Austin takes some time to play through the new demo for Insomniac Games’ Fuse. Do the developers of the Resistance and Ratchet and Clank series know how to make a third-person, squad-based, shooter? Find out below as Austin gives his thoughts on the game throughout the full demo.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

What started out as a joke is quickly becoming a fighting game phenomenon, and it’s not even out yet.  Divekick takes everything about a 1 on 1 fighter and boils it down to the basic fundamentals.  One button jumps, one button kicks, and the two buttons together releases a special (sort of.)  That’s it. Oh and matches are won with a single hit.  If you thinks this sounds boring, stupid, and outrageous, you’re not the only one.  I couldn’t believe how or why this game would be something I’d want to pick up.  However, after getting my hands on it at C2E2 this year and playing a few matches, I’m a believer.  Divekick is awesome.

Without worrying about 50-hit combos, special moves, and other added mechanics, Divekick makes you worry about one thing: landing a hit.  You jump, and you dive down trying to slam your foot into your opponent.  Every round is incredibly tense.  Think about the matches in Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat where you and your opponent are both down to your last bit of health and you are dodging and blocking attacks, trying to land that final blow.  The stress, the drama, all that is replicated in Divekick within every second of every round.  Without worrying about every attack that can come at you, Divekick becomes a sadistic mind-game, all about spacing, timing, and capitalizing on your opponent’s mistakes.

While Divekick is so approachable in its simplicity, there are underlying mechanics that push the game into more than Flash title.  To win a match, you must win 5 rounds as opposed to the usual 2.  Each round is only 20 seconds long and because there is no health, the victor is determined by who is closer to the line in the center of the stage.  This feature makes matches even more exciting when the clock is ticking down.  You can’t just stand in the middle and not expect your opponent to dive for you, and many players may try to simply wind down the clock and quickly get to the center to win.  If you manage to kick your player in the head, the next match will begin with your opponent being dizzy and unable to move as quick.  On top of this, each character plays a little different in how they jump and kick.  Some characters are quick, others are slow, some dive at a sharp angle, some dive at a wide angle.  And when all is said and done, there are even special meters that you can unleash to beef up your character for a few seconds.  Don’t be fooled by the lack on controls, Divekick still has some meat to it.

A two button fighting game seemed like a cheap cash-in when I first heard of it.  I mean seriously?  Two buttons?  What is this, 1975?  I had a lot to be wary about but all you have to do is play one match to realize the magic this game has.  It’s quick and simple, but addictive and strategic.  It’s more fun than I ever would have expected. And with plenty of characters who all have their own unique style, there’s more here than meets the eye.  Trust me, when Divekick gets released, do yourself a favor whether your a fighting game fan or not and give this game a shot.

Divekick is coming out this summer on the PSN, for PS3 and Vita, and Xbox Live.  The devs are currently trying to get it Greenlighted on Steam as well.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Average Joe Gaming Presents

The Average Podcast: Episode 57-Fever Pitch

In this week’s episode Brian, Austin, and Will discuss which celebrity is first on their list… Actually they touch more on:

• Playstation collections coming to PS Vita
• Microsoft may revive Heroes
• The Evil Within
• The Nintendo Direct news
• New games coming this week and more!

This one was recorded during sick season at AJG.

Right-click “download” to download

Special thanks to Dave for the graphic above. check out his FB page for more awesome art stuff!

If you want to be part of the team go to the link below.

Also check us out on iTunes

Don’t forget to get everything AJG from the links in the upper corner!

Average Joe Comics #4 The Necessities

Written and Illustrated by Austin Clark

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

The Evil Within is set to release in 2014 for PC, PS3, Xbox 360, and next-gen consoles.  All we can derive from the video is that the game certainly looks creepy, and to me, seems to remind me of Silent Hill with some of the character models.  We’ll keep you updated here at Average Joe Gaming as we find out more about this title.

Nintendo held a Nintendo Direct today and one of the biggest announcements of the 30+ minute video was that The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past will be getting a true sequel on the 3DS this winter.  While a name hasn’t been revealed for the game we were given a few details and some gameplay footage to wet our appetite.

The sequel is said to take place in the same world as the original title but will include new locations and all-new dungeons.  Some of the tools and weapons seem to be returning like the bow and the hammer, but hopefully we’ll see some new ones as well.  One of the new additions to the game is Link’s ability to turn into a wall painting and move along the walls to get to previously inaccessible areas.  It sounds strange but seeing it in action looks like it may work out very well in dungeon puzzles.  As for the look, the sequel seems to have the same top-down perspective from the original, but now using full 3D models.  An emphasis on depth was talked about in the clip with Link being shown blasting up towards the camera onto a new floor of some dungeon.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Very little is still known about this title, but hopefully it sticks to it’s Holiday 2013 release window.  Keep on checking back for more information on this new Zelda!

Average Joe Gaming Presents

The Average Podcast: Episode 56-Dogs Among Us

In this week’s episode Brian, Austin, and Will discuss who has the best hair… Actually they touch more on:

• Wii channels shutting down
• Adam Orth leaving Microsoft
• Rayman gets 30 new stages
• Notch, the most influential man of the year?
• New games coming this week and more!

Enjoy the show!

Right-click “download” to download

Special thanks to Dave for the graphic above. check out his FB page for more awesome art stuff!

If you want to be part of the team go to the link below.

Also check us out on iTunes

Don’t forget to get everything AJG from the links in the upper corner!

Average Joe Comics #3 Power Outage

Written and Illustrated by Austin Clark

Tags: 3, Austin, Average, Clark, Comics, funnies, funny, Joe, Outage, Power
]]> http://averagejoegaming.com/2013/04/14/average-joe-comics-power-outage/feed/ 0 http://averagejoegaming.com/2013/04/08/the-average-podcast-episode-55-it-happens/ http://averagejoegaming.com/2013/04/08/the-average-podcast-episode-55-it-happens/#comments Tue, 09 Apr 2013 01:39:45 +0000 Batdump http://averagejoegaming.com/?p=3068

Average Joe Gaming Presents

The Average Podcast: Episode 55 – It Happens

In this week’s episode Brian, Austin, and Will discuss who has the best hair… Actually they touch more on:

• Microsoft’s callous attitude towards customers
• Wii U CAN run Unreal Engine 4… kinda
• Duck Tales’ story expansion
• The Ouya
• New games coming this week and more!

Enjoy the show!

Right-click “download” to download

Special thanks to Dave for the graphic above. check out his FB page for more awesome art stuff!

If you want to be part of the team go to the link below.

Also check us out on iTunes

Don’t forget to get everything AJG from the links in the upper corner!

Average Joe Comics #2 Power Up

Written and Illustrated By Austin Clark

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Average Joe Gaming Presents

The Average Podcast: Episode 54 – Indie Anna Jonesin’

In this week’s episode Brian, Austin, and Will discuss if you even lift… Actually they touch more on:

• Nintendo Indie support, and new engines on the already aged console
• Square Enix failed games
• MGS news
• The Ouya
• New games coming this week and more!

They also discuss the new PS4 news and attempt at indie devs. Enjoy!

Right-click “download” to download

Special thanks to Dave for the graphic above. check out his FB page for more awesome art stuff!

If you want to be part of the team go to the link below.

Also check us out on iTunes

Don’t forget to get everything AJG from the links in the upper corner!

#1 – Extra Lives

Written and Illustrated by Austin Clark

Since we lost a whole bunch of posts from the last months of 2012, I decided to re-post the comics that I put up awhile ago.  Hopefully once the old ones get re-posted we’ll have a bunch of new comics to follow.  Enjoy!

Creator of Braid, Jonathan Blow’s newest game, The Witness

It’s no secret that indie games are all the rage right now.  With games like Journey racking up countless Game of the Year awards for 2012, the “indie” game is steadily becoming just as, if not more, prevalent in gaming than the big blockbuster titles we’ve become saturated with.  This generation gave us games like Braid, Minecraft, Super Meat Boy, and the aforementioned Journey that have put the indie scene on the map.  Though all these games are currently available on consoles, the true majority of indie developers have stuck to PC and mobile development due to their accessibility and how easy it is to get games on these platforms unlike the hoops many console companies have developers jump through.  However, both Sony and Nintendo are making steady strides to break down the walls that once separated their platforms from the indie devs.

