Okay, you all know I'm joking. But this post is directed toward the three or four readers of my blog. Especially those who got a next-gen console for Christmas.
XBOX 360
Are you a 360 gamer who needs a serious update to your library? Try these.
Kids/Family
If you are under the age of 10, this is the game for you. The sequel to the bestselling Halo is the kiddie game of the day..... just kidding! My battle rifle's scope is centered on Lego Star Wars 2: The Original Trilogy. This game has very simple (almost too simple?) gameplay, perfect for the amateur gamer. It also has a laugh-your-butt-off comedic take on the classic Star Wars films. Watching a Lego Stormtrooper fall to pieces is oh so satisfying, almost like when you blow your enemies to bloody smithereens in Halo 2. The game presents itself phenomenally well. It makes it easy for co-operative play, enabling a second player to drop in or out at any time. But beware, as unless you are 8 years old, you will be unbelievably bored with this game in no time. So good luck, because you wont need it. 8 out of 10
Hardcore
Okay, maybe the average Halo junkie wont exactly like Lego Star Wars. Don't fret! Gears of War is perfect for any hardcore shooter guy. Gears of War may very well be the biggest title to hit the 360, or even gaming itself. Innovative gameplay takes the cake with this one, and mixing third person and first person this well is a seemingly impossible feat. The graphics are better than any other (except maybe Oblivion) and the gameplay is perfectly mapped to the 360's controller, making use of all it's unique functions. Co-op either on a single system or over XBox Live is superb, and immensely fun. It's also not like Halo where you end up with two Master Chiefs. When a second player joins, the take control of a secondary but equally important character. Also, the variety of weapons and monsters is the icing on the cake. Slicing a grub in two with the chainsaw attached to your rifle is.... it's Fergalicious! But beware, as the hermit who lives on his 360 will beat this game pretty fast... 9.5 dead Berserkers out of 10.
Sports
Hate shooters? Love sports? Well, you may want to kill yourself and put you out of his misery. But if there are no energy swords nearby and Staples is out of BattleHammers, try getting a copy of Tony Hawk's Project 8. You may not like it too much if he's not a skateboarder or at least a fan of the series, but it will be a hoot for a good while. New features include Nail the Trick, Photo & Video Shoots, and Spot Challenges. Nail the Trick is a slow-motion trick mode (activated by pressing down both sticks) where the right stick controls the back foot and the left stick controls the front foot. You can use this to flip the board in any way you want and add massive points to your combos. Photo and video shoots are exactly what the name said: special challenges where you nail tricks on video or photo. Spot Challenges are great to earn a few extra rank points. All over the Project 8 world, special spots are covered with graffiti. The spots are long grinds or manuals, big air, drops, or gaps, and Natas Spin combos. All you have to do is reach the marker in a grind, manual, etc. to complete these challenges, adding a whole new dimension. One final improvement is the difficulty of the game. Its harder. Praise the lord. 8 out of 10.
PLAYSTATION 3
The new sensation that's sweeping the nation! It's the PlayStation 3! Deja Vu, huh? At least they didn't name it the Wii! Although it could have been the Pii...
Shooter
Oh snap. There are aliens everywhere, no energy swords, just our pitiful rifles that we stole from Call of Duty. We're pretty fucked. Or are we? You decide! The fate of the world rests in your hands. At first, you may mistake this game for Medal or Honor. But it doesn't focus on WW2... no, this is Resistance: Fall of Man, and it has an alien skull on the cover. Or is it Hitlers? Anyway, R:FoM is by far the best game on the new PS3 console, delivering it's promised intense single- and multi-player gaming, topping it off with outstanding graphics. A big factor is how well the atmosphere ties in with the storyline. There is plenty of spooky-ness and exploration of dark places. The magic is the frame rate stays at 30 throughout the entire game- no matter how many enemies are on-screen at one time. The well-thought controls are a nice feature too. But the real stars are the weapons and monsters. Much like in the Ratchet and Clank series, developer Insomniac shows that it knows how to put together creative tools of destruction. And monsters more innovative than O.J. Simpson's lawyer make the game challenging and fun. Some monsters are so smart they will move around to find cover, perform strategic moves, and team up with other enemies to annihilate you. And the multiplayer is incredible, with everything from small maps and 1-on-1 deathmatches to massive lands and 40-on-40 CTF games. Yet, every game has its flaws. Resistance: Fall of Man has 2: there is simply too much walking without shooting, and the single-player vehicles are so powerful that they dominate your hard enemies, making the game too easy at times. 9.5 dead Chimera out of 10 (the .5 has Gangrene).
Racing
Okay, so the racing fan wont be very excited of R:FoM. Actually, I bet anybody would love it, but you need Ridge Racer 7. This game is fun beyond belief, with an easily enjoyable yet somewhat unrealistic racing experience. It focuses more on high-speed maneuvering than utter destruction (as in Burnout Revenge). But the game is built around drifting, the intense racing straight from the streets of Japan. The first few tracks only have a few drifting turns, but as the game progresses, it's either learn to drift and drift well, or you're pretty fucked. Yet there is immense pleasure in throwing your car sideways at 200 mph and skidding past the poor saps who actually slowed down. Burnout fans may not like this much with the complete exclusion of any destruction whatsoever. Your ride always looks polished and perfect, but that can be a good or bad thing. On that note, the graphics are okay, yet the are not too impressive. The biggest addition is customization, a previously absent feature in the Ridge Racer series. It's much like other customization engines, but performance parts have a wider-scale effect on your racing. 8.5 out of 10.
Action/RPG
A huge comic book fan? Try picking up Marvel: Ultimate Alliance. While this game is on multiple systems, the PS3 version is by far the best. If you've played the X-Men Legends series before, this game will look very familiar. The great thing about this game is that beneath all the punching and kicking there is some truly great storytelling. Writer C.B. Cebulski did a phenomenal job juggling between over 140 different Marvel heroes and villains, while the game design has a perfect balance of on-screen text and full cut scenes. Of course, every RPG has to have decent character upgrades and, although the system in Ultimate Alliance is simple, being able to automatically or manually upgrade skills and powers make this game fun for everyone. But, somehow most of the powers are completely useless. Also, a good bunch of game characters are real duds (*cough*cough*Elektra!*cough*) and a lot of high-profile characters like the Hulk didn't get included. But after starting play, you soon realize how much fun beating up baddies can be. But the graphics seem to be a little worse than the 360 version, against Sony's claim of having significantly better graphics on the PS3. 7 out of 10 (quite frankly, it's the best RPG for the PS3. Genji doesn't stand a chance).
Wii
Nintendo has proven once more that it can deliver the goods without wrapping them in polished graphics. It has used innovative gameplay, new, revolutionary ideas, and, of course, cute and cuddly characters.
