brooksee Blog

Community Update - Update?

Matt Brooker — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 07:58:00 GMT

Hey all. I won't take much of your time. But, I wanted to let you all know that Community Update won't be happening anymore. There are a bunch of reasons. But, in short, Community Update has kind of been rendered irrellevant as of late, I've decided to give my MPVG project the priority, and let's not kid ourselves, you all are plenty smexy enough to find awesome stuff on this awesome site. I'll probably still be around the site doin' stuff, just not this anymore. I really appreciate all the support while it lasted.

Follow my new show here if you're interested. That's where I'll be doing most of my blogging, videos and stuff from now on.

Thanks!

Matt

Matt Plays Videogames - Episode #2

Matt Brooker — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 03:09:00 GMT

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In episode #2 I talk about the XBL Indie Game Square Off, Chrono Trigger for DS, Transformers: War for Cybertron, Mass Effect 2, and Perfect Dark for Xbox Live Arcade.

Links:

Square Off Gameplay

Perfect Dark Remake

Mass Effect 2 Class Intros

Transformers: War for Cybertron Reveal Trailer

Community Update 1.15.10 - Game of the Year Edition

Matt Brooker — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 21:57:00 GMT

Hey all. Hope you all had a restful break from school or work. It was nice to have some time off, but it's good to be back and bloggin' on GI. I don't have quite as much insight this week for the simple reason that I've seriously been away from the site for awhile. So, I gathered as many noteworthy Game of the Year related posts as I could to populate the first Community Update of 2010. Things will hopefully be easier as I get back into the swing of things.

If you weren't aware, some pretty awesome community members have started a community-focused podcast called Fairchild VI. They've been hard at work getting this thing off the ground and already have two excellent episodes under their belt. Do yourself a huge-ass favor and check it out.

Just a reminder. since I've been away for awhile and some of you may be seeing Community Update for the first time - If you write or know of any posts throughout the week that you think should be included, send me a PM and I'll make sure to include them. Also, I tried to be as aware as I can of other community happenings (clans, groups, tourneys, game nights). But, if you're just starting something up and want to advertise here, feel free to let me know.

As far as tourney and game night stuff. I haven't heard anything new from anyone, and I'm assuming that the Street Fighter IV and SSBB tournaments from last year have wrapped up. If I'm wrong, please let me know.

Top 10 Games of 2009 - Rob Ebert

My 2009 Game of the Year - dkeller2

Yet Another "Best of 2009" List - Ken Rogers

Overall Game of the Year 2009 - rmeyer

My Top 4 Games of the Year - TARG

Best of 2009? I'm Still Working On 2008... - Stevetopsy

Top 5 of 2009 - Ben Deckert

Matt Plays Videogames - Episode #1

Matt Brooker — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 20:27:00 GMT

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Hey all. So this is a new little project of mine. The intro video on my Youtube channel kind of explains what each episode will be about. But, its basically just me talking about what I've been playing, gaming news, etc. It's something I've kind of wanted to do ever since the old podcast I was involved with came to an end. Hope everyone's coming back from the holidays fully rested and whatnot. Community Update should start back up next weekend. Thanks for watching!

Community Update 12.18.09

Matt Brooker — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 06:55:00 GMT

Hey guys. I hate to start off with bad news, but this will be the last Community Update until after the holidays. Due to some senior thesis nonsense and a few other holiday happenings, I'll be taking a month-long break from Community Update and blogging in general. You guys are champs, though. I know you'll be alright without me. The returning Community Update in January will probably be one big ass list of GOTY posts. So, if you get yours done early and want to make sure I feature it, send me a link.

My Top Ten Games of the 2000's - H.E. Pennypacker shares his favorites from the last ten years. Not an easy task, but his list is pretty awesome and includes a little something for everyone.

I Am Gaming And So Can You - The Mildy Retarded Gamer brings to light the existance of some unnecessary game-related drama that I think we've all delt with at some point.

My Top Ten Tracks From the Halo Universe - Dylan Snyder talks about his favorite tunes from Halo, a series that never seems to fail when it comes to delivering the auditory goodness.