Nintendo’s WiiWare has been the ugly diseased stepchild in terms of console download services with only a small amount of titles every reaching the commercial success that Playstation Network or Xbox Live Arcade has brought games.  This could have been because of the strict process Nintendo put developers through to get their games on the service.  With Wii U now available, and 3DS’s eShop offering a wide assortment of games, Nintendo is shifting it’s criteria and requirements to make things easier for developers to get their games online.

The big change Nintendo has put in place is that developers no longer need an office for their company.  With so many people working from home and partnering with others over the internet, throwing costs into an office space just puts more strain on developers when many barely have money to begin with.  Getting rid of this requirement to show that you’re company works from an office puts more resources into making the game itself.  Another remedy Nintendo has offered is that developers will be making a profit on their game as soon as one unit is sold.  Previous efforts only netted devs a profit after their game sold over a predetermined threshold.  If the game didn’t exceed that number, the creators wouldn’t make any money.  With these two changes in place, as well as a bigger initiative to simply help facilitate indie devs getting their games on the eShop, and allowing the devs to create their own price points and sales, Nintendo seems ready to turn their eShop into a formidable contender in the digital gaming space.

Sony is also doing their best to lend a helping hand to the indies.  They have just recently restructured their concept submission process from two stages to one, with feedback being optional.  Basically, they are making things much quicker and simpler without the need for approvals to go through as many offices and people.  There’s no greenlighting, and no voting.  Sony even goes out of their way to put dev kits for their newest handheld, the Playstation Vita, into developers hands free of charge and have been known to be very helpful through programs such as their Pub Fund.  With the Playstation 4 announcement, and reveals that the tech will be very similar to a high-end PC, the actual process of development will be even more simple and streamlined for creators to get their content on a home console.  Sony has also been known to waive certain fees such as those for patches.  Overall, the guys at Sony seem like they are creating a cheap and streamlined experience for indie devs out there.

With the popularity of Steam and mobile devices, many developers have flown to these platforms because they are so easy to work with.  However, with the steps the console market companies seem to be taking, indie games may also find a new worthwhile home.  It’s already begun with many developers hopping on board on the Wii U eShop and the Playstation Network.  Microsoft has been very quiet about their new console, but it’s very likely they too will also roll out a new plan to grab the indie crowd.  Indies have become a huge part of the gaming community now and having the next game like Journey or Minecraft will be just as important as anything going forward.

Average Joe Gaming Presents

The Average Podcast: Episode 53 – Fold Him in Half

In this week’s episode Brian, Austin, and Will discuss the proper way greet a lady… Actually they touch more on:

• Quantum Dream staying exclusive to Sony
• Trophy support for classic games
• Next X-Box mandatory game installs
• The new TMNT game
• New games coming this week and more!

They also discuss the joys of life. Enjoy!

Right-click “download” to download

Special thanks to Dave for the graphic above. check out his FB page for more awesome art stuff!

If you want to be part of the team go to the link below.

Also check us out on iTunes

Don’t forget to get everything AJG from the links in the upper corner!

Average Joe Gaming Presents

The Average Podcast: Episode 52 – AJG Ascension

In this week’s episode (a week late) Brian, Austin, and Will discuss what the men of the cloak think of monsters coming out of the closet… Actually they touch more on:

• Gow: Ascension and Playstation all-stars patches
• Vita sales
• Pokemon Rumble
• Nintendo’s legal woes
• Road Rash Kickstarter
• New games coming this week and more!

They also discuss what they liked and didn’t like about God of War: Ascension. Enjoy!

Right-click “download” to download

Special thanks to Dave for the graphic above. check out his FB page for more awesome art stuff!

If you want to be part of the team go to the link below.

Also check us out on iTunes

Don’t forget to get everything AJG from the links in the upper corner!

Average Joe Gaming Presents

The Average Podcast: Episode 51 – Tomb Thumpin

In this week’s episode Brian, Austin, and Will discuss how disco died… Actually they touch more on:

• The troubles of Sim City
• The cost of next-gen games
• Boy Scout badges
• The Last of Us demo
• Vita sales
• New games coming this week and more!

They also discuss what they liked and didn’t like about Tomb Raider. Enjoy!

Right-click “download” to download

Special thanks to Dave for the graphic above. check out his FB page for more awesome art stuff!

If you want to be part of the team go to the link below.

Also check us out on iTunes

Don’t forget to get everything AJG from the links in the upper corner!

Average Joe Gaming Presents

The Average Podcast: Episode 50 – Ass Ass Agreed

In this week’s episode Brian, Austin, and Will discuss why how cauliflower ear effects the chances with the ladies… Actually they touch more on:

• Beyond 2 Souls release date and Willem Dafoe
• New characters for Injustice and PSASBR
• Ustream not being exclusive to PS4
• Gears of War’s VIP pass
• Remember Me’s release date
• New games coming this week and more!

Right-click “download” to download

Special thanks to Dave for the graphic above. check out his FB page for more awesome art stuff!

If you want to be part of the team go to the link below.

Also check us out on iTunes

Don’t forget to get everything AJG from the links in the upper corner!

So by now I’m sure you’ve heard of a little known franchise that goes by the name of Assassin’s Creed is getting yet another sequel.  Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag will be released October 29th, 2013 for current and next-gen systems.  That’s all good and dandy, but what’s new about it?  What makes this one different than the rest?  Well let me break it down for you.

The video cannot be shown at the moment. Please try again later.

Character:  

The Assassin’s Creed series has always followed the ancestors of modern day’s Desmond Miles and Black Flag is no exception.  The big difference here is that instead of going forward in time, we are going back a little, before the American Revolution period that AC3 took place in.  You will be playing as Edward Kenway, grandfather of Conner from AC3, and badass pirate of AC4.  As for Desmond, his tale is finished.  There will be some sort of storyline within modern time, but instead, “you” will be accessing Desmond’s memories as an Abstergo employee.  Little is known at the moment about how this will tie to the overall story

Setting:  

Early 18th century.  The Caribbean.  This will be your new playground and it’s looking to be a very wet one.  Expanding on the naval missions of AC3, Black Flag aims to become the “first true naval open-world game” according to Ubisoft.  As usual, the Caribbean will be recreated in extreme detail allowing the player to sail and explore 50+ islands, multiple cities, and vast ocean.  Avoiding the fantastic fiction of Disney’s Pirates, Black Flag aims to bring players into a gritty realistic take on what a pirate’s life was like.

Gameplay:  

The team working on AC4 is looking into the past problems of previous Creed games and some systems are getting dropped entirely to make a better experience.  The notoriety system of yore is non-existent.  The promise of going about assassinations in whatever way you see fit is also being addressed.  Past games sometimes have very clear ways to go about certain missions but the team here wants you to be able to do what you want.  In naval battles, for example,  players can kill an opposing captain by cannon fire, jumping from the mast into an air assassination, or sneaking up the side of the boat by swimming around to the other side.

Misc:

-  Multiplayer will return with many more modes to include more Pirate-centric gameplay i.e. naval combat.

- There will be no 5 hour intro like AC3.  Black Flag promises to start out with a bang and never let up.

- A spyglass item allows you to spot loot and booty from afar, which will play a big part in upgrading both Edward as well as his ship, Jackdaw.

Average Joe Gaming Presents

The Average Podcast: Episode 49 – Back to the Future

In this week’s episode Brian, Austin, and Will discuss why having a pet robot could lead to your downfall… Actuall they touch more on:

• No Vita price drop in America
• Microft’s possible system reveal event
• Industry layoffs
• Nintendo attending Gamescom
• New games coming this week and more!

The boys also dissect all the Sony PS4 news, and tell what they think Microsoft has to do to strike back.

Right-click “download” to download

Special thanks to Dave for the graphic above. check out his FB page for more awesome art stuff!

If you want to be part of the team go to the link below.

Also check us out on iTunes

Don’t forget to get everything AJG from the links in the upper corner!

Average Joe Gaming Presents

The Average Podcast: Episode 48 – Podcast Delayed

In this week’s episode (recorded last week) Brian, Austin, and Will discuss all the wonders of puberty… Actuall they touch more on:

• Nintendo’s upcoming 3DS XL Sale
• New Batman: Arkham Title is coming
• Sony’s prototype Dualshock 4
• Game delays (The Last of Us/Rayman Legends)
• New games coming this week and more!

Right-click “download” to download

Special thanks to Dave for the graphic above. check out his FB page for more awesome art stuff!

