Case in point: I'm the proud owner of a Nintendo Wii. I'm not going to pretend for one secodn that I don't love my Wii and think that it's awesome. I'm also not going to pretend that there aren't any PS3 or 360 games that would interest me. If I had the cash, I would happily get myself a couple more consoles and indulge myself in these games, but unfortunately, that's probably not going to happen any time soon, so I'm here making a list about them instead.
This is not actually the first time I've done this. The concept ocurred to me way back in 2009, where I posted on blog here on Screwattack. I enjoyed it so much that I did it again a year later. Since then, Screwattack has changed their format and those blogs were removed from the site (they still exist on my personal blog, however.)
I've tossed around the idea of putting them back up, or making a new list, and decided that it might be a fun tradition to start for the new year. Taking a look back at the games of the past year that interested me, but came out on the other consoles. (And yes, I know it's a couple weeks past New Years, but I've been lazy lately.) It might be a little more broad than just this past year, and maybe it will just be a one off thing, but you never know.
Another point worth mentioning is the PC. When writing the other lists, I was not much of PC gamer, seeing as how my machines were in no way up to par for running most current games. Since the last time I wrote one, however, I've gotten two new computers: a laptop for myself, and a desktop for my family. Neither are high-end gaming PCs, but they are far better equipped to handle gaming. Several of these games are available for the computer as well, and getting them on there is certainly not out of the question, but for the sake of fun, I'll list potential PC games here anyway.
Okay, that's enough exposition. Here we go:
The Games I'd Play if I Owned the Other Consoles (in no particular order)
1. Mortal Kombat
Playstation 3, X-Box 360
When I was a kid, I had a thing for Mortal Kombat. Admitedly, I was never that good at it, but I loved it nonetheless. There was the obvious blood and gore, which likely attracted most people. Who didn't like the idea of punching through somebody's chest and ripping out their heart? On top of that, I loved the characters. The cast seemed so diverse at the time, with ninja's for just about ever super power you could imagine. You could fight somebody, and literally freeze them. The more characters that came in, the more I loved it. Mortal Kombat was all about theatrics, and that was exactly the thing that drew it to me.
I remember Mortal Kombat 4, which I loved (and still do.) And I remember being absolutely psyched when Deadly Alliance hit shelves. It took me a while to play it, but when I eventually made my way to a friend's house, picked up that controller, and was thrust into one of my most anticipated games ever.
And was promptly, vastly disappointed. There was just something off about it. Instead of the stylish, frantic, fast paced game I'd known and loved was completely different. It was slow, sluggish, far too complicated, and in general just overthought. I tested the waters of the next couple MK games, but none of them ever improved anything. With lackluster gameplay, I lost interest in the series and it sort of faded from mind for a while.
Until now. The most recent Mortal Kombat game is a triumphant return to form. It throws all of the pretention built up in the last few installments out the window. Even the story stuck the middle finger to that. The new MK is the perfect mix of style and substance that wouldn't fit under any other name. With its 2D gameplay and return to true form, I was hooked from the first announcement. The reviews only made me more excited.
I have yet to actually play the game, but I am so sold on it that if I ever were to get myself a PS3, this would probably be the very first game I'd get to go with it.
2. LA Noire
Playstation 3, X-Box 360, PC
Never has my impression of a game taken such a swift, resolute turn before LA Noire. In fact, I'm almost a little embarassed to admit it, as it likely speaks volumes about how close-minded I can be at times. LA Noire was made by Rockstar, and leading up to its release, its biggest hype point was the graphics. I am about as far from a graphics-whore as you can get; the exaltation of "high-end visuals" is one of my biggest pet peeves in modern gaming.
So we have an ultra-expensive game made by the most self-indulgent company in the business which is hyped for its graphics. I didn't know much about the gameplay, but it had shooting in it: my other major pet peeve about the modern gaming industry (not that shooters aren't good, but there are way too many of them!) Coming up to it, LA Noire seemed like the picture-perfect example of everything that bothers me about the industry in this day and age.
