AICN Games: Monki's Weekly Wrap-Up! Ninja Gaiden 2! Halo 3! Stranglehold! And More!

Greetings humans, Monki here with your delicious batch of gaming treats.

Don't forget, you've only got a couple more weeks to enter to win a Wii autographed by Steve Wiebe from King of Kong! I've gotten a few entries so far, but I'm hoping to get a crapload more in the next two weeks!! Send 'em in kids!

We're getting into the time period where games start piling up. So many great titles are coming out in the next few months and if you are like me and have a full time job, it's damn near impossible to get to all of them, let alone beat them completely...and I loves me some achievement points.

I've been enjoying Stranglehold lately and I'll be getting into exactly why later on in my column...of course, while I pound away at that I missing out on the CoD 4 Beta and my Dynasty Warriors: Gundam action! So rough!

Alright, enough bitching...maybe I'll just watch Dead or Alive again...

Press Release of the Week!

I was always a fan of the crazy shooting games in the arcade when I was a kid. 1942, Gradius, Raiden...it looks like Hudson is releasing a new one in a couple of months for XBox Live Arcade. I've included some screens cause I think it looks pretty sweet.

REDWOOD SHORES, CA - September 12, 2007 - Leading video game publisher Hudson Entertainment has partnered with Natsume to bring gamers an all-new IP titled Omega Five for the Xbox LIVE(R) network. Omega Five is a graphically intense, side-scrolling shooter set in a three-dimensional environment, and features some truly hardcore action never before seen on the platform. The game is expected to launch worldwide in November 2007.

Set in a futuristic world, Omega Five is a shooter that pushes the visuals to the limit for a digital download game. The game feature 3D environments, dazzling special effects, and massive battles, all in high definition. Omega Five is unique in that players can choose from multiple humanoid characters, each with their own unique special attacks and upgradeable weapons, which they can shoot in 360 degrees. Omega Five also includes a local co-op function in which a friend can join in on the aerial mayhem.

"Hudson is truly pleased to be working with Natsume on bringing an all new franchise to shooter fans worldwide," said John Greiner, President and CEO of Hudson Entertainment. "Omega Five promises to be the most challenging shooter in the Xbox LIVE Arcade library, and will appease the most hardcore fan of the genre."

Looks pretty sweet to me...lots of pretty colors and lots and lots of bullets! I wonder if they travel really really slowly like they did in all those shooters back in the day? How does a bullet travel that slow?

Pretty Images of the Week!

Just announced a few days ago, some Ninja Gaiden 2 footage has hit the net and boy howdy does it look pretty. This guy will be hitting the 360 next year.

I want one of those bigass sticks with a sword on the end of it! Certainly looks as difficult as the last one, doesn't it?

Up next is a commercial for Halo 3 that has come under some fire recently. I think it's cool as hell. Watch!

To follow up on the commercial, here is a behind the scenes look at how the entire thing was built...

I absolutely love this take on video game advertising. We've seen plenty of trailers of shooting and running and explosions...like the Gears of War "Mad World" trailer, this grounds the entire plot of the Halo franchise.

I really like how the making of was treated as authentically as possible as well. That minor little touch that just makes it all that much cooler. Is there anything else that can be done to psych me up for this game any more?

Monki's Seven Most Important Stories of the Week!

GamerDad, a bright shining beacon of all that is right in the games world, suffered a heart attack recently. If you feel like helping out a bit, feel free to do so.

Jack Thompson is still crazy...and now he is bringing his own son into the insanity. Wasn't he supposed to be disbarred soon?

A big book for you WoW fans. Full of maps and strategy! Hopefully wizards and warlocks as well!

The Konami Code exists in Jam Sessions! Legends never die, they just go to handhelds...

Colin McRae, of DIRT fame, passed away in a helicopter crash. My condolences to his family.

A site that has every Guitar Hero 3 track released so far. Great for checking out what's been announced and whether or not you remember those Blue Oyster Cult lyrics.

Parents aren't happy about the Wii zapper. Surprised as I am? Does anyone remember the SUPER SCOPE? It was a giant fucking shoulder-mounted weapon and no one gave a damn! And we liked it that way! And we walked uphill to school, in the snow, both ways!

Monki's Six Games You Must Get of the Week!

World in Conflict (Available 9/18 for PC)

After getting in a bit of Company of Heroes, this game demands to be played. Check out this sick trailer and tell me you don't want it.

I mean come on! Magnum P.I.!! Badass.

Halo 3 (Available 9/25 for the XBox 360)

Your weekly reminder to pick up this game. You need to...the world depends on it.

