Have you ever found yourself using the wrong controller for a game?  I know I sure have, either due to a lack of proper controllers, or just idle curiosity. 

For example, on the original Xbox, I only had one light gun, so player two in House of the Dead III had to use a standard controller.  It isn't as much fun as using the light gun, but of all controller mismatches this is probably the most common one (not having enough specialty controllers).

Where it really gets interesting is trying to purposely play games with the wrong controllers.  Try playing a platform game with a guitar controller, or a first-person shooter with a racing wheel.  These experiments usually fail horribly, but they're good for a laugh.  If you've never tried it, I highly recommend you give it a shot sometime, if just for a couple of minutes.

Every once in a while, though, the pairing ends up being so wrong, it's right.  The best example I have is when we played a lot of Power Stone on the Dreamcast.  We used the standard rule of whoever wins stays in; the loser passes the controller on.  But, in a twist to make sure you didn't have to wait too long for your turn, if you won more than three matches in a row you had to use the fishing controller (which was meant for Sega Bass Fishing). 

Yes, that's right, if you were too good and kept winning, you had to play a fighting game with a fishing controller.  It was the ultimate leveling of the playing field.  A new player could have a chance against an experience player stuck using the fishing controller.  Also, the sheer hilarity of watching someone try to attack while frantically spinning the reel, or doing a casting motion mid-fight to see if it had any effect never got old.

So, what controller mismatches have you tried out?  Did they work, or crash and burn?  Which do you think would make a great pairing? 

Personally I think Frogger was meant to be played on a Dance Dance Revolution pad, and one day I will try that out.

--Osver

Read reviews and shop for great bargains at the Gaming Corner. >>>

It's been a good while since Ubisoft announced details of their upcoming uber FPS Haze, and since then the hype has noticeably dropped off. This isn't exactly the best case scenario for a game about to enter its launch month, and in fact is a shame because the game's got an interesting quasi political premise of a frightening future scenario where the overwhelming powers of the military industrial complex and the pharmaceutical industries are merged. But if a press release put out today announcing a Campaign/Multiplayer Haze Demo coming to PSN can be taken at face value it looks as if Ubi has finally realized that the time for promotion is now if they want to get the word out that Haze is actually going to release with its impressive multiplayer functionality (24-player online action) in tact.

The date given for the demo is vague, only noting an "early May" timeline for release on the PlayStation Network. The game is due for release on 5/20, so earlier in the month would be much better for the game if Ubi hopes to avoid the game being lost in the dog days of summer.

Find out more about Haze in the video Developer diary below:

--Hobson's Choice

Read reviews and shop for great bargains at the Gaming Corner. >>>

Have you ever found yourself using the wrong controller for a game?  I know I sure have, either due to a lack of proper controllers, or just idle curiosity. 

For example, on the original Xbox, I only had one light gun, so player two in House of the Dead III had to use a standard controller.  It isn't as much fun as using the light gun, but of all controller mismatches this is probably the most common one (not having enough specialty controllers).

Where it really gets interesting is trying to purposely play games with the wrong controllers.  Try playing a platform game with a guitar controller, or a first-person shooter with a racing wheel.  These experiments usually fail horribly, but they're good for a laugh.  If you've never tried it, I highly recommend you give it a shot sometime, if just for a couple of minutes.

Every once in a while, though, the pairing ends up being so wrong, it's right.  The best example I have is when we played a lot of Power Stone on the Dreamcast.  We used the standard rule of whoever wins stays in; the loser passes the controller on.  But, in a twist to make sure you didn't have to wait too long for your turn, if you won more than three matches in a row you had to use the fishing controller (which was meant for Sega Bass Fishing). 

Yes, that's right, if you were too good and kept winning, you had to play a fighting game with a fishing controller.  It was the ultimate leveling of the playing field.  A new player could have a chance against an experience player stuck using the fishing controller.  Also, the sheer hilarity of watching someone try to attack while frantically spinning the reel, or doing a casting motion mid-fight to see if it had any effect never got old.

So, what controller mismatches have you tried out?  Did they work, or crash and burn?  Which do you think would make a great pairing? 

Personally I think Frogger was meant to be played on a Dance Dance Revolution pad, and one day I will try that out.

--Osver

Read reviews and shop for great bargains at the Gaming Corner. >>>

Remember the days when the PlayStation 3  was the console with potential, but Xbox 360 was the one that really worked? Well guess what, the way things are going, especially with the pending 2.30 update to the PS3’s firmware, I’m more or less ready to say that those days are officially over.

