Tree Plus Chainsaw Equals BioShock 2 Big Daddy [Clips]

I don’t believe I’ve seen anything quite as beautiful as a man dressed as Jason from Friday the 13th carving the Big Daddy from BioShock 2 out of a tree using a chainsaw. I’d imagine it’s hard to find a tree in the underwater city of Rapture, which is probably why Japanese chainsaw artist “Jason” here got the job. It’s a good thing, as the masked murderer knocks this sculpture out of the park. It’s a fascinating process, requiring the sort of precision work you don’t normally see from a guy with a hockey mask wielding a chainsaw. I’m just glad they left out the scene where he relentlessly pursues the tree through the woods, it screaming and stumbling as he somehow keeps up at walking speed. Thanks Y HC for passing this along!

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Tree Plus Chainsaw Equals BioShock 2 Big Daddy [Clips]

Super Mario Galaxy 2: Yoshi’s Back…and He Brought a Drill! [Impressions]

Super Mario Galaxy 2 returns Mario to a the Wii-defining universe of Super Mario Galaxy now armed with new power-up, new friends and… a drill? Just as Super Mario 64 redefined the classic platforming franchise for the Nintendo 64 generation, Super Mario Galaxy delivered the game-changing goods to Wii owners. While what we’d seen so far of Super Mario Galaxy 2, due out May 23 , looked very similar to Mario’s physics-bending current-gen hit, we were more than happy to collect coins, stomp Koopas, and save Peach all over again in the sequel. It seems, however, Nintendo’s well aware of the pleasant, but very apparent whiff of familiarity wafting off their upcoming sequel, as they recently went out of their way to demo the title’s fresh-rather than familiar-features. Clearly the most fan-pleasing reveal is the return of Yoshi; yes, Mario’s long-tongued prehistoric pal makes his way to Nintendo’s galaxy far, far away. The little green guy controls much like he did in past games, but with Galaxy’s gravity-defying gameplay comes new tricks for the adorable dino. My demo began at the base of a towering tree with no obvious paths for Mario to take up its trunk…until I spotted that little green-speckled egg. Still, with shell cracked, and Yoshi mounted, I was at a loss as how to get Mario to the tippity top of the level. Thankfully, a kind Nintendo rep pointed out a new power-up-the blimp berry-which Yoshi could munch on to catch some air. Sure enough, with a point of the Wii-Mote at the magic fruit, Yoshi was able to slurp it up and lift off the ground like a slowly deflating balloon. But the real challenge came in collecting more berries while the pair ascended, as each fruit only contains a limited amount of helium. I finally made it to the top of the tree, but not before landing on several low-hanging branches to refill Yoshi’s belly with hot air. Later levels promise to make this mechanic even trickier by including patrolling enemies that can pop Yoshi like a balloon. Keeping with the theme of showing off what new tricks Mario has tucked into his plumber’s tool belt, I was next dropped into a level made of steep, roller coaster-like surfaces. Mario couldn’t run up these almost vertical planes, and even Yoshi struggled to make much headway. Enter the dash pepper, a fiery looking veggie that Yoshi can gobble for temporary MACH speed. With fire and smoke amusingly shooting from his backside, Yoshi, save for some modest steering, becomes uncontrollable by the player, but succeeds in treading the previously unclimbable slopes. This jalapeño-like power-up is essentially a turbo boost for Yoshi. It only works in short bursts, but that’s probably a good thing given its chaotic control over Yoshi. Experimenting with Yoshi-and his new digestible powers-proved a fun time in the somewhat familiar Galaxy world. The potential for his use in clever puzzles, inventive platforming, and epic boss battles was readily apparent after just a few minutes mounted on his back. Additionally, the blimp berry and dash pepper further hint that Galaxy 2 will indeed significantly change up the gameplay of its predecessor. While Yoshi’s return will no doubt please longtime Mushroom Kingdom visitors, it was actually another new item that continually stretched a smile across my face during the demo. A drill, that looks like a smaller, cuter version of Big Daddy’s Splicer slicer, can be picked up by Mario, and used to burrow through the ground. Utilizing it in the title’s many spherical stages means you can tunnel your way from one side of a planet to the other. Spinning the Wii-Remote, just as you would to leap from planet to planet, sends the drill-with Mario in tow-racing through the dirt. Aside from being a blast to use, the buzzing power-up is great for reaching otherwise inaccessible areas; a 1up mushroom seemingly blocked from Mario on all sides, for example, can now be attained by tunneling under it. Messing with this new toy was great fun, but it really showed it’s edge-quite literally-during a boss battle. While traversing the outer edge of a planet shaped like a wheel of cheese, Mario was chased by a metallic menace with two enormous arms. In addition to avoiding his Italian plumber-squashing appendages, Mario must also beware his drill nose, which can burrow bombs through the ground to Mario’s location. The bombs, which resemble yellow Bullet Bills with the ability to swim in the sand, will take out Mario unless he stomps them first. In addition to playing defense against the boss’ arms and bombs, you need to find the right moment to send your own drill bit smack in the middle of its fragile face. You see, when it’s not drilling Mario-seeking missiles through the planet’s crust, it’s exposing a glass exterior housing a level-conquering star. Three successful drill hits, and “yippee”, the star is yours. Playing with Yoshi was like joining an old friend who’d learned some new tricks, but it was this drill-based level I wanted to play again and again. The only thing missing from this neat new mechanic is a subtle “buzz” and vibration fed back through the Wii-Mote. Super Mario Galaxy 2 is an obvious sequel to its popular predecessor, so those looking for a complete reboot won’t find it here. However, plenty of new toys and tricks- including many yet to be revealed-keep this follow-up feeling as fresh as the first time we made Mario planet hop with a quick spin of the Wii-Mote.

