii version. Little information is known about how they've Wiied-it-up, but that 53 MetaCritic score for the PS2 version certainly doesn't have me breaking out my Iron Eagle soundtrack in anticipation. - ship

Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Rebel Raiders: Operation Nighthawk.

Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)


DS

Backyard Baseball '09 Dev. Humongous Entertainment Pub. Atari Systems: DS MSRP: $29.99
David "Big Pappi" Ortiz graces the cover of this year's edition of Backyard Baseball, so throw your hands in the air, if you's a true player... of little kids baseball games. Featuring official Major League players and teams, you can play single games, an entire season, or maybe just hit a few longballs through your local Dick's Sporting Goods in Home Run Derby. There's even create-a-player/team functionality and wireless multiplayer this year, so you can challenge a friend to the stylus-based gameplay. The preview is over now, put your hands back down. - ship

Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Backyard Baseball '09.

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


Championship Pony Dev. Coyote Pub. Destination Software Systems: DS MSRP: $14.99
(Deja Preview) 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 out 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)


Harvest Moon DS Cute Dev. Marvelous Pub. Natsume Systems: DS MSRP: $29.99
This title is Harvest Moon DS but with a female protagonist instead of a male. The gamer can also change the color of the girl's clothing, the wallpaper and flooring of her house, and your kid (if you ever get to this point without getting bored) can be male or female. Initially, when the game starts, the player will be asked several questions, and the answers determine the color of the girl's hair (blonde or brunette). I have to be honest, I like playing Harvest Moon games, but there are now so many of them that they all run together in my head. So, I really don't need to go back and play the same game as a girl. Although, I wish the girl versions came out first. Here's the real reason to read this preview: There's a new "best friend" system in the Japanese version where you're trying to get the other girls in town to like you (instead of the men). There's a best friends ceremony at the beach! with rings! AND she then moves in with you and shows up with a random kid! It's Harvest Moon DS Lesbian! This feature might not be available in the US version, but if it does, you can bet Jack Thompson or Fox News will be all over this one. - mrs. ship

Best Deal:
EB/GameStop is offering a free Harvest Moon plush cat with the purchase of Harvest Moon DS Cute.

Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Deep Discount $28.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At EB Games $29.99 (Free plush cat with purchase)


M&M's Kart Racing Dev. Frontline Pub. Destination Software Systems: DS MSRP: $19.99
Some things fit naturally with M&M's: trail mix, ice cream, trips to the movie theater. But arcade style racing on the DS? This title features collectable chocolate coins and comical one-liners like "Approaching sound barrier!" as you putt along at sub 20 mph speeds. As kart racers go, this certainly isn't going to melt your mind, but maybe your kid is really into M&M's or brightly colored objects that don't make sudden movements. - ship

Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for M&M's Kart Racing.

Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free shipping on orders over $25)
Purchase At Deep Discount $18.99 (Free shipping)


Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword Dev. Team Ninja Pub. Tecmo Systems: DS MSRP: $34.99
By now I'm sure everyone knows that Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword is supposed to be amazing. Team Ninja has somehow managed to make a 3D action game look great on the DS AND make it control almost entirely with the stylus. Sure, the difficulty has been toned down, but that makes perfect sense for a portable adventure. The action is fast and the stylus movements are intuitive as you slice and dice with Mr. Hayabusa six months after the events of the last game. The only downside is the game itself only takes five to seven hours to complete, so keep that in mind when you are plunking down $35. - ship

Best Deal:
EB/GameStop is offering a free sword stylus with the purchase of Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword.

Purchase At Amazon $34.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Deep Discount $33.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At EB Games $34.99 (Free sword stylus with purchase)


Xbox 360

Universe at War: Earth Assault Dev. Petroglyph Pub. Sega Systems: 360 MSRP: $59.99
(Deja Preview) We normally don’t cover too many PC games, but the ads that I’ve been bombarded with lately on my Xbox 360 seem to think I should mention this one. It’s a real-time strategy game where aliens are trying to take over the earth. So it’s not just a clever title. - ship

And the time for those ads to come to fruition is upon us. The PC version of Universe at War was reviewed well. I tried to read some of those reviews, but like most real-time strategy write-ups, I just can't do it. I get a paragraph or two in and I completely lose all frames of reference. The control scheme on the 360 version has been reported as being pretty nicely done though, so if RTS is your thing, well here's another one. - ship

Best Deal:
EB/GameStop is offering a free faceplate with the purchase of Universe at War.