MySims (Available 9/18 for the Wii)

I've never been a huge fan of The Sims, but this radical change in the look and feel of the game warrants a peek. The Sims have gone from realistic to a cartoony feel in this Wii version. Check it out.

Warriors Orochi (Available 9/18 for PS2/360)

I have admitted I'm a huge fan of this franchise and this title, bringing the Samurai Warriors and Dynasty Warriors characters together has me drooling. I can't wait to whoop more ass with Sun Shang Xiang!!

Skate (Available 9/18 for PS3)

This one is already out for the 360, and it's PS3 counterpart is coming this week. I spent about five hours playing this game this weekend with some friends. It really does flip the whole skateboarding game genre right on it's head. "Simple" tricks, by Tony Hawk standards have suddenly become more difficult, but much much more realistic. Out of the marathon Skate session with my three pals, the highest score anyone hit was just over 12,000.

This one is really fun, especially if know anything about real skateboarding.

Game I'm Playing Right Now!

Stranglehold (Available now for PS3/360)

I'll get more into why exactly I am really loving this game shortly, but let me get off a few quick hits before then.

The FULL title of this game is "JOHN WOO presents Stranglehold." That should read "Stranglehold as presented by JOHN MOTHERFUCKIN' WOO." This game IS a John Woo movie...an interactive John Woo movie. And not like the shitty Hulk movie or a gay cowboy RPG...this is Hard Boiled put into video game form. There is no reloading, bad guys show up constantly, you take about 2,000 bullets before dropping and you do this crazy slow-down "Tequila Time" stuff where you can shoot people in the nuts and are rewarded with an amazing animation of the dude's nuts popping followed by screaming and clutching of said nuts. Nuts. Balls. Package. Kaboom.

You run around blowing the hell out of everything...AND THERE ARE DOVES! Lots and lots of DOVES!

This game isn't difficult...really...but it is very much a fun shooter with a great story attached to it. I'm still about halfway through the game, but I'm having a blast. Definitely worth a look.

How Close Are We to Movie Games of the Week!

There is this big push to make video games more like movies. Let me make one of my big bold crazy statements.

Video games will never be the same as movies!

Okay, that isn't really a radical statement. It's pretty obvious actually. In the future we may have a new "interactive experience" label that will be what interactive-movie-games will be called, but as of right now...we just don't need it because they don't exist.

Of course, after playing Stranglehold for a while this weekend...they may be a bit closer than I could have ever imagined them.

The game is full of wonderfully fleshed-out characters and ultra-cheesy but still good enough to follow storylines...the cutscenes feel like real movie scenes. The villains aren't painted in black or white...everyone has a bit going on the side, even our hero. It's everything you'd want in a movie...except it's a game where you run around shooting people.

I really like where this trend is going though...big name directors are starting to realize the importance of video games as a genre. Spielberg has been involved with the Medal of Honor franchise for a while now and is currently working with EA on developing a few titles. Peter Jackson and Halo go together like peanut butter and naked ladies, and now John Woo has thrown his hat into the ring with Stranglehold. I'm liking where this is going.

Oh, on a side note...technology is so fucking cool. Towards the end of the first stage you wander into a bar...Stephen Chow (the hero, your character) sits down and asks for his usual shot of tequila. Chow looks incredible, but I was shocked when I caught myself saying outloud, "oh shit! that's John Woo as the bartender!"

His face has been scanned into the game...and for the first time ever I recognized a "real" person in a video game world. (Without the game being based on that character...like Chow in the game, or Tiger Woods in his games...)

That is pretty wild. With games becoming as technically incredible as they are now, I imagine we'll be seeing more from the likes of Andy Serkis (who just did some mo-cap work for Heavenly Sword) and others like Doug Jones start getting into the game realm. I can't wait.

When will we get these truly interactive movie/games? I have no idea...but if what has been coming out lately is any indication...I would imagine very very soon.

The Final Minute with Monki!

So many games, so very very little time. As I said before I've got a stack of titles sitting on my TV stand waiting for more play time...AND Fantastic Fest starts up this week...so it should be quite an interesting one for me.

I'm going to wrap up this column with a couple of videos...the first of which totally deflates the entire Halo "Believe" commercials that I find so very very good.

Who knew Master Chief boogies down to Cher? Awesome.

Now to finish it all off with this video that nearly killed AICN friend Kraken. He stopped breathing at some point.

YOU NEVER MAKE THEM TOUCH!!

Alright, I'm off to try to find more time to play Skate, Dynasty Warriors, Stranglehold, the CoD4 Beta, Mortal Kombat 2, Tron, Guitar Hero......until I can catch my breath again...back up the tree I go!

-Monki