Do Me a Solid: Multiplayer Game Arrange

So did you know that The Wonderful 101 has a multiplayer mode?

I did.  I’ve known it for a while, in fact -- probably around the time it was first released, since it IS featured on the back of the box.  But this is a Platinum game we’re talking about, and I’d imagine that they’re not exactly famous for their multiplayer suites (Anarchy Reigns aside).  As a result, it came as an absolute shock to my brother and buddy that there was a 4-player multiplayer mode in the game -- and the latter barely even knew what The Wonderful 101 was.  So for the first time ever, all three of us got to see what it entailed…for the short time we actually sat down with it, but hey.  I’ll take it.

It’s not exactly an expansive mode, as far as I can tell.  If you’ve played the main game -- running through levels with a munchkin-sized squadron, and beating down aliens by building giant, supercharged weaponry -- then imagine that with up to three of your pals in a string of missions/score attack.  I had a blast with it, if only because it reminded me of how much I love the game (and need to replay it).  I have a hunch that my buddy had no idea what was going on for most of it, while dear old big brother seemed actively frustrated by it…though he got a kick out of using Unite Gun to shoot gangsta style.

Hopefully I can convince the two of them to play it again someday.  But more importantly?  I think it’s high time for me to build a bigger collection of multiplayer games -- and that’s where you come in.  Get hyped, maybe.

RE: Dragon's Crown

You know what I just realized?  I don’t know what it means to be “old-school.” 

That’s a description that’s popped up a couple of times in discussions about Dragon’s Crown, and I’d agree that it’s a good adjective to use (and on top of that, I agree with others that think it’s a good game).  But what exactly does it mean to be old-school?  I suppose that means being a part of the gaming chronology for any period before this current console generation…but where’s the cutoff point?  What’s the system that definitively defines who’s a part of the old-school collective?  The Nintendo 64?  The Commodore 64?  I’ve been gaming for a while, but apparently my mom was seriously into the arcade Pac-Man games at one point.  Fancy that.

And that only begs the question of what capacity one has to play games to qualify as old-school.  Lines have been drawn this generation between casual and hardcore players -- both with their own strengths and weaknesses -- but there’s a lot to consider both in terms of games and the players themselves.  I mean sure, I’ve owned games, but for the longest time (and even to this day) it’s my brother clearing them while I watch.  It’s almost contradictory that I’ve spent so much time being a passive observer for an interactive medium.   So what’s the deciding factor?  Who judges who’s a part of the club?  Are there symposiums held in order to sort out all the vital details and ruminate on the particulars of games of old?

…Whatever, Dragon’s Crown is still pretty friggin’ good.

Multiplayer Games -- An All-Points Bulletin

Well, I was originally going to do a post on I Hraet You, but I’ll push that one back a few days.  Right now, I’m in what could be generously described as a state of emergency.

I’ve made it no secret that I don’t particularly care for Call of Duty, least of all its bloppiest iteration yet.  And I’m all right with that; as long as I could put some distance between myself and the game, I would have figured we’d both be better off.  Problem is, lately I haven’t been able to put some distance between us; my gaming buddies are eager to pop in the disc every time, and with it being a two-to-one vote, I end up suffering through having a few rounds.  The only thing that can save me from the game is offering up another, better game to play -- and as of late that’s been getting tougher and tougher. 

So that’s where you come in, readers.  I’m putting out another all-points bulletin; recommend me some good (local) multiplayer games that I can pick up, in the hopes of diverting their attention and saving me from some serious headaches.  That way, the next time I trot on over to GameStop I can maybe grab an old game or two that’ll give us hours of fun (and dissuade more trade-ins).  Right now my preference is for PS3 games, so that we can exchange the PlayStation All-Stars => CoDBlops2 cycle with an All-Stars => Significantly Cooler Game cycle.  But I’m not opposed to hearing some Wii or 360 games being named.  (Doubly so for the Wii, in case there are some GameCube gems.)

Got a recommendation?  Then let me hear it in the comments.  Keep me from meeting with a horrible fate.

Hmmm.  I think I need to do a post on multiplayer games one of these days.