If you want to be part of the team go to the link below.

Also check us out on iTunes

Don’t forget to get everything AJG from the links in the upper corner!

Today, Wednesday February 20, 2013 will go down in history as the day the Playstation 4 was announced with a whole bevy of information and content.  I just spent the last 2 hours live tweeting and Facebooking so I’m going to make this quick and hit on a couple points if you missed out.

First off, the PS4 is being made as a developer friendly console that has tons of ties to social integration to bring the games to the gamer.  The console has an X86 CPU, 8GB of Memory, and is using a supercharged PC architecture that Sony has used to make things easier on developers than the Cell processor the PS3 was used for.  Sony actually reached out to developers to figure out what they wanted a new console to be and it looks like the PS4 is really wanting to open up the system to be appealing to those who make games.

They showed the controller, the Dual Shock 4, that still looks similar to the 3, but with a few different features.  There will be a touch pad on the front of the controller along with a light-bar that can recognize the user and figure out where the controller is opposite of the system itself.  There will be a share button that allows players to upload footage of what they were just playing up to all of your friends.

The share button brings us to the main point the PS4 seemed to want to hit, creating a seamless social integration that never gets in the way of the gamers.  Other ways that the system doesn’t get in the way of gamers?  Well how about letting players PLAY the games they are downloading even before they are fully downloaded?  You can do that.  The PS4 also using a Suspend mode much like the Vita and 3DS use where you can shut the console down and pick it right back up where you left off another day without having to actually reboot the console.

Cloud gaming will be huge with the PS4 and with Sony’s partnership with Gaikai will be very prevalent in the system’s life.  All games in the PS Store will be given some sort of trial version allowing users to try out everything on the store before they throw money into it.  Sony and Gaikai also hope to bring huge amounts, maybe entire libraries, from PS1, PS2, PS3, and PS mobile to the PS Store allowing players instant downloads of everything from the past Playstation lifetime.

PS4 will also be able to connect to more devices than ever.  Tablets, smartphones, and computers will all be able to connect to the PS4 in some way.  The biggest news is that the PS4 is being built completely with remote play worked into the architecture with PS Vita.  They spoke about having many, and hopefully all, titles available for remote play. I’ve heard this 2 times before, so hopefully 3rd times the charm.

Finally, it’s time to talk games.  PS4 games are looking fantastic from both 1st and 3rd parties.  Many of Sony’s studios are out working on titles for the console and each one gets me a bit more excited for the console.

Guerilla Games is working on Killzone: Shadow’s Fall and actual gameplay was shown at the event.  It looks extraordinary.  Evolution Studios, the guys who created Motorstorm, are working on Drive Club.  More than just a racing game, this title is all about team racing in a socially connected world.  You’ll be able to create your own challenges with your own club and compete against countless others online.  The integration seems pretty seamless and the cars themselves look fantastic.  To quote the presenter, “We’ve gone borderline insane with real world details.”  Sucker Punch then came out and presented Infamous: Second Son, a new title in the series that follows a new hero and seems to focus a lot on the conflict between the regular folks, and the ones who have gained superpowers.

Jonathan Blow, creator of Braid, will debut his next game, The Witness on PS4.  This dense open-world adventure puzzle game will boast 25 hours of content.  David Cage from Quantic Dream talked about polygons and how realistic his team can make faces.  Media Molecule even showed up to talk about…the Playstation Move?  Yes.  They showed off a sculpting demo and presented a creative experience where people could make all kinds of content.  The Molecules even played off their own music video that looked like it was being directed by the Move controllers.

Even 3rd parties came out and showed their support.  Blizzard is partnering with Sony and bringing Diablo 3 on PS3 and PS4.  Activision and Bungie will have exclusive content for the Playstation version of Destiny.  Capcom showed off a new IP Deep Down that uses the new engine Panta Rhei that looks like a Dark Soulsy, medieval fantasy game.  It looks fantastic, but nothing really you haven’t seen before.  Ubisoft also came out and showed off a new live demo of Watch Dogs.  This game still looks very interesting and crazy.  You basically control an entire city from your phone.  The animations didn’t look quite as good as some of the other footage shown, but maybe that just means it’s going to be real.  Regardless, the game looks great.

That’s really about it.  The console itself wasn’t shown in any capacity.  There was no price point but the PS4 is coming Holiday 2013. The event definitely got me excited about the PS4.  They showed a whole lot, but they also left out a whole lot. I’m sure we’ll be seeing more and more from Sony’s new beast in the coming months.  Keep checking back with us for all kinds of new console info.

The music of PS3′s JRPG exclusive, Ni No Kuni, does a superb job of accompanying the incredibly stunning artwork that Level 5 and Studio Ghibli has created.  The soundtrack pulls no punches, sometimes feeling even more grand than the adventure itself.  It’s clear composer Joe Hisaishi (who has worked on many other Studio Ghibli films,) as well as everyone who participated in the work, really set out to create a score that could stand amongst the best of all time, game of film.  While in some instances the goal is easily met, there are a few tracks that fall flat, and others that simply feel out of place when accompanied by gameplay.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

What I love most about Ni No Kuni’s score is just how grandiose it is.  There just aren’t many games like Ni No Kuni that put so much into its orchestral presentation and keep things fresh with a wide variety of instruments, sounds, and moods.  Every piece of in-game music was performed by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, an honor few videogames are a part of.  The sound is phenomenal.  The recording is spot on.  Every single instrument that’s used in the orchestra seems to shine on this soundtrack.  Things like this are a clear result of having such talented musicians and audio engineers back a wonderful composer like Hisaishi.

As with any game’s soundtrack, the music by itself can’t just be “good”, it needs to convey the spirit of the game and accompany what’s going on on-screen.  When Ni No Kuni’s music is light-hearted and full of wonder it matches the overall feeling of the game perfectly.  When things turn sour, the also takes an appropriate turn, but with mixed results.  Some of the more dark tracks capture a slightly eerie tone that reminds you of late Halloween nights, a mixture of wonder and dread.  These instances are great.  Other times, the music seems to dire for the situation your character is in and doesn’t quite match the tone set by the rest of the game.  These moments are rare in the overall scope of the game, but they are there.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

The biggest disappointment of Ni No Kuni’s score is the battle theme.  With so much time being spent fighting, grinding, and leveling up in JRPGs like this one, you really want a tune that figuratively throws down the gloves and makes you feel like “…bring it.”  This track does not capture that mood of battle at all, nor the magic of using cute, unique creatures a la Pokemon to get the job done.  It’s simply a lackluster piece that doesn’t convey the emotion it should, and because battles happen so frequently the track becomes incredibly repetitive very quickly.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Overall, Ni No Kuni’s soundtrack is a fantastic piece of game music that shouldn’t be missed.  The epic feel of the adventure is reflected in the music so well that sometimes the compositions themselves become more grand that the visuals.  Even with its few problems in how it accompanies certain scenes and it’s boring battle music, Ni No Kuni easily stands tall as one of the best game soundtracks in years.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Tags: all-stars, battle, dlc, Emmett, Fighter, Fighting, impressions, Kat, playstation, ps3, royale, Superbot, Video
]]> http://averagejoegaming.com/2013/02/18/playstation-all-stars-dlc-impressions/feed/ 0 http://averagejoegaming.com/2013/02/08/austins-top-10-games-of-2012-1/ http://averagejoegaming.com/2013/02/08/austins-top-10-games-of-2012-1/#comments Sat, 09 Feb 2013 02:47:14 +0000 Austin Clark http://averagejoegaming.com/?p=2952 1. Xenoblade Chronicles

Not since the original Playstation days of Final Fantasies and Legends of Dragoons have I been so taken away with a game.  Xenoblade completely drags you into one of the most unique and beautiful worlds you’ll ever see in a game and never lets you go, even after 80 hours or so.  There’s so much to this game it’s unreal.  The story itself takes around 60-70 hours to complete but what blows my mind is that it all felt worth it.  Other than one cheap boss, I never felt bored, or felt like I was playing some random rudimentary fetch quests just to get from point A to point B.  Xenoblade always pushes you forward and for such a large game, that’s impressive.

