The Gamers Thread: PS3, PC, Wii, 360... pick your poison!!

[Angelus3K]

Yeah, I'm looking into moving soon and most of my friends are Xbox connected. It seems like a good way to stay in touch too.
Sadly I knew Mark Hamill as Joker before I knew him as Luke. I was a huge fan of the animated series and it had to be pointed out to me (years later) when I saw Star wars for the first time that it was the same voice.
I love the second half of Batman Begins. The way the did Scarecrow (my favorite Batman villain) was brilliant! Dark Knight didn't impress me but I love that other people loved it, because it means that games like Asylum get made.
If you're on a bit of an Arkham/Joker inspired Bat-Craze, I have a few comics I would defiantly recommend (if you haven't read them already). I know some people don't get into comics because they don't know where to start and it can be quite intimidating with 50 years of history to sift through. If none of this applies, just ignore the rambling geek.

Batman Titles:
Batman: No Man's Land (also included 'Aftershock' and 'Cataclysm') (An Earthquake hits Gotham and the island city is evacuated and left to rot. Begins took part of this storyline, but only in essence. It was a long arc but is above all my favorite Batman storyline EVER. It showcases all the characters at their best and worst and has a very human feel to it.)
Batman: Long Halloween (A great epic read that showcases Batman's detective skills along side an intriguing storyline)
Batman: A Death in the Family (Jason Todd (the second Robin) dies.)
Batman: Knightfall (Bane breaks the Bat's back)

Joker Titles:
Batman: Killing Joke (Joker kidnaps Gordan to try and show the world (well mostly Batman) that even the sanest man can be driven to madness. In the process he shoots Barbara and cripples her)
Batman/Joker: Switch (A one shot in which the Joker is abducted and loses his mouth (yes you read that right) and decides the only way to solve this caper is to become the greatest detective he knows; Batman. Very artsy and a great display of the Joker's true madness with a fantastic ending.)

Arkham Asylum Showcases:
Arkham Asylum: Living Hell (What happens when a Sane criminal is thrown in with Gotham's freaks and crazies? A fantastic showcase of villains new and old)
Arkham Asylum: Tales of Madness (The quake has shut down power at the Asylum! Bored and with only one guard left to torture, the freaks of Gotham have a go at a story telling contest)
Batman: The Last Arkham (Batman is sent to Arkham and Jerimiah Arkham is determined to break him)
Batman: Cast Shadows (A Great showcase of Ivy and her motives.)

Yea I was really impressed with the way they did Scarecrow aswell (the Scarecrow levels are my fave in Arkham Asylum aswell lol!). I'll definetly have to check out those comics you mentioned as I haven't read any. Like you say it can be confusing, but at least in the game there is detailed character bio's which tell you alot like how Bane broke Bats back and how Barbara (Batgirl/Oracle) got shot by The Joker and was paralysed all of which I didn't know before lol!

[Brainiac]

P.S: Mark Hamill back as the Joker? FINALLY!

Mark Hamill is also Ripburger; the villain from Full Throttle.

Not to mention, Detective Mosely from Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers.

And Hobgoblin from the 90's Spider-Man cartoon. And Gargoyle from the 90's Incredible Hulk cartoon. And Fire Lord Ozai from Avatar. And Bin in Afro Samurai: Resurrection. And Tony Zucco in The Batman (alongside Kevin Conroy as John Grayson - snicker). And the Spectre for Batman: The Brave and the Bold. And Stickybeard from Codename: Kids Next Door. And Py-Ro the Fire Elemental from Crash Bandicot: The Wrath of Cortex. And Chanukah Zombie from Bender's Big Score. And Yamma from IGPX. And Trickster from Justice League Unlimited (where's the John Wesley Shipp cameo?!). And Dark Master Malefor in Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon. And The Skeleton King from Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! And Wolverine in X2: Wolverine's Revenge. Plus Maverick in various Wing Commander properties. Plus several voices in Metalocalypse.

And that's just a selection. Mark Hamill is prolific.