Shooter
But our next game isn't all that cute and cuddly. Unless you think bleeding Nazis is an adorable sight. Emo. Anyway, our next game is Call of Duty 3, the sequel to game of the year Call of Duty 2 (as you may have noticed). This game is basically CoD2 with updated graphics and a new shooting system with the WiiMote. It's got the basics: nice gameplay, great graphics, and easy controls. Point, click, and watch an MP44 do what it was made to do. And who could forget the hours you spent playing Call of Duty 2 online? Althoungh it is much like its predecessor (think about it: is this really a bad thing?), this game gets a 8 out of 10.
Adventure/RPG
Nintendo is famous for it's epic RPGs. And the Wii is no different. The much-anticipated Zelda: Twilight Princess is here, and Link is back with a vengeance. Pretty much anything i say about the story will be a huge spoiler, so I'll shut my mouth. The gameplay kicks ass. Swinging the WiiMote like a crack-addicted maniac is good, clean fun, and a nice variety of items provides a nice variety of motions, from boomerangs to fishing rods. The graphics are an improvement from previous Zelda titles (yay! no more cel-shading!) and man, does it look great! The world and it's creatures are incredibly diverse, taking things from games like the Wind Waker, Ocarina of Time, and even a few guys from the original Legend of Zelda. Travel from the plains of Hyrule to the dungeons of Ganon's Tower. Kill anything from a chicken to Gohma (those who have played previous Zelda games know this is the infamous first boss of Ocarina of Time, Wind Waker, and more). And have some good fun with it. But don't be decieved, it will take a while to get used to it and the sounds that come out of the WiiMote are just a bit cheesy... 9.5 out of 10.
Action
Take your copies of Half-Life and Pikmin, stick them in a blender, and what do you get? Elebits. Elebits is by far the best example of the WiiMote's pontential, utilizing all it's strenghs. The game starts off on the wrong foot with a poorly presented storyline and some pretty shitty voiceovers. But you find yourself armed with a gravity gun, and thats all you need to know. The game also has an innovative control scheme. Strafing occurs with the ever-amusing nunchuk attachment, and the C and Z buttons (the bumper buttons on the nunchuk) look up and down. The system feels very natural and it is incredibly easy to get used to. Diversity is important to, but it is somewhat of a subtle factor. The game's design encourages the user to zap different kinds of Elebits to power up the gravity gun, and the more power you get, the bigger things you can lift. You can eventually get enough power to lift a truck or even a building - and thats when the real fun begins. 8.5 out of 10.
Happy? Too bad. It's time for moi to get my Wii on. Errr, to fire up the Wii. Umm.... to get Wii'ing? Whatever.
Friday, December 22, 2006
Monday, December 18, 2006
Need for Speed: Carbon
Before Rockport, before Razor, and before Cross, the protagonist of Need for Speed: Most Wanted resided in the distant Palmont City. In NFS Carbon, he returns to Palmont to finish what he started. But things are different when he returns, and his mysterious past comes back to haunt him...
The city has been turned into a battleground, with various crews battling for turf. The smaller groups come and go, but three major groups, each with their own car class, control the racing scene. After totalling your precious BMW (as seen in Most Wanted), you meet a few old friends. As usual, a cute chick is your little helper, but others want to get you, especially the bosses of those three major crews. And after a little incident involving the cops, you don't have many friends left.
The Need for Speed series has been racing strong since it's first appearance on the 3DO and early PCs in the 90s. The game has taken many twists, with a nice variety of racing from a pursuit focus to a racing focus to a car customization focus. The series has come a long way since that original 32-bit debut, but it has always been sort of a hit and miss deal. Wost Wanted was a huge success, and, thankfully, Carbon is one small step forward for a game, one huge leap for gaming-kind.
Carbon introduces several features and concepts. One change is the segregation of car classes. Vehicles are separated into three classes: Tuners, Muscles, and Exotics. Each car class has it's own unique stats, with weaknesses and strengths. Tuners are the masters of the turns, with handling beyond all others. But tuners also have a weakness: Speed. They aren't very fast, so the handling has to make up for it. Muscles rule the acceleration domain. They have higher acceleration than any other class. But they lose it around the curves, so they have to get back up to speed quickly. Finally, Exotics are speed machines, faster than Muscles and Tuners. Unfortunately, exotics don't accelerate very fast, but their top speed makes up for it. Each class is good for different types of races. Tuners are good for those tight, downtown circuits. Muscles are good for fairly straight races. Exotics are good for long races with wider turns.
This game is downright beautiful. Attention to detail has prevailed (as in many other great games) and resulted in stunning visuals. Everything from neon streetlights and flying stop signs to body kits and colorful vinyls is flawlessly crafted. Plus, Need for Speed fans love shiny things, and man, does Carbon have shiny things!
But don't get all phunkadelic and think this is one of those games where is looks gr8 and plays like my dead goldfish. Controls haven't changed a lot since Most Wanted, with the simple 'R to go, L to brake' concept still in place. Once again, nitrous is used with B and the subtle yet useful 'Speedbreaker' feature has been set to X. Also, the map and message features along with the 'enter' button have been slapped on the D-Pad, and the camera is still controlled with those little bumper buttons (plus the right analog stick of course).The only real difference is the addition of the 'Activate Crew Member' button assigned to Y. What's a crew member? You have a lot to learn, my friend.
The biggest addition to NFS Carbon is the team element. You can hire up to three people to join your crew at any given time, plus fire and hire others at will. Each crew member has two traits: it's class and it's specialization. The class is what the crew member actually does during the race. You can have only one crew member in every race (despite the fact that other crews may have four or five). There are three classes. First is the Blocker, who, at your will (remember that nice little 'Activate Crew Member' button?), will ram into other cars to knock them out of the way or simply stop them in their tracks. The Drafter will get in front of you so you can ride the draft and slingshot to the front of the pack. Finally, the Scout works throughout the entire race to find the best route through the race course, providing an easy-to-follow trail. There are also three specializations. Specializations are what the crew member does behind the scenes. There are the Mechanics, which fix up your ride and improve it's stats, Fabricators, who unlock new parts for your car, and Fixers, who can help unlock new cars and get a cash bonus from each race. Your team members improve as you progress through the story, but they aren't exactly the smartest bunch of kids. Not that the opponent AI is good enough to make you need the wingmen...
