Archive for August 6th, 2006
Half-Life 2 “Hopwire” Uses Bad Ass Technology
I’m currently smack dab in the middle of playing through Half-Life 2 Episode I, so seeing this hidden weapon makes me giddy. As soon as I defeat that mother ant-lion, I’m all over this crap.
Here’s how you do it:
In console first type “hopwire_vortex 1″ then “give weapon_hopwire” now throw it and then press attack again to activate it. It is preferable to do it in an area with lots of physics objects, I also suggest you stand back lest you wish to be crushed into singularity.
Very cool hidden stuff from Valve.
Games of the Week: Dead Rising!!!
Look, Microsoft, you have exactly one day to send me an Xbox 360. It will have to be overnighted and a tracking number must be provided. Otherwise, I’ll be forced, yes, forced, to actually buy my own console in order to play Dead Rising no later than Tuesday night. Your move, Microsoft!
Was that desperate enough? Here’s what’s new and notable for the week.
Dead Rising (Xbox 360)
YES! Dead Rising! You’re photographer Frank West, trapped in a mall surrounded and infested by the living dead. Free-roaming gameplay, great graphics, and picture takin’!
Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation (GBA)
The long-running Japanese strategy RPG series comes stateside. Famous for its licensed mecha from dozens of series, this version uses original characters, but features lots of giant robots fighting nonetheless.
Pac-Man (Xbox 360)
Xbox Live Arcade gets its weekly update with this classic dot muncher from Namco. Doesn’t get much more straightforward than this.
D1 Grand Prix (PS2)
Wrestling specialists Yukes takes a stab at drift racing. Also features creepy polygonal pit girls for extra fun!
I’m still waiting for my Bit Generations titles to ship, and will finally crack open my copy of Killer 7. Other than that, it’s Dead Rising for me. You kids picking up anything this week?
Pikachu VW Beetle Hits eBay
I only know ONE Pokemon superfan who’s of driving age—he’s pushing 30!—but there must be someone out there who really wants to tool around town in a Pikachu electric yellow Volkswagen Beetle.
Strike now, trainers! You only have 5 days in which to bid on the 1998 promo car. The thing looks like it’s in fairly good shape, with only 37,000 miles logged and, according to the seller, “clean bill of health”. It’s got a Gamecube in the trunk, too.
The most curious thing about the auction?
We are selling because we are getting ready to have a baby and need something larger than this car.
Hold it. I can understand needing a little extra cash, but are you saying this is your only ride? Crazy!
eBay: 1998 Volkswagen : Beetle - New (1998-present) [via GameSetWatch]
The Gamecube Reliquary
With the fully backwards compatable Wii hitting this fall, the Gamecube is about to become the most obsolete, the most given away piece of hardware since the Virtual Boy. If it weren’t for the Game Boy Player underneath my ‘Cube, it’d be functioning as a doorstop in no time.
So what do you do when have an adorable piece of electronics like the Gamecube taking up valuable space? Build a piece of furniture around it! From designer Cole Ranze:
The concept is sort of a throwback to the days when consumer electronics, such as turntables and phonographs, were housed in huge chest-like cabinets. It is made entirely out of ash, using mortise-and-tenon joints. It is fully functional and currently holds my Gamecube, making a nice addition to the other maple furniture in my apartment.
Actually pretty damn cool. Don’t miss this other piece, an exploded view of the Nintendo 64 controller. Now to troll deviantart for more gaming goodness.
Silent Hill Backstory Translated
Web site Translated Memories seems to be the definitive resource for all things Silent Hill. They’ve gone to great lengths to localize and painstakingly composite the translated text onto a digital copy of “Lost Memories”, the bonus series guide that accompanied Silent Hill 3’s game guide.
In addition, they’ve also translated the other Silent Hill character and history resources “The Crimson Tome” and “The Sullivan Victims” from Konami’s Silent Hill 4 official site, again only previously available in Japanese. While “Lost Memories” focuses on the entire series of psychological horror games, these two resources are simply backstory for the fourth game.
