"Aliens: Colonial Marines" Review

I've been a fan of the Alien franchise for a long time and I couldn't have been more excited for this game. I was excited for the atmosphere, the chance to fight against xenomorphs, the multiplayer and the story. Now that I've played the game, I’m left disappointed, mainly because of the single player.

SINGLE PLAYER

Aliens: Colonial Marines didn't deliver where I wanted it to deliver. The story felt rushed, the gameplay felt incomplete and the AI is hit or miss. Yes, I said the AI is hit or miss because sometimes it worked for me and other times an alien would just be stuck in the corner of the room.

This all frustrates me for the simple fact there is some glimpses of a good game buried under a bad game. You can see if they tweaked or even cared about the game there could have been a decent experience here, but it’s ultimately lost.

The single player is what suffers the most. I’m not going to say anything about the graphics, because there have been great games that had sub-par graphics, but I will say that it is rather repetitive. As you’re playing it, it just feels like the developer was going through the motions.

The game didn't even make me jump or even get freaked out. After fighting the first 50 aliens fighting them becomes tiresome. I was just annoyed that I had to constantly kill them. I shouldn't be annoyed!

Towards the end of the game I just felt worn out. Also, I really didn't like the checkpoints.

MULTIPLAYER

Now, I’m not saying that there are not some redeeming qualities in the game. Those can be found in the multiplayer. I had fun with the multiplayer, it feels very similar to the game “Left 4 Dead” and overall I found myself enjoying each of the modes.

There is also a “Call of Duty” style leveling, as you level you unlock different equipment and you can even customize the look of your marine and alien.

The biggest problem I do have with the multiplayer though is its map selection. I’m tired of playing the same maps over and over again. I honestly feel like there are only two maps in the game because I keep playing the same ones.

So, in reviewing this game it feels like I’m reviewing two different games. The single player is a mess and could have been great if more attention and care was placed into it. The multiplayer on the other hand I found fun and enjoyable despite playing the same maps over and over.

5 out of 10

"Injustice: Gods Among Us" Roster

Here is the roster, so far, of the upcoming game "Injustice: Gods Among Us".

Aquaman

Bane

Batman

Catwoman

Cyborg

Deathstroke

Flash

Green Arrow

Green Lantern

Harley Quinn

Hawkgirl

Joker

Lex Luthor

Nightwing

Shazam

Sinestro

Solomon Grundy

Superman

Wonder Woman

"The Amazing Spider-Man 2" Suit

Here is the new suit for the "The Amazing Spider-Man 2". I have to say that I like it.

I didn't mind "The Amazing Spider-Man" suit but this one is much more sleek. You can see that they're taking ideas from the Ultimate Spider-Man comics and even Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy and there is nothing wrong with that.

I'm excited for "The Amazing Spider-Man 2", I want to see where they go with it. I wasn't the biggest fan of the first and I'm hoping that this one delivers.

Game Glitches: Super Mario Bros.

Video games are going to have glitches. So, I thought I would start a new series on this blog called ‘Game Glitches’ and explore glitches in games stretching all the way back to the Nintendo Entertainment System.

For the very first part in the series I’ve explored the classic title – Super Mario Bros.

This was the first game in the Super Mario series, even though the Mario Brothers appeared in a 1983 game titled Mario Bros. Super Mario Bros. was published in 1985 and has become a gaming classic, a game that really kept gaming and home consoles going.

Super Mario Bros. is more than a great game but it does have some interesting glitches that have become well known throughout the years.

Minus World

The first glitch I’m going to talk about is the famous Minus World.

The Minus World is an endless underwater level that is a copy of the World 7-2. There is no escaping this world and once you run out of time you’re dead. Yet, it’s neat just to witness it.

Now, I’m going to tell you how to do it.

1.) Get a copy of the actual NES cartridge and play on an NES. I’m pretty sure most of these glitches were taken out of remakes of the game and your best chance in doing it is to have the original game.

2.) To get the glitch to work you’ll to get to world 1-2. Once there go to the pipe at the end of the level that leads you to the flag. DO NOT go into the pipe.

3.) After you get to the pipe you’ll need to break the second and third block from the pipe. Yet, leave the block that is at the far right alone.

4.) Now, once the blocks are taken care of, you must stand on the edge of the pipe (Face left). Once standing there, crouch down, and while crouched, jump and move right while in the air.

If you do all the steps correctly, Mario should go through the blocks on the right and fall into a warp zone. Once in this warp zone, go down the pipe on the far left and this will bring you to the Minus World.

Jumping Over the Flagpoles

It IS possible to jump over flagpoles, even though people have been trying to debunk this for years. This is something you can’t do in every level but some of them will let you.

1.) In World 1-1 you want to make your way past the second pit.

2.) Once passed it, Mario will need to get up on the bricks that end with a “?” box and wait for the turtle Koopa. Once the Koopa Troopa is about to fall into the pit jump down and even though you won’t hit him the game will register you did and he will get trapped under the level.

3.) You will see the Koopa Troopa’s head under the level. He will be heading into the direction of the flag. Follow him, but never get far behind or far in front of him. Also, make sure to pick up the mushroom power up on the way to the end of the level. Once at the end, wait until he’s halfway between the stairs and the flag. Once he is, jump off the stairs leading up the flag. Mario will double jump in the air by stomping on the koopa without even being close to him. This will give Mario enough height to jump over the flagpole.

Once you’re over the flagpole you’ll soon discover that there is nothing over there. Mario can just run on forever until time runs up.