Typical in Need for Speed is the variety of cars and customization options. Carbon takes that extra step, tossing in a nice new tool to help get the car you dream of. Many brands of cars are included, from Mazdas to Dodges to Mercedes. There haven't been many additions to the car library over the years- until now. Before, it was a lot of coupe and sports cars, but now, a new type of car has been added- classic muscles. From favorites like the Ford Mustang to less popular (yet better) cars like the Plymouth Cuda, several classics have been thrown in, adding a new, fun way of racing. The customization hasn't changed much, with Body Kits, Hoods, Roof Scoops, Spoilers, and Rims, yet the interface is a little nicer and user-friendly. But remember that tool i mentioned before? That is called Autosculpt. Autosculpt is a new, revolutionary way to trick out your ride. It gives multiple 'zones' that are a measure of a scoop or intake. For example, one Autosculpt setup features a large intake down the hood. Zone One changes the depth of that intake, Zone Two controls the width, and Zone Three stretches it out. This tool, in perfect combination with aftermarket parts, can create a car fit for a god!
Of course, the XBox Live play is pretty standard online racing, with many trakcs and race types. Scoreboards and ranks create a nice online environment, and a new 'Photo Mode' (somewhat ripped of Test Drive: Unlimited) can take photos of your cars in action and painlessly upload them to the master server at NeedforSpeed.com. Overall, the online is a great reason to buy Carbon.
As in every game, there are flaws. Staying true to the Need for Speed franchise, cheesy storylines are present and accounted for. The cinematics look good, but, despite my detailed descriptions, the career mode is a bit- puffed up, if you will. Also, fans of Most Wanted will be dismayed by the lack of pursuit action. Pursuits play no part in the story of the game. As a matter of fact, you could go through the whole game without one pursuit!
I give Need for Speed: Carbon a 9.5 out of 10.
The city has been turned into a battleground, with various crews battling for turf. The smaller groups come and go, but three major groups, each with their own car class, control the racing scene. After totalling your precious BMW (as seen in Most Wanted), you meet a few old friends. As usual, a cute chick is your little helper, but others want to get you, especially the bosses of those three major crews. And after a little incident involving the cops, you don't have many friends left.
The Need for Speed series has been racing strong since it's first appearance on the 3DO and early PCs in the 90s. The game has taken many twists, with a nice variety of racing from a pursuit focus to a racing focus to a car customization focus. The series has come a long way since that original 32-bit debut, but it has always been sort of a hit and miss deal. Wost Wanted was a huge success, and, thankfully, Carbon is one small step forward for a game, one huge leap for gaming-kind.
Carbon introduces several features and concepts. One change is the segregation of car classes. Vehicles are separated into three classes: Tuners, Muscles, and Exotics. Each car class has it's own unique stats, with weaknesses and strengths. Tuners are the masters of the turns, with handling beyond all others. But tuners also have a weakness: Speed. They aren't very fast, so the handling has to make up for it. Muscles rule the acceleration domain. They have higher acceleration than any other class. But they lose it around the curves, so they have to get back up to speed quickly. Finally, Exotics are speed machines, faster than Muscles and Tuners. Unfortunately, exotics don't accelerate very fast, but their top speed makes up for it. Each class is good for different types of races. Tuners are good for those tight, downtown circuits. Muscles are good for fairly straight races. Exotics are good for long races with wider turns.
This game is downright beautiful. Attention to detail has prevailed (as in many other great games) and resulted in stunning visuals. Everything from neon streetlights and flying stop signs to body kits and colorful vinyls is flawlessly crafted. Plus, Need for Speed fans love shiny things, and man, does Carbon have shiny things!
But don't get all phunkadelic and think this is one of those games where is looks gr8 and plays like my dead goldfish. Controls haven't changed a lot since Most Wanted, with the simple 'R to go, L to brake' concept still in place. Once again, nitrous is used with B and the subtle yet useful 'Speedbreaker' feature has been set to X. Also, the map and message features along with the 'enter' button have been slapped on the D-Pad, and the camera is still controlled with those little bumper buttons (plus the right analog stick of course).The only real difference is the addition of the 'Activate Crew Member' button assigned to Y. What's a crew member? You have a lot to learn, my friend.
The biggest addition to NFS Carbon is the team element. You can hire up to three people to join your crew at any given time, plus fire and hire others at will. Each crew member has two traits: it's class and it's specialization. The class is what the crew member actually does during the race. You can have only one crew member in every race (despite the fact that other crews may have four or five). There are three classes. First is the Blocker, who, at your will (remember that nice little 'Activate Crew Member' button?), will ram into other cars to knock them out of the way or simply stop them in their tracks. The Drafter will get in front of you so you can ride the draft and slingshot to the front of the pack. Finally, the Scout works throughout the entire race to find the best route through the race course, providing an easy-to-follow trail. There are also three specializations. Specializations are what the crew member does behind the scenes. There are the Mechanics, which fix up your ride and improve it's stats, Fabricators, who unlock new parts for your car, and Fixers, who can help unlock new cars and get a cash bonus from each race. Your team members improve as you progress through the story, but they aren't exactly the smartest bunch of kids. Not that the opponent AI is good enough to make you need the wingmen...
Typical in Need for Speed is the variety of cars and customization options. Carbon takes that extra step, tossing in a nice new tool to help get the car you dream of. Many brands of cars are included, from Mazdas to Dodges to Mercedes. There haven't been many additions to the car library over the years- until now. Before, it was a lot of coupe and sports cars, but now, a new type of car has been added- classic muscles. From favorites like the Ford Mustang to less popular (yet better) cars like the Plymouth Cuda, several classics have been thrown in, adding a new, fun way of racing. The customization hasn't changed much, with Body Kits, Hoods, Roof Scoops, Spoilers, and Rims, yet the interface is a little nicer and user-friendly. But remember that tool i mentioned before? That is called Autosculpt. Autosculpt is a new, revolutionary way to trick out your ride. It gives multiple 'zones' that are a measure of a scoop or intake. For example, one Autosculpt setup features a large intake down the hood. Zone One changes the depth of that intake, Zone Two controls the width, and Zone Three stretches it out. This tool, in perfect combination with aftermarket parts, can create a car fit for a god!
Of course, the XBox Live play is pretty standard online racing, with many trakcs and race types. Scoreboards and ranks create a nice online environment, and a new 'Photo Mode' (somewhat ripped of Test Drive: Unlimited) can take photos of your cars in action and painlessly upload them to the master server at NeedforSpeed.com. Overall, the online is a great reason to buy Carbon.
As in every game, there are flaws. Staying true to the Need for Speed franchise, cheesy storylines are present and accounted for. The cinematics look good, but, despite my detailed descriptions, the career mode is a bit- puffed up, if you will. Also, fans of Most Wanted will be dismayed by the lack of pursuit action. Pursuits play no part in the story of the game. As a matter of fact, you could go through the whole game without one pursuit!
I give Need for Speed: Carbon a 9.5 out of 10.
