The Jon Venture

By Jon Venture

If you still love college, and you still love pwnage, then tonight’s your lucky night! On Wednesday, June 24, 2009 from 4:00PM to 6:00 PM ET, you can throw down a few rounds of Halo 3 on Xbox Live with the breakout hip-hop artist with a style all his own! Just make sure your Gold membership is current and send a friend request to the Gamertag AsherRoth GWF. Then, download the Mythic Map Pack and be ready to pew-pew-pew at least 30 minutes before the event starts. And don’t forget your headset, noobie.

Asher Roth’s debut album, Asleep in the Bread Aisle, peaked at number 3 on the US Billboard Top Rap Albums when it was released on April 20, 2009. I’m sure it would have sold more copies, had all the key demographics not been partaking in the 4-20 festivities. If you’ve not given it a listen, pick up a copy before you game with fame today.

All the details can be found on your Dashboard under the Events section. Hey, when you’re blasting Asher Roth in Halo 3, ask him if he loves pwnage!

By Jon Venture

Sonic the Hedgehog, SEGA’s answer to Super Mario during the great Console War of the Nineties, turns 18 years old today. The Blue Blur, capable of running faster than the speed of sound, came into the spotlight on June 23^rd, 1991 when his debut game ran past the competition. Though age may have slowed down Sonic, mostly due to a 3-D world that has yet been able to fully harness the fun we experienced 18 years ago, Sonic remains a force in gaming and SEGA’s flagship character. He’s got more attitude than that plumber, and faster than any Spartan that may stand in his way.

To celebrate Sonic’s 18^th birthday, loyal fans are the ones receiving gifts. There may be an ice cream cake or two over at the SEGA offices, but SEGA Europe is handing out prizes via Twitter and Facebook, including t-shirts, pins, plush toys, posters, and a few games. The prizes are going faster than Sonic himself, so check out the link below for details on how you too could join in the celebration!

http://blogs.sega.com/sonic/2009/06/22/sonic-citys-sonic-birthday-giveaway-tuesday-june-23rd-2009/

Happy Birthday, Sonic!

By Jon Venture

Before there was Jon Venture, there was Jodah.

Jodah sat in the halls before first period during middle school and played Magic the Gathering with his friends. He got up an hour earlier each day just so he could catch the early bus in time to throw down a few rounds of Magic. Yeah, there were the typical conversations about girls, the Dolphins game, and how bad we all did on the last quiz, but it was all while playing a Cursed Scroll or getting mauled by a Morphling. In this world, Jodah stood heads and shoulders over the rest. That was over ten years and two lifetimes ago.

On June 17^th, 2009, Magic the Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalkers was released for Xbox Live Arcade and Windows by developer Stainless Games and Wizards of the Coast. From the deepest depths of my mind, Jodah has resurfaced.

No, not the guy from 30 Rock.

For those gamers who have never picked up a deck, Magic the Gathering is a table-top card game that puts you in the role of an all powerful being known as a Planeswalker fighting other beings for glory and dominance. You’d think with all that power there would be less squabbling, but alas, Planeswalkers are no more mature than those other guys on Mount Olympus.

To dominate the other Planeswalkers, players must cast creature and magic spells that ultimately bring the other player’s life total down to 0 from 20. To cast these spells, players may play one land card each turn and use their mana (the land’s resources) to play increasingly costly and often powerful spells in one of five colors. White represents the aspects of life and protection, and cards of that color usually adhere to that rule. Black cards promote death, green is for growth, blue is for manipulation, and red is for destruction. That whole dueling scene you saw in the Harry Potter films a few years back?

It’s kind of like that, but with less whining children and more devastation. Wipe out entire armies, destroy the ground they walk on, and set it all ablaze… or protect them all. With enough imagination, you too can live out your most evil or righteous fantasies. The thorough tutorial might be of help as well.

Now, why would anyone want to pick up a game they played over a decade ago with cards and a Peter Pan complex?