Every Silent Hill fan needs to bookmark this site immediately—and possibly print out a copy of the translated book for safekeeping.
This Day in Gaming, August 6th
1986: Nintendo releases Metroid in Japan for NES. The game broke from traditional male-dominated gender roles by revealing the hero Samus to be a woman at the end of the game. Even in 8-bit the idea is pretty hot.
1998: Capcom releases new versions of Resident Evil 1 & 2 for PS in Japan. Among other slight modifications, the games are upgraded to support the new dual shock controllers. Is a vibrating controller that big of a deal? What does everyone think?
2003: Chaos Legion is released for the PS2 by Capcom. It’s a clunky hack and slash that includes the ability to summon a legion to fight by your side. Who couldn’t use a legion now and then? Our legion would consist of Indians who could turn into wolves.
Have gaming history, trivia, or famous birthdays you’d like to see in TDIG? Drop us a line at tdig@kotaku.com
The Unbelievers: fair reviews by being blatantly unfair
Filed under: Culture, Online, MMO, Rhythm
The Unbelievers will spend about a month with each game. Whether or not the Doubting Thomas can enjoy the titles, despite the rabid (and annoying) fan base and aggravating hype, has yet to be seen. Either way, we love what they’ve posted so far. Be sure to check out the site. Will The Unbelievers change their mind about the MMO and rhythm genres? Place your bets now!
Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
The HL2: Episode 1 black hole grenade
Filed under: Hacks, PC, First Person Shooters, Video
An ingenious poster, RomeoJGuy, over at Halflife2.net has found a secret weapon within Half-Life 2: Episode 1 — The black hole grenade.
While this thing does look to be very mouth watering, a word of caution for some players is in order since some who tried it out have reported crashes after entering the code needed to enable the grenade. For those who own the game and want to try it out, enter these words in the console: “hopwire_vortex 1″ then “give weapon_hopwire.”
Anyone interested in seeing what it looks like, there’s already a YouTube video of it up.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
The Maid Uniform & Machine Gun, No Surprises
You have to hand it to budget publisher D3. The Japanese powerhouse may not actually make good (read: not total garbage) games 99% of the time, but at least they’re straightforward about what they do. There’s little mystery about what to expect when you pick up a copy of Zombie vs. Ambulance or The Giant Woman. You’re gonna get zombies, an ambulance, or a giant woman—and she’s gonna be in a bikini. A giant bikini.
So when D3 announces a title like The Maid Uniform & Machine Gun, they’re pretty blunt about the fact that they’re going to get as many Japanese folks as possible to drop 2000 yen on a craptastic game with maids and machine guns. They know maid culture is hot, hot, hot and they want a piece of the action!
Is the DS Lite too small for the large handed?
Filed under: Culture, Nintendo DS, Portable
One of the guys over at The Pocket Gamer expresses the true plight of the man (or woman) with the large grip. With photographic evidence in hand, a blogger takes us through the trials and tribulations of a system that just may be too small for some of us unusually large peeps.
Take note of exhibit A:
But what I’ve noticed when reviewing recent games such as Pirates of the Caribbean and Stormbreaker on DS Lite — anything that requires heavy use of the shoulder buttons (especially the right one) — has left me in agony. You don’t have to be playing for more than a couple of hours a day either. And once you’ve developed a nasty-looking contact mark, you have to avoid playing for a couple of days to let it heal too.
While we’ll admit, size does matter in some cases, we’re more than willing here at Joystiq to suffer a bit of gamer pain in order to play on that super sweet DS Lite (not to mention it makes us look cooler in front of the ladies). Anyone else here find it more comfortable to play on the Phat as opposed to the Lite?
Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
First Pics Of Devil May Cry Fan Film Hit ‘Net
Thank God for Twitch. It’s one of the best online resources for under-the-radar movies, from overseas to domestic independents, from horror to action to experimental to whatever. They cover everything cool in film. And Friday’s update has something for us gaming nerds: first pics of the Devil May Cry fan film, Sins Remembered.
