Good Bye and Good Riddance Shards of Alara

You will not be missed.

I've written before about how my friends and I began playing Magic: The Gathering again after being gone for something like 15 years.  We came back for M2010, and the Zendikar block.  Unfortunately, to play in the standard format, we knew we would be one set behind.  That set was Shards of Alara.  We weren't going to go back and get those cards because they wouldn't be good in a year.  Because of this decision, we would spend the next year getting smacked around by those cards, and unable to build decks because we were crippled without cards which everyone used.

Screw you, Blightning

You see, there was this deck that dominated everything for a very long time called Jund.  The basic make up of it was Black / Red / Green, and it was best known for one spell to Cascade into another, essentially paying 4 mana for a 3/2 creature with Haste, and then getting a spell like the Blightning you see above for free.  It was impossible for new players like us to keep up with.

Burn in Hell, Bloodbraid Elf

So what do we do as new players?  We go online and try to find something, some counter that will let us rookies go toe to toe with these cards.  They were build out of commons and uncommons, they can't possibly be unbeatable!  Every deck we found was just a rehash of the same handful of decks.  Do you want to play red/green?  Well then you NEED to put in Bloodbraid Elf!  How about white?

Oh, you need 4 of these

And these

Oh and her, too

And since you're playing white already, you should probably compliment it with green!  Let me suggest some good cards for that!

Ugh

And even if we did want to go and dip into some of these power house cards that we were getting steamrollered with week after week, they were expensive.  I paid $20 for a set of the Path to Exile cards, and those are only uncommon.

$14 for ONE right now on Coolstuffinc.com and it leaves standard on Friday, imagine it 6 months ago

Am I whining here?  Yeah, I am.  It was disheartening to be beaten so often with the same decks and the same tricks and not have something to counter it in our Zendikar packs.  Eventually new tricks began to come out of our Zendikar cards, but they were made incredible when comboing with cards from the Alara block.

Not to name cards or anything...

With the new tricks that came out, we were able to invent tricks of our own.  Not quite as powerful, but some countered Jund and Bant nicely.  They eventually fell by the wayside, but even now if you search for standard decks, you'll find many Alara staples in them, and without those staples, the deck will not work.

Can't count how many times I've been screwed by this one

Light is at the end of the tunnel, though.  This Friday, October 1st, Scars of Mirrodin officially hits store shelves, making the Shards of Alara block (as well as the M2010 block) retire from Standard, and be forced into Extended.  We are ready for this set, and can't wait to see what new challenges they bring.  A small part of me feels bad for the new players who are coming in now who won't go a set back to pick up cards, but what could we possibly have that will cause them grief?

*cough*

The Ones to Watch - October Edition

September was a busy month for gaming.  But as we finish our Halo: Reaches and get ready for our Dead Rising 2, we look forward to the next month, when the floodgates come open and we get our first look at the Christmas offerings.  Going through my list, there's 15 games that are coming out in October that I think are worth at least keeping an eye on to see what kind of impact they'll make.  Without further ado, here's The Ones to Watch - October Edition.


The Sly Collection - PS3 - 10/1

 

Sly Cooper is a very highly reviewed game that appears exclusively on the Playstation series of consoles.  Much like the God of War package they released before, they have taken the three Sly Cooper games and given them an HD overhaul.  If you haven't played the series before, here's your chance to get it for a good price and experience the game in all of its glory.

Wii Party - Wii - 10/3

 

For those people out there who are looking for the next Mario Party game, well, this is as close as you're going to get for awhile.  Wii Party is the latest collection of mini games from Nintendo, which emphasizes a more interactive party experience for its players.  Players can play Hide and Go Seek with their Wii-motes, pick up the one that is making the right sound, or engage in 80 other mini games.  Take a look if you were a fan of the Mario Party series, we certainly were.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Multi Platform - 10/5

 

A 3D Castlevania game, I must be crazy.  I know, I've heard it since I began promoting this game to friends and family.  Here's the big difference and why everybody should be paying attention:  This one is by Hideo Kojima, creator of the Metal Gear Solid series.  If anybody could pull off a 3D Castlevania game, it's this man.  Watch this one carefully, I have very high hopes for it.

NBA Jam - Wii - 10/5

NBA Jam was an arcade staple in the 90's, and even those who didn't like sports games got into this over the top series, including myself.  I'm not sure how I feel about motion control in the game and hope they decided to have an option to not use it, but this is your only choice if you want to play this game.  Unless, of course, you pick up:

NBA Elite 11 - Multi Platform - 10/5

Why is this game on the list?  Well, here's the deal.  NBA Jam is also available as a download for the Xbox 360 and the PS3, but according to this entry on the PS3 blog, the only way to play NBA Jam on the PS3 (and based on the EA speak in the comments, presumably the Xbox 360 as well) is to buy this game and get download codes for it.  You'll get "all the functionality of the Wii game" as well as getting the re-branded NBA Live.  Basketball fans are getting a great deal, but NBA Jam fans are feeling burned on this one.  Watch to see how it unfolds.