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Super Mario Galaxy 2: Yoshi’s Back…and He Brought a Drill! [Impressions]

The Littlest Sister Of Them All [Screengrab]

BioShock 2 Big Daddy and Big Sister, complete with Little Sister, crafted by White Tiger Miniatures , commissioned by Kelly, who has more pics at her deviantART page .

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The Littlest Sister Of Them All [Screengrab]

The Littlest Sister Of Them All [Screengrab]

BioShock 2 Big Daddy and Big Sister, complete with Little Sister, crafted by White Tiger Miniatures , commissioned by Kelly, who has more pics at her deviantART page .

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The Littlest Sister Of Them All [Screengrab]

Xbox Live Marketplace Schedule Dates Cheap Battlefield 1943, New Games On Demand [Xbox Live Arcade]

Your Xbox Live Arcade and Games on Demand budgeting for February can begin, thanks to Microsoft’s schedule for the month’s new digital releases and deals, including a more affordable version of Battlefield 1943 for Xbox Live Arcade. A handful of new games are also planned for “on demand” releases, including Street Fighter IV, Resident Evil 5, and Beautiful Katamari plus Halo Wars and Viva Piñata: Party Animals for our international friends. There are even Resident Evil 5 Xbox Avatar goodies coming, which I pray means an Avatar version of Chris Redfield’s new post-apocalyptic leather daddy outfit. Here’s how Microsoft sees February shaking out. Xbox LIVE Deal of the Week: Feb. 15: Battlefield 1943, 800 Microsoft Points Xbox LIVE Games on Demand: Feb. 9: Street Fighter IV Feb. 9: Halo Wars (Europe, Australia and New Zealand) Feb. 16: Resident Evil 5 Feb. 16: Beautiful Katamari Feb. 16: Viva Piñata: Party Animals (Japan) Xbox LIVE Arcade: Feb. 10: Darwinia +, 1200 points Feb. 17: The Misadventures of PB Winterbottom, 800 points Xbox Avatars Marketplace: Feb. 11: Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising Feb. 16: Resident Evil 5 Feb. 18: Metro 2033

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Xbox Live Marketplace Schedule Dates Cheap Battlefield 1943, New Games On Demand [Xbox Live Arcade]

BioShock 2 Review: In Case Of Rapture [Review]

