durkada

Have the Zen Pinball games for PS3? If so, I'll add you for a little competition, there. Unfortunately, Marvel is one of the few purchases I've made for the 360 in the last year. I wanted Pinball FX2 for a couple of really choice tables which don't appear in Zen.

Well, I don't know what to think about the layoffs. I don't really follow Disney as a publisher/developer, but am usually pleasantly surprised by their products. Perhaps the problems can be addressed through better marketing. At any rate, Blackrock did a great job. I only knew of one other title of theirs which I bought on the cheap, Pure. Pure, thematically, didn't enthuse me. But the actual gameplay is top-notch. If you've played SSX, imagine that with actual tracks with laps and ATVs -- that's pure, only the controls are superb. It also induces a fairly convincing sense of vertigo as you leap to some amazing heights and make your switch descent back to earth. Considering that, a year ago, you could get a copy for under $10, I can't recommend it enough.

I simply don't care about narrative, story, in games. To me, a plot and character development in a video-game usually feels completely silly and contrived. Whatever potential video games have for artistic merit, is usually squandered in banal, trite and hackneyed stories and plots that make the worst schleck of Hollywood look like fine art. So for a game to compel me through a single player offering, it has to be both fun and engaging -- something which is very rare. When I buy a game, I usually buy it for the multiplayer experience. Unless there is some aspect with multiplayer that I have to unlock via a single player mission, I may not even bother loading the sinmgle player. I guess you can't finish what you don't start? There are exceptions. A good puzzle/adventure game will usually see me all the way through. But those are rare. I finished Batman: Arkham Asylum, recently. I not only finished it, but I became obsessed with finding all the little secrets in the same way I enjoy geocaching. Finding all the little secrets in a game never particularly enthused me until Batman. Demon's Souls makes me want to play it again. Ico, I finished with tears streaming down my face. Portal, was amazing... StarCraft II has a plot wrapped around its missions. I doubt I'll get much further -- eschewing it all for multiplayer. Torchlight may see me a bit further, but I probably won't finish it.

This is genius. Apparently, since Capcom vs Tatsunoko, Capcom implemented a system whereby it watches if players quit an online match. I've seen the behavior in other games, but didn't realize it had its own term: rage quitting. Losing the game, rage-quit. Capcom has been keeping track of this behavior and been pairing rage-quitters with other rage-quitters. Its poetic and genius. I stumbled upon the info here: Rage Quitters meets No Exit

Sigh. Rubber-banding: its so ubiquitous in all racers, that it has its own term. I'm really hard pressed to think of another arcade racer that has AI without rubber-banding. Split/Second is no different, and another reason why I really don't mess around with single player on my racers (there are a few exceptions). But I can understand the frustration people feel. If single player is your primary mode of play, and you have no intention of multiplayer -- don't get Split/Second. Its no worse than Mod-Nation, Mario, or a host of other games; but its still frustrating. So, play it with friends, play it on-line, and Split/Second is magnificent. In most racers, tracks usually get second tier importance to cars and weapons, here, hwoever they take the spotlight. The tracks are both awesome and are the weapons. What I like about this game is that it is very fast, adenaline filled, and turns a weapon based racer into something much more strategic. Because the tracks and weapons are somewhat static, you _know_ what you will be facing at any given turn or straight-away. Clearly repeated playings rewards experience, and the player with alot of races will have a clear advantage over a newbie. This seems like something you will love or hate. I love it. Racers have been very good to me this generation. Blur, Modnation, Sega All-Stars, Motorstorms, Dirt, Grid, Pure, are all superb games, and Split/Second stands amongst the best. Motorstorm Apocalypse has me intrigued. Looks like it takes the deforming landscapes of Split/Second for this arcade rough and tumble racer. I think that could be quite nice, since Motorstorms strength is choosing the best paths for your particular vehicle.

The soundtrack for Tron was incredible. And as I've been on a vinyl kick as of late, I'll have to add that one to my watch list!

Nice collection of Tron stuff! While I shouldn't be surprised, I did not know there was a boardgame based on the movie. How does it play? The prints are particularly nice. Having just returned from the premier of Tron: Legacy, they reaffirm the visionary nature of the original -- so futuristic and unique in its design, that it made the CGI fest sequel look anemic. No toys, tho? The action figures I recall as being a bit sad, but the toy light-cycles powered by zip cords were amazing!

