BSOD for Windom XP?

My enthusiasm for Boot Fighter Windom is somewhat curbed after Gwenster and I attempted some online play. Unfortunately with Gwen having a ping of 133 the game played in slow motion... literally. It was more like playing Chromehounds than Gundam VS Zeta Gundam. I'll reserve total judgement until I can play someone in the same hemisphere though.

Even worse the Blitz tactics mode seems completely broken, turning into a slide show as soon as a mass of enemies gets on screen. Our computers are ludicrously high spec for a game like this so that isn't the problem.

The game is still VERY much worth downloading though. The survival mode is extremely addictive and fun.

Memories of Axis

After reading Gwenster's article on Bootfighter Windom, I checked it out. I agree 100% with his review the game is a ton of fun and very reminiscent of the Versus series of games, maybe even better in some ways.

Seeing such a fun and exciting, yet totally free game really brought me back to when I was heavily into PC gaming and especially the mod scene in the late 90s. Those where heady times with many free mods coming out that often had far more innovative gameplay than the commercial products they were based on.

It also reminded me of a very special time in my gaming life. The time I met my bud Gwenster. Back around the end of 2000 or early 2001 I somehow stumbled on a forum devoted to an obscure Korean Mecha game called Axis. I was, and still am a fanatic for Japanese style giant robots. I had cut my teeth on the Armored Core series on PSX, but at that time was heavily into playing online PC shooters like Quake 2-3, Half-Life, and UT. Axis was a Hybrid of those two types of games.

Axis was a frantic and fast paced First person game that controlled like an FPS, but your robot also had thrusters and could fly around in space. The Mecha was highly customizable like in Armored Core, albeit with fewer parts. An entire community sprung up around playing the demo on the Axis forum at The Junkyard. That's where I met Gwenster. Back then he was known as Biohazard. And I was known as The Pacifier (This was years before that shitty Vin Diesel movie) At first I thought he was just a cocky little loudmouth but I soon saw that he had the skills to back it up. Eventually we became friends.

Back then I still only had a 56k modem so I regularly got my head handed to me, but I still have a lot of fond memories of epic battles in the starfield map which always reminded me of Gundam 0083.

A few of us went so far as to import the full game from Korea. It came with a really cool full color manual which I treasure to this day. Eventually the game even got a limited release in the US through Gamespy's, way ahead of it's time, and sadly half baked, Arcade service.

Eventually the Axis fandom began to cool off. Gwenster and I moved on to other games. Jamie systems, the company that made Axis had plans to make another mecha game but that never came to pass.

Like Windom, Axis was an easily mod-able game with it's assets unprotected and accessible. At one time I had an anime sound pack up for download that made the game feel more authentic. I intend to do the same for Windom when I have time.

Bootfighter Windom - Go ! Gundam VS Clone !

Satisfying beam-saber combat

In preperation of writing a Gundam article to follow-up on the Crossfire review I was searching for some appropriate footage on Youtube. Coincidentally, I stumbled across a free game, made for the PC titled " Bootfighter Windom " which is essentially a " Gundam VS " game clone, to be more specific " Gundam Seed Destiny : Federation VS Zaft II Plus " since all the mobile-suits in the game are modelled after those from Gundam SEED destiny.

Since I absolutly love the gameplay style of the "Gundam VS" type of games, I didn`t hesitate to download this after looking at it`s description which promises giant robots, One-on-one beam saber action. Macross Missile Massacre (tm). For those of you unfamilier with "Gundam VS" games, this plays simular to "Virtual-on"

The installation was simple and straightforward; starting the game brings you to a configuration screen which it seems to do everytime, but at least it retains it`s settings so it`s not annoying. You can configure a controller should you have one (recommended) and your graphical settings before entering the game.

Lacking any sort of intro-movie, the game slams you directly into it`s main menu allowing you to chose from a plethora of various game modes which are as follows:

• Survival Mode: Fight until you drop (you actually have 3 lives)
  
• Practice Mode: Go ahead, bully the defenseless computer!
• Team Battle Mode: Ever wonder what it was like to pit one army of mecha against another?
• Blitz Tactics Mode: One army versus another, but with giant warships too.
• Online Contest Mode: Because destroying your friends is always more satisfying.
• Custom Pilot Creation: We all love the default cat pilots, but the game also includes the option of using your own avatar pic and different voiced effects, even your own!

