Consoles and Video Games Give Their Resolutions for the New Year

Another year, another banner year for video games. Yet even video games have room for improvement, so do not be shocked to learn that your favorite video games, too, make New Year’s resolutions. And I managed to get a hold of their lists for 2008:

Xbox 360: I resolve to finally figure out how to fix my red ring of death and to start making money for Microsoft.

PlayStation 3: I resolve to stick to a single SKU and stop making Jack Tretton continuously put his foot in his mouth.

Nintendo Wii: I resolve to start to believe my own success and actually make enough systems so that eBay doesn’t turn into WiiBay next year. Oh yeah, and I resolve to stop making people from making Wii puns.

Sony PSP: I resolve to lose more weight and become the “super-duper slim”.

Nintendo DS: I resolve to come out with no more than ten new designs a year.

Electronic Arts: I resolve to not to milk BioWare to death and have them produce no more than one game per year … or two … and only very occasionally three. But never more than four games a year, I promise.

Activision: I resolve to act with class and only mention that I’m now the largest publisher in the world only in every other sentence.

Ubisoft: I resolve to stop cackling with evil laughter every time I mention Assassin’s Creed’s amazing success (giggle).

Take Two: I resolve to release GTA IV and then finally get acquired by a larger publisher.

Blizzard: I resolve to stop making people totally nuts and finally announce Diablo III.

BioWare: I resolve to act surprised when EA forces us to close our Edmonton office and then move everyone to Vancouver.

Bungie: I resolve to stop making Halo and start making some new Myth games.

Valve: I resolve to release the next Half Life 2 Episode before 2010.

GameSpot: I resolve to fire my employees with a bit more class than The Donald from The Apprentice.

Kane & Lynch: I resolve to stop getting people fired.

Guitar Hero III: I resolve to play in stereo on all systems – or mono – one of those two.

Rock Band: I resolve to figure out how to get those damn Guitar Hero’s guitars to work with my system so I can sell more copies.

Bioshock: I resolve to kindly be nothing more than a pretty remake of System Shock 2.

Halo 3: I resolve to stop repeating my own gameplay over and over and over again.

Halo 2: I resolve to stop being nothing more than a marketing ploy for people to buy Vista.

Mass Effect: I resolve to actually have a combat system which actually works and not just a pretty story. And no more driving and surveying again ... ever.

Assassin’s Creed: I resolve to stop watching the movie Groundhog Day and make my missions different once in awhile.

Super Mario Galaxy: I resolve to continue to piss off the hardcore gamer with my cute graphics and continuous Game of the Year awards.

The Orange Box: I resolve to get that Portal Gun into my next Episode of Half Life 2.

Call of Duty 4: I resolve to be an awesome 5-hour first-person-shooter on rails.

Heavenly Sword: I resolve to get a haircut.

Hellgate: London: I resolve to finally shut Bill Roper up now that I’m out, and not nearly as good as I was promised to be.

Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune: I resolve to get on everyone’s “the best game that nobody played” list now and in the near future.

Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction: I resolve to stop making everyone motion sick.

Crysis: I resolve to start selling.

Unreal Tournament 3: I resolve to make people remember that I exist.

God of War II: I resolve to kill every single man, woman, child, and god in the universe.

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass: I resolve to continue to make people look silly while they play me.

Crackdown: I resolve to completely ignore my narrative and just throw cars and jump off buildings.

Manhunt 2: I resolve to go quietly into that goodnight.

Lair: I resolve to never listen to Sony again and release a game solely dependent upon Sixaxis’ motion control.

Lord of the Rings Online: I resolve to get the recognition that I deserve.

Fury: I resolve to teach everyone trying to release a sub-par MMORPG that you too can put your developer out of business.

Eve: Online: I resolve to do more QA testing.

Vanguard: I resolve to continue to be ignored.

Age of Conan: I resolve to continue to be delayed.

The Eye of Judgment: I resolve to stop letting people cheat and buy some damn cards.

Madden NFL 08: I resolve to continue my slow decline into retirement.

