GamerCrave.com » Jared Newman

The 9 Best LittleBigPlanet 2 Levels Thus Far

Jared Newman — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:04:25 +0000

There’s a certain thrill of the hunt that takes hold when searching for the best user-made levels in LittleBigPlanet 2. Finding something amazing to enjoy later with friends and family is like returning back to the cave with a week’s worth of wild boar — or so I imagine.

But sometimes, you don’t have time to go digging. Your party is restless, and they demand entertainment. Never fear. Although LittleBigPlanet 2 has only been available for a week, I’ve scrounged up nine great custom levels that’ll keep you and your friends occupied for hours.

Blast Radius by johnee

We’re sure to see plenty of space shooters with LittleBigPlanet 2′s support for controlled objects, but Blast Radius nails it with flashy graphics, multiple weapons and multiplayer support. The leaderboards are already hyper-competitive.

National Motocross by pate59

This modern-day version of Excitebike is short, but sweet, with plenty of tall jumps and a loop-de-loop at the end. For more of the same, check out pate59′s follow-up level, Rooftop Motocross.

Classic Zelda 1-1 by Bluetonberry

In the grand tradition of ~~ripping off~~ paying homage to the classics, Bluetonberry’s Zelda clone hits all the right notes. It even has an inventory screen.

Galactic Base Defence by urbandevill

This simple tower defense game has four levels of increasing difficulty, with three types of upgradeable weapon towers. And it’s old-school, requiring you to conserve resources for the highest score.

Super LBP Fighter II Turbo by Hymanator

The action isn’t quite as fast as the real thing, but that means Super LBP Fighter II Turbo could be the mainstream fighter we’ve all been waiting for. You can throw a fireball by pressing down-to-forward and both punch buttons, but my favorite move is the double leg kick.

Rio Dance Off by Wexfordian

The main game in LittleBigPlanet 2 has a couple of mash-the-buttons levels, but this one adds a little flare with selectable characters and a colorful setting. Finally, a way to figure out who’s best at memorizing the PS3′s weird button scheme.

Mediterranean Street Racing by steve_big_guns

A top-down racer in the tradition of Super Sprint and Off-Road, Mediterranean Street Racing is simple but polished. It’ll scratch the racing itch until something more elaborate comes along.

Lunar Explorer by JusticeCovert

Funk the haters who downvoted this level. I’m a sucker for retro and JusticeCovert does justice to the Atari classic Lunar Lander. Yes, the rotational controls are touchy, as they should be. More of this, please.

Sackboy Basketball by Scumble373

There’s a different basketball game with high gravity that’s currently getting all the attention on LittleBigPlanet 2′s hot list. Ignore it and play Sackboy Basketball instead. Why is this one superior? Because the standard gravity allows you to smack players down for the steal, streetball style. It’s not griefing if it serves a purpose!

Gaming’s Toughest Questions, As Tackled By Yahoo Answers

Jared Newman — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:15:19 +0000

Yahoo Answers is a massive, sometimes embarrassing snapshot of the human psyche, where anyone can ask any question to an anonymous peanut gallery of non-experts. So for no reason whatsoever, I decided to see what the site’s users were saying about video games. After digging through hundreds of queries — many of them about video game violence and addiction — I amassed a solid list of topics that really matter. Here are some of the most maddening, mystifying and terrifying questions about video games, as posted on Yahoo Answers.

Best Answer – Isn’t that a rhetorical question? [Link]

Best Answer – Because becoming a werewolf is really the next best thing to playing Rampage. [Link]

Best Answer – Now that you mention it, getting the Paramour achievement in Mass Effect was both easy and enjoyable. [Link]

Best Answer – I know! When they asked me if I wanted to pre-order Red Dead Redemption, it moved. [Link]

Best Answer – Just imagine the tone of panic as this statement suddenly turns into a question. [Link]

Best Answer – Dude, I have no idea what you’re talking abo–AAH! Oh. Hey there. [Link]

Not touching that one. [Link]

Best Answer – I dunno. I thought it’d be easier for Americans, with their big American eyes. [Link]

Best Answer – Yes. After a kill, all the pros run around the battlefield yelling “NO SCOPE!”

