GamerCrave.com » Xbox 360

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.

Netflix to Support Kinect for Streaming Content

Joseph Oliveto — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 18:11:39 +0000

Netflix destroyed Blockbuster for a number of reasons, but one of them was the fact that people are generally lazy (hey, I’m one of them) and would rather download a movie or have it delivered to their house than get up and drive to the store. According to G4, the successful company will now further serve our couch-potato culture by adding Kinect support to their services.

We’ll just come out and say it: all this new technology is basically the equivalent of The Clapper, only for gamers.

Basically, you’ll be able to watch streaming Netflix content using the Kinect the same way you would for a game. To take advantage of this minor leap in technology, just download the update after logging on to your XBox 360.

Well, we’ve talked before about the fact that potential of Kinect has clearly not been fully tapped yet, and this is an example of how the product can be used for more than just gaming. There are plenty of videos and articles on the Internet displaying the unique ways in which brilliant and creative people have adapted the Kinect to their needs (“needs” being a relative term), but now we’re getting into how it can benefit consumers. We’re gonna guess that this is just the first in a long line of peripheral services the Kinect will bring us.

How else can the Kinect be used? What are some interesting uses you’ve imagined?

Xbox Achievements — The Ones That Got Away

Justin Massoud — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 21:24:21 +0000

Achievements have garnered both fervent supporters who view the concept as the best thing to hit the industry since the 1-Up, and those who decry it as trivial and ruinous to gaming. I’ve found myself somewhere in the middle: I’ve grown to enjoy the process of earning the achievements that I have the ability (and patience) to attain, but often lament how these bonuses have become substitutes to actual in-game unlockable content. Nonetheless, I’ve spent my fair share of hours hunting them down.

However, I realized this week just how pointless they really are at the end of the day.

This revelation struck after attempting to unlock three achievements in “Final Fantasy XIII” – a game I hadn’t played since it came out in March. The achievements I was gunning for weren’t necessarily difficult; like most in the game they were just time-consuming. Upon loading up the most recent save file, I found myself on the verdant yet dilapidated Yaschas Massif of Gran Pulse. This was post-final boss fight, so I was free to do whatever I wanted.

It quickly dawned on me that I was at a complete loss – not only with where I was currently at within the world, but how to go about unlocking those long-hidden achievements. The months of time away from the game left a blank spot in my memory. In that instant, I lost any motivation I had for a venture I was previously anticipating. Despite referencing online FAQs for aid, I just couldn’t bring myself to bother. Those three achievements would forever remain apart from my Gamerscore – the ones that got away.

Do I regret unlocking the mass of achievements that contributed to my embarrassingly large Gamerscore (nearly 90,000)? Not really. I played plenty of games I enjoyed. Achievements were just a bonus. But I doubt I’ll ever attempt such a thing again.

Have you had a similar experience with achievements you knew you could unlock but for whatever reason lost interest in? Feel free to share in the comment section.

Got Red Ring of Death? The UPS Man Feels Your Pain

Jared Newman — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 00:22:39 +0000

Considering that Microsoft has spent more than $1 billion to deal with the Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death, I’m guessing most UPS drivers have seen at least one dead console come down through their delivery zones. One driver apparently knows the drill all too well, and took the liberty of giving the recipient some words of hope. If you can’t make it out:

I hope this one last(s) you. I’m on my 4th Xbox in just under 5 years. … Tear.

Love, UPS

The recipient said this is his third Xbox 360 — a new console this time, rather than a refurbished model — and so far it’s working alright. [via the Consumerist]

Woot’s Brief Xbox 360 Hard Drive Deal Proves That We Need Cheaper Xbox 360 Hard Drives

Jared Newman — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 20:23:53 +0000

Bleary-eyed and scrolling through my Twitter feed this morning, I saw an intriguing note from Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb, Xbox Live’s director of programming: Daily deal site Woot was selling 250 GB Xbox 360 hard drives for $50, new in box. He posted the tweet at 5:11 a.m., and about an hour later, when I spotted it, the deal was already over. Woot had sold out its stock of hard drives.

Judging from the Woot stats compiled by Bags of Crap, the sell-out time for the Xbox 360 hard drive — 9 hours, 28 minutes — was below average for the site, despite a much higher-than-average product quantity and lower-than-average asking price. In other words, this was a really popular deal.