Two Worlds: I resolve to stop living off of Oblivion’s reputation.

The Witcher: I resolve to continue to be my awesome monster killing, fist fighting, drinking contest, womanizing self.

Portal: I resolve to be Still Alive.

Will Wright: I resolve to release Spore this year!

Want a Wii? Sell a Picture of it!

This definitely falls under the heading, "why didn't I think of that?" Or perhaps a better heading would be, "that's so stupid it just might work!"

Christine and Justin are two NYC illustrators and run a web site called Wants For Sale. On this site they sell paintings of things they want for the exact retail price of the item. Once they sell their painting of the item they then use the proceeds to buy it. The things they want range from an order of buffalo wings ($12.70) to "financial security" (for one million dollars!).

And it seems that one of them (I would guess Justin) is a fan of video games as they have managed to get a Madden ’08 ($65.01), Halo 3 ($65.01), “Another Guitar for GH2” ($64.98), and a freaking Wii ($270.92)! (That is the picture they sold to get them their Wii.)

I have to admit that this a pretty freaking great idea. Draw a picture of what you want, get someone to buy it, and then you get to buy it -- genius!

I only wonder now that they have the money to buy a Wii, where on earth did they manage to find one?

Yes You Can Get a Wii ... For A Mere $700 From Toys "R" Us

Last week Reggie Fils-Aime went off on retailers forcing people to buy bloated Wii bundles. I don't blame him, not only does it hurt sales (not that Nintendo is really hurting right now) but it forces people to buy usually crappy games along with the system.

Now in my days I've seen some pretty insane bundles, including the GameStop Xbox 360 Omega Bundle back in 2005, but Toys "R" Us comes in a close second when it comes to "totally taking advantage of desperate parents looking for the 'hot' video game this Holiday season" with their latest "Wii Bundle: Console and 10 Games."

The bundle, which is in stock as I write this, will get you a Wii just in time for the holiday season along with the stellar collection of Spider-Man: Friend or Foe, Transformers: The Game, Bee Movie Game, Crash of the Titans 07, Dewey's Adventure, Zak & Wiki: Quest for Barbaro's Treasure, Raving Rabbids 2, Geometry Wars: Galaxies, Petz Dogz 2, and Soulcaliber Legends ... all for a mere $699.89 (not including shipping or sales tax). And I guess people are pretty darn desperate as it's currently the best-selling item on the site right now.

Damn, I'm surprised they didn't really go crazy and include 20 games of "meh" quality (well, other than Zak & Wiki and Geometry Wars) and go for a cool grand as the demand is certainly there.

Okay we get it! The Nintendo Wii is really popular! Nintendo can you just please make enough of the damn things?! I do not want to be writing about this again next year! Stop the madness!

Gaming Steve's Top 10 Video Games That Nobody Played in 2007

Sure everyone loves to read about the best games of year, but just how many times can you read about Super Mario Galaxy and Mass Effect? I’m here to tell you about ten excellent games that somehow fell through the cracks in 2007, all of which well deserve your time and attention. So after you've gotten your fill of Call of Duty 4 and Halo 3, give one of these gems a try. You won’t be disappointed.

10. The Darkness (Xbox 360, PS3)
Perhaps releasing a dark, gritty FPS in the middle of the summer wasn’t such a good idea in retrospect. After all, who wants to battle demons, eat hearts, and hide in the shadows when they can go outside, eat hot dogs, and soak in the sun?

Well now that the weather can turned cold and wintry you owe it to yourself to check out this fantastic title from Starbreeze Studios, the makers of the 2004 “way better than the move” Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay. Based upon the Top Cow comic book, The Darkness successfully mixes horror, action, and adventure into a unique First-Person Shooter. Without giving too much away you become possessed by a demonic force and you’ll need to combine FPS gunplay with your unique demonic powers. It’s a cool combination that never gets old and allows you to play the game in a variety of ways. Do you use demonic stealth power and kill your enemies at a distance, or will you just run and gun down your foes? Oh yeah, and don’t forget to eat your enemies hearts to boost your power! That never gets old.