I echo your sentiments. I would prefer to see an original title, rather than a port -- I would also consider vapor ware as being preferrable over a port. Ports to older consoles are silly to me on some fundamental level. Some people may enjoy the challenge of translating a game to limited hardware, but in todays age, its much more enjoyable to play the original arcade game rather than a facsimile. If you are going to translate a pre-existing title to the Colecovision, I'd say do it in a manner that pretends its sequel: add modes and other neat game play elements that elevates it over its original. Not that I'm going to bitch and moan if you port a rare game over ot the Colecovision (Penguin Land, is a great example)... But, I think it would be more fun to have something original, or retrofitting a modern title. Left4Dead on the Colecovision as a top-down zombie survival game would be great, in the same way the Halo for 2600 is magnificent.

Angry Birds is like Peggle for me. It requires only a little thought and is often played in a haphazard way. But, its extremely well polished given the constraints of the medium. The art direction is superb, the sound effects are superb, the level design is superb. Angry Birds also makes me laugh -- or at least chuckle. Given that it is a casual game relegated to the medium of a cel phone, its a masterpiece. And... I think its fun. Its a perfect pick up and play it for a minute or two while waiting on someone or something. Long line? Play a round of Angry Birds.

Comparing the Pinball FX/Zen tables to Williams is only going to make you sad. Regard them, instead, as a unique entity and try to enjoy them in their own right. The physics are off, there is no question. And while the Williams Collection may feel comparitively realistic, as a pinball junky, they are also a far cry from the feel of a real steel ball travelling over a playfield. And ultimately, so what? My previous snobbery regarding pinball was to sneer at games which were not made by Williams. Once concerned pinheads corrected my ways, I found games that were equal to anything Williams put out, often better, with a feel that is simply "other" rathan than "lesser". Thats how I approach Zen. Its not real, its not Williams, but it has its own blend of fun on the menu. The important thing, is that Zen pays homage to the elements that makes pinball fun. Many of the shots, many of the modes, many of the toys are all derived from genuine pinball tables. But, being a video game, they are clearly not constrained by reality and introduce fun which simply isn't going to happen on a real table. I like that, in the same way I adore Devil's Crush and Flipnic. And like those games, I don't feel as if I have the same level of granular control over the shots. Oddly, for me, the Marvel tables are some of the least enjoyable of all the Zen games. They seem bland and lack-luster by comparison, with fewer flippers and less interesting shots, and certainly less interesting toys. Blade, the table I was least inclined to enjoy, was nonetheless the best playing of the lot. It, in contrast to the other games, seems as if it has a lot more going on. I suspect, however, I'm just scratching the surface with some of these titles; like a modern pin, these tables reveal more depth the longer you play them. Unlike a more modern pin, the lack of control can frustrate a players attempt to reveal those hidden qualities. Its a lot harder to just bash the ball around and make cool things happen, which is the primary way I piece together how a game works. But, given that many tables are hit or miss, one the thing I cannot complain about is the price. Averaging around $2.50 a piece, the great tables feel like an utter bargain while the disappointing tables simply feel like a fair investment. I'd sooner dump a bunch of quarters in a real pinball machine to discover it was dud. My only real gripes are: * Tables don't always have the same level of polish as a real pinball machine. What can you expect? I suspect the team at Zen is small, are newer to the world of pinball design, and don't have as much pressure to create a winning game. * The music is, at best bland. * Voice acting, on the whole is terrible.

I'm going to raise my estimation of this game a bit. While I think the core modes are frustrating, the hardcore modes are exhilarating. In the previous games, while I still preferred hard core, I would more often than not go for Ground War. But here, in Black Ops, the gulf in gameplay quality is immense; and clearly, its drawing a different kind of player, one that likes to play a little more cautiously.