[Quest For Glory Fan]

I completed Arkham Asylum 100% with riddles and on hard mode within 2 days of owning it. I got terribly immersed.

[DrJones]

After the car accident, he has done only voicework for the most part. What a career ending.

[Brainiac]

After the car accident, he has done only voicework for the most part. What a career ending.

Actually, I've heard that animation voice work was what Hamill always wanted to be involved in. Star Wars was a very interesting sidetrack.

[MusicallyInspired]

Just got an XBox 360 yesterday! Give me your Gamertags! Mine is MusiclyInspired.

[Angelus3K]

Just got an XBox 360 yesterday! Give me your Gamertags! Mine is MusiclyInspired.

Mine is PS3sRule!

[MusicallyInspired]

That a joke?

We were thinking about getting a PS3 but decided against it. Our cheap DVD player was giving out so we needed a new player. And since my birthday's coming up we decided to just get one of the two consoles and it would solve two problems at once. I opted for the 360 because there are so many games on LiveArcade that interest me, you can rent HD movies, it has the most populated online gaming system (of which a relative of mine uses so I wanted to play with him), its UI is apparently much better and more organized, and apparently its video playback capabilities (minus Blu-Ray compatibility) are much better than the PS3s. As in DivX and other video format playback. I did a lot of unbiased research on unbiased reviews and opinions and found the 360 to be overall more appealing.

I'll still get a PS3 someday....still need physical Blu-Rays .

[Angelus3K]

That a joke?

We were thinking about getting a PS3 but decided against it. Our cheap DVD player was giving out so we needed a new player. And since my birthday's coming up we decided to just get one of the two consoles and it would solve two problems at once. I opted for the 360 because there are so many games on LiveArcade that interest me, you can rent HD movies, it has the most populated online gaming system (of which a relative of mine uses so I wanted to play with him), its UI is apparently much better and more organized, and apparently its video playback capabilities (minus Blu-Ray compatibility) are much better than the PS3s. As in DivX and other video format playback. I did a lot of unbiased research on unbiased reviews and opinions and found the 360 to be overall more appealing.

I'll still get a PS3 someday....still need physical Blu-Rays .

Yea it was a joke lol

Yea these days with firmware updates and such they're pretty evenly matched. Its worth noting you can also rent (and buy) HD movies on PS3 and I've never had any problems playing any avi's, DivX or Xvid on PS3. But the main thing is who your going to play online with, thats the key thing so if you have a relative on 360 then thats the one to go for.

I was lucky in that I got a PS3 at launch so all my friends later got PS3s once they played on mine so now we all play online together!

[MusicallyInspired]

Ok this is rather lengthy but....so what. This is the story of my acquisition of a 360 and my paradigm shift from the ever aging and increasingly boring Nintendo scene. Most of you probably already know most of this, but for those that don't and were like me but are curious, read on.

I just got an XBox 360 this past Monday and I can't believe what I was missing out on. The days of gaming on my PC are over (unless said title is unavailable on Xbox or it's an adventure-related title of which I must own every version that exists). I guess I've been sheltered under Nintendo for too long. I'm particularly impressed with how well detailed and feature-filled (not to mention content-filled) the XBox Live Marketplace is. It's wonderful! Want to know if you like a game but don't want to shell out money to rent or buy? Try a demo! Plus no framerate loss or extra money spent on upgrading your rig to boot!

It's fun. I tried out the demo of the first episode of Tell Tale's Sam & Max Save The World (aka Season One) and they really upped the graphics for that port by adding detail and normal maps to every texture. Not to mention SMI:SE looks and plays wonderfully. Also there's tons of classic games (some of them remade in 3D HD) on LiveArcade that you can play online with! It's just great!