Best Answer – There’s only one way to find out! [Link]

Best Answer – The same day they “bad” free speech and everyone who butchers the English language. [Link]

Best Answer – Only if you’ll concede that Wii Bowling and retirement homes are just ways to hasten the deaths of the elderly. [Link]

There are a surprisingly large number of queries dedicated to this topic. [Link]

Best Answer – At the very least, they’ll learn to make Mole Rat Wonder Meat. [Link]

Best Answer – Now that’s a rhetorical question. [Link]

Hat tip to my pals at FunnyCrave, who once had a blast answering one of the dumbest questions on Yahoo Answers. More gamer humor here.

Real-Life Achievements for Skiers? That’s Sick

Jared Newman — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:43:19 +0000

The Colorado Rocky Mountains are going to get more game-like this ski season, with a new program that rewards skiers with achievements and other metrics as they ride. Epic Mix, which debuts Colorado ski resorts in November, uses radio frequency identification, or RFID. With an RF tag built into every lift ticket, the mountain knows where you ride, the lifts you take and the distance you ski, and Epic Mix doles out achievements based on your accomplishments.

For lack of a better word, the achievementification of real life is not unique to Epic Mix. An iPhone app called Epic Win provides an avatar to build with everyday tasks like doing your laundry or exercising. Services like Foursquare and GetGlue hand out badges and stickers, respectively, for visiting new places and consuming multimedia.

What’s interesting about Epic Mix — besides the way-cool RF tracking — is how closely the achievements themselves mimic those of video games.

Take a look at the achievements listed above. They all have the potential to change your behavior on the slopes. No longer is the mountain fun for fun’s sake. It has purpose. You take the 6-person lift six times not because it has some killer runs, but because you stand to gain that rush of instant gratification that an achievement provides.

It’s like carrying the gnome in Half-Life 2: Episode 2 or playing the pacifist in Mirror’s Edge. You don’t have to do it — you might not even want to do it — but you do it. Ostensibly, Epic Mix’s achievements are meant to get you on the slopes more often. If you’ve ever bought an Xbox Live Arcade game — maybe a re-release of a classic game you’ve played countless times — because you want to go achievement hunting, you get the idea.

And as with video game achievements, I’m torn by Epic Mix’s implications. Achievements have tarnished the freedom video games usually allow. They remind you, as the game progresses, that maybe you should be hitting more foes with your rifle butt, or trying for a few more grenade kills. Adjusting your path for optimal achievements, not optimal enjoyment, becomes the rule.

So it will be in the mountains of Colorado. You may miss that gem of a run because you were too busy shooting for 10 rides on the same lift. But hey, at least you’ll be able to brag about it on Twitter.

4 Fallacies of the Anti-Used Game Argument

Jared Newman — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:30:49 +0000

Publishers don’t want you to buy used games, and neither do game developers. That’s no surprise, but I was taken aback this week to see some game writers arguing in opposition to the used game market, one that is dominated by Gamestop and, according to the logic of those opposed, doesn’t benefit publishers and developers at all.

Hogwash. Used video games may not result in direct profits for publishers, but the argument that they’re derailing the games industry relies on several falsehoods. Here are the arguments you’re likely to hear against used games, and why they’re bogus:

1. Video Games Don’t Lose Value With Age

Really? When EA Sports stops updating the roster for Madden 10 to push people towards Madden 11, the old game has lost value. When a sequel improves upon the faults of its predecessor, the original game has lost value. If anything, video games depreciate more than movies, books and music, because they are intrinsically tied to improving technology. Old games become stale.