Yes. Amazon Prime had it on my doorstep day of release. No midnight lines for me. Yes, I have World at War, MW and MW2. I'll still play them, I think -- although, MW2 less than the others I think it will sell like madness. I'm in the minority, I know, but I really prefer the Treyarch iterations over Infinity Ward. A few of my friends agree, but most do not -- World at War was the best in the series. So, I had high hopes for Black Ops. MW2 drives me nuts -- the sheer abandon of the kill streaks is maddening. A game ending in 30-45 seconds due to Tactical Nukes is silly. The fact that you are shoved into such a small area and so much death rains down from above is extremely frustrating. Die, respawn -- within a second -- die, respawn, ad nauseum. Meh. I have Black Ops. Its ok. The levels are more imaginative than MW2, but they feel a bit too cramped for me. I threw in World at War, and still enjoy it, more. The killstreak rewards are more sensible, thank god. The game is vastly more balanced than MW2. But, I miss the greater diversity and scope of the of the levels found in World at War. I miss tanks. But, something else has changed. In between getting sick of MW2, I picked up Battlefield 2, Bad Company. Its not a twitch shooter, frag fest, that you find in the CoD series, but is still very fast paced. But it introduces strategy into the games that is completely absent in the CoD games. Frankly, after enjoying the richness of the Battlefield gameplay, I'm fairly jaded regarding CoD. And while you level up in Battlefield, you start the game completely capable; many of the players never switch from the default armaments given at level 1. Nonetheless, I press forward with Black Ops. I hope it will kick in and I'll enjoy it as much as the first MW. I can tell it's not going to impress me more than World at War. By the way, you probably already know... When you are strapped to the chair in the menu, you can press the shoulder buttons to escape. There is a computer terminal in the room you can use. Type in DOA and ZORK

There is still one aspect to the Move that gives it -- maybe -- an edge over the Wii. The fact that there is a camera and it can project you into the game is, potentially, cool. I got one, largely because I wanted to sit back and play an RTS on the couch. So, RUSE and the Move and I are friends. That, and I am an absolute whore for light-gun games, so I can only hope we will see more of those. Yeah, and I have a Wii. But the Wii motion controls don't particularly interest me. The Wii can detect waggling, and sometimes does a poor job of that. The Move actually does register movements with speed and precision, which could make it much more fun. The next Dead Space will have Move support, and ship with Dead Space: Extraction. That could be fun. And, I think, the next Killzone is supposed to have Move support.

I said it aped the original without understanding what made it fun. I'll stand by that statement. In the original, you navigated the maze, searched for things (rapidly) while avoiding the nasties. All those elements are present in the new version, but here they are just kinda dull. In the original, with your match lit, you simply saw what you were looking for. It wasn't a matter of going through every object in every room and dumping the contents on the floor, only to pick that object up again. At least they, as mentioned, aped the original. They could have simply gone off on a complete tangent where it was completely unrecognizable from the original. But, again, I think it lost the soul. It would be like taking the game Asteroids, updating it for the new generation by taking out the arcade flavor. In this Asteroids, you had to load your cannons, manually aim the cannon by entering in the numeric values, and pressing the fire button. All while a UFO meanders aimlessly, non-threateningly, from side to side. You're still blowing up space junk -- its clearly Asteroids -- but its not much fun.

In my opinion the volume should be judged on real hardware only and not emulation. The volume relationship between POKEY and TIA in ProSystem (for example) does not match the real hardware. That's fair, and a very good point. Otherwise, I was under the impression all sound was being produced by the POKEY in this one. I'm also using sdlmess, if that makes a difference. Can you mix the two chips together for sound?

The music is pretty good for something you just whipped up. Only a few suggestions regarding it, some of which, you probably already planned: * Lower the volume of the music a bit more. I turned down the volume significantly on my laptop. * Maybe slow it down? I think a slower waltz would be much better. At faster speeds it sounds like its coming from an organ grinder, where as a slower piece, I think it will help to convey that precarious sensation I was alluding to earlier. * Stop the music immediately when a clown hits the ground. Restart it with the next jump. I realize this is not possible in multi-player simultaneous at present -- but at least stop it. In multiplayer, if you could simply raise the volume having it get back into play would be good. Otherwise, I'm glad to hear the tune. You must have knocked it out so quickly to afford time to implement a few multiplayer modes So, with no significant changes that I see to the game play. I still enjoy playing it as I did before. It certainly has that classic video game "one more quick game" feel to it. Cheers, Jon

