tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54601130871383528712024-02-20T17:44:50.822-08:00Who Burned My Toast?Who Burned My Toast is a video game podcast featuring gaming commentary, reviews, interviews with people in the industry, and featuring video game music by real musicians and your favorite games.Brad J. (IanAugust)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05030779309916668077noreply@blogger.comBlogger150125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460113087138352871.post-81575739441000760982015-04-03T03:58:00.005-07:002022-08-24T05:17:20.730-07:00Here's a link to all the episodes we have left on our account :)<a href="https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/whoburnedmytoast">They happen to be all of the Musicasts up to date</a><br />
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Amado Bustoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15217526779565912727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460113087138352871.post-32992941765930978892012-11-13T21:04:00.000-08:002013-09-21T16:17:54.868-07:00WiiU Launch Day Unboxing Event and I Might Be Wearing a Yoshi Costume, If You're Lucky<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Come join us for a WiiU launch day unboxing event. We'll be streaming live and you can come in, ask questions and see how this whole WiiU thing is going to ultimately work or fail. It's ustream so we'll try to do some coverage of the WiiU interface and hopefully a game or two if the connection holds up.<br />
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As a special bonus if you guys can drum up 150 likes for the facebook page, I'll wear my Yoshi Halloween costume that fits ages 10 and under. See you then.<br />
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Details: 11/18 11am PST<br />
<a href="http://www.ustream.tv/channel/who-burned-my-toast">http://www.ustream.tv/channel/who-burned-my-toast</a>Brad J. (IanAugust)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05030779309916668077noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460113087138352871.post-90011451809068436412012-10-29T09:00:00.001-07:002022-08-24T05:45:49.597-07:00Musicast 21: Metroid Series<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/whoburnedmytoast/episodes/2012-10-28T23_22_16-07_00" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wJVCk7J34-g/UI4eAC8xQxI/AAAAAAAADq8/CxZhHXAoD9M/s1600/Musicast21-Metroid_Series.jpg" /></a></div><center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="85" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://whoburnedmytoast.podomatic.com/embed/frame/posting/2012-10-28T23_22_16-07_00?json_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwhoburnedmytoast.podomatic.com%2Fentry%2Fembed_params%2F2012-10-28T23_22_16-07_00%3Fcolor%3Df8ae06%26autoPlay%3Dfalse%26width%3D530%26height%3D85%26objembed%3D0" width="530"></iframe></center><br />
This Musicast has been a long time coming (Sorry listener Charlie Chang for making you wait so long). The Metroid series has some of the most praised soundtracks of any game out there. We spin some of the classics as well as some inspired and impressive covers from this amazing game.<br />
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<b>Playlist</b><br />
<ol><li>Title Metroid - Hirokazu "Hip" Tanaka</li>
<li>Brinstar Metroid - Hirokazu "Hip" Tanaka</li>
<li>Metroid 'Suite for Violin and Piano' OC ReMix - Gabe Terracciano, Shnabubula </li>
<li>Opening Super Metroid (Destroyed Science Academy Research Station) - Minako Hamano</li>
<li>Theme of Super Metroid - Kenji Yamamoto</li>
<li>Seeds From The Depths - Terminator</li>
<li>Norfair - Ancient Ruins Area - Kenji Yamamoto</li>
<li>Metroidprime_distress signal - XOC</li>
<li>Metroid Prime 3 Theme/Bryyo - Metroid Metal</li>
<li>Super Cranial Syphon [Drum Poetries] - Arm Cannon</li>
<li>Melting Sun - Pyro Paper Planes - Harmony of a Hunter</li>
<li>The Ending - Metroid Metal </li>
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If you have a game you would like us to do a musicast of <a href="mailto:whoburnedmytoast@gmail.com">email us</a>. <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/who-burned-my-toast/id568953075" target="_blank">Subscribe to us on iTunes</a> so that you can get all the episodes as they come out.<br />
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Cover art by: Noe Leyva<br />
<a href="http://www.noeleyva.blogspot.com/">http://www.noeleyva.blogspot.com/</a> and at Deviantart <a href="http://blkcelebration.deviantart.com/">http://blkcelebration.deviantart.com/</a>Brad J. (IanAugust)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05030779309916668077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460113087138352871.post-35181213982257426172012-10-15T09:36:00.002-07:002022-08-24T06:34:11.757-07:00Musicast 20: Mechwarrior 2<center>
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We're proud to release this new Musicast episode lovingly put together by our contributor Drew Aydelott. Please do enjoy this great episode. - Amado<br />
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MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat is a vehicle simulation game developed and released by Activision in 1995, as part of the MechWarrior series of video games in the BattleTech franchise. Originally developed for DOS, it was ported to a variety of platforms including Windows, Apple Macintosh, and the game consoles Sega Saturn and PlayStation (as MechWarrior 2: Arcade Combat Edition).<br />
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Developer: Activision<br />
Release Date: 1995<br />
Genre: Vehicle Simulation Game<br />
Publisher: Activision<br />
Platform: Windows, Apple, Sega Saturn and Playstation<br />
Writer: Zachary Norman<br />
Composer: Kelly Walker Rogers, Gregory Alper, Jeehun Hwang<br />
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If you have a game you would like us to do a musicast of <a href="mailto:whoburnedmytoast@gmail.com">email us</a>. <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/who-burned-my-toast/id568953075" target="_blank">Subscribe to us on iTunes</a> so that you can get all the episodes as they come out.Amado Bustoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15217526779565912727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460113087138352871.post-3128339713847108322012-10-05T16:25:00.003-07:002022-08-24T06:33:49.332-07:00Musicast 19: Half Minute Hero<center>
We seem to be having problems with our Podcast host so<a href="https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/whoburnedmytoast/episodes/2012-10-12T16_14_47-07_00" target="_blank"> here's a way for you to listen to it</a> until we things figured out on iTunes. </center>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">If you have a video game you'd like us to do a Musicast of email us </span><a href="mailto:whoburnedmytoast@gmail.com" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">whoburnedmytoast@gmail.com.</a></center>
Amado Bustoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15217526779565912727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460113087138352871.post-15057410872642131212012-06-05T23:31:00.003-07:002012-06-09T01:37:00.188-07:00Nintendo's E3 Press Conference Leaves Us Wanting More and Not In a Good Way<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hPYdxukhT2U/T87nhRT_UII/AAAAAAAADBg/3Wo_UBZ1eaQ/s1600/iwata-banana-nintendo-land-WiiU.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="iwata banana nintendo land WiiU" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hPYdxukhT2U/T87nhRT_UII/AAAAAAAADBg/3Wo_UBZ1eaQ/s1600/iwata-banana-nintendo-land-WiiU.jpg" title="" /></a><br />
Nintendo is in a little bit of a pickle. Clearly from the Nintendo Direct Video and the E3 Press Conference there is many forms of entertainment the Wii U is going to offer. How all this fits together is the puzzling challenge for us to figure out. Consoles today need to do a lot more than just gaming in today's techy world. The Regginator Fils-Aime even stated that there is way more to Wii U than what they could fit into their one hour presentation. The conference was dedicated to games as it should be. This is where some of my concerns about Wii U rise from their grave.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Nintendo in fact did show a lot of their first party games for Wii U. Pikmin 3, New Super Mario Bros U, and Nintendo Land all seem like they will be great fun and will be worthy of your time. Nintendo Land includes all of Nintendo's mascot in one party game that helps showcase the new gamepads potential to new users with 12 mini games. I get Nitnendo's strategy here, I really do. It started with the Wii and it is continuing on Wii U. Nintendo wants people to play games together in the living room and now in Miiverse. For sure I would have an amazing time getting torqued with friends while playing Nintendo Land and New Super Mario Bros U. But all of these first party games feel safe and not all that exciting. I'm looking for something to speak to me, to let me know that money is no object. I want to feel like I can't live without this new gamepad in my hands.<br />
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Third parties were also given a lot of face time this year. Which is something Nintendo is really trying to drive home. Warner Bros and Ubisoft both took the stage to talk about what games they had coming Wii U's way. Batman Arkham City Armored Edition, Scribblenauts, Rayman Legends, Assassins Creed 3, Darksiders II, Mass Effect 3, Trine 2, Aliens Colonial Marines and ZombiU to name a few. Mainly the problem here is that a good percentage of these games were already released on other consoles. Granted Assassins Creed 3, Aliens Colonial Marines and Scribblenauts are new unreleased games on the horizon for Nintendo's new baby, but these games will appear on other consoles. I feel like a few more big announcements from third parties such as a Call of Duty game or even BioShock would charge up the excitement level a bit. <br />
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But I don't think these third parties games are the real issue for me. What's nagging at me on the inside is that there is only one original IP or no huge first party game such as a new Metroid Prime game or a real Mario Galaxy style sequel for the systems launch. There needs to be a system seller in the mix that Nintendo needs to sweeten the pot with. With the Wii, the Wiimote motion controls were new and exciting. The Wii U's Gamepad just doesn't have the same appeal or freshness to it. We've all seen touch screens and controllers before. The controller just isn't enough and even with all other other features the Wii U has, most people won't bother to care about them until they get the system home into their living rooms.<br />
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I have to give it to Ubisoft however for bringing an original game as well as Assassins Creed III to the Wii U line up that actually has gotten my attention. ZombiU is the only new IP that is a full game coming to Wii U that has been announced so far. The games concept and gameplay trailer has got me quite intrigued. The idea is that you can only get bitten once and you die seems interesting as well as the different uses of the Wii U gamepad. You'll have to manage and use items from the Wii U gamepad screen in real time. Causing you to quickly look back and forth from the TV and gamepad. Combine that with the one bite zombie death mechanic and it seems like you may have a very intense gaming experience.<br />