Super Scribblenauts - DS - 10/12

Scribblenauts took E3 by storm last year with a single paragraph review detailing the author's ability to travel back in time to get a dinosaur to eat the zombies that were in his way.  Many of us picked up the innovative game and were left a little disappointed with its mechanics.  The control was unforgiving, and everybody worked out their own toolbox of a few different words to get past every puzzle.  This time around, they've added adjectives, gave it an alternate control scheme, and made it so you would have to approach puzzles differently than you would from the first one.  Could be good stuff, and who wouldn't want to ride a Gentlemanly Raptor?

Medal of Honor - Multiplatform - 10/12

I've never been a fan of the realistic FPS games, but I can't deny Medal of Honor's inclusion to the list. The premise of this one is that you play as an elite solider dropped into a modern day war zone.  The story is supposed to be "intense", but to give it its credit, it was developed with Tier 1 Operators giving their experiences as reference material.  Something for the online crowd to keep an eye on, for sure.


Power Gig: Rise of the Six String - Multi Platform - 10/18

 

I'm putting this one on the list because of what the implications could be.  It's probably going to be one to just ignore, but Seven45 Studios is beating Rock Band 3 to the punch with their own miniature guitar, fully stringed.  It's a little pricey still, but will be worth keeping an eye on to see what kind of impact it makes on the music game genre.  

Fallout: New Vegas - Multi Platform - 10/19

 

Bethesda comes out with the next Fallout game, Fallout: New Vegas.  Fans of Fallout 3 know what to epxect here already, an open world to explore with lots of quests and surprises.  They've kept VATS, and included an Iron Sight mode for those who want a more realistic FPS approach.  I didn't buy the last one until almost a year had passed, I'm not making the same mistake twice.


DJ Hero 2 - Multi Platform - 10/19

 

I wasn't very impressed with DJ Hero when it first came out, and judging by the sales and clearance shelves where I see it going for $20, I'm betting most other people weren't either.  It looks like this time around Activision added some real dance club tracks, and with the addition of a vocal mode, could make it more of a party game instead of a lonely sit by yourself with your $80 ($20) plastic gaming peripheral. 

Force Unleashed 2 - Multi Platform - 10/26

 

The Force Unleashed was a great idea with excellent physics that fell short of its full potential.  I had a difficult time guiding the character to do the moves that I wanted him to do, and based off of other reviews I have seen, there were some other major problems with the game play.  The developers say that they have listened to the fans and have fixed the major complaints from the previous offering.  I remain skeptical but very hopeful for this game to be everything we want it to be.

Fable 3 - Xbox 360 - 10/26

Screw Peter Molyneux.  Personal friends will know my vendetta against him and his games, and some day I might explain it to the readership of the site, but I've sworn not to fall for another of his promises ever again.  With that said, Fable 2 won XPlay's Game of the Year award, so this series cannot be ignored.  Your Fable 2 character's sons are fighting for control of the throne, giving the players more places to explore, more quests to find, and more choices to make.  Let's all see what becomes of this one.

Rock Band 3 - Multi Platform - 10/26

Here's the music game of my choice.  Rock Band 3 ups the ante by offering the ability for up to SEVEN people to play together on drums, vocals, bass, guitar, and now keyboard.  To make things even more impressive, they're offering up Pro Mode, which allows players to actually learn how to play on a keyboard or guitar.  There's even a stringed full size Squier that Fender is making for the game, but there's not a whole lot of news about that yet.  Keep your eyes on the rockband.com site to see when it's coming out and how much it's going to be.

Lego: Universe - PC - 10/26

The Lego MMO is coming out at the end of the month, and it looks interesting.  Battle against the Maelstrom to bring light and imagination back to the Lego Universe.  Players will be able to choose from different backgrounds, but will be able to choose their classes based on what kind of gear that they are wearing.  Want to be a knight?  Toss on some plate and go to town.  I'm not sure how it's going to do against the behemoth that is WoW, but the Lego brand is very popular with all ages.  

The Sims 3: Late Night Expansion Pack - PC - 10/26

My wife wouldn't let me not put this, so here's what to buy to smooth things over after spending all of your time with Fallout: New Vegas, Castlevania, and all the rest of the really good games coming out this month.  According to the Mrs, you visit late night spots and can use your fame and connections to become a celebrity, partier, or even a vampire.  This is a major expansion to the Sims 3 license, and if it's as good as the last one was, it will keep you busy for months.

Alright, there's our list to keep an eye on.   Good luck keeping your checking account under control this coming month, and Happy Gaming!

Halo: Reach - Review

Halo Reach

So my initial impressions went up the day after the game was released.  How much changed from then until the end of the game?  Well, it got a whole lot better, and seeing that I was enjoying it to begin with, that's really saying a lot.