Why Do You Attend the GI Forums/Site? - Vermanubis brings up some really interesting points regarding forum interaction, blogging motivations, and the general state of the GI online community.

Preview: Dante's Inferno "Gates of Hell" Demo - Brittany Vincent wrote up a fancy preview on Visceral Games' upcoming third-person action game.

The Top 10 Most Unintentionally Scariest Moments Of All Time - Enigma takes the cake as far as Top Ten lists go this week. All I'll say is scroll down with caution.

Top 20 Defining Moments In Gaming - xyParadox gets all nostalgic with this list of pretty unforgettable moments in gaming history.

Tournament/Game Night Listings:

Street Fighter IV Tournament - hosted by sakabato24

Super Smash Bros. Brawl Tournament - hosted by FUNK LEGEND

Community Update 12.12.09

Matt Brooker — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 19:00:00 GMT

I hope the holiday season is treating you well so far. I just finished up school for the semester and have been looking forward to finishing up some 2009 games I haven't had the time to play yet. I can't wait to see GOTY lists start to pop up in the coming weeks. I still need to play Assassin's Creed 2, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and possibly Murumasa: The Demon Blade before I nail down my final top 10.

So, it's been pretty awesome watching the "Best Game List" trend, made popular by the debut of GI's 200th issue, start to take some interesting turns this week with things like "Top 10 Zelda Games". A lot of people have been talking about Universal Orlando's plans to build a Harry Potter theme park, too. It was such a hot topic that I couldn't help but include a related post. Oh, and what's with these weird rumors going around about an Unofficial GI.com Community Podcast? Sounds super lame.

Have a great week, everyone!

Why Gaming Will Never Be Taken Seriously - BlackHeartedWolf talks about gaming's neverending struggle to enter the mainstream and why it may never happen.

The 2009 Child's Play Charity Dinner Auction - DTJAAAAM shares some thoughts and photos from his trip to the annual charity dinner.

A Look Back At Gaming '09 (Part 1) - Craigaleg posts part one of his reflection on gaming in 2009. Instead of just listing his favs, he goes back month by month and highlights important gaming moments throughout the year.

The Legend of Zelda Top 10 Countdown - Fox lists his Top 10 Zelda games. What?! No Wand of Gamelon?!

5 Games That I Think Should Have Sequels Now - Ben Deckert lists some games that, in his opinion, are well-deserving of a sequel, which totally reminded me that I need to go back and finish Psi-Ops.

Harry Potter Theme Park - Collision236 has all the details on the proposed Harry Potter Theme Park at Universal Studios in Orlando. I don't know about you, but I can't wait to bring my wizarding dreams to life.

Making Motion Controls Not Suck - TGM suggests a few ways to improve the tacked-on feeling of alot of Wii motion control features.

Shhh...It's Coming - Fairchild VI unveils their plans for a community-focused podcast.

Tournament/Game Night Listings:

Street Fighter IV Tournament - hosted by sakabato24

Super Smash Bros. Brawl Tournament - hosted by FUNK LEGEND

Community Update 12.4.09

Matt Brooker — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 21:33:00 GMT

Happy December! I write to you this week no longer a virgin of the ridiculous roller coaster ride that is Modern Warfare 2's Single Player Campaign. Jeebus, that was crazy. I've dabbled in the multi-player a bit too. While I'm aware of the addictive quality, my potential to suck at that game never fails and has kept me from playing it too terribly much.

No new game nights or tourneys this week. I had an inquiry about advertising clans and after some thought, I think I'm going to stay away from that. I can see that possibly getting out of control and weird. If you guys have any other ideas for Community Update additions though, I'm totally up for suggestions. This monster still has some room to grow.

12 Days of Gamer's Favorite's List (Day 1) - Vote 4 Pedro has kind of a sweet idea. Instead of revealing his favorite games list all at once, he'll talk about one game a day for 12 days. Holiday style.

Spouting Tough Love for the Wii Library - TGM wonders if anything can be done to stop the endless onslaught of shovelware titles for the Wii.

