I was never was (and will never) be very tech-savvy. I don't know my firewalls from my fingernails, I don't know what a Trojan Horse actually does, and I thought a "cookie" was just a tasty treat. So, it should be no surprise that I usually dread any TV-show having anything to do with electronics, as I easily get lost in all the lingo and repetitive ideas.
That being said, I do enjoy playing video games a whole lot. Since my early days, growing up in the 90's (I was born in '88), starting out with my older sister's Nintendo Entertainment System, through the Genesis and SNES, the 64 and PS1, and the PS2/Gamecube/X-Box triple hit, I have been gaming all along. Now, with my sights on a Nintendo Wii and X-Box 360 (at least until the PS3 price drops some more), I feel I should be more cautious in my choices.
You see, I am not a hardcore gamer. In fact, I feel "casual gamer" might even be too harsh a term for me. I prefer "bare-bones at times" to describe my usual gaming habits. That is- I only really play a few games now and then anymore, and I don't spend a whole lot of time doing it, because of school and such. And because I don't really have what you could call a "substancial income", I have to limit my purchasing.
So where could I possibly go to find out about the hot, cool new games being release? I'll tell you where! G4TV's "X-Play"! I first caught glance of this show about 18 months ago. I watched a couple episodes, checked out some reviews and that was it. I thought this show was all about reviews and nothing else. Then, I caught a glimpse (by accident) of their Halloween special. I was hooked from that point on, because I realized that not only was this a "review" show... it was also a show about just generally having fun! Let us start out with the hosts... Adam Sessler and Morgan Webb. This duo (who also serve as the reviewers) have the perfect combination of sass, wit, charm and general presence. Not only do they work for a general, unknowlegeable oaf like myself, but I think it is safe to assume they also appeal to the 350 pound goof balls living in their parents basements as well. With good humor and the ability to say what needs to be said (despite fans not always liking it), they are fantastic for the show.
Onto the reviews themselves... This is where the show really takes off for me. Using a 1-5 star rating, the reviews are quick (but not too quick, clocking in at generally about 2 minutes or so it seems), silly and actually point out the good and the bad in a visual way that gaming magazines just can't pull off. A great method, to say the least.
Finally, there is the other stuff on the show, which I adore. Consisting of skits, jokes and sometimes full-blown "special" episodes, I appreciate the change-up from time to time. Particularly funny was the "Scariest Games Ever" episode, as well as several of their skits, including "Drunken Link" and any of their Solid Snake parodies. It is this unnecessary dose of humor and variety that give the show a fresh coat of shine, setting it apart from anything similar.
Now, all that praise being said, I do have some problems with the show. Occasionally jokes will fall flat, which can leave some unwanted and extended silences from the viewer. Also notable, their sometimes harsh complaints over trivial matters. Finally, I take issue with some of their decisions, especially during the special "ranking" episodes, such as the "X-Play" musical episode. I feel their judgment and attempts to be clever hurt that particular episode horribly in the end (No "Final Fantasy" music even mentioned on the list! And their number one pick was obvious and silly), but looking at the show as a whole, the good more than outweighs the bad... it literally crushes it.
I would recommend "X-Play" to any fan of gaming in general, or even to regular folks (who actually have jobs and girlfriends), because it is just so much fun to watch! 9 out of 10
EDIT (April 9, 2008): In light of the recent format change the show has gone through, I have decided to briefly address the newer aspects of the show, to give my review more accuracy.
First off, much of the show is now devoted to gaming news, demos, and inside looks, which I appreciate, and I feel takes the show in an interesting (and surprisingly good) new direction. My only problem is that with some of the new content, the number and intimacy of the actual reviews has been cut down a few times, but overall, the improvements outweigh any negative repercussions.
Secondly, I am a big fan of the apparent merging of the other G4 show "Cheat!" into X-Play. (For those who don't know, Kristin Holt, who hosted the later seasons of "Cheat!", now hosts a twice-a-week segment on "X-Play.") Holt, as always, does a good job informing gamers with tips and tricks, and the segment, like the reviews, sticks to the "short-but-sweet" mindset. While I would like to see "Cheat!" return as an actual show, at least now we aren't totally deprived of strategies and cheats, as we were in the months before the format change. So until it is its own show again, "Cheat!" is doing fine on X-Play.
Finally, the visual style of the show itself has proved very good. From a trippy opening credit sequence to the revamped sets and graphic-animations, everything seems spiffy and new.
