By Anonymous on May 02, 2015 11:28 pm
The Kickstarter campaign for the Banjo-Kazooie successor called Yooka-Laylee from a team of former Rare developers went live yesterday and quickly hit its funding goal of £175,000. A day later, the Kickstarter campaign crushed that initial target, raising a whopping, £1 million, or roughly $1.5 million. "Obviously we would like to offer our sincere thanks to everyone who has backed the project so far," Playtonic Games said in a Kickstarter update. "Our intention from the beginning was to use Kickstarter as a means to improve Yooka-Laylee, and you've helped us shape it into one fine specimen."  Playtonic says the additional funds will allow it to release the game on PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Wii U simultaneously. Since it reached all of its initially stated stretch goals, Playtonic added two new ones. If funding reaches £1.1 million, Playtonic will add an old-school N64 shader mode and a credits GK Rap video written by Grant Kirkhope. If it hits £1.2 million, Playtonic will produce a developer walkthrough and commentary Let's Play video. You can secure a copy of Yooka-Laylee by pledging at least $15. Backing at that level gets you a copy of the PC version, while you'll need to pay around $22 to get a console copy.
By Anonymous on May 02, 2015 09:42 pm
The Last of Us has great characters and story, but not everyone is good enough at video games to get through its stealth combat gameplay. Thanks to YouTube user Grant Voegtle, now anyone can enjoy the game's story, even if they don't like playing video games. Voegtle has been working over the last month to create an episodic, cinematic playthrough of The Last of Us, cutting captured gameplay footage to focus on the important story beats, and the result is something akin to a television show. "I was hearing that people wanted to share the story of The Last of Us with their family, but they just didn't have the time to have them sit down and play the entire game," Voegtle told The Verge in an interview. "Hearing that and knowing that I could do that for people—that's been the most motivating thing so far to keep me working on it." You can watch trailer for the cinematic playthrough above, and catch up with the entire series of videos on Voegtle's YouTube channel. In other The Last of Us news, Sony and Naughty Dog on Friday announced that the single-player expansion for The Last of Us, called Left Behind, will be released as a standalone download on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 this month.
By Anonymous on May 02, 2015 09:30 pm
 The Legend of Zelda Wii U looks as close to being an open world adventure as the Zelda series has ever come. Though previous games in the series usually featured large overworlds to explore, they weren't exactly open worlds in the true sense of the term. Consider how Hyrule is physically segmented in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Hyrule Field acted as a vast hub area, with little spokes that branched off to Hyrule Castle, Kakariko Village, Kokiri Forest, Zora's Domain, and Gerudo Valley. Each of these locations was separated from the field with a loading screen, and in most cases, you couldn't travel directly from one to the other without first crossing through the Hyrule Field hub. This didn't feel like a true open world as we think of them today. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds created what felt like a more open world through an unorthodox approach--for the series--to "gating" your progress. Gating is the act of keeping you out of certain areas of the game until you fulfil certain conditions. Again, consider Ocarina of Time: You couldn't enter Dodongo's Cavern without the Power Bracelets. You couldn't get the Power Bracelets until you learned Saria's Song. And you couldn't even climb Death Mountain until you met Princess Zelda and received her letter. A Link Between Worlds did away with this linear progression by allowing you to rent the items you needed to progress in any order, and at any time. I feel that something approaching this type of gating is necessary for exploration in an open world Zelda game to work. Even if I can travel from one end of Hyrule to the other without a load screen, what is the point if I have to do it in a specific order, anyway? This is a problem that The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker suffered from because of the way its vast Great Sea overworld was designed. After a few dungeons, you could sail anywhere, with no loading screens--but there wasn't much reason to until you began the penultimate quest to collect the Triforce pieces. Because it didn't make sense to gate players' movement as they sailed across a vast sea, Nintendo instead placed Wind Waker's gates on the island themselves: impassable obstacles that blocked entry to the island's depths until certain items were acquired. For me, little else defeats the grand sense of adventure than travelling to a new, unknown location, and discovering that I'm not allowed in yet. A Link Between Worlds gated its locations with items, too--but the difference in that game was that the order you acquired those items was up to you. My problem with that game's item gating was how artificial it felt. Barriers outside dungeons had a picture of the item you needed printed on them--they didn't feel like natural features of the terrain to overcome or circumvent. My hope is that The Legend of Zelda Wii U will find solutions to both of these problems. From what we've seen of the game, Hyrule is a physical landmass, not an ocean. This naturally gives Nintendo far more options for gating