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It's entirely possible we'll see a few more game announcements in the next few days and I'll have to write a new article praising Nintendo and bask in it's glory. But after watching the conference, I'm still just not sure about the Wii U. Yes, you could call me intrigued. But will you see me standing in line for a Wii U? Currently my answer is no.<br />
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<b>At this point in the game, is the Wii U speaking to you? What do you think about Nintendo's E3 Press Conference? What's got you excited or uninterested in Wii U?</b><br />
<br />Brad J. (IanAugust)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05030779309916668077noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460113087138352871.post-81716360789202688022012-06-03T15:03:00.001-07:002012-06-06T19:34:11.459-07:00Pre E3 2012 Nintendo Direct Live BlogNintendo jumps the gun on E3 and decides to do a Nintendo Direct presentation right now! I'll be updating the blog as news trickles out. Let's see what comes of it shall we?<br />
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3:04: Wii U controller is now dubbed the Wii U Game Pad and does not include the circle pads. Iwata explains why they changed back from circle pads to analog sticks. The sticks will also be clickable. NFC reader for cards and other devices to communicate. The controller will be able to control your TV as well like a remote without the Wii U powered on.<br />
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3:10: Nintendo will also offer a Wii U Pro Controller. Looks very similar to XBox 360 controller. Explained as a hardcore controller. All black... ooh so hardcore.<br />
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3:13: Now showing a cheesy gamer playing on a black Wii U and game pad. Showing a guy posting to a social network while playing a game, pauses and types a question. Looks like you will have your Mii on a social network format that you can access on the pad at any time. Looks a lot like Twitter.<br />
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3:15: The cheesy gamer has a live video chat with someone from the Network that he got an answer from.... not sure if that guy is on his friends list or a random person. Looks like Nintendo is going to build their own social service. Mii characters all over the screen, it's the Wii U menu when you turn on the system. "Mii Wara Wara". Your Miis, your friends, and Miis in your country are grouped in categories by what game they are playing. Even games you may not have on your system. The network interface is called "Miiverse". Can be accessed at anytime even when playing on the TV or Game Pad. Think about having Swapnote and Pictochat in your hands.<br />
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3:22: The "Miiverse" network can be used by game developers and integrated into games.<br />
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3:25: "Miiverse" will be able to be accessed on Nintendo 3DS, PC, or any Web Device in the future. All linked by the Nintendo Network. Will be the platform to connect all future Nintendo products.<br />
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3:26: You can use the Wii U Game Pad to browse the internet and select what content you want to show on the TV separate to what is one the Wii U Game Pad. It's not clear how that will work but seems like an interesting idea. How practical is this?<br />
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<b>My Thoughts:</b> It was a short and brief but seems to be very telling of Nintendo's plans. With the Nintendo Network and Miiverse, it does look like Nintendo is finally on board with the social media space. It looks like it is going to be easier than ever to communicate with the Nintendo Community at any time you wish. It's not clear yet how easy it will be to register your friends or strangers into the system. Also it is not clear if the Nintendo Network will be integrated with other social media platforms such as Twitter or Facebook. The most interesting thing to me is how developers will take this new network and use it in their games. That for me lies the real power of the Nintendo Network. Let's just hope they don't use it to start placing targeted DLC advertising into our games.<br />
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<b>What do you think? Did you like what you saw in the presentation?</b> <a href="http://www.nintendo.co.jp/nintendo_direct_pre_e3_2012/en/index.html">http://www.nintendo.co.jp/nintendo_direct_pre_e3_2012/en/index.html</a>Brad J. (IanAugust)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05030779309916668077noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460113087138352871.post-55078895224472177122012-05-24T22:30:00.000-07:002012-07-17T23:06:26.949-07:00Where to find the Berserk Armor in Dragon's DogmaDragon's Dogma has a nice little tie in with the amazing Berserk Anime that has got me and hopefully you, excited. Capcom Unity posted this livestream on launch day revealing a huge boss and disclosing the only location where you can find and purchase the armor sets for Guts and Griffith. Instead of making you watch the whole video I'm going to just let you know where to find it, but I highly recommend checking out the live stream if you're even remotely curious about the game. It's good stuff. <br />
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<a class="trk" href="http://www.twitch.tv/capcomunity#r=-rid-&s=em" style="display: block; font-size: 10px; font-weight: normal; padding: 2px 0px 4px; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; width: 320px;">Watch live video from Capcom-Unity on TwitchTV</a><br />
So here it is, about one-third of the way through the game there will be a quest from the merchant Alon at "The Ancient Quarry". Take the path that directly leads West from Gran Soren. The merchant must be outside at the main entrance and is the only guy in town that is going to cough up the goods. Return to the merchant and complete the quest. The merchant will then have moved inside near the beginning section of the quarry. You're looking for the Thousand Troops set for Guts and the White Hawk set for Griffith. Have fun living your dream Berserk fans and start saving up your gold!Brad J. (IanAugust)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05030779309916668077noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460113087138352871.post-66373517644344214742012-05-21T23:37:00.000-07:002012-05-29T18:55:31.948-07:00E3 2012. Forever Alone.Most people don’t bother to look at me. Some don’t even seem to notice my existence. Gamers have done this ritual thousands of times before. I’m old news to them. Years of playing video games has served them well with the muscle-memory equivalent to a trained athlete. To most I’m just an extension of their bodies. A conduit that delivers them full control and immersion into the video game world in front of them.<br />
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This is my life as a Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale demo unit Dualshock controller. Forever alone.<br />
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<a name='more'></a> At E3 I’m destined to play second fiddle to the spectacle of flashing lights and sounds that’s undoubtedly beaming behind me. It’s in my carefully crafted design to be the last thing on anyone’s mind. I’m not here to take center stage and distract everyone from their hotly anticipated gameplay experience. Nothing would cause me more pain than to be the sole reason E3 attendees shuffled back to their stuffy over crowded hotel rooms in dismay. Sadly tweeting that the one game they were excited to see, ended up playing like one El Gigante sized deuce.<br />
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Honestly, I would argue that I get the best view of the expo show floor than most. No waiting in three-hour long lines next to what smells like an entire bar full of sweating bloggers and game journalists. All grumbling about how they slept only four hours the night before, wearing the same exact clothes, and how the Ibuprofen they chugged with Gatorade isn’t killing their splitting migraines. I watch them shuffle closer to me from my comfortably spacious demo area. Their tired and worn faces brighten and glow with anticipation the closer they get. With notepads whipped out, they patiently wait for my assistant to give them the nod to advance forward. The assistant hastily cleans me up with some anti-bacterial wipes as a courtesy and a vain attempt to comply with some randomly enforced health code. The slogan on the product packaging says it kills 99% of bacteria, but from the smell of some of their foul hands, I often question its effectiveness.<br />
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Seriously, where in the hell are you humans sticking your hands that makes them smell so rank? Wait, don’t answer that.<br />
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I brace myself for their warm yet empty embrace. Often I will end up playing the “what-is-this-I-smell game” with myself to pass the time. This usually leads to extreme confusion, which quickly dissipates into some combination of horror and disgust. Sometimes they smell like stale Camel Lights and if I’m lucky, pizza.<br />
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As they frantically press my buttons and go through a wide range of human emotions, I get to watch their expressions turn from pure joy to glazed zombie eyes, and sometimes devastation. All not necessarily in that order of course. Some game faces are cool and calculated, while others are laden with frustration. I’ve seen them all. My favorite is the super serious game face. Emotionless and still, they appear all too normal on the outside. But on the inside I know they’re freaking out. The fear of losing and the resulting ridicule of their peers are too strong. The game demands their utmost concentration.<br />
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It’s the saddest part of my day to watch the fallen slink their way back into the crowds. I’ll probably never see them again or even remember their faces after a few hours. I wish I could’ve at least told them they played a good game.<br />
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After our intimate time together ends, people leave me in the same way. In silence. No goodbyes, no thank-yous. Not even a: see you later, bro. Their hands slip away, leaving behind their sweat, and slowly the air grows cold again. My assistant returns to wipe me down and get me ready for my next fifteen-minute friend.<br />
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Do I feel used like a cheap date? No, this is how I was meant to be. I’m here for them. I’m here for Santa Monica Studios and Sony. I’m the result of two decades worth of design language that everyone at E3 silently understands and knows deep in their core. I’m supposed to feel and be invisible.<br />
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As I adjust my senses from the anti-bacterial wipes, Jessica Chobot steps in front of me and behind her I see Masahiro Sakurai standing next in line. Things just got interesting.Brad J. (IanAugust)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05030779309916668077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460113087138352871.post-81387826727252827502012-05-13T22:41:00.001-07:002012-05-14T20:22:49.630-07:00Our Nintendo 3DS Friend List User GuideWe hope this helps you better understand how to successfully use the Nintendo 3DS Friend List.<br />
