CNET editors Jeff Bakalar and Scott Stein take a look at the highly anticipated Xbox Live Arcade side-scrolling action platformer from Chair Entertainment and Epic Games, Shadow Complex.
Jeff:
Shadow Complex may look like your typical side-scrolling action game, but it does a lot of things that separates it from most platform exploration titles. The unique "2.5D" style takes a bit of getting used to, but you'll soon realize the genius behind the design.
Shadow Complex takes you through an intricate underground military facility where you must rescue your girlfriend who's been kidnapped during a camping trip. With a grid map as your only companion, you must explore the complex all while finding secret items and passageways. You'll also gradually unlock new weapons and ammo and upgrade your character's health in order to fight the mysterious regime.
We fully embrace the developer's choice to build Shadow Complex in such a way. Not only is it a tip of the hat to classic 2D games like the Metroid and Castlevania franchises, but introduces the genre to an entire generation of gamers who may not have been fortunate to play such titles.
With this 3D twist on a classic 2D genre, you're able to shoot at enemies in the background and foreground even though you cannot physically go there. The 360-degree aiming mechanic will automatically target your enemies who aren't necessarily in the same plane that your character is only able to navigate through.
Shadow Complex is truly a unique take on an older genre that will appeal to gamers young and old. It's available now for 1,200 MS Points (or $15) exclusively on Xbox Live Arcade.
Scott:
One of the best trends in all of gaming has to be the rise of low-cost original downloadables, and Shadow Complex is a great example of why it works. ... Read more
(Credit:
Slippery Brick)
In the hypercompetitive business of game chairs, it's easy to get carried away. But at least one manufacturer is sticking to the basics.
Rather than adding more external bells and whistles, Capcom's "Reactor Video Game Chair" has concentrated on the chair itself with "eight high-impact vibrating motors" positioned in the upper and lower back as well as the seat "so that every bump or blow is felt by the gamer."
It also comes with head-mounted 3D speakers, according to Slippery Brick, but the best feature in our view is its "variable massage mode" to unwind from a particularly stressful session.
(Credit:
LumiSource)
If you want to feel the action in your gaming chair but don't feel like dropping $22,500 for a racing simulator, you can at least get some old-school kinetics from the "BoomPod."
The latest game seat from LumiSource doesn't rely on artificial stimulants from the likes of a "ButtKicker Gamer" or "D-Box." Instead, you have to do most of the work yourself by rocking on its "rounded bottom for multi-directional tilt"--in other words, it's like trying to play while balancing on an exercise ball.
It does appear to have some ports and maybe even a built-in speaker or two, but that's not the point. The BoomPod seems to be trying to get kids (and adults) to do more than just sit and collect dust. But if you're not interested in changing your family's sedentary ways, you can always stick with the "Slouchpod."
(Credit:
GameChairs)
The last time we saw a "HotSeat" game simulator, it was a relatively bare-bones setup, at least compared with some others on the market back then. But with competition getting increasingly insane, it clearly needed to upgrade its offerings--lest it be named HotSeat for reasons other than intended.
BornRich says the "HotSeat 275 " is a two-seater that features a "Sony Slim PS 2 with controller, 8MB memory card, two Dolby 5.1 surround-sound speakers with a remote control and subwoofer unit, a copy of Grand Turismo 4 and two Logitech Driving Force Pro force-feedback wheels with pedals"--inhaling now--"PS2 mounting bracket, two swinging-away consoles and two cup holders." If all that still isn't enough, it can accommodate various media players and even more speaker systems for players ranging in height from 3 feet to 6-foot-6.
Something tells us that whoever buys this system will be toward the latter end of that scale, as it comes with a list price of $4,375. Compared with last season's Ford twin-simulator at $19,000, however, it's a bargain.
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Sharper Image)
This item is something of a mystery to us, for we know of no one who does anything but work at their office desk. But for some reason Pyramat, which manufactures game chairs for the home, has created a version for the cubicle as well.
At first glance the "Pyramat Wireless PC Gaming Chair 2.1" looks like a typical black vinyl chair that can be found at any OfficeMax, complete with pneumatic lift. But it actually has speakers built into the headrest and controls discreetly tucked away in one of the armrests, according to Coolest-Gadgets.
A word of advice: If you're trying to fly under the radar, so to speak, it's probably best not to bring Wolf King's latest keyboard to the office. But by all means, do get a "StealthSwitch" immediately if not sooner.
If you're one of those gamers for whom a beat-up old BarcaLounger doesn't cut it, I might have just the fancy alternative for you.
If, that is, you don't blanch at the notion of forking over $300 for a chair that has little purpose other than indulging your greatest gaming needs.
I present the Renegade, the latest in the Ultimate Game Chair series.
The Renegade, the latest offering from Ultimate Game Chair, costs $300 and has a seemingly endless supply of features
(Credit: Ultimate Game Chair)This little beauty, which I am currently not sitting in, is a monument to everyone's inner level-70 World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade player.
What does your 300 clams buy you besides 50 pounds of pure chair? Well, according to the literature, it comes with 12 "game-sync'd" vibration motors, MP3 and headphone jacks, game-triggered lighting effects, and 3D stereo speakers mounted in the headrest.
Not only that, but it is supposedly compatible with just about every video game console, including handhelds and PCs, and works with wireless controllers of all kinds.
I have to admit, having never used one of these, that it's a looker. I don't think I would ever go so far as to shell out for it, but I know a bunch of people who would.
The question is: is this a wise way to spend your $300, when you could use that Barcalounger and get five new Xbox games for the same money?
Well, I guess the reality is that if you're the kind of person who might be inclined to buy this chair, the price is probably not your biggest concern.
(Credit:
Crave Asia)
Not everyone has the cash to pump into a real racing car, nor the skill to execute a driving technique like a perfect drift. But if you do feel the need for speed, you can still take a seat--in the D-Box GP-200.
It's a bucket seat that's been outfitted with five speakers and three hydraulic jacks that simulates racing action onscreen. Pair it with a PC game like rFactor or Flight Simulator X and you can almost feel the wind in your hair at full throttle. For all this heart-pounding action, its $16,425 sticker price isn't for the faint-hearted.
And even at that egregious sum, it still won't make a decent accessory for your game console. As of press time, there are only a few games that support the GP-200 other than the ones mentioned above. See it in action here.
(Source: Crave Asia)
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Tech Digest)
This one we're not so sure about. Granted, some of the more elaborate game chairs and simulators featured in this space aren't for everyone, but we have a hard time justifying nearly $500 for what appears to be just a seat.
Tech Digest says the "Playseat Evolution" is a sponsor of the Dutch A1 racing team, made of steel oval-pipe framing and compatible with all the major game consoles and accessories. It's been released on the U.K. market and can reportedly withstand "even the most vigorous of gamers."
All that may be true, but we suggest that they change its name if they really want it to be taken seriously; "Playseat" sounds like something from Fisher-Price. Speaking of which, we'd just as soon get a bean-bag "Slouchpod" and play in comfort.
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