Then it hit shelves and I watched a couple reviews, which was one of the most humbling experiences in my "career" as a gamer. It looked awesome. I don't mean that in a visual way (although its true,) I mean it was completely different from my first impressions. How many other games to play as a legitimate detective? Cruising the streets in the 1940's, solving crimes.
The game is not just unique, but it oozes substance. The graphics are not just superficial, but essential to the gameplay, as they add a new element that makes LA Noire so refreshing. With all of this, I can safely say that I owe some things to people. For starters, I owe an apology is Rockstar and the gaming community as a whole for being so pompous before, and I owe it to myself to check this game out if the opportunity ever arises!
3. Costume Quest
X-Box Live Arcade, Playstation Network, PC
There is a strong probability that this one will end up in my Steam library next time it goes on sale.
I like traditional RPG's. I'm not a mega-fan, but I've sunk some hours into some. Much like my shooters, I like my RPG's to have something really special to offer, and I think Costume Quest has that. The premise itself is cool enough: you play as kids fighting monsters on Halloween to get your candy back. That sounds like something you'd expect from an iPhone game, but it's a true-blue RPG.
It probably doesn't offer anything too epic, but a little charm is just as good if not a better replacement. This simple little game drew me in with it's title, but captured my heart with pretty much everything else. If I owned another console it would be a must have, if I don't treat myself to it on Steam first.
4. Ace Combat: Assault Horizon
Playstation 3, X-Box 360
I've never played an Ace Combat game that I didn't like. * When I logged onto Gametrailers one day and saw a new review for a new Ace Combat game, I knew that it would be awesome before the video even started. Unfortunately it's out of my reach, although that hasn't stopped me from drooling over it like a nice, juicy steak.
Ace Combat is traditionally testosterone-fueled jet fighter action. Assault Horizon, from what I've heard, is the same but amped even more. Like taking a Camaro Machine Gun and adding a hamburger machine to it. Wow, that's two food metaphors in one entry. I must be hungry.
Even though they've foregone the alternate-universe storyline in favor the same overused "America vs Russia!" BS that has been a favorite of the FPS genre lately, the game still has enough action to keep me hooked. It took everything that was great about the Ace Combat formula and tweaked it to make it better. I love jet fighters, I love Ace Combat, and I see no reason why I wouldn't love Assault Horizon.
*Okay, so I've only played one. But it was awesome!
5. Homefront
X-Box 360, Playstation 3, PC
I have to be honest here: I don’t want to be interested in this game. With the metric tons of First Person Shooters that have been dumped on this current generation of consoles, each new one is nothing but frustrating. If you’ve read the text of this blog so far, I’ve taken a couple jabs at them, and that’s because each new one released makes me want to grab the nearest gramer by the shirt and yell in their face, “Don’t you ever want to play anything else?!?!”
Homefront is just one more in a long line of this. So if the called current champions of the genre just make me want to pull out my hair, what it so special about this little clone that basically got one big “meh” from the critics? The truth is, I don’t know. I don’t even want to be interested in it, yet somehow, it has captured my attention.
I don’t even like nor care about online multiplayer, so what could this have going for it that so many others don’t? It could be the idea of fighting North Korea on our own soil, even though a.) similar stories have been done to death in other games, b.) I just criticized the same concept in the very last entry on this list, and c.) this particular case crumbles to pieces under the slightest realistic scrutiny. Maybe it’s because the advertising itself piqued my curiosity, and the reception wasn’t enough to completely turn me off from it.
I think the most likely reason is that despite the controversy, I’ve seen enough story elements and set pieces in reviews that have made me raise my eyebrows and nod my head. Maybe they don’t come together perfectly, maybe the story is short, maybe I’m completely wrong and they’re not worth it. In any case, the game looks interesting to me, and if I owned another console, I think I would give it a rent.
