My phone the Samsung Nexus S, was not included on the supported list. Supported Android Phones include: HTC EVO, HTC Nexus One, HTC Rezound 4G, HTC Sensation, HTC Sensation XL, Motorola Droid 2, Motorola Droid X2, Motorola DROID BIONIC 4G, Motorola DROID RAZR 4G, Motorola Photon 4G, and Samsung Galaxy S II 4G. Still the app installed and ran on my Nexus S. So I gave it a test run. This is not a review of Lego Batman, rather it is a review of a new gaming platform. Mobile gaming via cloud is very new and could change the way we play video games and buy hardware.The games look and feel much like the console versions. In fact it seems to just be that exactly. This of course makes the game very small on a phone screen. Game lag was a little noticeable depending on the strength of my wifi. On 4G, lag was often. This of course will depend on your 4G coverage. Pixelation seemed to occur well before any lag in movement which was not fun on that size screen with very small Legos flying about. I was surprised at the quantity of controls that feature two digital analog sticks and five digital buttons. These interfaces are transparent with a white outline (shown below displayed on my phone). The response was great, and the while a separate physical controller would be better, the on screen controls were more than adequate. Overall the gameplay is pretty enjoyable (over wifi).

Tags: android, Antonio Ortega Jr, apps, Batman, comic booked, Free, FREE games, gaming, LEGO, Mobile, news, OnLive, tablets, tech, technology, videogames

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Written by Ortegatron

I daily dispel the common misconception that comic book nerds are all handsome and charming.

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Article source: http://www.comicbooked.com/review-onlive-gaming-app-for-android/

With the bulk of the Fall 2011 releases behind us (speaking of which, check out my Super Mario 3D Land review), it’s no surprise that we’re seeing lots of more interesting and exciting news. It’s that time of year where information about the next wave of major games starts coming to us. There are a ton of great games on the horizon, some that we know about and some that are still dwelling in the shadows. Let’s take a look at everything that’s gone on in the industry in the last week or so.

Goin’ Down to South Park

Yesterday, Game Informer broke their next cover story: a new South Park RPG, tentatively titled South Park: The Game. Details are a bit scant, but here’s what we know so far:

• Series co-creators, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, will be writing the game’s script and recording all the characters’ voices.
• THQ and Obsidian Entertainment will be working together to develop and publish the game.
• The game is tentatively set to be released later next year.
• Players will control a new character who will be able to interact with the townsfolk and explore many South Park environments.

Anything beyond that is pure speculation, really. We’ll know more about the game once this issue of Game Informer hits stands. As a very long-standing fan of the series, I’m really interested in seeing what comes of this game. At the very least, I hope it’s better than the first-person shooter released back in 1998.

Win Free Stuff from Steam

In keeping with their usual holiday awesomeness, Steam has announced their first holiday special. For the forseeable future, Steam will be randomly choosing ten users each day to receive the top ten games on their Wishlist. They had a similar deal last year. So, how can you win ten free games from Steam? It’s simple:

• Register for a Steam account, if you don’t already have one.
• Make a Wishlist that has at least ten games in it.
• Visit the product page for Steam’s current Daily Deal.

That’s all you need to do. No word on when the contest will end, but, if memory serves, last year’s Wishlist giveaway ran up until the Steam Holiday Sale started.

Battlefield 3: Back to Karkand Releases Dated

BF3 players anxiously awaiting the first expansion to the game rejoice. This week, EA announced the release dates for the much-desired Back to Karkand expansion pack. PS3 players get early access to the pack on December 6th. XBOX 360 and PC players will be heading back to Karkand one week later on December 13th. Back to Karkand will be free for all users who received the Limited Edition pre-order version of Battlefield 3. For those who weren’t so fortunate, the pack will cost you $15.00 or 12oo MSP, depending on your platform. Back to Karkand will add a host of new content to BF3: new weapons, vehicles, and maps as well as a new multiplayer mode.

