The Death of Midwest Gamer Podcast

*update*

Check out our new project, system link.

------------

Hey everyone,

I know this is kind of all of the sudden, but we've decided to quit doing the podcast. It's a shame to see this whole thing come to a close, but it was awesome while it lasted. Alot of different things factored in to our decision. One reason being the likelihood of me having to quit anyways come autumn when I start my senior thesis thing. It's also just kind of difficult to handle this beast we've created with only a few people.

I wanted to take a moment to thank all the people who supported us or helped us out these past few months. It's been alot of fun, so thank you guys. We couldn't have done it at all without your encouragement and help.

Special thanks to:

All the GGTL guys: Matt, Linford, James.
Warp9Gaming
Chase Koeneke
Shinfo Ryan
DJPauly
Micheal Schultz
gamergrrlz
Personal Gaming
The Greedy Gamer
All the cool peeps at JTV: Tof, Volkoor, Candyman, Pan1c, Fan111, Sneeeeak, Grim_dude, Reptilia, PewPew, Jakkdaniels

And of course Travis and Bud for all their work and radness.

I'm starting a new project that's a little scaled back compared to MWG and focuses on writing instead of podcasting/broadcasting. Check it out here, and let me know if you're interested in helping me out. I'd love to have some people to help me get it going and anyone's welcome.

Thanks again everyone for listening, I've met alot of really awesome people through MWG. Please stay in touch.

Matt (MWG)

Midwest Gamer Podcast Episode 12 - "The E3 Show"

Hey guys,

Episode 12 is up. Download here or on itunes. Enjoy!

Show Notes:

News

L4D2
XBL Improvements
Crackdown 2
Shadow Complex
Halo ODST/Halo:Reach
Super Mario Brothers Wii
Golden Sun DS
Metroid: Other M

Now Playing

Bionic Commando: Rearmed
Twilight Princess

Looking Forward

Red Faction: Guerrilla

Misc.

Justin.tv stuff

Crackdown 2 Trailer

Crackdown 2 is lookin' tasty. I like the subtle art style adjustments. Looks a tad bit more realistic, but still has that outlined/graphic look. I've been meaning to add Crackdown to my list of "must-play-before-sequel-comes-out" games.

Matt (MWG)

L4D2: Now with chainsaws.

Don't get me wrong, I'm excited for L4D2. This means I can just hold off buying another copy of L4D while I wait for the sequel. But I was really just expecting Valve to put out some more DLC for the original. L4D2 looks like more good old zombie killing action. I guess it's not really a zombie game til you throw in the old chainsaw. Anyone think the graphic's look a little more Team Fortress-ish? This could be good news for gamers with weaker internet connections.

Matt (MWG)

Travis's Top 5 Games at E3

Alright. I know this is a little late but I thought that I should share my thoughts on my favorite games coming to E3 this week. As Matt did, I'm going to do a list of the top 5. I would like to do more but there is just so much announcements for E3 this year, to have it go any longer, I would take up the whole page.... Anyways, let me get started.

1. God of War 3



I'm a huge fan of the God of War series and just imagining God of War on the PS3 just screams all sorts of awesome. Everybody is saying that its coming out this year but I'm really having my doubts. I would really like to see it but with a game like God of War, I wouldn't like to see it as a rushed product. This game is going to be epic.


2. Trico Project



Ashamed as I am to say it, I still have yet to play Ico or Shadow of the Colossus. The times when both games were released I didn't have a PS2 to play them on and I guess I just never got around to playing them. Iknow... Its pretty lame. I did play demos of both games and loved them but just never got around to playing the full versions. Either way the Trico Project looked amazing to me and now knowing that footage was from a year ago, I can only imagine what it looks like now. Now I just hope Sony doesn't hold this one off till TGS.....

3. Mass Effect 2



Now I loved the first Mass Effect. I can't emphasize how much I appreciated everything about it. Bioware did such a fantastic job of the first game that I cannot wait to hear what is store for Commander Sheppard. If Bioware can deliver, everything that the first game did, then Mass Effect 2 is easily going to be my game of the year.

4. Battlefield: Bad Company 2



Well, here's another FPS on my top 5 list. I just can't seem to get enough of them it seems. Last year Bad Company was probably one of the games that I played the most online. I was so fond of the multiplayer that I never even touched the single player and I hear that Dice actually did a great job with it. Maybe I will get around to it someday but as like the first Bad Company, the multiplayer is what I am really looking forward to.

5. Modern Warfare 2



Now, despite the name change, Modern Warfare 2 is easily one of top games I'm looking forward to this year. Though I'm not majorly excited for the single player, the multiplayer is what I really want in a COD game. While there isn't much out there about it yet, I'm sure Infinity Ward is going to deliver on all fronts on this iteration of the franchise.

Well, there you have it. As far as I know from which titles are already announced at E3, that's my top 5. There are sooooo many more titles that are on my radar but I would be here all day if I were to list them all. Most of what I am really looking forward to is what Sony has to bring to the table. Now that the PSP Go! is leaked, what else do they have to bring to the show? Its definitely going to be interesting. Let the show begin!

Travis (MWG)

Borderlands Shaping Up

Finally, Gearbox shows off some gameplay of Borderlands. Can't wait to see more this week at E3!

Matt (MWG)

Bud Finally Finishes Prince Of Persia......