Directed by R. L. Scott, the film is due to be shown for the first time publically at the end of August and will clock in at a brief 50 minutes. As with many fan films, expect enthusiasm and appreciation for the source material to be high, with expectations for Hollywood calibre production values low. Keep your eyes on Twitch, Kotaku or the director’s Myspace page for more updates.
More pics at Twitch.
First Images From Devil May Cry: Sins Remembered!
EA Shuttering Servers, Ending Support For Online Play
According to Game Informer, EA has begun the process of ending online support for a number of older sports and racing titles. The article states that this information was sent to press on August 4th, with support ending for many titles on August 1st.
Check out the full list to see what you’ll be playing solo come autumn.
October 1, 2006 Online Service Shutdown
Madden NFL 2005 for PS2
Madden NFL 2005 for Xbox
Madden NFL 2005 for PC
NFL Street 2: Unleashed for PS2 (I assume this is supposed to be simply NFL Street 2, as the Unleashed moniker was reserved for the PSP port)
NFL Street 2: Unleashed for Xbox
August 1, 2006 Online Service Shutdown
FIFA Soccer 2005 for PS2
FIFA Soccer 2005 for Xbox
FIFA Soccer 2005 Demo for Xbox
FIFA Soccer 2005 for PC
EA Sports Fight Night Round 2 for PS2
EA Sports Fight Night Round 2 for Xbox
NCAA March Madness 2005 for PS2
NCAA March Madness 2005 for Xbox
NBA Live 2005 for Xbox
NBA Live 2005 for PC
NBA Live 05 for PS2
NBA Street V3 for PS2
NBA Street V3 for Xbox
NCAA Football 2005 for PS2
Need for Speed Underground 2 Demo for PC
Need for Speed Underground 2 for PC
Need for Speed Underground 2 for Xbox
NHL 2005 for PS2
NHL 2005 for Xbox
NHL 2005 for PC
Total Club Manager 06 for PS2
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005 for PS2
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005 for PC
UEFA Champions League 2004-2005 for PS2
UEFA Champions League 2004-2005 for PC
UEFA Champions League 2004-2005 for Xbox
I can understand dropping support for many of these titles, but NBA Street V3 has only been out for something like 18 months. Bummer. Anyone out there get this communication from EA? Anyone still playing any of these titles online? Let us know.
EA Closes Online Service For Older Titles [Game Informer]
How to get the most out of your Dead Rising demo
Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, Adventure, Fighting, Online
Thekmillion, a very helpful IGN poster, has done all who downloaded that massive Dead Rising demo a service. He has put together a very well-done walkthrough for those looking to maximize the pleasure out of their 15 minutes of zombie slaying.
From the post, you’ll learn how to find the katana, submachine gun, and put together certain blender drinks to give you advantages. If you put down the demo and haven’t explored half this stuff, it’s time to go back in and kick some major undead butt!
Check after the break for the full FAQ.
Intro:
Some people simply download this demo, play it for the 15 minutes and say “That sucked”, then delete it from their hard drive. So I made this little guide to shine some light on all the things you can do in this demo, and also to help anyone who is looking for something. Enjoy.
Table of Contents:
I. Game Information
II. Basic Information
III. Controls
IV. Demo Map
V. Store Listing and Weapons / Foods by Store
VI. Other Weapon Locations
VII. Clothing
VIII. Foods and Ingrediants
IX. Blender Drinks
X. Books
XI. PP Bonuses
XII. PP Stickers
XIII. Ways the Demo Ends
XIV. Random Interesting Things
XV. Conclusion
II. Basic Information:
Starting Case: You start out on Case 1-2, which involves you searching for someone named Brad. Since this is a demo though, there is no way to complete the case. The only objective you have in this demo is to have fun.
