SAMOAN SUBMISSION MACHINE

Now stepping into the Geek Stuff Arena is the TNA World Heavyweight Champion, the Samoan Submission Machine, SAMOA JOE! I had a chance to sit down and talk with Joe and try to bring out the big man's inner geek a little. We talk about the new TNA Impact video game and his participation in the Game of Fame on XBOX 360, his upcoming title match with "The Icon" Sting at Bound For Glory in Chicago on October 12th, only available on Pay-Per-View, and much, much more. Go to the link below or on the right side of this page to give a listen.

http://stations.espn.go.com/stations/1050espnradio/blog?id=3558453

-Ray Carsillo

STEEL CHAIRS AND WHEELBARROW NECKBREAKERS

Imagine a steel chair slamming into your face at 100 MPH; in a good way, of course. That is what TNA Impact does to you from the very first match you play. You can either jump right into a match with some of your all time favorites like Sting or the “Samoan Submission Machine” Samoa Joe or you can take part in the expansive story mode that will take six to ten hours for you to complete depending on how fast you pick up on the nuances of the game. And it’s those little nuances that make this game one of the most enjoyable wrestling games to come out in years.

Unlike another popular wrestling brand’s video game series, TNA Impact is more of homage to what makes wrestling games as great as they are. It combines over-the-top non-stop action with an engaging storyline and a versus/online mode to keep you coming back for more with friends and strangers alike. Add its stunning visuals and this game is a winner through and through.

The first thing you notice is the awesome graphics. For the first time ever, the crowd is not a sea of sprites, but instead every person is a 3D model that comes to life as your match progresses. The details of every wrestler and every move they make are as sharp as a honed blade and the facial expressions are remarkably detailed. Add in that every wrestler and commentator voiced themselves (and did it well) and you feel like you’re watching TNA sometimes instead of playing it.

To create this sense of realism, there had to be a few cutbacks, though. Such as limits on your weapon selection and on exactly where you can go with the wrestlers. Aside from the immediate area outside of the ring, you are confined to fight in-between the ropes. It would have been nice if you could have gone up the ramp or into the crowd like so many of the great matches of the real TNA. Also, your only weapon is the customary steel chair, with a handful always scattered about the ring.

This limits your hardcore experiences, but it does give you a chance to focus on your moves. And every wrestler has his old standbys. Kurt Angle performs the Angle Slam with precision and if that doesn’t work, he’ll break out a series of submission maneuvers that almost make you want to tap your chair in hopes of making it stop. Kevin Nash comes across with all the power you would expect from all 7’ of “Big Sexy”. And all the guys from the X-Division fly high and fly far from the top ropes.

Only thing about the moves is sometimes the enemy A.I. gets a little reversal happy, though, and if you have trouble mastering the reversal yourself, you might get frustrated at times from this. It’s hard to find that mix of needing reversals and just being able to go for your moves in a wrestling game and this is another game in a long line that might want to look more into that. Maybe a reversal meter to go with your finisher meter?

The other thing that stands out by itself, but isn’t without fault, is the story mode. The fact that they have a complex story mode is amazing in and of itself because a proper story is something that has been lacking in wrestling games for a while. This might be the best game since WWE: No Mercy (largely considered the best wrestling game of all time) for the N64 just because it has a really compelling, well written story mode to it. The only thing it lacks is open-endedness. The story suffers because you are not in control of the choices your wrestler makes. You just keep winning and advancing through one story. A few options or consequences for losing would be nice.

Overall, this was a great first installment. TNA and Midway should be proud of this game. It’s fun, engaging, and aesthetically pleasing. It needs work though. They need to find a way to expand where your wrestler can go and what weapons he can use, they need a little more variation in the commentary, and they need to expand the story mode for this to be a complete smash hit. Otherwise, if you are a wrestling fan and a looking for a little old school, in your face, off the top rope action, you need to get this game.

Rankings are based on a score of 1 to 10 with 10 being the best.

Graphics: 10.0: This game is beautiful. Everything about it was great visually from the wrestlers’ entrances to the crowd to the wrestlers themselves. This game could not have been better visually.