progress in ways that don't feel as artificial as an item requirement. From the gameplay in the video above, originally aired at the 2014 Game Awards, it seems like Nintendo is thinking along similar lines. If I see an interesting landmark in an open world game, I want to be able to travel to it. With Epona galloping through fields, Link para-sailing off cliffs, and setting waypoints far in the distance, The Legend of Zelda Wii U has exactly what I need to spark my initial sense of adventure. However, when I get to that landmark, I want to go inside if it's a cave, or climb it if it's a tower. This harkens back to the feeling of the first Legend of Zelda game for the NES, and Shigeru Miyamoto's original intentions for it--to capture his feeling of exploring caves in the countryside as a child. This worked for the first Zelda game, because its narrative was not as complex as those of its successors--find the pieces of the Triforce, defeat Ganon, and rescue Princess Zelda. I can accept that The Legend of Zelda Wii U may need to have a main quest line that needs to be followed in a certain order for a deeper and more complex story to work. But if that means I need to explore the open world in a similarly linear fashion, and complete dungeons in a certain order, I'll be disappointed.  How would Nintendo solve that? How would they create a consistent story but still allow non-linear exploration? I have an idea, and it's pretty simple: they could decouple the narrative progression from the item and dungeon progression. Look at The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask for an example: the Zora storyline is a self-contained arc which unfolds primarily in the Great Bay. The Gorons' snowy plight is resolved by completing tasks within Snowhead itself. These "story pockets" often required certain items to resolve, and you could bookmark them and return to them if you did discover where that item lay. However, access to those pockets was still restricted by the hub and spoke approach to its world, as in Ocarina of Time. Resolving these narrative events with items is far more satisfying, and feels far less artificial, than opening a new route to travel through, or overcoming a physical barrier to exploration. When exploring an open-world Hyrule, I shouldn't run into those barriers. But if I want to progress the narrative? That's when a hero like Link should run into problems to resolve.
By Anonymous on May 02, 2015 09:30 pm
We're in the eighth generation of home video game consoles, and of the three most popular options, two are not backward compatible. Nintendo's Wii U offers access to its back catalog of Wii games through a separate console mode and to games from the company's early days through the Virtual Console. But for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, owners have to count on remastered editions of their favorite older games or services like PlayStation Now if they want access to them on the newer machines. It hasn't always been this way, though. Previous console generations had the guts (literally) to run games from older hardware, but over time the cost of adding the extra technology to newer machines proved to be too high. Are we justified in feeling cheated out of consoles with backward compatibility? Or is it all just part of the industry's evolution towards better, brighter experiences? The history of backward compatibilityWhen we say something is backward compatible, it means that the object in question can work with input generated by an older product or piece of technology. If the new, most recent technology can receive, read, view or play input--like media--in older formats, then the product is backward compatible. In the case of consoles, when we talk about backward compatibility, we're asking if the console can play games create for previous hardware in that console's family. For example, early PlayStation 3 models could play PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 1 games, while the first run of the Nintendo Wii was compatible with GameCube games, memory cards, and even controllers. The early years of video game consoles saw backward compatibility as a more common feature. But for some companies, it was harder than others. Atari: The Atari 7800, released in 1986, was backward compatible with the Atari 2600 but not the console that directly preceded it, the 5200. This was because the 7800 included many of the same chips built into the original 2600. Users could put the 7800 into a "2600" mode that slowed down the console's processor from 1.79 MHz to 1.19 MHz, which mirrored the 2600's processor. In this mode, game data was accessed in 4K blocks rather than the 7800's standard 48K blocks, allowing the newer Atari to read and play the older machine's games. Atari never released another true console with backward compatibility, but in 1987, the company launched the Atari XEGS, which could play the entire library of software developed for Atari's 8-bit home computers. Additionally, the company developed but never released the Atari Jaguar II; the canceled project would have allowed users to play catridges for the original Atari Jaguar and Jaguar CD. The Sega Master System.Sega: In 1983, Sega released the cartridge-based Sega Game 1000 in Japan; it would never be released outside of the territory. The company's next machine, 1986's Sega Master System, was built to be compatible with the SG-1000's game cartridges. Following the Master System, Sega opted not to put the previous console's chips in its next machine, the 1989 Sega Genesis, but instead made backward compatibility possible through a peripheral. Although the Genesis