The world in Xenoblade will stay with you.  I can remember every area in the game in so much detail it’s uncanny. On top of gorgeous graphics that really push the Wii to it’s limits (which is impressive since the game was released two years ago in Japan) the art directions itself is unlike anything you’ve seen before.  Xenoblade takes place on two gigantic creatures called the Bionis and the Mechonis.  Frozen in time, these two forces fought in an endless struggle until they both stuck each other and suddenly ceased to move.  Life began to form on both of these beasts and that is the world you inhabit as the player.  You’ll run all up and down these massive god-like beings, sometimes even seeing the ominous figure far off in the distance.  These creatures, and the environments found on them are truly spectacular and just moving to the next area and seeing what’s around the next corner is more rewarding than anything I’ve experienced this year.

Xenoblade Chronicles is easily my number one game because it single-handedly made me fall in love with the JRPG genre again.  There’s been so few games in the genre that gave me the same feeling I felt when I was younger.  But that’s not enough anymore.  As I am currently playing Ni No Kuni, a game that plays incredibly similar to PS1 era JRPGs, Xenoblade Chronicles always felt like a brand new game.  The combat takes place in real time, you can save anywhere and at anytime, and you never once need to back-track but if you want to there’s a fast-travel option.  Everything about Xenoblade is convenient.  And for such a long game, it’s deeply appreciated. Xenoblade is number 1 in my books because it’s unlike any game I’ve ever played, it’s polished to a sheen shine, it’s story and voice acting are amazing, the music is fantastic, and it stays fun and engaging from beginning to end.  This game almost never came out in America and it would’ve been a shame, because 2012 would have lost it’s best game of the year!

Borderlands 2 is the sequel of all sequels.  It lives up to it’s predecessor and soars above it in every way.  Borderlands 2 is one of those games that completely makes the original title feel so inferior that there’s no reason to play it.  The second game is just that good.  I spent a full month playing nothing but this game, and day-dreaming about it while I wasn’t.  And even after I beat the game, I started it right over.  Once the first batch of DLC was released,  I blew through the new areas and missions.  Borderlands 2 did something to me that rarely happens these days.  It made me want to be a kid again.  It made me want to go back to the days where I only got new games on my birthday and Christmas.  It made me want to never let it go.

Sorry bud, you’re in the way.

All emotions aside, Gearbox did a number on this game.  It took the awesome loot-tastic gameplay on the first game and made it better by building an entire game around the loot that you cared about.  The world is alive and vibrant, full of all kinds of environments the first game never even came close to showing off.  Borderlands 2 had a story that was actually worth following, and introduces a villain that is as diabolical as he is hilarious.  It put guns in your hand constantly, relentlessly, and they all were completely different than the last.  Even after 100 hours of game time.

I love Borderlands 2 and still pick it up for a few hours here and there to chip away at the newer DLC packs that have come out.  My only complaint is that most of the gamers I know have had no interest in the series so I’ve played 99% of the game all by my lonesome.  This is one of those games that you can play the entire thing with up to 3 other friends and it really changes the experience and in my opinion makes the entire game even more fun.  I have a feeling if I had a steady group of friends playing this, it would’ve been my number 1 game of the year, but alas, I took the trip alone.  Regardless, solo or co-op, Borderlands 2 is worth every penny.

Average Joe Gaming Presents

The Average Podcast: Episode 47 – We’re Back

In this week’s episode (recorded last week) Brian, Austin, and Will discuss what we have been up to in our hiatus… Also in this double stuffed episode (sorry for it’s length):

• Microsoft’s Illumiroom
• Nintendo’s game announcements
• Sony’s nonchalant comment about Microsoft announcing their next console first
• New game announcements and more!

Right-click “download” to download

Special thanks to Dave for the graphic above. check out his FB page for more awesome art stuff!

If you want to be part of the team go to the link below.

Also check us out on iTunes

Don’t forget to get everything AJG from the links in the upper corner!

Arkane Studios created Dishonored in a time where there seems to be nothing but big sequels or small indies.  It follows a supernatural assassin as he uncovers the plot of a treasonous group who aims to take over the city of Dunwall.  After killing the queen and stealing her daughter, your character is the scapegoat and sent to prison.  Your job is to get out, find the girl, and get revenge by any means necessary.  Dishonored throws you into a strange dark, gritty, steampunk-esque world that is incredibly detailed and realized.  It feels like a real world in some strange alternate reality and this environment is one of the things I loved so much about the game.  Well that and a supernatural assassin.  How could you not love the way that sounds?

Dishonored is so high on my list because it was a game that proved me wrong on so many things I felt like I knew about game.  For one, I hate silent protagonists.  Every time I hear the term, I cringe.  The thought that creating a character that communicates with the world around them even though he never voices a word never once made me feel like I had become the character, it more than often just took me out of the experience.  Dishonored changed all that, through the assassin’s actions and choices, I finally felt like I became this character I was playing.  The silent protagonist finally clicked and it was awesome.

What Dishonored also finally did well was create an open-ended mission system where I truly felt like I could complete my goal in a countless number of ways.  Sure, a lot of games give you choices here and there, but most of the time they just feel like a fork in the road.  Should I do this or this? And many times, much like in the case of Mass Effect, certain actions will keep you from furthering your skills in a a path you probably have already predetermined.  Dishonored creates a world where you are never punished for how you proceed.  You are never given the feeling like you are missing out on something better.  You simply are given a playground and asked to get from here to there by however you see fit.  It’s incredibly fun and creates an experience that feels like your own.  Dishonored makes you feel like the assassin in every way and that sense of ownership isn’t found in a lot of games.

From the makers of Shank, came the stealth, side-scrolling action game Mark of the Ninja on Xbox Live Arcade (also available on Steam.)  This game blew me away with just how amazing everything controlled, looked, and ultimately just played out.  It took the typical platformer and combined elements from Metrovania and stealth games to create this wonderful experience that has everything I could want out of a game.

Maybe my love for this game stems from my childhood love of ninjas.  Everything I’ve imagined a ninja to be is in this game, and unlike other ninja games (ahem, Tenchu) it is just as much fun to control.  What stands out most to me is the assortment of equipment and how it creates so many ways to go about completing a level.  You can use shurikens to destroy lights and sneak by everyone in the game, or you can use darts that will make an enemy lose their mind and start killing off other guards.  Mark of the Ninja allows you to go from one spectrum and kill everything you see, or sneak silently through an area as if you were never there.  The openness of the game is what makes it so special.

Mark of the Ninja also makes everything you do feel like it matters because in fact, nearly every action you take against your enemy is rewarded in points, that add to your overall end-of-the-level score.  These scores, coupled with online leaderboards constantly kept me determined to stick to the shadows and stealth kill my prey through a variety of means.  Something so little as a couple points for performing different actions throughout a level was so enticing it’s hard not to play through the game more than once.  The tools, the kills, and even the ending aren’t the real rewards Mark of Ninja brings, the reward is every second you are playing.

Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time continues the story of Sly Cooper and his band of thieves as they travel through time to save the Cooper legacy from being erased from history.  Throughout the game you will take on the guise of many of Sly’s ancestor’s, each with their own unique abilities, to complete your mission.  The demo that is currently available for PS Plus members, starts players off at the beginning of the game and sets up the story through some very colorful artwork, and the same great dialogue the series has been known for.  If you loved the characters and art style from the past games, make no mistake, Thieves in Time is just as entertaining and charming as the old titles, complete with that great Saturday-morning cartoon feel.

In the beginning, Thieves in Time picks up where Sly 3 left off.  Sly Cooper has hung up his mask and retired from his life of crime to spend his days with his cop girlfriend, Carmelita Fox, who believes Sly is suffering from amnesia.  He begins to get an itch for his old ways when his old turtle pal, Bentley, explains that pages from the Thievius Raccoonus are suddenly disappearing.  Since the book is a collection of all his ancestor’s thieving secrets, they have to go back in time to save Sly’s legacy.  Luckily, Bentley invented a time machine.  After picking up their other buddy, Murray, the muscle of the gang, they embark on their new adventure.

The demo lets you play through the entire first mission which has the team breaking into a museum to steal a sword from feudal Japan because in order to travel to a certain period, an item from that period must be obtained.  If you’ve played Sly 2 or 3, you should be completely familiar with the format which is both comforting and discerning.  Sly, Bentley, and Murray all play out different roles using their unique skills to accomplish the Heist but there’s nothing the demo shows off that feels new to the series.

The gang’s all here!