I used to shun Sony and Microsoft and stick to Nintendo like an over-exuberant fanboy with some sense of honour and loyalty to them for being innovative and classic. But the truth is they're the farthest thing from. Their latest "innovation" has turned into a much worn off novelty gimmick because 1) it's nothing like I thought it would be. The Wii mote has yet to show me that it can control moving objects on screen (like a gun) through actual physical replication rather than controlling a moving crosshair on screen. 2) Only in-house Nintendo games ever take full advantage of it. All 3rd party developers haven't shown one bit of innovation in the control scheme at all. And as far as games go, I own 5 store bought retail Wii games and that's it. Sam & Max Season One, Zelda: Twilight Princess, Smash Bros Brawl, Metroid Prime 3, and the recently released Metroid Prime Trilogy. NOT ONE OTHER TITLE holds my interest at all outside of Wiiware. And the only Wiiware games that excite me are TTG games. I can't think of one game on Wiiware that I've been looking forward to besides maybe World of Goo which is available elsewhere as well.

XboxLive Arcade, on the other hand, is filled with titles that interest me like Shadow Complex (2D/3D hybrid game in the style of the sidescrolling Metroids) among others. And the retail titles now interest me a lot more after downloading and playing some of the demos from the marketplace. And all this with a headset where you can chat with friends no matter what you're doing. It's all perfectly seamless, very well designed and presented and delivered. Excatly what you want and expect from it. Whereas Nintendo tries to pull the wool over your eyes with their newfound technology that is in no way innovative at all and honestly makes my wrists hurt after a while. I'll take sore thumbs and bruised fingers over aching wrists and arms anyday.

So take it from me, a diehard Nintendo-only fan since the NES era who dodged the PS1 and the PS2/Xbox generations), if you're wondering whether there's life outside of Nintendo or the PC for that matter, there is. Loads of it. I knew XBox Live had a lot of features but I never knew it was as attractive as it turned out to be. And Not that I still don't use my Wii. There's tons of Homebrew applications that I use on my Wii from Mah Jongg and Bitsweeper to ScummVM and DOSBox. And I still have the Metroid Prime Trilogy to play through now with widescreen graphics and Wiimote controls (which are actually pretty decent...probably the only game that has decent Wii controls).

And to think we originally bought it as a replacement to our cheap DVD player that was giving out. I thought I'd take advantage of the situation and since my birthday was coming up grab the newly price-reduced Xbox Elite and have some excellent side gaming that I could play online with some relatives who also have it. Anyway, don't know if there are many so-called "hardcore gamers" here that would even appreciate this rather legnthy post, but here it is.

[Angelus3K]

Ok this is rather lengthy but....so what. This is the story of my acquisition of a 360 and my paradigm shift from the ever aging and increasingly boring Nintendo scene. Most of you probably already know most of this, but for those that don't and were like me but are curious, read on.

I just got an XBox 360 this past Monday and I can't believe what I was missing out on. The days of gaming on my PC are over (unless said title is unavailable on Xbox or it's an adventure-related title of which I must own every version that exists). I guess I've been sheltered under Nintendo for too long. I'm particularly impressed with how well detailed and feature-filled (not to mention content-filled) the XBox Live Marketplace is. It's wonderful! Want to know if you like a game but don't want to shell out money to rent or buy? Try a demo! Plus no framerate loss or extra money spent on upgrading your rig to boot!

It's fun. I tried out the demo of the first episode of Tell Tale's Sam & Max Save The World (aka Season One) and they really upped the graphics for that port by adding detail and normal maps to every texture. Not to mention SMI:SE looks and plays wonderfully. Also there's tons of classic games (some of them remade in 3D HD) on LiveArcade that you can play online with! It's just great!

I used to shun Sony and Microsoft and stick to Nintendo like an over-exuberant fanboy with some sense of honour and loyalty to them for being innovative and classic. But the truth is they're the farthest thing from. Their latest "innovation" has turned into a much worn off novelty gimmick because 1) it's nothing like I thought it would be. The Wii mote has yet to show me that it can control moving objects on screen (like a gun) through actual physical replication rather than controlling a moving crosshair on screen. 2) Only in-house Nintendo games ever take full advantage of it. All 3rd party developers haven't shown one bit of innovation in the control scheme at all. And as far as games go, I own 5 store bought retail Wii games and that's it. Sam & Max Season One, Zelda: Twilight Princess, Smash Bros Brawl, Metroid Prime 3, and the recently released Metroid Prime Trilogy. NOT ONE OTHER TITLE holds my interest at all outside of Wiiware. And the only Wiiware games that excite me are TTG games. I can't think of one game on Wiiware that I've been looking forward to besides maybe World of Goo which is available elsewhere as well.