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<br />Brad J. (IanAugust)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05030779309916668077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460113087138352871.post-79421495441814625692012-04-23T20:35:00.000-07:002012-04-23T20:42:42.573-07:00The Failing of PSN, XBL, and Wii Online<b id="internal-source-marker_0.011878164252266288" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; text-align: -webkit-auto; font-size: medium; "><span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">The year is 1990. My parents and I were living in the small rural mountain town of Coarsegold, CA. Its a friday night, and i was partaking in a rare treat. It had been a long week, and we had decided that it was a pizza night. It wasn't just any pizza night, though. While we usually had it delivered from one of the few local places in the area, tonight, we were taking the fight to the Pizza Parlor. The drive is short, but the anticipation makes it feel 10 times longer. Not anticipation for the pizza or the breadsticks or even the chance that i might run into a friend there. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">This pizza parlor had arcade machines. Not just any arcade machines, they had Street Fighter 2. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">The car had barely stopped before my seat belt was off, sprinting at full speed into this poor old building. The ambiance was incredible. Now you usually don't hear terms like “ambiance” thrown around to describe Pizza Parlors, but if you grew up in my generation, you can relate. The Smell of greasy frisbees made from pure cholesterol, the salad bar that kept everything at just a few degrees below room temperature, and the tables that were sticky from years of grease and soda spills. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">It was heaven.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">My parents had begun to order but i didn't care. My attention was focused in on the measly “arcade”. Like any sneaky mischievous 8 year old, i started to slink away, hopefully unnoticed by the benefactors of my habit. i get 3 steps away and i hear my name called. “ANDREW, Get BACK here. You can play games when you're done eating” My heart sinks. I know i’m going to love the pizza and the soda, but that's not why we're here. I was here to play.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Sure i had a Nintendo like any other kid of my generation, I even had a decent collection of games, but It was a poor substitute for this. I could play single player games until my eyes bled, but multiplayer was not the greatest on NES. The arcade had this cornered. packs of sweaty teenagers gathered around a nondescript wooden box just waiting for their chance to play; for their time to shine.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">The pizza had arrived, i had scarfed it at warp speed and sat there with a longing look in my eyes. My mom looks at me, sighs and grabs her purse. Holy shit this is it! Her hand reaches in and pulls out her wallet. one by one she begins handing me quarters. I don't even see them as currency anymore, these are chances. Chances to play, Chances to Win, chances to impress. I say thanks, and begin my trek over to the machine.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">It's a fairly busy friday night and one of the few pizza places in town. There are 6 or 7 kids (most of them older than me) all standing around this Street Fighter Cabinet. I look up and see the screen. Ryu is Pummeling Blanka. But that's not what i’m looking for. The object of my attention is right below them, on the bottom of the monitor. There lies the quarters. a row of quarters marking the play order of the gladiators in this arena. I sneak over to one side and place mine into the group. Now we wait.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">The next few matches are exciting, with most people playing wither Ryu or Ken (pretty much the same as the tournament scene today). These kids are good. Really good. A perfect here, a hadouken or shoryuken there. I’m in way over my head. I don't care, i came to play, winning is a bonus. Finally my turn is up, i walk up to the machine, the glares of the gods on me, and assume my position. I reach up and grab my quarter. My hands are shaking. I’m sweating bullets. I slide the small metal coin into the slot and hear that beautiful sound.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Now, the real fun begins. </span></b>PurpleCowMan (Drew)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04737929008249862229noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460113087138352871.post-31863157253821261222012-04-10T21:55:00.000-07:002012-06-12T22:55:14.593-07:00VVVVVV and Pushmo 3DS eShop Game Giveaway (Updated)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dElYRR4ww-Q/T4T_3HFBHhI/AAAAAAAACvI/iCe7LCrObWU/s1600/eshopgiveaway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: .25em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Horse says you're a winner!" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dElYRR4ww-Q/T4T_3HFBHhI/AAAAAAAACvI/iCe7LCrObWU/s1600/eshopgiveaway.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
<b>The Winners have been selected. Keep your eye out for Episode 68 of the podcast to find out if you've won!</b><br />
<br />
You're in luck internet. We've got our hands on some Nintendo eShop game download codes! We're going to give away one copy of <a href="http://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/pbYF4tOod03oE7GLsEsXMnr5k0nFg-_3">VVVVVV</a> and a copy of <a href="http://pushmo.nintendo.com/">Pushmo</a> on the upcoming 68th episode of the Who Burned My Toast Podcast. So listen up and we'll tell you how to get entered into the drawing for your chance to win one of these fine pieces of entertainment. <br />
<br />
Actually it's quite easy. Just follow these 3 easy steps.<br />
<br />
<b>1.</b> All you need to do is log in and post us a question in the comments section below, send us an email at <a href="mailto:whoburnedmytoast@gmail.com">whoburnedmytoast@gmail.com,</a> or post on our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/whoburnedmytoast" target="_blank">facebook page</a> for the Who Burned My Toast crew to answer on the podcast. Want to know more about these games? Just ask us. Literally any question related to gaming is fair and we'll give you the goods. Heck, we'll answer any question you got. Want to know if the Moon landings we're real or faked? We'll answer it! Go crazy and have fun.<br />
<br />
<b>2.</b> Get your question in to us by April 15th 12:00 P.M. PST. You only get one entry for a question. Multiple questions won't get your name entered more than once! <br />
<br />
<b>3.</b> Listen to episode 68 of the podcast. We'll randomly select the winners from the list of names received and announce the winners on the podcast. So keep your fingers crossed and don't forget to check back soon. Feel free to subscribe to the podcast by clicking the iTunes icon at the above right.<br />
<br />
Thanks and good luck!<br />
<br />Brad J. (IanAugust)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05030779309916668077noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460113087138352871.post-24271522044590949732012-02-27T19:22:00.001-08:002022-08-24T06:40:14.080-07:00Musicast Ep 18: The Legend of Zelda Symphony Orchestra<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/whoburnedmytoast/episodes/2012-10-12T12_49_43-07_00" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PFS_Qpi0bOw/T0xEiTUN4dI/AAAAAAAACmU/neLUewGzWe8/s1600/Musicast18-The-Legend-of-Zelda-Symphony-Orchestra_04.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br />
Performed by The Legend of Zelda Orchestra Bastyr Chapel in Kenmore, Washington 2011<br />
Recorded by Chad Seiter and Bruce Botnick<br />
Composed by Koji Kondo<br />
<br />
For all of you that can't make it to one of the live performances near you, (You can check at <a href="http://zelda-symphony.com/" target="_blank">zelda-symphony.com</a>) we've brought to you the special edition CD that came bundled with The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword so you can enjoy this amazing music as well. Enjoy!<br />
<br />
If you have a video game you'd like us to do a Musicast of email us <a href="mailto:whoburnedmytoast@gmail.com">whoburnedmytoast@gmail.com.</a><br />
<br />
<b><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/who-burned-my-toast/id568953075">You can also subscribe to the podcast via iTunes</a></b>Brad J. (IanAugust)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05030779309916668077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460113087138352871.post-65143216547619180732012-02-16T11:23:00.000-08:002012-02-16T11:23:23.602-08:00Take a Journey with us March 14th 2012.<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiL8Eip2HGwjYiyGme4u036sWbYmj-elxtjdplODpDkhbts6Jr_FOg2hn7rXIhOS1Oxa5tjBb_Smh6QOlSIwO8o8MKUXKQsE9w8FmlxEB8VgjWlVlrAswE0_UTXcx2eyq0YJKhJiks_r1F/s1600/Journey01_03.jpg" /><br />
"That Game Company" has finally announced a release date for their upcoming visually stunning game Journey. A very unique downloadable game coming to the Playstation Network.<br />
<br />
It's a game who's concept still eludes me. What I know about it is; you'll wander around a sandy dune like world as a robed character trying to get to a mountain in the distance. There is no form of communication but you will encounter other players on their own journey. I believe you can then chose to hinder or help their progress through the world, but I could be completely wrong about that.<br />
<br />
Visually it's one of the most attractive looking games. Specifically for it's vector style graphics and smooth animations. A beautiful piece of art in my opinion, this is definitely something I'm going to buy right away.<br />
<br />
If you are unfamiliar with the work of "That Game Company" and own a PS3 go ahead and download the "Flower" demo on the PSN. One of the first games that will come up in an discussion about gaming as Art.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/02/16/journey-takes-its-first-steps-this-march/">Go here for more info</a>Amado Bustoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15217526779565912727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460113087138352871.post-67601024088986630932012-01-19T09:38:00.001-08:002022-08-24T06:41:25.500-07:00Musicast Ep 17: Megaman X<a href="https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/whoburnedmytoast/episodes/2012-10-12T12_44_19-07_00" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr6OKuVS0jR6vPW4hlhG5k5J8k40SZ-bcG5tnZDYzA3TAeNzzXmFtLqQgVuFZtPAfoS1JSyqFyzkiaTiNJkBYc7vCGHeYPzOwXU2e4WYFsTF4XwhWTItWeH9j_TEobppI5732YDgk9_kcR/s1600/Musicast17_06.jpg" /></a>
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Dev: Capcom<br />
Publisher: Majesco<br />
Producer: Tokuro Fujiwara<br />
Art: Keiji Inafune, Hyato Kaji, Ikki Tazaki, Tatsuya Yoshikawa<br />
Writer: Keiji Inafune<br />
Composer: Setsuo Yamamoto, Makoto Tomozawa, Yuki Iwai, Yuko Takehara, and Toshihiko Horiyama<br />
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<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;">Megaman X for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System released in 1993, is my favorite Megaman game in the whole series. Please enjoy the music.</span></span><br />