Sly Cooper is the star of the show and gets the most playtime, as he should.  Playing as Sly, you will be doing a whole lot of platforming which controls like a dream.  Running along power lines is as simple as jumping and tapping the O button.  Your objective is to get to the skylight above the sword and not be spotted by the spotlights.  There’s a few guards along the way that you will need to pickpocket and fight using basic attacks but nothing deeper than a few button taps.  Before you know it, you make it to the skylight and await Bentley and Murray to take their turn.  Bentley rides around in his wheelchair which keeps a nice pace and he has the ability to glide by double jumping.  These mechanics are great to keep things moving because Bentley in Sly 2 was extremely slow.  He travels through the sewers using his bombs to break into the security systems and complete a hack.  The hack job is actually a pretty fun minigame that is basically a twin-stick shooter where you move Bentley around shooting things, collecting keys, and opening up new pathways.  Once done, it’s Murray’s turn, and the worst part of the demo.  Murray just isn’t that fun to play as.  He’s big and cumbersome, using his strength to plow through enemies.  The problem is the combat just isn’t that fun here and enemies on higher platforms are difficult to hit while they have no problem hitting you.  Murray has a few different punch moves and can pick up and throw things but everything just feels like a means to an end.  He’s always seemed like the weak link (gameplay-wise) in the series and from the demo, Thieves in Time hasn’t worked on his formula to create a fun character to play.

Once all the characters do their thing, Sly grabs the sword and is chased down by Carmelita.  The three escape in their van in a sequence that allows you to control the vehicle a little, but doesn’t seem to matter much.  When they get cornered, they slam on the gas and use the van to time travel.  And that’s the end of the demo.  One mission complete that doesn’t show off much of anything to get someone excited for a new Sly game other than its name.

It’s not that the demo is bad, or the game plays bad.  It just feels exactly like what I’ve already played.  The Sly Cooper games are all great and the presentation and writing are all excellent.  That alone is probably enough to warrant Thieves in Time a playthrough I personally was hoping for more.  For fans of the series, keep in mind, everything you loved about the Sly Cooper games is in this new title even if there is a new developer behind the reigns, there just doesn’t seem to be much else.  I may hold off on this title but we’ll see what happens February 5th when the game releases.  I may just feel like checking out how the guys’ new adventure turns out.  Basically, I think the game will be a fun, solid entry for the series, but sadly, this demo just didn’t do anything to get me excited for it.

I didn’t get to go here in the demo…

I’m not going to spend a lot of time talking about Mass Effect 3 because chances are you know what it’s all about.  What makes this game stand out to me was how exciting it was to play through.  From the second you start the game until the credits roll the game feels like it’s on overdrive and with the Reaper assault imminent, it should be.  Even with all the extra side quests I always felt like Earth was only seconds away from complete destruction and all my missions were just buying us more time.  It was exhilarating.  It was awesome.  The time I put into Mass Effect 3 flew by and felt like a flash in retrospect because of how the games always keeps its foot on the gas and never lets up.   Maybe some people didn’t feel as on edge as I did, but it certainly left an impression on me.  It’s too bad the game will be remembered more for it’s controversial ending than the amazing thrill ride it was to get there.

The Walking Dead by TellTale Games changes everything.  If this was a legitimate Best Of 2012 list it would hold a much higher position but because this is basically my “Games-I-enjoyed-the-most-and-had-a-big-impact-on-me-so-I-wanted-to-write-about-how-awesome-they-were!” list, it’s a bit low.  However, #6 is nothing to cry about and it doesn’t deter the fact that The Walking Dead was brilliant.

The Walking Dead runs congruently with the comic series but focuses on new characters.  You control Lee Everett, a man with a shady past who stumbles upon this year’s best videogame character (yeah, I said it), a little girl named Clementine.  Their struggle to survive the Zombie apocalypse and the chemistry between these two characters drive the series through 5 heart-wrenching episodes where your choices help develop your relationships, destroy others, and survive the undead.  I don’t have any children, but my need to protect Clementine was so strongly felt  in this game that I treated every situation as if she were my own blood.  It’s a little scary how much I love that little girl.

I’ll get ya through this Clem!

What I took away from this game was just how emotionally gripping the story becomes.  The story-telling in The Walking Dead is the best of the best.  Where some games leave the player with choices, the overall tone ends up feeling manufactured but The Walking Dead always puts you in realistic situations with realistic outcomes and a lot of the time you aren’t given the time to think things through.  You really become Lee Everett and although TellTale uses some smoke and mirrors, you really feel like every choice you make, every word you speak, matters.  That’s an awesome feeling.  Can’t wait for the second season.

Sound Shapes is a platformer that lives and dies on its music.  Luckily, that platforming and the soundtrack are so damn good that it’s hard to put the game down until you’ve done all there is to do and have had your fill of the endless amount of online user-created content.

What makes Sound Shapes so fun is how simplistic it is while keeping the gamer engaged.  Because you’re expected to collect these music tokens throughout the level, you end up rolling, jumping, and sticking to the entirety of the level.  You always feel like you are making the most of the level design.  Once the tokens are collected, a new piece of the level’s music is played, offering an instant reward for your efforts.  There’s times in this game where I would just sit and bob my head to the music for a minute or two before I picked up a new token.  The auditory evolution creates a bond between you and the game that’s really something special and why this game is one of my highlights of the year.

Honestly, in its simplicity, I can’t find anything bad about Sound Shapes.  I love the game to death.  The controls feel really polished and tight.  Anytime I died, I felt like it was completely on me.  The music is varied, energetic, and moving.  The visuals are vibrant.  It’s just an all-around, light-hearted, FUN experience.  The only thing that upsets me about Sound Shapes is how short the game’s main campaign is and the lack of new DLC levels.

The Darkness 2 isn’t even getting any nominations this year and it’s a shame.  It’s a solid shooter that does an amazing job of standing on its own.  Based off the comic series of the same name, The Darkness game series has sort of become it’s own story.  The sequel picks up a little while after the first game where newly appointed Don, Jackie Estacado has tried suppressing his supernatural evil “Darkness” powers only to be attacked by an unknown group of assailants who seem to have more knowledge of Jackie’s power than he does.  Throw in some mafia buddies that truly work well and play off the main character, and a sort of psychological crack due to the loss of someone in Jackie’s life and you get a great campaign that’s full of emotion, dark, and very enjoyable.

Playing The Darkness 2 doesn’t feel like playing Call of Duty or some generic shooter with a goofy gimmick thrown in to make it different.  The powers your character, Jackie Estacado, obtain not only feel unique to the shooter genre, but compliment the entire experience.  ”Quad wielding” allows you to duel wield two guns along with controlling two darkness arms.  It’s easy to use and really fun when you get the hang of it.  Throwing an enemy while shooting down a hallway and hacking another enemy all in the same second is extremely rewarding.  And being creative with your kills rewards you will more experience so it’s actually worth mixing things up. As you play, you unlock greater abilities to destroy your enemies with, keeping the gameplay fresh as you proceed through an awesome tale of loss and revenge.  On top of a fulfilling single player campaign, The Darkness 2 boasts a worthy co-op campaign as well (that can be played alone.)  What makes the co-op interesting is you play as different assassin’s who work with Jackie, each using their own unique abilities.  While the co-op’s storyline is no where near as engaging as the main campaign, it still uses the same stylish fun gun-play in some more levels and trust me, that’s not a bad thing at all.

Don’t let the ridiculous name fool you, Theatrhythm Final Fantasy is easily one of the best music/ rhythm games of the year and one of the few 3DS games that I got a lot of playtime out of.  While the core of the game still falls into the obvious “tap-tap-hold” methods of a majority of rhythm games, Theatrhythm switches things up with multiple modes, a few RPG elements, and an amazing collection of music few other game series can even compare to.

What always kills a rhythm game for me is how repetitive they become but Theatrhythm does a bunch of little things to keep me entertained for hours and ready to keep on tackling another song.  The game is split into 13 sections, each based off the main FF titles in the series, with 3 songs within, an intro and an outro.  Each of these songs is presented in a different visual style.  Battle music has you tapping music sliding in from the left and in turn, creates a fight between you and monsters from the series.  How well you do corresponds with the number of enemies you defeat along with a higher score.  Field music has you tapping and tracing a single line while your character strolls through different locales from the series.  Finally, Event songs play cinematic moments from each game while notes swirl and circle around the footage.  You can even use items and level up your characters between songs in order to better your score and tackle the harder modes.  This aspect wasn’t as fully realized as it could have been, but it’s still a nice touch considering the soundtrack’s RPG roots.