XboxLive Arcade, on the other hand, is filled with titles that interest me like Shadow Complex (2D/3D hybrid game in the style of the sidescrolling Metroids) among others. And the retail titles now interest me a lot more after downloading and playing some of the demos from the marketplace. And all this with a headset where you can chat with friends no matter what you're doing. It's all perfectly seamless, very well designed and presented and delivered. Excatly what you want and expect from it. Whereas Nintendo tries to pull the wool over your eyes with their newfound technology that is in no way innovative at all and honestly makes my wrists hurt after a while. I'll take sore thumbs and bruised fingers over aching wrists and arms anyday.

So take it from me, a diehard Nintendo-only fan since the NES era who dodged the PS1 and the PS2/Xbox generations), if you're wondering whether there's life outside of Nintendo or the PC for that matter, there is. Loads of it. I knew XBox Live had a lot of features but I never knew it was as attractive as it turned out to be. And Not that I still don't use my Wii. There's tons of Homebrew applications that I use on my Wii from Mah Jongg and Bitsweeper to ScummVM and DOSBox. And I still have the Metroid Prime Trilogy to play through now with widescreen graphics and Wiimote controls (which are actually pretty decent...probably the only game that has decent Wii controls).

And to think we originally bought it as a replacement to our cheap DVD player that was giving out. I thought I'd take advantage of the situation and since my birthday was coming up grab the newly price-reduced Xbox Elite and have some excellent side gaming that I could play online with some relatives who also have it. Anyway, don't know if there are many so-called "hardcore gamers" here that would even appreciate this rather legnthy post, but here it is.

Great post, just shows you whats out there when your actually looking lol!! The Natal stuff looks really cool aswell. Thats one game I wish was on PS3, Shadow Complex, looks amazing!

[Quest For Glory Fan]

hrm, I posted in this thread and I can't find it now, was I deleted or did I just forget to hit submit or something?

[Angelus3K]

hrm, I posted in this thread and I can't find it now, was I deleted or did I just forget to hit submit or something?

Probably the latter.

[Lady Pyro]

I don't know how hardcore I'm considered but I defiantly appreciate your articulate insight into nextgen gaming. It makes me all the more excited to get my 360 up and online!

[Broomie]

Just completed Arkham Asylum, this is one of the best games I've played in a long time. Loved the atmopshere, design and well everything about it.

(minor spoiler)
Did anyone else think their console had crashed at the third Scarecrow segment? I was just walking through a corridor and suddenly the PA comes on, 'Did anyone watch the game?' and than the game quite literally freezes, adding fault colour patterns all over screen. And than you think the game completely resets only to find out it doesn't. That was so awesome and memorable. This game is such a mindf**k. I love it!

[Angelus3K]

Just completed Arkham Asylum, this is one of the best games I've played in a long time. Loved the atmopshere, design and well everything about it.

(minor spoiler)
Did anyone else think their console had crashed at the third Scarecrow segment? I was just walking through a corridor and suddenly the PA comes on, 'Did anyone watch the game?' and than the game quite literally freezes, adding fault colour patterns all over screen. And than you think the game completely resets only to find out it doesn't. That was so awesome and memorable. This game is such a mindf**k. I love it!

Hehe, I did think that for half a second but I quickly realised I'd never seen a PS3 crash that way so got a little suspicious lol! Was very well done though and certainly wasnt expecting it. The Scarecrow levels were my fave aswell, I was hoping the recent DLC would be some Scarecrow challenge maps but it wasn't too be. The Joker maps should keep me busy enough tho plus I'm just re-playing on hard for the medium and hard trophies!

