Nov 25, 2010

Kotaku

My acting teacher taught me a variety of things, such as how to cry on command and sound really excited about floor wax.

But more importantly, she taught me that the hardest roles of my career wouldn't involve emotional death scenes, historical research, or any kind of physical and emotional transformation.

The hardest roles would be playing the attractive, heroic leading lady.

Not because the scenes are demanding in the least. In fact, they're usually some of the easiest: Smile, look pretty. Shoot gun, look pretty. Play hard to get, look pretty. Pouty-lipped reaction shot. Repeat.

My acting coach meant that it's easy to fall into the trap of just going through the motions as the ‘pretty girl.' I mean, who cares about my character's subtext (the emotion underneath the words) as long as I had a low-cut shirt, flat abs, and body oil, right? True – and there's nothing wrong with sex appeal – but it's the job of real actors to take something superficial and give it depth.

This same concept applies to video game heroines.

In the original Tomb Raiders, Lara Croft needed nothing more than D-cups and 9-millimeters to satisfy her demographic. But now that the bar of characterization has been raised, what makes a good heroine?

Personally, I compare it to what I've learned in acting: Leading ladies have to be tough, but accessible. Beautiful, with a vulnerable, ugly side. A strong woman and a scared little girl at the same time. Not to mention outfits and overall style need to make sense. And what about throwing some humor in there? A sense of humor makes her relatable. In other words, female protagonists should be well rounded… and not just in the physical sense.

These high standards of mine are the reason I still don't have a favorite video game heroine. The funniest thing, however, is that each of my requirements have been met – only with different characters.

So, I'm breaking all the rules, throwing on my mad scientist goggles, and splicing together some Frankenstein monsters, to see if I can create my perfect female lead.

Monster #1 – The Witty, Complex Beauty

Elena Fisher's humor (Uncharted series) + Lara Croft's style & weapons (Tomb Raider series) + Bonnie MacFarlane's emotional strength (Red Dead Redemption)

No firearm compares to Nathan Drake's arsenal of one-liners, and while he's not the first wisecracking hero, he's one of the first to have a sarcastic female counterpart who can shoot the jokes right back. Elena's sense of humor could very well be the most lovable thing about her. Combine that charming personality with Lara Croft's short-shorts and pistols, and – well, talk about a firecracker!

You can't deny that Lara Croft's body is as classic to video games as Mario's red hat. I loved her style in Tomb Raider: Underworld, and frankly, I'd wear the same thing if I were chimney jumping like a spider monkey in a hot, sticky jungle. To top off a beauty like Lara with the quick wit of Elena, I'd add Bonnie MacFarlane's full range of emotions.

Bonnie is a real, relatable woman in a man's world. We see her as a protective landowner and a respectful daughter. We watch her take a liking to John Marston, which turns into a silent love, and eventually… we see her realize that love can never develop, as she kicks the dirt like a sad little girl.

While Elena's humor and Lara's style are good first steps toward creating a dynamic heroine, it's really the imperfections and heart of Bonnie that round out this Frankenstein monster.

Monster #2 – The Hot, Parkouring Zombie Assassin

Zoey's relatability (Left4Dead) + Faith Connors' acrobatics (Mirror's Edge) + Rubi Malone's fashion (Wet)

The Zompocalypse is going to happen. We've all accepted it.

While we know virtually nothing about Zoey from Left4Dead, gamers are obsessed with her. I realized it's because she is one of the most relatable female characters around. She's extremely normal – a girl you could easily run into on the street. I guarantee if the outbreak happened tomorrow, I would be Zoey personified… but I'd wish I had the skills of Faith Connors.

Imagine being a survivor among zombies with the ability to parkour. Talk about a game-changer! Faith's unique, real-life free-running ability given to a sharpshooter like Zoey produces a character that's only missing one thing: some sexy style.

Wet wasn't exactly Game of the Year, but its star, Rubi Malone, knows how to dress. Her style is practical, sexy, and gives off a "Don't screw with me" vibe. Why do I think my down-to-earth, Apocalypse-surviving heroine needs more than just jeans and a hoodie? It's the classic saying, "Look good, feel good," because hell, if I looked like Rubi at the end of humanity, my ass-kicking ego would be bigger than a free Lady Gaga concert.