.....and is pissed as hell. Ok, first of all this post is gonna have a spoiler, as the ending is what made me pretty mad. I don't know about anyone else but what keeps me playing a game or even interests me in a game, is almost 80 percent of the time, the story line. I mean its what drives me to keep playing, that thought of, what happens next? How does it all end? This is the reason why I decided to marathon the game till the end. In this games case it makes the repetitive tasks worth it. Worth it till the end sequence, in which you have to run and undo everything that you just did for the past 10+ hours......all to "save" the female character in the end. Now I don't get mad easily over bad or crappy endings in games, but this literally made me want to throw the game in the trash. I also regretted even purchasing the game in the first place. The end honestly ruined any fun or memorable experiences I had with this game. I dunno, it just strikes me as stupid to say: "Hey we are gonna offer you this awesome experience of sealing away this ancient demon lord that was set free by a father trying to save his daughter, ok now that you sealed him away, set him free upon the world to save the same character that this whole mess started off with"

Ok I think im done ranting, does anyone else have any thoughts on this if so please share. As for me i will be trading it in for red faction: guerilla. Lets hope it fetches a decent amount so I can get something worthwhile out of this experience.

Scribblenauts - Quick! Grab two ladders, fourteen ironing boards, and a tiger. Then meet me at the icecream stand.

So I haven't really bought any new handheld games lately, even after inheriting my brothers dusty old original DS. I have a few games on my mental list, but just haven't really gotten around to buying anything as a direct result of my cheap-assedness and being pre-occupied with console stuff.

One of the games that I'm looking forward to playing is a puzzle/adventure game for the DS called Scribblenauts. Its being developed by 5th cell, the Drawn to Life guys, and kinda hinges upon a similar game mechanic. In Drawn to Life, which I've seen, but never played, you were able to draw objects, weapons and accessories with the DS stylus that your character could interact with. Cool idea, but from my understanding it was kind of limited. Scribblenauts draws from that basic idea, re-arranges it a bit and "takes it to the max", if you will.

The game throws out the idea of having to draw items, and has you type or write the name of whatever object you need. You can then use that item, or however many items you ask for, to solve a puzzle. They've built out a seemingly endless library of items that will be available and as a result of that, an endless number of ways to solve each puzzle.

This is instant gratification at its best, people. If you want a boomerang, you can have a boomerang. And then you can ask for something else that's not a boomerang, and then you can also have that.

The level creation/sharing aspect of the game sounds awesome as well and seems like it could definitely serve as a cure for my Little Big Planet itch. Scribblenauts comes out this fall and Joystiq has some pretty informative preview blurbs on it, check them out here.

Matt (MWG)

Matt's Top 5 games @ E3

So there's a ton of info about to drop next week at E3. But some games have me a little more excited than others. Here's a peek at which games I'm looking forward to hearing more about.

1. Mass Effect 2

It's predecessor was one of my favorite games of last year. Dare I say, of all time? Yes, sir, I dare. It's about time Bioware squelched all of the "Is Shephard dead?" rumors and I'm definitely looking forward to getting a closer look at all the HUD and gameplay changes I've been hearing about.

2. Lost Planet 2













Even though I wasn't terribly into the first game. The recent LP2 trailers and announcement of 4 player co-op have me interested. I'm always on the lookout for a decent co-op game, something the 360 doesn't see too often.

3. Borderlands













Ever since the Gameinformer reveal months ago, I've been interested in this game. Details, aside from the game's bi-polar art direction, have been pretty scarce. I know I'm going to be able to choose from 80 bajillion different weapons, but gimme something else to get excited about.

4. Alien vs Predator













I wouldn't have expected this to be on my list a few weeks ago. I watched a friend of mine play alot of AVP back in the day, but lacked a PC and never got the chance to get into it. Sounds like this one's going to be alot like the old one, and if so, I'm sold. There's opportunity for an amazing multiplayer experience here.

5. Alpha Protocol













This game seems like a really sweet idea, but I also get the feeling it's going to be hit or miss. Hopefully Obsidian will show off some more in depth gameplay vids explaining how this spy/RPG hullabaloo is going to work.

Games that didn't make the top 5, but I'm still mucho excited about.

Brutal Legend - I already know enough. Jack Black, Tim Schafer, Metal...I'm there.
Bayonetta - DMC on steroids with bewbs. So there.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 - So many good memories of the first, gotta play the sequel.

What are you guys excited about?

Matt (MWG)

inFamous Demo Impressions

Well at this point in the games development I would have to slap you silly if you haven't heard about the comparison of inFamous to Prototype. It seems it has been an on going comparison ever since the two games have been announced but now that everybody has gotten to play inFamous, the comparisons are now being made to Crackdown more so than Prototype. Now I haven't played Crackdown so I have no idea what it's like but to my understanding of things, inFamous plays like Crackdown but looks something more similar to Prototype's more grungier look. Anyways, comparisons aside, the demo is awesome!

The demo puts you in the middle of the action with just enough gameplay to give you an idea of what to expect of the retail copy. The first thing I took notice of is the landscape and how great everything looks. The city really feels like its living with life with everyone grasping just to survive. Its really great to just walk around and notice the sights and see the devastation that has been brought upon everybody (now that I think about it, that almost sounds disturbing). Aside from the pretty graphics, its the gameplay that really impresses me. The controls in inFamous are really fluid and simple to learn. Everything just seems like is meshes well together whether it be aiming at and enemy or jumping from building to building. I never found myself confused or frustrated with the controls which is something I'm always a fan of.

Now inFamous is an open world game so you can only expect that there will be your main story missions, side missions, hidden packages, etc.... Of course I'm not dissing the game, but you can only expect that from these types of games. In the demo, your also granted a taste of the hero side and the evil side, both of which have their own types of powers. To me, being evil looks like it would be more fun to play because you just cause all sorts of destruction where as the hero side is more about precision aiming to take out your enemies. Either way, inFamous is a game where it looks like I'm going to be playing multiple play throughs just to see what both sides have to offer.

Now I could talk about this game all day but I think I'll end it here. As you can probably tell, I had a blast with the demo and it definitely looks like inFamous is going to be a welcome addition to my PS3 library as well as everybody elses.