Hearing the great soundtrack is good enough but creating this variety between song types keeps things a lot fresher than many rhythm games.  Giving players the control to slightly customize their group and use different RPG elements doesn’t hurt either.  I loved Theatrhythm so much I’ve even forked over a few extra bucks to grab some of the DLC songs (I rarely get DLC.) For anybody who likes rhythm games, Final Fantasy, or just good music, I’d definitely recommend this game.

#10 – Journey

What makes Journey so special is how it tells a beautiful, emotional tale by the most basic of means.  It’s almost the videogame equivalent to a great silent film.  There’s no text, no dialogue, you aren’t given a name to the online player who randomly joins your game, and there’s no real direction provided other than a lone mountain in the distance.  However, even with everything stripped away, you become more attached than ever to the world, your character, and your journey.

I played through Journey in one sitting and was blown away.  The adventure begins in a very barren desert and I immediately felt alone.  But as I progressed, the world began to open up around me and I could see ruins that were trying to tell me a story, and landmarks that began to capture my imagination.  By playing online, random players joined my game one at a time and I couldn’t help but instantly become attached to these nameless figures who looked exactly like me.  I had no real way of communicating with these people but that didn’t stop a bond from forming.  That’s the magic of Journey.  You piece together information to create a story for yourself, you communicate without words, and the quest becomes important to the player, not just the character you control.  By the end of the game I was standing up.  I couldn’t sit down and relax because I was too emotionally engaged to what was happening.  Are videogames art?  Of course they are.  And Journey stands high on the list as to why.

Check back tomorrow for #9!

There’s a countless number of videogames that never make it to America from Japan.  Most of the time, fans are only left to import, mod, or simply dream of certain titles that would never see the light of day.   A fan campaign, Operation Rainfall, hoped to bring over 3 Wii RPG’s and worked tirelessly to do so.  While their influence is questionable on the releases, 2 of those game made their way over to the US last year.  Those games were Xenoblade Chronicles and The Last Story, two critically acclaimed and rather successful games on the Nintendo Wii.  The third game Operation Rainfall hoped to bring over was Pandora’s Tower, a much lesser known title than the other two.  After The Last Story released, it seemed incredibly unlikely Pandora’s Tower would follow.

Publisher XSeed Games is changing all of that.  Nintendo has allowed the publisher to release the title in the US this year, making plenty of fans ecstatic.  It’s hard to say how well Pandora’s Tower will fair considering the Wii U has already been launched and there is no big names attached to the game as Xenoblade and The Last Story had.  Still, it’s a small victory for us in the states to bring over these obscure niche games.

If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.

Pandora’s Tower is an action-RPG where you play as Aeron, a mercenary who is trying to save the woman he loves.  She’s been cursed and   is slowly turning into a disgusting monster.  The only way to save her is for Aeron to fight his way through The Scar, defeating the boss masters that dwell inside thirteen towers.  The meat from these bosses must be fed to his love in order to reverse the curse.  However, time is of the essence and should you lolligag around, the girl will succumb the curse and Aeron’s love will be lost.  Pandora’s Tower plays more like a Devil May Cry or God of War than a Legend of Zelda and looks to be a pretty interesting, strange, twisted game.  Here’s hoping the title makes XSeed happy they brought it over!

Average Joe Gaming recently was recently in a brawl with a drunk, tubby, opera singer named Hilda.  In short, we got creamed and lost our recent memory and the site had to go down for about 2 months.  It was a sad time for all us, but now it’s time to wipe those tears away, ignore those nightmares of Hilda , and get back to what we love doing most; talking games.

The Joes here hope we haven’t been forgotten and can forgive us for falling off the grid there.  We plan on getting back into the swing of things very quickly and creating a better site than ever.  There’s a lot of ideas rolling around our heads and we can’t wait to share them with everyone.

2013 is going to be a great year for AJG!

Average Joe Gaming Presents

The Average Podcast: Episode 28

Right-click “download” to download

Special thanks to Dave for the graphic in the above Video. check out his FB page for more awesome art stuff!

If you want to be part of the team go to the link below.
http://averagejoegaming.com/join-the-joes/

Also check us out on iTunes
http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/average-joe-gaming/id473790013?ign-mpt=uo%3D4

Don’t forget to get everything AJG from the links in the upper corner!

Average Joe Gaming Presents

The Average Podcast: Episode 26 – Top Dog

In this week’s episode Brian, Austin, and Will discuss what muscle “jelqing” actually helps… They actually touch more on:

• Last of Us 2013 announcement
• Vita sales up in Japan
• XBLA sale, and Achievement rewards
• Tomba coming to PSN
• Nintendo’s achievement announcements and Miyamoto wants an FPS
• New game announcements and more!

Finally, after G4′s broadcast of the top 100 games of all time, the boys discuss the results.

Right-click “download” to download

Special thanks to Dave for the graphic in the above Video. check out his FB page for more awesome art stuff!

If you want to be part of the team go to the link below.
http://averagejoegaming.com/join-the-joes/

Also check us out on iTunes
http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/average-joe-gaming/id473790013?ign-mpt=uo%3D4

Don’t forget to get everything AJG from the links in the upper corner!

In a recent interview with Game Informer, Criterion vice president Alex Ward, has revealed that the company will now be in charge of the entire franchise.  When asked about the franchise and it’s future Ward states, “Our stamp’s going to be in everything you see in Need for Speed and Burnout going forward in the future. It’s not going to be spread anymore across different companies. Different studios have had a crack at it – it’s definitely a Criterion gig now.”

Criterion is most known for being the development team behind the Burnout series and most recently, critically acclaimed Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit.

It is still unclear about whether the company will actually create Need for Speed games internally, or simply oversee the projects but the above quote seems like they will play a big part in all future titles.

As for a new title in the Burnout series, Ward only said the studio “[thinks] about it all the time.”

Criterion certainly knows how to handle a racing game, but I worry about the two franchises blurring together after this announcement.  Even though I’m ecstatic about the new Need for Speed: Most Wanted, it definitely seems a lot like Burnout Paradise.  However, Criterion is a very capable developer so I’m going to stay hopeful.

So here’s the deal.  Nintendo went to E3 with a new system launching very soon.  They needed to blow everyone away with it’s new console.  They needed to show it’s tech and show it’s games and make each and every gamer salivate for a Wii U.  However, as we all know, Nintendo left us rather disappointed with it’s press conference.  They ignored their other systems and did very little to excite us about the Wii U.  Fail, Nintendo, fail.

But through the power of Nintendo Direct, Nintendo’s new means to bring information about their games to the masses through short video presentations, the company seemed to leave some things out of their big conference.  Trust me, there’s some pretty big news coming out of it.

Let’s tell you first about the big gun Nintendo let out.  On August 19, 2012, you will be able to purchase the new 3DS XL for only $199.99!  It looks pretty huge.  In fact, the screen will be 90% larger and it’s also promised that the battery life will be better than the original model.  It will be released in red and blue and will also include a 4GB SD card.  Looks pretty nice.

Now if only there was a Legend of Zelda one...

Probably the next biggest news was about the next Super Smash Bros. game on both the Wii U and 3DS.  Are you sitting down?  Nintendo has partnered with Namco Bandai to create this title.  No other Smash Bros. game has done this before.  To be clear, a separate company that is not Nintendo will be working on one of their most beloved franchises.  Anybody remember Metroid: Other M?  To be fair, a lot of the original team that has worked on SSB will be returning including the game’s director.  The game has been in development since the release of Kid Icarus: Uprising and will release at an undetermined date.

In more 3DS news, Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance has a demo available on the e-shop now! So go download it and get even more confused about what the f*** is going on in that series.  Nintendo also stated they will be releasing more demos in the coming weeks including Rhythm Thief, and Heroes of Ruin.  Sounds good to me.

Oh, the nostalgia! Soon Mario, soon.

The e-shop will also be getting a lot of big virtual console titles in the next couple months.  Some of the titles stated included Super Mario Land,  Warioland: Super Mario Land 3, and Kirby’s Pinball.  And for all you Pokemon fans out there, when Black and White 2 get released this fall on DS, the 3DS users will get a bonus in the e-shop.  Pokemon Dream Radar, and Pokedex 3D Pro will be released to improve the experience of the new Pokemon games.  Dream Radar will use augmented reality to find and catch wild pokemon around you and transfer them into your game!