Monster #3 – The Loyal, Independent Phasewalker… with a Sword

Lilith's Phasewalk (Borderlands) + Alyx Vance's complexity and independence (Half-Life series) + Lightning's gunblade (Final Fantasy XIII)

Video games are fictional, and the best thing about fiction is that you can give characters unrealistic features, such as incredible super powers. Lilith's Phasewalk in Borderlands allows her to turn invisible and slip out of danger, then reappear in the center of the battle with a shockwave of pain. Yet, this amazing power is given to a character that's hard to get close to. Imagine this power given to a strong, sassy, beautifully complex character like Alyx Vance.

Alyx, more than Gordon Freeman, is the face of Half-Life 2, giving us a real human with which to connect as we control a voiceless hero. Maybe I'm just a sucker for that wink of hers, but Alyx's personality is a breath of fresh air in the video game land of superficial beauties.

Lilith and Alyx? They're all about guns. So, we'll stick with what they're familiar with and throw in a sword. The Gunblades from Final Fantasy are undeniably cool, and the one wielded by Lightning is probably the most gorgeous of all. Lightning's weapon, Alyx's depth, Lilith's powers – yeah, I'd play that game.

There is an obvious shortage of multifaceted female protagonists. Even in Game Informer's "30 Characters Who Defined a Decade," only six were women. In our male-dominated world of games, I'd love to see more female heroes that break the shallow mold and show us their gritty, even ugly side. And hey, a few more funny girls wouldn't hurt, either.

So, those are my creations – what are yours?

Lisa Foiles is best known as the former star of Nickelodeon's award-winning comedy show, All That. She currently works as a graphic designer and writes for her game site, Save Point. For more info, visit Lisa's official website.

Jul 30, 2010

Lay Down Your Guns

Grand Theft Auto IV Trailer

Lay Down Your Guns Writer Fraser Allison thinks a few games could be improved if they contained a little less shooting. We're reprinting the case here. Read on and see if you agree.

I love violent games.

I love shooting. I heart punching. I make "brrrm!" noises when I move tanks around, and cackle gleefully when I make those tanks demolish other tanks or buildings. Who cheers for war? I cheer for war.

If it's done well.

Luckily, violence is one of the easiest things to simulate in a videogame. People both inside and outside the culture of games wonder whether the popularity of realistic warfare simulators is a sign that today's youth are becoming brutalised (as though people haven't always been fascinated by war), but sit Jack Thompson, Michael Atkinson, Hillary Clinton and Joseph Lieberman down in a Basic Game Programming 101 class and I guarantee you they will all start by making a 2D shooter (if they think nobody is watching).

Sometimes, though, game developers seem to forget that combat still takes a bit of work to get right. Plenty of potentially good non-violent games have been hampered or outright ruined by the unnecessary addition of violent combat, often for no apparent reason except that it must seem like the safe option. When developers think of combat as an easy feature they can quickly add to their game at the end to round it out, like tutorials or music or writing (cough), they're risking more than the cost of implementing the shooting or brawling mechanics: the whole experience of their potentially awesome climby/jumpy/buildy game can be dragged down by the addition of half-baked fighting mechanics, which ultimately only distract the player from the game's central pleasures.

Great games know what they are, and don't try to do more. To illustrate my point, a thought exercise: what would Canabalt be like if it let you stop and shoot the deathbots? (Hint: the answer is not "totally sweet".)

I'd like to suggest that game developers think hard about the purpose of violence in their games, and don't just include it in the design out of habit. If it's going to be an important part of the core experience, great; if not, you may find you can save the cost and make a better game by simply leaving out the violence.

A few recent examples of games that could be improved by toning down the violence:

Crackdown 2

The original Crackdown is a great game. Jumping about, collecting orbs, lifting ever-heavier objects and tossing them around, blowing things up in ever-greater explosions; these are blissful in a way few other games have matched. The assassination missions are really just a cheap cement that holds the experience together and gives you a way to level up your character's skills. The missions never shine, because they have to be completed primarily by methodically shooting a lot of dudes in the face; however, as there's only one gang leader you have to kill in each mission, it's possible to apply your athletic, driving and explosives skills to find shortcuts into their inner sanctum – by climbing up a cliff face from the ocean, say, or ramming through a back door in your supercar – which gave the missions a pleasing puzzle-strategy element.

