VS

Premise:

DA: Create a game that’s a spiritual successor to the old Baldur’s Gate franchise set in a high fantasy land where your customized character has to save the world from an entire army almost single-handedly.

ME2: Create a sequel for a highly regarded game from last year. Start by killing the main character then resurrecting him. Not even death can hold Shepard down.

theindiegeek says: I loved Mass Effect, and I also spent many many hours playing Baldur’s Gate. I mean, alot of time. Just ask my old roommates. But I’m gonna have to give the slight edge to ME2. Killing Shepard and reviving him two years later was one of the best and well executed risks they could have done. Bravo.

Main Character Creation:

DA: This is where the “Origins” part of “Dragon Age: Origins” comes in. Depending on class/race, your character has an option of six unique origin stories that show how Duncan recruited your character for the Grey Wardens. Rest is pretty standard fantasy. Human/Elf/Dwarf, Mage/Fighter/Thief/, stats, etc.

ME2: You could count Mass Effect 1 as character creation for 2, and I do as your choices in 1 affect things in 2. But you are given the option to customize Shepard how you like, given that he’s being rebuilt. Class, bonus talent, appearance, pre-service background. Not a whole lot apart from class and appearance.

theindiegeek says: The origin stories were the best part of Dragon Age. Am partial to Human Noble and Dalish Elf origins. Really cool, wish there were more. I do like using ME1 to setup 2 exactly how I want. Edge to DA for the origins

Overall story:

DA: First watch your order get decimated, then do a bunch of side quests and recruit some armies. Confront the guy who killed the king, defeat the horde, and slay the archdemon. Try not to die.

ME2: Get resurrected, learn about horrible aliens abducting humanity. Learn you’ve been disowned by your old boss. Get a bunch of killers and assassins together. Get them to like you. Suicide mission. Save humanity. Try not to die.

theindiegeek says: Tie. Flat out tie. Bioware’s master storytellers. Loved both stories. Anything Bioware makes will have a great story, and these two games are no exceptions

NPCs:

DA: Morrigan is awesome. One of my favorite NPCs. The rest of the cast is pretty interesting, but they hide it. Alistair seems in the same vein as Carth or Atton, but the fact that he’s a royal bastard (literally) . Wynne is being kept alive by a spirit. Leliana was a spy. They have interesting backstories, but it takes a while to get to ‘em and you might write ‘em off in the mean time.

ME2: Given that ME2 is about getting a group of very dangerous individuals together for a suicide mission, the NPCs better be good. And they are! Garrus and Tali are back, along with welcome newcomers like Miranda, Thane, and Samara. The only NPC I didn’t like was Jack, because I didn’t get her loyalty the first time through.

theindiegeek says: Mass Effect 2. Really like the cast, and give you plenty of time to get to know ‘em, between a recruitment and loyalty mission for each, and all are pretty sweet, especially Tali and Thane’s loyalty missions and Garrus and Grunt’s recruitment missions. Such well written characters. Although had Morrigan been in ME2, it’d be the perfect game.

Gameplay:

DA: Harken back to the days of tactical RPGs with KoToR style combat. Lot of special moves and spells at your disposal.

ME2: Action RPG shooter style. Fast paced cover system. Well polished.

theindiegeek says: This is where DA starts to fall apart. The combat system was very ok, but often seemed to get in the way. Would have been much better on PC, given that on anything higher than normal, you really need to micromanage your party, and a controller just isn’t great for that. ME2 really feels fast and action oriented, with your NPCs acting pretty well on their own.

Difficulty:

DA: Hah. Up and down, never knowing what’ll kill you next. With one of my characters I had just completed the Mage Tower quest, defeating a bunch of demons and blood mages and other evil things, then on my way to next quest and group of common thieves beat me party down. hard. No rhyme or reason, they were just really hard. Several frustrating boss fights too.

ME2: Not too hard of a game, few hard boss fights or anytime Scions show up. Good pacing

theindiegeek says: Hands down to ME2. No shame in turning down the difficulty in DA for hard fights. As far as I can tell, no changes other than damage dealt/received. No lost exp, no reason not to.

Ending:

DA: Pretty cool scene where you talk to all your party members, then decide what happens to the world next (if you survive). Epilogue of single images with text depending on your choices.

ME2: HOLY SHIT MORE REAPERS!!!

theindiegeek says: REAPERS!!!!

