Gamma Testing

Brian's off this week, so Rick and Matt gird their loins for the first of the big holiday game releases -- Halo 3: ODST. Apparently, it's a lot like previous Halo games, albeit without the fancy Spartan abilities.

Cool jazz soundtrack, neat new vision, Firefly cast reunion, comes packaged with all the Halo 3 map packs, the first Halo game Matt and Rick didn't play co-op. There's more, but I wasn't there, so you'll just have to listen to it for yourself.

Rick's reading recommendation: Armor, John Steakley

Matt's listening recommendation: Gravity Don't Let Me Go, Jon Black

Brian's food and drink recommendation: Hunt wild hog -- with a sticky grenade for extra char.

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Can a licensed super-hero game actually be worth playing? Yep, if it's as chock full of Batmanosity, Batmanness, and Batmany or Batmannish game play as this game. For once, a studio actually nailed the fundamentals of a comic book character in atmosphere, game play and story. And, it's fun.

Don't like Batman? No worries, Batman: Arkham Asylum is still a great game.

Rick's reading suggestion: Arkham Asylum, Grant Morrison and Dave McKean; Long Halloween, Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale

Matt's music suggestion: To the Taxmobile, Lenlow; Angry Angel, Imogen Heap

Brian's food and drink suggestion: Hostess Snack Cakes

(Next week - The Beatles: Rock Band.)

Listen Up!

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Rick, Brian and Matt realize just how far they are from semi-pro 2-D fighting game fanatics after playing BlazBlue (I linked to a fan site because the official site is useless). Actually, it's not the playing that did it, but the tutorial video produced by IGN that comes in the Limited Edition.

But even our clearly meager fighting skills found some traction in the intricate gameplay of BlazBlue. And even thought the game features a mere 12 characters to choose from, there is so much differentiation between each that hardcore and casual gamers alike should find something to like in both appearance and gameplay.

Matt's listening suggestion: Canary Teikoku No Gyakushuu, Bleach (aka Bleach03, Bleachmobile)

Rick's reading suggestion: How Fiction Works, James Wood

Brian's food and drink suggestion: Flaming Blue Curacao (float something high-proof on a glazz of curacao, ignite at your peril), Flaming Blue Saganaki (heat a plank of some soft, mild blue, cheese, douse in brandy, ignite at your peril) -- OPA!

Next week: Wii Sports Resort.

Listen up!

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Brian, Rick and Matt dive deep into this '90's-era, comic-inspired, morally-devoid, open-world, super-dude action game and revel in the freedom of movement and wide range of epic combat options. Of course, no amount of car-throwing, copter-jacking or disease-tendrilizing can overcome brutal and blatantly manipulative boss fights, like the final one in Prototype.

Still, epic is good.

This episode also marks a new audio set-up, which will require some fine tuning. For anyone who's a fan of Rick's sultry voice: draw a bath, light some candles, and listen up.

Matt's music recommendation: Survivalism, Nine Inch Nails

Rick's reading recommendation: Black Hole, Charles Burns

Brian's food and drink recommendation: foie gras, gin with squid ink

Next week: We retro-review Secret of Monkey Island

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This week, Gamma Testing fails to forget to smash the state in Red Faction: Guerrilla. We love the entirely destructible environments, open world environment and varied gameplay. Almost as much as we love bashin' stuff with our mining hammer. And, for the first time in a while, we actually felt like we were doing some good while playing the game. At least until Red Faction: Guerrilla 2 comes out, featuring us ruling Mars with an iron fist.

Rick's reading suggestion: The Red Army Faction Vol 1: Projectiles for the People, J. Smith and Andre Moncourt

Brian's food and drink suggestion: Capri Sun (fruit punch flavor, frozen), astronaut ice cream (Neapolitan, of course)

Matt's music suggestion: Get Up, The Coup (featuring Dead Prez)

Next week: Ghostbusters.

Listen up!