Crackdown 2, to its credit, doesn't spoil most of what is good about Crackdown, and it makes several improvements that have been unjustly ignored by those quick to call it a microwave reheat of the original. However, it botches the core mission structure by making it all about shooting. Although there are a wider variety of mission types, they all require you to kill a large number of marked enemies in a confined location, without leaving the immediate area. This completely removes your ability to approach these missions in the style you find most fun, and forces you to grind through each one as a common or garden man-shooter. The game passively prevents you from taking advantage of the best part of the game – jumping and climbing – for the duration of the missions.

This limitation was reflected in many of the game's reviews. Christian Donlan's review at Eurogamer was essentially a plea to stick with it through the combat missions, it will get better:

Only with the campaign behind you will you start to get a true sense of just how good this game can be… it's the game waiting for you after the end credits that provides the most fun.

For "campaign", read "structured combat".

Mirror's Edge

Mirror's Edge is a fantastically promising game, but it's not without flaws. It is, in fact, probably more flaw than game, even though it comes close to greatness. The basic design of continuous free-running through a starkly colour-coded obstacle course is inspired, and although the level design and finicky controls often fail to allow the player to maintain a smooth flow, the one element of the game that never supports the player's experience is the combat. Being chased by gun-wielding cops is a great motivator; having to stop and kickbox or shoot said cops is a frustrating, joyless, disorienting waste of your time. Perhaps if it was easier to take out a police officer mid-run, without breaking stride, it would all click into place and the flow of parkour would be enhanced, but as it is it only detracts from the game.

A sequel has been announced. [Note from Kotaku: We've heard it's been considered; not announced.] If DICE can fix up the parkour mechanics a bit and strip out direct combat entirely, Mirror's Edge 2 will be something to look forward to.

Grand Theft Auto IV

As in Crackdown, combat in the GTA series is solid enough for general hell-raising, but becomes tiresome in the way it's used for story missions. Random brawls with police, civilians and criminal gangs are thrilling, and require no more complexity from the gun combat than the game already has: depth in these situations is provided by the interaction of many gameplay systems at once, unbound and unpredictable. However, each of the scripted missions usually turns into a pitched, stationary shoot-out over the top of a car or some crates, which quickly drives home how shallow the gun mechanics and the enemy combat AI really are. These missions narrow the focus down to just the combat elements of GTA, which is like playing Concentration with only two cards. By itself, it doesn't have the depth to stay fun for as long as the game needs it to.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix / Half-Blood Prince

You may be surprised to learn that the two most recent Harry Potter movie tie-ins are perfectly decent games. They're not bad; I'd rate them above, say, the LEGO games in terms of variety and appeal, if not general polish. The games provide exactly what most buyers of a Harry Potter movie game would want: they give you the sense of hanging out at Hogwarts, accompanied by all the familiar characters, and let you play through the stories in a fairly engaging fashion.

There's exactly one thing the games do even better than the books or films: allow you to explore Hogwarts for yourself. The rooms and courtyards are all immediately recognisable from the films, and in playing through the game you learn how each place is positioned and connected to the others by the confounding rabbit warren mess of tunnels, hallways and moving staircases (the in-game architecture was drawn up from the same plans and models used in the films, so you could follow the paths the characters took from scene to scene… y'know, if you were into that kind of thing). You may scoff, but these games are the closest thing I've played to Warren Spector's famous "one city block" RPG concept.

Of course, because these are mainstream videogames, it was not enough for them to be simple adventures through a familiar world; they had to include the mandatory gunfights "wizard duels". The magic battle scenes are already the weakest parts of both the books and the films, which survive primarily on their strong characters; there's even less to recommend these scenes in the games. The Order of the Phoenix contains, I kid you not, a mopping minigame that manages to be more fun than the wizard duels.

(The next Harry Potter game is reportedly shaping up to be a Gears-of-War-esque cover-based sparkly-shooter. This is… interesting.)

Fallout 3

This one could be controversial. I'm convinced that Fallout 3 would be a better game if it just dialled the combat down a bit. The frequency of combat isn't really the root of the problem; it's that, to me, the time-stopping VATS system never feels like an engaging enough gameplay mechanic that I look forward to using it. It has a subtler and deeper problem than the rest of the games in this list: the combat is competently designed, but feels oddly meaningless in a game otherwise packed full of meaning.

The only battles that productively absorb my attention are those fought directly in service of a larger and more interesting goal, or against an enemy who has a name and a personality. The generic radscorpions, raiders and super mutants that attack the player on sight cease to be interesting opponents after the first couple of encounters; if I knew a bit more about the individuals I was fighting, the combat might not feel so aimless. ("If only you could talk to the monsters!")