Travis(MWG)

Sign me up for Red Faction: Guerrilla

I don't know how much you guys have been looking into Red Faction: Guerrilla. The Single player, and now multiplayer demo are both available via XBL. I played through the single player demo a few times when it came out. I felt like it had potential and the destruction aspect was amazing, but honestly I didn't really think about it much afterward.

Until today. I queued up the multiplayer demo to download last night and booted it up a few hours ago. I seriously just got a good 2 hours out of it, and I still want to go back for more. First of all, what a great demo. Although it restricts you to playing only one gametype across two levels, you're actually able to level up and unlock items as you will in the full game. I'm not sure how to explain why the multiplayer, and not the single player really sold me on this game. Maybe it was just a bad level choice for single player, I'm not sure. But I feel like the depth and enjoyment I found in the multiplayer kind of proves the worth of what the single player could be. I dunno about you guys, but I'm ready to buy this game day one. Make sure to check out the demo and lemme know what you think!

Matt (MWG)

We're too lazy to cover E3, But GGTL's not!

So I'm sure we'll get around to posting some impressions from all the happenings at E3...eventually. Honestly though, I'm too busy playing old ass games that no one talks about anymore, Bud's sitting at home trying to get his Prince of Persia disc to work, and I guarantee you Travis is lost somewhere in the Fallout wasteland and has no idea what the eff is going on.

However, if you're interested in some up-to-date E3 goodness, I have some exciting news for you. Our friends over at Gamer's Guide to Life have created a site solely for their 2009 E3 coverage and will be updating throughout the show.

Here are some awesome things you can look forward to from GGTL before and during E3:

- Full coverage of all the major conferences, including Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo
- Live Blogging of all the major conferences
- Previews and news relating to E3 and E3 announcements
- Loads of other E3 related content
- Coverage starting a week before G4TV and GameSpot

NAOW that's what I'm talkin' bout. Check out ggtlate3.com starting May 25th through the end of the show.

Matt (MWG)

Midwest Gamer Podcast Episode 11 - "Bud's a sucker for chainguns"

We are back with Episode 11! Download it here or subscribe on Itunes. Don't forget to leave us a review on Itunes if you wanna be super nice.

Now Playing

FFX, Castlevania, Johnny Platform's Biscuit Romp, Fatal Frame 3, Xmen Originis: Wolverine

News

E3 buzz, Duke Nukem, BS Deals of the week

Looking Forward

Red Dead Redemption, Brutal Legend, E3 stuff

Thanks for listening, guys.

Matt (MWG)

Inspired by Faith...

It's ironic that this is the second post I've made about something Mirror's Edge related, and I've never really had an interest in playing the game. But It's always awesome to see game-inspired art/performance, and this will be especially interesting for you Mirror's Edge Fans. Savage Land Studios has an entire photo collection of Mirror's Edge inspired photos up on Flickr. Everything from shot angles and locations down to the color pallete of each photo very closely resembles the game. Pretty awesome stuff. Check the album out here.

Excuses for Matt's possible future absence.

So I wanted to let everyone know about this before you hate me for not posting as much as usual. I fully intend on spending as much time as possible with MWG, but I've been given the opportunity to write for another really rad gaming blog. This new gig will most likely take priority being that it's something a little bigger than what we've got going here. But, no worries, compatriots, I will not abandon you in the heat of battle. My heart and soul is with MWG. Who knows, I'm known throughout the lands as a mad awesome multi-tasker, so perhaps nothing will change. But if it does, and I can't post my normal 2-3 a week-ish, don't hate my guts.

oh yeah, 100th post! woo!

Matt (MWG)

Wal-mart automated game trade-in kiosks.......FTW?????

Wal-mart is currently testing this system in the Northeastern part of the nation. Basically you scan the bar code on the game your willing to part with, the machine then gives you a quote, and upon accepting the quote you get credit on your credit or debit card.......in 2-3 days. E-play, the company that is partnering with Wal-mart for this awkward idea, has said that if successful they may offer Wal-mart store credit.

Eh...I was wondering when Wal-mart was gonna get there slimy tentacles into this area. The only action I think these are gonna get are wii games from desperate soccer moms who need the money.

On a lighter note, we will be recording episode 11 this thursday. If you guys have any questions or have something you would like us to talk about on the show just leave us a comment.

Bud (MWG)

Wait, I had fun in Home??

Well, we all know that Home is forever going to be in a beta form. I don't think Sony even knows what they want Home to be at this point and the word beta always gives a product an excuse of just sucking, it seems. At least Sony thinks so because they're obviously still funding it and to my surprise, so are other companies.

Well today I decided to delve into the world of Home and see what new excitement it had to offer. I did hear about the new apartment you could grab for free this week and thought I would see what all this talk about Xi was about. Now that stuff wasn't too exciting but, I did however find something in Home that I thought was step in the right direction. Looking through the new locations that were available, I noticed that an area for Siren was available and to my surprise, the Siren area was actually pretty enjoyable. What made it fun was the Ward of Despair mini-game that pit you with 4 other players to make it out of an hospital within 5 minutes while collecting items throughout the hospital. What makes it interesting is that they have zombies that pop out that you have to avoid and of course if you get hit by them, then your done. Apparently your supposed to get new costumes or something if you collect all the items or something but all I got was a shirt... I'm sure there's more to it, I just have to go back and play it again. Still though, what amazed me most is that I had fun in Home.

Siren was the only area I was able to visit but it seems like Sony is heading the right direction with Home. Now all they need to do is just keep adding games like that because it actually gives you something to do. I know Sony said they have a bunch of stuff in store for Home later this year and hopefully it will be more areas like the Siren location because it actually makes Home, dare I say it, fun.

Travis (MWG)

One JRPG at a time.