6. Comic Jumper
X-Box Live Arcade
This game is a little older than the rest, from late 2010, but I still wanted to mention it. Primarily a run-n-gun platformer with some other gameplay elements thrown in for good measure. That type of game is fun enough, but what really makes Comic Jumper stand out iis the humor. Everyone I've talked to who's played it has raved about the comedy, and if something can make me laugh in the context of an action game, then it sounds like a buy to me!
7. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
X-Box 360, Playstation 3, PC
Again, just a tad out of the year: this one is also from late 2010. The first Assassin's Creed made it onto one of my other lists of games I'd play if I owned the other consoles. While that one is still a maybe to me, the newer ones look much more appealing.
The games as a whole have plenty to offer. You play as an assassin, stalking the city to take down your targets and using a variety of tools and tactics to do so. A pretty good premise for a stealth game, it sounds like fun, and the series has a large enough following that I would like to get in there somewhere.
Although the first game looks cool, the general consensus is that the sequels are superior in both story and gameplay. The highly original multiplayer concept at work here, functioning like the world's weirdest game of hide and go seek, is another strong selling point. It might seem weird to want to start in the middle of a series, but Assassin's Creed is something I would love to get my hands on, and from what I've seen and heard, Brotherhood looks like a pretty good jumping-on point.
8. Hydrophobia
X-Box Live Arcade, Playstation Network, PC
I know what you’re thinking. “What? Why?” Hydrophobia is perhaps most famous for the controversy surrounding it. When it was released, it got some pretty scathing reviews that the developers didn’t take too kindly too. Their first reaction was to fire back at critics. Most notably, they trolled Jim Sterling of Destructoid.
Why would I want to play a game that is most famous for sucking? Much like Homefront above, I’m really not sure. I didn’t even know much about it until Jim Sterling made it infamous during his flame war with the developers. There is something about it that just appeals to me in spite of the harsh criticism that I just can’t put my finger on.
It could be rooted in the concept of the game. At its core, wandering the halls of a sinking, water logged ship while having to fight bad guys and survive the influx of water pouring into your vessel; well, it sounds tense. It sounds exciting. I’ve played games before that were panned but still had enough going for them to make them good, even if the actual interface was a bit flawed. Why wouldn’t Hydrophobia be the same?
In addition to that, two more versions of the game have been released this past year on PS3 and PC, which drastically improve the gameplay from the first release, as well as and update to the X-Box version. Most accounts state that the improvements are for the better, so if that’s the case, why not give it a shot?
9. The Gunstringer
X-Box Kinect
From the same guys who made Comic Jumper. Twisted Pixel is a developer that I have a lot of respect for, despite having never played any of their games. And now they’re back with this motion-controlled Kinect title in which you take a gunfighting puppet on a trail of revenge.
The thing about motion controls is, while they sound awesome on paper, not many people want to put the effort into doing them well. The Wii has its share of failures, and when developers decided they didn’t want to work on making good games, it hasn’t boded well for the Playstation Move or the Kinect, either.
Of course, then comes good ol’ Twisted Pixel. The fun loving, hyper-talented geniuses behind Comic Jumper and Splosion Man, and they impress yet again with The Gunstringer. A fun action game that has you running and shooting, with charm and camp piled sky high. If you haven’t gathered from my blog by now, I love it when games have something substantial to offer, just like The Gunstringer.
The only complaints I’ve ever heard about the game stem from the motion controls, but to that I say, who cares? I own a Wii, I love motion controls. I’ve never used a Kinect before but I don’t see how that would be a game ruiner. The Gunstringer looks like loads of fun and would be a must-own if I had a Kinect.
I’ve been gaming for over two decades, and in all my experience, I know that it’s foolish to be so loyal to any one platform that it blinds you from the rest of the great games around you. I’m a proud Wii owner, but not so prideful that I won’t say that there are some awesome games on the other consoles as well.
What do you guys think? Are these game really as good as I think they are? Are there more that I might like? Should I do more blogs like this? Are there any games on the other consoles that YOU would want to play?
.JPG)
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