Jonah makes the controversial statement in this episode, as well as a Gaming Flashback on the popular open world FPS Borderlands.
The news this week includes:
Let us know what you think.
This November console gamers will be able to purchase a new Track Pack for Rock Band and Rock Band 2. While Activision’s Guitar Hero: Aerosmith sells over 1-million copies, MTV and Harmonix look to prove they too can push big numbers on exclusive artist packs.
Unlike Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, Rock Band and Rock Band 2 are the core game engine and the track packs extend out the game with a bunch of new songs, in this case, AC/DC. Gamers who opt not to purchase the latest Rock Band 2 game still have access to AC/DC’s new tracks if they go to the store and buy them.
The trick? This is a Wal-Mart (and Sams Club) exclusive deal; you won’t find this track pack at another retailer.
“If you want to be a physical band, you better make an alliance with a strong physical retailer,” Columbia Records chairman Steve Barnett told the Times. “It’s a great way to sell the new album, the catalog, the game, merchandise and DVDs.”(gamespot)
This Track Pack contains 99 minutes of songs, the tracks include:
Will AC/DC do as well as Aerosmith? I’ve never been a big AC/DC fan, but then again, I didn’t buy into the Aerosmith product either, however, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith doesn’t include drumming…
(Thanks, GameSpot)
Now here is another interesting video game for the Atari 2600, the game Dragon Fire consisted of two game screens, one which you ran across a bridge while fireballs were shot at you, you had to duck or jump over the fireball. This screen was a side-scroller style screen (although it doesn’t actually scroll), at the other end of the bridge was a castle door which you’d enter to get to the next screen.
The second screen was more classic “overhead but not really” screen where you ran around this black screen picking up treasures while a dragon at the bottom shot fire at you from below.
As the game increased in level jumping fireballs became more challenging (on the first screen) as you ran because they would come quicker, more often. The second screen would get very difficult very quickly as the dragon would increase in speed and fireball spitting. You could tell how hard the dragon would be as it would change colors from lighter to darker black as you progress stages.
When you finished collecting all the treasure an exit would pop up in the corner and you had to run to it without being burned by the fireballs, that dragon would turn from left to right nearly instantly too! Then, you’d jump into the exit and be back on the bridge again, but this time it was harder. You could die up to 7 times before the game was over (just to show you how hard it is, they gave you a bunch of lives).
The game was tough, frustrating, hard to replay because you were just so nervous and jittery from the last attempt. Graphics were “okay,” nothing to rave at but it was, after all, the 2600.
You can hear all we had to say about DragonFire for the Atari 2600 on Episode 79 of the TD Gaming Podcast!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Harmonix, MTV Games and Electronic Arts has announced their next block buster killer app: Rock Band 2. First, the most important feature is backwards compatible downloadable content. They’ve surpassed 15-million paid downloads, we want our content and we want to keep all the awesome songs for future games, else we might as well stop purchasing now, right?
The question remains, will we want to upgrade our instruments? They’re saying we’ll have “more variety of instrument choices than ever before with new and improved drum and guitar peripherals, enhanced functionality and innovative new designs – all fully compatible with the original Rock Band instruments.” Will the enhanced instruments really want to make us go out and buy them?
If these new instruments are highly desirable or add any new features to the game (or make newer features ‘easier’) then we may be persuaded to look into new hardware…yet with Guitar Hero World Tour we’re already pressured into considering another drum unit.
So confusing, but yet so much desired. I guess that’s the love hate relationship of a gamer with a passion and a, slight, addiction!