The two major bits of functionality included in the update are:

• DTS-HD Master Audio for Blu-ray discs
• A major interface overhaul for the PlayStation Store

Legend
has it that DTS-HD Master Audio in its purest form is a bit for bit match of
the studio master recordings used in laying down the tracks and sound effects
for movies. Sounds very impressive. Assuming the use of an HDTV and of course a
quality home theater audio setup, this new audio codec matched up with the
video quality of Blu-ray technology only makes the triumph of Blu-ray over HD-DVD and the
studios decision to back it, seem even more of a no-brainer. Actually,
check that. It’s probably more like a nearly total no-brainer since although
following the update DTS-HD Master Audio will be available, currently it will
still be an optional audio feature for Blu-ray discs. So, if you are looking to
go high-end on the audio, make sure that you read the fine print on those
Blu-rays. Yet still, quite the feature.

The second part of the update, an overhaul of the
PlayStation Store’s user interface, will put yet another chink in the 360’s
armor. One of Xbox 360’s strongest points and conversely one of the PS3’s
weakest has been online functionality. Will the update really close the gap? The
PlayStation store has needed some serious help for a while, so I’m kind of
thinking it will, especially with Sony trumpeting today that in less than ten
years 90% of games will be delivered via DLC. Anyway, click here to check out a demo of the PlayStation
Store’s new functionality or check out the basic breakdown below:

• No longer web-based, functionality will now be native to the PS3, making content more dynamic, and supposedly faster
• 8 categories of content
• New releases
• Downloadable games
• View all games by title
• Add-ons
• Game Demos
• Videos
• Themes and Wallpapers
• Featured items

Anyway you slice it, this will be quite the update. So, when will it happen? The PlayStation blog only says mid April, but posting today at Sony’s European press site gives a solid date of April 15th. The fact that Sony just announced the other day that the new PlayStation Store will not be region locked leads me to believe that we over here in the New World can hope for the same time table. Either way, if you own a PS3 or plan to get one it might be time to update your home theater and get ready to get your game online. The Xbox 360 better watch its back.

--Hobson's Choice

Read reviews and shop for great bargains at the Gaming Corner. >>>

Remember the days when the PlayStation 3  was the console with potential, but Xbox 360 was the one that really worked? Well guess what, the way things are going, especially with the pending 2.30 update to the PS3’s firmware, I’m more or less ready to say that those days are officially over.

The two major bits of functionality included in the update are:

• DTS-HD Master Audio for Blu-ray discs
• A major interface overhaul for the PlayStation Store

Legend
has it that DTS-HD Master Audio in its purest form is a bit for bit match of
the studio master recordings used in laying down the tracks and sound effects
for movies. Sounds very impressive. Assuming the use of an HDTV and of course a
quality home theater audio setup, this new audio codec matched up with the
video quality of Blu-ray technology only makes the triumph of Blu-ray over HD-DVD and the
studios decision to back it, seem even more of a no-brainer. Actually,
check that. It’s probably more like a nearly total no-brainer since although
following the update DTS-HD Master Audio will be available, currently it will
still be an optional audio feature for Blu-ray discs. So, if you are looking to
go high-end on the audio, make sure that you read the fine print on those
Blu-rays. Yet still, quite the feature.

The second part of the update, an overhaul of the
PlayStation Store’s user interface, will put yet another chink in the 360’s
armor. One of Xbox 360’s strongest points and conversely one of the PS3’s
weakest has been online functionality. Will the update really close the gap? The
PlayStation store has needed some serious help for a while, so I’m kind of
thinking it will, especially with Sony trumpeting today that in less than ten
years 90% of games will be delivered via DLC. Anyway, click here to check out a demo of the PlayStation
Store’s new functionality or check out the basic breakdown below:

• No longer web-based, functionality will now be native to the PS3, making content more dynamic, and supposedly faster
• 8 categories of content
• New releases
• Downloadable games
• View all games by title
• Add-ons
• Game Demos
• Videos
• Themes and Wallpapers
• Featured items

Anyway you slice it, this will be quite the update. So, when will it happen? The PlayStation blog only says mid April, but posting today at Sony’s European press site gives a solid date of April 15th. The fact that Sony just announced the other day that the new PlayStation Store will not be region locked leads me to believe that we over here in the New World can hope for the same time table. Either way, if you own a PS3 or plan to get one it might be time to update your home theater and get ready to get your game online. The Xbox 360 better watch its back.

--Hobson's Choice

Read reviews and shop for great bargains at the Gaming Corner. >>>