September 8 - September 12

Section: 

Read what you will into it, but the PS2 has more games coming out this week than the PSP or PS3. I doubt that it says anything relevant about the PS3, but it certainly makes the PS2 look like one of those spunky Mars Rovers.

Though I'm not selecting either for Game of the Week, one of the strongest fronts is sports gaming is the battle over hockey. This week, both EA and 2K Sports slapshot their latest brutality simulators onto gaming consoles.

But, our Game of the Week is already on store shelves and happily absorbing evolutionary memory addresses on my very own hard drive. Will Wright's Spore, perhaps the truest God Game to ever be released, follows your adorable species from humble beginnings as single celled organisms with giant eyes in a tidal pool of proteins and primordial goop to the vast reaches of space itself. Following in the proud tradition of Maxis, the less you think about Spore as a game and the more you think about it as a giant play area, the more joy per mile you're likely to achieve. This is a piece of software that demands to be approached differently, that begs you to break the molds of traditional games, and I'm certain that as many will decry it as a schizophrenic failure as will champion its subtle genius.

Either way, Spore will engross a lot of people, beg analysis for years to come and, if the first eight hours are any indication, charm the pants right off me every time I fire it up.

PC
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Super Pack
- Spore

PS2
- Cabela's Legendary Adventures
- NHL 2K9
- TNA Impact!
- Yakuza 2

DS
- Air Traffic Chaos
- Hell's Kitchen: The Game
- Lock's Quest
- Mazes of Fate
- Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir
- The Price is Right
- Rain Drops
- Spore Creatures
- Viva Pinata: Pocket Paradise

PSP
- Cabela's Legendary Adventures

Xbox 360
- NHL 09
- NHL 2K9
- TNA Impact!
- Zoids Assault

PS3
- NHL 09
- NHL 2K9
- TNA Impact!

Wii
- Active Life: Outdoor Challenge
- Cabela's Legendary Adventures
- Hell's Kitchen: The Game
- NHL 2K9
- The Price is Right
- Ten Pin Alley 2

Comments

The Lock's Quest demo was fun. Also, I heard good things about Yakuza 2.

Sadly I'm wasting my time playing the Warhammer Open Beta this week, so no time to check out Spore.

Finally:

Elysium wrote:

This week, both EA and 2K Sports slapshot their latest brutality simulators onto gaming consoles.

Seriously, hockey games are terribly dangerous and should never be played by anyone. Except Blades of Steel.

Time just vanished when I started playing Spore. I must have redone my creature 20 times in the creature stage. It is a really fun and different game that should be tried out by everyone.

The game play is nothing different because it grabs from Flow, Diablo, RTS, Civ, and MMO's. It does all of them on a small scale but it is successful on getting the whole scope of evolution. Very fun and very addicting.

Elysium wrote:

charm the pants right off me every time I fire it up.

IMAGE(http://www.techhouse.us/Images/Forum/needpics.gif)

Mixolyde wrote:
Elysium wrote:

charm the pants right off me every time I fire it up.

IMAGE(http://www.techhouse.us/Images/Forum/needpics.gif)

For the love of all that is holy, NO!

You asked for it.

IMAGE(http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/8447/levis527lowbootcutmensjar5.jpg)

There they are, right there. Charmed right off. Notice how I'm not in them at all!

Elysium wrote:

You asked for it.

IMAGE(http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/8447/levis527lowbootcutmensjar5.jpg)

There they are, right there. Charmed right off. Notice how I'm not in them at all!

Well played, sir!

Elysium wrote:

There they are, right there. Charmed right off. Notice how I'm not in them at all!

Elysium wears lo-rise girl jeans?

The Price is Right for Wii, eh?

So, I guess there's a video game called Active Life: Outdoor Challenge. How about that?

Why are they wet looking near the crotch?

ewww.

Irongut wrote:

Why are they wet looking near the crotch?

ewww.

I hope that's a shadow from the seductively undone button and zipper fly.

Spaz wrote:
Elysium wrote:

There they are, right there. Charmed right off. Notice how I'm not in them at all!

Elysium wears lo-rise girl jeans?

The Price is Right for Wii, eh? :)

Elysium is a North Woods hipster.

I'm going to have to go with subtle genius. I'm glad I avoided all the media and reviews beforehand, I love that the little touches are all surprises. In honor of this, I vow to only play Spore sans-trousers and none of my creatures shall have any either.

Actually, I haven't even made it out of the creature phase yet so I might be forced to have creature-pants anyhow. Then again, if the game doesn't current include any pants currently... I think I know what the first expansion will be.

Elysium wrote:
Wow I guess Super Smash Bros Brawl slipped under the cracks because of its weekend release.

It did! Otherwise that's clearly Game of the Week.

Doesn't stop Spore does it?

Purple_Haze wrote:
Elysium wrote:
Wow I guess Super Smash Bros Brawl slipped under the cracks because of its weekend release.

It did! Otherwise that's clearly Game of the Week.

Doesn't stop Spore does it?

Lets DO the TIME WARP agaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnn!

I'm sorry, but I snarfed at your mention of the Mars Rover. Anyone here seen this? I can just see the PS2 somehow forming an internal component into the Hawaiian Good Luck Sign for it's more expensive successors.

I hear Yakuza 2 isn't horrific, actually. I'll be getting Spore later this evening like all the cool kids, plus Zoids Assault just because I'm a slave to the mid-Eighties.

Doesn't stop Spore does it?

Damn, my elaborate hoax has been thwarted!

Im glad to see people enjoying Spore, but I just cant seem to like it.
I still think the fact that there is only ever one currency in any phase (dna, food, sporebucks etc) limits just how deep the simulation can be and how diverse your creatures can be.
If only they went further with the War/Commerce/Religion aspects with each having a seperate form of currency evolve in the tribal phase where you can spend them on relevant buildings/vehicles/tech rather than just gather one currency for access to all of these.
I think the lack of depth in the tribal and civ phases renderes them a chore at best, and pointless at worst.
I dont think we should give the game a free pass on the 'sandbox' concept. Every phase should stand as an enjoyable and robust gaming experience.
Ill post more as I play more of the Space phase...

I'm excited for the Viva Pinata for DS. That is all.

I am getting NHL 09 for both PS3 and 360 because some of my friends still don't have a 360 and can't understand the beauty that is XBL. Eeediots.

In other news, I got into the Warhammer Online beta (whoaaaa)

And I am contemplating purchasing a Bulldog (a real, live, fat and soggy English Bulldog)

Anyone has ever known someone who had one? anybody?

I've read a lot about them but I'd like to have some real-world testimonies or something. It's like those creatures require a whole lot of special care but I wonder if it ever becomes too much.

I am on a hiatus from game buying. Even though I am sorely tempted by Spore I can't escape the feeling it will wind up like playing the SIMS 2. I kind of like games the eventually END!! That is probably why my lifetime sub to LOTRO has been unplayed for 2 weeks. !Sigh!

C'mon Christmas!