The Xbox One is Revealed

As we barrel towards what promises to be a very interesting summer in the world of gaming, Microsoft gave us the first look at the Xbox One.  Thankfully Microsoft was a bit more forthcoming with information than the  Sony Playstation 4 announcement several weeks prior.  That wasn't terribly hard due to the fact that Sony couldn't even produce a system to show during their system announcement.

Microsoft has seemed to build a bit of a juggernaut as far as power is concerned.  With 8GB of RAM, a Blu-Ray drive, and the Kinect peripheral now standard the Xbox One will certainly provide a considerable performance from the 360.  While big numbers and fancy interfaces are great, I do have some concerns.

Before I go much further I must explain one thing.  I have owned every system made by both Sony and Microsoft.  Currently I have a working Playstation, PS2, and PS3 all hooked up to my television.  Only my PS2 is not the original system that I bought.  I purchased a slimline PS2 and bartered away my old original PS2.  To this day that system still is in good, working order.  My Xbox, and Xbox 360 are in pieces in a box in my attic due to system failures after a couple years of use.

The Xbox One

Outside of durability issues, I have always have taken exception to the Xbox Live subscription service.  I don't care how many people try to convince me how much better quality the Live service is compared to the Playstation Network, you can't beat free in my eyes.  Xbox Live's concept of paying for access to your own internet is almost criminal.  I liken it to being expected to pay your toilet manufacturer for the water you use in it.

While I am trying to ignore some of my preconceived notions about the next run of systems, I can't help but to notice a few more concerns.  My main concern about this system was that it wasn't promoted heavily as a gaming console, but rather a media hub.  While Sony failed to show a system, they did an ample job of reminding us that they were preparing to release a video game console.

Yusef Mehdi from Microsoft seems to have channeled is inner karate kid for the menu navigation demonstration

Nearly all of the actual system demonstration was featuring the home menu navigation.  Since the system promotes a one input system, now moving from games to television, to media control is nearly seamless.  Controlling your television will be as easy as barking orders and doing Mr. Miyagi impersonations with your arms.  Since the Kinect will actually come standard with the system they are finding ways to implement that into the experience.

I will say that I was impressed with the demo for the new 1080p wide angle camera the Xbox One version of the Kinect will have.  It showcased many of the different ways that the Kinect has been improved to capture very accurate motions.

Either way the new console wars have begun.  Within the next month we should be getting more information including the price points.  It will be also interesting to see some of the more concerning rumors addressed, including the rumor about programming in blocks to disallow games from being used in multiple Xbox systems without paying for the game again.  Until then I will keep my opinions on these rumors to myself.

Video Roundup: Super Mario Bros Music

Super Mario Bros is one of the definitive titles for retro gamers.  Since the game was included with the Nintendo Entertainment System it was a game that nearly every single person who has ever played the system has played.  Over 40 million copies were sold, which makes it the second to Wii Sports for the best selling video game of all time.

Super Mario Bros is fondly remembered for being one of the first truly good platforming titles.  It's clean controls, and addictive game play was unlike anything that came before it.  However one of the lasting memories of the game is its music.

Video game composer Koji Kondo

The music for Super Mario Brothers was composed by Japanese composer Koji Kondo.  While Kondo had done music for arcade games like Punch Out!!, the Super Mario Bros soundtrack was his first big hit.  While Kondo is responsible for the music for most of the Super Mario and Legend of Zelda games, the original Mario theme is still his most popular.  Even Nobuo Uematsu, the composer of much of the Final Fantasy series praised the music so much, he was quoted saying that the Super Mario Bros theme should be the Japanese national anthem.

For you trivia buffs the theme does have an official name, "Ground Theme."  And the theme still lives on today.  The Super Mario Bros theme has been tackled by scores of unique musicians.  Many examples are found right here on the internet, and one quick trip through YouTube will find some gems.

The first video is an impromptu performance by Jean Baudin on his 11 string bass guitar.  It is an impressive performance, on a very unique instrument.

The second video is by Japanese beatboxer HIKAKIN.  It is yet another extremely unique take on the theme song.  And if anyone can inform me how exactly he does this please let me know.