contained an 8-bit processor, this accessory, the Power Base Converter, had to be hooked up to the Genesis in order to play Master System games. Sony: The PlayStation 2, which launched in 2000, allowed users to play PSOne discs, although PSOne memory cards were also required to access and store save data. PSOne controllers were also compatible with the hardware, although certain functions like the analog buttons were not available to use when playing PS2 games. Early PlayStation 3 models were backward compatible with both PSOne and PS2 games, and save files from PSOne and PS2 memory cards could be transferred to the PS3's hard drive using a memory card adapter. When Sony debuted the PS3 Slim model in fall 2009, the company removed backward compatibility chips in order to make it a thinner piece of hardware. No PS3 models following the launch of the Slim have had backward capability. Microsoft: The Xbox 360, 2005's successor to the original Xbox, allowed for some backward compatibility but required several more complicated hoops to jump through. Unlike the PlayStation 2 and 3, players couldn't put previous generation discs into the system and expect them to run. Playing Xbox titles on Xbox 360 required system software updates from Microsoft and emulation profiles. These emulation profiles were created for each individual game--there was no blanket solution for all Xbox titles--and could be downloaded straight to the console via Xbox Live or through Xbox.com and burned to a CD or DVD. Only Xbox 360s with the official Xbox 360 hard drive could run the emulation profiles. In November 2007, Microsoft stopped creating emulation profiles for Xbox games. To date, there are 461 Xbox titles that are compatible with the Xbox 360. Any game without an official emulation will not work. The Nintendo Wii with a GameCube game and controller.Nintendo: While Nintendo's early consoles ran on their own media--with sizes and shapes of cartridges and discs varying between generations--it all came together with the Wii in 2006. Wii models made pre-2011 were fully backward compatible with Nintendo GameCube game discs, memory cards, and controllers. This was because the Wii hardware had ports for both GameCube memory cards, and peripherals and its slot-loading drive was able to accept and read the previous console's discs. When playing a GameCube game, however, only GameCube functions were available, and only compatible memory cards and controllers could be used because the Wii's internal memory would not save GameCube data. Online and LAN features of certain GameCube games were not available, however, due to the Wii not having serial ports for the GameCube's Broadband and Modem Adapters. The redesigned Wii Family Edition and Wii Mini, launched in 2011 and 2013 respectively, had this compatibility stripped out. What's the current situation?Right now, Nintendo's Wii U is the only console on the market with true backward compatibility. Wii software can be transferred to the Wii U and and accessed through Wii Mode by clicking on the "Wii Menu" home screen icon with a Wii remote. Speaking of which, Wii remotes and peripherals also work with the Wii U. In Wii Mode, games can be displayed on the GamePad screen, but Wii Remotes are still required to play them. Additionally, Nintendo's handheld lines also hold up in terms of backward compatibility. The Game Boy line read software from most previous incarnations of the handheld, with the exception of the Game Boy Micro. The company's most current handheld, the Nintendo 3DS, can also play games from the Nintendo DS. Neither of Sony's current gaming hardware, the PS4 or PlayStation Vita, are backward compatible. The PS Vita cannot play the UMD discs of its predecessor, the PlayStation Portable, because there is no UMD reader; instead, the Vita utilizes small flash memory cards the size of SD memory cards. Compatible PSP games can, however, be downloaded from the PlayStation Network on PS Vita. The main reason PlayStation 4 and Xbox One can't play older games games is because both consoles use an entirely different kind of chip with a different instruction set. While older PlayStations and the Xbox 360 used PowerPC chips, the PS4 and Xbox One completely changed the guts of the system by using an x86-64 architecture, which is closer to Intel and AMD CPUs. For PS4, Sony's PlayStation Now service, currently in open beta, does allow users to stream PS3 games, but requires a subscription fee. Speaking with GameSpot during the PS4's launch in November 2013, PS4 architect Mark Cerny said that, while the plan for PS3 was to put PS2 hardware in every console, the move was impossible with PS4. "Software emulation is very hard to do unless you have 10 times the frequency of the previous console," Cerny said. "Software emulation is not about the overall performance that can be achieved by having a great number of processing units. It's about being able to do things quickly. You're trying to emulate your previous hardware, and that takes you a certain number of operations to emulate whatever it was doing. So, PlayStation 1 is emulatable on PlayStation 2 because there was an increase in the frequency of the CPU and GPU to something like a factor of 10. And the same thing is true between the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3. The PlayStation 2 is something like 300 Mhz; PlayStation 3 about 3.2 Ghz -- about 10 times as much. But even so, it's very, very hard to do. A top-down view of the PS2's motherboard."The world we're in now, though, frequency has stopped increasing," he added. "For example, if you look at your PC, the frequency of the CPU hasn't changed