<br />
If you have a video game you'd like us to do a musicast of email us <a href="mailto:whoburnedmytoast@gmail.com">whoburnedmytoast@gmail.com.</a><br />
<br />
<b><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/who-burned-my-toast/id568953075">You can also subscribe to the podcast via iTunes</a></b>Amado Bustoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15217526779565912727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460113087138352871.post-17833909240991995062011-12-04T12:43:00.001-08:002011-12-10T16:00:43.723-08:00Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy. My impressions and/or review... whatever.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tavKlIXR3tc/TtwDFDQ2jpI/AAAAAAAABGI/IGMN6UDvang/s1600/61dQ9XP4C8L._SL500_AA300_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tavKlIXR3tc/TtwDFDQ2jpI/AAAAAAAABGI/IGMN6UDvang/s200/61dQ9XP4C8L._SL500_AA300_.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<i>Update Dec 10 2011: The price for Ace Combat Assault Horizon Legacy has dropped to $29.99.</i><br />
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I've always been a sucker for air combat games. Ever since playing Top Gun on the NES, it's been a love affair for me. When Namco Bandai announced an Ace Combat game for the 3DS, I was on board faster than Maverick on a MIG-29. After six hours of crashing into mountains and shooting down bogeys here is my thoughts to help you decide if this is a game for you.<br />
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Assault Horizon Legacy may have a similar name to the console Assault Horizon game, but the 3DS version is a much more traditional Ace Combat game. Your going to get a large choice of fighter jets, weapons, customizable parts, replays, rocking soundtrack, and a lot of dog fighting. Assault Horizon Legacy doesn't skimp on content by any means and after a 6 hours campaign you will still have to unlock and purchase a ton stuff if you want to get everything in the game. So you're going to have to go back and replay missions for higher scores or check out the extra missions for fun. But even with all that the game still felt a little light and not quite a full experience. The games story about the USEA vs the Rebels pretty much boiled down to a us vs them argument with no real gut wrenching plot point to drive the action. When I blow up hundreds of fighter pilots, I like to feel like I'm taking out the bad guys. I won't spoil the games ending for you, but the first thought that popped in my mind was "Wow they phoned in this one". Overall the missions were pretty standard fair and the game is rather easy, so any sense of tension felt lost compared to other Ace Combat games.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/VBLYnK2xaH0" width="540"></iframe><br />
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On that note, the game did hold my attention enough for me to finish the entire game once through and it did have it's gameplay tricks to keep the game interesting. The counter maneuvers have become a staple in the series and it allows you to get bonuses for staying within a enemies range and use it to get behind your opponent with a press of a button, perform an impossible aerial feat, and shoot down your target with panash. The game also employs a missile dodging mechanic that allows you to save your ass by doing a barrel roll with a well time button press and pointing the control pad in the right direction. Speaking of controls, how does the game feel on the 3DS?<br />
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On the standard control settings the game plays pretty straight forward with one circle pad being used guide your fighter, so it's easy to keep your enemy in your sights. Your aircraft will not roll when you move the circle pad left or right. But as you all know this isn't the way real planes behave. Real aircraft require you to control the pitch, yaw and roll all the same time. The pitch and roll is easily handled with the one analog pad. The issue with playing with the expert controls is that the yaw (moves the plane left or right) is handled by the d-pad. This unfortunately is less than ideal when your trying to line up a target with precision while your upside down screaming towards the ground. To not be allowed to control all planes movements simultaneously is an issue with a game based on flying. While the yaw in the game does not actually move your plane all that much, your going to have to adjust and learn when best to use it. Not a deal breaker, just a fact of gaming on the 3DS. Where is that second circle pad Nintendo? <br />
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The last thing you may be wondering about is the games 3D graphics and it's overall performance. The game really does have excellent visual at times, boasting some impressive lighting effects with minimal slowdown only occurring when there is a lot of enemies on screen. When you add the 3D effect it does really feel like you have a tiny airplane flying inside your 3DS and makes the replays a little more exiciting. The 3D doesn't enhance the gameplay at all and actually makes it a little challenging to see your HUD elements on the screen when the depth is turned all up all the way. The game oddly does not include an Attitude Instrument on your HUD either, making it impossible to know when your upside down if your lost inside a cloud and can't see the horizon line. One level in particular in the game is almost entirely a thick layer of clouds and I failed the mission repeatedly only because I couldn't tell which way was up or down. Granted everything on the screen feels a bit small and your field of vision is limited greatly when you switch cockpit mode; it looks cool to play in that way but finding your targets get a little more challenging. <br />
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Overall the game is decent for the 3DS's first foray into the Air Combat series. My personal opinion is that at the $39.99 asking price, it feels a little underwhelming. Like most 3DS games I've played they feel a little light on content and overall quality. If your a huge fan I would recommend picking this game up when it's price drops a bit if your really looking for a some dog fighting action. By no means I think anyone would be completely disappointed picking up this game. Ace Combat Assault Horizon gets the job done, just not as good as it could have.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Score:</b> <b>3/5</b> <i>- </i><span class="st"><i>Buttered Toast</i></span></span><br />
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<b>Pros:</b><br />
• Real aircraft and customizable parts<br />
• Great Soundtrack<br />
• Good amount of replay value for those who wish get the best scores<br />
<br />
<b>Cons:</b> <br />
• Weak to non-existent story<br />
• Controls are not ideal with only one circle pad in expert mode<br />
• Mission and level designs are a little lackluster<br />
• No Streetpass functionality<br />
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<br />Brad J. (IanAugust)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05030779309916668077noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460113087138352871.post-6753689287235511562011-11-09T09:00:00.001-08:002022-08-24T06:42:33.197-07:00Musicast Ep 16: World of Goo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/whoburnedmytoast/episodes/2012-10-12T12_40_51-07_00" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xLRcLhm7hWI/TroUITTaqVI/AAAAAAAABFQ/5Njx8RgQ1i8/s1600/Musicast16_worldofgoo_06.jpg" /></a></div><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0" height="40" id="pcm_player_episode58047" width="530"><param name="movie" value="http://podcastmachine.com/swf/player.swf" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="flashvars" value="file=http://podcastmachine.com/podcasts/2107/episodes/58047.json&width=530&height=40&skin=http://podcastmachine.com/swf/skin_pcm1.swf&fullscreen=true&bgcolor=#000000&playlist=bottom&subscribebutton=false&downloadbutton=true&playlistcolumns=0&playlistrows=0&autostart=false&playlistsize=0" /><embed allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" flashvars="file=http://podcastmachine.com/podcasts/2107/episodes/58047.json&width=520&height=50&skin=http://podcastmachine.com/swf/skin_pcm1.swf&fullscreen=true&bgcolor=#000000&playlist=bottom&subscribebutton=false&downloadbutton=true&playlistcolumns=0&playlistrows=0&autostart=false&playlistsize=0" height="40" name="pcm_player_episode58047" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" quality="high" src="http://podcastmachine.com/swf/player.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="530" wmode="transparent"></embed> </object> <br />
Developed by: 2D Boy <br />
Published by: 2D Boy, Nintendo 2008<br />
Art by: Kyle Gabler<br />
Music: Kyle Gabler <br />
<br />
<span id="internal-source-marker_0.8193683578539643" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This week I’m going to playing for you the soundtrack to one of my favorite puzzle games to come out this console generation, no not Zak and Wiki. Although, those of you who listen to the podcast know my love for that game, anyways the soundtrack you need to be listening to right now is <a href="http://2dboy.com/games.php" target="_blank">World of Goo</a>!</span> Enjoy this weeks Musicast and thanks for listening.<br />
<br />
To check out the soundtrack for yourself head on down to <a href="http://kylegabler.com/WorldOfGooSoundtrack/" target="_blank">http://kylegabler.com/WorldOfGooSoundtrack/ </a> <br />
and pick it up for free!<br />
<br />
If you have a video game you'd like us to do a musicast of email us <a href="mailto:whoburnedmytoast@gmail.com">whoburnedmytoast@gmail.com.</a><br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=335534900">You can also subscribe to the podcast via iTunes</a></b>Brad J. (IanAugust)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05030779309916668077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460113087138352871.post-71972043152727999002011-10-28T18:54:00.000-07:002012-10-08T16:42:05.039-07:00Heads up comic book and Batman Arkham fans, Derek Fridolfs episode incoming.<center>::EDIT::
<b>WE AREN'T ALLOWED TO PUBLISH THESE BATMAN EPISODES, SORRY EVERYONE</b>
<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJG1IWpXhlr1tv4wr9zJS-rxkfYnPmiL4niG3BfQGFjLyykGMXN-__z22it17F_n0ixdpw1nzY7_qP0Y_XZhqUuLs7RUPpMqgl566EhGfnZCnNKOtEk5ywDLP5DDtWbmJQuWlqmxgazsDD/s640/ArkhamUnhingedCover.jpg" width="416" /></center>
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<br />
As the title of this post suggests I just want to inform you people who pay attention to the blog that our next podcast we'll have our good friend Derek Fridolfs coming on to talk about his new project. Here's a quote from his <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5460113087138352871" src="dfridolfs.deviantart.com">deviant art</a> account:
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<br />
<i>"Back from another fun NY Comic Con. It was great getting a chance to see so many fans and your words of encouragement help fuel the creative battery for another year. Thanks to everyone that stopped by to say hi, buy a print, a page, or a commission. It was fantastic meeting all of you. And while DC wasn't ready to announce what Dustin and I have been working on, we're still hard at work on it and will have plenty to show for it once it comes out next year.