Welcome back to the beautiful city of Rapture, the dystopian underworld introduced in 2007’s BioShock, a failed utopia all but destroyed by its inhabitants, a world less mysterious than when you last left it. BioShock 2 puts players in the suit of Subject Delta, a hulking Big Daddy prototype who longs to reunite with his bonded Little Sister, a girl who happens to also be the daughter of Sofia Lamb, the woman now running Rapture, the underwater city somehow still as chaotic, leaky and menacingly well populated 10 years after the events of the original BioShock. Along the way, you’ll be aided by Lamb’s opponents and Eleanor herself on your search for your lost little Lamb, growing stronger with all new genetic modifications in the form of offensive Plasmids and passive, ability-granting Tonics. This time, you’ll dual wield the power of Plasmids in your left hand, burning, electrocuting and freezing foes, with deadly new weapons for your right. Does BioShock 2 live up to the high expectations set by the original, Ken Levine directed adventure? And can it possibly be… a better game? Loved A Lesser Story, Better Told: BioShock 2’s story does not have the same revelatory power or stunning, complete vision of the original. It is not as fresh or frightening, but it does tell a more consistent tale, one less reliant on twists and turns. It is reliant on other storytelling conventions from the original, with much of the story doled out through found audiotapes and bugs in your ear from Rapture rivals Sofia Lamb and Augustus Sinclair. Many of BioShock 2’s characters are more interesting than those of the original, telling the bits and pieces of Rapture post-Andrew Ryan in more digestible, more inventive ways. There’s no late game devolution in storytelling in the sequel, but there are welcome surprises that are worth keeping oneself spoiler-free for. The Moral Hangover: The original BioShock didn’t run with the impact of the player’s moral choices—primarily whether to save the game’s Little Sisters, returning them to normal, or harvest them for the extra ADAM that grants the player more power—as expertly as its sequel does. BioShock 2 not only provides a more interesting quantitative outcome to many of the player’s decisions, well beyond the extra ADAM one can gain from a Little Sister rescue, it successfully makes the player question whether he’s making the right decision. Without giving too much away, the player is given the option at certain points to spare characters who may rightfully deserve or even clearly express their wish to die, with the reward or punishment for each decision smartly ambiguous. For players who have completed the first, the suspicion that your character may or may not be manipulated by the voices in your ear makes those decisions all the more conflicting. Personally, I wish I’d saved the game more often so that I could revisit my behavior. A Better Harvest: The harvesting of ADAM from Little Sisters is giving substantial depth in BioShock 2. Upon eliminating a rival Big Daddy, players can choose to immediately harvest or adopt his ward. This is where it gets interesting. While watching over an adopted Little Sister, Delta can seek out ADAM resources for her to harvest. This brings a swarm of Splicers and makes use of brand new weapon traps—Trap Rivets, Mini-turrets and Trap Spears—for some of the most intense confrontations in the game. The process can become tedious after a while, but the pay off is worth it. Hacking++: Gone are the painful pipe swapping puzzles of the original BioShock, with that games hacking method replaced by something simpler, less eventually grating and ultimately more varied. Instead of suffering through more Pipe Mania, players’ reflexes are tested with a rhythmic mini-game that requires precision timing. Hacking is more improved with more worthwhile genetic tonics that make the hacking game increasingly easier—just as hacking ramps up in difficulty—and the addition of remote hacking darts and auto-hacking darts. Rapture From The Outside: There are a few moments when, taking advantage of the suit that Subject Delta wears, the game lets players go outside and briefly explore the exterior of Rapture. Players can walk the sea floor between airlocks, soaking in the brightly lit organic sights without fear of attack, a chance to unwind between Big Daddy battles. These areas feel a bit under-utilized, but it’s a lovely change of scenery from the dilapidated, corpse-laden halls of Rapture. Plasmid Sequels & Power To The People: Most of the genetic modifications from the original BioShock return, but the plasmids and tonics have been given powerful sequels as well. My standbys, the Electro Bolt and Incinerate, become much more interesting to use when upgraded to their highest level. Chain lightning makes Electro Bolt far more useful when taking on crowds of Splicers, with the exploding higher level Incinerate doing more than just adding damage to a single foe. The weapon upgrades performed at the uncommon Power to the People stations add similarly strategy changing tactics. I was pleasantly surprised to find the Rivet Gun so useful after gaining the ability to fire superheated rivets, setting enemies on fire while they were also being attacked by bees. For a game with perhaps too much offensive variety, the expanded plasmids and elemental additions to weapons make combat far more enjoyable than in the original. Research Redone: The ability to research your enemies with a camera is refined, wonderfully, in BioShock 2. Still photographs are replaced by moving pictures, letting the player film Splicers and Big Daddies for research rewards in the form of upgrades and tonics. The new method encourages more variety in battle tactics, helping me to learn just how effective shooting a swarm of bees at Brute Splicers then pairing that with Rocket Spears can be. Better yet, BioShock 2 offers a much more clear look at their research progress. A History Better Explained: An added chapter to a story as revered as BioShock’s may feel like an unnecessary thing—except for Take-Two Interactive shareholders, of course. Whether to also shine a light on the mysterious relationship of the Big Daddies and Little Sisters is tricky. Will exploring that history in fine detail, and from first person no less, remove the allure of these monsters? Fortunately, no. While I prefer to not have every nook and cranny of fiction that I enjoy explored, BioShock 2’s digging into the origins of many characters is fascinating. The addition of the nimble, screeching Big Sisters, a dangerously cheesy proposition, add a frightful new enemy to the mix. Hated That Familiar Feeling: The first few hours in BioShock 2 feel uncomfortably familiar. Sure, it’s a sequel and where else can one go but Rapture to further explore the people, places and events of Andrew Ryan’s underwater utopia? Being reintroduced to the now familiar world and its strange super powers and spliced-up populace, when the original felt so fresh, so inspired, and so enigmatic at first feels like retread. Fortunately, that feeling dissolved later in the game, but it was the initial impression of playing a follow-up to a game that felt unnecessarily sequelized that made the homecoming a little sour. Drill Disappointment: I was surprised to find just how unappealing it was to use Delta’s drill, even after the various upgrades and tonics that make the gas powered melee weapon seem so much more usable. Melee combat isn’t typically the draw in first person shooters, but it was disappointing to find this aspect of playing as a Big Daddy so dull. 2K Marin and the rest of the BioShock 2 team deserves credit for delivering what seemed impossible, making a sequel that not only tells a story that’s greater in parts than its predecessor but making that sequel feel necessary . BioShock 2 does enough to differentiate itself from the original to make it feel new again, but it takes some time to get there. The game atones for many of the design sins of the original, making hacking more fun, deleting the repetitive noise of the original—”Welcome to the Circus of Value!! Hahaha!” is never heard—and fixing the sometimes clunky interface of the original. What BioShock 2 didn’t really need, except to discourage trade-ins, was its sloppy multiplayer mode. I neither loved nor hated this bland addition to the game, as it feels playable at best, a semi-interesting distraction between playthroughs of the more refined single-player campaign. The expected stuff is there, including a leveling system with unlockable weapons and Plasmids not seen in the single-player portion, but it consists solely of BioShock themed variations on stock multiplayer modes. I liked BioShock 2 more than I expected to, perhaps more so than the original thanks to its more satisfying game play. The been there, done that feeling wears off after not too long, giving players a chance to happily get lost in Rapture once again. BioShock 2 was developed by 2K Marin, 2K Australia, 2K China and Digital Extremes and published by 2K Games for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC on February 9. Retails for $59.99 USD on consoles, $49.99 on PC. A copy of the game was given to us by the publisher for reviewing purposes. Played single-player game to completion on Xbox 360, tested multiplayer modes. Confused by our reviews? Read our review FAQ .