It's good to be picking up a genre I left behind for so many years. In preparation and as a result of getting psyched for Final Fantasy XIII, I've started my first play through FFX. The last Final Fantasy I attempted was FF8, that was probably close to 5 or 6 years ago. I never completed it, but really enjoyed the characters and got really involved in the story. I got stuck and one point and either couldn't go back and grind to level up or wasn't aware that I could. So, I'd like to finish at least one Final Fantasy before XIII comes out, and FFX seems to be the right choice. It may turn into an all summer affair,(considering JTV peeps have said they've logged between 60-80 hrs.) but I'm already loving the story and taking the combat a little more seriously and strategically to prevent myself from another unfortunate Final Fantasy experience.

That reminds me. I should go read how FF8 ended. I'm guessing I wasn't the only one who had a crush on Rinoa?

Matt (MWG)

Ghostbuster's Multiplayer Footage

They crossed streams!

Matt (MWG)

The Short But Sweet Modern Warfare 2 Trailer

Though the trailer is small, the anticipation for this game is huge. I still go back to play COD4 from time to time and still have a ton of fun with it. It makes you almost wonder what they could do to improve on the original. Well I'm sure we will find out more at E3 but for right now all we have is a tease of in-game footage that spans all of a full 17 seconds. From it though, it looks like they have added more melee moves and are now making vehicles apart of the single player. Another thing to point out is that it looks like the developers are taking you out of a hot and humid Middle Eastern environment and sticking you into a very cold winter wonder land.

If anything, Modern Combat 2 is sure to look just as stunning as its predecessor. Now I'm pretty sure that there will be a beta for Modern Combat 2 and I'm guessing something will be announced somewhere here in the next couple weeks during E3....at least we can hope right?

Travis(MWG)

JTV Summer Schedule

Now that I've finished up school for the semester, I'll have more opportunities to broadcast on our JTV channel. I've been wanting to come up with a set schedule to make it easier for everyone to show up for live broadcasts. So, for the summer at least,I'll be broadcasting every Wednesday and Saturday starting around 8pm EST. Wednesday broadcast will last til around eleven. Saturday will last later as long as I don't have to be up early the next morning. In addition to gaming broadcasts, were going to start broadcasting podcast recordings whenever we can. Live podcasts will be all over the place, so I'll make a blog post and tweet it out before it happens, thanks for listening guys. Schools out for the summah!

Matt (MWG)

Midwest Gamer Podcast Episode 10 - "The Bud had to leave early show"

Hey guys,

Episode 10 is here! Download it here or subscribe on Itunes. Don't forget to leave us a review on Itunes if you feel so inclined. Thanks for listening.

Now Playing

Tomb Raider: Anniversary, Red Dead Revolver Finished, Bioshock, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts, Fallout 3, Viva Pinata, Metroid Prime Hunters

News

Marvel vs capcom, Turtles in Time, The Backtrack Show

Matt (MWG)

Scarygirl....play it.

Bud wrote a post about a flash game called Scary Girl awhile back, in addition to speaking about it on the show a bit. If you're not convinced that the game is worth playing yet, check out this trailer and stop being a TOTAL MORON!!!

Play it here, it's free.

Newbs.

Matt (MWG)

Behold, the power of metal.

New Brutal Legend trailer. Anyone else excited? It looks like a genuinely funny videogame, we need more of these.

Matt (MWG)

Jason Rohrer's Passage

During the most recent episode of "A Life Well Wasted", Robert Ashley talked with and discussed the career of game designer Jason Rohrer. I was fascinated by Rohrer's attitude and overall outlook on life, in addition to his thoughts on game design. I decided to check out Passage, one of Rohrer's games mentioned on the episode.

The game only lasts a few minutes and is free to download, so I highly suggest you check it out for yourself. Despite it's simple nature, Passage is probably one of the most though provoking games/experiences (whatever you want to call it) that I've come aross in awhile.

Enjoy!

Matt (MWG)

Episode 10, don't fail me now!

Greetings people of the Internets,

Episode 10 should be happening pretty soon here. Hopefully the outcome won't be as tragic as last time. I haven't discussed it with Bud yet, but I was thinking during episode 10 we'd discuss what game to play for our "Backtrack Episode" (title pending), where we go back and play an old game we missed or never finished, and then devote an entire episode to discussing that game. For the record, we're not trying to be original, we know every other podcast is doing this and it's something we'd like to do as well. So if you have any suggestions for games or names for the show, let us know!

As usual, we'll be talking about videogame news, what we've been playing and what we're looking forward to. Email any questions/comments you'd like us to talk about on the show to midwestgamer@gmail.com or leave a comment on this post.

Thanks for listening!

Matt (MWG)

Improving Old School Game Mechanics.

I just recently finished up Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow for DS. I really enjoyed the game and can't wait to dive into another Castlevania game sometime soon. I can't help but complain, though, about the difficulty of actually navigating the world within the game.

The game is set up so that all the action happens on the bottom screen, and the map is constantly displayed on the top. Much like other Castlevania, or Metroid games, your placed in an open world that is for the most part unmarked and devoid of any points of reference. The only rooms marked on the map are save rooms and warp stations. As a result of this, there were plenty of times where I would come back to the game and not really recall what I did last or where I left off. I was forced to double check every last spot on the map that looked promising. Towards the end of the game, I became more adept at reading the map and remembering the shapes of rooms to reduce the amount of time spent running around pointlessly, but should navigation really be the most diffucult aspect of a videogame?

It really wasn't as bad as I'm making it sound, but it seems like there are so many easy little fixes that could have done away with all my problems. For example, Dawn of Sorrow was really good at implementing the stylus within boss fights and puzzles. What if when I pulled up my map, I was able to tap a spot on the map with my stylus and make a note to myself? Something like "door is locked, need new magic seal". This would prevent me from repeatedly running back to check that same door. It doesn't seem like it would be too much to ask for, even the ability to set waypoints would be nice.