Purchase At Amazon $59.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $57.68 (99 cent shipping)
Purchase At EB Games $59.99 (Free Universe at War faceplate with purchase)


PS2

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3 Dev. CyberConnect2 Pub. Namco Bandai Systems: PS2 MSRP: $39.99
Like a seemingly endless and repetitive Depeche Mode song, the Naruto games keep coming out and fans apparently just can't get enough. So sing it with me! They just can't get enough. Every other week, Naruto's back again. And they just can't get enough, they just can't get enough. Add a number on the end and put it out my friend. And they just can't get enough, they just can't get enough. Forty-one characters all set to fight and shout. And they just can't get enough, they just can't get enough. Same basic fighting scheme as the last game that came out. And they just can't get enough, they just can't get enough. They've added some new modes and you can summon bigger things. And they just can't get enough, they just can't get enough. They'll never stop releasing these because Naruto fans, they just can't seem to get enough...oh-woah. (Repeat "They just can't get enough" 16 times and fade out.) - ship

Best Deal:
Fry's is offering Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3 for $38.

Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Deep Discount $38.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Fry's $37.99


Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure Dev. Atomic Planet Pub. Destination Software Systems: PS2 MSRP: $14.99
Control six different seafaring dinosaurs in this National Geographic film tie-in. That of course means you not only get to play as swimming reptiles, you get to learn about them as well. The game actually plays like a flight combat style game where you dogfight other sea creatures in order to eat them or avoid being eaten. And of course, being the studious dinosaurs they are, they like to collect and learn about fossils as they battle for their lives. The Wii version was released earlier this year to not-so-stellar reviews. Maybe it would have benefitted by a Sigmund appearance? - ship

Best Deal:
Family Video is offering Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure for $14 shipped.

Purchase At Amazon $14.99 (Free shipping on orders over $25)
Purchase At Family Video $12.99 (99 cent shipping)


PSP

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Dev. Square Enix Pub. Square Enix Systems: PSP MSRP: $39.99
While I absolutely loved the original Final Fantasy VII, I can claim to have at best a loose understanding of all the plot points or what the hell was actually going on. That said, I do remember Zack, the star of this prequel, but the blurring of his identity with that of his best friend Cloud still confuses me to this day (Zack's a brunette, Cloud's a blonde, got it). Maybe Crisis Core will be the game to explain everything for me, maybe it will just confound everything further. Either way, I'm pretty sure I'm going to enjoy this trip back to Midgar with cameos from most of the major characters. The combat takes place in real-time now, but Materia is back and has been expanded to offer you even more choices for customizing your abilities. So what that basically adds up to is a Kingdom Hearts style of combat with a little bit more depth. I bet Aeris is going to be extra excited when she calls me to let me know my pre-order is in for this one! - ship

Best Deal:
Amazon is offering a free UMD case with the purchase of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII. Circuit City is offering a free $10 gift card. Fry's is offering the game for $32.

Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free shipping and free Shin-Ra Limited Edition UMD case)
Purchase At Family Video $38.46 (99 cent shipping)
Purchase At Circuit City $39.99 (Free $10 gift card with purchase)
Purchase At Fry's $31.99


Warriors Orochi Dev. Omega Force Pub. Koei Systems: PSP MSRP: $29.99
(Deja Preview) Guess what you would get if you were to combine Dynasty Warriors 5 and Samurai Warriors 2. Go on, guess. - ship

Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Warriors Orochi.

Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $28.24 (99 cent shipping)


PC

Australia Zoo Quest Dev. Dreamcatcher Interactive Pub. Dreamcatcher Interactive Systems: PC MSRP: $19.99
At first, I thought this title would be an Australian version of Zoo Tycoon, but it's actually a single-player puzzle title. There are 20 levels, each with 3 levels of difficulty. As you finish each level, you unlock new animals and new edutainment opportunities. The gameplay is similar to Zoo Keeper on the DS or Bejeweled. The $20 price point seems a bit high, even with all the edutainment. That being said, it's the only game so far to feature a wombat level. - mrs. ship

Best Deal:
There don't seem to be any specific deals on Australia Zoo Quest.