Starting Level: 10
Starting Weapons: Sickle, Sledgehammer, Shotgun
Starting Location: Paradise Plaza
Time Limit: 15 Minutes
Types of Photos: Blue = Horror, Red = Brutality, Pink = Erotica, Orange = Drama, Green = Outtake, Grey = No Genre
Types of Items: Orange = Weapon, Green = Food, Pink = Book, White = Clothing
III. Controls
Basic Controls:
Left Stick = Move Frank West
Right Stick = Move Camera
Right Stick (Pressed In) = Reset Camera
A = Jump / Confirm
B = Action / Cancel
X = Attack / Use Item
Y = Call Out for Survivours
Right Button = Switch Items
Right Trigger = Aim View Mode
Left Button = Switch Items
Left Trigger = Camera View
Start = Pause Menu
Back = Not Used
Advanced Controls:
Hold X with a Weapon = Alternante Attack
Hold X without a Weapon = Ground Kick
Right Trigger + X = Throw Weapon / Item
Right Trigger + X (without a Weapon) = Spit
A then X = Jump Kick
Double Tap the Left Stick in a Direction = Dive/Roll in that Direction
Push the Left Stick Towards a Zombie + A = Zombie Ride
V. Store Listing and Weapons/Foods by Store:
P101 = Contemporary Reading
Cash Register
P102 = Child’s Play
Cash Register, Rat Saucer (x3), Servbot Novelty Mask (x6), Stuffed Bear (x2), Toy Laser Sword (x3), Water Gun (x2)
P103 = Players
Cash Register, Cardboard Box, CDs (x11)
P104 = Jill’s Sandwhiches
Cash Register (x3), Baguette (x4), Baking Ingrediants, Cleaver, Condiment (x2), Cooking Oil (x3), Frying Pan, Orange Juice (x2), Pie (x4), Potted Plant (x3), Stool (x11)
P105 = Entertainment Isle
Cash Register, Cardboard Box, CDs (x12), Sign
P106 = TuneMakers
Cash Register, Acoustic Guitar (x4), Bass Guitar (x4), Electric Guitar (x11)
P107 = Cantonbury’s
Cash Register, Cardboard Box, Potted Plant (x4)
P108 = Bachman’s Bookporium
Cash Register
P109 = Tyke n’ Tots
Cash Register, Hanger (x3)
P110 = Ye Olde Toybox
Cash Register, Boomerang (x2), Toy Laser Sword (x3), Horse Novelty Mask (x5), Teddy Bear Novelty Mask (x3)
P111 = SporTrance, 1st Floor
Cash Register (x2), Cardboard Box, Hanger (x2)
P111 = SporTrance, 2nd Floor
Cash Register (x2), Baseball Bat, Bowling Ball, Golf Club (x2), Hanger (x6), Skateboard (x2)
P112 = Universe of Optics
Cash Register, Potted Plant (x3)
P113 = Kid’s Choice Clothing
Cash Register (x2), Cardboard Box, Hanger (x2), Stuffed Bear
P114 = Josh’s Jewels
Cash Register, Cardboard Box, Chair (x4), Gems (x15)
P115 = Cam’s Camera
Cash Register
P116 = Shoekin’s
Cash Register, Potted Plant (x2), Sign (x2)
P201 = Marriage Makers
Cash Register, Gems (x14)
P202 = Columbian Roastmasters
Cash Register, Can Drinks (x2), Chair (x24), Dishes, Frying Pan, Orange Juice (x2), Potted Plant (x2)
P203 = Tucci’s of Rome
Cash Register, Cardboard Box, Hanger (x4)
P204 = Lady About Town
Cash Register, Handbag (x5)
VI. Other Weapon Locations
Weapons Found on Zombies:
Handgun, Hunk of Meat, Hunting Knife, Nightstick, Shopping Cart
Weapons/Food Found Outside of Stores:
Cardboard Box, Bench, Bowling Ball, Bucket, Garbage Can, Hunting Knife, Potted Plant, Push Broom, Push Broom Handle, Snack
Hidden Weapons (and How to Locate):
Katana - From the start of the demo, continue foward til you reach the first staircase on your right. The staircase is just outside of “Kid’s Choice Clothing”. Go up the staircase, and enter “Columbian Roastmasters”, which should be on your left. Go towards the windows, and find the window that has an orange canopy outside of it. Jump out of that window, and onto the canopy, to find the Katana.