One of the more interesting aspects of this game which was included for no other reason other than to add to the game’s atmosphere you can literally sit and watch entire movies, television shows, cartoons, and music videos inside the game itself. I actually watched To Kill a Mockingbird on a TV within the game, which is either really sad or cool (I still haven’t decided which). It’s little touches like this which make this game stand out from your standard FPS fare.

Plus it doesn’t hurt that this game looks fantastic, especially on the PS3. Now that you’ve finished Halo 3 and Crysis look toward The Darkness to fill your FPS fix.

9. Orcs & Elves (DS)
Developed by John Carmack and id, Orcs & Elves was originally released as a cell phone games last year … wait! Come back! Don’t let its history scare you away! This is unlike any cell phone game you might have played in the past. This game is actually … good!

Orcs & Elves does its best to recreate the feeling of those old school fantasy RPGs released in the 80s/90s but combined with modern FPS gameplay aspects. Think Quake but with magic and goblins and with a dash of RPG thrown in for good measure, and after years of starvation from the old-school dungeon-crawling genre, Orcs & Elves is like a five-course feast that will stuff you with RPG goodness.

The game starts out as your standard FPS fare – walk through corridors, kill monsters, collect loot, improve your weapons – but as you play you’ll start to see why this game received such acclaim when first released last year. The combat is addictive, quests are fun, your selection of weapons is extensive, characters are silly, the plot is always changing, and the game is expertly paced. Cut from the “just one more turn” school of gaming, this game will continuously keep you engaged and challenged.

Filled with fun quests (including bartering with dragons and drinking with ghost dwarfs), monsters which actually require tactics to defeat, and a plethora of weapons and magic this is a game which will keep you engaged from beginning to end. For $20 you won’t do much better when it comes to old-school monster-killing.

8. Odin Sphere (PS2)
So why is this game on the list? Didn’t Odin Sphere get a freaking ton of press these last few months? And wasn’t everyone saying that this was the “last great game for the PS2”? Yes and yes, but all of this press and goodwill has not translated into sales. It’s a real shame as this game lives up to the hype and shouldn’t be missed.

The graphics are insanely gorgeous, the action fast and furious, and the gameplay innovative. Sort of the “Pulp Fiction” of video games, Odin Sphere tells its story through five protagonists, each of which you’ll get a chance to play. Each character has its own unique fighting style and controls, which always keeps the game fresh and new. Plus as you explore their history you’ll reveal a larger, overarching story as each character intersects with the others. The final result is an epic story that continuously keeps you interested throughout.

Gameplay is your “standard” 2D-fantasy-action-epic-RPG (heh, when was the last time you played one of those?), only on this world all of the levels are designed like spheres (get the title now?). Like the classic game Defender, the levels continuously loop and will only allow you to escape once you defeated the appropriate number of foes. Oh yeah, and you need to kill monsters in order to grow your power-ups from plant seed. You know … like sheep.

Come on people! Isn’t the PS2 like the best-selling game console in the world? Don’t you have like four or five PS2 in your house collecting dust? Why aren’t you playing this crazy beautiful game?! Send your PS2 off in style with this fantastic game.

7. Etrian Odyssey (DS)
This unique 3D dungeon crawler RPG was released in May 2007, but good luck finding it in the stores. No, this was not a runaway best-seller (have you even heard of it?). Rather the publisher, Atlus, seemed to release just enough to supply to meet the limited demand for this game. That’s a real shame as this is an excellent and challenging RPG which is perfectly suited to the DS.

The top screen is used to display the dungeon using relatively simple 3D graphics from a first-person point of view. While the bottom screen is used to map your progress through the dungeon, just like the classic days when having a pad of graph paper next to your computer was mandatory. And this simple act of mapping your progress really connects you to the adventure and makes you want to explore the 25-level dungeon.