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


Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath Dev. EA Los Angeles Pub. Electronic Arts Systems: PC MSRP: $29.99, $49.99
Expanding on the popular real-time strategy game, Kane's Wrath introduces a global conquest mode, an additional Brotherhood of Nod campaign, new sub-faction units, and thirty new multi-player maps. Seems like that should keep fans of the series content for awhile. The Limited Edition includes both Tiberium Wars and Kane's Wrath. - ship

Best Deal:
Both Circuit City and Fry's are offering Kane's Wrath for $18.

Purchase At Amazon $49.99 (Free shipping and free access to the Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 Beta)
Purchase At Family Video $48.07 (99 cent shipping)
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping and free access to the Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 Beta)
Purchase At Family Video $28.84 (99 cent shipping)
Purchase At Circuit City $17.99
Purchase At Fry's $17.99


Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2 Dev. Ubi Soft Montreal Pub. Ubi Soft Systems: PC MSRP: $49.99
(Deja Preview) 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:
There don't seem to be any specific deals for Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2.

Purchase At Amazon $49.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Family Video $48.07 (99 cent shipping)


On The DL with the Shipwrecks

King's Knight Systems: Wii (NES) MSRP: $5
This NES RPG/SHMUP title has the obligatory Princess-getting-captured storyline, but the game itself leaves me wondering why I don't already own it. It's a vertically scrolling shooter but has various level-ups throughout that improve your speed, jumping, life meter, weapon, shield, etc... There are four players within your party, and each player has a stage within each level. If a character finds four elements, he or she is able to use a "special power" such as transforming into a giant dragon or using a spell to kill all the enemies on screen. The screen shots are reminiscent of Zelda, and I can't really find any reason not to buy this game for $5. - mrs. ship

Powerball Systems: Wii (Genesis) MSRP: $8
We all know that in the future we will only play sports that are ultraviolent and a combination of at least two past sports. Well, Powerball combines football, soccer, rugby, and handball and then infuses it all with a good helping of extremitude, early 90's style. If you've played Speedball 2 on XBLA, you know what to expect. - ship

Dreamfall: The Longest Journey Systems: 360 MSRP: $15
A well received adventure game that can be found used at your local Blockbuster for around $5. That's where I got a copy recently and all I can say is, this thing better get a whole lot more interesting after the first hour. - ship

TiQal Systems: 360 MSRP: $10
TiQal is a Tetris style game that has you rotating and dropping pieces to form blocks of similar colors. There are various power-ups and bonuses you can get to perform attacks and I don't know what else to say. I guess, see if it TiQals your fancy this Wednesday. - 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.

Thirteen Dead End Drive... haven't thought of that game in a long time. It took ing forever to set up.

That 60 year old couple might like Beyond Good & Evil. God of War would be funny to see your parents play.

"You hold it like a bit.. book"


Oh and has Mrs. Ship, ever tried "The Rub Rabbits" the seqeul to "Feel the Magic" for the DS? You'd like the mini games I'd imagine and you can make love babies with Mr. Shipwreck.

What is that song at the beginning of the episode?

holy crap! foreplay actually released on a tuesday morning....

isn't this foreplay to early?

it's like having foreplay tonight but the sex won't come until 2 days later

I haven't heard very much about Dark Sector...

I've heard Universe at War has the best RTS controls on the 360. I also heard that the gameplay between the 360 and PC is pretty even which very tough to do against a keyboard and mouse. I might purchase this later on.

Ninja Gaiden DS, I'd love to get but I rarely buy a 35 dollar DS game.

Wow! A new show on Tuesday!?? Very nice! I was happy to see that the new show had downloaded overnight and was ready to listen to on my morning commute. If only traffic had been worse this morning, I would have listened to the whole show, but alas it was fine. At least I'll be able to finish it up on the drive home (which is perfect new game-buying time).