The final video in this roundup is a strange one.  While the song is dedicated to Marty B's love for Captain Crunch, it uses the theme from the second Super Mario Bros theme interchanged with many of the famous sound effects from the game.

   

The Early Days of Mortal Kombat

In the early days of home console gaming all eyes were on Nintendo.  They seemed to have the winning formula for success in the early days, so developers didn't seem to challenge their rules.  While there were many great games out for the Nintendo and Super Nintendo, their strict policies on how violence was portrayed in games kept developers from pushing the envelope.  This policy made many developers to gear their games for children, and made the idea of games with adult themes very taboo.

How did Nintendo not find this good, wholesome fun for the family

The Mortal Kombat series was one that certainly didn't seek Nintendo's approval.  Debuting in 1992 with the original Mortal Kombat arcade game, the 2-dimensional fighting game made waves with it's realistic character models, and extremely violent content.  From the outset this made the series extremely popular.  And by 1995 there were two sequels to the hit out for arcades.

What made the game most shocking to most was the fact that instead of cartoonish characters, MK used real actors to create the models of each character.  Successful strikes against your opponents caused sprays of blood to shoot from their wounds.  At the end of each battle the loser stands dazed and the game proclaims "Finish Him."  From there each character has his or her own unique finishing move called a Fatality.  Mortal Kombat fatalities are gruesome animations of character dismemberment, or maiming.  Each of the three original arcade games had home console counterparts.

Mortal Kombat 3 arcade machine

  

The first two games were available on the SNES and Sega Genesis.  Most gamers remember the Genesis ports the best.  Although the game was toned down from the arcade version, a cheat code could be entered to unlock the blood and gore that the arcade version had.  The Super Nintendo was a different story all together.  Much of the game was altered, the blood was removed, many of the fatalities were altered to limit the violence, and even if you had the cheat codes the blood would be green.  This caused many gamers who didn't have access to a Genesis to cry foul. 

The third game was also ported to the Sony PlayStation.  The PS1 was a great system for the series to grow, and didn't have the same objections to the violent content that the earlier systems did.  The issue that fans had with the third installment was that many of the principal characters were replaced.  Raiden, Scorpion, Mileena, Kitana, and other series regulars were all replaced with new characters.  While still a great Mortal Kombat the omission of many of the series' regulars were too much for fans to take.

Mortal Kombat Trilogy for the Playstation boasted tons of playable characters

In order to solve these issues for the home console market, in 1996 Mortal Kombat Trilogy was developed for the PlayStation and the Nintendo 64.  On the surface they were very solid home console versions of the game, but the PlayStation version boasted 37 playable characters from each of the first three titles.  There were several improvements made to gameplay including the Brutality finishing maneuver, and the Aggressor bar which gave temporary boost in performance.  

The high number of playable characters really set the game apart from any game like it.  Having such a vast number of playable characters gave the game a high replay value.  Another feature that the game had was a cheat code for performing one button Fatalities.  This eliminated the need to perform the complicated inputs previously needed to perform these abilities.  

Tons of characters made for Mortal Kombat heaven

While the PlayStation version was a moderate hit, the Nintendo 64 was a different story.  Limitations in the system caused the developers once again to have to scale back the game.  The N64 version only had 30 characters included, among other limitations.

Mortal Kombat Trilogy also marked the end of 2D gaming for the series (until 2011's Mortal Kombat for PS3 and XBox 360).  Mortal Kombat 4 evolved the series into a 3D fighter.  Beyond that there were several other different style games set in the Mortal Kombat universe that further went away from the originals.    

Retro Review: Pitfall! - Atari 2600 - 1982

When we talk about retro gaming, many games bring back great memories.  A lot of games can boast that they were innovative for their time.  But very few games can claim to have revolutionized the industry.  One game that comes to mind that can make that claim was Activision's Pitfall!

It is important to remember that at the time Atari was very indifferent to new ideas in gaming.  The Atari 2600 was really only designed to play a handful of arcade ports like Combat and Pong.  The limitations that game developers had to overcome creating games for the system restricted what could be done.  Creating anything other than a game with simple shapes and objectives didn't terribly interest Atari, and was a seemingly impossible goal.