Steve Gaynor wrote about the aimlessness of videogame violence in a recent blog post, which perfectly captures my problem with Fallout 3:

Violence in film, literature or on stage can either be meaningful or meaningless. When it is meaningful, it resonates with the audience; when it is meaningless, it is largely (and rightly) derided. Consider the death o Shakespeare's Hamlet following a duel, or of Sonny Corleone in The Godfather, or of Evelyn Mulwray at the end of Chinatown, versus, say, the nameless mooks mown down in Rambo II or Commando or Hard Boiled. The killing by the protagonist of those without identity devalues human life in the work, and thereby robs the violence of meaning (it being perpetrated upon human forms with no value.)

And so a metric for games comes to mind: violence performed by the player in a video game is only legitimate if the victim is a unique and specific individual.

(Emphasis in original.)

I'm not sure exactly what Gaynor means by "legitimate", but if he had said "meaningful" I would agree wholeheartedly. That's not to say all games must have well-developed enemy characters to be worthwhile; I'd be happy if the violence in Fallout 3 (or any of the other games in this list) was simply more interesting on a tactical level.

For another recent take on this issue, see Michael Thomsen's article The Case for More Violent Games, at IGN. He makes a similar point to Steve Gaynor: that violence in games is not necessarily bad, but should be more meaningful. Both are great articles, and I agree with both. Right now, I'd just like to present the implied alternative:

If you aren't going to make your game's violence well-designed or meaningful, consider not doing it at all.

Republished with permission.

Fraser Allison is currently writing a thesis at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology on how video game mechanics create meaning for players. He writes about this, and many other game issues, at redkingsdream.com.

Apr 3, 2010

The Ultimate iPad Launch Game Round-Up

Mirror's Edge™

The Ultimate iPad Launch Game Round-Up Join Kotaku as we showcase some of the best and not-so-best games available for the shiny new iPad. Check out hands-on impressions for Mirror's Edge, Need for Speed: Shift, Geometry Wars, and more!

Seeing as I am the only Kotaku editor with an iPad, the process of working my way through the twenty-five or so iPad games now in my possession is a long and arduous one. There's some really good stuff here, and then there's just stuff, and it's my job to separate the stuff from the stuff. Mind you these are quick impressions, which you probably could have figured out on your own, considering this is going live on the iPad's launch day.

I'll be updating this post regularly over the next couple of hours, so stay tuned for more, including Scrabble, Plants vs. Zombies, Civilization Revolution, and more!

Latest updates: Glyder 2, Parachute Panic HD, and Pocket Legends for iPad. And that's all for now! One man game-playing army needs a nap.

The Ultimate iPad Launch Game Round-Up CastleCraft
Seller: Freeverse Inc.
Price: Free
Genre: Massively Multiplayer City-Building Strategy
The Buzz: It's a fantasy-themed empire-building sim, where you can interactive with hundreds of other players online.
Impressions: CastleCraft is a nifty-little city building conquest game that works quite well on the iPad. Since you need to log into a server to play and your game keeps running while you aren't playing, the device's lack of multi-tasking capability doesn't hinder it, and being able to wander off to do other things instead of staring at the screen while the timer counts down how long it takes to build a farm is a definite plus.

I haven't had enough time to meet anyone else playing yet, so I couldn't test out CastleCraft's more social features, but if a strong community builds up around it, it could be a real winner for fans of this sort of strategy game.

The Ultimate iPad Launch Game Round-Up
Civilization Revolution for iPad
Seller: 2K Games
Price: $12.99
Genre: Strategy
The Buzz: It's the console version of Sid Meier's classic Civilization, redesigned for the iPad. It's essentially the same as the iPhone version, only with better graphics, better controls, a broader view, and a World/Scenario Creator exclusive to the iPad.
Impressions: What an interesting way to play Civilization! Revolution was originally designed to be a quick and easy version of Civ for the console generation, but now it feels as if the game were made with the iPad in mind. It's like – yes, I am going to do this – looking through a magic window at your creation, touching things and making them do your bidding. The Scenario Creator is particularly impressive, with several pages' worth of options for you to tweak, from resource density to winning conditions.

Just be warned that the game is a bit thick, and not too easy on the newcomer.

