Have Video Games Became too Easy?

I've been playing Sonic the Hedgehog on the ps3 for the past couple of days and I finally managed to beat it.  First time, much more difficult on the Genesis, since it didn't have a save system that could save anywhere during the game.  You could literally save it right before you goto the Chaos Bonus Level and try again if you fail.  This made it much simpler.  When I found out how to abuse this save system, I was saving it all the time.  I had around 7 lives and a handful of continues that weren't needed because of this.  And I said to myself, this is just too easy.  I would have never gotten this far on the original console.

And it's true.  I think the farthest I got on that game was Labyrinth Zone.  With maybe a life left and no continues since I drained them on the past zone.  It seems games have became to simple.  Even the older ones with save systems like this one.  Sure, I could pop in Demon's Souls if I ever feel like getting my ass handed to me, but that game is an exception to most games out these days.  Most of them are to easy even on their hardest difficulty setting with the save points and all that.

I have a stack of NES and SNES games staring at me every now and then, because I've gotten close to beating them, but still haven't (I'm looking at you Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Mega Man X and x3!).  Because back in those days you lost all your lives, your continues.  That's it.  Back to the beginning you go and try, try again.  Until you ultimately fail and have to start over.  But at least you'll know about the earlier levels more since you've played it again and again, since you had to start over.  So progressing through them should be easy, but once you got to something new, that's when Hell breaks through and back to the start you go!

Maybe I'm being a bit hard on newer games out today and maybe I'm not.  Since I'm throwing down $60 for a game with a 12 hour campaign that usually has zero replayability.  Especially these First Person Shooters where most campaigns are just a set path.  Follow this line.  Back in the day when Doom, Quake and Wolfenstein owned the market.  There was so much to explore.  Even if each level ended the same way by getting to the end.  You didn't know to get there.  They just hand you a gun and told you to survive.  And figure it out on your own.  What am I missing here?  Because most of these games have zero influence on those kind of maps even though their engines still have some aspects of them.

And it does come down to money too.  I used to subscribe to Gamefly and it was much better to spend a cheap flat fee to play as many games as I wanted.  So if you beat this game in less than 20 hours and done everything you could possibly have, send that back and get something else.  It really takes away that feeling that you've been hooked, lined and sinked by spending that much on it and just having it sit there, since it was too simple, too easy and over to quick.

I'd like to know how many hours I have in those classic Nintendo games I've mentioned, because every few months I'll dust off my machine and try again.  Especially TMNT and Mega Man X.  I managed to get to the last level on TMNT, Shedder's base.  I think I had one turtle left and was annihilated by all the traps.  And I don't want to even get into MMX, because I still can't beat Sigma in his final boss form.  I've been playing these games since my early childhood/early teens and still can't conquer them, but the new CoD?  I'm sure I could beat it in 16 hours on Veteran.

But what do you think?  Do you like games how they are now or would you rather have them just a tad more difficult or expansive so you could actually get your monies worth out of them?

Sucker Punch Review

Even with the horrible reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, I decided to still go.  Be damn what other critics said about the film.  I'd rather have an opinion on it rather than some guy who gets paid to defecate on movies for a living.

And the bottom line is, it's not that bad.  I was expecting worse.  Like Troma bad.  But it was actually pretty decent.  This movie calls to all the gamers out there.  Because Snyder made this film for you.  No doubt about it.  If you want a checklist it's got it.  Samurai Babes, check.  Zombified Steampunk Nazis, Check.  Fighting Orcs, Knights and a fucking Dragon, checkaroo. How about Robots?  It's got that too.  The movie is chocked full of action.  No complaint there.  Zack Snyder is always on top with the action.

Storywise, it's left to be desired.  But that's my opinion.  Others have said that there are deeper themes and meanings behind the film and sure, I can understand that.  I got it.  And the theme to it all I got as well.  I was cool with the whole Inception-like plot and not even explaining how that even happened, but maybe to me it was the characters who couldn't pull it off.  It's just the acting that was paper thin to me.  Sure all the girls were easy on the eyes.  And I assure they are throughout the whole film.  But other then that they just seemed two dimensional to me.  And the whole dancing thing with Babydoll I found comical.

The Score/Soundtrack I found to be pretty impressive.  Most of the songs were older and they were touched up, remixed like Tarantino usually likes to do sometimes.  But to the max in this film.  I don't think any song that was played was the original and how they fit into the scenes was great.  The Cinematography was extraordinary as well.  Like I said, this was Zack Snyder we're dealing with.  This is almost expected and you won't be left disappointed.

So all in all it's a decent film.  If you're hungry for the summer films to come out already, go and eat this one up as a snack while you wait.  It tastes good, but has empty calories.  And you shouldn't worry about it, because taste is usually the best thing.

True Lies 2? For reals?

http://blog.moviefone.com/2011/03/21/true-lies-2-news/?_r=true

So, Tom Arnold is yapping from that thing below his nose about how there is a new True Lies in the making and Arnie will more than likely be apart of it.  Cameron wouldn't be able to direct, but produce.  And that would be a shame, I'd like to see him do a kick ass action movie with some one liners instead of the obviously blatant global warming messages he likes to smear on his latest stuff.  Guy can't even be subtle about it, that's what pisses me off.

But anyway, this isn't a Cameron rant, this is about True Lies 2!  Obviously the first one was a hit.  Something a bit different for Arnie, had some comedy in it.  And his motivation this time wasn't being sent to the past to kill a woman because he's a robot.  And honestly do you think Cameron told Arnold he had to be more still and rigid like and show no emotion, because he's a terminator.  A machine.  Or do you think that just comes natural?

It seems like Hollywood is trying to revitalize some franchises or movies that probably weren't considered franchises back in the 90s.  Because I never thought about a sequel for True Lies.  I mean, I'd see it.  Lets hope Jamie Lee Curtis still has that kinda figured like she did in the first one.  But she should probably keep her clothes on.  I'm better with the idea of thinking everything it tight and firm with some really snug clothing then having that shattered to pieces when shows everyone how they can hang at her bellybutton now.  She's like in her mid-50's.  Nobody needs to see that!

But a project like this could jump start all three of their careers again.  Well except Arnie, I hear this guy has script after script thrown at him and who knows how many times he told his agent no to a sequel/prequel to Terminator and Predator.

EA Online Pass Rant

Okay, so I rented Need For Speed Hot Pursuit from the library for the cheap.  And the game isn't that bad.  But to play online, EA's new strategy to combat used sales are in effect.  You'll have to spend $10 bucks to actually have fun with friends and somebody across the world online.  Which isn't right.  This isn't the way to go.  It'll only divide people then bring them in.  So if you're in Gamestop one day and thinking about getting the new Battlefield used for $5 cheaper, you'll regret it, since you'll be paying $5 more than brand new.  The game is great, but this new method for online gaming is absurd.   Especially if you have X-box Live and now you have to pay $10 more when you're already paying to play online.  I can understand that they're trying to get the devs to make money on their games, by cutting out on used sales.  But this isn't the way.