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<br />
But I can announce one project I'm on…BATMAN: ARKHAM UNHINGED!
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<br />
Today is the release of the Batman: Arkham City game everyone has been raving about in anticipation. And after the success of the Arkham City comics, both the mini-series and the online digital chapters, it was decided to make a regular series out of it. Yup…an ongoing comic that takes place in the Arkham City universe, and I've been lucky enough to be the one to write it!" - D</i><br />
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Click the link to go to his page and read the rest. It's all very exciting. Anyway Here are a few images he gave us to show you all :).
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<center>
<img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQoqIoBb29m03ygW3qegyC92mYcR4BD7mgvBf_U3adUK0u8yzp8-S5osWUMnX5qB9x-aem3nxiNC3D_k2_-I7_kuq0Hk18-qTogkRfBIqEnXrh5MTz_yEgUnSvSishmaYGntWUiWo5-p-t/s400/ArkhamUnhinged1.jpg" width="400" /></center>
<center><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL-NcYHgumMUNcl5JgjAGKvgyV0VkyRK-LduenaZam9oqFc3lOO07_e6WN0GmL8VJowlfeHdnRovBc0aRmW9iE8sJEXHZy_oswkkqb1mJX6B9GLLFTr_8JPOtjlA_RSioPeLPHD71gjwzz/s400/ArkhamUnhinged2.jpg" width="400" /></center>
<center><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY2M2VIBZy4a96bJLlIHyzradcMRAc8zYR3pTbCzUNACiT0hXRPp3CxfvqISVn5BgNPi2y8wOHbdV2kclTNf_z1aY5FrBnVEJbgpr_Bq9L0nHYtwA3tLT2SIUHEBLikkT0gdq5N7hV0lWU/s640/ArkhamUnhinged4.jpg" width="414" /></center>Amado Bustoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15217526779565912727noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460113087138352871.post-144626955212807152011-10-26T09:30:00.000-07:002011-10-26T10:27:39.164-07:00Interview: Bob Sabiston talks about the development of Inchworm Animation for the Nintendo DSi.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lUQSIc0aWYs/TqZOxBQ0d9I/AAAAAAAABE0/I-BZlHP8nK4/s1600/inchworm_animation" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lUQSIc0aWYs/TqZOxBQ0d9I/AAAAAAAABE0/I-BZlHP8nK4/s400/inchworm_animation" width="229" /></a></div>A few months ago I heard about Inchworm Animation and rushed off to download it from the Nintendo eShop onto my 3DS. Ever since the days of Mario Paint, I've always had a soft spot for animation programs and really enjoy creating scenes of cats juggling balls of yarn. I emailed Inchworm Animation support and, lo and behold, the programs creator Bob Sabiston himself answered my question directly. We got to talking and the conversation was so interesting that I asked him to do an interview with us. Bob graciously answered my questions and now I'm happy to share with you his thoughts on Inchworm Animation and its development for the Nintendo DSi. Thanks again Bob!<br />
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<b>Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your company, Flat Black Animation.</b><br />
My name is Bob Sabiston and I am the principal employee of Flat Black Films. I work with a lot of artists here in Austin doing a form of animation known as rotoscoping, which is done by tracing over video footage. We are best known for the movies "Waking Life", "A Scanner Darkly", and a series of commercials for Charles Schwab. I do all the programming for the software we use, and in recent years I have branched out into apps for iOS and Nintendo, including the new DSiWare title "Inchworm Animation."<br />
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<b>Let’s start with an easy one. What is your favorite animated character or show? </b><br />
Lately it is the Disney show "Phineas & Ferb.". It is funny and clever. I also love Disney's "Alice in Wonderland", "The Little Mermaid", Pixar's "Ratatouille" and "The Incredibles", and Miyazaki's "Spirited Away."<br />
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<b>Did you go to school for traditional animation, or is that something you learned on your own?</b><br />
I went to school more for computer graphics I guess, at the MIT Media Lab. While there I got interested in computer animation and taught myself hand-drawn animation for my second short film, "Grinning Evil Death". (1991)<br />
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<b>What inspired you to get into a life of animation and software development?</b><br />
I have always been into art, drawing and painting, since I was little. I got into computers in high school and was just very inspired by the whole Apple II scene - Richard Garriott's "Ultima II & III" especially, and the Infocom text adventures. I had a friend and in high school we got into programming.<br />
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Animation as I say I got into in college, inspired mostly by the little animations on MTV from people like Henry Selick, the traveling shorts festivals with work by people like Mike Judge and Bill Plympton, and then the early Pixar's shorts like "Luxo, Jr.". That one was a biggie for me and a lot of people.<br />
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<div style="border-bottom-color: BF870C; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: 663300; border-right-color: 663300; border-top-color: BF870C; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; color: #BF870C; float: right; font-family: arial; font-size: 22px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 30px; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px; width: 190px;">"I ran into a lot of difficulty finding anyone who wanted to publish an animation program."</div><b>Why did you choose to develop for the Nintendo DS? </b><br />
In my thirties I had a girlfriend with an old gameboy, and playing the Legend of Zelda on that really made me want to make something for a small device. I started playing around with home brew for the gameboy color, and then when the DS came out I knew I had to try to write some kind of animation program for it. I wrote to Nintendo and gave them my programming credentials, told them I wanted to make an animation program and asked them to approve me as a developer. This was back in 2004 I think.<br />
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<b>What was your biggest challenge while developing Inchworm animation?</b><br />
It just took much, much longer than I ever expected. Five years, though I wasn't working on it the whole time. It also grew into a more ambitious project than I originally planned. I ran into a lot of difficulty finding anyone who wanted to publish an animation program (this was years before Flipnote Studio). In fact I only was able to get it out there eventually because they came out with the DSi and allowed developers to self-publish.<br />
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<b>Inchworm isn’t the only animation program on the DSi. What are some of the cool features you think make it stand out? </b><br />
Well it is as professional as I could make it. It has nice antialiased lines, transparency, 15 bit color, layers, patterns and basically no limit on the size of drawing you can do. You can adjust the timing of individual drawings on each layer - so you can have a background layer which does not move, and another layer which moves quickly, etc. You can hold on a frame for a while to give it emphasis. There's a cool pattern editor in there. You can also set up a bank of frames and draw on them as they loop, which is fun and can make cool-looking effects.<br />
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And the greatest thing, which only got added when I moved form the DS to the DSi, was the use of the camera, so you can do stop motion and time lapse photography and incorporate that into your animation. Also you can export to the SD card in SWF format as well as frame sequences.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/yXmrxvMtwzI" width="525"></iframe><br />
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<b>Were there any features you really wanted to program into the software but couldn't? If so, why?</b><br />
There is a huge other portion that I actually did program, a timeline with keyframes and groups of layers, where you can move objects around without consuming any more memory. You could program camera moves and cutscenes. You could also insert sound effects with an included sound effects library and even record your own sounds.<br />
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It is heartbreaking that I had to pull it out, but it was looking like I would never get it finished so I had to simplify. All that stuff works though and I even did the interactive tutorials for it, it just needs extensive testing and debugging. If I ever do a 3DS version I will for sure get that back in there, because that timeline stuff will be extremely useful for manipulating 3D layers.<br />
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<b>Are there any lessons have you taken from past software development, such as Rotoshop, that you applied to Inchworm animation?</b><br />
Yes, the antialiased line code is basically the same, I ported it to the DS's fixed point arithmetic and 15 bit graphics. There is also a very useful facility in Rotoshop which allows you to draw underneath a layer, rather than on top, and that is in Inchworm too.<br />
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<div style="border-bottom-color: BF870C; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: 663300; border-right-color: 663300; border-top-color: BF870C; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; color: #BF870C; float: left; font-family: arial; font-size: 22px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-right: 30px; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px; width: 190px;">"They do not seem to have the same approach to developers as say Apple or Android, where anyone can do it."</div><b>What is it like to be a small developer working with Nintendo? Any words of wisdom for small developers out there looking to work with the Big N?</b><br />
Well it takes a lot of patience. They do not seem to have the same approach to developers as say Apple or Android, where anyone can do it. They prefer to work with established, larger companies I think. Me not having any prior experience with them was detrimental, as I was unaware of a lot of procedures and standard practices. I think I was very lucky that they put up with my ineptness in a lot of areas. <br />
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So basically you need to have your shit together, if you will pardon my French. You probably need to have the semblance of a company and a decent amount of money to put into it. For example, the development equipment is several thousand dollars, and to put out a title costs several thousand more once you deal with insurance, ratings boards, QA costs, etc. So it is not like a hobbyists thing. <br />
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<b>Gamers can share and upload their animations to <a href="http://www.inchwormanimation.com/" target="_blank">www.inchwormanimation.com</a>. What is the “studios” section and are there any future plans for the site?</b><br />
Yes the studios are just where you can go in and look at each user's gallery of uploaded animations. We have been lax in getting that live on the site, but it is basically ready to go now. We recently added the ability to tweet and Facebook post links to individual animations. <br />