That being said, if you were into the backtracking and exploring aspect, there are rewards to be had. The world is full of nifty little secrets and there were several times where I accidentally discovered unmarked nooks and cranny's that contained special items, but nothing significant enough to erase the navigational paranoia I faced each and every time I started up the game.

While I'm not all about purging every last ancient game mechanic and making games super easy, I think it's safe to say that vague world maps in an open world game are a thing of the past and can easily be improved upon. Sorry for the rant, any thoughts?

Matt (MWG)

New Arkham Asylum Trailer

I feel like I should be excited for this game all of the sudden.

Matt (MWG)

Ghostbusters Opening Cinematic

Friends, if your like me and have been eagerly awaiting this game then you will love this clip. If you haven't, then watch it! I will admit halfway through I was half-watching almost becoming disappointed, but then it saved itself and quite honestly gave me goosebumps.

Enjoy

Bud (MWG)

Are realistic graphics all that important?

I've been looking forward to Borderlands ever since it's initial feature in GameInformer. Four-player co-op and endless weapon customization are just a few things that have me excited about this game.

At first I was surprised at Gearbox's recent announcement to completely change the art style. But I have to say, I'm really impressed and even more psyched for the game now after taking a closer look at the new concept art and screenshots. The new style seems to be a fusion of traditional cel-shading and the illustration-ish style that made the latest installment of Prince of Persia so unique.

Realistic graphics in games have never really been an important factor for me. So any aesthetic risk developers take to make their game standout amongst the crowd is a plus.

What do you guys think? Are realistic graphics necessary for you to get sucked into a game world? Is it something you consider when buying games?

Matt (MWG)

Uncharted 2 = All Sorts of Awesome

Well to start things off, I loved Uncharted. I still love Uncharted. Easily one of the best games I played last year and it seems like Naughty Dog is out to make Uncharted 2 surpass the original is just about every way.

Today Kotaku just posted a story(here) revealing that Uncharted 2 will have multiplayer. While I was a little skeptical at first, I quickly changed judgment after reading what Kotaku had to say about it. Of course their throwing around the comparison to Gears but what do you expect? If you played Uncharted then you know that both games, while they may look it, they play totaly different.

So is anyone else excited for Uncharted 2? I think its going to live up to every amount of hype its giving and then some. I can't wait for it. Its definitely going to be one of my top games to look out for this year. Now all we have to do is wait.....

Update: As I was writing this, I noticed that Playstation Blog posted news of Uncharted 2 going multiplayer and also gave news to a beta starting June 3rd. I also embedded the video that they posted of the first gameplay so check if out if you haven't already!

Travis(MWG)

Back to the wasteland...

When Fallout 3 released last year, I played the main quest and a few significant side quests pretty quickly and was for the most part done with the game. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Fallout 3 alot, but the world just didn't pull me in like I thought it would. Ever since then, I've been wanting to go back and give it another shot, especially with the news of the Broken Steel DLC in May. I'd like to max a character out before then to take advantage of the increased level cap. The removal of the game's ending is also good news for me, it was a big reason why I felt like I couldn't go back to it and would never be able to experience an open ended rpg experience similar to my time with Oblivion. I just started a new character last night and I'm excited about doing a little more exploring and side-questing instead of grinding the main quest like last time.

p.s. - Spoiler Video!


Watch live video from Midwest Gamer Podcast on Justin.tv

I feel REALLY bad about this.

Matt (MWG)

Red Dead Revolver - Glitchy, Frusterating, but awesome.

I just recently finished Red Dead Revolver for Original Xbox. The game isn't perfect, and proves itself to be pretty challenging, but still managed to be a ton of fun. Anyone looking for a good budget game for original xbox should check it out. I'm really excited for the sequel now too. Check out these clips from me playing RDR on JTV last weekend.



Watch live video from Midwest Gamer Podcast on Justin.tv


Watch live video from Midwest Gamer Podcast on Justin.tv

Matt (MWG)

Orange Box only $9.99 this weekend!

The Orange Box is only $9.99 on steam this weekend and my love for valve continues to grow. If for some reason you haven't played it, you have no excuse, buy it NAOW! If you've already fully experienced the orange box, what the hell, buy a copy for your mom!

Matt (MWG)

Whats Not to Love About Love?

So, how do go about describing a game like Love? After watching a video demonstration that Kotaku just posted, I still don't know how you would describe this game, but if you haven't heard of it then you owe it to yourself to check out the video. What’s most amazing about Love is that the whole game is made by one person and it’s just astonishing to see what he has accomplished thus far in the project. You owe it to yourself to watch the video if you haven't' already.

Travis(MWG)

Matt's First Video Post - "What's your gaming setup like?"

So in an effort to make up for the lack of content this Friday. I decided to make my first video blog. Check it out and respond if you get a chance. I apologize for crappy quality. I recorded it with my cybershot and the quality is terrible. I'll make a higher resolution vid next time.

Matt (MWG)

New Battlefield 1943 Footage!

Newest vid of Battlefield 1943 via Joystiq. Looking forward to this game quite a bit. It'll be nice to be able to get my battlefield on without a PC gaming rig. Hits XBLA in June for 15 bones!

Matt (MWG)

Midwest Gamer Podcast Episode 9 - "Garage Band Fail"

Hey Guys,

Episode 9 is up. But prepare to be disappointed, Garage Band ate up all but about 13 minutes of the show. So we published what is listenable, but it's not a whole lot. We made it through news before the screw-up. Sorry for the short show, hopefully we won't have this problem again. Thanks for listening, guys!

Show Notes

-Ghostbusters, L4D DLC, Borderlands

-Garage Band Fail

ps - not sure why the mp3 reads as 57 minutes either. It's only about 13. Just more evidence of the inevitable disaster that is Episode 9!

Matt (MWG)

Episode 9 in the works.

Hey Doods.