In a perfect world, this would prove to Microsoft that there’s enough demand for cheaper hard drives that it could lower the price of a 250 GB standalone unit below the frankly outrageous $130. And because old Xbox 360 hard drives (including the one on sale today) are not compatible with the new Xbox 360 Slim, there’s not even a risk of people buying the basic Arcade model, sans hard drive, and upgrading on the cheap. These old drives simply provide a way for earlier adopters to store more data, which for Microsoft could mean more purchases of downloadable games.

That said, I have no data to show that cheaper Xbox 360 hard drives would be more profitable for Microsoft, even if Woot’s deal shows how demand would skyrocket. Maybe gouging people is still great for business.

Xbox Live Indie Games Uprising Kicks Off With $1 Game

Jared Newman — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 17:53:20 +0000

While Microsoft loves to promote its Xbox Live Arcade games with sales and such, Xbox Live Indie Games — a smaller storefront whose games are admitted by peer review — are left to fend for themselves. And so they’ve put together the Indie Games Uprising, a week of new game launches that promise not to be shameless clones or lame massage apps. Best of all, the games will be cheap — between 80 and 400 Microsoft Points ($1 to $5) each. The event kicks off today with Epic Dungeon, a new game with four player classes, over 50 dungeon levels and loads of pixelated loot for 80 Microsoft Points. Check out the trailer for the other games that will launch this week, or read the developers’ descriptions after the jump.

Soulcaster 2: “Equal parts dungeon crawler, strategy and adventure, MagicalTimeBean’s follow-up to the critically-acclaimed Soulcaster features an all-new set of worlds to explore and a soundtrack glossed in late-80′s redbook audio excess. Also: exploding skeletons.”

Cthulhu Saves the World: “The next RPG from the creators of the popular parody RPG, Breath of Death VII: The Beginning, Cthulhu Saves the World features a new 16-bit visual style, a fantastic soundtrack, sophisticated yet streamlined gameplay, and an epic tale of insanity, romance, and redemption. Save the world to destroy it!”

Crossfire 2: “Crossfire 2 features all new upgrades and weapons systems, along with two main modes. Play through Conquest mode with a friend and save your progress through 60 all-new waves and new enemy types, or play Score Attack and match your best scores against your friends and the world.”

Chu’s Dynasty: “Chu’s Dynasty combines the strategic fighting of street-fighter with the multi-tiered 4 player mayhem of super-smash brothers. Chu’s then adds a new twist to the genre with time manipulation. Over 2 years in the making.”

Alpha Squad: “Alpha Squad is an adventure game that has mechanics primarily used in dual-stick shooters, to keep the action fast and heavy as you explore the world and its characters. Up to 4 player co-op, a customizable storyline, large world, unforgettable weapons, music from Stemage of Metroid Metal, and art from industry veterans.”

Epic Dungeon: “The ultimate dungeon crawling experience! Multiple character classes and fast paced gameplay make Epic Dungeon one of the most enjoyable roguelikes to date.”

Break Limit: “Prepare to go mind-numbingly fast as you Blast, Smash and Break Limit through every one and thing in your way! Powerful weapons that get stronger as you play, will help to power a ship that becomes an invincible wrecking ball while accelerating. Alpha Centauri will never be the same! Featuring online scoreboards for Gold subscribers, and local scoreboards to prove you’re better than your siblings!”

Decimation X3: “The thrilling sequel to one of the most popular shooters on the service features insane firepower and pure arcade action. From the creators of Duality ZF (coming soon to XBLA).”

Asteroids Do Concern Me: “‘Out beyond the edge of the universe. Far past any celestial wilderness you could hope to imagine, lies a vast ocean of impenetrable rock…’. Test your piloting skills in this addictive one button action game. With 4 different modes ranging from Classic to Double Rainbow. The odds of surviving this game are 3720 to 1. Have you got the minerals?”

Hypership Out of Control: “Space is a dangerous placed for even the most seasoned starship pilot, full of asteroids, multicolored floating blocks, and space mines. It’s even more dangerous when you your accelerator is stuck to the floor and your brakes are out. Can you survive long enough to get that elusive high score or are you destined to add a new crater to the face of an unsuspecting asteroid? Find out in this retro gaming tour de force featuring 10 Waves (forward and backwards), 5 game modes, 1 to 4 player co-op, and online high scores.”