Submachine Gun - Just like with finding the Katana, from the start of the demo, continue foward til you reach the first staircase on your right. The staircase is just outside of “Kid’s Choice Clothing”. Go half-way up it til you see a blue balacony type platform that hangs just over the stores on your right side. Jump onto it and follow it towards the beginning of the demo to loacte the Submachine Gun.
VII. Clothing
P102 = Child’s Play
Servbot Mask
P107 = Cantonbury’s
Black Fedora Hat, Dress Shoes and Socks, White Dress Shirt with Black Tie and Black Pants
P109 = Tyke n’ Tots
Kid’s Green “Ratman” Shirt and shorts
P110 = Ye Olde Toybox
Teddy Bear Novelty Mask
P111 = SporTrance, 1st Floor
Athletic Shoes and High Socks
P112 = Universe of Optics
Sunglasses
P113 = Kid’s Choice Clothing
Kid’s Red Shirt and Shorts, Horse Novelty Mask
P116 = Shoekin’s
Shoes
P203 = Tucci’s of Rome
Sleeveless Shirt and Shorts
VIII. Foods and Ingrediants
Foods - Reaction:
Baguette - Heals One Box
Pie - Heals One Box
Orange Juice - Heals Four Boxes
Ingrediants for Blender:
Baguette
Baking Ingrediants
Cooking Oil
Condiment
Orange Juice
Pie
Snack
Other Jucies from Blender
IX. Blender Drinks
The Blender is located on the second floor in “Columbian Roastmasters”. To place ingrediants/foods in it, have it equipped and hit B while near it.
Here’s a list of drinks you can make, how to make they, and what they do:
Energizer (Green) - Randomizer + Zombie Bait - Supercharges you.
Nectar (Yellow) - Orange Juice + Orange Juice - Heals multiple boxes.
Quickstep (White) - Randomizer + Randomizer - Increases footspeed.
Randomizer (Black) - Baguette + Cooking Oil -Random effects, has been know to cause stomach pains.
Spitfire (Blue) - Snacks + Snacks - You’re spit acts like a bullet, killing most zombies in one hit.
Untouchable (Red) - Orange Juice + Pie - Frank becomes invinceable (for a limited time)
Zombie Bait (Pink) - Pie + Snacks - Zombies become highly attracted to you.
There are multiple ways to make each drink, so have fun and expieriment with it!
X. Books
Books give you special abilities. But in order to have those abilities, the book must be in your inventory.
Bachman’s Bookporium
Interior Design - Use “Interior Design” items three times longer.
Entertainment - Use “Entertainment” related items three times longer.
Horror Novel - Get a 25% boost to PP resulting from defeating zombies
Engineering - Use “Tools and Construction” related items three times longer.
Contemporary Reading
Weekly Photo Magazine - Get a visual cue to indicate prime photo timing.
Hobby - Use “Toy” items three times longer.
Camera - Get a 25% boost to PP resulting from photos
Sports - Use “Sporting Goods” items three times longer.
XI. PP Bonuses
“Servbot Head Realigned Bonus!” - 10,000 PP
Location: “Child’s Play”
“Used Stove Bonus!” - 2,000 PP
Location: “Columbian Roastmasters”, “Jill’s Sandwhiches”
Zombie Kill Bonuses - 500 PP (For Each 50 Killed)
Directions: Kill 50 Zombies
Decapitaion with Sickle - 100 PP
Directions: Hit X with Sickle Equipped.
Scold a Zombie’s Face - 100 PP
Directions: Hold X with Heated Frying Pan Equipped.
Throwing Knife Kill - 30 PP
Directions: Hold Right Trigger and Hit X with a Knife Equipped
Bare Fist Kill - 30 PP
Directions: Hit X with No Weapon Equipped.
There may be more, so keep looking!
XII. PP Stickers
Prestige Point Stickers are located thoughout the demo. If you find one and take a picture of it, you get a nice PP bonus in your picture.
