With Justin's return from his sojourn into the great outdoors, The 404 crew is complete again to bring you another awesome show, replete with "GI Joe" and "District 9" reviews, optical gaming, and a surprise appearance by Motherboard!
After getting mauled by a bear in Yosemite (where's the app for THAT?), I'm back, and much to Jeff, Wilson, and everyone else's dismay SO ARE THE GLASSES! That's right suckers, a little Krazy Glue goes a long way, but I'm not sure how long these things will last, so please continue to e-mail us submissions for the contest to choose my next frames. I'm not gonna lie, I've missed the show dearly and it's great to be back!
The first half of today's show has a lot of movie talk, starting with us talking all sorts of garbage on the new "G.I. Joe" movie. The movie won't be prescreened to critics, and we suspect it has something to do with the trailer receiving so much backlash from justifiably angry fans of the original television series. Jeff also gives us his take on the trailer for "District 9", the new science fiction movie based on the short film Alive in Joburg. Go check that out and let "G.I. Joe" go the way of the buffalo!
The second half just gets nuts, that's all I'll say. OK, well, without giving too much away, it all starts with the Get It Guy, a fake Australian accent, and a very steamy call from SadaCori in the chatroom (a must listen!), but then we get a surprise knock from Motherboard herself, who has something very special to show us...something that NOBODY HAS SEEN BEFORE, so be sure to check out the video for all the details. After that, we dredge up a claim about racism in Resident Evil 5 and it all devolves from there. Trust us, it's the last time you'll hear about it!
As always, feel free to leave us a voicemail at 1-866-404-CNET or get in touch with us on Twitter or at the404[at]cnet[dot]com!
EPISODE 397
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Some people like chocolate, some like vanilla. Some go for Glenn Beck, some for Jon Stewart. And some dig vampires, while others love their zombies.
Me, I'm just waiting for the day I can buy a chocolate zombie Stewart. Until then, I will sit here eating Trader Joe's Swiss 72 percent Dark Chocolate (world's best), listening to The Daily Show in the background and whompin' the undead in Resident Evil 4.
Hot on the heels of Resident Evil Degeneration, the console classic just arrived in the App Store for $7.99.
... Read moreNow that the Nintendo E3 2009 press conference is behind us, let's take a look at some of the game announcements for the Wii. While we saw a few titles we were expecting, there were a couple that came as total surprises.
Right out of the gate, we got to see a brand-new 2D Mario Bros. game for the Wii. New Super Mario Bros. will allow for four-player co-op playing and will feature new game characters and power ups.
Wii Fit Plus, the successor to Wii Fit, will arrive in the fall and come bundled once again with a balance board. Of course, the software will also be available separately for those who already own it.
(Credit:
Gamespot)
While we already knew about the July 26 release of Wii Sports Resort, we did get to see archery and basketball demos take advantage of the Wii MotionPlus peripheral. Speaking of MotionPlus, Nintendo announced that the Ubisoft-developed Red Steel 2 will require the accessory to play.
While we also knew about the Wii exclusives Dead Space: Extraction, Resident Evil Dark Side Chronicles, and The Conduit, we were thrilled to see a new Metroid game unveiled. Metroid Other M seems to be a hybrid first-person meets third-person action title and will be released in 2010.
Finally, we were treated to a taste of a Super Mario Galaxy sequel. Super Mario Galaxy 2 features more 3D Mario action geared at gamers of all ages. This title is also set to release in 2010.
The PSP Go will have some company on launch day.
(Credit: CNET)Gran Turismo, launching October 1 with the PSP Go, was the headlining PSP game during Tuesday's E3 Sony press conference. It wasn't the only ammo Sony had. However, it seems like the biggest in terms of holiday 2009 impact. Polyphony Digital announced a "full game" with 800 cars, 35 tracks, 60 track layouts, and four-player play over local ad-hoc along with car trading, almost like Pokemon.
A true sequel to Metal Gear Solid 3
(Credit: Konami)Other announcements included the first-ever PSP iteration in the Resident Evil series, as well other titles that were shown but not fully detailed: Little Big Planet, Motorstorm: Arctic Edge, Soul Calibur, Pixeljunk Monsters, Fat Princess and a new Jak and Daxter game, to name a few.
Sony's 2009 and 2010 PSP lineup finally looks like the PSP game library we'd been expecting all along.
More to come.
Making its debut in 1996 on the Sony PlayStation, Resident Evil (also known as Biohazard) hits the scene and becomes an over night sensation.
Capcom ran with its success releasing Resident Evil 2 in 1998 followed by Resident Evil 3 Nemesis in 1999, they were both available for the PlayStation and the Sega Dreamcast.
A port of Resident Evil 2 was released on the Nintendo 64 and all three were released for Windows-based systems. The sequels continued, fast-forward to 2009 with the release of Resident Evil 5 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and will also be available soon on PC.