The Ultimate iPad Launch Game Round-Up
Flick Fishing HD
Seller: Freeverse
Price: $2.99
Genre: Fishing
The Buzz: The iPhone version of Flick Fishing sold more than 1.5 million copies, if that says anything. The HD version includes improved graphics, a Brag system, and two packs worth of add-ons.
Impressions: This is a cute little fishing game that's none too complicated. There are several spots to fish, and you'll get requests to catch certain species in specific numbers. Use the casting meter to determine how far you cast out, wait for a fish to bite, and then reel it in with a circular motion on the screen. Simple, inexpensive, and fun, if you're into this sort of thing.

The Ultimate iPad Launch Game Round-Up
Flight Control HD
Seller: ndWare
Price: $4.99
Genre: Flight Control
The Buzz: Flight Control for the iPhone captured the hearts of more than two million purchasers. Flight Control HD takes the concept and evolves it for the iPad, with larger maps with more room to manuever your planes, eight different single player maps, co-op and split-screen multiplayer, and of course, 3D.
Impressions: What a great way to take advantage of the higher screen resolution on the iPad! Rather than simply deliver a larger version of the original game, Flight Control HD gives the player more room to move, so if you need to spiral one of your planes endlessly in a corner while the others land, it's completely doable. You can also draw part of a path, continuing it when you're ready to complete it, making for more strategic depth. This is how games should be upgraded from iPhone to iPad.

The Ultimate iPad Launch Game Round-Up
Galcon Fusion
Seller: Hassey Enterprises
Price: $9.99
Genre: Action Strategy
The Buzz: Such a simple premise, yet so much fun. Galcon, in its various forms, is a game about taking over the universe by numbers. Your planet produces a certain number of ships. Take over neutral planets and hostile planets with superior numbers, while your enemy tries to do the same. It can get rather intense.
Impressions: Galcon Fusion takes up the action of Galcon proper several notches, swarms of allies and enemies filling the screen as you try to figure out which resources to allocate to which battle on the fly. It's like real-time strategy, only faster. Hyper-time strategy?

For the most fun, try getting into an online multiplayer game with eleven other players. A simple premise that delivers complex fun.

The Ultimate iPad Launch Game Round-Up
Geometry Wars Touch for iPad
Seller: Activision
Price: $9.99
Genre: Shooter
The Buzz: If I have to explain the buzz behind Geometry Wars, you might be on the wrong website. Perhaps you were looking for Otaku and typed an extra 'K'?
Impressions: One of the best games on Xbox Live arcade could be one of the best games on the iPad. I'm completely in love with the controls of Geometry Wars Touch. You control the game with your thumbs, one for movement and one for fire direction, but instead of using fixed points, wherever your thumb touches, that's your thumbstick. Many iPhone titles have tried this technique, but with the large surface of the iPad, it really sings.

The game features several game modes, including Evolved, King, Deadline, and Pacifist, which should be more than enough to keep iPad twitch shooter fans happy. Very well done.

The Ultimate iPad Launch Game Round-Up
Glyder 2 for iPad
Seller: Glu Mobile
Price: $4.99
Genre: Flying?
The Buzz: One of the most soothing yet involving games on the iPhone just got…soothinger? Glyder and Glyder 2 were very pretty iPhone apps. This is Glyder 2 with prettier graphics, a new control scheme, enhanced navigation, and Facebook connectivity.
Impressions: Glyder and Glyder 2 were a pair of games that I always felt were too small. Problem solved. The bigger screen and hi-res textures do indeed make it easier to lose yourself in the simple joy of riding the air currents.

The Ultimate iPad Launch Game Round-Up
iBlast Moki HD
Seller: Godzilab
Price: $4.99
Genre: Physics Puzzler
The Buzz: This is the iPad version of award-winning physics puzzle game iBlast Moki, redone with enhanced HD graphics. And it's adorable.
Impressions: iBlast Moki is another iPad title that benefits from the increased size of the iPad. Positioning the bombs needed to blast the adorable little Moki into their holes is easier than ever. A cute little title that should be loads of fun for fans of physics-based puzzles.

The Ultimate iPad Launch Game Round-Up
Mirror's Edge for iPad
Seller: Electronic Arts
Price: $12.99 (on sale)
Genre: Action-Adventure
The Buzz: The original Mirror's Edge got plenty of buzz, and the iPhone version wasn't looking too shabby either. Now it's bigger, better-looking, and comes with split-screen racing for two players.
Impressions: It's a version of Mirror's Edge that won't make you throw up! Set Faith running and use swipe moves with your fingers to make her jump, roll, slide, and climb her way through 14 levels of HD cityscapes. The game looks gorgeous, its stylized graphics translating well onto the iPad's screen, and it handles like a dream. I was not expecting to be impressed by this, but I am. And I've not even had a chance to try out the multiplayer yet.