2. Video Games Have No Secondary Market

Compared to movies, which go from theaters to home distribution to ad-supported TV broadcasts, video games’ only chance at generating revenue is on store shelves — or so this false argument goes. Video games actually have a few shots at additional revenue with downloadable content, digital distribution and resale on new consoles. Case in point: NES games are no longer sold in stores, but we happily pay for them again on the Wii’s Virtual Console.

3. Used Game Buyers Freeload By Playing Online

This argument paints used game buyers as people who tax a game’s multiplayer servers without paying the toll, but it gleefully omits the fact that the toll was already paid. If I trade in a multiplayer game, I can no longer play that game online (or offline), so whoever buys that copy is no more of a burden on the publisher than if I had kept the game and continued to play. Meanwhile, publishers have an opportunity to double-dip through the aforementioned DLC, which doesn’t transfer from one owner to the next.

4. People Who Buy Used Games Aren’t Customers

Where is it written that someone who buys a used game never buys new? A few years ago, I rented Mass Effect through GameFly, then I bought a used copy when the price went down. When Mass Effect 2 was released, I bought it within a week of launch. For better or worse, the video games industry is built on franchises, not one-off hits. When someone buys a used game, that person becomes a potential sale for the big sequel. The challenge for publishers is in making games that are worth the day one asking price, but I understand that it’s easier to just complain.

Some Awesome Video Game Music, Just Because

Jared Newman — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:41:27 +0000

Over at Kilted Moose, Scott Munro put together a short list of his favorite video game music. They don’t align with my favorites at all, but the thing about game music, and music in general, is that we’re drawn to different songs and styles for different reasons. So here are some of my most cherished video game songs. I won’t say they’re the greatest compositions of all time — many are just deep cuts from well-known games — but they deserve to be appreciated.

Mega Man 5: Gravity Man

The funk drops at about 1:08. If you can’t dig that breakdown, you’re already dead.

Super Paper Mario: Gloam Valley

Try listening to just the bass line for an example of how much effort goes into these songs.

Doom II: Running from Evil (Entryway)

The second half of the song contains what is unquestionably the most face-melting MIDI solo of all time.

Rez: Fear is the Mindkiller by Adam Freeland

Finally, some video game music you can feel confident blasting from your car stereo. Tidbit: the killer horn sample comes from “California Soul” by Marlena Shaw.

Mortal Kombat II: The Courtyard

Good background fighting music, yes, but the mish-mash of tribal drum fills, atonal trills and an overbearing synth lead is beautifully abstract.

Contra 3: Hell Messenger (Stage 5)

This song does not get enough credit for how off-the-wall ridiculous it is. Mixed measures and clever counterpoint abound.

Ninja Gaiden: Foster’s Theme

I love the way the snare hits are scattered with such precision through the bridge in Foster’s Theme.

Streets of Rage 2: Spin on the Bridge

Streets of Rage 2 had a lot of great music, but the theme from stage 2 gets props for being all atonal and weird. The bassline seems to be caught on a rubber band.

No More No More Heroes

Let’s end with an epic jam. A live band could vamp on this blues progression forever.

Three Ways to Die in the New Mortal Kombat (and One You’ll Never See)

Jared Newman — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 01:34:39 +0000

Sub-Zero’s corpse torn asunder on the screen in front of me, I’m standing next to Eddie Ferrier, associate designer of the new Mortal Kombat. I had to ask: How did you guys come up these nasty Fatalities?

Ferrier can’t quite articulate the process. And how could he? Moments ago, he commanded Kung Lao to set his bladed hat on the ground, spinning in perpetuity. Kung Lao reached over the blade to grab Sub-Zero’s ankles on the opposite side, pulling the fallen fighter through, groin first. He lifts both halves of the body, remarkably intact but dripping blood. Ferrier, fumbling through a vague explanation about brainstorming with his colleagues, cracks a subtle smile. He’s been working on Mortal Kombat games since the beginning. I can tell he loves the job.

