Orange Ocean – Kirby Super Star

Kirby Super Star is easily one of the best games made. No question. But Orange Ocean, a level in Revenge of Meta Knight, is kind of annoying. It starts off with Kirby underwater and the game auto-scrolls, which is an immediate tilter. Not only is Kirby slower and unable to use most abilities but you also have to dodge cannon fire. Just make sure you don’t die to the auto-scrolling (because obviously there’s a section where that can happen).

A note before we begin, though, given just how many dragons we’ve all fought in games over the years, we can’t possibly include all the best ones in one single feature (unless we make a Top 100 list), so obviously, there are going to be plenty of excellent dragon boss fights that won’t be featured here. So sound off in the comments section below if your favourites didn’t make it in. Also, this list is in random order, so do keep that in mind as well.

With that out of the way, let’s begin!

DEATHWING (WORLD OF WARCRAFT: CATACLYSM)

There is a rich, captivating background of lore surrounding Deathwing, and if you ever find the time, it’s completely worth it to get lost in its numerous pages. But we’re here to talk about the boss fight itself, and that, too, is a very memorable encounter. Though this beast has appeared in the Warcraft series numerous times, we’re talking about its Wold of Warcraft: Cataclysm appearance specifically. Being the final boss fight of the expansion, expectations surrounding the encounter would certainly be high, and it’s fair to say that it doesn’t disappoint.

Users who subscribe to World of Warcraft need to pay $15 to play the game. Given that there haven’t been any major changes in the game, or consistent updates on the scale of Guild Wars 2 (which also has no monthly subscription), it’s not that surprising that players would be interested in playing something else.

The first signs of this were seen when the fourth expansion, Mists of Pandaria, sold less copies in a week than the Cataclysm had managed to sell in 24 hours (2.7 million vs 3.3 million).

Is it the beginning of the end? Time will tell, but at the very least, it indicates that Blizzard needs to up its game.

The most obvious change made in Cataclysm is in the presentation. MMOs are generally renowned for their comparatively weaker graphics on account of many people needing to be able to run them to get the community thriving. This wasn’t so much of an issue back in 2004, but as of late WoW was really starting to show signs of its age. With Cataclysm installed the graphics have been improved immensely and are finally more in keeping with our current generation of visuals. This isn’t just for the end game content either. Though post level 80 content has seen the most improvement visually, the whole game looks much sharper now with more vivid textures and a vastly increased draw distance. The sound hasn’t seen such a huge leap forward sadly. All the music composed for the new content in Cataclysm is of the usually high standard demonstrated in the previous incarnations of WoW, yet they felt fit to change some of the old music including the title screen music and the tracks of many of the previous home worlds. Sadly, these replacement pieces aren’t quite as good as the originals and its one of those cases where a little less tinkering would have gone a long way.

It may not look like much but throw that sucker on high and you’ll see a vast graphical improvement

The most important changes you should take note of are the increased level cap that now sits at a maximum of 85. Whilst it may seem a little cheap for the level cap to have only been increased by five as opposed to the ten level gap we have seen in previous expansions, this is well reconciled by the huge quantity of post level 80 content that has been included in Cataclysm. It must be said that some of the end game content is somewhat flat in comparison to what we have been used to in Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King, but there is still a huge amount to sink your teeth into and the new raids definitely hit the spot.