Regarding Updates to Games 'n' Such
Hey all,
This post is regarding the recent lack of updates I have made to this blog. Many things have come up, between school, work, and family, so I haven't had much time- but rest assured. My New Years Resolution is to keep updating this blog with new gaming news and reviews. My next target is two new reviews, Tony Hawk's Project 8 and Need for Speed: Carbon. Keep reading!
This post is regarding the recent lack of updates I have made to this blog. Many things have come up, between school, work, and family, so I haven't had much time- but rest assured. My New Years Resolution is to keep updating this blog with new gaming news and reviews. My next target is two new reviews, Tony Hawk's Project 8 and Need for Speed: Carbon. Keep reading!
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Game Maker
Game Maker is exactly as the title says: you create games using simple tools. It gets very deep also, with plenty of coding and the use of variables. But lets get down and examine it on a wider scale.
Game Maker creates games with three basic tools:
First, the Sprites. A Sprite is the image of a thing in your game. Sprites extend from the simplest 8-bit Mario character to the most detailed space cruiser. The are only the costume of the thing, they wont appear or do anything unless you create a Object.
Objects are the physical being of a thing. You can assign any sprite to represent an Object. You also set Objects to preform actions like moving, shooting, controlling other objects, and a lot more.
The final major component is the Room. The room is the area in which the game plays. You place objects in rooms so they can do what you assigned the to do.
Game Maker has enough features to create a variety of games, ranging from Maze Games like Chip's Challenge to Scrolling Shooters like 1945 to Platformers like Super Mario Bros. There also is a registered version that enables the creation of online multiplayer and even First Person Shooters (although both require A LOT of coding). The registered version cost 20$, but if you have a lot of experience in Game Maker, it's worth every penny.
You can download Game Maker at the Game Maker site, along with tutorials for multiple game types and finished games.
Game Maker creates games with three basic tools:
First, the Sprites. A Sprite is the image of a thing in your game. Sprites extend from the simplest 8-bit Mario character to the most detailed space cruiser. The are only the costume of the thing, they wont appear or do anything unless you create a Object.
Objects are the physical being of a thing. You can assign any sprite to represent an Object. You also set Objects to preform actions like moving, shooting, controlling other objects, and a lot more.
The final major component is the Room. The room is the area in which the game plays. You place objects in rooms so they can do what you assigned the to do.
Game Maker has enough features to create a variety of games, ranging from Maze Games like Chip's Challenge to Scrolling Shooters like 1945 to Platformers like Super Mario Bros. There also is a registered version that enables the creation of online multiplayer and even First Person Shooters (although both require A LOT of coding). The registered version cost 20$, but if you have a lot of experience in Game Maker, it's worth every penny.
You can download Game Maker at the Game Maker site, along with tutorials for multiple game types and finished games.
Friday, October 13, 2006
Top 3 Online Games You've probably never Heard Of
Here are the top 3 games you may or may not have heard of. Pro and Con style.
Note: All games are (initially) free.
#3. Runescape, www.runescape.com
I know, you have heard of Runescape. Nerd. Nothing against the game, it's just theres a trend.... Runescape players tend to be total nerds. Just a trend. The game is fun and expansive, but the graphics are below the standard, even for a free game. And there isn't much variety in the game unless you buy the 5$ membership (a complete waste of money, mind you).
Pros:
Fun
Lots of stuff to do- fishing, woodcarving, cooking, etc.
Cons:
Sub-par graphics
Not much variety unless you buy 5$ membership
Seems to be somewhat nerdy
Graphics: 3/10
Gameplay: 8/10
Fun: 9/10
Overall: 8/10
=====================================================================================
#2. The Santharian Dream, www.santharia.com
The Santharian Dream is a Play-by-Post PRG that is always growing. Every member is invited to help in the development of the single-player RPG and the expansion of the Play-by-Post already there. The only problem is its fucking complicated. You have to read this thingy then register than go through a four hour tutorial... it'll get your blood boiling in no time.
Pros:
Ever-growing
Fun for a while
Free
Even you can develop
Cons:
Hard
Complicated
The single-player version seems to be taking a long time....
Graphics: 8/10
Gameplay: 6/10
Fun: 9/10
Overall: 9/10
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
#1. Kingdom of Loathing, www2.kingdomofloathing.com
Is that my ass on the ground? Yes. I LAUGHED IT OFF PLAYING KINGDOM OF LOATHING. If i could sum up this game in 1 word, i'd say....HOLY SHIT! Okay, that's two words. It's not Runescape, you click and move through "adventures". Unlike the Santharian Dream, KoL is really easy to use, with a simple tutorial. The game is seriously laugh-your-ass-off funny, with incredibly variety in items and adventures. The only problem is the story is short, but there is some replay value.
Pros:
FUNNY AS HELL
Incredibly variety
FUNNY
lots of stuff, like guilds, clans, side-quests, gambling, collecting, etc.
FUCKING FUNNY :P
Cons:
Short, but has replay value
Graphics: 9/10
Gameplay: 10/10
Fun: 11/10
Overall: 10/10
:P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P
Note: All games are (initially) free.
#3. Runescape, www.runescape.com
I know, you have heard of Runescape. Nerd. Nothing against the game, it's just theres a trend.... Runescape players tend to be total nerds. Just a trend. The game is fun and expansive, but the graphics are below the standard, even for a free game. And there isn't much variety in the game unless you buy the 5$ membership (a complete waste of money, mind you).
Pros:
Fun
Lots of stuff to do- fishing, woodcarving, cooking, etc.
Cons:
Sub-par graphics
Not much variety unless you buy 5$ membership
Seems to be somewhat nerdy
Graphics: 3/10
Gameplay: 8/10
Fun: 9/10
Overall: 8/10
=====================================================================================
#2. The Santharian Dream, www.santharia.com
The Santharian Dream is a Play-by-Post PRG that is always growing. Every member is invited to help in the development of the single-player RPG and the expansion of the Play-by-Post already there. The only problem is its fucking complicated. You have to read this thingy then register than go through a four hour tutorial... it'll get your blood boiling in no time.
Pros:
Ever-growing
Fun for a while
Free
Even you can develop
Cons:
Hard
Complicated
The single-player version seems to be taking a long time....
Graphics: 8/10
Gameplay: 6/10
Fun: 9/10
Overall: 9/10
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
#1. Kingdom of Loathing, www2.kingdomofloathing.com
Is that my ass on the ground? Yes. I LAUGHED IT OFF PLAYING KINGDOM OF LOATHING. If i could sum up this game in 1 word, i'd say....HOLY SHIT! Okay, that's two words. It's not Runescape, you click and move through "adventures". Unlike the Santharian Dream, KoL is really easy to use, with a simple tutorial. The game is seriously laugh-your-ass-off funny, with incredibly variety in items and adventures. The only problem is the story is short, but there is some replay value.