I never really understood the rainbow coming out of Pitfall Harry's backside on the original cover

Then along came Pitfall!, a game that can boast several technical achievements.  First off the main character, Pitfall Harry was one of the first true sprites to be put into a game that boasted different colors and a unique walk cycle animation, that mimicked cartoon animation.  Secondly the game was the first true platforming game that allowed you to travel beyond the scope of a single screen.  1981's Donkey Kong was probably the first true platformer, but the game never left the borders of your television.  Pitfall's more open ended approach to platform gaming certainly inspired the side scrolling adventures like Super Mario Bros, Castlevania, Mega Man, Contra, and many others in the years to follow.

Pitfall! was the brain child of programmer David Crane.  Crane had worked on Kaboom, Grand Prix, Fishing Derby, and several other titles for the 2600.  His innovative use of the limited tools a programmer could use utilize in the early game systems made him one of the most respected programmers in his field.

David Crane's photo from his Twitter account (@PitfallCreator)

Crane was one of the few programmers to challenge the conventional thinking that home consoles were simply vessels for poorly done arcade ports.  With Pitfall! he strived to raise the bar and create a unique gaming experience.  The game was designed to last more than the 1-5 minutes you would expect to play most of the other games on the console. .  Run and jump to find 32 treasures spread out over 256 possible screens.  The game ends after all the treasures are found, the 20 minute time limit expires, or poor Pitfall Harry is killed by a number of perils that stand in his way to finding the treasure.

An example of a typical screen in Pitfall!

Crane took the Atari 2600 to it's absolute limits and it payed off.  Only Pac-Man outsold Pitfall! for the 2600. There was a season of Pitfall Harry cartoons on CBS based on the game in 1983. Several sequels were released for numerous systems.  And the Pitfall! series is still going strong in 2013 with the recent releases of the game as a mobile application.

Ultimately Pitfall! will go down in history as the first game to at least give the gamer the feel of a side scrolling  game.  Although Pitfall! itself didn't scroll, the unique way it switched from screen to screen it certainly was the precursor for the idea once the NES was released a few years later.  This really made it a stepping stone game that influenced many games to come.  This started with the early Mario Brothers and Sonic the Hedgehog titles, to the more modern games like Braid and Little Big Planet.

Video Roundup: Glitch edition

Whenever you find yourself truly immersed into a video game it is easy to forget the amount of coding that was involved into the games creation.  It really is the ultimate goal for a developer to create a world for gamers that allows them to forget that they are simply using a piece of software.  For a few moments a person can transform themselves into warriors, adventurers, pro athletes, fighter pilots, plumbers trying to save princesses, and countless other things.

Occasionally there are things that happen in these adventures that immediately remind us that we are using software.  These things are called glitches.  With all of the code that is needed to create these games, there are bound to be some mistakes along the line.  Some have funny consequences, other can completely ruin the gaming experience.  Here are some examples. 

One of the first games to really showcase an array of glitches was Super Mario Brothers for the NES.  The most commonly known of the glitches shown in the REARN49 video below is a specific jump you can execute in world 1-2.  If executed properly you jumped through the brick wall and into the warp zone.  At that point you had to use the warp zone.  But instead of warping to worlds 1,2,or 3 you went to world -1, a never ending water level that you could never beat.

Since baseball season has just started here is a horrible example of glitches from more recent times.  MLB 2K9 is the source, and EDDIEGGG27 vents a bit of frustration in this complilation.  (Not work friendly audio in this video)

Street Fighter 2 houses several interesting glitches.  But this one is noteworthy due to something horrible happening to E. Honda's gentleman's region.  This one is not for the faint at heart, watch with caution.

Goodbye LucasArts

In case you have been living under a rock you should already know that Disney is now the proud owners of LucasFilm.  This has been concerning to a lot of people, due to the scope of what LucasFilm encompasses.  Owning LucasFilm gives Disney rights to do what they please with film franchises like Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and even Howard the Duck (Which allegedly is in Disney's plans for the future).  Also it gave them ownership of LucasArts, the gaming company started by George Lucas himself in 1982.