[quote name='shipwreck'] Maybe it would have benefitted by a Sigmund appearance? [/quote]
ROFL!
Sid and Marty FTW.

BTW, if you know anyone who has a little girl you should get a reference on the current collective disdain that has arisen towards the "loli"-ish "Brats" brand. Maybe it's a better game, but a ground swell of parents of little girls (myself included) are hoping to see this brand just disappear.

I had a hearty chuckle at a cocktail party where a parent told me that they would rather their daughter watch cinemax-porn than watch and buy Brats branded items.

I know you were just recommending the better game and I don't want to be a finger wagging "shame on you" uber-parent; Instead, I just wanted to let you know the sentiment is out there.

Video below is NSFW:
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCBcv7YWlAA[/media]

Lol, I kept imagining a sad little googly eyed pet-rock suffering in the elements during the piano fade-out.

Great show.

Ship, give action games on the PSP a chance. While playing GoW I very rarely had trouble with the analog nub. But about the camera... GoW never had camera control. The right stick was used for dodge, but in PSP you hold L+R and use the nub to dodge.

Have you gone back and played FF7 recently ship? That game has NOT aged well. The translation, story, graphics are all very dated and made me hard to finish it after playing FF12. For the Misses I would have to recommend playing FF8 then FF9. I personally thought 9 was better, but Mrs. is a girl and FF8 is a love story. Don't girls like that kind of crap? I loved the unique characters of 9 as well in contrast to the very similar characters in 8 and 9. Then if Mrs likes the different classes and traditional jRPGs with a lot fo grinding, give FF3 on DS a try.

Thanks for another great show guys.

Harvest Moon: Lesbian Edition? Just when you thought harvest moon couldn't get any better...

Dreamfall does get better once it gets started, but most of the awards you might be thinking about went to the first game. Dreamfall is a sequel to the PC game titled "The Longest Journey". Unlike Dreamfall, TLJ is a straight adventure game with almost no timed action sequences/fighting, but I thought it had better writing and characters than Dreamfall. You can get The Longest Journey from Steam for $10.

[quote name='Quintessence']What is that song at the beginning of the episode?[/quote]

I'm wondering that too... it sounded like the Newsboys

[quote name='PleasantOne']
I think, in about 10 years, they need to poll hookers and see how many of them played with Bratz dolls when they were little [/quote]

roflmao

Right-o....I forgot you two are near Columbus...Believe it or not there's a HUGE boardgaming contingent there (http://www.buckeyeboardgamers.org/) so if you are curious I'm sure you could find lots of info locally.

Enough about boardgames though--great show as always, I really like the rhythm and flow that you two have...look forward to the show each week!

OK, just a few more things as I'm listening...

End of game scoring in Carcassonne isn't that bad, but I will give you that playing on XBox does significantly reduce the playtime by about half...and Sequence was the first game my partner gave me when she found out about my boardgame hobby so it's got a special place in my heart.

[quote name='Quintessence']What is that song at the beginning of the episode?[/QUOTE]

[quote name='PleasantOne']I'm wondering that too... it sounded like the Newsboys

Great show Ships, I enjoyed it as always. I'm thinking about that pinball game, you've really talked it up. I'll have to ask my wife - if only I hadn't availed myself of Target clearance last week! Ship, it's still awaiting registration for you on Smash Bros, but I think I PMed it to you before the last show. Should I resend or am I one of the people who just hasn't been added yet because you haven't played?

Edit: Ooo, she likes the idea of the pinball game. What's the name someone? Maybe I'll check deep discount and see if it's still the #1 game.

Double edit: Pinball Hall of Fame: the Williams collection! It's still #1 on DD! Thanks Ships, hooray for cheap games!

Great show, I would suggest that if people like adventure games that they check out dreamfall. Also mrs. ship, about rpg's you may like, if you're wanting something portable get FF3/6 for the GBA, otherwise FFX is a good choice. If you're looking for something a bit geared towards girls...check out Rhapsody a musical adventure...it's really light hearted, funny, not difficult and not that long by RPG standards. I'm a bit of an RPG nut, so if you want other recommendations throw'em my way.