Extremely challenging and well-designed, Etrain Odyssey is a refreshing blast-from-the-past. The gameplay is relatively simple – build party, kill monsters, gain levels, explore the dungeon – but with a wealth of character customization you’ll actually enjoy the occasional grind just to level-up your characters and try out their new abilities. Oh yes, and the music is easily the best ever to appear in a DS game to date.

If you cut your teeth on rigorous dungeon crawls from the Apple II+ days this game will be right up your alley. And when you complete this long, brutal game, you will have (in your best John Houseman voice now) “Earned It!” Bonus: The sequel is being released in Japan next year.

6. Jeanne D’Arc (PSP)
If you are a fan of strategy role-playing games then this was the year to own a PSP. Over the past few months we saw the release of three great SRPGs for the PSP – Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness, Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions, and Jeanne D’Arc. All three are excellent games but Jeanne D’Arc stands above the rest … and is probably the one you ignored.

With a strange name and an even stranger storyline – the retelling of the story of Joan of Arc within a fantasy world with talking animals, demons, and magic powers -- Jeanne D’Arc is an attractive and vibrant game that is accessible to newcomers and SRPG veterans alike. Unlike other SRPGs which require a PhD to completely understand Jeanne D’Arc takes the time to explain to you how the elaborate combat system works. And between the intense battles and the intense story you’ll never be bored by this 30-hour game.

If you’re looking for a solid strategy game and aren’t afraid to learn a bit about history (granted this history has talking dogs and orcs) you won’t find a better PSP game this year.

5. Rogue Galaxy (PS2)
This action-RPG was created by the legendary Level-5 (Dark Cloud & Dragon Quest VIII) and was an immense critical success in Japan. So when it’s released in the States a year later it is, of course, completely ignored. Perhaps everyone was busy playing Gears of War or was busy dreaming of Halo 3 when this Rogue Galaxy was released, but if you missed this game and you love RPGs then you owe it to yourself to pick up this gem of a game.

Sure I could go into detail about the beautiful graphics, immersive storyline with plenty of unexpected twists, and a fun action-combat system, but what you need to know is this. If you like RPGs then you will like this game. In fact, I put this game up against any RPG released on the PS2, including all of the Final Fantasy games, and say that this game is as good if not better than all of them. And the action-combat system actually makes combat fun, unlike those tiresome turn-based combat systems which take forever to complete.

And since this game was released nearly a year ago you can get this game cheap! In fact, I just saw this game in the bargain bin at Best Buy just the other day. This game does not deserve the silent funeral that is the gaming bargain bin. So while you are waiting for Final Fantasy XIII to released sometime in the year 2000-who-heck-knows, break out your PS2 and start exploring the Rogue Galaxy!

4. The Warriors (PSP)
This game should actually be on this list twice – once for when it was originally released for the PS2 and Xbox in 2005, and now for when it was released for the PSP. One of the greatest movie licensed video-games of all time, The Warriors actually surpasses the movie as it expands upon the film and allows you to fully explore the world of a gang-ridden New York City circa 1979. Somehow Rockstar managed to take a simple two-hour movie and fully flesh out a 15-hour game, telling the story of how each member joined The Warriors (Swan, Ajax, Cleon, Vermin, Cochese, Cowboy, Snow, Fox, and Rembrandt … even their names are cool) and their rise to from street-rats to one of the strongest gangs in New York.

But what makes this game so great? Where to start? Let’s see – the combat is deep, the world is fun to explore, each character feels completely unique, the story is interesting, the music and voiceovers are fantastic, and the rival gangs are truly original. Where else can you fight gang members who walk around in top hats and mime makeup? And with twenty gangs in the game you’ll always have someone interesting to fight.

The PSP version is a near perfect port of the original PS2, or if you want get the PS2 or Xbox versions for a song. If you love Rockstar and the “feel” of their games then it owe it to yourself to pick up this gem. It’s as if this movie was custom-made for Rockstar to turn into a video game as no other game “feels” more like a Rockstar game than this one.

Listen to Cyrus, “Can you dig it?”

3. Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure (Wii)
It’s amazing that the Wii is so popular but yet there are a surprisingly small number of truly good games out for the Wii. Outside of the core Nintendo titles there are precious few good games to be found. And what’s even more amazing is that this excellent game, which can easily be enjoyed by families, can’t seem to find an audience (especially in Japan where this game is completely bombing). Maybe it’s the cartoon graphics or the strange name, but don’t let this gem of a game slip you by.

Sure there is a main plot, but the core gameplay consists almost entirely of puzzles. You will need to solve a series of levels, each of which is presented to you with a Rube Goldberg-type layout. By correctly performing a series of mind-bending actions you’ll be able to solve the puzzle and receive your prize. Those familiar with the popular Hapland games will feel right at home here (and for those of you who have never played the Hapland-style games make sure to check out these mind-boggling games).

The puzzles in Zack & Wiki range in difficultly from easy to fiendish, but yet are never frustrating enough to make you quit the game in its entirety. Plus the game has its own in-game help system for those who are truly stuck. And best of all the game fully utilizes the Wii Remote where your on-screen actions mimic the actions of the Remote. Need to go fishing? The Wii Remote mimics a fishing rod. Need to light a torch? Wave the Wii Remote into the firepit. Using the Wii Remote in this manner feels natural and is a lot of fun.

Something else worth mentioning is that this is a great game to play in a family or party setting. The puzzles lend themselves to group with one person controlling Zack and the others helping out. Others can even use their Wii Remotes while you are playing, which turn into a “Wii laser pointer” device, to help point out areas for you to explore. In fact, I would say this game is even more fun to play with others, especially those who aren’t the “gaming type” as the puzzles and Wii controls will appeal to just about anyone who likes to have fun. And for those “gaming types” out there, don’t be turned off by the colorful graphics and funny animations. Even the most jaded gamer will crack a smile when playing this game.

At $40 this game is a total steal and one of the best games out for the Wii right now. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed with this one.

2. Overlord (Xbox 360, PC)
One of the best games of the year, Overlord feels like a lost treasure from Bullfrog before they sold out to EA. Overlord is one of those “multi-classed” games that is hard to categorize. If you combine the strategy of Pikiman, the humor of Fable (although this game is actually funny), the wickedness of Dungeon Keeper, your standard RPG elements, and even a little bit of SimCity base-building and you’ve got yourself one fantastically unique game.

You play as the Overlord, a nameless, faceless brute who controls an army of goblin-like minions who tell as many jokes as they do throw punches. There are four different types of minions, each having a different ability, and through them you’ll need to traverse through a fantasy world and defeat seven “goodie-two-shoes” heroes. And although the combat and strategy elements are fun, it’s the simple act of exploring the world where this game really takes on its character. Everything you will see is familiar, but twisted. Hobbits are gluttonous brutes, elves are morose sloths, dwarfs are physocpathic moneybags, and so on. Diving deep into this “Lord of the Rings-esque World Gone Bad”, and then systematically destroying most of it, is a truly fun experience.

As a bonus unlike so other games which contain humor, the humor in this game is actually funny! The graphics, the voiceovers, the quests, your minions – everything is colored with a wonderful contemporary British humor. You’ll come for the game, but you’ll stay for the jokes.

Best of all you can play this game on the GameTap service as well as the Xbox 360 and PC. So if you were looking for an excuse to try out this excellent service now you can sign-up just to play Overlord. And you too can “be evil … or really evil!”

1. Portal (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
Sure you’ve heard about this game for months now, seeing one fantastic review after another, you have probably even heard all about the “cake”, but have you played Portal?

No seriously, have you sat down and dedicated yourself to play Portal from beginning to end?

Or your friends?

Or your family?

Or your friends of the family?

I’m serious here. Not since the release of Tetris has a game been so perfect and shown the true power of the emotional response that gaming can achieve, and Portal is a game no man, woman, or child shouldn’t play at least once in their life. If you consider yourself a “gamer” and haven’t played Portal yet, well, then you simply aren’t a “gamer”. It’s just that simple. Your knowledge and understanding of what gaming is and what it can accomplish will never be complete until you play and experience the sublime masterpiece that is Portal.