Sad news came in this week that Disney has shut down the development team at LucasArts, and will solely focus on licensing new Star Wars titles to outside developers.  Initial reports stated that LucasArts would be continuing business as usual.  There were three Star Wars titles currently in development that have all been cancelled.  Most notably Star Wars 1313, an open world RPG set in the Star Wars universe.  It was supposed be based around the criminal underworld.  I'm sure it would have been dubbed Grand Theft Star Wars, and really could have been a cool game.  Perhaps Kickstarter will get that project back off the ground.

R.I.P. LucasArts 1982-2013

Sadly this turn of events has led to the layoffs of over 150 people employed at LucasArts.  While layoffs are never a good thing, the move certainly illustrates the fear that developers have in the immediate future of the video game industry.  I know that I shared a similar fear in my article about the Sony press conference where there was very little information given about the next generation PlayStation, despite the release date being slated for later this year.  I'm not sure that there is a ton of market hype for the new PlayStation and Xbox releases so far, due to the fact that there really can be very little in the way of improvements to the way that next gen games will look.

LucasArts will be best remembered for their seemingly never ending run of Star Wars series.  There was Battlefront, Jedi Knight, Bounty Hunter, Force Unleashed, tons of flyers, and all sorts of other games.  Some were really good and some were really bad.  My personal favorite games of theirs were the Knights of the Old Republic games.  Those two games were really well executed RPG's.  The stories were well done, and used locations that were true to the mythology of Star Wars.

Promotional photo for the Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic game

They also did a MMORPG named Star Wars Galaxies that lasted from 2003 until 2011.  There were several Indiana Jones titles, the Monkey Island series, the Maniac Mansion series, Thrillville, Labyrinth, and many others.  Early in their existence they were primarily known for their graphic adventure games, and have done everything under the sun ever since.

Obviously this was also a move to focus on the upcoming Star Wars films.  So in time we will see if the change was worth it.  There will be Star Wars games, lets just see which developer out there is brave enough to try one.

Are You Hunting Easter Eggs Today?

Happy Easter everyone, today I am writing a short article about what Easter Eggs mean to gamers.  Traditionally on this day regular, decorated eggs are placed in hiding for children to enjoy trying to find.  In video gaming it is something completely different.  Easter eggs refer to a hidden material inside a video game that developers include, usually for their own amusement.

The idea of the Easter egg dates back to the Atari 2600's Adventure from 1979.  Adventure's programmer Warren Robinett added his own name to a screen in the game as a statement that developers don't receive attention for their work.  Since then there have been a number of inside jokes, political statements, and other oddities of gaming included with a variety of different titles.  While I will cover many of these in the future, I will start by highlighting the most infamous of Easter eggs for this fine Easter evening.

The Grand Theft Auto series didn't give a shortage of those that hate video gaming a reason to be quiet.  The surprising violent, sexual, and adult themed references often don't sit well with parents who feel that only children play games and a market for adult themed games is out of line.  That didn't stop Rockstar Games into including a crazy easter egg that was never supposed to see the light of day.

1994's GTA San Andreas was the game that included the infamous "Hot Coffee" Easter egg.  The game's playable character, Carl Johnson had the potential to have six girlfriends around San Andreas.  There was a small minigame revolved around dating.  The whole sequence was tame compared to what happened if you drove a prostitute to a secluded location.

This all changed when the PC version came out.  Since PC games allow for anyone to see into the source code of the game, anyone can release mods for these games by making changes to this code and releasing it.    A mod known as the "Hot Coffee Mod" was released.  This mod changed the potential of the ends of these dates.  If the date goes well Carl will be invited in for hot coffee.  What follows was a full on sex scene minigame.

Rockstar initially claimed that the entire sequence had been added by the modders.  The modders came back by claiming that only one bit of information needed to be changed to achieve the hot coffee sequence.  It was also revealed that the rouge code was included with the console versions of the game as well.  This meant the game was released to the public still containing the code.  Since the code was disabled and not removed the video game rating board still requires that all coding included in a final version be submitted for review.  Since the inclusion of a full on sex scene coded into the game would change the game's rating to an Adults Only rating from the the Mature rating it received, it was immediately pulled from shelves by many retailers fearing backlash from consumers.

Lots of bad legal things ensued.  It also put increased pressure on developers to quit pushing the envelope of good taste with their content.  It was a setback for the game industry, and probably a mistake that won't ever happen again.