well I have a regular TV so it's 480p only....

A regular TV would be 480i, actually. 480p is only available on HDTVs and EDTVs. If you've got an SDTV you won't have the progressive scan option.

Has anyone played Fight Night Round 3? I dismissed it early on because I read that one reviewer complained about additional slowdown. Yet the latest EGM said the port was "perfect", along with some minor visual improvements. What's the official word?

I've played it. There's no additional slowdown, but load times are still there. As a port, it is "perfect" because it, at the very least, doesn't screw anything up.

In my opinion, it looks a lot better than the 360 version. No unnecessary light blooms, textures are smoother and up-close shots are a bit more detailed. Commentary still sucks though.

The coolest feature is that "Get in the Ring" thing where you fight in first-person. It's hard.

Well for someone who doesn't own the original (or the system it was on), is it worth getting? Does it have online play? I was mostly interested in it for a visual showpiece (720p or 1080p?).

I tried one out at the local future shop. When compared to Xbox 360, there really isn't much of a difference. In fact, I prefer the Xbox overall. I found that they changed the controllers for the PS, and made it so the R2 and L2 buttons didn't have the barrier around the bottom, so every time you pressed it, your finger would slide off. It was sort of awkward.

(Sorry if I repeated something. I don't feel like reading all 250 pages of this forum.)

You must have been pressing awfully darn hard for that to happen. I've had my system for over a week and have yet to have that happen even in the intense heat of battle in Resistance's 20 on 20

Remember that very scary looking guy who was selling a PS3 on ebay and he was naked, standing behind a PS3 box and was threatening to move the box if no one bid on the console? Well, here is an auction that's not as scary:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ayphotohosting

xman25

I can already feel the aids attacking me after opening that box.

Apparently she wasn't hot enough for it to reach the $1199.99 bid. Too bad.

Sorry, I don't pay full price for used merchandise.

UPDATE:
Bunch of new Ninja Gaiden Sigma Screens
http://media.ps3.ign.com/media/856/856529/imgs_1.html

Also a release date for Virtua Fighter 5 -> 02/18/07

Now I never played through Ninja Gaiden all the way on the Xbox so I can't tell for sure, but most of those scenes and bosses look very much like the ones on the xbox version. Is NG: Sigma simply a remake of that game with some added things? Or is it a whole new game?

Sigma's a port of Ninja Gaiden Black. With all new super fun happy slide fancy graphics. I think there was a mention somewhere that it'd have an even easier difficulty setting to choose from, too. That's about it!

- You can play as Rachel
- Dual Wielding of weapons
- New bosses
- IIRC, new weapons
- New difficulty level (I think this is called Ninja Dog, and Ryu gets a wristband or something if you play the game in that mode, so all can now you're a pussy. Unfunny Itagaki bull if you ask me)

Oh! I'm totally out of the loop. :( Man, the original wasn't that hard. I hope the new super ultra easy mode ends half way through the game for the sake of hilarity.

Nobody deserves that kind of rape. That's wrong Infernal, and you know it.

"Damn this game is pretty easy. Oh, a new enemy!"

*runs over*

"Wait, what the fuck, nOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH SHIT!"

I'd rather play in easy that be visited by rape and broken camera monsters. I play games to have fun. If I want a challenge, make it optional. Oh, another addition is that the game runs at 1080p.

Wait, Ninja Dog wasn't already easy enough? I agree with Infernal though, the game wasn't even that difficult. Hell, by now I can get through the game with barely even getting hit.

It's kind of like when they had an easier difficulty in DMC3: SE. It's a shame that (while I know that DMC & NG don't count) so many games are becoming easier now a days, remember the days of Super Ghosts & Goblins, Contra, Gradius, R-Type... thoes were the days where being a gamer took something. Now you just push a couple random buttons and it's "look ma' I beat the game". *argh* That's why I'm a Fighting, Music & RPG gamer mostly since they have the majority of the remaining "hard" games.

However back on topic I never quite beat NG myself either and after this was annoinced last TGS I just put down the controller and said, "screw it I'll wait". And it's interesting how all three of thoes genres have decent representation on PlsyStation systems which has a large Japanese backing who are known for making mostly difficult games. This connection is something that many people don't seem to be able to make when they see that I have all 3 systems and don't know why I like the PlayStation the best.

See, I don't think games in general are becoming easier, rather, more user-friendly. Before the jump to 3D (largely) games often started you at the beginning of a level, or even worse, at the beginning of the game every time you died. There was no such thing as checkpoint or saves which in itself made games incredibly frustrating. And games like Metroid for example were overly complex without the aid of a map or any real direction. Games now give you checkpoints and maps, which not surprisingly, makes them easier to get around and complete. A lot of the difficulty came from technological limitations and nothing more.

There's of course exceptions to that, but my point stands.

But yeah those three genres are usually the most difficult because RPGs just take a really long time to complete and usually really deep; fighters are about timing and memorizing button combinations, while focusing on an opponent; and music/rhythm games are just a wad of commands being thrown at you sometimes incredibly quickly. Oddly enough, Japs seem to devour that shit. Either way, I think that's why Ninja Gaiden was so special. Typical action adventure games are pretty simple with basic combos, but NG took a page right out of fighters and even out of RPGs in some cases. More games should strive for that.

God of War almost achieved a similar type of experiance as DMC & NG, if the enemies comboed better and Kratos was a bit more manuverable then it would pratically be in the same league.

God Hand is an awesome game too. Most reviewers knocked it for it's sub par presentation and insane difficulty, but I don't think any game has contained that Fatal Furry/Double Dragon experiance ever since the jump to 3D, till now.

God of War was difficult (on insane) because one bullet knocks you down to your last piece of health. The AI didn't seem any better, except they never missed. As for God Hand, you're right, it does have that old-school beat'em-up feel... which isn't a good thing anymore. You can just feel how outdated the controls are. But I actually didn't find it that difficult, just tedious and frustrating. Still enjoyed the hell out of it like the fag I am :(

Resistance on its hardest setting is pure insanity... That's where you can really see the AI come to life. And kick your ass.

(Yes I know we're talking about action games, but it related to difficulty and AI :D)

This is true, Resistance can be a beast of an opponent in the highest settings, and the double amount of enemies makes it a pain too.

I know that many people in here probably haven't played it but Gears of War has the most strategic AI that I've seen to date, and before it FEAR was the best. The only reason why Gear's AI is amazing is because the Locusts work together with decoy & flanking tactics.

I didn't find it that amazing (though still really good,) often times I felt they were a tad dumb (jumping over my cover and standing behind me.) FEAR still has better AI. As for Resistance, seemed like another case of "LOL TONS OF BAD GUYS WITH SUPER GOOD AIM" and nothing more. Same thing with CoD on veteran and the like. It's not technically harder, the enemies just respawn and never miss, while giving you less health.

... That doesn't make it harder, how?