I'll add a little dissent. There _aren't_ many reviews of this game floating around. But $20 is my sweet spot for game purchases, so I picked it up with only the hope it would be good. I don't think it is. My essential problem with the game is that it is tedious. This tedium is reflected in everything from the very slow pace at which your character moves through the house, the sluggish speed of the enemies, to the required mindless search through every nook and cranny for crap. Its bad enough that you have to search for the crap -- apparently your character is an imbecile, incapable of holding something in his hand when he first finds it. Yes, as soon as you find an object, its on the floor and you have to pick it up. This isn't stuff that you quickly find with your matches in the dark -- you have to approach the object (a cabinet, a bed, a desk, a book, a fart, a vase) and search it. The perspective is also annoying, how the lower part of the screen will block the view of your character. To me, this is an example of a game that apes the original without understanding what made it work. Here, there is no real tension, no real action -- its just slow, methodical, blind scavenger hunt. The aping is pretty, however -- they kept the pair of eyes. If they made it faster, and more score driven, it would have been fun -- like an enhanced sequel to the original. Here, they just throw you in a haunted house, toss in a couple of thematic elements from the original, but remove the soul of the game. Failure. And per a previous post. I don't think the guy reviewing the game as he was playing it for the first time, derided it for being childish because of some lack of cut-scenes. I think he found the game to be dull, non-challenging with absolutely no threat felt through-out his play. I would take exception that he didn't play it far enough to get past a bad first impression, but, frankly, it doesn't get much better.

Welp, I'm biased towards the idea. But, I think some more multi-player modes would elevate the game to _awesome_ status Well, to be clear, I was thinking of those in terms of multi-player only. Things get a bit more hectic, more power-ups should be dropped on a regular basis anyway, and it will be inevitable that you will have to catch some bad ones. Or, you catch some which cause your opponent pain. Otherwise, Gold Ballons? For a small period of time, all the balloons are worth a multiplier. Maybe decreasing each jump. Ah! Yes. Take care, Jon

I had to compare between the two versions, but yes, it seems much better. And _AWESOME_! I love the enhanced graphics for the non-egg -- the animated balloons popping! Nice. And I learned something. Unfortunately, I'm playing sooooooo poorly right now, that it doesn't make much of a difference. But, I did see what you were describing -- about the right clown shooting off to the further right. I noticed it, but not in that context. I wanted to mention it when I gave it a little more thought. I saw it less as a matter of -- "well, I'm taunting you" than, "I've lost three lives and you could go on for another hour". So, I wanted to think about multiplayer... just because, of almost every game, that's my favorite part. And so, off the top of my head, some ideas: * Co-op mode. Each player controls a clown. When player 2's clown is in the air, player 1 controls the teeter totter. When player 1 is in the air, player 2 controls the teeter totter. Could be a fun party game. * Competitive Co-op mode. Same as above, but you lose a man/points for dropping the other player. First player out of guys ends the game as the loser. * Competitive: Elimination. Kill off the other players balloons! Keep your own. Maybe killing off the upper level balloons causes more of your own to be produced on the board. * Some frustrating power downs could be added, al la Bomberman. Reverse your paddle. Weak jumps (maybe the next three catches you will _never_ hit a balloon). Maybe a Led Zeppelin balloon could be added: you hit it, don't pop it, but head straight down very rapidly. And that's all I've got. Its going to be a few days before I can try the multiplayer aspect of it again. So, for some other thoughts. It may be a nice touch for the surviving clown to have an expression when his mate dies. Maybe a couple of them. Horror at what he sees. Anger at you. The power-up that causes the the balloons to reverse... Seems useless. I'm of the mindset that no one should get a power-up and be disappointed. Thanks again for sharing the update. At some point, I'm going to have to hook my computer up to a TV. I bet the clowns make some nice glowing trails on a CRT. Its quite addictive. I play it over and over hoping to get past the first level so I can try my hand at the bonus round. I've yet to beat the Atari Age balloon without dying. And I saw the little... I don't know... scooper? I saw it floating over the teeter totter, but never managed to trigger it to do anything.