So what's so great about this one over all the other Halo games?  Halo: Reach does a really good job of making you feel like you're actually part of Noble Team, the group of Spartans that you fight alongside with.  The story actually unfolds very fluidly and I always felt the purpose of doing whatever it was that I was doing.  In previous Halo games I had always felt that I was thrown into a level without really being told why, it was just convenient for Master Chief to be wherever he happened to be.  Here, when Kat is radioing for help and setting way points for me to take down anti-air turrets so civilians can escape, I feel like I'm accomplishing something.

The ending was fantastic.  I felt really put off at first when I saw the game end, but I let the credits roll and was extremely happy to be surprised with how they decided to truly end the game.  Well done, Bungie.  If you just shut off the game before letting it finish, you really missed out on something great, so make sure keep your controller in hand when the credits are done rolling.

I said in my initial impressions that the multi-player was going to be the meat of the game, and I still think that's true, however, I probably won't be spending much more time with it.  It feels too much like Halo 3 to me.  Bungie did an excellent job of creating a multi-player interface for its players, but I think all of the polish went there instead of changing up game modes more.  The class type abilities add a little bit to the game, but I don't think it adds enough. It's a lot of "been there, done that".

Speaking of the multi-player, the level of customization in matches is amazing.  If you can dream it, you can play it.  We had a LAN party last weekend and invented a mode where you could fly around on infinite jet packs, have a bottomless clip of rockets, and 300% melee damage.  We called it Boomslayer and it was easily the most fun that everybody had the entire time.

Do I have some complaints about the game?  Sure I do.  It's essentially a very well polished Halo 3, not that there's anything wrong with that, but it didn't really take the game play to a new level.  Armor abilities aren't enough to really constitute something new.  The AI still doesn't know how to drive or work with you, but that's "ok" since they're completely invincible.  I didn't every have to worry about holding a position or keeping them going, there wasn't any risk of the story ending unless I got pegged by a rocket. I'm also disappointed that there was an emphasis on squad based play, but nothing to allow you to work with your squad.  No way to take cover, or order cover fire.  Bungie missed a real opportunity here by ignoring this. 

With all of that said, if you're a fan of the Halo series, there's no reason for you to not pick this up.  For anybody who is wondering if they should pick this up without knowing anything about the Halo universe, I'd still recommend it.  Bungie did an excellent job with it, and aside from my minor complaints about what they could have done with the game, it doesn't take away from what they did with it.

Scars of Mirrodin Pre-Release Top 5

Finally!  We have a full visual spoiler and can go over what 5 cards you should be looking for to help you win your local Magic: The Gathering, Scars of Mirrodin (SoM) Pre-Release events this weekend!  As always, videogamingat30.com breaks down the top 5 by common, uncommon, rare, mythic, and finally the no brainer.  Typically we lean towards cards that are best on their own or will do well against the majority of other good cards out there.  So let's get started with:

5 - The Common - Cystbearer

I love alternate win conditions.  I feel that it really adds something to the game to watch out for and strive to create.  Infect is our newest toy and it finally brings poison counters into the forefront of game enders.  For a measly 2g you can have a 2/3 creature that deals its damage in -1 / -1 counters or poison counters.  Otherwise, most other common cards in this set rely on you or your opponent having artifacts out, or just don't hit for hard enough to do any real damage.  This one fits that role nicely.


4 - The UnCommon - Necrogen Scudder

 
There are some really good uncommon cards in this set, and in a constructed format, there's a few real bombs out there, but the one I think takes the cake for limited is the Necrogen Scudder right here.  For three mana and three life, you get a 3/3 flyer.  That's really hard to say no to in a format where evasion really helps.  Only a few cards will be able to stand up to it.

Honorable mention - Skinrender

Four mana for a 3/3 creature and removal is really good.  I would not be unhappy pulling one of these.

3 - The Rare -Sunblast Angel

This was a really tough choice.  Going through the rares, there's some amazing standalone creatures, spells, and enchantments that could easily turn the tide of battle or let you get a quick win.  Of all of them, this is the one that I would want to see played against me the least.  Limited is a very aggressive format, and to lose all of my tapped creatures in the blink of an eye and then have to deal with a 4/5 flyer would be enough to make me concede. 

2 - The Mythic - Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon

Poison is going to be a big deal in this set.  Having a 4/4 flying regenerating dragon that can kill somebody by itself within 2 turns of it coming on the board is exactly what your opponent doesn't want to see.  With exile being hard to come by in this format and Skithiryx on your side, you'll win more than your fair share of game.

1 - The No Brainer - The Myr

You've really got two solid, viable choices in your pre-release tournaments this weekend.  You can try to go the way of Infect and deal as many poison counters as you can, or you can play the set for its artifacts and make as much use from metalcraft as you can.  The metalcraft abilities are stupidly powerful, but to get them working, you need three artifacts in play.  That's where our friends the Myr come in.  They can go into any deck, and trigger these otherwise elusive abilities.  Think hard about which way you're going to go, and good luck with your packs this weekend!