Whilst the new end game content might not be the greatest thing to ever hit the World of Warcraft, the new home worlds certainly are. It is worth noting that all the home worlds have seen improvements and additions, but the additional starting areas for the new Goblin and Worgen races are really the pinnacle of the extra content in Cataclysm. The Worgen story sees you inhabiting a member of Gilneas who begins to aid the soldiers of the town as they fight a werewolf like menace. Without giving away too much of the story you soon get turned into a beast man yourself and must help your people relocate to a new land with your new powers. Though the Worgen lack any particularly inventive powers or feats, I found the story to be much more engaging than any of the other quest lines seen in previous WoW expansions. The Goblin story isn’t quite as gripping, though they do have some rather interesting abilities courtesy of their rocket utility belts. Though it wasn’t able to grab me in the same way that the Worgen story did, the Goblin quest line does a great job of breaking away from the usual clichés we see in WoW. The Goblin quests aren’t about saving the people from the horde menace or assaulting the alliance strongholds. The Goblin story is all about personal wealth, mass greed and a rather zany brand of comedy. If you think you’ve already seen all that World of Warcraft has to offer, just wait until you sink your teeth into some of the Goblin quests. For all the new races are able to offer, I was a little disappointed there were no new classes in Cataclysm. I guess I’m being a bit greedy here, but the addition of the Death Knight in Wrath of the Lich King was a definite plus and I was hoping that Cataclysm would’ve done the same.

Unleash your inner beast as the new Worgen race

Aside from these major additions there are a large quantity of small fixes and improvements that boost the whole WoW experience for, both first time and, veteran players. When I was installing WoW for the purposes of this review I was absolutely loathing the thought of having to download the usually vast quantities of gigabytes worth of patches. Thankfully the new installer associated with the Cataclysm update allows you to play the moment the core files have been downloaded, meaning you can start playing immediately and continue downloading subsidiary data whilst you quest. It’s a rather small addition, but I was grateful as it saved me a good few hours of waiting around. A further alteration that helps you experience more of the game in a shorter time is a range of changes that allow you to level up much faster than before. I’m sure there will be some more dedicated players who are opposed to such a change but it honestly makes the game that little bit more enjoyable. Whereas before you needed to regularly grind to stay on top, you can now focus more on your quests than ever before and you’re never too far off that next new skill or upgrade. For those who love to play with their guild mates, you’ll be pleased to know that the guild system has been immensely solidified as well. The biggest change is that your guild will now earn experience points as you quest and raid together, and higher guild levels net you ridiculous bonuses for all guild members. These are all fairly small changes, but they really help you get in the game faster and make you want to keep playing for longer.

… or you can plough through the bizarre Goblin quest line

After experiencing WoW for the first time I was certainly finding it hard to see exactly what the fuss was all about. With Cataclysm installed though, I found the experience was much more enjoyable across the board. I still have general reservations about WoW as a stand alone title, (a subscription is how much a month?) yet there is no doubt that Cataclysm is the best expansion the game has seen yet and it truly brings the World of Warcraft into the next generation. If you love WoW then you should consider Cataclysm a necessary purchase.

This game was reviewed on the PC.

This week’s UK charts have been released, and Call of Duty: Blacks Ops, which reportedly has sold 8.4 million units already in US alone, has retained it’s #1 position. FIFA 11 managed to claim the second spot, while Blizzard’s newly released World of Warcraft: Cataclysm entered the charts at third position. Here are the full figures:

1. Black Ops
2. FIFA 11
3. WoW: Cataclysm
4. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood
5. GT5
6. Just Dance 2
7. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
8. Donkey Kong Country Returns
9. Professor Layton and the Lost Future
10. Wii Fit Plus

The third expansion pack of the highly popular MMO World of Warcraft by Blizzard, Cataclysm, is now out in stores throughout North America, Europe, Argentina, Chile, Russia, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, and will be available beginning December 9 in Korea and the regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.

The expansion pack can be bought at retail stores on DVD-ROM for Windows XP/Vista/7 and Macintosh. A special Collector’s Edition packed with bonus items is also available exclusively from retailers. World of Warcraft: Cataclysm is also offered as a digital download through Battle.netaccount management.

Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment, says: “Cataclysm adds an incredible amount of new content for players to explore, revitalizing the game world and building on everything we’ve learned since World of Warcraft launched over six years ago. We thank all of our beta testers for helping make this our best expansion yet, and we’re looking forward to seeing everyone in the new Azeroth.”