Pros:
FUNNY AS HELL
Incredibly variety
FUNNY
lots of stuff, like guilds, clans, side-quests, gambling, collecting, etc.
FUCKING FUNNY :P
Cons:
Short, but has replay value
Graphics: 9/10
Gameplay: 10/10
Fun: 11/10
Overall: 10/10
:P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P
Ultimate Cage Match: IPODS
iPod. The new sensation thats sweeping the nation! Actually, they've been around for a few years. But now we pit them together. And with some inspiration from Peter, my good friend, i'm doing it pro-and-con style.
Note: Stores now only sell iPod Videos, Nanos, and Shuffles. But eBay has all of them.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ORIGINAL IPOD
The real deal. The first iPod isn't the best. But it's got the basics- music. Lots of memory and a large screen provide good capability. But only the iPod Photo (a derivitive of the original) has a color screen.
Pros:
Lots of memory
Easy to use
Photo version with color screen
Easy to understand
Lots of small features (clock, games, etc.)
Cons:
Only Photo version is color capable
really, really big
Incredibly short battery life
Only available on eBay
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IPOD MINI
The second generation of iPod is the Mini. It's basically a smaller version of the original iPod with less memory. It is also only available on eBay. But it has a bit more battery life (about 8 hours per charge) and doesn't wear out as fast.
Pros:
Small, but still has significant amount of memory
Lots of new features (alarm clack, more games)
Cons:
Not much more than a small first generation iPod
Still not enough battery
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IPOD SHUFFLE
Oh em gee. The iPod Shuffle seem like genius at first, but BOY did Apple screw up this time! It appears that they forgot A SCREEN. You have to guess what song is next and flip through all your songs to find the right one. So what if it can bounce around without skipping? SO CAN MY GOD DAMN MINI! Plus the Shuffle is way too small. And it's just a hassle.
Pros:
Ummmm....
Cons:
NO GOD DAMN SCREEN
Too small
Too little memory
A hassle to use
Very little potential for 100$.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IPOD NANO
Redemption is so sweet. What Apple did wrong with the Shuffle (which is just about everything) they did right with the iPod Nano. There are now two versions of the Nano: the original, which is black or white with a boxy shape, and the new Nano, which is like a really slim Mini. Both are the same on the inside. They both are pencil-thin, too. They have color screens and photo capability, plus easy-to-use music control. They also are capable of holding audio and documental podcasts.
Pros:
Impossibly small (it's actually a good thing now!)
Lasts a long time
Color and photo capability
back can be used as a mirror to admire your sexyness
Cons:
Not too durable
Still a tad expensive
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IPOD VIDEO
The latest addition to the iPod family is the video. Like it sounds, the iPod Video mashes together music, photos, and videos. It also is capable of playing downloadable games that kick ass. It has 30gb or 80gb of memory, which, if you didn't notice, is a SHITLOAD. But it will burn a hole through your wallet AND your pocket. AND your savings account. At 250 green, the 30gb Video is a force to be reckoned with.
Pros:
Excellent combo of music, movies, and photos
Downloadable games
Next to perfect
Cons:
Too big
Too expensive
There you have it, folks. The battle of the iPods has come to a close. It's a tie! That means they all come in second!
Note: Stores now only sell iPod Videos, Nanos, and Shuffles. But eBay has all of them.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ORIGINAL IPOD
The real deal. The first iPod isn't the best. But it's got the basics- music. Lots of memory and a large screen provide good capability. But only the iPod Photo (a derivitive of the original) has a color screen.
Pros:
Lots of memory
Easy to use
Photo version with color screen
Easy to understand
Lots of small features (clock, games, etc.)
Cons:
Only Photo version is color capable
really, really big
Incredibly short battery life
Only available on eBay
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IPOD MINI
The second generation of iPod is the Mini. It's basically a smaller version of the original iPod with less memory. It is also only available on eBay. But it has a bit more battery life (about 8 hours per charge) and doesn't wear out as fast.
Pros:
Small, but still has significant amount of memory
Lots of new features (alarm clack, more games)
Cons:
Not much more than a small first generation iPod
Still not enough battery
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IPOD SHUFFLE
Oh em gee. The iPod Shuffle seem like genius at first, but BOY did Apple screw up this time! It appears that they forgot A SCREEN. You have to guess what song is next and flip through all your songs to find the right one. So what if it can bounce around without skipping? SO CAN MY GOD DAMN MINI! Plus the Shuffle is way too small. And it's just a hassle.
Pros:
Ummmm....
Cons:
NO GOD DAMN SCREEN
Too small
Too little memory
A hassle to use
Very little potential for 100$.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IPOD NANO
Redemption is so sweet. What Apple did wrong with the Shuffle (which is just about everything) they did right with the iPod Nano. There are now two versions of the Nano: the original, which is black or white with a boxy shape, and the new Nano, which is like a really slim Mini. Both are the same on the inside. They both are pencil-thin, too. They have color screens and photo capability, plus easy-to-use music control. They also are capable of holding audio and documental podcasts.
Pros:
Impossibly small (it's actually a good thing now!)
Lasts a long time
Color and photo capability
back can be used as a mirror to admire your sexyness
Cons:
Not too durable
Still a tad expensive
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IPOD VIDEO
The latest addition to the iPod family is the video. Like it sounds, the iPod Video mashes together music, photos, and videos. It also is capable of playing downloadable games that kick ass. It has 30gb or 80gb of memory, which, if you didn't notice, is a SHITLOAD. But it will burn a hole through your wallet AND your pocket. AND your savings account. At 250 green, the 30gb Video is a force to be reckoned with.
Pros:
Excellent combo of music, movies, and photos
Downloadable games
Next to perfect
Cons:
Too big
Too expensive
There you have it, folks. The battle of the iPods has come to a close. It's a tie! That means they all come in second!
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Test Drive: Unlimited
Test Drive: Unlimited is the sequel to the popular yet sub-par PS2 game Test Drive. Will the sequel improve upon the original? Let's find out.
Finally! A freakin racing game that doesn't take place in a city! TDU takes place on the island of Oahu. THE ENTIRE ISLAND OF OAHU. It would take you over 30 minutes to circumnavigate the island. And the best part: it's stunning. The game's graphics engine is a variation of PGR 3's. It looks fantastic. There are things like craters and mountains that will take your breath away. And just chillin by the beach is simply amazing.