[quote name='shipwreck']Regardless, they still don't serve breakfast in Hell.[/quote]



Just finished listening - great show. I loved the Dreamfall stuff :lol: I almost bought that at Gamecrazy the other day and now I'm glad I didn't!

[quote name='Gillespee']Edit: Ooo, she likes the idea of the pinball game. What's the name someone? Maybe I'll check deep discount and see if it's still the #1 game.[/quote]

If you haven't purchased it yet, you might head back to Target and look for it. Two of my local Targets have it shelf tagged for $13.98 unfortunately, neither one of mine has it in stock

Ship, did you pay $30, and if so, do you think it was worth that price? I'm assuming so by the glowing review you've given it two weeks running?

I would be excited about Dark Sector if they had kept the original setting/gameplay that they first showed off years ago. It used to be a sci-fi action/stealth game with you in some kind of powered suit. Then it became "Krull meets Resistance: Fall of Man." Certainly more interesting and not nearly as boring as a setting as it has now.

By the way Shipwreck, the prehistoric aquatic reptiles (the Plesiasaurs and such) were not dinosaurs.

Anyways, I'm going to check out FYE and Target to see if they have Pinball for the Wii.

Another great show, guys! I'm glad you guys are getting back to a regular schedule.

With the downloadable version of the Hot Shots game for the PSP, the difference between the UMD and the PSP may end up being the load times. Reading the UMD gets noisy and feels slow, maybe running it from the stick will speed it up (and will definitely quiet it down).

It might sound like a lame excuse, but I'm with you guys, my cat is a bit reason why I don't play board games. He can be extremely anti-social at times, but if I bring out a board game, he all of a sudden wants to be the center of attention. Just like when I'm trying to snooze before getting out of bed in the morning. Of course, my friends aren't too interested in playing board games (they're not quite as nerdy as I am, I guess), so I love how XBLA has them, giving me the opportunity to play with friends elsewhere (and Oz can only mess it up by attacking the moving cursor on the screen).

As a female gamer shopping in a game store without a significant other there with me...the worst time I ever had was a guy who worked at the store (an EB maybe?) following me around through the store. He was trying to sell me a Zune for some reason, though I was looking at PSP and 360 games at the time, so I'm not quite sure why he felt it necessary to tell me how much better a Zune was than an iPod. I ended up picking up Final Fantasy XII and something for the PSP, and it finally hit him that I actually play games, and then he started hitting on me. He was just creepy, I haven't gone back to that EB since.

As for the puns, ship's an engineer. All engineers make horrid puns. All the time. It's what makes us "special."

I picked up Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core at lunch today, as soon as I have this posted, I'm going to dig into it. I can't wait, I've been looking forward to this one for awhile. mrs. shipwreck, if you haven't played a Final Fantasy game before, my favorite is Final Fantasy VI (originally called Final Fantasy III for the SNES and now out for the GBA as Final Fantasy VI Advance), but I think Final Fantasy X was also a pretty good game (and relatively easy to find compared to some of the others like VII, VIII, IX).

/tk

Thanks for mentioning me in your front page post, Ships!

[quote name='PleasantOne']

If you haven't purchased it yet, you might head back to Target and look for it. Two of my local Targets have it shelf tagged for $13.98 unfortunately, neither one of mine has it in stock [/quote]

The first target I went to didn't have any. Luckily the second did. If it hadn't there's an FYE across the parking lot. I probably would have given up they'd both been out.

Since the Ships talked about liking receiving feedback on reviews, I'll be sure to let you guys know what my wife and I think of it.

Great Point Mrs. Shipwreck regarding games on the PSP / PS3/PS2 and games on the DS. A good action game is a good action game no matter what portable system they're on. Another point is that The Wii is was modeled directly after the DS... so any game on the DS, can be automatically played on the Wii. Touchscreen motions can be easily duplicated into Wii stick motions. So.. with that.. what's the difference between the Wii and the DS Ship? Nintendo says not much..


good show.. I had a good time listening.




Mrs. Ship try Final Fantasy XII.. its great, up to date, and just as good as FF7, after FFXII, then FFVII. Those are my favorites


chaning my mind.. great show.. that was a sweet outro at the end... w/ the FFVII music.. very beautiful.. put a tear in my eye.. oh Arieth..

