LocoRoco Podcast #19

Ahh, the beautiful smell of the holidays: Before Thanksgiving, I planned an enhanced version of the podcast featuring simple moving slides using a nice program I found called Soundslides. Unfortunately, Soundslides (I came to find out) is not free and outputs its files to a nasty Shockwave Flash Object (aka SWF) file that is pretty much unable to convert. I’m going to work with a few media creators to get an enhanced edition out by the holiday season in order to improve the podcast further (the majority of suggestions given to me revolved around getting a video podcast), so please bare with me for the time being. For now, here’s podcast #19! (It will be uploaded in the directory ASAP…)

This is the description of the podcast found at Odeo: Just for you this Black Friday: LocoRoco rumors..bad PSP ads..whether to accept decent ratings as good..IGN’s not-so-pretty review of Sonic Rivals 2..talk of an enhanced version of the podcast..and more! Enjoy and happy holidays.

*CHECK OUT OUR OFFICIAL DIRECTORY HERE AND SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST! You can download the podcast/get the RSS feed in various places, just check our handy sidebar or About page. The best place to go is Odeo because it’s where we host our podcast. Click here to head to the PSP-friendly PodLounge, where we’ve recently hit #9 in the top 10. Also, you can now check us out on PodZinger thanks to requests from fans. You can additionally subscribe on iTunes; just search “LocoRoco” under the podcasts category and you should find it. Finally, if you have any questions/concerns/suggestions, please contact me at contactlocoroco[AT]gmail.com and check our podcast tag for updates. Thanks!

Playstation Store Launches Worldwide!

We’re extremely late on this news story, and I apologize (especially since we’ve only been covering the store for a gabillion months now, including in our Holiday Guide), but in case you haven’t heard, SONY has released its Playstation Store worldwide on PC, without any real release date. Though we appreciate it, we’re just a bit ticked off that SONY didn’t announce any release date–I’m sure more people will use it as we get further into the PSP’s life cycle, but right now, considering that only online junkies (like you and myself) know about it, there’s little chance the non-internet PSP owner will use it. There is no PSP-direct store yet, FYI, so you’re still forced to connect your computer, but you now have access to PS1-games, demos, and more: all in one place. Of course, this is not it. It’s a late-night here at BGL as I will soon be uploading some photos of my first experiences in downloading a freebie followed by an actual PSOne game. (First, I have to delete half of everything on my Memory Stick ) Check the store out here.

HOLIDAYS07: The Guide!

The Guide! The holidays are very near, and BGL has got you covered! We’re covering the best games out there on PSP and the consoles, the best accessories to pick up this season, which system is right for you, the PSP basics for newbies, and what to expect for 2008 in case you’re going to hold off on new purchases. Here’s what’s ahead:

• The Guide to Everything PSP :. New to the PSP world? We get you ready for the holiday season by breaking down everything you NEED to know about the PSP and SONY.
• The PSP Must-Haves :. The games you must own for the PSP and where to find them!
• The LocoRoco Top Five :. Are you a true LocoRoco fan? Here’s what you need for the holiday season to become the ultimate LocoRoco fanatic.
• The Accessories Top Five :. The must-own accessories for the PSP this fall and why you need them.
• The Consoles :. BGL gives you our honest opinion on which console to buy and which purchases to make in terms of software and accessories.
• 2008 and Beyond :. Want to hold off on PSP purchases? Here’s what to expect for 2008.

UPDATE: Didn’t see this coming? The Holiday Guide kicks off a few days early not to conflict with Veterans Day.
UPDATE: Added New Links! (November 17th, 2007; November 25th, 2007)

MetaReview: Medal of Honor Heroes 2 (PSP)

Even though we’ve learned to take some reviews with a grain of salt, when all of them are compiled together, gamers get a bigger picture of exactly what the hell is right (or wrong) with a game. Critics traditionally blab much more than they should and some critics unintentionally ramble on about little details that bugged them. Even so, that does not mean that everyone should try any game that looks good–it simply means to appreciate ratings that scream “Decent”, “Good”, or “Okay” much more. And Medal of Honor Heroes 2 sounds just like one of those games–IGN loved it, but the others said it was decent. Now the only question is: should you buy it or hold off?

• IGN (8.4/10)- “For on-the-go gamers Heroes is a great title though, as it autosaves every few minutes, and has almost no load time at all; extremely impressive for a system that is often plagued by a sluggish processing. Team Fusion went all out to make sure the game was optimized to its fullest, and it pays off in a big, big way.”
• GameSpot (7/10)- “Thanks to solid controls, a short, albeit enjoyable single-player campaign, and an impressive online mode, Medal of Honor Heroes 2 is a battle worth fighting.”
• GameSpy (7/10)- “[T]here’s still no headset voice support, and the diminutive map and mode counts put a significant crimp on multiplayer’s potential longevity.”