There is only one word to describe (most of) the cars in Unlimited. It starts with an H. It ends with an O-T. The cars in TDU are just plain hot. It has:
-Lambourghini's
-Ferrari's
-Maserati's
-Jaguar's
-Mercedes'
-Nissan's
-Pagani's
-Cadillac's
-Corvette's
-Viper's
-Honda's
-Saturn's
-Saleen's
-Ford's
-Audi's
-Aston Martin's
-Koenigsegg's
-Lotus'
-Mazda's
-TVR's
-Alfa Romeo's
and more. HOLY SHIT. All the cars look stunning. Aside from the paint, there isn't much visual customization, but preformance upgrades are present. But the cars aren't the only thing you can drive. Motorcycles, too. Kawasaki's, Triumph's.... everything is there, from choppers to crotchrockets. The bikes are hard to get, as you have to find every single car dealership to unlock them. But they are soooo much fun. And fast. And you can use them in races. Yay.
Being a racing game that isn't Need For Speed, TDU has no storyline. But the races have a ton of variety. In some races, its a standard sprint or circuit. Then there's some where you have no time limit and you have to drive someone elses car a long distance without A. Hitting other cars or B. Going off the road. If you do either of those, you lose points. The number of points at the end of the drive detirmines how much $$$ you earn. Making it perfectly gives you a hefty bonus. In these races, you can earn up to 200 grand. Wow. Then there's hitchhiker and hottie races. These are when someone hitches a ride and if you hit cars our go off the road, you lose points. When you run out of points, you lose. You again get a bonus for perfection.
The last piece is XBox Live capability. Test Drive Unlimited boasts huge online play, as racers can challenge others for higher ranks. You use the cars you have in career mode, so completing that is important. But you can challenge others and choose any track in Oahu. You can even make custom routes to race on. There are circuits, sprints, speed races, and more. Overall, the XBox live is pretty standard.
Test Drive: Unlimited is the best racing game i've ever played. Better than PGR. Better than Most Wanted. Better than Midnight Club. I don't know what it is, but i had oodles of fun playing this game. 10 out of 10.
Finally! A freakin racing game that doesn't take place in a city! TDU takes place on the island of Oahu. THE ENTIRE ISLAND OF OAHU. It would take you over 30 minutes to circumnavigate the island. And the best part: it's stunning. The game's graphics engine is a variation of PGR 3's. It looks fantastic. There are things like craters and mountains that will take your breath away. And just chillin by the beach is simply amazing.
There is only one word to describe (most of) the cars in Unlimited. It starts with an H. It ends with an O-T. The cars in TDU are just plain hot. It has:
-Lambourghini's
-Ferrari's
-Maserati's
-Jaguar's
-Mercedes'
-Nissan's
-Pagani's
-Cadillac's
-Corvette's
-Viper's
-Honda's
-Saturn's
-Saleen's
-Ford's
-Audi's
-Aston Martin's
-Koenigsegg's
-Lotus'
-Mazda's
-TVR's
-Alfa Romeo's
and more. HOLY SHIT. All the cars look stunning. Aside from the paint, there isn't much visual customization, but preformance upgrades are present. But the cars aren't the only thing you can drive. Motorcycles, too. Kawasaki's, Triumph's.... everything is there, from choppers to crotchrockets. The bikes are hard to get, as you have to find every single car dealership to unlock them. But they are soooo much fun. And fast. And you can use them in races. Yay.
Being a racing game that isn't Need For Speed, TDU has no storyline. But the races have a ton of variety. In some races, its a standard sprint or circuit. Then there's some where you have no time limit and you have to drive someone elses car a long distance without A. Hitting other cars or B. Going off the road. If you do either of those, you lose points. The number of points at the end of the drive detirmines how much $$$ you earn. Making it perfectly gives you a hefty bonus. In these races, you can earn up to 200 grand. Wow. Then there's hitchhiker and hottie races. These are when someone hitches a ride and if you hit cars our go off the road, you lose points. When you run out of points, you lose. You again get a bonus for perfection.
The last piece is XBox Live capability. Test Drive Unlimited boasts huge online play, as racers can challenge others for higher ranks. You use the cars you have in career mode, so completing that is important. But you can challenge others and choose any track in Oahu. You can even make custom routes to race on. There are circuits, sprints, speed races, and more. Overall, the XBox live is pretty standard.
Test Drive: Unlimited is the best racing game i've ever played. Better than PGR. Better than Most Wanted. Better than Midnight Club. I don't know what it is, but i had oodles of fun playing this game. 10 out of 10.
Thursday, September 14, 2006
World of Warcraft
Ahhh, MMORPG's. Right now i'm getting a psychic reading: you're thinking, what the hell is an MMORPG? Well, it's an analogy. It stands for Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game. Quite a mouthful. In english, it's an online game with a LOT of people playing and cooperating at the same time. And it's an RPG. WoW is one of the 2 MMORPG's that are worth your time. The other is Guild Wars. Anyway...
The year 2004 will be remembered with wars, elections, and scandulous pop stars. But in the growing video game nation, 2004 will be remembered as the year World of Warcraft was introduced on the PC. To be frank, this game is the most fun you'll ever have in an online game. And the online- huge. Clans, raids, wars, instances, parties, and a lot more. Your eyes will be glued to your monitor for days. The game is just soooo diverse. There are a bajillion items, auctions, clan matches, battlegrounds, thousands of quests, and cool little easter eggs like hidden shrines, dungeons, and areas. And who could forget the epic struggle between Alliance and Horde? You also have mounts, which are horses, big cats, reptiles, and more that you ride on. They can be summoned at any time. Mounts are your main tool in World or Warcraft.
Now, MMORPG's, how many few they are, are known for torturing players with impossible tasks. But WoW has changed all that. The thousands of quests have more variety than any other game. Quest stretch from collecting items to talking to people to spending 3 hours romping through a dungeon. But you will never ever ever ever ever ever ever get tired of it. It will take you months to rise through the ranks in PvP and get to ever WoWer's goal: Level 60. Good luck with that, by the way.
WoW sets a new standard for not only MMORPG's, but online gaming itself. Blizzard has always upped the bar, with games like Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, and more. I give World of Warcraft a 10 out of 10, part of this complete breakfast.
Now there is a catch. In addition to the 50$ and the high computer standards this game requires, there is a 15$ monthy fee. OUCH! For those of you who can't afford that, there is Guild Wars: Factions.
Guild Wars: Factions is the "expansion pack" to Guild Wars. But this game can be treated as a stand-alone. Maybe NCSoft should look up "expansion pack" in the gaming dictionary. Anyway, GWF is an MMORPG. It's not quite as good as World of Warcraft, but there is no monthly fee. This game isn't quite as elaborate, but it looks a whole hell lot better. It's got clans, wars, and battlegrounds, but it's missing that ever-important Alliance vs. Horde thingy. This game is also a lot easier to learn than WoW, making the game for rookies in the MMORPG genre. There are three problems: first, power-levelers will absolutely dispise the level 20 cap. Also, there are a ton of frustrating invisible walls across the game world. Finally, the fighting just isn't as involving as many other games. 9 out of 10.