The Ultimate iPad Launch Game Round-Up NBA Hotshot HD
Seller: Freeverse
Price: $2.99
Genre: Basketball Mini-Game
The Buzz: You know that basketball shooting game you find every now and then at the arcade? This is that, or at least the iPad version of the iPhone app of that, with enhanced graphics and a new set of WNBA balls to collect.
Impressions: Not being a basketball fan, I've never really played the arcade basketball shooting games, so you're on your own as far as comparison to the real thing goes. It looks lovely, and the basketballs definitely look like basketballs and not say, oranges, but in the end, you're just flicking them towards the hoop. Is that worth $2.99 to you?

The Ultimate iPad Launch Game Round-Up
Need for Speed Shift for iPad
Seller: Electronic Arts
Price: $14.99
Genre: Racing
The Buzz: Need for Speed: Shift was used at the initial iPad press conference to demonstrate the device's gaming acumen. Let's see if the full game, one of the priciest available, lives up to the hype.
Impressions: It's no wonder this game was chosen to represent iPad gaming at the press conference. It's a very pretty racing game, packed with 28 cars (8 exclusive), 18 tracks, day and night driving, and local WiFi and Bluetooth multiplayer. It controls rather well, especially when you turn off the automatic acceleration and steering assist.

As much as I'd like to speak out against the $14.99 price point, this is one game for the iPad that's worth it.

The Ultimate iPad Launch Game Round-Up Parachute Panic HD
Seller: FDG Mobile Games GbR
Price: $1.99
Genre: Parachuting?
The Buzz: This simple game of landing a parachutist on passing boats was downloaded more than 4 million times in its original iPhone iteration.
Impressions: One of the most charming little titles in the iPhone is also one of the most charming bigger titles on the iPad. The premise is simple – land parachuting stick figures on boats, while drawn obstacles try to take them out. The scribble art is cute, the music is quirky and enjoyable, and the whole pad of paper premise works much better on the iPad. Go figure.

The Ultimate iPad Launch Game Round-Up
Plants Vs. Zombies HD
Seller: Popcap Games
Price: $9.99
Genre: Defense
The Buzz: It's Plants Vs. Zombies, with a touch screen and higher resolution graphics. What more do you need?
Impressions: This is perhaps the most fun I've had playing Plants Vs. Zombies. There's just something about having the garden laid out in front of you, your finger hovering, ever-watchful for life-giving sun. It makes the game a bit more personal, and makes the update to this guide a bit slower. Get it.

The Ultimate iPad Launch Game Round-Up
Pocket Legends
Seller: Spacetime Studios
Price: Free
Genre: MMORPG
The Buzz: Pocket legends is a free MMORPG for the iPad!
Impressions: Yes, Pocket Legends is a MMORPG. Many people can play, and you have a persistent character you can customize from one of three different classes, but there is no real open world her, per se. It's more of a lobby system where you can team up with a couple other players and go on an adventure, and there's nothing wrong with that. It does have all the pieces of an MMO in place – experience points, hot keyed skills, attributes, equipment. It's just a bit more Diablo than EverQuest .

That's not to say it's Diablo-quality, mind you. The game still needs a bit of polish, and the graphics are a bit primitive, but a lot of that can be forgiven for the inclusion of the world ‘free' in the price section.

The Ultimate iPad Launch Game Round-Up
Sam and Max Episode 1: Penal Zone
Seller: Telltale Games
Price: $9.99
Genre: Adventure
The Buzz: Another genre that seems tailor-made for the iPad, Sam and Max Episode 1: Penal zone kicks off a new series in Telltale's beloved dog and bunny police drama. Max, the homicidal rabbit, gets psychic powers. That's all you need to know to want it!
Impressions: It's Sam and Max, freelance police! As we join our heroes, they are imprisoned by the vile alien General Skunkape (skun-kah-pay), and have to use Max's new psychic abilities to stop his evil plan. What psychic powers? All will be explained, in due time. The trademark Sam and Max humor is all in place, the graphics are sharp, and Max gets to be a bazooka. Max gets to be a bazooka. I could say that all day. How could I not recommend Sam and Max?