Audio: 10.0: In terms of audio, this game could not have been better either. Having every wrestler and announcer voice themselves was great. The commentary got a little repetitive after a while, but it didn’t take away from the experience so I can’t take away points.

Plot/Plot Development: 8.0: The story mode is expansive for a wrestling game and really draws you in. The only problem, and it’s a big one, is that the story is too linear. You have no choice in how the game plays out aside from you winning or losing in the ring and having to either replay the match or continue on.

Gameplay: 9.0: Stellar. Only a handful of notable glitches to think of. Even the easy setting made the wrestlers somewhat difficult to beat unless you master the timing for the reversal button. Making you rely on the reversal or the steel chair in some matches to win though became tiresome, but I can’t blame someone for making a difficult, old-school wrestling button masher.

Replay Value: 7.0: A lack of options in the story mode make this a less than ten hour ride, but the multiplayer and online options are the bread and butter of wrestling games for the most part, anyway.

Overall (not an average): 8.5: TNA and Midway have the makings of a hit franchise on their hands, but it needs some work. More options in the story mode, more creative reversal format, more weapons, and more diverse commentary. Basically what every good first installment inspires from its fans. THEY WANT MORE. That alone means that TNA Impact might just be the must have wrestling game of 2008.

-Ray Carsillo

WE WILL ROCK YOU!

It was one of the most popular games to ever come out for a home console. Following the trend of DDR and Guitar Hero, Rock Band took it to an entirely new level. With both bass and lead guitars, drums, and a microphone, Rock Band allowed you to gather a couple of friends and live out that dream of touring around the country with thousands of screaming fans, all from the comfort of your own home.

So how would they top it? How could they continue this phenomenon and continue to draw in not only their hardcore fans, but to extend it to even the casual gamer/rocker? I had a chance to talk with John Drake, a member of the Harmonix team that put together Rock Band 2 , to see just what they did to make Rock Band 2 bigger and better than the original and got some fans' take on the game after playing a demo.



After talking with John and the four hot chicks, I had a chance to try out the game myself and my initial review is that this is a chart topping hit in every way possible. Not only was the selection of songs larger, but the graphics were sharper, and the possibility of downloading extras for it made my mouth water at the prospect. I only had a chance to play a demo so I can’t give a full detailed review, but my gut instinct screams as I smash a guitar on stage that this is 10 out of 10. You can pick up Rock Band 2 for XBOX 360 now and expect it out on the Wii and PS3 sometime in the middle of October.

-Ray Carsillo

MORE HUMAN THAN HUMAN

You would think a futuristic war against machines with characters ripped right from Norse mythology would be a geek’s dream come true. Unfortunately, said dream became a reality on the XBOX 360 in the exclusive title, Too Human.

Too Human is an Action/Adventure title with RPG characteristics brought to you by Silicon Knights, the same people that brought such original games as Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem to home consoles.

Now, this isn’t a bad game by any stretch. The story is just not as original as hyped and the gameplay is nothing new. You play as Baldur, the youngest of the Aesir, a group of cyborgs regarded as gods amongst the dwindling human population. Baldur is regarded as the greatest warrior of the Aesir, combining both sound military stratagem and brute force. His older brother, Thor, and his father, Odin, both hold him in high regard and send him forth on the most dangerous missions. These missions usual force him to take on the evil war machines that have overrun the planet and have wreaked endless havoc upon the human populace. The machines are constantly trying to one-up the remaining humans and the nearly indestructible Aesir by building themselves bigger and better, simply because it is what they are programmed to do.

As the game starts, machine Trolls and Goblins are numerous. And a new menace has appeared on Earth courtesy of the machines. A machine that feeds on human flesh for fuel called Grendel.

As the game progresses, you find out that Loki has escaped his prison (Norse god of Mischeif and often a villain) and he has befriend the machines and what were once thought only to be myth, the Frost Giants. You also find out more of how the war started with the machines and why Baldur cannot remember everything of who he was beyond a certain point.