Well, depending on your cash flow, it's up to you to decide which game to get. But here's the best part of the competition between WoW and GWF. They inspire some great videos!
The year 2004 will be remembered with wars, elections, and scandulous pop stars. But in the growing video game nation, 2004 will be remembered as the year World of Warcraft was introduced on the PC. To be frank, this game is the most fun you'll ever have in an online game. And the online- huge. Clans, raids, wars, instances, parties, and a lot more. Your eyes will be glued to your monitor for days. The game is just soooo diverse. There are a bajillion items, auctions, clan matches, battlegrounds, thousands of quests, and cool little easter eggs like hidden shrines, dungeons, and areas. And who could forget the epic struggle between Alliance and Horde? You also have mounts, which are horses, big cats, reptiles, and more that you ride on. They can be summoned at any time. Mounts are your main tool in World or Warcraft.
Now, MMORPG's, how many few they are, are known for torturing players with impossible tasks. But WoW has changed all that. The thousands of quests have more variety than any other game. Quest stretch from collecting items to talking to people to spending 3 hours romping through a dungeon. But you will never ever ever ever ever ever ever get tired of it. It will take you months to rise through the ranks in PvP and get to ever WoWer's goal: Level 60. Good luck with that, by the way.
WoW sets a new standard for not only MMORPG's, but online gaming itself. Blizzard has always upped the bar, with games like Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, and more. I give World of Warcraft a 10 out of 10, part of this complete breakfast.
Now there is a catch. In addition to the 50$ and the high computer standards this game requires, there is a 15$ monthy fee. OUCH! For those of you who can't afford that, there is Guild Wars: Factions.
Guild Wars: Factions is the "expansion pack" to Guild Wars. But this game can be treated as a stand-alone. Maybe NCSoft should look up "expansion pack" in the gaming dictionary. Anyway, GWF is an MMORPG. It's not quite as good as World of Warcraft, but there is no monthly fee. This game isn't quite as elaborate, but it looks a whole hell lot better. It's got clans, wars, and battlegrounds, but it's missing that ever-important Alliance vs. Horde thingy. This game is also a lot easier to learn than WoW, making the game for rookies in the MMORPG genre. There are three problems: first, power-levelers will absolutely dispise the level 20 cap. Also, there are a ton of frustrating invisible walls across the game world. Finally, the fighting just isn't as involving as many other games. 9 out of 10.
Well, depending on your cash flow, it's up to you to decide which game to get. But here's the best part of the competition between WoW and GWF. They inspire some great videos!
Friday, September 08, 2006
Previews Galore!
Colin: Now it's time to look at some upcoming releases and see what they are like. On today's show we have special guests Need for Speed Carbon, Tony Hawk's Project 8, and Guitar Hero 2. But first, please welcome Need for Speed Carbon!
NFS Carbon: Thank you, Colin.
Colin: So, Carbon, can you tell us a bit about yourself?
NFSC: Well, my developer and publisher EA Games decided they needed a new NFS Game after the success of Most Wanted. They employed Larry LaPierre and his team at EA Black Box in Vancouver to carry out the development.
Colin: What is it about you that sets you apart from other NFS games? The series has had constant success.
NFSC: Well I'm definitely not Most Wanted 2. LaPierre made that decision and stands by it. I'm focused mostly on racing. Taking inspiration from racing clubs, you are offered AI teammates that help you in various ways and can be upgraded to improve their skills. At the beginning of each race you can pick from a pool of teammates that you have recruited. There's the Blocker, who is aggressive to the other racers. There's the Pathfinder, who can tell you the best route through the track. Meanwhile, the Drafter team member helps you utilize the slipstream of other racers to slingshot in front of the pack. Off-the-street members are just as important. The Fabricator helps you trick out your ride and the Mechanic fixes up your car after you slam into oncoming traffic. There is also the Fixer, a behind-the-scenes influence who can set up all kinds of deals. But the team element doesn't affect your racing much. They help a lot, but your objective is to cross the finish line first and leave everyone else in the dust. When the Black Box team was prototyping the team element, LaPierre realized the team takes away from the game's main focus: racing. So the team is a minor thing in the finished copy.
Colin: What about the storyline?
NFSC: The storyline is again going to be a bit cheesy, but LaPierre made it intentionally. The storyline is based on the racing crews of the city You want to control all the territory in the city. To do so, you need to complete races in that area. In Risk-like fashion, some territories are more valuable than others. For example, you may want one piece of land because it has a crucial parts shop in it. The team element ties in here also, as you can get new members only by aquiring the real estate they hang at. The five main areas of the city (each has 5 to 7 pieces of territory in them) are based on the three car classes in me, Muscle, Exotic, and Tuner. Although you don't have to race a tuner in tuner territory, the tracks are designed for that car class. For example, the Exotics have the most speed, the Muscle cars have great accelleration but break loose on corners, and the Tuners take turns well. You have to beat the boss in each area and you get their car, Most Wanted style.
Colin: How about the customization, where does that come in?
NFSC: Of course customization is a huge part of me, and i take it higher with Auto Sculpting. Using a tool similar to Tiger Woods' face editor, sliders can morph the look of your ride in real time. Going back to the team element, hiring more Fabricators can unlock new customization items.
Colin: So you have a lot of neat things. But what makes you better than all the rest?
NFSC: Well, you have heard of drift racing. It's a staple of racing games. LaPierre realized this type of racing would be what makes me special.
Colin: But NFSU and NFSU 2 both had drift races. Why is your version so special?
NFSC: Instead of drift racing, i have Canyon Duels. Canyon Duels are one-one races that have two legs. The first leg is a race where you have to stay as close to your opponent without touching him. The second leg is the same, only you switch roles. Your points are calculated by how close you are as you cross the finish line. You also get bonuses for not hitting the guardrails, etc. If you pass your opponent, it's an automatic win. But remember that if you touch him, it's an automatic disqualification.
What makes Canyon Duels so awesome is not the race. It's the track. You race down the hairpin turns of California's canyons at top speed. If you break through the guardrail, you have a split second to turn back on to the track. Sometimes you make it, but mostly you will plummet 400 feet to your death. Some places dont even have guardrails!
Colin: Do you feature any online play?
NFSC: My online capability is still undecided, but imagine how much fun it would be to join an online racing clan and try to capture as much of the virtual map as you can!
Colin: Sounds great. Thanks for being on our show, NFS: Carbon!