My Top 10 Favorite Villains in Sonic the Hedgehog - Meta77 keeps the Top 10 craze from last week alive with his list of favorite Sonic villains.

Underdog Outlook 2010 part 1 - Shawn Gordon has his eye on some under-the-radar games that could make a big splash in 2010.

PS3 vs. Xbox 360: The Christmas Showdown - Ben Deckert pits the two heavy-hittin' consoles against eachother in an all out brawl for your grandma's holiday spending money.

Iphone/Itouch Buyer's Guide - Luke lists off some must have games for the Iphone and Ipod Touch.

Bayonetta Demo Impressions - I was able to snag a demo code for Bayonetta this past week and wrote up some of my impressions. Check it out, sucka!

Tournament/Game Night Listings:

Street Fighter IV Tournament - hosted by sakabato24

Super Smash Bros. Brawl Tournament - hosted by FUNK LEGEND

Bayonetta Demo Impressions

Matt Brooker — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 08:13:00 GMT

Bayonetta is a game that's been sort of hanging out in the back of my mind since late summer. While I do enjoy the occasional action game, I hadn't really been anticipating it too much. I'm usually terrible at these sort of games and I can never really see them beating out RPGs, shooters, or platformers on my list of favorite genres. That being said, I'm a huge fan of the Viewtiful Joe and Devil May Cry series' and there is no doubt in my mind that Hideki Kamiya really really knows what he's doing when it comes to action games. I was lucky enough to snag an early demo code and try out the Xbox 360 version of the game this past week.

Chances are, if you don't know much about the game, you're atleast familiar with the character. You know, that badass librarian chick with guns on her heels? Bayonetta, who has awoken from a 500 year sleep with no memory of herself or her surroundings, is introduced after a gravity-defying battle upon a plummeting clock tower. Her provocative and hyperbolic personality immediately sets the mood for what I can only imagine will be one of the most ridiculously over-the-top game experiences of 2010.

Bayonetta fights several types of angel-based enemies over the course of the demo. Standard angel enemies, flying enemies, and larger mini-boss angels all make an appearance. All of which drop collectible halos and/or health and magic upgrades upon death. Halos are, from what I understand, used for weapon purchases and upgrades. I wasn't able to access a weapon shop in the demo, but I wasn't really looking too hard for one either. I was, however, able to pick up several enemy weapons and put them to use in battle. I ran across a flail, a giant battle axe, a few polearms, and a trumpet that acts as a shotgun.

Each face-button functions as a basic move that can be strung together for some pretty insane combos. Simple three or four button combos are very effective and, when playing on normal, the game is fairly approachable and easy to pick up and play. But, a deeper understanding of button combinations and control is necessary to unleash Bayonetta's full potential. Juggling enemies, air combos, and torture combos are all very satisfying. Even within the small scope of the demo, I was made aware of the incredible amount of combos, movements, and attacks that Bayonetta has at her disposal.

In addition to melee attacks, Bayonetta can fire automatic pistols from both her hands and feet. This adds yet another layer of depth to the combat. At the same time, the way gun control is implemented makes it very fun and easy to use. Simply holding down a face button at the end or during a combo will introduce gunplay into the situation. It's possible to use guns in a long-range, point and shoot sort of way, but there's no better way to top off a double punch to the face than with a blast or two from the trusty old heel pistol.

If the demo pays any testament to the final game, boss battles are going to be a defining trait. There are several significant boss/mini-boss fights in the demo and the game seems to have no qualms about throwing big scary enemies at you as often as possible. Not once did I feel overpowered or cheated though. The fights were genuinely fun and changing environments/surfaces were often incorporated.

I have to say, even after some way-positive reviews from Edge and Famitsu and all of this "redefining the genre" talk, I was still hesitating to get my hopes up. But, after experiencing just a tiny bit of the game, I can certainly tell that there is something to look forward to with Bayonetta. I can't wait to give the full game a try when January rolls around.

If you haven't had a chance to play the demo yet, it's available on Japanese PSN/Xbox now and in North America and Europe on December 3rd.