If you haven’t already noticed several Norse references, then you must be under the age of 10 and/or have never read a Thor comic. The difference is they decided to combine the Norse legends with the Matrix. This is all well and good, but by no means original. As the story unfolds, it is interesting but, again, if you know anything about Norse mythology, it comes as no surprise that your overall objective is to prevent Ragnarok (the Norse version of Armageddon).

The worst part of this is that they decided to stretch this out over a trilogy a la Star Wars. I wonder what sacrifice you will have to make in the second part to go with the Empire Strikes Back theme. Could we come up with an original idea please?

Another thing that brings this game down is the fighting system. Using the XBOX 360’s second analog stick, you flick it in the direction you wish to attack with your handheld weapon and the right trigger to fire your guns. Overall, your guns are the easiest to use, but against large hordes of enemies, the handheld weapon is necessary because of its power and ability to take out several enemies at once. The idea was solid in using the second stick because it allows you to attack quickly in different directions as enemies try to dogpile on you. The implementation is where this falls apart as glitches swell up as you swing right through your target many times, costing yourself precious time and health.

Not that health matters since you come right back to life where you were when you died. The only thing is you have to wait for the “Valkyries” to come down and carry you off and you have to watch the cutscene the whole way through every time. After a while, it does become a good motivator not to die, but the penalty is not nearly as costly as in other games.

Rankings are based on a score of 1 to 10 with 10 being the best.

Graphics: 7.5: There were a lot of loose lines in this game and the backgrounds were dull and blended into each other often. I understand that with the wealth of enemies being thrown at you that you put a lot of processing power towards that, but a game that you put so much time, effort, and hype into should look a little more polished than it was.

Audio: 9.0: Strong music, great sound effects, and alright voice acting gives this a strong score in terms of audio. The voice acting felt a little over the top at times, but I guess this is what happens when you stick 1000 year old mythological characters into a future that we can’t even begin to dream of.

Plot/Plot Development: 7.5: Something stolen from 1000 years ago and the Wachowski brothers is not something that should be sold for $60 a pop. The plot, no matter how unoriginal it was, at least was developed at a decent pace and left enough surprises to make the ending worth it if you are familiar with the Norse mythos.

Gameplay: 5.5: Very glitchy fighting style mixed in with constantly hitting invisible walls in terms of jumping and the actual gameplay suffers at times. Again, just some overall polish to this could have corrected a lot of these problems, but instead they will just throw more enemies at you that you swing through.

Replay Value: 4.0: After you beat this, it is almost a relief. You could go back to into the game to try to keep leveling up and find new items or to try different warrior classes, but there really isn’t a point once you beat it.

Overall (not an average): 6.5: A decent story and a solid musical score is the only thing that keeps this game passable. Glitchy graphics and gameplay make the game more of a burden than it should be for something at this point in the current generation of games. A disappointing effort from the guys at Silicon Knights. I hope the second installment improves on these problems.

-Ray Carsillo

GREEN CARPET AND GOLF CLUBS

For the Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 World Premiere, I had a rare opportunity to talk with Tiger Woods’ golf coach, Hank Haney. Hank is also featured prominently in the game for when you need advice and he gave me some insight into how golf transitions into video games. Also, he gave me an update on Tiger’s condition and what we can expect from Tiger once he returns to PGA play.



In the evening hours that day, I had a chance to attend the actual premiere party for the game and get a hands on demo of it. I also would make a valiant effort to talk to Tiger himself and come up just a little short. Here is my experience at the Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 Green Carpet Premiere Party and my review of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09.



-Ray Carsillo

GRENADES AND SMILEY FACES

I hate war games. I just do. I like a game that can immerse me in a story line and make me feel for the characters. Most war games struggle with this because it is either about events that have already happened and I know the outcome or they focus too much on making it a realistic experience and don’t flesh out the characters to the point where I feel for them.