This is probably one of the best shows you guys have done in a while.
PS the sword stylus is so fantastic that I have saught out other games where you use the stylus just so i can get more use out of it.

Ms. Ship
If your looking to get into the Final Fantasy series and you had enjoyed the old days of tiny people on the screen, i'd highly reccomend FFVI advanced for the GBA it was first put out on the SNES as FFIII. It is the best FF game in the series. If you have not already played it, Chrono Trigger is also an amazing RPG of yesteryear if you can find it *coughemulatercough*. As far as the newer FF games id reccomend IX, as far as the 3d games in the series, its the best one I have played.

PS1 games are just about the only titles I have an overall problem with playing these days... so I'd like to know why don't they remake the actual Final Fantasy VII? With all its prequels and movies and whatnot, they're limiting their audience to exclude those of us who never played the original and won't because of how dated the graphics & gameplay have become. If they'd just make a shiny new version, perhaps bundled in with all spin-offs, I'd definitely pick it up.

Keep asking questions, Ship. I appreciate it. Because, you know what's REALLY annoying? Just saying "okay" over and over while the other person is describing their preview ;(

[quote name='terpkristin'](and Oz can only mess it up by attacking the moving cursor on the screen).
[/QUOTE]

Ha - that's great!

I've got one that completely ignores regular TV, but as soon as we start up the 360 or Wii (she knows the sound of them turning on - especially the 360 ) she gets right in front of the TV and stretches up to swat at things (since it is a big ol' cabinet-style projection TV). She was trying to catch the little Joust guys one day. Of course, you can play with her endlessly in the main Wii menu with the pointer hand... But she tries to go after things in just about every game.

A lot of people feel that $1.99 is expensive for 1 track (be it on Guitar Hero, Rock Band, etc.). The game shipped with 58 playable tracks and retail for $60, about $1.03 per track, excluding all the other coding necessary to make a game.

[quote name='nlyonssmith']A lot of people feel that $1.99 is expensive for 1 track (be it on Guitar Hero, Rock Band, etc.). The game shipped with 58 playable tracks and retail for $60, about $1.03 per track, excluding all the other coding necessary to make a game.[/quote]

Bulk pricing is cheaper, sure, but I wouldn't have picked half the songs that came with the game. I'd pay more to be able to choose the songs I want.

We'll see how the pricing gets handled when they start releasing full albums.
But will they ever release other content (new characters models, outfits, stages)?

Good Show Shipwrecks! Sorry we couldn't get you back in the Terrorist Hunt.. It was a fun time.. we have to do it again...

Mrs. Shipwreck - the Final Fantasies I think *you* would like the most (in terms of story and gameplay) would be either FF 9 or FF 10.

I think you'd find FF 12 too repetitive.

Shipwreck - how is Tsugunai Atonement going?

I'd recommend FFX (10) as well. It's got great characters (yes, even Tidus), and I loved the story. The battle system is also great in that (unlike a lot of recent FFs), there are certain things that make the characters distinct -- in this case special commands related to their (story-determined) class. And the soundtrack is great as well.

I've played every FF and I'm a huge fan, but I have to warn you away from FFXII, at least as a starting point. I spent 80 hours in that game, but I just never got all that invested in the characters. Strangely, I enjoyed FFTactics' story, which was a similar politics-heavy tales in the same setting. BTW, FFXII is one of the worst in terms of the battle system making everyone the same. By the end of the game, there was nothing at all distinguishing my characters from one another.

Edit: yes I can see my avatar sitting right there. i still think it's one of the coolest FF logos, and I can't change it now!