You can chose between around 10 or so mecha which includes some bizare Virtual-on esque looking units between the Gundam clones. Interestingly enough, all mecha are named after computer operating systems the best unit being a clone of Strike Freedom Gundam, being named Windows Vista.

Shields can be used to parry most attacks

The game is fast-paced, and action packed. It plays exactly like a "Gundam VS" game right down to the control mechanics and as such I was instantly at home in this.
Battles can get pretty intense in Blitz tactics or team battle modes, having armies of 16+ mecha on each side at any given time zig-zagging between laser beams, giant battleships, parrying missile attacks all the while your computer is getting a heart-attack just trying to render all those fin-funnels going crazy around the place !

Funnel death !

That being said, this isn`t a button masher game. Just like the original games, if you just try to mash your opponent to death with your beam saber all you end up doing is creating an opening for somebody to unload a face-full of lasery death upon you.
Fortunatly, the controls take little time to get used to. A jump button, which serves as a boost button when double-tapped or simply tap any direction twice in rapid succesion for a quick evasion in said direction. Then there`s 4 attack trigger buttons since each unit has up to four weapons and last but not least the target selection button. It couldn`t be any simpler !

The graphics are mostly untextured, and consist simply out of polygon effects, and HDR lighting. LOTS of HDR lighting, which I will most likely turn off since everything looks so damn shiny and reflective ! urgh !

unfriendly skies

Turning HDR off, I`m sure the game`ll run smooth on even old computers.
Oh, if you get fed up off playing against the AI ? Why not take the grudge online !?
The game comes with a server that you can enable to have other friends connect to you. Fortunatly it`s a direct-IP game, meaning you setup a server, somebody joins
and you play or vice-versa without the need for a centralised gaming server that may go down when the developer doesn`t feel like maintaining it.

However that also inmeadetly brings out the downside of this technique. Without a centralised gaming server you need to know when a game is going down, at which IP address in order to play since you cant search for a game. However the trade-off is well worth it, often great games which gameplay lasts years have gone down simply cause they weren`t supported online anymore. Having said that, please check this out and indulge in this frantic mecha action-game. I can wholeheartedly recommend this as a great free game to pass some time Available for download at:

Wave Rider !

Bootfighter Windom is Available for download at: http://mirrormoon.org/projects/windom

GAME REVIEW: MS Gundam Crossfire

Every review you have ever read about this game is both right and wrong. First let me just get this out of the way. The only people who will enjoy this game are hard core UC Gundam fans. We are the only ones who could put up with this game's many flaws long enough to get to it's surprisingly satisfying gameplay.

Mobile Suit Gundam: crossfire was a launch title for the US PlayStation 3. It is clear as glass that this game was released in an unfinished state. It lacks the typical polish of most of the PS2 Gundam games... That isn't to say (as many mainstream reviewers did) that this game looks like a PS2 game. The mobile suit models are actually quite nice, while the levels themselves are a mixed bag ranging from detailed to pretty weak. The frame rate is at times attrocious, and the success of lockons seem to be at the whim of the gods.

It may sound like I hate this game, and in fact when I started it, I did. I was starting to feel buyers remorse even though I only paid $20 for it in pristine condition. However after coming to grips with the somewhat clunky boost mechanic, and compensating for the flakey lockon, I found that the gameplay is far more rewarding than in any other Gundam game I have played, with the possible exception of Gundam Sidestory on the Dreamcast.

What's so good about it you ask? For one location based damage. This isn't the first Gundam game to offer location based damage (that would be Zeta Gundam for the Playstation 1), but this is the best implementation of it. You can lose your MS's head and arms very easily, which can ruin your day mighty quick, especially considering my second major plus, weapon damage. This is the first Gundam game to have weapon damage that feels very authentic to the anime. The merest glancing brush of a beam saber blade will send limbs flying. and a 100 mm Machine gun burst to an MS's cockpit will destroy it pretty fast. It's very visceral to charge up on an enemy pumping him full of rounds from your head vulcans as you draw your beam saber for the kill. You can just blunder your way through most Gundam games without even thinking, not so in Crossfire. Because the weapons of your enemies can kill you so easily, you must approach each mission tactically.