ROUNDUP: The Zune Edition

ROUNDUP 11/4-11/16

Okay, it’s not that we don’t like Microsoft. It’s just that they consistently have a “way” of doing things–abandoning their own creations (DRM WMA, maybe?), pushing products with glitches (XBOX 360), and making mistakes constantly (Windows ME, much?). Their Zune was one of those mistakes–a bulky, outdated player with a mere 30GB in a market where 80GB became the standard. The original Zune had a very old-fashioned standard d-pad with a center button and two other buttons instead of a touch feature that the other mp3 players had. It also had Wi-Fi that was used for Zune-to-Zune sharing (like anybody did that) and video support without the videos. The new Zune2 has been raved by critics alike, who enjoy its new interface, new button system (a touchpad system reminiscent of the Click Wheel), and a flash version. Sure, it’s all around improved, but it screams “iPod Competitor”. Instead of giving us more–for example, a social video community where people could share their videos straight from their Zune, a built-in digital/video camera for taking photos/videos and sharing them, an actual social network (a la Facebook) on the Zune, or an actual video store–they gave us just what the iPod offered. If Microsoft seriously aims to compete with the rest, they need to innovate the market, not crowd it with the same thing. All bets are on : The Zune2’s sales won’t improve. Weekly Roundup after the jump…

INSIGHT: Dude, Those PSP Ads Still Suck!

INSIGHT: It’s become apparent that SONY has begun wooing the teenage crowd and 12-34 male demographic in their Dude, Get Your Own campaign–a painful to watch, cheap-ass way to attract these males. Luckily, a recent influx of action, adventure, and FPS-games have really helped PSP sales domestically and internationally, so SONY doesn’t particularly have so much riding on the ads. Even still, seeing their recent success with the American PS3 ads, why can’t they add class and style (BTW, style is not a B-rated football player like Michael Strahan) to PSP ads. They’ve surely improved by showing at least some gameplay footage, but they have to go one step further and create an advertisement that people will love or at least not make fun of. They need an ad that shows off gameplay of multiple games that can appeal to multiple crowds, so people don’t listen to PSP-stereotypes (like so many when they claim that the PSP only has 3 or 4 must-have titles). Now that the PSP is a real competitor and showing its strength by selling well, it’s time for the ads to improve.

RIVALS2: IGN Slams Sonic Rivals 2

Sure, it’s only one review, but if IGN’s review of Sonic Rivals 2 is any indication, SEGA and Backbone Entertainment might want to consider: a) letting Nintendo handle all Sonic-related projects from now on, b) split up considering none of their Sonic-only projects have been successful, or c) stop producing damn racing games and get back to the platformer that once was great in all of its speedy glory. They gave it a 6.5, citing horrendous gameplay, cheap-ass mini-games, short and painful boss battles, and did a double-whammy assault, claiming now that the first-game (which they panned nearly as much) is great in comparison to this one. I’ve come to give only a grain of salt to any reviewer when they pan Sonic games, because it’s still a lovable and thriving franchise that I enjoyed with Sonic Rivals. Even still, this could be hurtful to the game’s sales, as the majority of unsure, potential buyers trust the reviews highly before anything else.

LOCO2?: LocoRoco Devs Looking for new Staff…

LOCO2?: That’s right. The LocoRoco developers in Japan are looking for new help in developing a new game, which could either mean LocoRoco2 or an entirely-new project. Considering that we haven’t heard anything about our favorite game since the release of Cocoreccho, it’s nice to know that the LocoRoco faithful might have something else to play in the upcoming months.

[Via PSPFanboy]

FPSFTW: Medal of Honor Heroes 2 Surpasses SOCOM…

FPSFTW: The SOCOM faithful might have no SOCOM-branded first-person-shooters to play with this holiday season, but be surprised, as Medal of Honor: Heroes 2 arrives in stores this week, receiving critical acclaim from IGN. After playing the original Heroes demo, I can say I actually like the game–IGN has admitted that Heroes 2 doesn’t change gameplay that much. Perhaps if you’re a disgruntled SOCOM fan whose unwilling to check out Tactical Strike, you might want to check out Heroes 2. We’ll have a preview in our Holiday Guide coming up…

HOLIDAYS07: The Guide to Everything PSP

The Guide to Everything PSP

The PSP, or Playstation Portable, has been rocking the market for two years straight, by far the most graphically capable of the two major portable devices. This year, a new model and several new games try to improve the PSP’s sales and succeed. But, which one is right for you and why should you jump into the PSP market now? Find out after the jump.