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BioShock 2 Review: In Case Of Rapture [Review]

BioShock 2 Gets Cuddly…Sort Of… [Toys]

Isn’t he just adorable? Collectible company NECA will later this month be releasing these plush toys based on BioShock 2 ’s “Big Daddy”. Well, not the Big Daddy himself. They’re based on the hand-made toys cobbled together by the game’s Little Sisters . They stand around 7″ tall, will sell for around $25, and from the looks of that corkscrew arm are in no way safe for snuggling.

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BioShock 2 Gets Cuddly…Sort Of… [Toys]

The Weapons of BioShock 2

BioShock 2 (X360) Playing as a Big Daddy has its benefits.

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The Weapons of BioShock 2

Preorder BioShock 2 PS3 From Amazon And You Get This [Preorder Bonus]

PlayStation 3 owners who put their money down on BioShock 2 at Amazon will find themselves the proud owner of this excellent Big Daddy outfit for PlayStation Home . The Big Daddy costume for PlayStation Home is the creation of Heavy Water game production, the company responsible for many of Home’s more creative personal spaces. Perhaps the creation of this painstakingly-detailed Big Daddy outfit heralds the coming of a Rapture apartment for PlayStation Home? The outfit will be delivered via a special code, delivered via email ten days after the game is released. Currently I’m only seeing the outfit as a preorder bonus for the $99 Special Edition of the game, but that could change, or not. Face it; you really wanted that art book anyway. BioShock 2 Special Edition PS3 [Amazon.com - thanks Dennis!]

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Preorder BioShock 2 PS3 From Amazon And You Get This [Preorder Bonus]

Preorder BioShock 2 PS3 From Amazon And You Get This [Preorder Bonus]

PlayStation 3 owners who put their money down on BioShock 2 at Amazon will find themselves the proud owner of this excellent Big Daddy outfit for PlayStation Home . The Big Daddy costume for PlayStation Home is the creation of Heavy Water game production, the company responsible for many of Home’s more creative personal spaces. Perhaps the creation of this painstakingly-detailed Big Daddy outfit heralds the coming of a Rapture apartment for PlayStation Home? The outfit will be delivered via a special code, delivered via email ten days after the game is released. Currently I’m only seeing the outfit as a preorder bonus for the $99 Special Edition of the game, but that could change, or not. Face it; you really wanted that art book anyway. BioShock 2 Special Edition PS3 [Amazon.com - thanks Dennis!]

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Preorder BioShock 2 PS3 From Amazon And You Get This [Preorder Bonus]

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