Nintendo also ran through a bunch of quick-fire information regarding a bunch of games and a few 3DS apps that will be coming soon.  They crammed a whole lot of information into 20 minutes but I just wanted to focus on what I felt was the most exciting.  If you’d like to watch the whole Nintendo Direct showing, check it out here.

Continue to stay with Average Joe Gaming for all your gaming news and leave some comments below and join in on our thoughts!

Average Joe Gaming Presents

The Average Podcast: Episode 26 – Top Dog

In this week’s episode Brian, Austin, and Will discuss what muscle “jelqing” actually helps… They actually touch more on:

• Last of Us 2013 announcement
• Vita sales up in Japan
• XBLA sale, and Achievement rewards
• Tomba coming to PSN
• Nintendo’s achievement announcements and Miyamoto wants an FPS
• New game announcements and more!

Finally, after G4′s broadcast of the top 100 games of all time, the boys discuss the results.

Right-click “download” to download

Special thanks to Dave for the graphic in the above Video. check out his FB page for more awesome art stuff!

If you want to be part of the team go to the link below.
http://averagejoegaming.com/join-the-joes/

Also check us out on iTunes
http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/average-joe-gaming/id473790013?ign-mpt=uo%3D4

Don’t forget to get everything AJG from the links in the upper corner!

Capcom has done the unthinkable…again.  In a recent announcement the company has revealed they will be releasing the 2006 PS2 classic (and later released on the Wii), Okami,  on the Playstation Network this fall for $19.99.  The game will be getting an HD overhaul, a complete collection of 51 trophies, and the option for Playstation Move support.  Check out the reveal trailer below.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Okami is a fantastic action adventure game that has been both critically and commercially praised.  You play as Amaterasu, the Japanese sun-goddess, who has taken the form of a wolf in her adventure to save the land from a wicked evil.  The art-style looks like something straight out of a Japanese water-color painting which reflects your power to use paint to both interact with the world and attack enemies.   With a story full of mythology and lore from classical Japan, and gameplay similar to the Legend of Zelda series, the Okami HD release is a must-own for anyone who skipped out the first time, as well as those who think it’s time for a trip down memory lane.

100. Pong
99. Words with Friends
98. Pitfall (Atari 2600)
97. NBA 2K11
96. Guitar Hero 2
95.  Burgertime
94.  Braid
93.  Tie Fighter
92.  Galaga
91.  The Sims
90.  Baldur’s Gate 2: Shadows of Ahm
89.  Left 4 Dead
88.  Double Dribble
87.  Mass Effect 2
86.  Outrun
85.  Silent Hill 2
84.  Wii Sports
83.  Ninja Gaiden (2004)
82.  Super Smash Bros. Melee
81.  Resident Evil

Okay, Pong HAD to be on the list.  It just had to be, and I completely agree with that.  But Words with Friends?  What the hell were you thinking G4?  I mean I know it’s really popular right now, but I already see it losing steam.  Oh yeah, and it’s SCRABBLE!  At least they didn’t put Draw Something on here….  I’m also disappointed with the placement of Mass Effect 2.  Considering the scope, scale, and how much the game can vary depending on your choices, I felt it deserves to be higher.

My favorite games of 100-81: Galaga, Super Smash Bros. Melee, and Left 4 Dead
80.  Gears of War 3
79.  Psychonauts
78.  Spyhunter (1983)
77.  Excitebike
76.  Blades of Steel
75.  Fallout 3
74.  Starfox 64
73.  Mega Man 2
72.  Mortal Kombat
71.  Wing Commander 2
70.  Star Wars  (1983)
69.  Double Dragon
68.  Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
67.  Minecraft
66.  Assassin’s Creed 2
65.  Unreal Tournament
64.  NBA Jam
63.  Wolfenstein 3D
62.  Civilization 2
61.  God of War 3

I’m really glad to see a game like Psychonauts make the list.  It was a commercial failure and even got cancelled before being resurrected and released.  That right there is awesome to show just how good and how much of a cult hit it is.  I am pretty sure God of War 3 is much higher for fellow Average Joe, Brian Maldonado.

My favorite games from 80-61:  Mega Man 2, Excitebike, God of War 3
60.  Contra
59.  Maniac Mansion 2: Day of the Tentacle
58.  Ultima Online
57.  Pokemon Red/Blue
56.  Super Street Fighter IV
55.  Kingdom Hearts
54.  Gauntlet
53.  Deus Ex
52.  Rockband 3
51.  Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando
50.  Sonic the Hedgehog
49.  Angry Birds
48.  Tecmo Bowl
47. Myst
46.  Red Dead Redemption
45.  Metal Gear Solid
44.  Grand Theft Auto 4
43.  Quake 3: Arena
42.  Ghosts’N Goblins
41.  Super Mario 64

Contra was the first co-op game I sort of fell in love with…and hated at the same time because of it’s difficulty.  My uncle and I would play Contra constantly just scraping to get to the next level.  It was awesome.  Angry Birds doesn’t suprise me making the list at all, it has been downloaded a billion times!  Red Dead Redemption is one of the only things “Western” I’ve ever gotten into, but I still haven’t finished the game…

My favorite games of 60-41:  Kingdom Hearts, Metal Gear Solid, and Super Mario 64
40.  Space Invaders
39.  Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater
38.  Super Metroid
37.  Halo
36.  Batman: Arkham City
35.  Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
34.  Counter-Strike
33.  Final Fantasy VII
32.  Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out
31.  Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
30.  Super Street Fighter 2: Turbo
29.  Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
28.  Super Mario Kart
27.  Chrono Trigger
26.  Ico
25.  Grand Theft Auto 3
24.  Madden NFL 2005
23.  Halo 3
22.  Panzer Dragoon Saga
21.  Resident Evil 4

I have a confession to make.  I had a Super Nintendo, played tons of games, but I NEVER played Super Metroid.  Please don’t kill me.  But seriously, there’s some great games here.  Final Fantasy VII just brings a smile to my face thinking about it, and how I felt playing it the first time.  Nothing like it.  I’ve played Chrono Trigger on about 3 different systems and have still never finished it.  I think Ico is beautiful and a definite answer to the question, “Are video games art?”  However, I don’t think it deserves to be so high on the list.
20. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
19.  Diablo 2
18.  Ms. Pac-Man
17. Starcraft
16.  Half-Life
15.  Donkey Kong
14.  Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
13.  Portal
12.  Doom II: Hell on Earth
11.  The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
10. World of Warcraft
9.  Shadow of the Colossus
8.  GoldenEye
7.  Super Mario Bros. 3
6.  The Legend of Zelda
5.  Tetris
4.  Asteroids
3.  Bioshock
2.  The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

…And the winner is…  (If you thought differently, I’ve never been more ashamed of you.)

1. Super Mario Bros.

#1 Video Game of All Time

There you have it.  G4′s Top 100 Video Games of All Time!  With the exception of Super Mario Bros. being number 1, I was really suprised with a lot of the top choices.  Asteroids?  Asteroids beats out Donkey Kong, Galaga and Space Invaders?  Wow.  Not to mention that Zelda nabbed 3 spots in ten spaces.  My biggest disappoint here is that Super Mario World got no love what-so-ever when it’s easily the best Mario game out there!

My favorite games of 20-1:  Uncharted 2: Among Thieves,  Shadow of the Colossus, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and A Link to the Past.  Super Mario Bros. 3 too…

I also want to give a quick little breakdown of my knowledge of the games on the list…

Games I have played: 70
Games I have never heard of:  5 (Spyhunter, Double Dribble, Blades of Steel, Star Wars,  Maniac Mansion 2: Day of the Tentacle)

What do you think of G4′s list?  What’s your #1 Video Game of All Time?  Comment below and let us know!

Average Joe Gaming Presents

We 3 for E3

This is our E3 wrap-up episode. everything we thought about the E3 conferences: what we liked, didn’t like, what got us excited, and what made us go “WTF?”

Listen in, and see if u agree.

Regular episodes will continue next week.

Right-click “download” to download

Special thanks to Dave for the graphic in the above Video. check out his FB page for more awesome art stuff!

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http://averagejoegaming.com/join-the-joes/

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http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/average-joe-gaming/id473790013?ign-mpt=uo%3D4

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In a recent E3 interview with G4,  Insomniac Games CEO Ted Price showed some actual gameplay off and talked in-depth about their new Facebook RPG, Outernauts.  For those of us who haven’t been invited to the beta, this interview will have to keep us entertained for the next couple weeks until the game is officially released.