much in the last ten years. And that makes emulation just really hard to do." Microsoft's Xbox One is also not compatible with its predecessor's media. Nor can you use the Xbox 360's Kinect with the Xbox One; you must purchase the updated version of the peripheral. There is no PlayStation Now equivalent for Xbox One. How do you make something backward compatible?The more advanced the technology used for consoles becomes, the more difficult--and more expensive--it is to add the hardware or software necessary for backward compatibility. Consoles with more features will likely be pricier, and a current generation console with a the previous generation's chipset would be wildly expensive; think of a PS4 or Xbox One with another $200 tacked on to account for the additional parts. This is one reason why Sony and Microsoft have shied away from including backward compatibility in their current consoles. But just what does it take to make something backward compatible? There are two ways to go about implementing the feature: hardware implementation and software emulation. Either you have the exact hardware needed to run previous generation games, or you're using the full power of the new hardware to emulate the previous generation's software. The best way to add backward compatibility to a console is to include the important pieces of the previous generation machine's guts, like the CPU, GPU, and sound chips. For example, the Wii was able to play GameCube games because it was essentially a more powerful version of the GameCube. The PlayStation 2 also had the original PSOne chipset built in. The other way, emulation, is a little trickier, and there are two different ways to make things work. The motherboard of the original Xbox.Dynamic recompilation ensures the most compatibility. This process takes code that has been written for one chip and, as the code goes through the CPU, translates it into code that the native hardware can interpret. This method may give hardware the best way to emulate software, but you need really strong hardware in order for dynamic recompiling to reproduce a 1:1 experience performance-wise. Another way to emulate software is to add another layer of software that is written to mimic the hardware a code has been written for. This is the most common form of emulation because it doesn't drastically affect a game's performance. A good example of this is Microsoft's approach to emulating Xbox games for the Xbox 360; individual emulation software was written for each compatible game. That's the slight drawback: one emulation software can't be created for multiple titles, so the code has to be created separately for each game needing compatibility. The downloadable PSOne games Sony has released for PS3 and Vita come with emulation code tailored to that specific game, which is why we haven't seen every PSOne Classic released at once for any of the newer consoles. This is also how Nintendo is handling game releases for the Wii U Virtual Console. For the Xbox 360, some games had additional compatibility updates to fix problems, but not all of them received these patches. Many Xbox games still have problems running on the 360, compatible or not. The PS2 had a more powerful graphics system than its predecessor that could do parallel processing. When running a PSOne game on PS2, the timing between the hardware's parallel processing and the running software had to be exactly right, or the game would break. Later, slimmer PS2s used software emulation for PSOne games, and as a result only supported certain titles. What do Microsoft and Sony have to say now?Last fall, Sony's vice president of Sony Network Entertainment Eric Lempel stated in an interview with Game Informer that PlayStation Now could see the addition of PS4, PS2 and PSOne games in the future. "In our plans going forward we're looking at everything so there's the real possibility that you'll see PlayStation 1, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation 4 titles available," he said. "Right now it's just PlayStation 3, but these are all options for the future." Around the same time, head of Xbox Phil Spencer said Microsoft have heard fans' cries for backward compatibility, and that something was in the works for Xbox One. "Back compat is always a hot topic at the turn of a generation, and I get why." - Phil Spencer
"Back compat is always a hot topic at the turn of a generation, and I get why, especially on [Xbox 360] so many people bought so much digital content and it means that a lot of us, we're holding on to our 360s," Spencer said. "I get the question. I totally respect the question. There's nothing I can say about it right now, but I'll just say 'I hear you.' I definitely hear you and I'll continue to try to work to build something that can help people out." GameSpot reached out to Sony and Microsoft for comment on their plans to bring backward compatibility to current consoles. However, neither company could share any information at this time, other than reiterations of what we already know. A representation from Sony said the company's long-term goals for PlayStation Now include bringing PS1 and PS2 games to service, but for now they are focused on PS3. So this is where we are today: current consoles are not backward compatible, but with the recent rise in re-releases and remasters of previous generation games, we technically can play older games on newer consoles. The downside of this is the cost, as all of these remasters require an additional purpose. Moving forward, it seems that this is the likeliest way publisher will ensure we'll be able to play their older games for years to come.