Some info on World of Warcraft: Cataclysm:

“In World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, the corrupted Dragon Aspect Deathwing has returned, and the world has been reshaped by the devastation left in his wake. In an effort to survive the planet-shattering cataclysm, two new playable races — worgen and goblins — join the struggle between the Alliance and the Horde. Players can now begin their journey to the new level cap of 85, discover newly revealed locations, acquire new levels of power, and come face to face with Deathwing in a battle to determine the fate of the world.”

Blizzard Entertainment have detailed the UK launch of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm. Check out all the info below:

Next Monday 6^th December, GAME is hosting the official UK launch of the new Blizzard Entertainment title, World of Warcraft: Cataclysm at a special opening at Sound nightclub, Leicester Square in central London.

The whole evening will be compered by TV presenter and World of Warcraft fan, Jason Bradbury. He will be joined by Greg “Ghostcrawler” Street (Lead Systems Designer) and Dave Kosak (Game Designer), who will take part in a Q&A session with Jason as well as sign copies of the game for customers.

The evening will also have a WoW costume competition – the first time this has happened in the UK. Entrants for the costume competition should arrive at the venue by 9pm to register their participation.

Neil Ashurst from GAME said: “The excitement around this title has been building for months and we’re confident that this special event and store in Leicester Square will reward WoW fans with an experience they’ll never forget.”

The much sought-after Cataclysm collector’s edition will be available to buy on the night whilst stocks last and there will be lots of prizes given away during the night thanks to Blizzard Entertainment and the WoW licensees. This will include:

• 1 Apple iPad
• 1 Asus G53JW-IX115V Notebook
• 2 GeForce GTX 450 graphic cards
• Rare Cryptozoic trading cards
• Lots of WoW products

In addition, Glen Young will be showing off his Lich King customised motor bike with customers able to have their photos taken with it. Mountain Dew Energy are also providing refreshments for those in the queue.

PLEASE NOTE:

–          Customers will not be able to trade-in on the night so we strongly recommend that people do this in advance

–          In the current weather conditions, we recommend that customers who want to queue make sure they bring enough warm and waterproof clothes, etc.

–          Customers will be required to walk several flights of stairs with lift access available for those that require it.

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm will launch in the U.S., Canada, France, Germany, Russia, Sweden, the Netherlands, Spain, the UK, and the region of Taiwan. The game will surely be available at midnight on December 6th or December 7th if you want to get technical, at many retailers for this big release. Check here for all Worldwide Events.  Probably the biggest UK launch even will take place in Leicester Square at Sound, with proceedings kicking off a 10pm on December 6. The biggest event in the U.S. would have to be in California at:

Fry’s Electronics
10800 Kalama River Avenue
Fountain Valley, CA 92708

Those who plan on buying World of Warcraft: Cataclysm when it releases on the 6th of December might as well want to buy it from GameStop. “Loaded with special partner offers and get additional PowerUp Rewards incentives,” anyone who buys Cataclysm from GameStop in the first 48 hours of its release will get special incentives. Pick up the game starting midnight of the 6th of December, and star raping- sorry, I meant “reaping the benefits of the Cataclysm Perk Pack immediately!”

Some of the offers available on the Cataclysm Perk Pack at GameStop are:

–         20% off select EVGA/NVIDIA video cards

–         20% off the purchase of any LinkSys Wireless Router or Cisco Valet product

–         20% off In-Stock accessories from GameStop.com

–         20% off select SteelSeries accessories

–         Save $375 instantly on the Alienware M15x

Get complete details on the midnight launch of Cataclysm and reserve your copy here.

Keeping you up to date with all of the stuff going down at BlizzCon 2010, Blizzard has confirmed a closed Beta for Diablo 3 that will most likely open up to the public (although it may be one of those friends/family of Blizzard Employees Beta at this point) as well as revealing that it is well over half way done.

World of Warcraft production director J Allen Brack told VG247 “We’d happily put a game on console if it played well on console..” speaking for any title including Diablo 3, not just WoW. Unfortunately I don’t see any of the Blizzard titles coming to consoles anytime soon.  Finally between the above video and the one below you can see new footage of the Demon Hunter class which was that last to be revealed as well as some PvP footage.