Sure Grand Theft Auto and Halo get all the headlines and press, but Portal is something more. It is one of those extremely rare games that show the true power of what gaming can convey across multiple levels. Portal is up there with the genre-defining masterpieces of Super Mario Brothers, Tetris, and The Legend of Zelda, but perhaps even better. Portal is perfect in every measure of gaming, and in most measures of popular entertainment as well.

But why you ask? Let’s examine the ways:

The story is engaging and has a clearly defined three act structure, just like the greatest movies and plays of all time.

The visuals convey the world of Portal perfectly, everything is familiar but yet odd and at no time will you be taken outside of the game because of a misplaced pixel or design element.

The sound design beautiful, perfect, unearthly and will haunt your memories for years to come.

The controls will make you do things you never though possible and expand your mind in new directions. You’ll accomplish things you’ll never knew were possible just a few short hours before you started to play this game.

The ending is easily one of the greatest endings of all time, for any medium, and will keep people talking (and singing) for years to come.

The length is perfect. Sure it is short; taking only around 2-3 hours to finish, but this allows Portal to be played exactly like it should. If Portal was yet another 25 hour FPS it would have been remembered a good game with interesting controls and that would have been it. But by being short it allows you to appreciate every single second that you play the game, lets you marvel and how they were able to pack so much story into such a short period of time. There is no “dead time” in portal, no filler content, no repetitive tasks. Portal is exactly the perfect length for the story it needs to tell, and it will keep you wanting for more. And at three hours there is no excuse for you no to play this game at least once. Everyone can finish the game of Portal.

Portal isn’t just a game … it is art and helps move the entire medium that much closer to being respected and viable medium for telling a complex engaging story as good, if not better, than any other popular medium.

So once again I ask … have you played Portal?

How to Get a Wii (and Lose a Portion of Your Soul in the Process)

How badly do you want a Wii? Seriously, how badly do you really want one? Well I know of an extremely convoluted way that will score you a Wii this holiday season in just a matter of days. Granted it will only get you a Wii and nothing else (no controllers, no power supply, no sensor bar, nothing else), and I’m sure you will lose a bit of your soul in the process, but this technique will work. As they say ... desperate times sometimes call for desperate measures.

Here is what you need to do. First, you need to find someone who already has a Wii system and who is willing to help you out. And they better be your best friend/owe you big time as they will probably also have to answer to Beelzebub in the end. Second, your friend needs to have a credit card in their name.

What your friend needs to do is call Nintendo Support and report that they are having a problem with their Wii system. I would suggest that your friend reports they are their fan motor broke or that they are experiencing artifacting on the screen. Both are very easy to explain on the phone, won’t require you to do much testing on your end (you either are or aren't experiencing artifacts) and both will require you to obtain a replacement Wii to fix the problem.

And that my friends is how you can get your “new” Wii. Nintendo will explain to your friend that they will need a replacement Wii and that they will ship you a new one to exchange for your original. Best of all they will ship the new one before you have to return the original, you just need give Nintendo a credit card in case you don't return the original. And that is exactly what you plan to do -- not return the original Wii.

After 21 days from the ship date of the replacement Wii your friend's credit card will be charged the full price for a new Wii. But in the end you and your friend will end up with two Wiis – his original one and the “replacement” Wii. And the best part is that your “new” Wii will show up in just a few days!

Once again, I can emphasize enough that all Nintendo will send your friend is a Wii and nothing else. So you will be paying full price for a Wii without a single accessory. You will have to get the Wii Console Stand ($5), Wii Console Stand Plate ($2), Wii AC Adapter ($19.95), Wii A/V Cables ($15.95), Wii Component Video Cable ($29.95), Wii Adhesive Backed Foam Tape for Sensor Bar ($1), Wii Sensor Bar Stand ($1), Wii Sensor Bar ($10), and Wii Remote ($39.99) on your own (plus Wii Sports, prices vary).