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There is so much I would like to add. I want to provide HTML5 support so the site is viewable on iPads and iPhones. It uses flash right now. I think we will soon have a button where it will export the FLV file for you, so you can post them to YouTube. We may even just have a "post to YouTube" button. I would like to have comments and ratings for the animations. I would like to put a sound recorder on the site to attach soundtracks. But we'll see how far we get. I just have one friend working with me on that stuff and he is pretty busy. And I am getting the European submission ready.<br />
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<b>What’s next for Inchworm Animation and Flat Black Animation? Will we see a 3DS version with 3D animation capabilities?</b><br />
As I say I am almost ready with the submission to the European market. I had to get the incredibly long instruction manual translated to German, French, Italian and Spanish.At first I had some volunteers and students doing it but in the end I am getting a professional QA company to go over the work and get it all right. <br />
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Last week I added a video onionskin feature to that version, since it was easy to do and people have asked for that. It's a bonus feature for people who have been waiting for it over in Europe. I wish I could issue an update for the US version...<br />
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I woul love to do a 3DS version, it would be cool and like I say I have all those features that didn't make it into the first version. I applied to be a 3DS developer and am waiting on approval. But whether I go through with the whole project depends on some other factors like our film projects, how the 3DS sells in the longer run, etc...<br />
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<b>Thanks again for your time, Bob. Is there anything else you would want 3DS/i owners to know about Inchworm Animation before you go?</b><br />
That probably about covers it! Thanks for asking me to do the interview.<br />
___________________________________________________________ <br />
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Available on: <br />
Nintendo eShop for $4.99<br />
DSiware for 500 points<br />
<a href="http://www.inchwormanimation.com/">www.inchwormanimation.com</a><br />
<br />Brad J. (IanAugust)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05030779309916668077noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460113087138352871.post-72023387019992999822011-10-25T09:48:00.001-07:002022-08-24T06:43:30.470-07:00Musicast Ep 15: Scott Pilgrim Vs The World The Video Game<a href="https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/whoburnedmytoast/episodes/2012-10-12T12_29_50-07_00" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9t1fekiu8RaCsessnb66u8KD78R_Vyf37PaU5hDFyPGH8H7Sh7Hd3B_ezdYHfuPVsB7iaxKJziIaa2fyqZok42cD0aIno8OinGZtKSZsdWj3MBhsYtvv3j2Bp6ZZkWbyrOJaiICZilTdE/s1600/Musicast15_06.jpg" /></a>
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Developed by Ubisoft Montreal.
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Published by Ubisoft and Universal Studios.
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Art by: Paul Robertson, Stephane Boutin, Jonathan Lavigne, Justin Cyr, Jonathan Kim, and Mariel Cartwright.
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Music: Anamanaguchi.
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I didn't read the graphic novel, nor did I ever care to. As fun and interesting as it might be, I was more interested in the game for a couple of reasons.
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Anamanaguchi I heard was going to be doing the whole soundtrack to the game. They are an 8-bit chiptune punk rock band that I had once heard. I really enjoy their music so I was very excited about this.
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The other super attractive thing about this game is the main artist. His name is Robert Paulson... no I mean, his name is Paul Robertson. His work is familiar to me because of one really cool video. Here it is:
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/T5zpNfTfGZU" width="420"></iframe>
</center>
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Big thanks to Edward Fonseca for the recommendation. If you have a video game you'd like us to do a musicast of email us <a href="mailto:whoburnedmytoast@gmail.com">whoburnedmytoast@gmail.com.</a>. We hope you enjoy this weeks Musicast.<br />
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<b><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=335534900">You can also subscribe to the podcast via iTunes</a></b>Amado Bustoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15217526779565912727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460113087138352871.post-5308535369353218602011-10-19T10:42:00.000-07:002011-10-20T13:27:30.705-07:00Community Spotlight: Resistance 3 PS3 Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y9_rQG_Flck/TnlUOdnS9tI/AAAAAAAABCU/HAKhBt5sZD4/s1600/communityspotlight_03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: .10em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y9_rQG_Flck/TnlUOdnS9tI/AAAAAAAABCU/HAKhBt5sZD4/s1600/communityspotlight_03.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<i style="color: orange;">Hi people. I'm excited to give you all another review from our community spotlight series. This is basically us hosting your own reviews, previews, opinion editorials, or anything really.</i><br />
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<i style="color: orange;">Once again Mr. Eric Geer graces us with a review. This time he sent us his review of Resistance 3 for the Playstation 3 system. We think it's awesome if you want to join in on the blog and take part in the conversation. So if you have something interesting or anything your passionate about, let us know by shooting us an email at <a href="mailto:whoburnedmytoast@gmail.com">whoburnedmytoast@gmail.com</a></i>. <i style="color: orange;"> </i><br />
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<i style="color: orange;">Thanks again Eric.</i><br />
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Resistance 3: <br />
By Eric Geer <br />
The story starts 4 years after the Operation Black Eden(Resistance 2), where the United States is now the only nation surviving against the Chimera occupation. Joseph Capelli(You) and a group of survivors are living in secrecy, they went into hiding from the chimera patrols over 2 years. This is where you start in Resistance 3—holed up underground like a rat—which makes sense when you have followed through the events of Resistance. <br />
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Resistance 3 takes you through a war torn world that is changing rapidly from the Chimera take over—the landscape and scenery are slowly forming and being made in the eyes of the Chimera. Overall, Resistance is a solid shooter. The movement, accuracy and weight of the guns feel great. It doesn’t stop there, Insomniac games has pulled through again and offered up some of the same guns from the previous games as well as some strange new ones. You can see the full list here: <a href="http://resistance.wikia.com/wiki/Resistance_3_Weapons">http://resistance.wikia.com/wiki/Resistance_3_Weapons</a>. One I found that was funny, but not particularly useful in all cases; was “The Mutator.” You end up shooting either globs(that can be charged for a super glob) or can be shot as a mist with your secondary, which cause the enemies to start to bulge into monstrosities, similar to those exploding zombies you find in Dead Nation or Left 4 Dead, but they stay in one spot and if used correctly can act as mines for other enemies that come your way.<br />
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Overall the guns and weapons are great fun in Resistance 3, and they only get better the more you use them—the campaign weapon upgrading isn’t determined by what guns you WANT to upgrade, but rather the guns you USE MOST. This upgrading happens automatically—so if you want the best version of a particular gun—USE IT. Another welcomed feature that went missing was the weapon wheel. Thankfully its back and you can hold onto all the strange and crazy guns you find along the way.<br />
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A couple other features that you may have missed from Resistance 1 include split screen and online campaign co-op as well as non-regenerative health. I enjoyed the non-regenerative health as it adds a level of throwback nostalgia, as well as a reason NOT to get shot—the intensity increases exponentially as your health diminishes and there are no health packs in sight. Only time the non-regenerative health can be frustrating is when you have to move through sections where you are required to kill EVERY enemy in order to move to the next section—this doesn’t happen all the time, but when it does and you are just about to die…you may find yourself rage quitting because you have to start from the last check point.<br />
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Moving away from guns now and welcomed returns, Resistance 3 tells a solid story though sometimes caught up in a repetitive cycle of enemies. You will run across a few new enemy classes, particularly a new flying chimera that fly around and find themselves nice perching positions to snipe you out. There are other’s but don’t want to spoil too much. The game mechanics/or level design can be somewhat repetitive and often times cyclical. Something similar to this: Story, small enemy, medium enemies, large enemies, story—rinse and repeat—sometimes you may sub large enemies with lots of small and medium enemies. Overall it goes through the same process, but where it fails to be fresh in this matter, it makes up in atmosphere—generally through the first three quarters, while the latter quarter you find yourself seeing lots of chimera architecture and the innards thereof. As Joseph Capelli you are on your way from Oklahoma to New York—so you will see lots of changes in landscape geographically but more so in variation of how strong the Chimera presence is and how much it has changed the landscape and this is all done through a wonderful new look and a large improvement graphically than either Resistance 2 or Resistance 1. The game looks good and mixed with the interesting atmospheres the game places you in a world of its own. <br />
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While we have looked at some good and bad things thus far, let’s delve deeper into some of the irks and miss-steps that I think make the game good, but not excellent. Often time, you will be working with an NPC on a particular mission—and many times this NPC has a mind of its own, whether smart or dimwitted. You will find yourself either sprinting after or more frustratingly waiting on NPCs to open doors or tell you the next objective. I found this most frustrating towards the beginning and end of the game—first you want the game to really get going only to get stuck at some door while hearing lots of guns and explosions going off just out front, or on the flipside you want to find out what happens at the end only to get stuck by an NPC clipped on the edge of the map or not even moving towards the next objective. <br />