The strategy is the reason. There is an overwhelming sense of strategy in Magic that separates you from the guy sitting across from you. That one card, that one combo, that unwavering combination of strategy and luck that make other people NOT want to play against you. That’s what Magic the Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalkers is all about. A digitized version of schoolyard one-upsmanship revamped and leveled out so that everyone from experts to newcomers can join in the organized chaos.

If you’ve not already stopped reading with cries of “NERD! NERD!”, then you’re probably wondering if Magic the Gathering: Duels of the Plainswalkers is worth your 800 Microsoft Points. The answer is a resounding yes.

Magic the Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalkers grants gamers one of three colored starting decks in order to bring down the other Planeswalkers and unlock more cards to beef them up. If a straight red, white, or green deck doesn’t suit your play style, defeating Planeswalkers in campaign mode will unlock a blue and black one, as well as a few multicolored decks.

The controls in Magic the Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalkers do get a little frustrating at times, especially managing the “stop timer” feature in order to play instant spells and abilities. While the cards themselves are vibrant and familiar to veterans, the simplest task of managing mana can be an issue when I can only count tiny borders to check what I have available to play that critical Overrun and have enough to regenerate my Troll Ascetic.

With those inconveniences aside, the game does have a high replay value, especially for those willing to unlock all the available cards for their chosen decks. The game is begging for downloadable content, and there are years of cards to draw from. While some may complain about the inability to construct their own decks from scratch (hopefully just for now), it does force players to rely on their wit and abilities to strategize rather than paying out for the top cards. I always hated that about the traditional Magic the Gathering meta-game; the rich could simply buy their way to the top of their neighborhood after finding a deck list online. With Magic the Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalkers, we’re all on the same level so long as we earn them in game.

Whether you’re dueling against others solo or joining up to three others in a free-for-all or a 2 vs. 2 game of “Two- Headed Giant”, there is quite a bit to enjoy in Magic the Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalkers. No, the Halo fanboy frat boys may not instantly swoon over a card game for their digital fun machines that involve elves and fairies, but then again these were not the guys who were playing Magic years ago. If you’ve never played a single round before, give Magic the Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalkers a try. For ten bucks worth of Microsoft Points, you can’t go wrong. The sixteen year old card game sensation from Richard Garfield is as compelling as ever and will undoubtedly draw in more players with this foray into Xbox Live.

There’s no need to hide your addiction any longer with Magic the Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalkers for Xbox Live Arcade. Jodah has finally returned.

By Jon Venture

If last year’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull film was any indication of where the famous LucasArts franchise was headed, then you too would have been weary of playing Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings from developer A2M on the Nintendo Wii. Remember the odd feeling you got in the pit of your stomach when Indy survived a nuclear blast by hiding in a refrigerator? You knew that Indy would be able to survive the blast somehow, solely on his wit, but the method and execution was simply too farfetched. It didn’t feel like Indy, though you saw him on screen. It felt as if money itself had materialized and was walking before you because it knew you’d be there regardless. That’s the same feeling I got when I played Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings.

Set in 1939 (post Last Crusade and pre Crystal Skull), Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings follows the famed fedora professor from locales such as San Francisco and Panama in search of Moses’ Staff. And for a fun twist to fans, you have the option of a second player joining in and playing as Dr. Henry Jones Sr., Indy’s globetrotting and equally clever father. All of the standard fare from a traditional Indiana Jones adventure is present, from fist fights to gunplay and clever use of that legendary whip. Not since Devo have I been so compelled to… you know…

But as I played on, my whip went limp with disappointment.

So the foundation for an Indy game is there, we all know that because we read the box, but alas the game was as multidimensional as the disc the game was printed on. There was not much fun to be had as you fought the Germans for a few hours, shaking your Wii Remote and nunchuck about in a futile attempt of hand-to-hand combat. It was much easier to simply grapple the baddies and knock them out. The shooting gallery and mini-games were passable, though there were moments of delight during the platforming where you’d be able to crash down entire bookshelves on enemies. If assault was not such a major issue in the world, I would solve many a problem with collapsing bookshelves.