Episode 9 is in the pants pocket of MWG and we're just about to yank it out for all the world to see! We'll be talking about what we've been playing, what's in the news, and what we're looking forward to playing. As always, we'd love to hear any comments/questions you guys have. Leave your comments/questions here, or send us an old fashioned email at midwestgamer@gmail.com

Also, what do you guys think about the new site layout? If there's anything you dislike and think should be changed, let us know.

Again, thanks for listening!

Matt (MWG)

Design Fail.

Hey guys,

I realize the blog looks like crap right now. Turns out the new template I was trying to implement didn't really work so well. Gimme a few days to get things pretty again.

Thanks for your patience,

Matt (MWG)

The Only thing scary about "Scarygirl"...

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Assassin's Creed 2 Trailer - Neat?

I'm trying to imagine why you would care, but juuuuust in case you do, here's the new Assassin's Creed 2 trailer.

Matt (MWG)

Fez looks awesome.

Gameplay vid of Fez (via Joystiq). Really hope this comes out on XBLA. I don't think it's been confirmed for any system yet, but it's for sure coming out in '09.

Matt (MWG)

Patapon 2 Download Only. Thoughts?

Well its been rumored for a couple days, but Sony just announced that Patapon 2 will be an “experimental” product as they are only making it available via download. There will also be a way of buying a code through Gamestop if you’re not able to buy online. Now this isn’t the first time that a full game like Patapon 2 has been offered online but usually there is a store item of the product available to purchase also. Is this leading to the rumors of the PSP2 to be UMD-less with the only source to get games is through an online store? If Sony can pull off an online store such as what Apple is doing with the app store then I can really seeing it working for them for future titles. This also saves them a ton of time and money with getting their games on store shelves. Now the reality of actually not having a retail copy is something I am going to have to get used to but the way gaming is going, it seems like its going to be that way in the future.

So as far as downloading games to be the only source to own a copy of a game, what are your thoughts of this process? Do you think that this is the start of a new process to get PSP games or maybe even the start of a resign of the PSP?

Travis(MWG)

A new way to kill zombies! YES!

Check out Joystiq's article on Zombie Apocalypse, a new downloadable game from Konami coming to XBLA and PSN this summer!

Matt (MWG)

Midwest Gamer Podcast Episode 8 - "New Digs"

Episode 8 has arrived. Mypodcast.com is having issues so listen to the show here and I will try to get the show up on Mypodcast as soon as possible. Thanks again everyone for listening. If you enjoy the show and have a moment, help us out by rating us or writing a review on Itunes. Enjoy!

Show Notes

News - Arkham Asylum @ GDC, OnLive, MUA2, RE5 DLC

Now Playing - Prince of Persia, Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, Bioshock, The Dishwasher (demo)

Emails - Gary loses his Fallout 3 saves

Looking Forward To - L4D DLC, DS games

Matt (MWG)

First Gameplay Footage of Bioshock 2!

Gametrailers just posted the first gameplay footage of Bioshock 2 and I'm just going to say it right now..... I'm super excited for it now. I was excited for it before, but now.... it just looks amazing. From the looks of it, it looks like they are adding so much more to an already great game. Anyways, I'm going to keep it short, but anyways, take a look at the video if you haven't already!



Travis(MWG)

Nintendo DSi... Worth it?

So, is anyone planning on picking up an DSi? I wouldn't mind having one myself, but do I want to pay $170 for one? Right now, there isn't much out there that takes advantage of the hardware and I don't know if I would get much use out of the new features it brings to the table. I'm not too excited for the cameras that are built in and while the SD slot would be really helpful I still wouldn't find myself using it that much. I do like the functionality of downloading games from the store though and then I guess I could see the use of the SD slot other than to put music and whatever else on it. Now I'm not too sure on the ability to play Virtual Console games but if they let you play them on the DSi, that would be pretty neat. Who knows, maybe after the DSi is out for awhile, Nintendo will show something that really puts the DSi to use. Right now though, I'm happy with the DS Light.

Whats everybodys thoughts on the DSi??

Travis(MWG)

Episode 8 this friday......FRIDAY FRIDAY FRIDAY!!

what's up my druids?

Episode 8 is in the pants pocket of MWG and we're just about to yank it out for all the world to see! We'll be talking about what we've been playing, what's in the news, and what we're looking forward to this week. As always, we'd love to hear any comments/questions you guys have. Leave your comments or questions here, send us an email at midwestgamer@gmail.com or post on the Episode 8 Feedback thread in the forums.

Matt (MWG)

Bioware is pretty much the opposite of fail.

So I just recently started getting excited about Bioware's newest IP, Dragon Age: Origins, after seeing a few gameplay videos from GDC. The action reminds me very much of NWN and early Baulder's Gate and the game universe unique character classes seem really awesome. The game does seem like it's very much built to be played on a PC, so it will be interesting to see how they handle it on the 360. No reason to worry though, whens the last time Bioware let you down?

Matt (MWG)

Fat Princess, anyone? HEYOOOOOO!

Aaaaaaaand another reason I wish I had enough cash to pick up a PS3. Fat Princess looks like multiplayer bliss. Check out the video!

Matt (MWG)

Mass Effect 2 @ GDC

If you haven't heard, some early development footage of Mass Effect 2 was shown at GDC last week. This video shows how much of an improvement has been made already in terms of combat. The cover system seems to be more efficient, and the HUD changes look awesome as well. The game already looks great for such an early build. Can't wait to play it!

Matt (MWG)

Midwest Gamer Podcast Episode 7 - "The RE5 Show"

Episode 7 is here! Thanks again everyone for listening. If you enjoy the show and have a moment, help us out by rating us or writing a review on Itunes. Enjoy!

Show Notes

News - L4D DLC Release Date, Max Payne 3, New Behemoth Trailer, Star Wars: Old Republic

Now Playing - Resident Evil 5, Halo Wars

Looking Forward To - Army of Two: The 40th Day, DS goodness

Matt (MWG)

Is Gaming as We Know It Coming to an End?