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This week we take a look at the re-do of 1980s cult classic Bionic Commando. Turns out that fun gameplay trumps terrible story and unlikeable characters, yet again. Even if that gameplay has a steep learning curve. Still, once you get it down, swinging on your extendable bionic appendage is damn fun -- especially if you turn the sound down and blast Matt's music suggestion.

We also send a challenge out to Grin -- Bionic Commando's developer -- to hire us to write their next game. If BC is any indication, they could use some fine content-generators like the Gamma Testing crew. And, we work cheap!

Show notes:

Reviews we referenced - Dale Nardozzi (Team Xbox), Jeff Gerstman (Giant Bomb), Conrad Zimmerman (Destructoid), Chris Kohler (Wired)

Rick's reading suggestion: Sex with Robots: The Evolution of Human-Robot Relationships, David Levy

Matt's music suggestion: Bionic Heart, Le Bus

Brian's food and drink suggestion: molecular gastronomy at a place like Homaro Cantu's restaurant Moto in Chicago (WD-50 in NY would work, too)

Next week, GT will review inFamous. Read Rick's text review to prepare.

Listen up to Ep11 - Bionic Commando!

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We reminisce about the early days of the UFC, and how incredibly dull it was compared to this game. Think of Undisputed as atypical fighter and you'll have some fun. Delve into the combat system -- which is vastly deeper than any other out there -- and the game be a long-term keeper. Better yet (at least for the UFC) it does a hell of a lot for promoting the franchise outside the sport's usual fan base. (Read Rick's non-audio review.)

Rick's reading suggestion - Total MMA: Inside Ultimate Fighting, Jonathan Snowden

Matt's music suggestion - Lights Out, Mindless Self Indulgence

Listen up!

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Some reviewers gave up on Velvet Assassin before they even made it past the first half. We made it all the way to the end, then gave up after our 45th attempt at completing the final level. It's an unforgiving stealth game, and we would like to return the favor by not forgiving its stupid AI, boring gamplay, and general lack of fun. Then we opine about the responsibilities of game reviewers. It's a tough job, especially when you have to play games like Velvet Assassin.

Matt's music suggestion: Silence, Portishead

Rick's reading suggestion: Dark Voyage, Alan Furst

Brian's food and drink suggestion: dine at a "dark restaurant"

Listen up!

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Did you like the most recent X-Men movie? Neither did we. But never fear, the video game based on that horrendous cinematic debacle is considerably better. Mostly, thanks to the lunge tactic.

Sadly, X-Men Origins: Wolverine is saddled with the movie's fundamentally flawed plot -- and a few stupid boss fights -- but it's easy to forgive the cut scenes after a few minutes of repeatedly shivving dudes with your adamantium-sheathed bone claws. And don't forget this month's theme: Wolverine apparently hates helicopters almost as much as 50 Cent, and a little more than ninjas.

And somehow, we three former (or current, in Matt's case) comic industry professionals manage to keep the geek quotient to a minimum. Well, when it comes to comics, at least.

Matt's music suggestion: Choppin' Nigga's Up, The X-ecutioners

Rick's reading suggestion: Grant Morrison's run on New X-Men, issues 114-154

Brian's food and drink suggestion: Molson Canadian Lager, human flesh (but only on Canadian soil, you'll have to listen for the reference)

Listen up!

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Unlike the largely derided Bulletproof  (bullet-absorbent?), Mr. Cent's first video game outing, Blood on the Sand is more fun than it has any right to be. Which seems to say a lot about the appeal bigger-than-life hip hop stars hold for middle class white boys interested in living out violent adolescent fantasies Like us. It also says a lot for taking a tried and true third-person shooter engine and wrapping it in an absurdly hilarious "plot" instead of spending a lot of time trying to innovate.

And unlike seemingly all the other video game reviewers out there, we don't ever feel the need to apologize for liking Blood on the Sand.

Matt's music suggestion - How I Rob, 50 Cent (featuring the Mad Rapper)

Rick's reading suggestion - Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army, Jeremy Scahill

Brian's food and drink suggestion -- One pound of beluga caviar, Courvosier XO with a splash of Vitamin Water

Listen up!

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