Here are the locations of know PP Stickers:
1. The clock in “Universe of Optics”
2. On the happy mouth of the Servbot in “Child’s Play”
3. “MovieLand” Sign
4. Cardboard standup of “Ratman” by “MovieLand”
5. On the lower abs of the cardboard standup outside of “Players”
6. “Kids Choice” Sign
7. “Tunemakers” Sign
8. On the the three teddy bears in “Ye Old Toybox”
9. On the clock with the bird on it, you start right next to it.
10. “Tyke n’ Tots” Sign
11. “Jill’s Sandwhiches” Sign
XIII. Ways the Demo Ends
Each ending shows a different movie, unless you die (#6). Go though the demo multiple times to see each one!
1. From the beginning of the demo, just turn around and head towards the hallway.
2. From the beginning of the demo, turn right and head towards the black door which you came in from.
3. Enter “MovieLand”
4. Exit to “Leisure Park”.
5. Wait for the 15 minutes to expire.
6. Lose all your health.
XIV. Random Interesting Things
- If you fire a bullet at the hard hat of a zombie, the bullet will bounce off.
- In the full game, you have to place meat in the microwave so that you won’t get sick from having raw meat. But since there is no meat in the demo, there’s no use for the microwave in the demo.
- Take a nearby Frying Pan, place in on the oven, and take it off after a couple of second. The Frying Pan will become scolding hot.
- If you throw a bottle of cooking oil, it will splash on the ground. When a zombie walks into the puddle, he will trip.
- The hunk of meat attracks zombies.
- Cardboard boxes and garbage cans hold items. Throw them to break them open.
- You can shoot out the windows near the park entrance, and kill the zombies on the other side.
- My personal best for kills is 672.
XV. Conclusion:
This is the first guide/faq I’ve ever made, and I have to say that it was actually fun. I hope this can also decrease the amount of repetitive topics on the board. In fact, I’m currently working on a FAQ.
This did take almost the entire day, so I hope you guys enjoy it, and mabye even learn something new from it.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
‘No more online gaming for you!’ says EA
Filed under: PC, Sony PlayStation 2, Microsoft Xbox, Driving, Online, Sports, Business
Game Informer delivers some bad news for online gamers who were still enjoying a few of the older Electronic Arts titles. It seems that the company has already shut down servers for a number of games on Aug. 1 and plans to shut down even more on Oct. 1.
While players will be able to play online in these games until the selected date, EA does mention that “certain community programs may begin to close down prior to the shutdown dates.”
Here are the Oct. 1 titles that you can look forward to not playing online anymore:
- Madden NFL 2005 for PS2
- Madden NFL 2005 for Xbox
- Madden NFL 2005 for PC
- NFL Street 2: Unleashed for PS2
- NFL Street 2: Unleashed for Xbox
Check after the break for the full list of shutdowns.
August 1, 2006 Online Service Shutdown:
- FIFA Soccer 2005 for PS2
- FIFA Soccer 2005 for Xbox
- FIFA Soccer 2005 Demo for Xbox
- FIFA Soccer 2005 for PC
- EA Sports Fight Night Round 2 for PS2
- EA Sports Fight Night Round 2 for Xbox
- NCAA March Madness 2005 for PS2
- NCAA March Madness 2005 for Xbox
- NBA Live 2005 for Xbox
- NBA Live 2005 for PC
- NBA Live 05 for PS2
- NBA Street V3 for PS2
- NBA Street V3 for Xbox
- NCAA Football 2005 for PS2
- Need for Speed Underground 2 Demo for PC
- Need for Speed Underground 2 for PC
- Need for Speed Underground 2 for Xbox
- NHL 2005 for PS2
- NHL 2005 for Xbox
- NHL 2005 for PC
- Total Club Manager 06 for PS2
- Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005 for PS2
- Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005 for PC
- UEFA Champions League 2004-2005 for PS2
- UEFA Champions League 2004-2005 for PC
- UEFA Champions League 2004-2005 for Xbox
October 1, 2006 Online Service Shutdown:
- Madden NFL 2005 for PS2
- Madden NFL 2005 for Xbox
- Madden NFL 2005 for PC
- NFL Street 2: Unleashed for PS2
- NFL Street 2: Unleashed for Xbox
Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