The graphics in Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings weren’t impressive, even by rushed movie game standards. That was another point of interest that really got to me, the overall gameplay and quality of what was unraveling before me. This felt just like a typical movie game rather than drawing upon excellent source material and delivering a memorable gaming experience that you’d call friends over to your house just to get a chance to play. I would simply ignore Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings at your local video rent-a-mart, as this game is definitely not worth a buy. That might also be the reason why the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions were canned.

Know what you should be doing for a full Indiana Jones experience? Call your friends and family, throw on a fedora, pop that kettle corn, and enjoy the first three Indiana Jones films in order. Ignore that fourth film, just as you should disavow any knowledge of Star Wars Episodes 1-3 or the third Godfather film. Don’t do it to yourself. Save for the Fate of Atlantis, you should definitely watch Indy- not try to be Indy.

By Jon Venture

Please note, some of this content may be graphic and is not intended for anyone underage.

I refuse to take the journalistic high road on this one… this kid makes me sick.

As reported by Fox 8′ s Kevin Freeman in Cleveland, the sentencing for Daniel Petric took place tuesday morning in a Lorian County Court of Common Pleas by Judge James Burge. Petric, 17, was 16 at the time when he was convicted of shooting both his parents in the head after they took away his copy of Halo 3. Petric was sentenced to life in prison with eligibility of parole in 23 years.

Prosecutors say Daniel Petric had told Susan Petric, 43, and the Rev. Mark Petric, 45, “Close your eyes, I’ve got a surprise for you,” before shooting them and attempting to make it look like a murder suicide.

This is an absolute tragedy, and gives yet another black eye to the gaming industry that could be pointed at during future cases of violence where video games are used as a scapegoat.

“The playing of the video games and the reality of shooting somebody in his case was blinded, it was merged,” defense attorney James Kersey told the court. “He had no thoughts during this process. During this time, he was blinded that his parents might be dead, that they might never come back.”

“His addiction was so strong, was running rampant in a tired, exhausted young man, that anybody or anything that stood between him playing the video game and not having his way was in peril,” Kersey added.

Tragedy still resounding, there was another poignant issue at hand when Judge Burge sentenced Petric, saying that video game addiction was a factor in his final decision.

I believe it to be unfair that games are factored in as a reason for this tragedy, though many will easily point out those connections. I’ve not started a fight due to playing Mortal Kombat, shot a gang member after spending time in Vice City, nor do I curb stop people because I’ve been playing Super Mario games for 20+ years.

There are plenty of gamers who listen to Marilyn Manson, enjoy their Hot Coffee, and snipe enemies in Halo who do not lash in their community.

Responsibility starts at home.

I implore anyone who wishes to comment on the issue to do so, as this affects us all as gamers.

The full story can be found at :

http://www.fox8.com/news/wjw-news-daniel-petric-sentenced,0,644171.story

By Jon Venture

The “Best Generation” was not the group that came of age in the Depression era, but those that grew in the third generation of home gaming consoles and were privy to the wonder that is the Konami Code:

Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start

Want another chance to save the world? Konami Code. Need 30 more lives to work out that pent up aggression? Konami Code. Want to hack your shiny new Palm Pre and enter the secret Developer Mode Enabler? You guessed it.

While browsing the web before choosing which smartphone will replace the useless brick I am currently toting around, I stumbled upon this confirmation of a joke I heard days ago on engadget.com. By manually typing in the Konami Code, the lucky few with a Palm Pre can reset their smartphone and connect to the upcoming Mojo SDK for webOS to test out the latest creations for the Pre. Truly amazing just where this little gem of a gaming sequence still pops up. I will confirm the code for myself when I (hopefully) get my own Pre soon!

Now what would happen if you entered R2, R2, L1, R2, Up, Down, Up, Down, Up, Down?