With Midway gutted in liquidation, its assets sold, new Mortal Kombat IP holder Warner Bros. is diving back into the gory fighting franchise with renewed vigor. The new game, simply dubbed Mortal Kombat, has more manpower behind it than any previous game in the series, Ferrier said. And yet the game is simple again. Just as Street Fighter IV returned to form after so many Alphas and Turbos and Hypers, so too will Mortal Kombat. Yes, it’s a 2D fighter again, and the fatalities are disgusting.

I’ve always had a soft spot for Mortal Kombat, not just because of the over-the-top, almost comical gore, but because I actually liked the game. Most critics panned the classic trilogy as mindless compared to the finesse of Street Fighter, even as throngs lined up for battle in arcades. I admired the game’s simplicity, and the way it brought together experienced players and novices. In what other game are you thankful to get bludgeoned by a skilled opponent? Here the reward is a Fatality — a shameless display of violence that sees the loser executed in the most imaginative ways.

This is why I made sure to let Ferrier beat me, not that I had a chance anyway. His second Fatality, performed by Sektor, began with a cluster of weapon targets hovering on the victim, Reptile. A missile emerged from Sektor’s stomach, launching Reptile’s remains in the air. And those targets? They became guidance for another volley of missiles, picking off each limb in explosive close-ups.

Fatalities aside, what I like most about the new Mortal Kombat is how it feels like the old Mortal Kombat. You can jump over projectiles, move in for a roundhouse kick or perform those improbable uppercuts that launch your foe high in the air. Old special moves are intact, so I had no problem dialing in ice blasts, venom balls and Scorpion’s signature spear. For experienced players, it’s back to Mortal Kombat’s old system of free-form, juggle combos rather than blind dialing of long button sequences, which ultimately corrupted the series.

What I’m not sold on is a new power meter that lets the player perform enhanced special moves. Build this meter up with Sub-Zero, for instance, and he can launch an ice ball that can’t be jumped over. It just adds a layer of complexity that seems unfitting for a back-to-basics sequel. However, a fully-accumulated meter also allows one of my favorite new additions, the X-ray attack. Execute one of these moves mid-match, and you’re treated to a close up of fist hitting skull, foot crunching ribs or, most amusingly, fingers poking eyeballs. Extreme gruesomeness is no longer the exclusive domain of fatalities.

For my last death, Ferrier offered me a choice: Get knocked off The Pit II — same as the one in Mortal Kombat 2 — or murdered by Mileena. I chose the former for old times sake, and had second thoughts about missing Mileena’s send-off as Scorpion’s body careened to the ground, but all was rectified when he hit bottom. Ferrier made sure to point out someone else’s organ, rotting on a nearby spike.

Oh, and that one fatality you won’t see? Ferrier mentioned off-hand that some ideas were just too over-the-top, and better left alone. Like what? Well, he said, one such demise involved stabbing someone in the throat, wiggling open a cavity and tearing the head apart with bare hands. I can’t decide whether I’m glad or disappointed that didn’t make the cut.

Mortal Kombat is coming to Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 next year.

9 Things I Learned From the Halo: Reach Beta

Jared Newman — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 15:16:01 +0000

In a few hours, someone at Microsoft will press a button and open the Halo: Reach multiplayer beta to millions of rabid fans. If you’ve got a copy of Halo 3: ODST, you should be able to access the beta by late morning Pacific time, early afternoon Eastern time and early evening GMT. I got a head start over the weekend through an early access code provided by Microsoft (and so did a few of you through our contest), and while I don’t think a beta needs a full review, I’ve got some thoughts on the Halo: Reach beta and what it means for the full version of the game due this fall:

1. Armor powers represent Halo: Reach’s most notable change from previous games. They let you bring one special ability to battle, such as a jet pack or Active Camo, and may be tied to specific weapons loadouts, though not in any of the games I played. They’re great until you realize everyone else has them, too.

2. Predictions: Armor Lock will become the choice of skilled players who learn to deflect grenade traps and power weapons. Noobs will be identified by their jet packs, but they’re too fun not to use. When in doubt, the rest of us will just turn invisible.