Conclusion:

Both game are very fun and good games. With Bioware you can’t go wrong. But I’m going to say I found Mass Effect 2 to be a much more enjoyable and personal story. More polished, better gameplay, and fantastic NPCs. If you haven’t played it yet, you need to. With a PS3 port coming soon, everyone needs to play Mass Effect 2. Then go play Dragon Age. Or Borderlands.

Been a while since I’ve written anything of my own, apart from the improvs, so I sat down a couple days ago, spent a couple hours on my magnificent Roland RD-170 and came up with a real nice sounding song in the key of A major. I’m really happy with the way it came out, and I hope you enjoy it. This is a theindiegeek original, “Love Song for a Green Haired Girl”

Love Song for a Green Haired Girl

Also, today we have a special guest track from my buddy Losing Luster, with his cover of the Decemberists’ song “Record Year”. Enjoy!

Record year

It’s been just about a month since I drove down to central Indiana and picked up Reilly. It’s been an interesting month. When I got Quinn, he was already seven months old, and had gone through the puppy phase prior to my receiving him. The first week in particular was rough. Took a little while to get her to sleep through the night. I can’t say I enjoyed getting up at 3 AM.

But really, it’s been fun. True, a big learning experience, but still also fun. She’s be a rolly poly bundle of energy. Usually, unless she’s down. It’s quite amusing actually, one moment she’ll be running around the coffee table, the next she’s passed out in the kitchen, like someone flicked a switch. She’s up, then she’s down.

One other thing that’s changed is her appearance. When we first got her, she looked like any other adorable puppy, very cute but not like a corgi. Also, her head was red with a bit of white around the scruff of her neck and the rest of her body was pretty much a solid grey. Now, a month later her head’s still red, but there’s more white around the neck, more of a mane. Also, her body that was grey is much more reddish, like the expected red corgi color scheme. Not only is her body red it’s getting longer and she’s looking more and more like a corgi. Big ears, short legs, no tail.

I couldn’t have gotten this far without Quinn. He’s been the best dog I could have asked for. Somehow he knows exactly how to be the older brother. Not sure where he picked that up, I certainly didn’t teach him that. He play with her excellently, they wrestle and roughhouse alot, but he know just how far to go as to not hurt her. Such a good dog, couldn’t ask for a better partner in bringing up little miss Reilly.

Such is the state of theindiegeek, Quinn and Reilly, one month in.

My first experience with Scott Pilgrim was seeing the trailer for the first time on Kotaku. Cited as a video game reference movie, I watched it. Then I watched it again. Then I watched it again. I was enamored, it looked really awesome and quite a bit silly. Then I read down in the comments section that it was basic on some comics. Curiosity piqued, I snatched those right up and read ‘em all in a day, and I really enjoyed them. They do start off a little slow, but once Ramona shows up and the fights began, I was hooked. Each subsequent volume was better, culminating with the recently released volume six, which was my favorite.

So good source material, check. Ok, what’s next? Well, movies need directors, and this directors was no slouch. Famous for being ‘the third guy behind the camera’ with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, Edgar Wright did an awesome job conveying his very cool and unique vision for the movie. Having perfected his style with Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, he was an excellent choice and he did an awesome job. I really liked his adaptation, he did a great job, he was passionate, and I can’t really say there’s anyone I’d rather have seen direct it.

Director Edgar Wright

Next, the cast. They really did a great job. I’ll admit, I was a bit nervous at first with Michael Cera being cast as Scott as the role was a little more cocky than his normal parts, but it appears my fears were unfounded and he did a very fine job. Rest of the cast was great, too. I really enjoyed Schwartzman in movies like Rushmore and The Darjeeling Limited, so it was a pleasure to see him as Gideon. Chris Evans, aka the new Captain America, and Brandon Routh, aka Superman and that guy from Chuck, did great jobs as Lucas Lee and Todd respectively, two of Ramona’s evil exes. The rest of the cast were all unknowns to me, but they all did a great job. Mary Elizabeth Winstead did a fantastic job as the aloof and mysterious Ramona, and suddenly has many many fanboy crushes on her. Kieran Culkin (Macaulay’s younger brother) almost stole the show as Wallace, Scott’s gay and hilarious roommate. Alison Pill and Mark Webber did great as Kim Pine and Stephen Stills, the other members of the Sex B-ombs. Anna Kendrick did great as the  sarcastic younger Stacey Pilgrim. Really, the whole cast did great with their roles.