Shippy, very true, always have a female like mrs. shipwreck ask for you when she's available cuz those horndogs at those video game stores will try to impress her with their 1337 knowledge and service. ^.^

btw Ships, did you play Apollo Justice yet???? so good...

oh, one more thing mrs. shipwreck, since you asked: you MUST play FFVI! It's my fave FF game of all time. That's my suggestion.

and last but not least, Dreamfall was an okay adventure game. it's not as good as the first game, The Longest Journey but it's worth playing through. the game is NOT that long. i beat it in one evening. you guys must be terrible...j/k ;D

[quote name='catapult37']I've played every FF and I'm a huge fan, but I have to warn you away from FFXII, at least as a starting point. I spent 80 hours in that game, but I just never got all that invested in the characters. Strangely, I enjoyed FFTactics' story, which was a similar politics-heavy tales in the same setting. BTW, FFXII is one of the worst in terms of the battle system making everyone the same. By the end of the game, there was nothing at all distinguishing my characters from one another.[/quote]

These are almost exactly my feelings about FFXII, funny to see someone else have them.

And I too enjoyed the storyline in Tactics.

And as much as I thought the battle system in FFXII was wonky, the FFVII:CC battle system is...similar at times, and I don't find it nearly as jarring...

/tk

[quote name='catapult37']

I've played every FF and I'm a huge fan, but I have to warn you away from FFXII, at least as a starting point. I spent 80 hours in that game, but I just never got all that invested in the characters. Strangely, I enjoyed FFTactics' story, which was a similar politics-heavy tales in the same setting. BTW, FFXII is one of the worst in terms of the battle system making everyone the same. By the end of the game, there was nothing at all distinguishing my characters from one another.[/quote]

Pretty much my thoughts. I think Mrs. Ship would get bored with FF12 pretty quickly. I think she'd enjoy FF 9 (because of the story and characters) and FF 10 (because of the battle system and story).

This week there are a big four games coming out. Hopefully there will be more Depth Charges than usual, otherwise the show will be super short.

I sent Ship into the depths of the basement to find the FF games. Okay, here's what we have to choose from:

Bobomallone suggested Rhapsody for the PS1, and that looks like fun so it's been added to my docket of games for this weekend. Plus, it's an Atlus title so I'm not sure why I haven't played it already.

Final Fantasy I & II Dawn of Souls (GBA)
Final Fantasy Origins (I & II) PS1
Final Fantasy (NES)
Final Fantasy II (SNES)

Final Fantasy III (SNES) *This is the one that everyone said was good. I'd rather play it on the GBA as FF VI but we don't have that version. Is there a reason NOT to play the SNES version?

Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest (SNES)
Final Fantasy IV (GBA)
Final Fantasy Anthology (V & VI) (PS1)
Final Fantasy Chronicles (FF IV and Chrono Trigger) PS1
Final Fantasy VII (PS1)
Final Fantasy VIII (PS1)
Final Fantasy IX (PS1)
Final Fantasy X (PS2)
Final Fantasy X-2 (PS2)
Final Fantasy XII (PS2)
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles (GC)
Final Fantasy Tactics (PS1)

I'm leaning toward Final Fantasy IX (PS1) because that's the animation style that I like the most. I'm also going to try FF III on the SNES unless there's a reason not to. That should keep me busy this weekend. Any thoughts?

Final Fantasy II (SNES) was the game that got me hooked to the FF series and III (SNES) really drove that home...

btw.. I'm impatiently waiting for Mrs. Shipwrecks preview for

http://www.ebgames.com/product.asp?product_id=180511

[quote name='mrs. shipwreck']
Final Fantasy III (SNES) *This is the one that everyone said was good. I'd rather play it on the GBA as FF VI but we don't have that version. Is there a reason NOT to play the SNES version?
[/quote]

the SNES version of FFVI aka FFIII is excellent and is the version that made me fall in love with the franchise. you should also play FFIV aka FFII for the SNES as well. glad to hear you'll be entering the FF realm. you'll love it and you'll see why the PSOnes just don't impress me as much as the SNES ones.

btw, i'm at work and there's a guy with the last name "Petz". he must be glad his last name is associated with a terrible game franchise.

Another great show, Ships. Mrs. Tybee and I have gotten in the habit of listening to Foreplay while we're actually playing on the 360 (mostly Viva Pinata, lately). She likes that you guys have a lot of the same debates we do.

Ship: On the CAGcast, Cheapy and Wombat were discussing what you do for a living. Something about editing technical manuals for aircraft? What exactly do you do? I'm actually an editor too, mostly with trade and engineering magazines, and my father, my uncle, and my grandfather were all airline captains. And Mrs. Tybee is an engineer. So maybe we could talk shop.