By Anonymous on May 02, 2015 09:24 pm
The Grand Theft Auto V modding scene on PC is still in its infancy, but there are already a few good tools out there that will let you modify the game in some interesting ways. GameSpot's Robert Handlery and Mary Kish took the top GTA V mods for a test drive, and as you can see in the video below, the results are hilarious. If you want to know how to spawn whales from the sky, recruit a crew of bodyguards, start a riot, or go back to North Yankton, these are the mods being used in the video: Unfortunately, you may have trouble installing these mods now. According to members of the modding community, the last patch rendered Script Hook V, a tool used for GTA V mods, unusable. This is forcing those who wish to continue using mods to revert to older versions of the patch, which you can only do if you've made backups ahead of time or are willing to download older files online from unofficial sources.
By Anonymous on May 02, 2015 08:30 pm
 The City Age, faction wars, and the birth of Gjallerhorn are the stories a Destiny prequel needs to tell.
By Anonymous on May 02, 2015 08:30 pm
Welcome to GameSpot Q&A, a weekly section where we ask our staff and readers an interesting discussion question about video games. Look at this as a forum where you and others can discuss and compare your opinions of this beloved hobby of ours. So don't hesitate to let us know what your answer is to this week's question in the comments below! This week's question is as follows: Shin Megami Tensei x Fire EmblemWhat two game series do you want to be in a crossover together? And what kind of game would you want it to be?Kevin VanOrdWheel of Time and Elder Scrolls. This is a bit of a cheat, because Wheel of Time has only had one significant game, but I want an exploration-heavy role-playing game in the Wheel of Time universe so badly I'd cut off my left pinkie toe to see one come to life. Game of Thrones has captured our culture's imagination, but Wheel of Time's greater focus on magic gives its world's politics an edge ripe for exploring in interactive form. Eddie MakuchI'd like to see the Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter franchises team up for a crossover fighting game. OK, so they're not just video game franchises, but there have been enough good (and bad) entries in both to consider each a video game series, I'd say. The benefits of such a fighting game are plenty, but one obvious positive is that we would finally know who would win in a fight; Gandalf or Dumbledore? Frodo or Harry Potter? Smeagol or Dobby? Both franchises are owned and operated by Warner Bros, so it could totally happen! Mass Effect 3Chris WattersThe Mass Effect universe is one of the richest realms in gaming; it's absolutely bursting with untold stories. And you know who's great at uncovering fascinating stories in a rich world? Geralt of Rivia. Give me solar systems to explore, a ship captained by the Witcher, and don't shackle me with any kind of save-all-carbon-based-lifeforms quest, and I'll roam the stars with a song in my heart. (And if it sounds like I'm describing my ideal Cowboy Bebop video game, well, I am.) Matt EspineliI'd want a stealth action RPG crossover between Metal Gear Solid and Deus Ex. Given their cyberpunk narrative themes, they'd definitely compliment each other well. I can totally imagine Snake sneaking around trying to uncover some kind of illuminati conspiracy. Gosh, I can even see him constantly fighting against a JC-Denton-like agent character that slowly uncovers the same conspiracy over time. But in terms of gameplay, it would be great to see the RPG elements of Deus Ex mix in with the stealth/combat and Mother Base recruitment mechanics of the newer Metal Gear Solid games. Professor Layton and the Azran LegacyJustin HaywaldI love working my way through brainteasers and devious mental challenges, so I search out and complete every puzzle in the Professor Layton games. But as much as I enjoy hunting around the cartoony, 2D setpieces, it's a game I'd love to see in 3D. I imagine mashing Layton up with another of my favorite games, World of Warcraft, would create some amazing possibilities. The game would look like Layton but play like Blizzard's MMO (minus the combat). NPCs in the world with a glowing exclamation mark over their head would stand out as puzzle distributors. Instead