3. Being a Scout lets you run faster in short bursts, which is only useful when fleeing a losing battle or chasing someone who stole your flag. It is the most depressing special ability ever made.

4. Social settings, which let you define what kind of people you want to play with, don’t work yet, hopefully because the sample size is too small in the “Friends and Family” beta. I reserve the right to change my opinion when the floodgates open to thousands of whiners, potty mouths and people who despise teamwork.

5. Veto power is replaced by the choice of a few different game types at the start of each map. Surprisingly, a lot of variety came up in the voting process, but I fear the masses will soon kill Crazy King and Juggernaut in favor of nothing but Team Slayer.

6. Needle Rifle: I liked it better the first time, when it was called the Covenant Carbine. Designated Marksman Rifle: I liked it better the first time, when it was called the pistol from Halo: Combat Evolved. The current pistol: It zooms again. I still don’t like it.

7. Dual-wielding is not missed for the most part. But I do pine for those rare occasions where the SMG/Plasma Rifle would totally catch your Battle Rifle-wielding opponent off-guard.

8. The Halo: Reach Beta still feels like Halo, an experience that was already well-refined the last time around. That means you can keep playing Halo 3 and not feel like you’re missing much, but it won’t stop you from trying to level up and unlock as many armor decorations as possible before the beta ends on May 19.

9. Like any good appetizer, the Halo: Reach beta runs the risk of spoiling the meal. There’s something to be said for waiting until the fall and experiencing the whole game. At least that’s what folks who don’t own Halo 3: ODST can tell themselves.

Walkthrough Wednesday: Dead Space 2 Hints, Tips and Cheats

Jared Newman — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 18:11:41 +0000

The hoopla over Dead Space 2 makes my job of finding walkthroughs, hints and guides easy this week. As usual, IGN has the basics down with a full Dead Space 2 walkthrough, including the location of all power nodes, node locks and schematics. There’s also a weapons guide to help you figure out the best upgrade paths for your arsenal. Video Games Blogger also has a full walkthrough with both text and video. If you need a little more help finding weapon schematics, check out the picture guide at GamesRadar.

Die-hard Dead Space fans might want to know where to find the Peng Statue. This mysterious and valuable object returns from the first game and is hidden in Chapter 7. Not a good enough clue for you? A video on GameTrailers will tell you the exact location of Dead Space 2′s Peng Statue.

Cheat Code Central has a good rundown of Dead Space 2′s unlockables and other useful hints. Most notably, you can re-spec your weapons, RIG and stasis module at the start of Chapter 7 for 5,000 credits, so don’t be afraid to experiment during the first half of the game if you think you can pay for the re-spec later.

One more thing: While not technically a hint or cheat, SegmentNext has a list of errors, crashes, glitches and bugs you might find in the PC version of Dead Space 2. Keep it in mind if you run into trouble.

Dark Souls is Demons Souls’ More Difficult Successor

Jared Newman — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 17:23:27 +0000

From Software has shined a bit more light on “Project Dark,” the spiritual successor to 2009 sleeper hit Demon’s Souls. The game will be called Dark Souls, and is coming to Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 at an unspecified date.

Demon’s Souls was the kind of game that lacked mainstream appeal, but became an obsession to folks who gave it a try. That’s because its excruciating difficulty helped build a twisted bond with players, until they were completely invested in persevering through the atmosphere of sadness.

Players who stick with a game through its sequels sometimes complain of dumbing down, but that may not be the case with Dark Souls. Gamasutra reports that the difficulty will be “increased greatly,” perhaps creating an even bigger barrier for newcomers while delighting players who already know what the game is all about.