The Ultimate iPad Launch Game Round-Up
Scrabble HD
Seller: Electronic Arts
Price: $9.99
Genre: Board Game
The Buzz: This is the one everybody is talking about, potentially an iPad killer app. You all know Scrabble. This is Scrabble that one to four players can play without having to set up a board and divvy out tiles.
Impressions: I just played the word ‘IT' against the computer, so you should probably not look to me as an expert in all things Scrabble. Still, this is one impressive game for the iPad. Even without taking the iPhone-connecting Party Play option into consideration, the ability to hop into a game with Facebook friends, via a local network, or just by passing around your iPad makes for a much neater way to play Scrabble that ever before. My only complaint would have to be that I expected the board to big bigger, but then I have freakishly large fingers. We've established that.

The Ultimate iPad Launch Game Round-Up
Super Monkey Ball 2: Sakura Edition
Seller: Sega America
Price: $9.99 (until April 10th, normally $12.99)
Genre: Monkey Rolling
The Buzz: It's Super Monkey Ball, on a larger screen, with new mini-games, including a game four-players can play on one screen. This is madness.
Impressions: Again, it's Super Monkey Ball. The iPad proves to be an adequate tilt controller for our favorite ball-encased monkeys, and the vibrant screen makes the scenery pop just right. Not sure about that regular price though. If you're planning on picking it up, definitely take advantage of the $9.99 early adopter sale.

The Ultimate iPad Launch Game Round-Up
Tap Tap Radiation
Seller: Gogo Apps, Inc
Price: Free
Genre: Music/Rhythm
The Buzz: Tap Tap Radiation is Tapulous' attempt to take advantage of the iPad's power, combining the basic premise of Tap Tap Revolution with astounding visuals.
Impressions: I'm not sure about astounding visuals. I mean, they are pretty, but astounding? I am not astounded. Instead of a track with tap indicators coming down, Tap Tap Radiation has the indicators flying from off the screen, utilizing the iPad's increased real estate to shift the position of the targets as the music progresses. It's interesting. It's also free, so you can just try it out for yourself.

The Ultimate iPad Launch Game Round-Up
VH1 Classic Presents: Intellivision for iPad
Seller: MTV Networks
Price: $2.99
The Buzz: Well, I wouldn't exactly call it buzz, unless you're talking about the Intellivision's audio effects, amirite? No? Okay. Six classic Intellivision titles, recreated for the iPad.
Impressions: Intellivision games don't stand the test of time very well. Perhaps the kitsch factor is worth $2.99 to a few, but spending money to play ancient and quite frankly boring titles on a screen this pretty just seems like a waste.

The Ultimate iPad Launch Game Round-Up
Warpgate HD
Seller: Freeverse
Price: $7.99
Genre: Strategy Space Exploration / Combat
The Buzz: A game of space exploration in which you take part in quests, exploring more than 35 star systems and piloting 172 different starships in a bid to dominate the universe.
Impressions: I was right to be impressed! This is an expansive little space simulator, reminiscent of a simplified version of one of my favorite old PC games, Privateer. You've got simple combat, quests, mining, commodities brokering, and a faction system. It works particularly well with the iPad, as it makes you feel like you're in the future.

The Ultimate iPad Launch Game Round-Up
Worms HD
Seller: Team17
Price: $4.99
Genre: Turn-based combat
The Buzz: The classic worm-battling game comes to the iPad. What, you wanted a long paragraph?
Impressions: I'm actually slightly disappointed in the iPad version of Worms. The controls seem a bit off, like I'll have my shot all lined up, hit the button on the screen to fire, and my shot repositions itself, flying harmlessly into the landscape, or harmfully into me.

Perhaps I'll like it better once online multiplayer is implemented. Team17 couldn't get it in the launch version, since they only had one iPad to work with.

The Ultimate iPad Launch Game Round-Up
Zen Bound 2
Seller: Secret Exit Ltd.
Price: $7.99
Genre: Puzzle, sort of.
The Buzz: Zen Bound 2 was probably the first iPad game we saw screens of after the initial press conference. It's all about wrapping wooden figures with string. In other words, it's one of those relaxing games.
Impressions: Well it certainly is relaxing. If you're looking for a game that won't piss off the folks down at Starbucks with gratuitous violence or harsh noises, then Zen Bound 2 is the game for you. It makes great use of the iPad's graphical capabilities; it could be considered a showcase title. Ghost Monkey's music will lull you into a calm place you didn't know existed, and there's something soothing about wrapping things with string. Do not play when sleepy.