By Jon Venture

Just in time for the madness of Madden 10, which launches on August 18th, the rumors are flying abound that Sony’s Playstation 3 will finally receive its long awaited price cut. As reported by IndustryGamers, according to analyst Arvind Bhatia of the investment firm Stern Agee, Sony plans a 100 USD price cut for the PS3 in mid-August.

“Industry sources indicate Sony is planning a $100 price cut on the PS3 in mid-August, just prior the launch of Madden (8/18) and the start of the back to school shopping season. This will naturally be a positive for the industry,” said Arvind Bhatia, adding “The industry is alive and well. While software sales for the first half of 2009 are expected to be down mid-single-digits, we believe the second half, in contrast, will likely be up 10% to 15% driven by a robust lineup, easier comparisons, and potential price cut(s).”

This means that everyone who did not cave in last holiday season and pick up a PS3 will potentially be rewarded with a well deserved discount. If the rumors are true, no longer will you have to settle for old PS2 games from the used bin at your local game emporium. Soon you too will be able to experience the golden wonderment that is Little Big Planet, Infamous, and that magical blu-rayplayer you have held out on for so long. Welcome to the seventh generation of gaming, bargain shoppers. It’s about time…

By Jon Venture

Growing up as a gamer, there was nothing more annoying than waiting to play Super Mario Bros. with my father. Koopa shells would bounce back off a pipe and knock little Mario right off the screen, but Dad would grip the NES controller for just one more chance to play. Now, I very well could have played as Luigi, but I didn’t want to play second. No one wants to play second. I wanted to play Mario Bros. at the same time, on the same screen, because I thought our combined efforts would be able to take out Bowser and save the princess. All it took was 23 years and four console generations to finally get not just two, but four players on the screen at the same time. Not counting Super Mario Galaxy, New Super Mario Bros. Wii will be the first platforming game in the series to support local multiplayer when it arrives on shelves during the fourth quarter of 2009.

Thankfully, Nintendo had not changed, but built upon, the Super Mario formula in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. SFX Big Ant and I got a chance to play the game at the Nintendo booth during E3 ’09 and felt instantly at home. The combined experiences and moves from Super Mario Bros. to Super Mario World, and even Super Mario 64 were all present: fireballs, spin jumps, and wall jumping were all accounted for, as were Yoshi in their classic transport role. I was told that even Bowser’s evil brood, the Koopalings, will make their return as villains. New to the lineup were the Propeller Suit, which allowed players to zip up and slowly drift down the screen by shaking the Wii Remote, and the Penguin Suit, which allowed players to freeze enemies and use them as stepping stones. Without fail, Mr. Miyamoto has remained faithful to the iconic plumber we all know and love.

Before long we were outmaneuvering the two Nintendo reps playing Super Mario Bros. Wii with us thanks to the simple controls that took no time to master. By flipping the Wii Remote horizontally players direct Mario (Player 1), Luigi (Player 2), or either a blue or yellow nameless Toad (Players 3 & 4) with the directional pad, dash with Button 1, and jump with Button 2. To spin jump or throw a fellow player, presumably for puzzle solving and not out of spite, players just shook the Wii Remote. Upon death, your character would float back onto the screen in a bubble towards the remaining players, waiting for them to pop you as the team moved on. Since less time had been spent reading diagrams and learning the controls for New Super Mario Bros. Wii, we were able to spend more time actually playing the game as the crowds formed behind us. All of the frantic coin collecting gameplay you know and love was intact during the playable demo available at E3 ’09 this year. With each of our Toads mounted on Yoshi, we tore through the quirky level that played and looked like seamless extensions of the classic side scrolling Super Mario experience.

Even though it had already been mentioned during an interview with Mr. Miyamoto, I had to ask the cheerful Nintendo reps about a possible online mode for New Super Mario Bros. Wii. “Sorry, but no,” proclaimed the youthful employee with a disappointed tone. Figured I had to ask just in case. Apparently the Wii’s power is all going towards providing a smooth experience for four players at once locally, but online had not been possible. I paused momentarily hoping she was going to follow that heartbreaker with a sly “yet”, to no avail.

