Category Archives: Video Games

The 6 Best Easter Eggs in Batman: Arkham Origins

A new Batman: Arkham video game is upon us, and once again, it is filled to the brim with action, punching, maniacal giggles and, of course, Easter Eggs! The game developers know that geeks like us love a good reference, and the Arkham games have been famous for all manner of hidden secrets and winks to the fans from Batman lore. Batman: Arkham Origins is no different. Along with hours upon hours of gameplay, the developers have hidden throughout the game small, easy-to-miss hints to the larger Batman world. These are Easter Eggs, and I spent my first weekend with Batman: Arkham Origins finding the best ones!

In the first two games in the series, Arkham Asylum and Arkham City, the developers included big scavenger hunts based around heroes and villains from DC Comics. They wanted you to find the Easter Eggs, which unlocked character bios, trophies and more. Those character-based scavenger hunts are gone from Arkham Origins, replaced with a hunt for famous Gotham City buildings and landmarks called ‘Gotham Intel’. But the developers still added some character-based Eggs, which are now harder – and more rewarding – to find.

So join me after the jump to see the best DC Universe Easter Eggs in Batman: Arkham Origins.

Of course, there will be some SPOILERS for the game, but I’ll try not to give away any of the plot or twists. And if you know of any Easter Eggs I missed, let me know in the comments! Read the rest of this entry

WWE’s Jim Ross has a lot to say about the video game industry

Jim Ross has a lot to say about video games, and it’s hilarious.

Batman: Arkham Origins is Only Days Away

In preparation for the Friday release of Batman: Arkham Origins, here is the official launch trailer! Sure does look neat!

I’ve got my copy pre-ordered at Gamestop, and I’m on vacation all next week, so I’ll have plenty of time to play! Here’s hoping Arkham Origins lives up to the previous games. And here’s hoping we actually get the origin of Arkham Asylum, otherwise the name makes no sense! Amiright, folks?

I Am Once Again a Pokemon Master – Almost

I’m one week into Pokemon X, and I’m very much enjoying the game. So I thought I’d pop in and share with everybody my Pokemon shenanigans to see if anyone else is playing and what kind of fun they’re having. I hope I’m not the only Pokemon player reading my blog. Also, by way of some entertainment, here’s the ‘Chocolate Rain’ guy singing the Pokemon theme song, because I’m a fan of that guy.

I’m not all the way through the game yet, but I’m plugging along pretty well. I’ve been trying to catch every Pokemon I find for the fun of it. I’m not a collector, nor am I someone who likes to fill up his Pokedex. I just catch’em for the fun of catching’em.

I picked the girl character, like I do every Pokemon game, and named her ‘Whistler’, after a character from the Pokemon fan fiction I wrote back in high school. Because I am just that awesome…ladies. I’m loving the clothing boutiques because I love create-a-character modes in video games. I’m considering a second playthrough after I beat it just to see what options are there for the boy character.

Now obviously the question on everyone’s mind is what Pokemon am I using? I ended up going Team Chespin, so I’ve got a pretty badass Chesnaught right now. He’s joined by Charizard, Pangoro, Tyrantrum, Barbaracle and Heliolisk. But I’m planning to switch out Barbaracle and Heliolisk for a Noivern as soon as I can get my hands on one, as well as Xerneas, because I like having the legendary in my party at the end. So here’s going to be my Elite Four team:

I’m disappointed at how few of them can use Mega Evolutions, but then Mega Evolutions aren’t that great. On my next play through, I may make a team of only Mega Evolution Pokemon. Though I have to wonder why the new starters don’t all have a Mega Evolution, and why only Charizard has different Mega Evolutions for X and Y of the Kanto starters. What’s up with that? No love for Venusaur or Blastoise?

Once I beat the game, I’m going to recreate my Pokemon Blue experience by capturing Mewtwo and then using him alone to defeat the Elite Four. Mewtwo is my favorite Pokemon, and I’m thrilled that he’s in this game – even if I really hate his X Mega Evolution.

Speaking of things I hate, I really don’t care for the plot in this game, if there even is one. Once again, Nintendo and Game Freak just forge on ahead with the same story about a young kid going out in their Pokemon adventure, but it seems like they’re especially not trying this time around. The moment you step out of your front door you meet your annoying new friends and one of them just gives you your first Pokemon. The Pokemon Professor has even less for you to do this time around. The villain team isn’t noteworthy in the least, and of course the main villain is telegraphed from the moment he appears. Not even the legendary Pokemon are woven into the story very well. Worst of all, despite having four new friends, none of them are really rivals. I actually feel kind of bad beating up my main rival. He just wants to do well and make a strong team of Pokemon, but I beat him easily each time we battle. Poor guy. Maybe if he was a jerk like back in the original few games I’d feel better about kicking his butt.

But Pokemon is probably never going to fully solve their plot problem. Just gonna have to live with it. At least I think my character is cool.

So that’s my Pokemon X experience so far, what’s yours? What’s your team make up? What do you like about the game? What do you hate? Let me know in the comments! Maybe we could even swap Friend Codes. That’s what they’re called, right?

Grand Theft Auto V vs. Saints Row IV

Welcome to the first ever side-by-side review here at Henchman-4-Hire! When both Grand Theft Auto V and Saints Row IV decided to release within only a few weeks of each other, we of the strained wallets could only afford one of the two. Fortunately for me, Sean Ian Mills, and my favorite gamer gal pal, Alyssa (1wombat4u), we each had a favorite. I’ve been a Grand Theft Auto groupie since the days of top-down vehicular larceny, and Alyssa is insane – or at least that’s what I would call someone who isn’t in love with the GTA series. But we’ve had some amazing times in the co-op Saints Row games, so she decided to check out the latest in that wacky, dildo bat-loving series. And now we have pit our two experiences against each other in a head-to-head battle to see which 3D crime simulator is truly the best.

It’s the grand daddy of the entire genre vs. the knock-off that managed to find it’s own direction; it’s Grand Theft Auto V vs. Saints Row IV!

Most important question: which one has the prettiest logo?

Let the battle begin after the jump!

Read the rest of this entry