Video Games...Discuss Them

[megladon8]

I'm now at the level of Gunnery Sergeant in Halo 3.

Damn there seem to be a lot of levels. I've played so, so many multiplayer games. I'm finally getting a little better, though.

It's surprising how much skill is required. It's not at all just a straight run-and-gun shooter. Even in death match you have to use some strategy.

[Saya]

I'm 14 stars into Super Mario Galaxy. While the levels so far are wildly imaginative and insanely diverse, they do not really engage on a mental level. Finding stars and other objects appears so easy, the path to them utterly straightforward. The bosses are a joke so far even when their sheer size impresses. That robot!!

Don't expect the bosses to get a lot harder. There are one or two bosses that gave me challenge but most of them are a breeze. But I though some of the later levels were kinda hard (especially if you are going for all the stars).

I'm stuck on 119 stars and can't get the last one. That level is too challenging.

[Morris Schæffer]

Don't expect the bosses to get a lot harder. There are one or two bosses that gave me challenge but most of them are a breeze. But I though some of the later levels were kinda hard (especially if you are going for all the stars).

I'm stuck on 119 stars and can't get the last one. That level is too challenging.

Too bad I guess. I feel little accomplishment amassing stars and navigating environments in this game, even if I do marvel at the diversity and striking colors of the whole thing. It used to be different for Super Mario 64.

[Ezee E]

Roommates got Guitar Hero 3. Yay.

[megladon8]

I used to have a LOT of trouble with the long-ranged weapons in Halo 3.

I found they were almos too accurate...you're off by even a millimeter and you miss.

But I have gotten a lot better - my reflexes are getting pretty OK now.

The battle rifle is now possibly my favorite weapon.

[megladon8]

OK this post is going to contain both a random thought and a question...I'll get the thought out of the way first...

I was kind of pissed that the incredible cinematic shown in trailers, promos and demos for "Halo 3" was not only not a level in the game, but the cinematic never even appeared. I am talking about the really cool video of Master Chief running across a field dodging bullets and bombs and whatnot, from which this image was taken:



The lighting and atmosphere of that level just seemed really cool and different from a lot of the areas I had seen in the previous Halo games. I wish it had been included in the game.


And onto my question...

I know absolutely nothing about video game resolutions.

Which is a better picture, 720p or 1080i?

[Stay Puft]

And onto my question...

I know absolutely nothing about video game resolutions.

Which is a better picture, 720p or 1080i?

Good advice is usually sticking to native resolutions. The Xbox 360 renders 720p natively, for example, and televisions/monitors have native resolutions at which they best display information. I prefer progressive signals because of how they are equipped to deal with motion.

[Saya]

I took the plunge and picked up Assassin's Creed. I''ve finished the first level and it's awesome. The graphics are some of the best I've seen this gen. I'm playing it without any HUD elements so it feels very cinematic. Great game so far, except for the voice acting of Altair. God, that voice is so uninspired and boring.

[DSNT]

Roommates got Guitar Hero 3. Yay.

I finally got mine yesterday and it rocks.

[megladon8]

Good advice is usually sticking to native resolutions. The Xbox 360 renders 720p natively, for example, and televisions/monitors have native resolutions at which they best display information. I prefer progressive signals because of how they are equipped to deal with motion.

Hmm...I have no idea what any of that means

I've been running at 1080i and basically assumed it was better because 1080 is a larger number than 720 :crazy:

[D_Davis]

Hmm...I have no idea what any of that means

I've been running at 1080i and basically assumed it was better because 1080 is a larger number than 720 :crazy:

720P is a better image than 1080i. Think of 1080i as 540P (this isn't exactly correct, but it is a good way of thinking about it). Unless you have a TV that is hundred of inches big, 720P is the best way to go.

Most XBOX 360 games have a native resolution of 720P - which means that this is their "natural" resolution. Anything higher means that there is hardware upscaling or downscaling.

[Saya]

Vivendi (Blizzard) and Activision suddenly announced that they will merge to form Activision Blizzard. Vivendi will own the majority stake (52%) in the new company. As a result of this merger, they just became one of the biggest publishers / development houses in the industry. I think they are bigger than EA and Nintendo now.

[Dukefrukem]

whos playing Call of Duty 4 and Unreal Tournament 3?

[Justin]

Super Mario Galaxy is pretty awesome, even if it is pretty easy. The whole style of the game is just brilliant and really clears some of my doubt about buying a Wii.

[D_Davis]

whos playing Call of Duty 4

Already beat the single player campaign, twice. Haven't yet gotten into the multi-player.

[megladon8]

I've begun playing the Halo 3 campaign on Heroic.

Takes a lot more skill than just running in and shooting the hell out of everything.

I'm already having trouble and I'm still in the beginning jungle levels - I can't imagine how hard it's going to be when I get to the scarab tanks.

[Sycophant]

I finally figured out a way to justify to myself my spending time playing video games: I listen to commentary tracks. I've been meaning to do more of both and am finding this arrangement to my liking.

[Spinal]

Bought a Wii for Christmas. Wouldn't have been my first choice of console, but makes the most sense for the family.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Bought a Wii for Christmas. Wouldn't have been my first choice of console, but makes the most sense for the family.

Your reasons were the same as mine.

[Scar]

Your reasons were the same as mine.

What? Kids? Please.

:|

[megladon8]

Whew! Finally got past the jungle section of "Halo 3" on Heroic.

I hate all those damn snipers.

[Spinal]

Your reasons were the same as mine.

How have you been enjoying it? I know I want to get Madden and Tiger Woods, but if you have any other recs, I'd love to hear them.

[Mr. Valentine]

What? Kids? Please.

:|

yeah i don't understand that rationale either. their are way more kid friendly games for the 360 than their are on the Wii and their actually good.

[Spinal]

It's not just my kid, but my wife as well. It's the only one that I can see us all playing together.

[Kurosawa Fan]

How have you been enjoying it? I know I want to get Madden and Tiger Woods, but if you have any other recs, I'd love to hear them.

Guitar Hero is fun. It's addicting and it's challenging and an all-around good time. Plus there's a training mode on it where your son can slow the songs down to a crawl so that he can play too. Dylan loves it.

My son loves Carnival Games (or maybe it's just Carnival). It's a cute game, fun for awhile, but you'll grow tired of it quickly. It's definitely for the kids.

Rayman's Raving Rabids is also fun, but gets old after a while (though what game doesn't?). Dylan has a racing game as well, which was fun for all of 10 minutes, but became a monotonous snooze after that. Dylan likes it though.

Both Madden and Tiger Woods are fantastic. The Wii-mote makes them much more fun. I'd also suggest Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga, which is a blast without any blood or excessive violence. Also, Mario and Sonic at the Olympics has been really fun. It's fun for my son but it also gets challenging for Val and I.

And of course there's Mario Galaxy, which I haven't played yet, but I've heard nothing but wonderful things about. I also watched a friend of mine play Metroid and it seemed pretty cool. I'm not big into shooter games (that's probably the least cool term I could have chosen to use), so I doubt I'll get it.