[Quest For Glory Fan]

Just completed Arkham Asylum, this is one of the best games I've played in a long time. Loved the atmopshere, design and well everything about it.

(minor spoiler)
Did anyone else think their console had crashed at the third Scarecrow segment? I was just walking through a corridor and suddenly the PA comes on, 'Did anyone watch the game?' and than the game quite literally freezes, adding fault colour patterns all over screen. And than you think the game completely resets only to find out it doesn't. That was so awesome and memorable. This game is such a mindf**k. I love it!

Actually I recognized it right away, I've played Metal Gear after all.

[Brainiac]

(minor spoiler)
Did anyone else think their console had crashed at the third Scarecrow segment? I was just walking through a corridor and suddenly the PA comes on, 'Did anyone watch the game?' and than the game quite literally freezes, adding fault colour patterns all over screen. And than you think the game completely resets only to find out it doesn't. That was so awesome and memorable. This game is such a mindf**k. I love it!

Actually I recognized it right away, I've played Metal Gear after all.

Yeah, that was my reaction. "Wow, what an original idea, sure to freak out many a gamer...back when Hideo Kojima thought of it over a decade ago."

[Broomie]

(minor spoiler)
Did anyone else think their console had crashed at the third Scarecrow segment? I was just walking through a corridor and suddenly the PA comes on, 'Did anyone watch the game?' and than the game quite literally freezes, adding fault colour patterns all over screen. And than you think the game completely resets only to find out it doesn't. That was so awesome and memorable. This game is such a mindf**k. I love it!

Actually I recognized it right away, I've played Metal Gear after all.

Yeah, that was my reaction. "Wow, what an original idea, sure to freak out many a gamer...back when Hideo Kojima thought of it over a decade ago."

I've never played Metal Gear Solid and although I am aware it did have something like this during the fight with Psycho Mantis I've never experienced it firsthand. And when you've been playing Arkham Asylum for 4 hours straight in the dark and this happens unexpectedly some people's first initial thought isn't going to be, 'Hmm, this seems a bit like something out of Metal Gear Solid. What a rip!' It served its purpose into thinking that maybe my Xbox had crashed (considering it crashed with Fallout 3 two weeks back) so the whole segment served it's purpose in freaking me out well and truly.

[Quest For Glory Fan]

it did have me going to abouta minute just because the game hadn't really gone that direction at all yet before. Arkham's biggest downfalls are attributed to ease of gameplay and longevity but it is a very good game.

[Angelus3K]

it did have me going to abouta minute just because the game hadn't really gone that direction at all yet before. Arkham's biggest downfalls are attributed to ease of gameplay and longevity but it is a very good game.

Try playing on hard

[Angelus3K]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned this yet but anyone playing Scribblenauts? Weird game, fantastically good concept and they kinda manage to pull it off but alot of the puzzles I've done so far require pretty similar solutions, maybe it gets better later in. It is hilarious summoning internet memes like Keyboard Cat etc lol!

[DrJones]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned this yet but anyone playing Scribblenauts? Weird game, fantastically good concept and they kinda manage to pull it off but alot of the puzzles I've done so far require pretty similar solutions, maybe it gets better later in. It is hilarious summoning internet memes like Keyboard Cat etc lol!

I didn't want to mention it yet because it hasn't been released on Europe and I've to wait until the 9 of Oct. I want it so badly.

[Angelus3K]

Yea I had to import it as the hype for it was crazy! Makes you wonder why this type of thing hasn't been used in games before!

[Quest For Glory Fan]

it did have me going to abouta minute just because the game hadn't really gone that direction at all yet before. Arkham's biggest downfalls are attributed to ease of gameplay and longevity but it is a very good game.

Try playing on hard

I already mentioned that I beat on hard the second day I owned it, still wasn't a big challenge but made for a good replay. Perfecting the Challenges is the hardest part of the game. I have to wait til Christmas to play Scribblenauts on my brother's DS. He said the same thing about why it had never been done before. I guess the same can be said for portal.