Still adding in approximately $124.84 of accessories plus $249.99 for the "new" Wii only comes out to $374.83, which is a lot less than the average price you'll find on eBay for a new Wii.

So just how desperate are you? Just how badly do you want that Wii? Is it really worth a piece of your soul? Is it?

The Inhuman Achievement

I always find it amazing that no matter how hard developer makes a video game that someone, somewhere will manage to accomplish the impossible. Whether its finishing Blast Corps or finishing the last level of Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! with a perfect score I am always continuously amazed at the level of human accomplishment when it comes to video games.

The latest inhuman achievement to appear in a video game is finishing the attempting to play “Through the Fire and Flames” by Dragonforce, which is unlocked once you complete Guitar Hero 3. It’s no shocker that this is the hardest song ever put in a Guitar Hero game but after seeing this song in action one has to wonder ... what were they thinking? I've seen impossible video game tasks before but this just seems, I don't know, beyond impossible. The song is over eight minutes long and you have to play so fast that your guitar sounds like its producing a steady stream of machine gun fire. But yet someone has managed to finish this song on Expert level.

Again, humans always continue to amaze me:

MySims EA Site Visit

EA games held its first Blogger’s Day Event and I was one of the lucky 7 who got to attend. We all gathered at the headquarters in Redwood City, CA to get a preview of the new MySims game and meet the game developers ... a Sims game unlike any other.

Our day started with a tour of the EA campus and soon we found ourselves in a conference room surrounded by a new breed of Sims. Unlike other versions of The Sims, MySims was created exclusively for the Nintendo platform for release on both the Wii and the DS. With that in mind, the Sims was recreated to appeal to the Nintendo audience while holding on to the hallmark appeal of the original Sims game.

Like other Sims games you start the game playing one Sim which is customizable within the create-a-sim menu. The main head shape stays the same but you can change other unique features to make your Sim all your own. You can change their hair, skin tone, clothing, and even the voice from one of six different options. These little Sims are gender neutral so you can get really crazy with their look. And unlike other Sims games these Sims are cute ... really cute ... like a puppy sitting in a flowerbed holding a rubber toy in its mouth cute.

Of course there are options for additional personal items, such as eye glasses and facial marks. My Sim ended up in a skirt with a beard, a monocle and a spider tattoo on its cheek. There are more than enough options so that you can make your little Sim a mini-version of yourself which was a main goal of the development team (which, of course, they made several versions of themselves and their family members.)

Once your Sim is complete you begin the game within to a rundown town with your main goal to bring the town back to life and earn a "five star "status. You can improve the town by talking to other Sims and completing tasks for them, such as finding items, building things, giving them gifts, and so forth. The happier the Sims the more the town improves and more options become available to you.

As the town improves new Sims will show up (with new tasks for you, of course!). The game supports a total of 80 Sims but you can only have 27 Sims to your town at once so you need to plan your tasks accordingly as well as find and unlock the other Sims.

As for those of you out there who like to kill or torture their Sims, well, you can’t do that. They also don’t Woo Hoo or make babies but you still can mess with them and make them unhappy if you really want. You have four main interactions -- talk, be nice, be mean and give stuff. Each Sim has two likes and one dislike, so using these interactions and some creative responses you can make your Sims quite happy, or very upset. The choice is yours.

But there is so much more which you can do in this game besides making other Sims happy. You can fish, plant trees and prospect for cool new items. You can also unlock assets such clothing and blueprints by making friends with the Town Sims. Next to your house you have a workshop where you use your blueprints to build furniture and other objects. With a blueprint you can create a base object and then mix and match other pieces to create a uniquely different object. The more you play, the more building pieces you will unlock. Of course once you’ve made your creation, you can paint it with various colors and textures to truly make it your own.

There are no "simoleans" currency in version of The Sims but instead uses something called “Essenses”. There are six main Essences -- Cute, Geeky, Studious, Spooky, Tasty and Fun. All the objects are related to one of these essences and they are used to create furniture, paint walls and floors. Part of the fun is mixing and matching essences when creating new objects.