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While you have the super smart and super dimwitted NPCs you might run into a bit of the same with the enemies. Either too smart or too stupid. Many times you will run into a some enemies and enemy classes that as soon as you enter a particular area will automatically see you(good luck sniping without enemy fire all over you, or avoiding those close-courters enemies when they know you have entered the map). Other times you will find that you are standing very close to you and just don’t see you and you can pick them off with just about any weapon in your arsenal (shotgun included). While there are some great points and some not so hot points—its feels like a good game, but it also feels a bit like the same thing. Insomniac did a great job, and they listened to fans, but I’m not sure they listened to the beat of their own drum and this is quickly noticed with the Competitive multiplayer—It doesn’t feel like anything new, it feels tacked on much like we have seen with the loads of FPS multiplayer games that have come out. It’s got typical match types: Team Deathmatch, Chain Reaction, Deathmatch, Breach, and Capture—you have probably played them all in a different game labeled under a different name. The weapon level up system is focused on skill points(surprise) and you will use them to upgrade your weapons, gain titles, and acquire gadgets(which are actually quite fun—an example of this is a “Decoy”—which can be used to project another self next to you—but beware of running it into walls or other objects as it will scramble your decoy and give away your true self). One thing I sorely missed from Resistance 3, was the large scale 8 player coop missions from Resistance 2. I thought that these were incredibly fun and would have liked to have seen this included opposed to the competitive multiplayer—it has more originality and feels fresh even years after the games release. <br />
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Overall, I would recommend Resistance 3 to FPS and single/co-op campaign players. I would not recommend this game solely on the multiplayer, as it’s just not something compelling enough to keep, IMO, your attention. While I may not be your average gamer and won’t fall into the standard Multiplayer gaming, there are definitely find a few that will find hours of fun in upgrading weapons and playing with the gadgets of the Resistance world, that you won’t find in other worlds. <br />
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Good: <br />
<br />
<ul><li>Solid Shooting</li>
<li>Story Telling</li>
<li>Interesting Weapons</li>
<li>Atmosphere</li>
<li>Graphics</li>
<li>Interesting New Enemies</li>
<li>Weapon Leveling System</li>
<li>Co-op is back</li>
</ul><br />
Bad: <br />
<br />
<ul><li>Repetitive-Enemy Cycles/Style/Level Design</li>
<li>Stuck in areas until enemies are dead</li>
<li>Enemies too smart/too stupid</li>
<li>Feels like more of the same</li>
<li>Competitive Multiplayer</li>
</ul><br />
Ugly:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>Waiting on/Running after NPCs</li>
<li>No large team co-op</li>
</ul>Rating:<br />
Buttered toast. (2/3)Amado Bustoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15217526779565912727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460113087138352871.post-91857679602478473972011-10-11T12:00:00.000-07:002011-10-11T12:00:06.731-07:00Aliens Infestation releases for Nintendo DS today. We're excited and here's why you should be too.Aliens Infestion for the Nintendo DS lands its way onto store shelves today. Sega may have had this game flying under the radar with little promotion and it may seem like releasing a DS title at this point in time makes little to no sense. But I'm here to tell you that there are some good reasons why you should at least give the game a look, we certainly are. To be honest I haven't played the game, so I'm going with my gut instinct on this one. So come join me and let me tell you why you should be excited for this game. Here, let this trailer whet your appetite.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><b>Reason 1: It's made by <a href="http://www.wayforward.com/">Wayforward</a></b><br />
Does Shatnea's Risky Revenge, Contra 4 or A Boy and His Blob ring any bells in your head? Wayforward has a great track record of making old school 2-D style games and mixing it with fantastic animation. It's almost as if the company is writing a love letter to the genre every time they make a game. When you play one of their games you can really tell these guys know what their doing and can do it damn well. I can't possibly think of another developer that is more equipped to bring a 2D side scrolling exploration Aliens game to life.<br />
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<b>Reason 2: Art and Design</b><br />
Aliens Infestation features characters designs from the famous comic book artist <a href="http://www.chrisbachalo.net/">Chris Bachalo</a>. Which is kind of crazy since the game features 20 different colonial marines for you to play as. Which to me begs the question, why do we get so many Marines at our disposal? My bet is that in this game, you're going to die in many gruesome ways.<br />
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<b>Reason 3: 2D action retro gaming FTW</b><br />
From all the descriptions and information about the game. There are two things that get me really excited for this game. Exploration and tons of weapons. This game sounds like Metroid with Flamethrowers and Grenades. To be honest there isn't enough of these type of games around for us to play anymore. Love live 2D!<br />
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<b>Reason 4: It's an Aliens game, need I say more?</b><br />
This reason you can chalk down to nostalgic fan service, but for anyone my age it's hard to ignore anything Aliens related. The Xenomorphs are the quintessential scary as shit, bad ass movie monsters of cinema. The movies were so defining for Sci-Fi horror that no one has quite ever captured the magic and impact that those acid bleeding Aliens did in the 80's. If you're a young gamer and haven't seen an Aliens movie, do yourself a favor. Get a copy of the movie (1 or 2), grab your youngest sibling, turn of the lights, and scare the crap out of them and yourself. Then play this game! It will be good times for all. Brad J. (IanAugust)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05030779309916668077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460113087138352871.post-14142514993958831372011-10-10T09:00:00.001-07:002022-08-24T06:44:53.695-07:00Musicast 14: Sega Arcade Classics - Altered Beast & Golden Axe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/whoburnedmytoast/episodes/2012-10-12T12_25_24-07_00" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SpmypN7Evls/TpIjg_bkmBI/AAAAAAAABDY/MXbBJIW2g9I/s1600/Musicast14_06.jpg" /></a></div><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0" height="40" id="pcm_player_episode55558" width="530"><param name="movie" value="http://podcastmachine.com/swf/player.swf" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="flashvars" value="file=http://podcastmachine.com/podcasts/2107/episodes/55558.json&width=530&height=40&skin=http://podcastmachine.com/swf/skin_pcm1.swf&fullscreen=true&bgcolor=#000000&playlist=bottom&subscribebutton=false&downloadbutton=true&playlistcolumns=0&playlistrows=0&autostart=false&playlistsize=0" /><embed allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" flashvars="file=http://podcastmachine.com/podcasts/2107/episodes/55558.json&width=520&height=50&skin=http://podcastmachine.com/swf/skin_pcm1.swf&fullscreen=true&bgcolor=#000000&playlist=bottom&subscribebutton=false&downloadbutton=true&playlistcolumns=0&playlistrows=0&autostart=false&playlistsize=0" height="40" name="pcm_player_episode55558" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" quality="high" src="http://podcastmachine.com/swf/player.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="530" wmode="transparent"></embed> </object><br />
SEGA! This week we're doubling up and featuring two, yes two game soundtracks. Altered Beast and Golden Axe were ported from the Arcade to the Sega Genesis early in its lifecycle. These classic games were cemented in many young gamers memories because of their great music and brutal gameplay.<br />
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Come enjoy these classic distinctive gaming tunes.<br />
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Hey! Send us feedback on this not so new series. Love it or hate it? Let us know. Also don't forget to send us in <a href="mailto:whoburnedmytoast@gmail.com">your requests</a> of game soundtracks for us to feature. We hope you enjoy this weeks Musicast.<br />
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<b><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=335534900">You can also subscribe to the podcast via iTunes</a></b>Brad J. (IanAugust)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05030779309916668077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460113087138352871.post-82536949157985401122011-09-28T08:29:00.001-07:002022-08-24T06:47:15.615-07:00Music Podcast 13: Demon's Souls<a href="https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/whoburnedmytoast/episodes/2012-10-12T12_08_36-07_00" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIUA_8LOywrpfXHQamO_OtcP92AStVWZ6YwZbYndwCNgvtHnLXTwAayQzIneo5mHuRvtvUiWwj-BztM_zKAjirqJ315s1YP2lhXKOS79Je8tHNokWwRpUPlodVcr9UfzovjVXIIyKk-XlC/s1600/Musicast-13_06.jpg" /></a>
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Back in 2009 my world was invaded by a black phantom. This black phantom was called Demon's Souls. A spiritual successor to <a href="http://whoburnedmytoast.blogspot.com/2011/08/dark-souls-demons-souls-and-kings-field.html" src="http://whoburnedmytoast.blogspot.com/2011/08/dark-souls-demons-souls-and-kings-field.html">King's Field</a> which stood apart from all other games of it's kind. In part due to it's design, but mostly due to it's difficulty. Most people after playing this game seem to recall the old days of gaming; when you knew whatever you played was going to kick the crap out of you across the street.<br />
I even <a href="http://whoburnedmytoast.blogspot.com/2009/11/curse-you-demons-souls.html" src="http://whoburnedmytoast.blogspot.com/2009/11/curse-you-demons-souls.html">reviewed Demon's Souls</a> back then. I gave it a <b>Buttered Toast</b> which is basically a 2/3. Since then I've returned to playing it and as I stated in the musicast I'm 4 play-throughs in.<br />
Anyway Please enjoy this weeks Musicast. Oh! Also visit <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5460113087138352871" src="www.preparetodie.com">preparetodie.com</a> to pre-order Dark Souls which comes out October 4th.<br />
FROM SOFTWARE in join development with SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT JAPAN STUDIO (SCE Japan Studio).<br />
directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki of FROM SOFTWARE and Produced by Takeshi Kaji from SCE Japan Studio.<br />