Well, it seems that the talk so far at GDC this year is Playcast Media System's service called OnLive. To many analysts, this service is said to be the future of gaming and the end to consoles that we know today. Even Michael Pachter is getting into the argument saying that current gen systems will be the last consoles that we ever see. Now this has me worried, because if OnLive does what its supposed to do then we very well could be on the verge of consoles being a thing of the past.

If you don't know already, OnLive is supposed to be a service dedicated to bringing you live streams of games that you can play on any computer meeting basic requirements, provided you have a decent internet connection. You can also drop the PC altogether and buy a hub that connects directly into your TV and play straight from that if you wanted. Now, there are services out there that already do this type of thing but Playcast just seems to be taking it to the next level.

Sure this all sounds great but there is a pretty big downfall that Playcast is going to have to hurdle through to become king of gaming. OnLive requires an internet connection to be at all functional and according to Sony and Microsoft, a majority of gamers that own systems, are not even online. I can't remember the exact numbers but I know its a pretty big margin. I know more and more users are getting online everyday but could something like OnLive survive today? Another thing is, could consoles and OnLive both coincide together or is this actually the last gen we see consoles? Or could OnLive just be a gimmick and actually never take foot in the gaming forefront? To tell you the truth, I love my consoles and the idea of having to be online all the time just doesn't sit well with me. Well GDC is still going on this week and we can only find out more from Playcast. I'm curious to see what else they bring to the table.

For more information about OnLive, here's the link to the official site. http://www.onlive.com/

Travis (MWG)

Boulder Punching: To punch, or to double punch? - A Resident Evil 5 Review-ish

It's hard to complain about any installment within a series that's been wow-ing me since I was a wee lad. Despite the few complaints I have (generic story, forced gears-esque action sequences, and some mentally insulting puzzles), this is a really great installment in the Resident Evil Series.

While the story isn't all that entertaining, it does wrap a few things up that we've all been wondering about since the earlier games. The summation of the general RE story-line means that the possibilities are endless as far as what new characters and story will be introduced in the next game. It will be interesting to see where they go with it.

The controls are even more fun and user-friendly than Resident Evil 4. While I'm a die-hard fan of the old-school tank controls, the new control scheme makes for a more accessible game. A more accessible game means more gamers playing Resident Evil 5, which makes me happy.

Speaking of more gamers. The best way to play Resident Evil 5 is with another human player. While the AI is competent when it comes to technical tasks (aiming, shooting, collecting), it is completely useless as far as strategy, survival, and item management goes. And it's these aspects of the game that make the co-op experience so much fun.

The game is full of replayability as well. Along with the unlock-able weapons and costumes that Resident Evil fans will be familiar with, comes a shload of unlockables including history files, figurines, and game modes that will have you coming back for a second and third play-through.

Resident Evil 5 is a well-polished action/horror game that is well worth the money. Grab a friend, brace yourself, and "enter survival horror".......kind of.

Matt (MWG)

Episode 7, it does the body good.

Hey super friends,

The end of March is crawling nearer, and it's time for some good old MWG to light up your life. I apologize for the late notice, but we just made plans to record Episode 7 tomorrow morning. As always, we'd love to hear any comments/questions you guys have. Leave your comments or questions here, send us an email at midwestgamer@gmail.com or post on the Episode 7 Feedback thread in the forums.

Resident Evil 5 will be our main topic of discussion. So if anyone has any comments or complaints about the game, be sure to send them in!

Matt (MWG)

New Stuff from Behemoth!

Is that co-op platforming I see? Huzzah!

Matt (MWG)

Groov Thoughts.

I spoke a little bit about a shnazzy little game called Groov during Midwest Gamer Podcast Episode 6. I wanted to re-visit my thoughts on it before it's long forgotten within my laundry list of '09 games.

Groov is a twin stick, music based space shooter from Funkmasonry Industries. As far as I can tell, this is Funkmasonry's only game project thus far. The game will set you back 200 Microsoft points and consists of three different modes, two of which are unlockable. The initial playable mode "Original Mix", is by far the most satisfying way to play the game. "Original Mix" grants the player several lives and pits you up against waves of enemies, each of which behaves in a different way. Upon death, these enemies add a single musical note to a constantly evolving soundtrack. Subsequent modes are unlocked by achieving a preset high score. Beating the "Original Mix" high score unlocks "Expert Remix", a single life survival mode, and after beating the "Expert Remix" high score, players unlock a extraordinarily useless "Jam Session" mode.

I've heard alot of talk about how this game is a Geometry Wars ripoff, and to be honest, upon first playing Groov, I had never played a Geometry Wars game. After hearing this, I downloaded the trial version of Geometry Wars Evolved and gave it a try. I can definitely see where people are coming from, there are plenty of similarities, and Geometry Wars is a far more polished game in many ways. In spite of this, I still feel like Groov sets itself apart and proves it's worth, even in the shadow of the more popular Geometry Wars.

The way the player is able to actively take part in the manipulation of the soundtrack is incredibly satisfying. This creates a completely different experience each session and makes up for the lack of gametype variety found within the rest of the game. Groov kindly introduced me to this music creation type of gameplay and I have since sought out and found games with similar mechanics (ex. Lumines). I mentioned the enemy behavior earlier and I feel like this is one area where Groov really shines. Each enemy has it's own unique behavior, movement pattern, and respective sound/musical note for quick identification. All of these mechanics combined create a considerably difficult gaming experience, but somehow Groov manages to be one of the most relaxing games I've ever played. If for nothing else, Groov should be required playing material after a grueling N+ session. (Please consult with your family physician before using Groov to combat any unpleasant N+ side effects)

Matt (MWG)

Its Official. I've Been Killzoned

Two days ago I decided I couldn't wait any longer to pick up Killzone 2. So I decided to gather up some games and make a deal with the devil to get what I wanted. I ended up traded in The Orange Box, Enchanted Arms, Ratchet and Clank, Folklore and GeoW to get Killzone 2. Being how Gamestop is I thought that I was probably only going to get $5 for each game but to my amazement, the total came out to $64. Turns out Gamestop was running some kind of deal where you get more credit if you turn in 4 or more games. I thought it was great, so I grabbed Killzone 2, a sealed copy of course. I never trade in games. I usually just let them sit and collect dust, even if I know I'll never play them again. I was low on money though and like I said, I couldn't wait any longer.