Community Update - 11.27.09

Matt Brooker — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 02:06:00 GMT

Hey hey everyone. My deepest apologies for being MIA without excuse last weekend. A lot of things happened over the past few weeks. I turned twenty three, celebrated about 9 other birthdays aside from my own, played way too many games, and ate a whole bunch of turkey. But worry not, my friends. Community Update is back and stronger than ever this week!

As a result of GI's top 200 issue, a lot of posts this week revolve around Top 10's and favorite games of all time. But there are some other goodies mixed in there. As always, feel free to send me tips about any posts you'd like to be featured or any tournaments or community shenanigans going on. As far as I know, the SSBB and SFIV tourneys are still in progress. Please let me know if any changes need to be made to listings so I can keep this business current.

Have a good holiday weekend, everyone!

Top Ten Most Meaningful Games: Games That Matter To Me - BatmanPrime lists off some truly unforgettable games.

Guaranteed Time Killers #1: Phantasy Star Online - Matt writes the first in a series of posts detailing those special games that never fail at taking up a whole bunch of your time.

My 10 Favorite Games Of All Time - Blade keeps the Top Ten love flowin' with his personal list of favorites.

How To Save Sonic - Ryan M. Eft wrote up a quick little post concerning the seemingly inevitable demise of the Sonic series and suggests a few pointers on how to bring our favorite hedgehog back to life.

Bandwagoning: Top 10 Favorite Games Of All Time - LittleBigEthan joins in on the Top 10 fun with his interesting list of favorites. This dude has really good taste in games, if I do say so myself.

My Top 10 RPGs Of All Time - Dethmatic adds a bit of variety to the Top Ten craze with his list of favorite role playing games.

Top Ten Video Game Vixens: Now With More Brains! - Molotov Cupcake compiles a list of 10 sexy female badasses you should know about.

Tournament/Game Night Listings:

Street Fighter IV Tournament - hosted by sakabato24

Super Smash Bros. Brawl Tournament - hosted by FUNK LEGEND

Community Update - 11.13.09

Matt Brooker — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:27:00 GMT

Hey there, dudes and ladies! It's that time of the week, again. This time around we have the usual line-up of blog posts as well as some tournaments going on within the community. I had to do a bit of digging to find out about any game tourney happenings, so if you're conducting a tournament or plan to in the future, let me know and I'll add it to the list.

My Consoles Edition 1 - keo528 posts the first in a series of photo blogs showcasing each of his consoles and the games/accessories that go along with them.

Kirby's Adventure: Blast from the Past - Matt takes us on a trip down memory lane and shares his history with Kirby games as well as his thoughts on returning to the series after such a long period of time.

Molotov Cupcake's Interview with Jack Thompson - Molotov Cupcake got a chance to interview the man every gamer loves to hate. He seems like a totally neat guy.

Mandatory Play by All Gamers Part 1 - BatmanPrime posts the first eight titles in an ongoing list of games all gamers need to play.

Midnight Launch - Forsberg shares his experience of waiting in line for MW2 earlier this week. Unfortunately, he didn't have to punch any dudes to get his copy.

In Defense of Girl Games - Amanda defends the existence of those "pink, jewel-encrusted, spatula-wielding, fashion-obsessed, wedding/prom/baby planning" things called girl games.

Tournament/Game Night Listings:

Street Fighter IV Tournament - hosted by sakabato24

Super Smash Bros. Brawl Tournament - hosted by FUNK LEGEND

Community Update - 11.6.09

Matt Brooker — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:05:00 GMT

It's time for another Community Update, my gaming compadres. Thanks so much for all your submissions throughout the week. I'm starting to receive more and more tips, which are always helpful. Shoot me a private message if you have a blog post you'd like for me to include in next weekend's edition.

I'd like to start including more than just the standard list of noteworthy posts within community update. I've been tossing around a few ideas (game night schedules, etc.), but if you have any thoughts on what else could be included, feel free to let me know.

My Undeath Pt. 1 - Cougan "Triller" Waddell writes his first in a series of entries detailing the gruesome experience of becoming and existing as a zombie.

