How do you say no to a man who can straight one-arm lift your product over his head 26 times? Bruce Pechman, The Muscleman of Technology, Scores First Alienware M17x All Powerful Notebook! The Alienware M17x “All Powerful” Notebook Unboxing and First ImpressionsBy guest writer Bruce Pechman, a.k.a. Mr. Bicep - www.mrbicep.com! For those of us fortunate enough to attend this year’s E3 and partake in the annual ritual of “The Mecca of Gaming” in Los Angeles, where the sights, sounds, and smells of games and related garnishments never cease, there always lies one segment of the show for me that never disappoints—the hardware. Well, maybe that and the Bayonetta chick—I still can’t believe she let me goose her! We’ll talk more about my security confrontation in another article. There really was only one major computer builder at this year’s show, and I’m pleased to let you know it was Alienware. The main reason for their larger than life presence on the show floor was for the unveiling and debut of their new M17x laptop—not just any 17” gaming laptop, but “The Most Powerful Laptop in the Universe”…per the glossy brochure. I got abducted into the Alienware booth complete with...

If you watch just one video this E3, make it this one! {seyret id="306"} See how many games you can count.  I did leave out a couple of big titles, too... but hey, nobody's perfect. :)

Just in case you missed our glowing impressions and HD video footage of Konami's upcoming Reflection DSiWare title, the gist of it all is that it's a 3-hour mind-bending romp through some of the most innovating platforming gameplay we've seen on a handheld in some time.  The game forces you to watch both the top and bottom DS screens, each of which features a slightly-different version of the same environment and the game's character reflected upon the X- (horizontal) axis between the screens. The gist of this is that you've got to control both characters and guide them both to safety using mechanics from both screens at the same time: the top, "normal" screen and the bottom upside-down one.  This means that often you'll need to infer missing elements from one screen using those shown on the other screen, which is more confusing than it sounds.  In the later levels, your character even splits into a "shadow" copy version of herself, which then can be controlled entirely separately from its top-screen counterpart. Really, it's just better off if you watch the video we linked to above, because it's pretty darn hard to describe in writing. But for all of you...

CEO of Twisted Pixel Games Mike Wilford was nice enough to let us play the heck out of his E3 demo of their newest platformer, Splosion Man, while he narrated and guided us through the entire experience.  And while our impressions speak for themselves, this video ought to be proof that we aren't kidding. There are two separate videos here; one's the single-player stuff and the other is multiplayer co-op.  Both are extremely interesting and should not be missed. Oh, yes, and before you go off telling me I suck thanks to my repeated deaths during a certain sequence fairly early on in the multiplayer footage, let me redirect your attention to the end of that video, wherein I bested (with the help of Mike) a sequence not unlike the types of things we used to see in games like Battletoads within just a few tries. ;) {seyret id="266"} {seyret id="271"} Watch for more on Splosion Man soon; odds are, we'll have our hands on an early copy before you can say "Sploda in my mouth."

Seriously, downloadable games just plain rock. While they’re obviously still attractive and the production values are often quite high, they’re much more reliant by design on great gameplay and solid concepts. In other words, in order to succeed, they need to be fun. Splosion Man is a perfect example of the reason I get so excited about new downloadable titles. It’s a game created by an indie developer—Twisted Pixel Games—who clearly knows their stuff. It’s also a very simple concept: you’re a strange being residing in a lab (escaping, really) where hordes of scientists seek to study you. Why, precisely, you might ask? Well, you see, because you’re made entirely of splosion, a volatile compound that results in your exploding and propelling yourself around the environments with associated debris in tow. And seeing as there are myriad scientists and sophisticated high-dollar equipment populating the labs (and Splosion Man is about as carefree and positively insane as volatile experimental living compounds come), that’s a recipe for disaster. Pressing A makes Splosion Man ‘splode, sending him flying upward (think of it as a jump) and annihilating anything near him in the process. Scientists are instantaneously turned into fragments of T-bone steak...

What would Excitebike be like if it featured explosive barrels and ragdoll physics? That’s the first thing that came to mind when I saw the indie Xbox Live Arcade title Trials HD on the show floor.  Originally a downloadable PC title under a different name, Trials puts you in control of a positively bone-headed stunt devil in a variety of downright insane situations. Most of these comprise some combination of ramps, rails, and seemingly-impossible jumps—and your only goal is to try and make it to the goal as quickly as possible and in one piece. The controls are pretty much precisely the same as Excitebike, in fact—right down to the tilting of the bike in mid-air to try and matching your landing angle. But that’s where the divergence begins. The tracks start off pretty simple, but quickly escalate into some purely wacky designs—loops, explosions, switches that activate preset events… it’s chaos, but in the sweetest sense of the word. Unlike Excitebike, at this point, the game adopts a selection of strategy and platforming elements which make “solving” the tracks as quickly as possible an infectious task. You’ve got to manage your speed to ensure you can make the jumps or...