Anyways, to the point, Killzone 2 is awesome. I haven't even jumped into the single player yet. Its nothing against the single player but the multiplayer just seems so satisfying. Now the controls do take some time to get used to and theirs times I wish it moved more like COD4 but its nothing to stop me from coming back for more. The ranking system is awesome. You don't gain ranks as fast as you would in games like other games but their isn't as many ranks either so it evens out plus you can gain badges which grant you new abilities in between ranks. I don't know, I'm liking the ranking system a lot though. I find myself playing for about 2 hours at a time trying to get up the the next rank.

Now I've just touched the surface of Killzone 2 multiplayer and I'm sure the single player is going to be amazing as well. Anyways, I'd like to find some people to play multiplayer with so if you want to add me, my PSN is G3NK1E. I should be on quite a bit so hit me up if you wanna play a game or two. Looking forward to it!

Travis (MWG)

Midwest Gamer Podcast Episode 6 - "Boned Chicken"

So, Mypodcast.com is still down, but I've secured some super secret webspace to upload Episode 6. Go here to stream or download the episode. In addition to this, I will post the episode on Mypodcast as soon as I'm able to. There's a bit of an audio issue for the first 10 or 15 minutes of the show, but it's not too terrible. Make sure to continue listening, I think this is one of our best shows yet. Enjoy! Don't forget to Subscribe to us on Itunes and join the forums. And now check out our live broadcasts on Justin.tv!

Show Notes

News - RE: Code Veronica Remake Rumors, Behemoth's New Project, Ninja Blade Demo, RE5 Competitive Multiplayer Modes

Now Playing - Bioshock, Tomb Raider Anniversary, Groov, Street Fighter 2 HD Remix, Halo 3 Mythic Maps, Megaman X

Looking Forward To - Resident Evil 5!

Matt (MWG)

Sad News....but not totally.

I hate to be the bearer of sad news, but show #6 may be a little late this week. The show is all ready to upload but it appears that mypodcast.com is "upgrading server software". I will upload the episode as soon as I can but who knows how long the site will be down. Look on the bright side though, maybe mypodcast.com will be less glitchy after the upgrade? Let's hope so.

Matt (MWG)

To Madworld or not to Madworld…

Ok, it’s been a while since anything coming out on the Wii has sparked my interest. I still very much like the Wii and I don’t think I could ever sell it but the last thing I played on it was Super Mario Galaxy and that came out, what, a couple years ago? After seeing Nintendo’s E3 conference last year, I’m almost embarrassed to say I own a Wii. I didn’t really pay any attention to this game when it was announced. I thought it was going to be another developers’ take on bringing “hardcore” to the Wii, but it crazy to say that Madworld actually looks like it might be good. The reviews for it are now out and its getting good marks all across the board so its crazy to say, but I might actually try Madworld out.

I’m curious to see what everybody else’s take on Madworld are. I really want more games like this to come out for the Wii. Not so much of the over the top viloence but just more games for an older audience. I’m just curious now to what sites like IGN, Gamespot, and 1UP are raving about. They all gave the game a high ranking so I think it should warrant some attention. What about you guys though, is anyone else interested in Madworld?

Travis (MWG)

Resident Evil Retrospective Episodes 4 & 5

I'm a little late on posting these, but as the excitement builds towards the release of Resident Evil 5 later this week, let's get all nostalgic and take a look at Episodes 4 and 5 of Gametrailer's Resident Evil Retrospective. Enjoy!

Matt (MWG)

Batten down your freaking hatches, and prepare for Show #6.

Hey space cadets,

I hope March, and your growing pile of games you need to play, is treating you well. For your enjoyment, as well as ours, we will be recording Midwest Gamer Podcast Episode 6 in a few short 24 hour cycles. As always, we'd love to hear any comments/questions you guys have. Leave your comments or questions here, send us an email at midwestgamer@gmail.com or post on the Episode 6 Feedback thread in the forums.

Here's a list of the games we'll be talking about:

Groov

Tomb Raider: Anniversary

Halo 3 Mythic Maps

Halo Wars

Bioshock

Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix

PS - Take note of the Podcast Alley Player on the sidebar, hopefully this helps out anyone who has been having trouble downloading the show.

Matt (MWG)

L4D Survival Mode Video

So, the details behind Left 4 Dead's survival mode were easily predictable, but it's still awesome to see some gameplay video. Can't wait!

Matt (MWG)

Podcast Download Issues?

So I've heard from a few listeners who are having problems downloading the podcast. We can start posting the show to a separate location if we need to. Before we do that though, I kind of wanted to know how many people are having issues. It could just be Mypodcast acting up again, but, if you're having problems downloading, could you leave a comment and let me know how your trying to listen to the show (ex. Itunes, Downloading off Mypodcast, using player on Mypodcast)? That would help out a ton.

Thanks guys,

Matt (MWG)

A deal that cannot be resisted.

So I talked about wanting to pick up Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts several shows ago. I've put if off not because of the price, but because I've had soooo many other games to play. Well, if there was ever a day to buy Nuts and Bolts. Today is that day, Amazon is selling the game brand new for $19.98. I just placed my order, you should do the same.

Matt (MWG)