The millions of fans of the classic Super Mario Bros. games will undoubtedly love New Super Mario Bros. Wii upon its release later this year. Those wishing for something radically different from a Mario title might have to look elsewhere, but the comfort that comes from the series’ familiarity and charm will be more than enough to solidify New Super Mario Bros. Wii as a top seller and hit holiday title. After all, it’s-a still him, Mario!

Expect a full review when New Super Mario Bros. Wii arrives during the fourth quarter of 2009.

By Jon Venture

Amidst all the pumping speakers and fellow press at E3 ’09, I found the Holy Grail of heavy metal games, and it had nothing to do with plastic guitars or pseudo drum kits. Just past the NCAA 10 and Fight Night Round 4 kiosks, there stood EA and Double Fine’s epic rock-inspired action adventure odyssey, Brutal Legend. Tim Schaefer’s next hit, and yes, it WILL be a hit, was finally available for my grubby little hands to play. After the longest minutes I’ve ever spent waiting in line with all of the other eager gamers, I struck my first chord in Brutal Legend.

I know what you’re thinking, but no, Brutal Legend did not suck. Thankfully, gratefully, and expectedly, it did indeed rock.

Right from the start, Brutal Legend plays like an old 45 that you find in a red milk crate years after packing it away with your other high school treasures. The melee combat in Brutal Legend feels smooth as the limbs from nearby enemies go flying, as are the interlaced magical attacks from your trusty guitar Clementine that fry anyone left standing. After slashing through a few demon hordes, Brutal Legend transitions to a giant worm boss battle in which you drive around on your hot rod and speed up the fun factor. I can’t stop gushing as to how stoked I am that playing Brutal Legend is actually fun, and not just a rushed together jumble of attack combos and stylized magic powers.

The world of Brutal Legend actually looks and sounds just as good as the trailer we saw months ago. While playing Brutal Legend, I was able to choose from a slew of heavy rock tracks from the pause menu to suit my mood and play style. In doing so, I was able to basically customize the game’s soundtrack to create my own crescendo at the exact moment I was decapitating demons. Speaking of which, the awesome voiceover work by Jack Black adds comedic depth to an otherwise violent world. The cameos by metal icons Lemmy and Rob Halford authenticate the whole experience as well. Even the WoW playing Prince of Darkness Ozzy Osbourne is lending his voice to Brutal Legend, as announced by Tim Schafer at the EA press conference. “People ask if I made this game to meet these people,” said Schafer, before responding “yeah.” Definitely the words of a fellow rock fan. The worlds created in our mind while listening to Black Sabbath and Judas Priest albums are represented faithfully in spirit in the world of Brutal Legend, which allows for a seamless transition from a narcotic induced metal fantasy land to a virtual metal fantasy land. In doing so, Brutal Legend has become a deterrent of narcotics. Maybe.

There was something satisfying about finally getting my hands on Brutal Legend after following the game’s development for so long. Not only as a fan of Tim Schafer’s previous games, especially the innovative Psychonauts and Grim Fandango, but the dedication he puts forth to bring his visions to life, it was a personal highlight to get a few minutes to actually play Brutal Legend. Oh, and a fanboy photo with Tim Schafer definitely topped it all off. Note the barely contained excitement as I met one of the most creative minds in gaming.

Expect a full game review when Brutal Legend ships this fall.

By Jon Venture

I own an Xbox 360, but I am not a Halo junkie. Nor do I play overnight Call of Duty sessions with friends until I pass out and drool through the gap between the analog stick and controller casing. First person shooters are not my “thing” at all. Yet I was blown away by the presentation I saw at E3’09 for Brink, the upcoming FPS from Bethesda Softworks and Splash Damage. Not since GoldenEye on the N64 have I eagerly looked forward to the floating hands wreaking havoc upon so many nameless faces.