Video Games and Movies: A Match Made in Hell - JuniorMints admits his disappointment in most videogame inspired films and lists five of his favorites that somehow manage to not suck.

A Case for ESRB and Why Censorship is Needed - Shawn Gordon discusses the ESRB and why a moderate form of videogame censorship is necessary.

Music Games: They're not all Plastic Guitars and Slammin' Drum Pads - Mr.SmashterMeister clues us all in on some of his favorite music/rythm games that don't require a 5-button plastic instrument.

Drunk on MMA! November edition - littlejoe has started a monthly series revolving around the world of Mixed Martial Arts fighting. Posts include thoughts on MMA happenings as well as information about upcoming matches.

Left 4 Dead 2, demo impressions - I've been having a ton of fun with the Left 4 Dead 2 demo. Here are a few thoughts I had while playing it this past week.

Left 4 Dead 2, demo impressions

Matt Brooker — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:22:20 GMT

Man, I did not plan on making another new game purchase this Fall. But after playing through the Left 4 Dead 2 demo a few times this afternoon, things are going to be pretty tempting come November 17th. I played through the demo content twice by myself (once on normal and then advanced) and once with one other human player. I plan on trying out some online play and 4-player co-op later on tonight. But, until then, I thought I'd share some thoughts I had while playing.

- How rad was that intro video? That's probably one of the best cut scenes I have seen in a long time. Of course I had checked it out a week or so ago, but watching it again while gearing up to play had me that much more excited about jumping into the action. I may or may not have fist pumped when Coach chainsawed through two zombies and a smoker tongue to save Ellis.

- I was so unaware of the extent of weapon variety in this game. In my time playing, I ran across three different shotguns, three different SMG-ish weapons, a sniper and two pistol types. Not too mention all the new melee weapons. Machete for the win, by the way.

- The sniper seems to be a more accessible weapon type this time around. I never saw the appeal in the first game, but the rifle I picked up had a quicker fire rate and a short zoom. I may actually give the long range approach a try this time around.

- I've really enjoyed the new special infected types, too. The charger is my favorite so far. The idea of a "glass cannon" special zombie adds a really interesting dynamic to the game. If the group spots a charger from far off, he's never a big deal. But when he manages to catche you off guard, he becomes a HUGE problem. Jockeys are hilarious and sneaky as hell and I absolutely cannot wait to play as a Spitter in versus mode.

- Any dormant "anti-L4D2" feelings I had were completely washed away once I as able to see first-hand how much of a graphical improvement this game is over the original. Everything from regular zombies to special infected, guns and environments feel fresh and revamped. I noticed some really nice touches in regards to the way zombies take damage and react to different weapon types. You'll be splittin' limbs and bashin' heads in a variety of ways. These changes are especially noticeable with the newly added melee weapons.

I can't wait to go back and play some more. How do you guys feel about L4D2? Anyone convinced to make a purchase on the 17th after playing the demo?

Community Update - 10.30.09

Matt Brooker — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:22:13 GMT

Herro all. Are you ready to have yourself some Community Update? GI bloggers were awesome as usual this week and pumped out some really interesting stuff. Topics include everything from videogame violence to movies, music, and the evolution of a gamer. Be sure to pm me a link to your post during the week so you can be included next time.

Also, I noticed some game nights being organized in the forums. Being pretty new to GI, I'm not totally sure if you guys have a set schedule for that sort of thing. If anyone wants to clue me in, I think community game night schedules would be a great addition to the Community Update. I've talked to a few people about getting some Battlefield 1943 going, but that has yet to actually happen.

An in-depth look at AVP - Manny put together a nice preview of Rebellion's forthcoming FPS based on the popular sci-fi/horror series.

It's not a console war, let me explain - VenerableMonster insightfully explains the current-gen console race through a series of Star Wars metaphors.

What you should be listening to: a weekly musical blog - Mr PMS has good taste in music and blogs about it. He'll be updating weekly and encourages other users to submit entries to be featured each week.

Movie Roundup #2 - fleshballoon shares some movie impressions. Up for criticism this time around are Fat Girl, The Piano Teacher, The Trials of Henry Kissinger, and Pootie Tang.