Music composed by Shunsuke Kida.Amado Bustoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15217526779565912727noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460113087138352871.post-30785799845357022982011-09-21T10:17:00.000-07:002011-09-21T10:54:34.283-07:00Community Spotlight Dues Ex: Human Revloution PS3 Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i style="color: orange;">What's up nerds? Behold, our first community spotlight is here for your reading pleasure. What is the community spotlight you ask? Well it's a place to highlight the fantastic listeners and followers of Who Burned My Toast who wish to share their thoughts with the group. If it's interesting, we'll post it up, maybe make fun of you or possibly shower you with praise.</i><br />
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<i style="color: orange;">Our first member who stepped up to the plate is Eric Geer. He was gracious enough to send us his review of Dues Ex: Human Revolution for the PS3. We think it's awesome if you want to join in on the blog and take part in the conversation. So if you have something interesting or anything your passionate about, let us know by shooting us an email at <a href="mailto:whoburnedmytoast@gmail.com">whoburnedmytoast@gmail.com</a></i>. <i style="color: orange;"> </i><br />
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<i style="color: orange;">Thanks again Eric.</i><br />
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Dues Ex: Human Revolution PS3 Review<br />
Reviewer: EBGeer<br />
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“The game is set in 2027, 25 years before the first title, where corporations have extended their influence past the reach of global governments. The game follows Adam Jensen, the security chief for one of the world's most powerful human augmentation corporations, Sarif Industries. After a devastating attack on Sarif's headquarters, Adam is forced to undergo radical surgeries that fuse his body with mechanical augmentations, and he is embroiled in the search for those responsible for the attack.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deus_Ex:_Human_Revolution)<br />
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Disclaimer: As a lazy gamer, I ganked the above abstract from Wikipedia to save both time, and provide a plot description.<br />
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Prior to truly stepping into the game you get a taste of what’s going on with some synopsis and background of the story as well as a bit of training to learn out to maneuver your character Adam Jensen. I will first touch upon the things I enjoyed about the game because my negative viewpoint far outweighs the positive.<br />
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Have no doubts, there are some good and even great aspects of this game. The story and atmosphere are incredible. When you first enter the world of Deus Ex you want to stay and it really draws you in. The world is beautiful and it has its own character—which is nice for a change since most games have a hard time doing this. The game is fairly open world when you are in what seems like the hub world of Detroit 2027 but when you end up on main missions the gameplay becomes very linear.<br />
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It’s obvious when you enter, that choice is going to be a key part of your gaming experience--and it is—most obviously through your actions. The first of these major actions you much choose in one of your first missions is whether you are going to play Stealth or Combat—which has an effect throughout the entire mission and game—But your other choices are going to be through conversation---and this really grabbed hold of me as a very well done aspect of this game. Very reminiscent of Mass Effect or Fallout series’ you generally end up with a Good, Bad, and Ugly response or conversation piece, which I loved. But beware; each of these options will hold you accountable. You will lock up other options if you opt to be a badass straight off the bat. Throughout you go through missions based upon your main plot and side missions based on those people you meet or information you find out from various means (hacking computers, talking to random NPCs, etc.) This is all very interesting and carries you further to your final goal of finding out who is responsible for the attack at Sarif Headquarters.<br />
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For each mission you complete and experience you gain you end up getting praxis points, which are points you use to upgrade your character—there are plenty of options though some are useful and others not so useful. These can be upgrade to augment and enhance your mind, skills, and body (Is your body ready?) These points can be found throughout levels, purchase them, or through experience. This is extremely intriguing and would have continued to do so if I made it through the game—though I didn’t and probably never will.<br />
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Outside of these good points mentioned above there are some bad things that have to do with both gameplay mechanics and game design.<br />
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The first issue I had as this is first and foremost was that as a FPS, the shooting kind of sucks and your character feels far from augmented and is fairly weak from the standpoint of a “hero”, only a few shots and you’re a dead man(wait for the reload..just keep waiting). Also, the POV depending on what you are doing will switch between 1st and 3rd person. While walking around you will be in first person, but if you move in for cover you character will then be moved into 3rd person—which in some ways can be disorienting especially if you are in a firefight and want to get your bearings on your next landing for cover. To complicate this, the control are out of the ordinary/non-traditional FPS controls and because of this are not reactionary—for the first couple hours it’s like a guessing game on what your character will do next because you end up button mashing to find the right one. Though once you get the hang of them they aren’t bad—then your run into the second issue of item grabbing—this isn’t terribly important, but when you come up to the unconventional/unsuspecting boss battles(to be described further) not being able to pick up an item(exploding barrels, fire extinguishers to blow up) it becomes quite frustrating—it could best be described as fickle. In fact, the controls just feel out of date.<br />
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The boss battles were the real make or break for me in this game. Throughout most of the game you are sneaking/running/hiding and occasionally shooting when the necessary because your character is a weak PoS—then you get into the boss battles, which then turns the game into a traditional FPS(think Doom/Quake bosses)and (spoilers) the first boss basically continually walks at you with a chain gun and explosives—meanwhile you are weak, and your fickle/limited inventory(which prevent you from carrying to much at once—more often less than you need—though this can be expanded through praxis points) you end up running around in circles or sneaking behind walls while he continually knows where you are and continues to shoot and throw grenades at you. From what I have seen and heard about the other bosses, it only get harder—UNLESS—you search online (google) for what their weaknesses are and pick up those items or make those upgrades prior to reaching the bosses. If you are ill prepared, which likely you will be, you will most likely be in a ride for some trouble—If I had continued on<br />
from where I left off the likelihood is that I would have to restart the game because I failed to pick up the “appropriate” inventory(wait what happened to “choice”?!?!?!)—therefore wasting my life so I could get back to that point with a shit ton of grenades and blow Robocop up.<br />
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Continuing along the lines of other game issues/game design choices that I found completely frustrating and NOT fun are the following:<br />
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<b>Load times:</b><br />
For a game that will definitely come down to trial and error the load times(on PS3) are obnoxiously long especially when it may take you 5-10 tries to get past a particularly difficult part.<br />
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Inventory/Management thereof: Where’s the ammo? FPS should give you the ability to shoot—I found myself looking for ammo more often than shooting because there wasn’t enough space in my inventory to hold onto a decent store of bullets. Also, managing your items in your inventory is a game in itself—many times I found myself dropping precious guns because I had no ammo and had to pick up other shitty guns because I had ammo—even if it was only 5 bullets.<br />
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<b>Hacking: </b><br />
This game is hacktastic! And it definitely is not fun—especially when it sets off an alarm. Whether entering doors or computers(which are a great portion of the game) you will find yourself hacking—outside of missions it’s not bad because there aren’t really alarms—in missions well if you mess up—you will be hunted down by the NPCs that seem to know exactly where you were hacking from. Just know you will be hacking and it is not intuitive and it is not fun—from the start it seems to be a guessing game—after you do it a few times it gets better but they get progressively more complex.<br />
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<b>Enemy AI:</b><br />
They seem either too stupid or too smart, meaning they will know exactly where you are even if you disappeared out of sight into a vent. And if you sound an alarm forget fighting because all the enemies in a given location or area entire level will come for you and will know exactly where you are(And remember Adam is a weak PoS). On the flipside they will know where you are and if you wait long enough just suddenly forget about you—everything about you, and you can walk right up behind them and take them out with your augmented blade arms.<br />
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This game is old: Lots of things seemed old in this game—whether it was gameplay or mechanics, it just seemed out-of-date (Left a bad taste in my mouth)<br />
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Cardboard Boxes: In the future there are only cardboard boxes. Although they do nothing for you and there is a low chance you will find anything underneath or in them, there are cardboard boxes fucking EVERYWHERE!!!<br />
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<b>Good:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>The atmosphere, story, moral choice and conversation hold a dear place in my heart because it was the only thing keeping me going.</li>
<li>Augmentable body and skills.</li>
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<b>Bad:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Controls</li>
<li>Load times</li>
<li>Inventory or lack thereof</li>
<li>1st/3rd Person perspective switch</li>
<li>Hacking</li>
<li>Old game mechanics/game design</li>
<li>Enemy AI</li>
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<b>Ugly:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Boss Battles</li>
<li>Hacking</li>
<li>Cardboard boxes</li>
<li>Adam Jensen’s voice</li>
</ul>
Brad J. (IanAugust)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05030779309916668077noreply@blogger.com1