I'll have to wait til later tonight/tomorrow before I can test the game. But, a quick comment about the music... I like what Pokey has to offer when it is done well. I can only imagine the amount of time it will take to implement some good music. I can do without it... on the other hand, I would also applaud if you took another year to add polish to the game. Your call. But I will say this: you may get away by simply picking a waltz and looping through a couple bars. They always seem to suggest haphazard concentration to me -- like some precarious balancing act about to collapse. Cheers, Jon

Well, I care. I don't know you, but you are my #1 source for Super Circus updates. Anything that interferes with those duties is inexcusable. Actually, I'm impressed with how frequently the updates are coming! I pop this thread in my RSS feeder and am surprised by how often I have a new version of the game to play. I hope the move works out well for you. I can only imagine the stress of buying/selling homes between states! So, on to some quick thoughts. 1 - I think it would be good if the lives counted on the screen worked in a more traditional manner. Meaning, when you are on your last dude, there should be no more little buggers to count. 2 - It seems to me that there should be a little skew in the jumps -- or, the ability to add skew. By that, I mean, if you have your clowns jumping staight up and down, there seems to be no way to alter that pattern short of dying. I just checked on the arcade game Circus, and notice that the guys always fly up at a little angle. Circus Atari... I can't play it on a keyboard at all, but I seem to recall that you could have the guys go straight up and down, or, depending on where they land on the teeter-totter, they would angle a bit. 3 - You fixed one of the nagging eye-sores! I'm glad that the clowns now flip with the button press! No longer are they _always_ facing the same way. 4 - I'm playing on an emulator, but, I'm not as fond of the sounds. I got used to them after awhile, but they sounds a little harsh to my ears.

There are exceptions, such as sports games that came in bundles, or a few games that were donated by friends, but I play the games. I don't really have any desire to collect games I don't enjoy. I'm quite content grabbing hold of a boxless carts. It helps keep the game alive In terms of time, maybe. It comes and goes in spurts. There are times in my life when I simply don't have the time or energy to play. But, I can still haunt on-line markets, swing by a thrift store during errands, etc. Probably about 50k. Sounds impressive, yes? I must have alot of copies of Air Raid! My console games may not be worth that much, despite some gems... Under Defeat, Harmful Park, M.U.L.E. for the Atari, amongst others. But, for the most part, my console collection isn't worth much. I did, however, get into collecting pinball machines and vids prior to the Internet going mainstream. Damn internet! Global markets make my hobby too expensive, these days! Anyway, machines I purchased for a few hunder dollars -- often broken -- are now worth several thousands a piece. The vids aren't worth a fraction of a pinball machine -- but its nice having a Food Fight, Paperboy, Gauntlet II and some others for a song. And, of course, no intention of selling any of them. Having obtained most of the cheaper console games, I tend to gravitate to the rare games which are pricey. I'm patient and wait for bargains. It took about 4 years to get Harmful Park cheaply, for instance. It gets played

Well, I'm a happier camper with the two changes you made! Two player simultaneous is much more enjoyable with the color change. And, now that the clowns don't slam head first into the ground when hitting the ledge from below, I can actually clear a level fairly rapidly. Which led me to discover the bonus round! Very cool! Jon

I'm glad I checked the forums before going to bed. Joy! The balloons look fantastic! That is to say, they look like balloons. The reflections and shadows add a great deal to their appearance. I probably haven't spent enough time with the various iterations to tell a difference, but the game still feels right to me. I _think_ I noticed the additional space for game play. Won't be able to check sound until tomorrow, I'm afraid. I don't want to argue the point, but the main problem I have with the teeter totters being the same color is... that's what I focus on when I'm playing! My eyes don't really register or care about the central pivot, nor the clown on the other side. They gravitate to the point where the little dude is going to land -- and with two player simultaneous, this gets a little confusing at times as the same color. I'll continue to clamor for a classic mode. Sometimes, I just want a more tactical challenge, with less random-ness. I don't think it should be hidden, I think cooler things should be hidden. But, I certainly won't pitch a fit unless I can't figure out where its hidden! The only gripe I have may relate more to my playing than anything else. That second spring board... I guess that's what it would be called... the one on top, where the clowns jump into play, is a bitch! I regularly manage to get my clown shooting his head into it and bouncing back to the ground faster than I could possibly react. I need to play it on Easy and Hard to see how it may be different -- I've found Normal with a joystick hard enough. Thanks again for the update and sharing!

Edit: I picked up a 5200 today. Thanks to everyone who replied!