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Had a preorder,
Wasn't going to buy it,
But the box was nice.

Ok, so I went into Gamestop to buy Exit and Age of Empires DS (tbs 4tw) yesterday. Neither had come in. But the limited edition of Getting Up had arrived. Took me about 30 seconds to decide to just buy the damn thing. Turns out it was worth every penny. While I'm no fan of hip hop culture (shocker), this thing has turned out to have very little in common with things like Grand Theft Auto and 50 Cent. In fact, it's more like Tony Hawk's Pro Skater with a touch of dystopian future. Essentially, you're a graf artist in a totalitarian state where the government has decided that you and people like you are public enemy number one. On top of that (or at least as far as I've gotten), you're competing for turf control with other groups of artists (people in the "know" call them "writers" ^_^;).

The combat is how I'd imagine a 3D Final Fight would work. Your running jumping and climbing abilities make the movement in the game seem like a freewalking simulator (it's much more elaborate than a base Tony Hawk without a board). Finally, the grafitti side of it all is very well done and there's a fine selection of vandaliscious art to choose from. The soundtrack isn't all just shitty rap either, in fact, the amount of shitty rap is pretty small (instead there's stuff like Isaac Hayes, Nina Simone, Jane's Addiction, etc).

Anyway, the writing is surprisingly crisp (though I have the subtitles on since every now and then Talib Kweli decides to phone in some of his lines) and the voice acting cast is way more than adequate (Andy Dick, Rosario Dawson, Giovanni Ribisi, the RZA, Charlie Murphy, Adam West, Brittany Murphy - to name a few).

Basically, it's hella fun in all the right places. If you're looking for something different, I'd give this a look. Also, it's coming out on PC but I'd suggest the Xbox or PS2. This shit would be uncontrollable on PC.

Ever since this was announced we've been ragging on it in the store, but I've been only hearing good things about it. I'll have to try it out and see how it is. Had they not plastered Marc Ecko's name on it I think it would of had less "Oh god here comes more thug culture" attached to it.

You vandalize my fence, you'll eat buckshot you fucking rat bastids.

So, it's Jet Grind Radio and JSRF with big names and a slightly different mechanic...

Librarian or V.P..... I just don't know now Sky....

So does it controll like Tony Hawk or more like Socom? IE do you use the thumb button to look around constantly?

It's nothing like Jet Grind Radio/JSRF. Also, it controls kind of like a free form Final Fight and Tony Hawk off the skateboard. Like I uh, said. And no, you don't need to look around constantly, well depending on what you're doing you don't need too. This game isn't for everyone, I'll say that, but it's not totally niche.

Read the frontpage newsbites for Thursday 17th Feb and Friday 18th Feb if you want the links...

http://www.ausgamers.com/


Getting Up Refused Classification in Australia
Post by trog @ 05:10pm | 46 Comments | AusGamers News
Atari have confirmed that the Office of Film and Literature Classification have refused classification for their title Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure - which means it is effectively banned in Australia:
Wednesday 15th February 2006 - On February 15, the Office of Film & Literature Classification Review Board announced it had determined that Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure should be refused classification. This decision overturns the OFLC's original MA15+ rating given in November 2005.

Atari Australia who is the official distributor of Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure strongly disagrees with the Office of Film & Literature Classification Review Board's decision and defends the original classification by the OFLC as a title that attracts a rating of MA15+.
The press release has more information, including Atari's plans to appeal. The OFLC's official statement is also available. Here's an excerpt:
In the Review Board's majority opinion, Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure warrants refused classification as it promotes crime. Some factors contributing to this promotion include:

. the realistic scenarios whereby the central character Trane acquires his knowledge of graffiti tips, techniques and styles - including meeting with five real graffiti artists who pass on details of tips and techniques
. the reward for and positive reinforcement of graffiti writing on public buildings and infrastructure, and
. interactive biographies of 56 real graffiti artists, with details of their personal tags, styles and careers. The game detail states that all these artists began their careers performing illegal graffiti on public buildings and infrastructure and that some continue with this practice today.


Update: They're talking about this on TripleJ's Hack this afternoon, so tune in at 5.30pm AEST. 

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Marc Ecko on Triple J Tonight
Post by trog @ 01:58pm | 4 Comments | AusGamers News
Atari have laid down the smack on the OFLC, saying that the decision to ban Getting Up has been made by a "tyrannical government". Seriously!

Yesterday afternoon on Triple J's excellent Hack programme last night, Steve Cannane interviewed Maureen Shelley from the OFLC, who was involved in the decision (you can download the audio here).

Tonight, Triple J actually have Marc Ecko (the namesake of the game) in the studio for an interview. Tune in at 5.30pm AEST to listen (mp3, RM and WM available). 

I don't know how they managed to turn graffiti into a "Hip Hop culture" thing.  I'd say the vast majority.  Maybe things are different on the East Coast, but out here in California I'd say that the majority of it is done by Latinos these days.  Plus they've got Diddy co-producing the soundtrack and he's closer to Pop Culture than any sort of Hip Hop culture.