Finally, the people at EA have a game for guys like me. Battlefield: Bad Company is a game that mixes a somewhat realistic situation and adds in fresh, funny, off the wall characters that you can’t help but root for. The idea of Bad Company is that these are the army’s rejects. (Stripes for the 21st Century if you will.) These guys know how to shoot, know how to work, and know how to goof off and know how not follow a single order given to them. Because of this, they are the first ones in. They make sure it’s safe for the Marines because if these guys get shot up, the army won’t care.

You play Preston, the newest recruit to Bad Company for deciding to take a Black Hawk Helicopter with him for his weekend leave one night. As soon as you arrive and meet the gang, you are inserted into a Russian border conflict to start helping the US forces calm down the area. (This game was made before the Russian-Georgian incident a few weeks ago. Interesting how pop culture follows real life and sometimes, as in this case, vice versa).

As your small band of ragtag troops moves through the Russian countryside, you realize that the bodies of downed enemy soldiers aren’t wearing the typical Russian soldier uniforms. In fact, they are wearing mercenary uniforms. And here is the driving plot element. These mercs only work for gold.

Then the real hi-jinx begin as your group decides to do what they do best and ignore orders and follow the gold trail instead. You invade a neutral country, storm a palace, and basically just wreak havoc across two Eastern European nations and try to escape with your life and a few extra dollars in your bank account.

You can’t help but laugh at you and your squad mates as you almost start World War III trying to get rich. The gameplay is solid. The graphics are great. There is no shortage of enemies and of different ways to kill them from tanks, boats, machine gun turrets, and golf carts. Yes, golf carts. Even though the game is difficult, if you die, you simply start at your last save point and any enemies you have killed between dying and your last save, don’t come back. Add in an infinite supply of health packs and you get almost more of an arcade experience than an actual war game. Trying to find all the weapons and gold in the game are nice features to bring you back for more and the multiplayer online is superb. This is a fun game, bottom line.

Rankings are based on a score of 1 to 10 with 10 being the best.

Graphics: 9.0: There is always a lot to render when it comes to war games. Large, expansive maps, detailed camouflage, and usually lots of guys wearing that camouflage to name a few things. This game did a solid job in most cases when it came to this. From the details of the guns and tanks to the faces on the soldiers to the smiley face pins on your grenades, this game delivered the goods. The only complaint was the blood, or lack of it, when you mowed down swarms of enemies with a machine gun turret or the like. Aside from that, everything was crisp and clear and deserves a strong score.

Audio: 9.0: Another strong score. Gunfire was superb, the voice acting from every character was spectacular, and the music really immersed you into the game. The only thing that keeps this from being a perfect score is the fact that the music isn’t playing as often as it should be. The soundtrack is so good and really gets your blood pumping and the fact that it is only played during a handful of moments in the game is really disappointing. Aside from that, great sound work.

Plot/Plot Development: 8.0: The plot itself is a little weak. A band of soldiers going rouge for the promise of riches has been done before. What makes this so great is the characters. They drive the story all the way home till the credits roll. The development of the plot is also key. The use of “Miss July”, the communications officer relaying all your objectives and the group interaction with her is great and helps give the story a realistic feel as well as a great plot advancement element.

Gameplay: 8.5: It does get a little repetitive after a while to get blown away and to re-spawn almost right at where you were when you died. The enemy A.I. is solid for the most part, although not very reactive or difficult if you know what a flanking maneuver is. The most difficult thing to do is to take down enemy helicopters because they sure know how to spot when you whip out a bazooka. I can’t complain much more than that though because you got lots of enemies and lots of weapons and vehicles to kill them with.

Replay Value: 8.5: With the only collectibles being different weapons and trying to find all the gold, there isn’t a lot to bring you back to the story mode. The big thing to bring you back is a great online experience with lots of different maps and five different solider classes to choose from when you spawn. If you enjoy the story mode, you’re going to love the online play.

Overall (not an average): 9.0: When you bring everything together about this game, you simply fall in love with it. It’s only the little things mentioned above that keep this from getting a perfect score. If you are looking for a shooting game that turns the typical war game on its head, this is the one for you. Solid plot, great characters, realistic weapons, good online play, and you’ve got yourself a winner here.

-Ray Carsillo