R.I.P. GamePro

On a sad note, one of the industry’s longest-standing publications, GamePro, recently announced the end of their print magazine. Game Pro Media will still cover special events like E3, but the bulk of GamePro‘s coverage is now officially defunct. It has been quite some time since I last read GamePro, but it was the first gaming magazine I read as a wee youngin’. Thanks for all the memories, GamePro, and thanks for helping to connect me to the world of gaming.

Rock Band Rolls out the Red Carpet for QUEEN

Anyone who knows me in real life can attest to my intense devotion to the Rock Band franchise and Harmonix. I’ve been a devoted plastic musician for over four years, and I’ve been exclusively playing Rock Band for the last three years. With content rolling out literally every week since the game’s release (and twice per-week since the Rock Band Network launched), it’s hard to get excited about songs. Except when those songs are from QUEEN! Harmonix announced that eight more QUEEN songs will be headed to Rock Band on 12/6. Here’s the list:

• Seven Seas of Rhye
• Stone Cold Crazy
• I’m in Love With My Car
• You’re My Best Friend
• Long Away
• Bicycle Race
• Don’t Stop Me Now
• Radio Ga Ga
• The Show Must Go On

Titanic Rendered in Cry Engine 3

Eat your heart out, James Cameron. A group of gamers recently posted a demo video to reddit showing the latest build of their very own Titanic. You know. THE TITANIC. The model is powered by CryEngine 3, the powerful game engine used to develop Crysis 2. It’s not often that I find myself at a loss for words, and this is one of those rare occasions. Check out the beautiful rendering of the doomed cruise liner below:

Fun With Uncharted 3 and Skyrim Patches

Patches were released this week for a couple of big games.  First off we have the expected Uncharted 3  patch that adds alternate weapon aiming options and a cutscene viewer, as well as small changes to the multiplayer interface and gameplay.  Check out the Naughty Dog website for details.  Bethesda issued a patch for their new hit game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.  The patch was meant to fix a plethora of issues, but many users have encountered new problems after installing it, and it might be best avoided for the time being.  A new patch is already in the works and will be released next week.  Check out the Bethesda blog for details. 

Portal Bedroom

Let’s be honest, you know you weren’t getting out of here without me mentioning Portal. This video of a son showing off the amazing Portal-themed bedroom his dad made for him has been making the rounds on the Internet this week. I’m green with envy:

That’ll do it for Gamer Pulse this week. Thanks for reading, and, as always, stay tuned to Comic Booked!

Tags: Back to Karkand, Back to Karkand release date, battlefield 3, comic booked, CryEngine 3, Crysis 2, DICE, EA, Game Informer, GamePro, Gamer Pulse, Harmonix, Kyle Black, Matt Stone, Obsidian Entertainment, Portal, Portal bedroom, QUEEN, Queen DLC, Reddit, Rock band, rock band 3, South Park, South Park RPG, South Park: The Game, Steam, Steam holiday giveaway, THQ, Titanic, Trey Parker

About the Author

Written by Kyle Black

Kyle Black has been a gamer his whole life. Recently, he has decided to merge his love of gaming with his love of writing. The resulting product: a gig here on Comic Booked writing about, what else, video games!

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Article source: http://www.comicbooked.com/gamer-pulse-black-in-the-saddle/

After the major price drop and stellar future line-up were announced earlier this year, I knew I would be investing in the Nintendo 3DS. So, on Black Friday, I braved the craven masses to fetch myself the sexy Zelda-themed 3DS bundle and Super Mario 3D Land (I also impulse-bought Battlefield 3 since it was on sale). I don’t have the time right now to become obsessed with Ocarina of Time again, so I decided to make a trip to the Mushroom Kingdom for yet another adventure with the world’s favorite plumber.

Plot Characters

Let’s be honest: if you’re buying a Mario platformer for the story, you’re going to be sorely disappointed. (If you do want a Mario game with story, look here).  There isn’t anything new going on in the Mushroom Kingdom. Here’s a brief synopsis of the story lovingly clipped from the game’s wiki:

“A tree that stands on Princess Peach’s castle grounds is stripped of all its leaves during a storm. The leaves, which turn out to be Super Leaves, are blown across the Mushroom Kingdom, bestowing Tanooki tails on all living things they touch. When Mario and the Toads go to inspect the tree the next day, they discover a letter from Bowser, learning that he has kidnapped Princess Peach. Mario sets off in pursuit to locate and rescue the princess.”