of attacks, you could dole out mini-challenges to other players when you meet them. Instances and raids would be a massive gauntlet of puzzles to try and overcome (but puzzles wouldn't respawn, of course). And just imagine a bustling London to explore done in the Professor Layton style but on the scale of Stormwind! Rob CrossleyHearthstone has changed my life more than I'd like to admit, it's an outstanding game of wits that requires constant thinking and rethinking. But I don't really know Warcraft's lore too well (never played WoW etc), so swapping its cards with characters from the Half-Life series (or Game of Thrones, even) would probably result in blissful bankruptcy and a barren social life. Gradius VPeter BrownI would love to see a Gradius and R-Type crossover. Arcade shooters aren't as popular as they once were, but I still love them, and it would be a treat to see a crossover shooter based on my two favorite series in the genre. Mix up mechanics, ships, and create a new setting, and G-Type (the made up name for this unlikely game) could easily carve out a niche all its own within the modern shooter fold. Alexa Ray CorrieaI just want Telltale Games to make a Mad Men game. It makes total sense. A story-driven adventure game about navigating the relationships that come with big business and complicated personal lives. It doesn't even have to be a story about Don Draper. Forget that guy. What about a story about Bob Benson? Or maybe even a tale about Joan's younger years in the early era of Sterling Cooper, her origin story? I think the franchise leaves so many of its smaller, yet still important, characters out of the loop, and I'd love to see more of them, perhaps during times when they were first starting out. Origin stories of Mad Men characters, in which you have a serious hand in determined just how screwed up their lives get. It's a perfect match. Dark SoulsDaniel HindesDark Souls and Dishonored. I love the hostile world of Dark Souls and its sequels, but I'm growing tired of its combat style, and the way I feel rooted to the ground. So I want to play a Dark Souls game with Dishonored-style powers - the ability to teleport around the environment, possess and confuse enemies, and generally play more stealthily. Danny O'DwyerI'd want Mario Kart and Mortal Kombat, and in either direction. Every time I see the "MKTV" logo in the replay screen in Mario Kart 8 I dream of a world where Scorpion and Sub Zero get to race side by side against those bastarding Koopa Kids. Or the other way around - I want to watch my boy Wario rip Toad's head off and use his stupid face as a football. I mean, worse case scenario, getting some of those Smash Bro's skins into the PC version of Mortal Kombat X shouldn't be too hard right? Final Fantasy XV: Episode DuscaeZorine TeI would like to see Final Fantasy crossed over with the Warcraft universe. Imagine a role-playing game where you live out Thrall's journey both in the World of Warcraft and beyond. The boss fights would be awesome, strategic, and all in turn-based combat, of course. Thrall could chest-bump Cloud in a victory fanfare every time a battle was won. Grom would argue with Sephiroth. It would be majestic chaos.
By Anonymous on May 02, 2015 08:30 pm
 Rob and Mary try out some of the hottest GTA 5 Mods, including the Bodyguard Menu, Police Partner and Riot mode. Some may have worked better than others.
By Anonymous on May 02, 2015 04:30 am
 Grab May's free PS Plus and Xbox Live games, Bethesda speaks out on Skyrim paid mod drama, and an ESPN host calls gamers "basement dwellers".
By Anonymous on May 02, 2015 03:49 am
1. The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction
If you're looking for the pinnacle of Hulk video game experiences, look no further. Hulk rampages through an open world environment in such a faithful and fun way, it's no understatement to call it the Arkham Asylum of its day. The game ultimately served as a rough draft of Radical Entertainment's next action opus, Prototype.
2. Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes
Hulk appears in a number of excellent Capcom brawlers, but many fighting game fans consider Marvel vs. Capcom 2 the best of the bunch. Hulk's somewhat of a bottom-tier character due to his low agility, but in the hands of a capable player he still packs a mean punch (and a few kicks as well).
3. Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
If you picked up a PSP in the early days, this action RPG stuffed with Marvel characters became a quintessential purchase. The move to a new genre worked perfectly with the large comic book inspired cast. You needed to snatch up the 360 version to take Hulk for a spin, though.
4. Marvel Pinball: Avengers Chronicles - World War Hulk
The great pinball renaissance has flourished over the past few years. It may be difficult to find real life pinball machines, but digital versions keep getting better. Word War Hulk, a must have for Hulk fans, can even be downloaded on current-gen systems through Zen Pinball 2 and Pinball FX2
5. Disney Infinity 2.0: Marvel Super Heroes
If you haven't yet surrendered to the recent collectible toy craze in video games, congratulations: you are officially a boring grownup. Disney Infinity now has a Marvel Super Heroes play set that includes all of the important Avengers characters. Hulk even brought flowers.
6. LEGO Marvel Super Heroes
Stan SMASH! One of the highlights of LEGO Marvel are the Stan Lee missions, including one where the sultan of superheroes gets a hulked-out upgrade. There are plenty of great Hulk moments in the game, but this one deserves a special place in every comic book lover's heart.
7. LittleBigPlanet
The adorable Sackboy gets a grumpy makeover with this Hulk outfit included in the Marvel Costume Kit 4. You can finally build the Avengers Mansion you always dreamed of from scratch. But inviting Hulk along is probably a recipe for delightful destruction.
8. Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2
The follow up to the stellar RPG has a hard time living up to the pedigree of its predecessor, but still delivers an excellent time. Most importantly for Hulk fans, the green machine is an unlockable character, conveniently located near some gamma radiators.
9. Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions
You have to look pretty closely to spot this one, but Hulk makes a brief little cameo in Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions during a 2099 section (he's on a billboard in the background). It's nice to know Bruce Banner's legacy lives on to the end of the century.
10. Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3
This one's a treat for Hulk fans, especially considering he gets an upgrade from his previous incarnations. If you wanna go all out, definitely download his ancient warrior DLC costume skin.
11. Hulk (2003)
You've stumbled across an historical oddity: a game much better than its film tie-in. Radical Entertainment didn't let Eric Bana's clumsy Hulk movie slow them down. This brawler had much more of the Hulk spirit audiences were expecting. Ultimate Destruction, the game's follow up, went on to perfect the formula.
12. Marvel Super Heroes: War of the Gems
Based on the short lived Infinity Gauntlet comic book series, this cute Super NES sidescroller surprisingly holds up well. It was developed at a time when Capcom was the master of the action platformer, and it serves as an excellent companion piece to its sister game X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse.
13. Avengers: Initiative
Hulk continues to confound by succeeding where others have failed. This Android and iPhone game plays way better than you'd expect, taking careful cues from swipe-to-swing action games like Infinity Blade. In spite of the Avengers title, this game is mostly a Hulk affair, and against all odds, it's actually one of the best games he's starred in!
14. Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter
Along with X-Men vs. Street Fighter, Marvel Super Heroes was one of the first games where you could see comic characters face off against classic fighters. It also was the first game to settle many playground bets over whether Hulk could destroy Zangief (Spoiler: he totally could).
15. Questprobe Featuring The Hulk
If you're a fan of the Hulk, there's a good chance you've got a soft spot for nostalgia, and this ancient adventure game for the ZX Spectrum delivers in spades. With a limited color palette, you had to use your imagination to think Hulk looked green, but for his very first video game outing, Hulk knocked it out of the park.
16. The Incredible Hulk (1994)
This is another one of Hulk's 16-bit sidescrollers, which debuted on both the Sega Genesis and the Super NES. It's not quite as imaginative as Capcom's counterpart two years later, but its multiple paths and lower difficulty make it a fun afternoon treat to breeze through.
17. Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth
Ubisoft doesn't quite nail fighting games the way Capcom does, but Battle for Earth is still worth a spin, most notably for its Kinect integration on the Xbox 360. It's probably the only game in existence that actually responds on screen when you yell "HULK SMASH!"
Recent Articles:
|
No comments:
Post a Comment