Scott, Ramona, Young Neil, Knives, Kim, Stephen Stills

I have to say I really did enjoy the movie. It was the best adaptation they could have made. No, it was not 100% true to the source, but given the amount of content in six 150-200 page graphic novels, some creative editing was required. The end result was a wildly entertaining and fantastic ride. I was laughing throughout most of the movie, pop culture references galore. From Zelda to the Seinfeld scene, it’s a fast paced thrill ride, full of amusing characters and great action moments. I was very pleased and happy. Was very amusing watching Scott try to hookup with the way-out-of-his-league Ramona.

(Minor spoilers ahead)
I have to say, the end made me nervous at first. It hints at the possibility that Scott ends up with the wrong girl. In both the comics and movie, I never really liked the parts with the particular younger character, nothing against the actress, just didn’t like Scott’s relationship with her, so when movie hints Scott may end up with her instead of the proper girl, I was ready to be upset. But in the end Scott goes with who he’s supposed to. I have no problem that the end’s different from the comics, I understand the ending in the book is too long for film, that’s fine. Just have to have Scott end up with the proper girl in the end.

The 7 evil exes

I heard someone mention that Scott Pilgrim VS the World was the best video game movie made. And I can’t say that I disgree. While not based on a video game, it really has the feel one one. A princess to win, seven bosses, and wild over the top action, all the elements are there. It really is a great movie and you do need to see it. And while I may like the comics more, that’s only because there’s more time to flesh things out and see more of the characters and their interactions. I did feel the ending in the comics was more satisfying, I really enjoyed the movie and came away with a big grin on my face. Please go see it, I’d really like to see this movie do well in the box office.

"Ramona" by Guster is also a great song

–theindiegeek out.

So, yes the world is going Scott Pilgrim crazy right now, myself included. The last volume came out recently, which was my favorite and a great way to rap up the series. The movie comes out in a few hours which I’m quite hopeful and excited to see. I have faith in Edgar Wright and most of the cast. And then there’s the game. It’s a good time to be a fan. So you’ve read the comics and already have you ticket for the show. But should you play the game? Well, if you’re that big of a fan, then you’ve already play and possibly beaten it. But the answer is yes, still play the game.

Scott Pilgrim VS the World plays like an old school beat ‘em up like River City Ransom or Streets of Rage or Turtles in Time or Double Dragon. In fact, the game is pretty much old school everything. Like the recent Mega Man 9 & 10, the developers have really gone out of their way to really capture that old school 8 and 16-bit era of gaming. (The ‘Golden Age’ of gaming if you ask me.) There’s tons of retro references from Sonic to Mario to Mega Man and the list goes on and on. If you’ve been gaming for a while, you’re bound to see something that’ll make you smile. In addition to the gaming references, there’s tons of subtle things from the source material, whether it’s Stacey Pilgrim at the snack bar or Wallace’s secret shop, it seems like pretty much every character that’s in the series makes at least a cameo somewhere. These small things make it a very full and entertaining backdrop for the game.

But what about the gameplay? Not to worry, the it’s quite fun. If you’ve played any of the aforementioned beat ‘em ups, you’ll feel right at home. You play as either Scott, Ramona, Kim Pine or Stephen Stills. That’s right, the whole Sex B-ombs is ready to go. Then you go beat stuff up, each level ultimately culminating with one of the evil exes in a big over the top fight. Repeat seven times. Luckily each level is quite different with its own unique enemies and layouts. Quite fun stuff.

Special shoutout to the gentlemen behind the soundtrack. Really awesome retro rock and roll that fits perfectly into the beating up back guys thing. Really awesome. I can’t praise the music enough. A band entitle Anamanaguchi, they provide the excellent soundtrack. A quick check on Amazon show they have a cd entitled Dawn Metropolis. I am downloading it at this very moment

Now the game is great, don’t get me wrong, but there are a couple places it could improve. Two things I would have liked to see are online co-op, (there’s none) and drop-in drop-out co-op. The latter I kinda see why they didn’t include it, the former I don’t know why. It’s hard to get four people in the same room, unless you’re in college, which I’m not anymore. Online play would have been great. Also, the game is a bit hard. I advise replaying each level after beating it once for the experience.

Scott Pilgrim VS the World is a fun multiplayer retro beat ‘em up. Fans of the series should definitely check it out, but fans of retro games and beat ‘em ups in general should also. theindiegeek out.

Great song. Covered by many people including the very famous Jeff Buckley, Rufus Wainwright, and many others, this song was written by Leonard Cohen. Adding to the great multitude of people who have covered it, here’s my version. Hope you like it.