Rock band fans, rejoice! Apple Corps, Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, Harmonix and MTV Games have all worked together to make one of the most exciting releases for Rock Band since Rock Band 2! The Beatles: Rock Band has been announced for multiple platforms, to be released 09/09/09! If you've ever played a Rock Band title before, you already know what to expect. With it's DDR style interface, and mock instruments, Rock Band gives you the chance to feel like a rock star in your own living room (or garage if you prefer a more realistic experience!). The Beatles: Rock Band steps things up this go around with a few cool additions for this new pack.  New to this version, you now have three part harmonies which the Fab-Four made famous in many of their fantastic hits! What this means is that you can now play with 2 additional players, or try your hand at singing and playing at the same time! When I got to try this game out, I decided not to embarrass myself too thoroughly... so I opted to only do one at a time. However, with the cooperation of many other excited Beatles fans at E3, I was able to get a feel for...

I was kind of late to the party with Atlus’ MegaTen games. I read a few reviews for Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne, decided to pick it up, and was instantly hooked by the quirky RPG. My addiction continued with both Digital Devil Sagas, as well as Persona 3 and Persona 4. I threw over a hundred hours in both of the Persona games, and, unlike most other JRPG’s, absolutely indulged in every minute of it. Still, I never planned on going back home and playing the first two entries on the original Playstation. But hey, that’s what remakes are for, and that’s exactly what Atlus is doing with the original Persona. Right off the bat, the first thing I noticed was that the dungeons are in a first person point of view. Movement was a bit twitchy, and more akin to a corridor shooter (minus the shooting) than a plodding RPGs. Entering rooms brought me back out to a stationary, isometric point of view, which was also consistent with the original Persona. Battles reminded me more of those in Nocturne, with negotiation being a large part of the turn based battle system. Physical attacks and magic were still available...

Wipeout HD Fury was quite the unexpected find. Word of mouth was nonexistent, it didn’t show at Sony’s press conference, and it could only be found at one lonely kiosk on the show floor. Furthermore, I had to go through four Sony reps before I could locate someone who could tell me anything about the game. But I got some details, eventually. Of particular interest are a couple new modes. The first was Detonator, which functioned, essentially, as Zone mode with a few minor changes. Bombs were placed all over the track, and your ship was granted machine guns to deal with the newly placed hazards. I also found a few other pickups, which seemed to boost my score and project me through a zone level faster than usual. The other new mode, pulled from Pulse (I was told), was Eliminator. More of a battle mode than a race mode, I spent most of my time doing 180’s and firing an arsenal of weapons at my opponents. Zone Battle, where you can sacrifice your zone score/advancement to restore energy to your ship. I got all the way to the last campaign block before I gave up in Wipeout HD, and...

Typically, before E3, I’ll watch a trailer and read some impressions of a game and, as a result always overhype my expectations so that I’m either (a) unsatisfied with what I’ve seen or, (b)puzzled that it didn’t blow me away. Trine, a game for which I hadn’t seen a trailer since early winter, managed to defy my expectations by default; I had no idea it was even going to be there. As it turns out, Atlus picked up the publishing rights (for 360 only) and plans on distributing the game over Live Arcade in the fall. And it’s unfortunate that we’re going to have to wait that long, because Trine was one of the best games I played at the show. A 2.5D aesthetic border s an action/platformer hybrid with a distinct twist; three classes are at your disposal, and you’re free to switch between them anytime. The Wizard has no direct attack, but can “draw” cube with his cursor, which can be dropped on enemies or use for additional platformers. Additionally, he can also interact with his environment, which typically meant holding platformers in place, or pulling things out of the way. The thief had a grappling hook that...