[quote name='Besterp12']Dreamfall does get better once it gets started, but most of the awards you might be thinking about went to the first game. Dreamfall is a sequel to the PC game titled "The Longest Journey". Unlike Dreamfall, TLJ is a straight adventure game with almost no timed action sequences/fighting, but I thought it had better writing and characters than Dreamfall. You can get The Longest Journey from Steam for $10.[/quote]

I really enjoyed The Longest Journey. It's the only PC adventure game that really sucked me in since the golden era of LucasArts and Sierra. Can't speak for Dreamfall, as I haven't played it, but given how much I enjoyed TLJ, I may give it a shot.

[quote name='Thomas96']The Wii is was modeled directly after the DS... so any game on the DS, can be automatically played on the Wii. Touchscreen motions can be easily duplicated into Wii stick motions. So.. with that.. what's the difference between the Wii and the DS Ship? Nintendo says not much..[/quote]

Not exactly. All you have to do is compare Cooking Mama or Trauma Center on the DS to Cooking Mama or Trauma Center on the Wii to see that what works on one doesn't automatically translate to the other.

[quote name='mrs. shipwreck']Final Fantasy III (SNES) *This is the one that everyone said was good. I'd rather play it on the GBA as FF VI but we don't have that version. Is there a reason NOT to play the SNES version?

I'm leaning toward Final Fantasy IX (PS1) because that's the animation style that I like the most. I'm also going to try FF III on the SNES unless there's a reason not to. That should keep me busy this weekend. Any thoughts?[/quote]

I've played and finished every FF excepting FFXII and FFVII:CC (haven't bothered to finish 12 yet and CC just got and still working on, but not enough time).

The "only" reason I can think of to play FFVI on the GBA over the SNES FFIII is that you can play it in the same room while Ship is playing something on your big TV. If you wanted to give it a try (and could wait past the weekend), I will more than happily send you my copy on loan for as long as you want to play it. I'm in the middle of a replay through it, but I've got tons of other things to keep me occupied. Send me a PM or email me (I think you have it from before when I did the PW prize) if you're interested.

As for FFIX, it was a good game, but for some reason hasn't left as much of a mark on me as FFX did, for games of "that generation" (yes I realize FFIX was PS1 and FFX was PS2 but you know what I mean...). But if you like the animation, that's something to draw you in further, so it's worth a go.

/tk

I can't tell exactly, but I think Heavenly Guardian for the PS2 was finally released sometime in the last week & a half. It was supposed to come out over a month ago, the week of the robot voices episode. A few online stores have stocked it, and Amazon has at last shipped my pre-order - they're out of stock now, however. It looks like it's getting pretty terrible distribution.

[quote name='mrs. shipwreck']
Final Fantasy III (SNES) *This is the one that everyone said was good. I'd rather play it on the GBA as FF VI but we don't have that version. Is there a reason NOT to play the SNES version? [/quote]

The GBA version has a better translation.


[quote name='mrs. shipwreck']I'm leaning toward Final Fantasy IX (PS1) because that's the animation style that I like the most. I'm also going to try FF III on the SNES unless there's a reason not to. That should keep me busy this weekend. Any thoughts?[/quote]

Go for FF 9 because I think it's one of the ones you'll like the most.

Great show. Ms. Shipwreck proved her nerd credentials with her message board style incrimination of Shipwreck and the Spider-Man reference. Whoever suggested FFVI Advance and FFIX were pretty spot on. Even though I'm indifferent about them, they have really good translations and tell a story that actually tries to make sense.

My personal favorite, FFVII has aged pretty badly, I'm afraid.

[quote name='DQT']

My personal favorite, FFVII has aged pretty badly, I'm afraid.[/quote]

totally agree. i guess that's why everyone is clamoring for a FFVII remake altho i doubt that'll happen anytime soon with the FFXIII empire that's coming soon.

Can't wait for the next one to be up.

[quote name='Trenchalicious']Can't wait for the next one to be up.[/QUOTE]

Should be up shortly. It's converting to MP3 format as I type this.