Vine Teleport

In world 4-2 there is a vine not even halfway through the level. Hit the box containing the vine and then move the screen ever so slightly to have the pipe with piranha plant in it showing.

Now, if you touch the edge of the left edge on the screen, Mario should teleport to the right of the screen.

Blue Bowser

This will work in any of the castle levels. You want to make your way to the end of the levels, but don’t step on the bridge Bowser is on. Instead, you’ll want to wait for Bowser to come into frame himself. When he does he will be blue.

Die and Win

Well you don’t really win but it’s still an interesting glitch.

While in a castle get to the end of the level and try to be and stay small. Now, it gets tricky you’ll need Bowser to touch you while you touch the axe. This will kill you and Bowser but the level will continue.

Yet, after you read the classic text "Thank you Mario! But our princess in another castle!" you’ll be immediately directed to a game over screen.

There are many more glitches in Super Mario Bros., glitches I will cover in a later installment.

Man of Steel Trailer: My Thoughts

I have to say that I’m impressed with the Man of Steel trailer but of course I still have my concerns.

Let’s start with the trailer we received in the summer before The Dark Knight Rises. That one didn’t give us much and left us wanting a larger trailer that included more footage and some ideas of the plot. Yet, we didn’t exactly get that with this new trailer.

With this one we get a glimpse of the tone of the movie, which is what a teaser trailer really does. We can see that this is going to be a movie humanizing Superman, which can go two ways; it can be interesting or just boring.

You can see that the world they’re creating here is dark, conflicted and there is a lot of doubt. I like this, because where everything is working against the hero it just becomes that more satisfying when he becomes Superman.

The villain, Zod does show up very briefly in the trailer. In briefly I mean we just get a glimpse of his face. I would like to see the next trailer focus a little more on him so we can get an idea of what he's up to.

I really hope that this movie works, because let’s face it, if this movie flops and fails we won’t be getting any more Superman movies for a long, long time.

I enjoy Superman, he’s not my favorite comic to read but I always enjoyed the ones that I did read. There is a lot of potential for a Superman movie and I believe that the tone this trailer set is on the right path, let’s just hope that the plot is worth it.

Man of Steel Trailer

Nit-Picking: The Avengers

Now before I get into this I just want to say right from the start that I did enjoy The Avengers. I thought it was a good movie, which stumbled here and there but was still very much entertaining. Yet, it doesn’t save it from me nit-picking the things that I don’t like and that didn’t make any sense.
SPOILERS are ahead.

Let’s just get right into this, starting with Loki. Loki is back in the first few minutes of the movie and he starts to control the minds of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, notably Hawkeye. Yet, the thing I don’t understand is why in the hell didn’t he just control Nick Fury, you know the director of this agency? If he just controlled Fury’s mind then his plan might have went together better, I mean the Avengers might have never assembled, because it was really Fury pushing for them to come together. If The Avengers never assembled then Loki could have had his aliens invade without any opposition. So, why didn’t he just use Fury or kill him? Oh, wait he did try to kill him, which brings me to my next point.

Why couldn’t Hawkeye kill Fury at point blank? Isn’t his whole deal accuracy and vision? I mean they do call him Hawkeye. Yet, he shoots Fury in the chest rather than just shooting him in the head. If they really wanted him dead how about shooting him not in the chest and then check whether or not he is alive after you shot him? My word no wonder Loki ended up loosing in the end.

While on the subject of Hawkeye, I felt cheated by this character. For half of the movie he’s not himself, and for a character that didn’t get his own movie before The Avengers they really should have developed him more. He basically goes from being good, to bad and back to good. That’s it for him. Hawkeye is an interesting character and I would’ve liked to see him do more as Hawkeye not mind-controlled Hawkeye.

Next let’s talk about the Hulk. The whole movie we see him struggling with not letting the “other guy” come out and how he doesn’t know exactly how to control the Hulk. Fast forward to the end, Bruce Banner reveals his secret of controlling the hulk is that he is always angry. What? He then can transform into the Hulk at will and control him.

So, where was this control when he decided to go berserk on the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier? Do you expect me to believe that he just learned to control it while he drove a moped into New York City? Why does he know how to control it now? Well, whatever I guess they just needed the Hulk to fight against the aliens that seem to have no tactics or effective weapons.

Why can’t these aliens kill one Avenger? Or maybe just injure one? The alien army just seems to be getting mowed down left and right. They were just ineffective, you think being an intelligent alien race that they would have more accurate weaponry and effective armor … not the case.

Yet, are Avengers have some great equipment from their suits, to their weapon of choice and don’t forget about the ear pieces they DON’T WEAR.

During the final battle the Avengers are able to talk to one another through ear pieces that aren’t in their ears. I don’t know maybe they are telepathic or the ear pieces were supposed to be animated in later but they just forgot. Any care they don’t have anyway to communicate with one another but they are. It looks funny once you notice this.

Now, I’m going to conclude with Thor. In the movie Tony Stark/Iron Man says that Thor is a demigod. Thor is just a god, he isn’t a demigod. You see in order to qualify as a demigod you need to have one parent who is a god and the other has to be human, that’s how a demigod works. In Thor’s case he’s just a god. His parents were Odin and Jord who were both gods, which makes Thor a god not a demigod. After all it’s Thor God of Thunder not Thor Demigod of Thunder.

I could go on and list every little mistake due to cuts and everything but let’s face it that would be just tedious to read. Yet, there are more than a few mistakes in the movie and if you watch carefully you can spot them.