I’m not entirely sure what expected from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash Up. It certainly seemed promising at Ubisoft’s press conference. I’ve always been a sucker for Ninja Turtle games (The TMNT cartoon and videogames were large parts of my childhood), and the 2.5D, four player, party styled fighting seemed highly reminiscent of another obvious influence, the Smash Brothers series. I got even more excited when the development team was announced, Game Arts, the guys behind Smash Bros Brawl, along with members of the recently restructured Team Ninja. I figured Nintendo probably didn’t want a Smash sequel quite so soon, but Game Arts had a few worthwhile ideas for a potential sequel. The TMNT license seemed like a perfect fit, so I couldn’t wait to get a hold of it and see how Smash-like it was – or wasn’t. After about fifteen minutes with the game, it was clear that it wasn’t going to be the former; TMNT: Smash Up isn’t Brawl 2, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Two face buttons exist for basic attacks, one for guard, and another Ninja Magic rounded out the control scheme. I couldn’t tell if pressing the buttons in sequence (smash attacks,...

Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time had quite a lengthy offering for E3 this year. Three distinctly separate missions were available and, because I have a particular affinity for the Insomniac’s beloved Lombax, I made sure to play through each one. Reacquainting myself with Ratchet’s world, I noticed a few changes from Tools of Destruction and Quest for Booty. The new guns were an obvious difference; the Sonic Erupter was a living, breathing pig thing which, if you were patient enough to let the reticule sync, distributed a robust sonic blast at an enemy. Another was the Cryo Glove, which threw a bomb that froze an enemy not unlike the T-1000 and liquid nitrogen. Once frozen, the enemy could be further annihilated by shattering it with a rifle. As always, the weapons took style and finesse over absolute function. Of particular interest were Ratchet’s new hover boots. Not unlike Jak’s wakeboard, the hover boots could be activated at any time, and, with the assistance of a boost, used to increase Ratchet’s land speed. Ramps, eager to fling Ratchet through the air, were also in place for both fun and function. One would have to conclude that, with Clank’s...

Motorstorm has always been a criminally underrated series on PS3. Most of my friends picked up the console when Motorstorm was a pack-in, and none of them played it for more than ten minutes. They passed it off as a generic arcade racer, never giving it a second thought. It’s quite a shame; the first game was admittedly rushed to market (look at all of the DLC), but the second game, Pacific Rift, was a genuinely competent racing game. The chaos of so many divergent paths, hazards, and vehicles created a rush unlike any other, and the variety of it all gave the entire package of momentous legs. Motorstorm was become synonymous with quality, and I could only hope the recently announced PSP version, Arctic Edge, stayed consistent with the series’ value. And, despite the visual downgrade, Motorstorm was still Motorstorm. All three courses in the E3 build, including Chasm, Mad Bowl, and Eagle Falls, all featured either a plethora of snow blanketing the ground, or ice mounds across a dirt ridges. The racing was fast and fun with the stock dune buggy, but I noticed the frenzied crashes were drastically reduced on the small screen (which isn’t necessarily a...

Man did I ever love Mass Effect. My first foray into Western RPGs, I played through it twice, once as a firm, well to do Shepard, and the other as a tepid, slightly perverse asshole. I dumped over a hundred hours in the game, and was fascinated by nearly every aspect. Long elevator rides and a lack of side mission’s diversity notwithstanding, Mass Effect was probably my game of the year in 2007. Which is why it was imperative for me to see Mass Effect 2 before I left the E3 show floor. While the closed door demo was entirely hands off, it was still quite exciting. The whole “Shepherd is dead” rumor purported by the first trailer is, predictably, false – but Shepherd’s alleged death does play a role in the narrative; at one point an Asari said to Shepherd, “I thought you were dead,” and Shepherd replied, “Yeah, I got better.” That was the tag-line from Crank: High Voltage, sure, but also represented a slightly wittier Shepherd this time around; he was spouting several cheeky, action hero one liners (that all drew laughter) throughout the entire demo. Anyway, Shepard’s motivations were closely guarded by Bioware, but we were...

It wasn’t until that last hour of the show that I figured out there was PSP Go on the floor. I burned all my time on PS3 games during my Sony appointment, and I totally overlooked the handheld lounge beneath Sony’s balcony showing. Inside I located a handful of PSP Go's, and one running the E3 build of the recently announced LittleBigPlanet PSP installment. The PSP Go, if nothing else, felt remarkably lighter than any of its predecessors. Much to my surprise, the reduced statute didn’t make it hard to grip (I have considerably large hands), but I would imagine that, if you’re Shaq, it might be a problem. The smaller size also affected the view, with a screen that (I would guess), is at least 15% smaller and, by default, a little more crisp with the output. By far the biggest difference, however, was in the size of the analog nub. Though reduced to a mere pin alongside the original, I failed to detect any difference in functionality or ease of use. If anything, the smaller surface on top of a larger “area” provided more freedom. LittleBigPlanet also appeared to fit quite comfortably on a PSP. The demo contained...