There are small differences between the Wii and DS versions, such as the DS version takes place at a seaside resort. Hence, the game plays slightly differently on each platform. At the resort you get to explore, meet and help the guests, design clothes and furniture and play mini games to earn money. One of the 10 mini games can be downloaded to a friend’s DS so they can play it without having the Sim game but it’s only playable while your DS is running.

The game was a lot of fun to play and all of us were laughing at the creations we made. Though it’s not a multiplayer game, it’s still fun to play with other people around to share the experience. It’s as much fun to watch as it is to play. The music was very pleasant and each location had its own unique tune so you could tell where you were just by listening to the song. Plus there is a ton of unlockable items, including new playable areas including a desert and a forest.

The game shipped today and although MySims is unlike other Sims creations it has enough "Sims flavor" to interest the diehard Sims fan. Hours of fun for the whole family.

Gaming Steve Episode 53 - 05.12.2006

Today I have the craziest show I have ever done. Not only do I recap this year's E3 but I have a whopping six interviews from the show floor ... AKA "The Super Interview Spectacular Show". Enjoy!

Gaming Steve Episode 53 Program

• E3 2006 Day 3 Recap
• 00:00:49 Detailed hands-on preview of the Wii, its games, and a detailed report of too many games to list from the show floor.
• 00:33:41 Super quick interview with Will Wright about Spore.
• 00:34:33 Interview with Tim Train, VP of Operations and Development of Big Huge Games about the newly released Rise of Legends for the PC.
• 00:53:34 Interview with Paul Sage, Lead Designer of Tabula Rasa from NCSoft.
• 01:02:12 Interview with Mark Tucker, Lead Designer of Dungeon Runners from NCSoft.
• 01:09:54 Interview with Michael Khaimzon, Lead Designer of Crysis from Crytek.
• 01:16:25 Interview with Kevin Unangst, Director of Global Marketing for Games for Windows from Microsoft.
• 01:30:06 Final wrap-up of the E3 2006.

Download the show (96 minutes): Gaming Steve Episode 53 (MP3).

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Gaming Steve Episode 51 - 05.10.2006

In this very special episode of Gaming Steve I am reporting to you directly from the E3 Expo show floor and today I share the mic with my co-host from the GDC conference. Christopher Grant from Joystiq sits down with me to discuss day one of E3. So sit back and enjoy myself and Chris chatting about all things E3.

Gaming Steve Episode 51 Program

• E3 2006 Day 1 Recap
• Chris and I discuss the Nintendo keynote and what it's like to use the Wii controller.
• Review of the Microsoft keynote and their surprising announcements.
• Chris gives the Sony keynote an "F" and what about that crazy PS3 pricing?
• General thoughts about the upcoming console wars and how they're going to play out.

Download the show (59 minutes): Gaming Steve Episode 51 (MP3).

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Gaming Steve Episode 45 - 03.23.2006

Today was "Spore Day" at GDC with four different talks concerning Spore, and I was at every single one of them. But just how much new information was revealed during these talks? And what new revelations did Satoru Iwata reveal about the Revolution? This and more on today's show!

Oh yes, and once again I share the mic, today with John Callaham from FiringSquad. Enjoy!

Gaming Steve Episode 45 Program

• Game Developers Conference Day 4 Recap
• John and I discuss Spore talk number one: "Advanced Prototyping" with Chaim Gingold and Chris Hecker.
• We discuss the Nintendo keynote speech.
• Will Wright talks, but does he say anything?
• John gives us a rundown of the expo floor.
• A review of this year's "Game Design Challenge" and why was Will Wright wearing a tiara?
• Spore talk number three: "Spore: PrePD Through Prototyping" by Eric Todd.
• And finally Spore talk number four: "Building Community Around Pollinated Content in Spore" by Caryl Shaw.
• A recap of last night's Independent Game Festival & Awards and the Game Developers Choice Awards.

Download the show (55 minutes): Gaming Steve Episode 45 (MP3).

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