First of all, Outernauts seems to really try and blend the casual and hardcore gamer together.  For one, you won’t have to keep “farming other player’s villes” every single time you jump into the game.  From the looks of it, you won’t really need to do anything like that.  Outernauts is a game about traveling through space, collecting monsters, building up and fighting with those monsters, and collecting materials that will eventually push your spaceship farther into space.

Ted Price revealed that Outernauts has a full storyline for people to follow, and while who knows how deep and entertaining that storyline is, I was really excited for that little morsel of news.  Singularly you can play the game, follow the story, and travel through space.  Cooperatively, players can team up and take on special challenge missions that will nab you even more powerful items and materials.  They can also battle each other through a PvP mode.

Speaking of battling, it’s hard to watch Outernauts and not be reminded of Pokemon.  Your characters never actually enter battle.  They use their monsters to fight the monsters in space and eventually capture new, more powerful ones to use.  The fighting system is also reminiscent of the Pokemon games in that it will be take place on it’s own screen in turn-based old-school RPG system.  While I’m sure there will be some quirky innovations that Insomniac is known for, it’s still hard to look past the similarities.  At least it reminds us of a good game though!

With a storyline, a couple co-op modes, the lack of those annoying, demanding, facebook cues (they might still be in there but I think they will be less necessary) and a fighting system that not only looks like a hardcore game, but a good one, I’m really scared to think how much time I may lose on facebook playing Outernauts, considering I already waste too much time on the site.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Nintendo’s 3DS Software Showcase just wrapped up and instead of breaking down every little thing that happened like in our coverage of the press conferences, I’m just going to highlight and talk about the games.  After all, this whole presentation was to show of the games of the 3DS.  So, first up…

A Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate trailer was shown.  The trailer focused on the storyline with a lot of drawings in a sort of comic-style.  It looks like you will play as Gabriel’s son as well as another Belmont.  Then end of the trailer shows very little gameplay but it will have 3D graphics in a 2D plane.  Oh yeah, and Alucard from Symphony of the Night is shown.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

The game looks to play similarly to the orginial Lords of Shadow, only on a 2D plane.  The main weapon will be a chain that you can attack directly with, or attack in wide area, and use different combos with this.  You will also have a Shadow Magic bar that will make your attacks stronger.  The return of secondary weapons will include a new boomerang weapon that laches onto enemies and hurts them.  Platforming will be a huge part of the game, as with most Castlvanias, and it’s promised that exploration will bring rewards when finding secret locations.  So far it looks awesome and definitely a nice mix between old Castlevania games and the new Lords of Shadow series.

Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon just keeps looking better and better.  The game seems to be improving on the Gamecube version in every way.  The action looks more intense.  The puzzles seem more interesting.  There are more diverse environments.  It just looks great.  Dark Moon will have multiple mansions to explore and we can start exploring this holiday season.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Warren Spector talks about 3DS’s version of Disney’s Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion.  This game takes the theme of the original Epic Mickey with it’s tale of lost toons, and tweaks it to tell a tale of lost video games AND disney characters.  Entering the Castle of Illusion, Miserabell (?) has taken toon’s hostage in the wasteland and trying to steal their heart essence in order for herself to escape.  In the trailer shown it looks like Mickey will explore lands in Peter Pan, and Beauty and the Beast, with more lands to be announced.  It looks like a fun platformer.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star gets some love.  With this being the first Paper Mario on a handheld, Sticker Star was built specifically for the 3DS so it can be sure than all kinds of touch controls and 3D views will be used.  Stickers are the bread and butter of the game.  Battles in Paper Mario return to a turn-based battle system like the original games and NOT the Wii title.  Timely button taps will enable you to attack enemies more effectively or block attacks and you will use stickers to attack and use special moves.  A new move similar to Super Paper Mario on the Wii will enable you to freeze and flip the world to uncover new secrets.  Coins also come into effect and will play a role in how many stickers you can use in battle and how you get stickers.  My computer was breaking during this show so I may have missed some stuff but it will be out this holiday season so we’ll see it all then.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Kingdom Hearts 3D comes out July 31st and gets a nice trailer showing.  It will continue the epic story of Kingdom Hearts as well as bring some new features like slo-mo which will enable power finishing attacks.

Scribblenauts Unlimited is shown.  On top of the zaniness of the previous titles, players will now embark on a full blown story more.  Levels will be deeper and longer.  And it looks like you will be able to create your own items for words.

A quick montage trailer shows Lego Batman 2, Transformers: PRIME, and a new Rabbids title.

Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 is mentioned that while the games are being developed for the regular DS system, they will include features that 3DS owners can benefit from.

Then there’s talk about the eShop.  Scott Moffett mentions that 70% of 3DS owners are online.  He also breaks down a lot of stats and numbers about the eShop which I’m not going to really get into.  A 3DS Nintendo Video show, Threediots will be on Nintendo Video now and it looks like a goofy comedy series.  The conference reveals that eShop users can get a Lego Batman 2 demo right NOW!  New Super Mario Bros 2 will be available for purchase digitally, physically, and through a download voucher.  It seems like Nintendo is beginning to take the digital market very seriously.

New Super Mario Bros. 2 is shown off by an in-game demo and the big idea of this demo is talking about coins.  There will be a flower coin that allows you to shoot coin-fireballs that turn bricks and enemies to coins.  This is in the game because NSMB2 will keep track of every coin you collect in the entire life of your game and use it in Street Pass.  There will also be a Coin Rush mode in which you must collect as many coins in as short amount of time.  This will also be big for Street Pass in which you can compete with your friends.  Another announcement is that the game will be able to be played entirely co-op. And if you haven’t heard yet NSMB2 brings back flying!  New Super Mario Bros. 2 comes out August 17th, 2012.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

All in all I enjoyed the showcase more than I enjoyed Nintendo’s press conference.  They may have not announced anything big but this wasn’t supposed to be a presentation for that.  A showcase simply shows off things and Nintendo definitely showed off a lot of 3DS games that I cared about.  They made it clear they are going to also focus on digital gaming as well as physical which is something I’m happy to hear.  In the end, I’m really excited for what 3DS has in store for me in the coming months.  Now excuse me while I download the Lego Batman 2 demo!

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

At E3 2012, Square-Enix gave us a sneak peek of what kind of visuals we may be getting in the next generation of games.  In a short real-time tech demo, Agni’s Philosophy,  Square-Enix’s new gameplay engine was revealed.  Dubbed  Luminous Studio, the demo showed off gorgeous visuals in a Final Fantasy-esque setting that makes me real excited for the next-gen.

The demo shows off beautiful magic summonings, ferocious beasts, and crazy costumes all created by this stunning new engine.  Individual strands of hair could be picked out.  Ruffles and little details of characters’ wardrobe fluttered and seemed to have their own life.  The lighting and shading effects bring everything to a much more realistic feeling even within this fantasy world.  Everything looks amazing and this is all supposed to be in real-time, meaning this is how games will look when you’re actually playing.

I’ve heard people claim that graphics can’t get better than some of games we have right now.  Square-Enix has made it clear to me that there is definitely room for improvement, and I’m really excited to play a game that looks like Agni’s Philosophy.

Square-Enix has also revealed that Luminous Studio will be a versatile game engine.  This means they are planning to create different versions of the engine to use it on different platforms including phones, PC, and current gen consoles.  Obviously, the graphics won’t be the same but the engine should still look impressive compared to what’s already out there.

Contrary to their past titles like Vanquish, Bayonetta, and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, developer Platinum Games’ next outing looks to be very different.

Project P-100 will be a Pikmin-like strategy action game for the Wii-U.

In the game you will gather and control many tiny troops through an isometric overhead view to defeat giant enemies that tower over you. Each level will have multiple bosses of this magnitude. As you attack, your army will build up meter to transform into a powerful mech-like warrior to deal out heavy damage.

So far, Project P-100 looks like it doesn’t use the Wii-U gamepad’s features very extensively. The demo shown off at E3 only used the gamepad to control a single unit in a third person mode to simply enter a building and unlock a door. This scene was played on the pad’s screen.

I’m a big fan of Platinum but this looks like brand new grounds for them. Hopefully this game turns out well but I really need to see more before giving a better judgment.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.