Hallelujah

Lloyd's Garage

Lloyd’s Garage reminds me of the Black Keys, quite a bit. They both have that heavy blues rock sound, which impressive as they’re both only two people. Comprised of Seth Heitzmann on Guitars and Vocals, and Lloyd Llewelyn on Drums and Keys, Lloyd’s Garage really captures the essence of blues-rock. Heitzmann does a really good job with his potent blues riffs and vocals to match. His powerful and full strums amplify the strength of the chord progressions. His vocals remind me of Jack White, loud and gruff in a great way. Llewelyn also reminds me of White in a different way. Both of their drumming do a good job of complementing the surrounding guitars and vocals.

The other thing that kept me listening was how catchy and familiar the songs were. Really easy to listen to, the beat kept me hooked and interesting. Combine a good beat with swingin’ guitar riffs and pounding drums and you’re cooking with gas. And some sweet vocals as an igniter, and you’ve got a fireball of fiery, bluesy goodness.

Looks like a nicer garage than mine

I’ve had the pleasure of listening to Lloyd’s Garage CD, entitled From the Comfort of Your Home. Eleven tracks long, it’s quite a good CD. The pacing is primarily driven rock, but this isn’t a bad thing. The band knows their strengths and stick to them. Available on their site, Amazon, and iTunes, it’s a fun listen, especially for those times you want something loud and catchy. And it really is both. The heavy blue rings loud and clear, and I assure you you’ll find your foot tapping. The songs are familiar and accessible. Below are a few of my favorites.

Warmth is a great introduction to the band. Loud and bluesy, you’ll probably like it. I did.
Warmth

Return to Sender is catchy. Really catchy. Great progression in this one.
Return to Sender

First Fight is a nice swinging tune. Very nice vocals.
First Fight

So if you like what you hear, give Lloyd’s Garage a chance. Available at www.lloydsgarage.com and www.myspace.com/lloydsgarage, give ‘em a listen. You may like what you hear.

Apps:

Launcher Pro – If Task Killer is the first app you install, make this the second. I’ve tried out several home replacement apps, and this is by far the best one. It acts like the basic home Droid comes built in with and makes it more more useable and more customizeable. Truly great app. There is a free and paid version, and while for now paid version just gets a couple extra apps, please buy to support the developer, we want him to keep working on it!

App Aware – useful app for discovering other apps people have been using. Quite handy

DailyStrip – Comics, right on your phone, and a ton to choose from. One of my favorite apps.

DockRunner – Verizon’s overprice dock has a very nice app it runs. Now you can use the app without paying for the dock. Then you can do what I did, and build your own Dock out of K’Nex! Will post pics later.

Ethereal dialpad – Very fun music making touch screen. Kinda hard to describe, but very neat. Well worth a try.

Gigbox – Useful app for finding Music Shows around you and keeping track of artists

Gmote – Turns your Droid into a remote control for your computer’s media files. Totally sweet.

InfoDroid – Great small app for some basic info about your droid.

Layar – The is the app you see on most commercials. Overlays locations over a real time map. Pretty cool. Didn’t work perfectly in downtown valpo, but a very neat app, and hey, it’s free.

Mobile Queue – Manage your Netflix queue from anywhere! Many times I jot myself a note to ‘add to queue later’. Now I can add it on the fly. Very useful.

MusicSleep – not free, but only a dollar. Perfect for those of you like me who like to fall asleep to music. Sets a timer and then stops the music automatically once it runs out, so it’s not going all night. Works with most music programs including Slacker, Pandora, and Music.

Places Directory – Like Layar, but without the fancy camera overlay. Simply shows places around you in a nice organized manner. I like this one.

Scanner Radio – Lets you tune in to different radios in the area, from police to weather to other local stations.

WiFinder – Examines wi-fi networks in area. I’ve used this one many times for troubleshooting routers. Simple, elegant, works. Nice.

Games(cause we all like games, don’t we?):

Alchemy – Start off with four elements, Earth, Wind, Fire and Air, see what you can combie to get. Over 200 combinations.

BlowUp – Strategically place explosives for maximum destruction. Really like this one.

Coloroid – Clear the screen by making all tiles one color. Little tricky to get at first, but quite addictive.

Replica Island – Nice platformer starring everyone’s favorite Droid. Well made game.

Shoot U – Puzzle game where you try to hit the target. Too bad there’s stuff in the way. Good physics in this one.

Sweep – Fun clear-the-board game using poker chips. Tons of puzzles.

Now you tell me, what app have I left off the lists?