All aboard the Luigi Line!

Today, Chicago made homage to one of the greatest characters in video game history:

“I’m’a Luigi – number one!”

As The Year Of Luigi forges ahead full force, Nintendo chose the city of Chicago to promote Luigi’s new superstar game “New Super Luigi U.”  Over taking several of Chicago’s L trains which blaze through the Brown Line routes, many CTA riders had the magical experience to ride the Luigi Line!   I can’t even explain to you the level of excitement/anxiety I was feeling while waiting for the Luigi Line to pull over.  All of the sudden, there is was: a beautiful green colored train with decals of the different characters in the game along with a few gold coins (too bad those golden pieces weren’t real…).  As a Luigi fan for virtually my whole life, you can imagine the level of thrill rushing through my body while I stepped inside the train.  For all you Chicagoans (or those visiting the city) that missed riding the Luigi Line today, do not fret.  The Luigi Line will be running for about 4 weeks around the Loop on the Brown Line.  So plan accordingly and experience a joyful ride!

While the Luigi Line paraded around The Windy City’s Downtown area, Nintendo made sure fans would get complete exposure to Luigi’s new game by setting up various kiosks around the Clark and Lake train station where people had access to play New Super Luigi U for unlimited time – which I may or may have not played for over 2 hours before heading home.  NSLU’s gameplay controls and world displays are basically the same as in New Super Mario Bros. Wii; however, there are a few different tweaks.  Luigi can jump higher and further than Mario, but he slides further too – so be careful and don’t plan on being able to come to a complete stop.  It’s not happening.  Also, the courses are shorter.  This time around, you only get 100 seconds to complete the stage before being assassinated by unknown forces of The Mushroom Kingdom universe when the timer reaches 0.  One cool feature that I wasn’t able to experience was the option to play as Nabbit.  Nabbit is this little rabbit-thief looking character who is invincible against enemies.  I immediately thought about how that would be “the saving grace” for older siblings who are forced to have younger siblings play with them.  With Nabbit, the youngings can actually help you.  So thank Luigi for this.

Yes riding the line home was fun and playing NSLU was beautiful, but the coup de grâce was getting the chance to meet Luigi himself.  As I mentioned above, I have been a Luigi fan since his first appearance in Mario Bros. games.  I’ve always been attracted to his underdog image because I was an underdog myself.  And now he has an opportunity to break from his shell and shine – like I did at one point in life.  Having the chance to finally meet him brought me back to when I was 10 years old looking up to someone who kept on fighting no matter the outcome.

I can’t wait buy the Wii U and NSLU – It promises hours upon hours of fun!  What do you think about The Year Of Luigi?  Have you played NSLU?  Do you think Luigi will reach new heights of Super Stardom?  I want to know!  See you around!

 

Part III – PlayStation 4: “The most powerful console”

Part III?  Why, OF COURSE!  As I mentioned in my previous entry, the PS4 left us with much to talk about.  So now, on to the fun stuff: videogame releases for the PlayStation 4.

 

Killzone: Shadow Fall

At one point during the PS4’s announcement, co-founder of Gorilla Games, Herman Hurst, takes the stage and transports us to the universe of Killzone: Shadow Fall.  In this first person shooter a war between factions has begun in an intergalactic setting.  Opening scene: you’re in a spaceship flying over a beautiful architecture of alluring plazas and elegant buildings. Once you arrive to your destination and being treated like an (almost) V.I.P. …  BOOM!  Alarms go off; the ground begins to shake; and before you can even make sense of what the heck is happening, an explosion knocks you unconscious and all you see while blacking out is a wall of fire coming your way.  Pretty fucking scary… You finally get out of your mini-coma state only to see this asshole trying to make a bullet a permanent part of your face. 

The Asshole

 

In matter of minutes into the game you’re stabbing the same motherfucker in the neck; find yourself in the middle of a shooting fest; and finish up grasping for dear life from a motherfucking rope attached to a flying space craft while some douche is trying to shoot you.  Two words: FUCKING AWESOME!  Yes, you got your pistols, rifles, scopes, and grenades – the usual.  But KSF appears to have gone above and beyond to make its gameplay far more interactive than normal FPSs which I believe will be its highlight (still impressed by the rope scene. Ah, love it!).

 

DriveClub

From the warzone to the streets!  Sony has waited 10 long years to finally develop one of the most gorgeously crafted driving games I have seen, I am willing to bet, ever – all thanks to PS4 technology.  The result? DriveClub was born.  The game gave me a Need For Speed vibe, but the graphics…  Oh, my GOD!  I don’t know if the trailer showed cut scenes or actual gameplay graphics (which I pray to whatever divine entity out there is the latter), but damn they were stellar.  The graphics looked INSANELY real – to the point that I believe if you lick the screen I bet you’ll be able to taste the fucking leather on those seats.  Backpacking out of my obvious love with these graphics, there was a cut scene during the announcement of a game titled Deep Down and it was almost like watching a movie in HD – I almost died.

But wait!  There’s more!

How about we visit the supernatural for a brief moment?  Between a guy spewing fireballs and fabricating swirling infernos out of thin air in a heavily guarded city, The Sucker Punch’s game Infamous – Second Son makes its presence known.  Not much of a storyline could be taken out of the trailer for this game; however, I believe it’s a wonderful addition to the PS4 releases.

I have to admit Sony has targeted a vast range of gaming styles.  Take the games The Witness which is basically a puzzle solving game.  Not excited over it, certainly not needed to take so much screen time during the PlayStation 4’s announcement, but I can’t judge.  Just because it’s not my cup of tea to sit down in front of the PS4 to connect dots on a screen, doesn’t mean other Gamers out there don’t enjoy it.  Other games announced included Diablo III (a roleplaying game centered on investigating a celestial mystery) and Destiny (a captivating FPS which has been predicted to be the next mind-blowing game for the Ps4) which certainly will not disappoint. 

 

Watch Dogs

Now on to my favorite: Watch Dogs.  By the middle of the trailer for this game I wanted to fast forward to the day I will be able to purchase such beauty.  And the fact that it takes place in Chicago?  MY current city?!  It’s a must have.  The demo demonstration during the announcement got me intrigued from start to finish.  Watching the main character walk around streets I visit on the regular tapping into people’s personal devices and gain access to whatever private data without no one noticing gave it SUCH an exciting/scary atmosphere.  And I loved every single second.  All of the sudden you’re chasing and putting a random street thug out of his misery only to have the Chicago Police Department on your ass!  But don’t fret.  You end up jumping on one of the  CTA’s (Chicago Transit Authority) trains and escape…  It had me at edge of my SEAT!

PlaySation 4 has proven itself to be a phenomenally POWERFUL system.  With software engines working only to enhance graphics; the push for enrichment of social connection; and array of features to please almost everyone in the fucking world, I believe other consoles have quite some homework to do if they don’t want to be left in the shadows.  Yes, we have to wait until “Holiday 2013” to get out hands on such machine.  And if the PS4 lives up to the high expectations, I could not care less if it’s released it December 31, 2013.

Well, that’s what I got for you regarding the PlayStation 4.  Any questions, things you believe I should review, etc., don’t hesitate to contact me.  Hope you’ve enjoyed the informative read! 

See you around!

(P.S. Below are the trailers for each of the games I mentioned in this post.)

• Killzone: Shadow Fall

• DriveClub

• Deep Down

• Infamous – Second Son

• The Witness

• Diablo III

• Destiny

• Watch Dogs