Another nice touch is that between missions you must repair and upgrade your mobile suits and assign them pilots, as well as requisitioning new ones. This is handled by using points gained in missions and taking turns as if in a strategy game. As you progress you unlock new missions, as well as new MSes to use in both single player and offline.

Like the Versus series on PS2 you can play as either the Earth Federation or the Principality of Zeon. Playing each side is rewarding in it's own way.

Mobile Suit Gundam is my second favorite anime series after Armored Trooper Votoms. I have played a lot of crummy Gundam games over the years, but have a lot less patience than I used to. I recommend this game to only the hard core Gundam fans like myself, and those who like methodical giant robot games like Mech Warrior. Anyone else won't see anything but a mess. Oh and one more thing. Make sure to change the spoken language to Japanese, the acting in the English version is truly horrible, unlike the really solid job they did on the PS2 localizations.

WORTH $20

MOVIE REVIEW: Bolt

Bolt is the latest, and likely last effort by Disney's in house 3d animation studio, which has become redundant now that they have come to terms with Pixar. It is by far their best film, though still not as entertaining or polished as what comes out of Dreamworks and Pixar.

The animation in Bolt is very good, and there are a lot of really funny bits most of which involve a hyperactive fanboy hamster named Rhino. The titular character can be summed up this way, what if Buzz Lightyear in toy story 1 was a dog voiced by John Travolta. The story is predictable and shmultzy as is to be expected from Disney, but a million times better than the terrible Chicken Little.

I didn't get to see the movie in 3d, but didn't feel I was missing out on anything, in fact only one shot in the movie jumped out at me as having been designed for 3d viewing.

I recommend this movie to anyone with kids, or who is a big fan of 3d animation. It's a very solid picture. Everyone else just wait for the DVD.

PRETTY GOOD

MOVIE REVIEW: Quantum of Solace

Daniel Craig's second outing as James Bond does not disappoint. The first third of the movie feels more like Bourne 4 than a bond film due to typical Hollywood MTV style editing in the action scenes, but then settles into the feel established in Casino Royale.

As in the previous film Craig plays Bond as cold and barbarous, yet still charming. He brings a charisma to the role that has been missing since Connery. The action is brutal... when you can see what is going on. I really disliked the first action sequence because of all the shaky cam and rapid fire cuts.

As a direct sequel to Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace gives satisfying closure to the story begun in that film and offers tantalizing possibilities for the next with the introduction of a mysterious secret organization known as Quantum.

It will be interesting to see how bond's character will evolve in the next film now that he has put his past behind him.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

New Xbox Experience

When did I become such a lazy gamer that I require a snazzy new UI to actually get me interested in Xbox live arcade again? It's sad I used to be a hardcore PC gamer back in the 90s. Most of what I played were mods that required extensive fiddling with .cfg files just to play, and I liked it... yet for the last 2 years I have barely even looked in the Xbox dashboard because I felt it was a chore.

Well that is a problem no more. With the so called "New Xbox experience" MS has in my opinion surpassed sony's elegant Cross media bar for usability and style. NXE is an almost embarrassingly apple like UI looking a hell of a lot like the cover flow on my ipod. In short Between the INCREDIBLE crop of AAA games we have this year, and NXE's flash, the long cold coals of my inner hardcore gamer have been reignited.

Aside from the improvements to the store, the inclusion of streaming video for previews that works flawlessly, and the new ability to do Netflix on demand I am finally starting to get on the "One box for all your entertainment needs" bandwagon.

I am not a system partisan, I have owned many different game consoles from many manufacturers over the years, but when My 360 red ringed MS lost a lot of my good will, and I fell in love with my PS3 (The same thing with Sony happened when my PS2 failed). But after buying a few multiplatform games such as Soul calibur 4 and Armored Ciore For Answer for PS3, I have to say the usability of Microsoft's platform and online infrastructure makes it the better choice for gaming.

If you are still sitting on the fence about which system to buy I think NXE is definitely one more point in the 360s favor.