On the downside, Dark Souls won’t have its own servers, so you won’t see a soul tendency karma system in this game. The lack of servers might also rule out the previous game’s multiplayer hint system, which allowed players to leave messages on the ground and filled the world with ghosts that showed how other players died. [via Gamasutra]

Walkthrough Wednesday: LittleBigPlanet 2 Hints and Tips

Jared Newman — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 23:41:40 +0000

With the launch of LittleBigPlanet 2, the creative gamers among us have set to work on building amazing custom levels for the rest of the world to enjoy. But not you. First, you’ve got to plow through all of the game’s built-in levels, grabbing as many item bubbles as possible just in case you fancy yourself a creator as well. No worries; we’ve rustled up a few good LittleBigPlanet 2 walkthroughs to get you by.

IGN has the best text-and-image walkthrough so far, with item bubble counts and locations for every completed level of the guide. For videos, check in on Video Games Blogger, whose walkthrough is a work-in-progress. Also, check out the list of secret pins posted on GameFAQs. Most of them require you to perform a certain action on a specific day of the year. (Mark your calendar, I guess?)

Once you’ve played through the main game, it’s on to the world of user-created content. If you care to dabble in creation as well, read up on NowGamer’s LittleBigPlanet 2 level creation guide for beginners. Then, move on to LBPCreateGuide’s YouTube channel. The current batch of videos there are from the LittleBigPlanet 2 beta, but you can still learn a lot. This basic guide to a joypad-controlled moving object is a good place to start. Now you’re just a few steps away from Sackometry Wars.

Pac-Man Reality Show Will Probably Be Funny in Two-Minute Bursts

Jared Newman — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 01:31:41 +0000

You’ve heard the song. You might’ve eaten the breakfast cereal. Now all you’ve got to do is get onto the Pac-Man reality TV show, which is apparently in development. “The idea we have is to take what Pac-Man is and bring it to life, to bring what is essentially the world’s biggest game of tag to television,” said Roy Bank, president of Merv Griffin Entertainment, which is teaming up with Namco Bandai Games on the production. Bank describes the concept as a “big, crazy Wipeout-type event with a lot of energy.”

Pac-Man has been done in the real world before. The large-scale game Pac-Manhattan (pictured) had players chasing each other around New York City’s Washington Square Park. And then there was this awesome video of Pac-Man getting chased through the University of Michigan campus. A full-blown game show, I imagine, will be amusing on occasion but repetitive by today’s standards — kind of like the game. No broadcast networks are on board yet. [via Deadline Hollywood, image]

How to Jump Over the Flagpole in Super Mario Bros. Level 1

Jared Newman — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 18:05:27 +0000

Some hardcore gamer I am. All these years, I thought jumping over the flagpole in Super Mario Bros. was just a rumor, but videos of this very feat have been making the rounds on YouTube for years. But even if you knew about the pulley platform trick on level 3-3, Cinemassacre brings word of a new trick for jumping the flagpole in Super Mario Bros.’ first level.

They key is to stomp on the game’s first koopa troopa while he’s falling down the pit just left of the first 10-coin block. But instead of following the koopa into the pit, you’ve got to jump left from the high platform above the pit and exploit a glitch where the enemy is briefly vulnerable from the top of the screen. If you do it right, the koopa will re-emerge from its shell and walk with you to the end of the stage, where you can top-stomp it again to vault over the pole. You must be small Mario on the first stomp and big Mario when jumping the pole.

Your reward for this impeccable sense of timing? A vast wasteland that extends as far as you can sprint before the timer runs out. It’s as much of a letdown as the negative world, but just as impressive if you can pull it off with a friend present. [Cinemassacre via Reddit]

GamerCrave.com » Jared Newman

The 9 Best LittleBigPlanet 2 Levels Thus Far

Blast Radius by johnee

National Motocross by pate59

Classic Zelda 1-1 by Bluetonberry

Galactic Base Defence by urbandevill

Super LBP Fighter II Turbo by Hymanator

Rio Dance Off by Wexfordian

Mediterranean Street Racing by steve_big_guns

Lunar Explorer by JusticeCovert

Sackboy Basketball by Scumble373

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