Scheduled for release Spring 2010 on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC, Brink is shaping up to be yet another blockbuster game from the guys who brought us Enemy Territory: Quake Wars and Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory. The premise behind Brink is fairly familiar, with a post apocalyptic artificial floating city in 2035 serving as the last refuge for mankind. As the oceans rose and the remnants of human life crept and settled into any space they could find, factions formed, war erupted, and once again man fell into conflict. The resistance is once again combating “The Man”, so to speak. Not enough to keep my attention for long initially, but thankfully that’s where some of the similarities stray from the rest of the FPS pack.

After constructing a highly detailed character to rip through the opposition (serving as either part of the security force or a rebel) CEO and Game Director of Splash Damage Paul Wedgwood began to slowly sway me towards a life of FPS addiction. One of the greatest features in Brink is the S.M.A.R.T. (Smooth Marketing Across Random Terrain) button, which propels you a-la parkour up and over any obstacles standing in your path. Think of Mirror’s Edge-styled movement in a FPS, but automated and intuitive, and you’ve got the basis for the S.M.A.R.T. feature. In the pre-alpha gameplay behind closed doors, a security fixed with red laser beams stood between the protagonist and his objective on the second story of an abandoned airport. Now, one could very well go through the door and set off the alarm, causing every sleeping soldier in the vicinity to wake from their caffeine and doughnut induced comas and charge towards my area with weapons blazing, but that is much more trouble than I would like to cause in an unknown environment.

Rather, by pointing the camera over the door and hitting the S.M.A.R.T. button, he automatically hopped towards a nearby railing, leapt off the edge, grabbed the top of the security door, and lifted himself up and over the peril. That not only saved me ten minutes of strafing around the room and ducking fire, but also the time I would have spent taking the pacifist route and simply looking for an alternate way to cross the room. Don’t want to risk setting off the alarm in the first place? Aim the camera across the open atrium towards the other side of the airport, hit the S.M.A.R.T. button, and the character effortlessly bounds over the railing, lands and runs across an advertising platform, then jumps up to the railing across the way. At that point during the demo, my eyes were wide with amazement. The tediousness was taken away from the game, and I was even closer to converting into a FPS fan.

The innovation shown during the Brink demo did not cease at its S.M.A.R.T. feature. After the agile moves exhibited at the airport, we were transported to an abandoned dockyard where Brink’s dynamic mission generation system was put on display. As the team dodged incoming fire after landing on shore, it was time to initiate the primary objectives at the combat post. By logging onto these computers strategically placed in the level players are able to choose their character class (soldier, engineer, heavy arms etc.) and weapon bundles, as well as one of many class-specific objectives. Depending on which objective was chosen from the circular H.U.D., each other player’s objectives acquired from the combat posts changed as well to compliment your moves in battle.

The goal we were shown to exhibit this feature involved transporting a robot to the center of a shanty town just past the dockyard to diffuse a dirty bomb. If a player chooses to fight as a soldier class, his objectives would include clearing the path and eliminating enemy resistance as the robot rolled on. If a bit more intricacy was desired, choosing to fight as an engineer would activate an objective involving the giant crane looming overhead. The engineer’s goal was now to repair said crane in order to raise the robot to a higher platform, and in turn, the option now presented itself for soldier-class players to protect the engineer as the crane was being repaired. Mind you, these missions and classes could all be changed not at a specified checkpoint after a goal had been met, but in the middle of a skirmish. Ultimately the goal of the group remains the same, but how and with what tools those goals are achieved are now at the whim of gamers.

Maybe it was the secretive manner in which Brink had been demonstrated at E3 ’09 by Paul Wedgwood, or the teaser trailer I had seen before the convention (which gave no details whatsoever what Brink was), but my anticipation to play the game grew exponentially as I witnessed the pre-alpha version of the game before me. And after some further insight from Ed “Bongoboy” Stern, Senior Game Designer at Splash Damage and incredibly motivated fellow, I was even more excited about Brink’s premise and release in Spring 2010. There is much to be said about a game that could potentially convert a gamer into an FPS fanatic, but all I can say is we are upon the brink of something incredible.