So, basically, my review still stands at a near-perfect 9 out of 10. If you haven't had a chance to see the new "X-Play", check it out!
That being said, I do enjoy playing video games a whole lot. Since my early days, growing up in the 90's (I was born in '88), starting out with my older sister's Nintendo Entertainment System, through the Genesis and SNES, the 64 and PS1, and the PS2/Gamecube/X-Box triple hit, I have been gaming all along. Now, with my sights on a Nintendo Wii and X-Box 360 (at least until the PS3 price drops some more), I feel I should be more cautious in my choices.
You see, I am not a hardcore gamer. In fact, I feel "casual gamer" might even be too harsh a term for me. I prefer "bare-bones at times" to describe my usual gaming habits. That is- I only really play a few games now and then anymore, and I don't spend a whole lot of time doing it, because of school and such. And because I don't really have what you could call a "substancial income", I have to limit my purchasing.
So where could I possibly go to find out about the hot, cool new games being release? I'll tell you where! G4TV's "X-Play"! I first caught glance of this show about 18 months ago. I watched a couple episodes, checked out some reviews and that was it. I thought this show was all about reviews and nothing else. Then, I caught a glimpse (by accident) of their Halloween special. I was hooked from that point on, because I realized that not only was this a "review" show... it was also a show about just generally having fun! Let us start out with the hosts... Adam Sessler and Morgan Webb. This duo (who also serve as the reviewers) have the perfect combination of sass, wit, charm and general presence. Not only do they work for a general, unknowlegeable oaf like myself, but I think it is safe to assume they also appeal to the 350 pound goof balls living in their parents basements as well. With good humor and the ability to say what needs to be said (despite fans not always liking it), they are fantastic for the show.
Onto the reviews themselves... This is where the show really takes off for me. Using a 1-5 star rating, the reviews are quick (but not too quick, clocking in at generally about 2 minutes or so it seems), silly and actually point out the good and the bad in a visual way that gaming magazines just can't pull off. A great method, to say the least.
Finally, there is the other stuff on the show, which I adore. Consisting of skits, jokes and sometimes full-blown "special" episodes, I appreciate the change-up from time to time. Particularly funny was the "Scariest Games Ever" episode, as well as several of their skits, including "Drunken Link" and any of their Solid Snake parodies. It is this unnecessary dose of humor and variety that give the show a fresh coat of shine, setting it apart from anything similar.
Now, all that praise being said, I do have some problems with the show. Occasionally jokes will fall flat, which can leave some unwanted and extended silences from the viewer. Also notable, their sometimes harsh complaints over trivial matters. Finally, I take issue with some of their decisions, especially during the special "ranking" episodes, such as the "X-Play" musical episode. I feel their judgment and attempts to be clever hurt that particular episode horribly in the end (No "Final Fantasy" music even mentioned on the list! And their number one pick was obvious and silly), but looking at the show as a whole, the good more than outweighs the bad... it literally crushes it.
I would recommend "X-Play" to any fan of gaming in general, or even to regular folks (who actually have jobs and girlfriends), because it is just so much fun to watch! 9 out of 10
EDIT (April 9, 2008): In light of the recent format change the show has gone through, I have decided to briefly address the newer aspects of the show, to give my review more accuracy.
First off, much of the show is now devoted to gaming news, demos, and inside looks, which I appreciate, and I feel takes the show in an interesting (and surprisingly good) new direction. My only problem is that with some of the new content, the number and intimacy of the actual reviews has been cut down a few times, but overall, the improvements outweigh any negative repercussions.
Secondly, I am a big fan of the apparent merging of the other G4 show "Cheat!" into X-Play. (For those who don't know, Kristin Holt, who hosted the later seasons of "Cheat!", now hosts a twice-a-week segment on "X-Play.") Holt, as always, does a good job informing gamers with tips and tricks, and the segment, like the reviews, sticks to the "short-but-sweet" mindset. While I would like to see "Cheat!" return as an actual show, at least now we aren't totally deprived of strategies and cheats, as we were in the months before the format change. So until it is its own show again, "Cheat!" is doing fine on X-Play.
Finally, the visual style of the show itself has proved very good. From a trippy opening credit sequence to the revamped sets and graphic-animations, everything seems spiffy and new.
So, basically, my review still stands at a near-perfect 9 out of 10. If you haven't had a chance to see the new "X-Play", check it out!