Aphelion: Episode Two: “Wings of Omega”: The conclusion to one of the most popular RPG franchises on XBox Live Indie Games, players will reprise the role of Savion Mercarte as they pick up where Episode One: Graves of Earth left off. Featuring numerous new features and enhancements like improved animations, more side quests and optional content, faster paced combat, a new playable character, and much, much more!”

ZP2KX: “Zombies & Pterodactyls!: In a dystopian future where humans love guns and zombies just want to be left alone, the pterodactyls have seen to it that everyone has to be miserable together. Take your jetpack online and splatter some fools with blades, guns, grenades, and other instruments of mayhem. Earn XP, level up, unlock features, clothes, and skills! Build awesome classes! From the developer of I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MB1ES!!!1 1NIT!!!1 and The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai.”

Ubergridder: “You are in deep space, and nasty one-eyed tentacle toting aliens have broken your spaceship. Race against time and hungry aliens in this retro-inspired action game. You control Robert the maintenance robot and your quest is to repair the ship, one section at a time.”

Rickenbacker vs. the Aliens: “Rickenbacker vs the Aliens is a cel shaded 2D shooter where you fly Eddie Rickenbacker’s SPAD against a relentless enemy rendered in a 1930′s movie serial style. Bomb ground targets as you defend yourself against an arial barrage, fighting your way to victory for Earth.”

[via GameSetWatch]

Leaked: Black Friday Gaming Deals for Best Buy and Target

Jared Newman — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 17:57:29 +0000

With two weeks to go until Black Friday, it’s time to start planning your video game strategy. Thanks to BlackFriday.info, we’ve got some early intel on gaming deals at Target and Best Buy for Black Friday 2010. After the jump, we’ll break it down by console.

Nintendo Wii

Best Buy will sell the Wii with one Wii Remote Plus, one Nunchuk and two games — Wii Sports and Wii Sports resort — for $170, in white or black. That’s $30 off the current price. For games, you’ll want to hit up Target, which will sell Super Mario Galaxy 2 for $35, NBA Jam for $27 and the Wii Fit Plus bundle with Balance Board for $67.

Playstation 3

Best Buy’s PS3 bundle costs the same $300 as a standalone 160 GB console, but includes two games and one Blu-ray movie (unspecified). Target lists a “PS3 160 GB Holiday Bundle” whose contents are unclear. From Best Buy, consider grabbing Medal Gear Solid 4 for $10, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Limited Edition for $35 and Madden 11 for $35.

Xbox 360

The Xbox 360 bundle at Best Buy is all about LEGO. It’s a 4 GB console with LEGO Star Wars, LEGO Batman & LEGO Indiana Jones, for the same $200 as the console alone. If building blocks aren’t your thing, consider Target’s 4 GB Xbox 360 bundle for $200, which comes with a $50 gift card. Also from Best Buy, there’s Halo: Reach for $40, Tekken 6 for $10 and Splinter Cell: Conviction for $17. Target will have Fable 3 for $35.

Nintendo DS

Best Buy is bundling the $150 Nintendo DSi with a free copy of Mario Party. No word on bundles from Target, but you can get Dragon Quest IX for $17 and Lego Batman for $7.

Sony PSP

No PSP deals whatsoever at Best Buy. Bummer. Fortunately, Target’s got you covered with a $127 doorbuster, which includes a PSP-3000, Little Big Planet, the Karate Kid movie remake and a 1 GB Memory Stick. I don’t see any deals on games.

I haven’t listed every game on sale, just the deals that seem the best, so head to BlackFriday.info’s pages on Best Buy and Target for more November 26 strategery. [Image]

Bound to Happen: The Game Boat Raft for Kinect Adventures

Jared Newman — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 21:14:45 +0000

For all intents and purposes, Atomic Accessories’ Game Boat is just a plain old water raft. But hey, put it in front of a TV with Kinect for Xbox 360, and it’s “de facto the first accessory for the peripheral which doesn’t need any.” I love the brutal honesty.

The Game Boat is intended for Kinect Adventures, which has a mini-game that entails shifting your weight while flying through ramps and other obstacles down some river rapids — just like real life. Atomic Accessories says the Game Boat is “ideal to comfortably play in 2 gamers simultaneously,” but with a width of just under five feet, that claim is dubious for anyone over age three. Not that a full-grown man would be caught dead jumping around on a dinghy in the living room. Jumping around without the dinghy, however, is totally acceptable.