So, rescue the Princess and avoid the bad guys, who now have tails. Moving right along.

Sound

The game’s soundtrack is a mixed bag. On the one hand, there are some cool pieces that refer back to the soundtracks of previous Mario titles; however, the new compositions, while pleasing and appropriate, are entirely forgettable. All told, the composer, who remains anonymous thanks to Nintendo’s Valve-like approach of just throwing all the names in the credit with no duty breakdown, really phoned this one in.

Graphics

SM3DL‘s visuals are, quite frankly, stunning. The character models are clean, crisp, smooth, and well-developed. A portable Mario title has never looked so good. The environments are all rich and colorful and completely alive.

This game also utilized the system’s 3D incredibly well. In general, the game looks great with the 3D both on and off; however, the game is littered with special 3D sections (mostly in the form of bonus levels and treasure rooms). These special 3D segments cannot be easily navigated while not using the 3D functionality. These areas have me truly excited about the future of 3D utilization in upcoming titles. Adding a three-dimensional layer to this game was a truly unique decision, and the development team pulled it off incredibly well.

Gameplay

Bringing a 3D Mario experience to a portable system was a lofty goal, one which the dev team accomplished by utilizing several different camera perspectives into their level design. As you would expect, there are plenty of traditional 2D, side-scrolling levels; additionally, there are a ton of levels that use 3D perspectives. There are a few levels that use a very similar camera/perspective combo to that of Super Mario Galaxy, for example. Another frequent 3D perspective is an almost top-down view. Levels that utilize this interesting perspective often involve flight or long drops, which, in unison with the camera’s perspective, promotes a true sense of falling (so beware, vertigo sufferers!).

The gameplay is a little bit more slowly-paced than that of other portable Mario titles, which took a bit of getting used to. The combat and platforming are done incredibly well, as always. The power-ups in this game, the Fire Flower, the Tanooki Leaf, and the new Boomerang Flower, are all incredibly fun to play with, each providing a different way of navigating the treacherous path to rescue the Princess.

Despite all of the wonderful innovation and ideas that the dev team executed in creating the game’s visual style and other gameplay elements, there is a rather glaring negative that needs to be addressed. The amount of hand-holding that goes on in this game is downright embarrassing. The game is pathetically easy. By the time I completed World 2, I had accrued 54 extra lives without even putting in any extra effort. The creatures all move incredibly slowly and are downright lethargic in their attacks against Mario. I could deal with an easy game, but it’s the next thing that really pushed me over the edge: if you die five times in a row on one level, you are given a special Tanooki suit that makes Mario invulnerable. That’s right: if you die too much, then Mario is turned into a bulletproof man that can float his way through the levels. At that point, the game may as well just play itself.

I understand that Mario games are targeted towards a younger crowd, but give me a break. If you can’t beat a level, then you don’t get to progress through the game – that’s the way it works. What kind of message is this sending to the next generation of gamers? “Aww, you tried your best, and that’s what counts.” This is a dangerous idea, and it’s something I hope to never see again in another Mario title.

Overall

If you own a 3DS, then you should probably make it a point to check this game out. It’s a bit short (it may have taken me 6-7 hours at most to get my first clear. I’m still going back in an attempt to grab all the special coins and visit the special worlds). This game will really show you the awesome potential this system has behind it; however, if you’re looking for a challenging platforming, then you’re barking up the wrong tree. This game is a lot of fun, but there is absolute no challenge in it.

Tags: comic booked, Kyle Black, Mario, Mario 3D, Nintendo, Nintendo 3DS, SM3DL, Super Mario, Super Mario 3D Land

About the Author

Written by Kyle Black

Kyle Black has been a gamer his whole life. Recently, he has decided to merge his love of gaming with his love of writing. The resulting product: a gig here on Comic Booked writing about, what else, video games!

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Article source: http://www.comicbooked.com/super-mario-3d-land-review/