A growing gamer - kittygamer88 talks about growing up with games and evolving as a gamer.

Jack Thompson violently knits a quilt...and gets away with it - LaurenisSoMosh talks about videogame violence and nabs some interesting commentary from Ubisoft's Community Developer Azaizia Aymar and Script Writer Corey May.

Things that would make Borderlands more awesome.

Matt Brooker — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:11:21 GMT

Within just a week since its release, I've already sunk more hours into Borderlands than any other game this year. Not unlike the number of weapon types in the game, there are 87 bazillion reasons why I love Borderlands. However, no game is perfect, and it certainly has its faults. Here's a short list of things that I think would make Borderlands a little more awesome.

1. Patch skill tree bugs - This one's kind of obvious and a fix will no doubt happen at some point. But, if you weren't aware, there have been some issues with skills trees in the game. The Siren specifically has some broken skills and players have reported loss of skill points and weapon proficiencies upon disconnecting from a game. On a somewhat similar note, I experienced a weird phenomenon last night where, upon switching from a high to low level character, I acquired a bunch of end game quests that I hadn't touched. Little bugs like those won't necessarily stop anyone from playing in the short term, but failure to address these minor problems could be hurtful in the long run.

2. Shared Item Bank - In a game so focused on constantly acquiring badass loot, it's a shame I have to trash so much of it to free up inventory space. Just last night I was questing with a my Soldier and found a lower level artifact for my hunter. In order to get the item to my hunter, I had to drop it in my soldiers game, have a friend pick it up, then drop out and join his game with my hunter. All that for one item! The incorporation of an shared item bank would not only be helpful for sending items to alternate characters, but could also serve as a place to store those insane items you'd like to hang onto.

3. Trade/Roll System - I realize people have been groaning about this since before the game even came out, but incorporating a player to player trade system would solve a lot of problems. I haven't had many issues personally, but I have spoken to friends who've quit games because other players looting everything or grabbing items that players were attempting to exchange. Giving players the ability to trade privately and the addition of a roll system for higher level loot would make things a whole lot friendlier. Although, playing with friends seems to negate these issues. Unless, of course, you have some super mean friends.

4. Character/Story Focused DLC - I'm gonna be straight up with you all. I couldn't care less about the overarching story in Borderlands. I have, however, really enjoyed some of the characters I've met so far. There have been some super funny and interesting characters and I'd love to play DLC that introduces more insane personalities or delves deeper into characters we've already met. While I don't know much about the first DLC pack, it looks like they may be headed in that direction.

How's your experience with Bordlerlands so far? What do you like? What do you dislike?

Community Update - 10.24.09

Matt Brooker — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:34:21 GMT

So, I haven't been around much this week. I credit my distraction mainly to schoolwork, but also to a little thing called Borderlands. Talk about poop-sockin' it, I put almost ten hours into that game on day one. It was intense. Sitting down to write this post is the first time I've spent any significant amount of time on GI this week and it's good to be back.

Thanks to the few people who've given me the heads up on some quality posts. As always, if you see something you think is worth sharing, or you've written a solid bog entry of your own, let me know and I'll be sure to include it next time.

A Tale of Two Punk Bands - Les Legions Noires shares a bit about his history with music and lets us in on a couple of his favorite punk bands.

5 Stupid Characters that I support Anyway - It seems like it's difficult to make a game without throwing in an annoying or uninteresting character that everyone hates. iceap12 assembled a list of stupid characters that he still manages to love, despite their personality defects.

Sports Blog #3 - The Brady Bunch has been putting up a regular sports blog that highlights games of the week in addition to his predictions for future games. Great for any sports fans out there.

The Case for Retail - Jake H. brings up the interesting point of consumer vs. publisher control in a world of strictly digital distribution.

My epic Halo 3 Team Match - Vote 4 Pedro tells the tale of a truly insane comeback during a Halo 3 team battle. A story that will no doubt live on through his children, and his children's children, and their children's children...

Lunch with Snake - Supersnake eats lunch and takes pictures. 'nuff said.