Anyway, the Game Boat includes a pump, and you can actually use it in the pool. No word on price. [via Joystiq]

Halo 2′s Last Player: Microsoft Gave Us Nothing

Jared Newman — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 00:19:06 +0000

When Microsoft killed online support for original Xbox games in April, a handful of Halo 2 players became geek heroes for refusing to quit, exploiting a loophole that let them keep playing as long as their consoles remained on. At the time, Microsoft played along, vowing to ensure that the final players had “everything necessary to participate in the Halo: Reach beta.” But over at Reddit, there’s a long discussion thread alleging that, five months later, Microsoft hasn’t done anything for the so-called “Noble 12.”

The complaint was apparently started by a friend of Apache N4SIR, the final online Halo 2 player whose connection remained steady enough to play for almost a month past the cut-off date. Apache seems to have confirmed the story, saying he’s constantly asked whether he or the other players have received an Xbox 360 console, controllers, Xbox Live subscriptions, copies of Halo 3: ODST or copies of Halo: Reach. The answer, on all counts, is no, but all Apache wants now is some sort of official confirmation of his feat from Microsoft.

A Microsoft employee has spoken up on Reddit, claiming that he’ll take up the cause with the company. He and Apache appear to have conversed privately on the matter and then reported back to Reddit, so I’m wagering that this whole hoopla is legit (I’ve sent Apache an e-mail to double-check). I imagine there are some technicalities to deal with — the promise of “everything necessary” to play the Halo: Reach beta seems open to interpretation — but hopefully Apache and the rest of the team get the acknowledgement they deserve.

In any case, it’s kind of lame that Microsoft’s marketing let this situation fall through the cracks after making off with some good PR. [Reddit via Nukezilla]

Just Cause 2 Infographic Shows Chaos in Agregate

Jared Newman — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 23:48:47 +0000

I’m a pretty big fan of Just Cause 2. The game’s full of cheap thrills — its shot at Game of the Year was marred by lazy mission design, sadly — and the slightest mention gives me the urge to base jump from an airplane to a helicopter and blow up some buildings with rockets (not in real life). So, fully recognizing Square-Enix’s blatant attempt to squeeze out a few more sales with a Just Cause 2 infographic, I’m going to post about it anyway.

Some highlights:

-Panau Island has seen 1 billion explosions in aggregate. Not surprisingly, explosions caused half of all player deaths.
-One player has spent 1,100 hours (45 days) playing Just Cause 2. Hopefully it was just paused some of the time.
-Only 160 players have performed the game’s highest base jump, 6,800 “meters”, from a hot air balloon flown to the world’s upper boundary.
-85 percent of players figured out that using the grapple hook and parachute as a slingshot is a great way to climb mountains.
-1.5 billion soldiers have fallen at players’ hands. Only 16,741 players have defeated every colonel in the game.
-Less than 1 percent of players have destroyed all Baby Panay statues, and 1 percent have destroyed all propaganda vans.
-Players have killed 403,783 scorpions.

To see the full-sized graphic, click here. If you’re now compelled to play, check out our list of Just Cause 2 cheats, hints and Easter eggs, and join me in hoping that some day, Square-Enix will release a dinosaur mod. [via Press the Buttons]

“Project Dark” is Essentially Demon’s Souls 2

Jared Newman — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 22:46:44 +0000

Demon’s Souls was, I thought, the best game of 2009, so even though there’s very little information about Project Dark — supposedly the spiritual successor to Demon’s Souls — I’m compelled to pass the announcement along. Reporters at Tokyo Game Show were shown a teaser trailer for Project Dark (just a codename), which according to 1UP included “lots of undead monsters in helmets and booming music,” but it’s not available online. Project Dark’s website, despite containing nothing but a burning fire and some light information, still manages to capture the sombre mood that made Demon’s Souls so brilliantly sad.

The website promises more information in early 2011 and notes, interestingly enough, that the game will be available for Xbox 360 as well as Playstation 3 outside of Japan. The challenge for Project Dark, I think, will be to recapture the magic of Demon’s Souls without seeming like a cheap rehash. Demon’s Souls, with its punishing difficulty and somber atmosphere, delighted players who came in with no expectations, and became a sleeper hit. This time, the thrills will be harder to come by as players anticipate another fiendishly hard action RPG. Can lightning strike twice for From Software? [via 1UP]

GamerCrave.com » Xbox 360

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