At this point, one would think Capcom has everything covered. But they're not done yet. It's producing yet another Resident Evil for the iPhone and Pod Touch. This April, Resident Evil Degeneration hit the App Store. The game is based on the CG-animated movie of the same name. The controls for this third-person shooter are simple. navigation is done with an onscreen virtual thumb stick (left side) and the action buttons (right side). Priced at $6.99, this should make this a great infection for the iPhone
With all the success of the Resident Evil series, it's no wonder we've never seen another rendition of Dino Crisis.
In Episode 23 of the Digital City, we discuss high-tech plans, but a low-tech budget at the MTA; the release of Resident Evil 5; Linux on Netbooks; and the Sirius/iPhone connection.
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Ace reporter Caroline McCarthy joins the show today to give us a little preview of South by Southwest, while we ream Justin Yu for totally being a pushover on our competing podcast "Bore Out Loud." Caroline says there isn't really much scheduled that will be ground-breaking this year, but that's because The 404 isn't there.
Ace reporter Caroline McCarthy.
(Credit: Wilson G. Tang/CNET)McCarthyism says that she's got the connection to get us on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon." We think we can get on if Diggnation can get on. Letterman ain't having us after a week with U2.
Jeff and Caroline have a pale-off. It's pretty damn close, but we've got to say Jeff wins this one. He temporarily blinded Wilson yesterday when he sat underneath a light when shooting the brand new Nintendo DSi. Speaking of which, CNET gets an exclusive first look at the device, and we think Jeff is a believer now. It only took 100 million Nintendo DSs to get it done. Also, check out Jeff on Loaded today, where he gives his first impressions of the new Resident Evil 5.
Finally, we end the show on a classy note. A man has managed to get a USB flash drive installed on his prosthetic finger. The jokes ensue when Justin comments that he'd love to get a USB drive attached to a certain peripheral on his body. This is truly the home of the "Nerdy dirty."
Our contest is still going on. Send in your suggestions to the show. We love hearing them, especially the international ones. Much praise goes to brisebanelistener for quite possibly one of the funniest voice mails ever!
EPISODE 297
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The March 13 release of Capcom's Resident Evil 5 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 (actually something like the 12th game in the series) makes it easily the highest-profile new video game of 2009 so far, and marks the end of the typically dry post-holiday game season.
We've been playing through a preview version of the game for more than a month now, and found it to be a largely successful mix of familiar and new elements. Like all the Resident Evil entries, this is essentially an action game where a somewhat generic protagonist has to travel through creepy houses, compounds, cities, or secret bases, shooting zombies, madmen, and other monsters along the way.
Two key elements separate games of this genre (the awkward Japanese translation is "survival horror") from straight-up shooters. First, there are occasional brain-twisters to solve, such as deciphering a puzzle to open a door; secondly, ammunition for one's firearms is relatively scarce, so making every shot count is important. However, RE5, like its immediate predecessor, Resident Evil 4, tones down both of these gameplay factors, at least compared with earlier games in the series, opting for a more fast-paced (some would say mainstream) approach.
What distinguishes RE5 from its forbearers and imitators is a change of scenery, moving the action to Africa, and trading the traditional Resident Evil look--dark, shadowy nighttime tableaus--for brightly lit, outdoor villages, where sunlight offers no guarantee of safety. This change throws a wrench in the classic "fear of the dark" instinct that we automatically fall back on in movies, video games, and real life.
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(Credit:
Capcom)
What could be better news for a gamer than knowing there will be downloadable content for a game before its release? Capcom just announced Versus mode for Resident Evil 5. So, when you get tired of playing with them, play Versus, and take 'em out. Resident Evil 5 will be available March 13.
According to Capcom, Versus allows up to four players to match wits in online battles across two very different game types. Slayer's Rule is a point-based game that challenges players to kill Majinis. In Survivor's Rule, players hunt the most dangerous game, each other! Players can begin the hunt as Chris, Sheva, or other secret characters, and choose from either one-on-one or two-versus-two team matches for either of the two gameplay styles.
Versus will be available on Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network a few weeks after Resident Evil 5 is available. And will be available for 400 Microsoft Points on Xbox Live or $4.99 on the PlayStation Network. Versus mode requires the Resident Evil game software to be played. A broadband internet connection also is required.
Resident Editor Dan Ackerman did a hands on with Resident Evil 5 here.
(Credit:
Capcom)
For gamers, March 13 is a special day. It's the launch of Capcom's Resident Evil 5. What makes this day even more special is Capcom has partnered with the American Red Cross to host a blood drive.
On the way to pick up a copy of Resident Evil 5, gamers in the Los Angeles area will be invited to give back to the community by donating blood at the World of Wonder gallery on Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, Calif., from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. In addition, fans of the series will have the chance to get exclusive limited-edition Resident Evil 5 Blood Drive collectibles, win copies of the game, enter a raffle for one of several exclusive red Xbox 360 Resident Evil limited edition consoles, and most importantly, do their part to help a good cause.
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