NFSC: Thanks for having me! Look forward to me on the XBox 360, PS3, Wii, Xbox, PS2, and PSP in November.
Colin: I will!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Colin: Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Tony Hawk's Project 8!
Tony Hawk's Project 8: Thank you, thank you.
Colin: At E3, Activision was very protective of you. But now, a bit more info has come out. What can you tell me about yourself?
THP8: I can't say much, but i can tell you this. I am a very advanced game.
Colin: How is that?
THP8: First off, the character not only recognizes what trick your doing, but also knows what height your doing it at. Your skater's animation is much different if you ollie of a bench than if you ollie off a buildng onto the ramp below. The video is mostly in slow motion when you do tricks and pans in on your feet, showing your skater's interaction with the board. Watching you pull off flips is mezmerizing.
Colin: Are massive linked combos still present?
THP8: Yes. Also, the balance bar for manuals, grinds, and stalls is gone. It is replaced by animations that makes for some of the most realistic skating ever.
Colin: How about the map?
THP8: The map will be much like that of American Wasteland, only it is pulled off a lot more convincingly. Create-a-park is gone, but you can place props throughout the world like in Amped 3. Plus create-a-skater is still there, along with tons of pros to play as.
Colin: What can you tell us about your gameplay?
THP8: Absolutely nothing. That has yet to be announced.
Colin: Well we'll just have to hope for great gameplay. Thanks for coming.
THP8: Anytime. Look for me in November on your XBox, PS2, PS3, and 360!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Colin: Put your hands together for Guitar Hero 2!
Guitar Hero 2: Rock on!
Colin: Let us in on yourself.
GH2: Dude, i really shouldn't. I'm still in development and i lik don't have any info for you. Play Guitar Hero. I'm going to be very similar.
Colin: Uhh, thanks anyway. That's it for me, folks, good night!
NFS Carbon: Thank you, Colin.
Colin: So, Carbon, can you tell us a bit about yourself?
NFSC: Well, my developer and publisher EA Games decided they needed a new NFS Game after the success of Most Wanted. They employed Larry LaPierre and his team at EA Black Box in Vancouver to carry out the development.
Colin: What is it about you that sets you apart from other NFS games? The series has had constant success.
NFSC: Well I'm definitely not Most Wanted 2. LaPierre made that decision and stands by it. I'm focused mostly on racing. Taking inspiration from racing clubs, you are offered AI teammates that help you in various ways and can be upgraded to improve their skills. At the beginning of each race you can pick from a pool of teammates that you have recruited. There's the Blocker, who is aggressive to the other racers. There's the Pathfinder, who can tell you the best route through the track. Meanwhile, the Drafter team member helps you utilize the slipstream of other racers to slingshot in front of the pack. Off-the-street members are just as important. The Fabricator helps you trick out your ride and the Mechanic fixes up your car after you slam into oncoming traffic. There is also the Fixer, a behind-the-scenes influence who can set up all kinds of deals. But the team element doesn't affect your racing much. They help a lot, but your objective is to cross the finish line first and leave everyone else in the dust. When the Black Box team was prototyping the team element, LaPierre realized the team takes away from the game's main focus: racing. So the team is a minor thing in the finished copy.
Colin: What about the storyline?
NFSC: The storyline is again going to be a bit cheesy, but LaPierre made it intentionally. The storyline is based on the racing crews of the city You want to control all the territory in the city. To do so, you need to complete races in that area. In Risk-like fashion, some territories are more valuable than others. For example, you may want one piece of land because it has a crucial parts shop in it. The team element ties in here also, as you can get new members only by aquiring the real estate they hang at. The five main areas of the city (each has 5 to 7 pieces of territory in them) are based on the three car classes in me, Muscle, Exotic, and Tuner. Although you don't have to race a tuner in tuner territory, the tracks are designed for that car class. For example, the Exotics have the most speed, the Muscle cars have great accelleration but break loose on corners, and the Tuners take turns well. You have to beat the boss in each area and you get their car, Most Wanted style.
Colin: How about the customization, where does that come in?
NFSC: Of course customization is a huge part of me, and i take it higher with Auto Sculpting. Using a tool similar to Tiger Woods' face editor, sliders can morph the look of your ride in real time. Going back to the team element, hiring more Fabricators can unlock new customization items.
Colin: So you have a lot of neat things. But what makes you better than all the rest?
NFSC: Well, you have heard of drift racing. It's a staple of racing games. LaPierre realized this type of racing would be what makes me special.
Colin: But NFSU and NFSU 2 both had drift races. Why is your version so special?
NFSC: Instead of drift racing, i have Canyon Duels. Canyon Duels are one-one races that have two legs. The first leg is a race where you have to stay as close to your opponent without touching him. The second leg is the same, only you switch roles. Your points are calculated by how close you are as you cross the finish line. You also get bonuses for not hitting the guardrails, etc. If you pass your opponent, it's an automatic win. But remember that if you touch him, it's an automatic disqualification.
What makes Canyon Duels so awesome is not the race. It's the track. You race down the hairpin turns of California's canyons at top speed. If you break through the guardrail, you have a split second to turn back on to the track. Sometimes you make it, but mostly you will plummet 400 feet to your death. Some places dont even have guardrails!
Colin: Do you feature any online play?
NFSC: My online capability is still undecided, but imagine how much fun it would be to join an online racing clan and try to capture as much of the virtual map as you can!
Colin: Sounds great. Thanks for being on our show, NFS: Carbon!
NFSC: Thanks for having me! Look forward to me on the XBox 360, PS3, Wii, Xbox, PS2, and PSP in November.
Colin: I will!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Colin: Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Tony Hawk's Project 8!
Tony Hawk's Project 8: Thank you, thank you.
Colin: At E3, Activision was very protective of you. But now, a bit more info has come out. What can you tell me about yourself?
THP8: I can't say much, but i can tell you this. I am a very advanced game.
Colin: How is that?
THP8: First off, the character not only recognizes what trick your doing, but also knows what height your doing it at. Your skater's animation is much different if you ollie of a bench than if you ollie off a buildng onto the ramp below. The video is mostly in slow motion when you do tricks and pans in on your feet, showing your skater's interaction with the board. Watching you pull off flips is mezmerizing.
Colin: Are massive linked combos still present?
THP8: Yes. Also, the balance bar for manuals, grinds, and stalls is gone. It is replaced by animations that makes for some of the most realistic skating ever.
Colin: How about the map?
THP8: The map will be much like that of American Wasteland, only it is pulled off a lot more convincingly. Create-a-park is gone, but you can place props throughout the world like in Amped 3. Plus create-a-skater is still there, along with tons of pros to play as.
Colin: What can you tell us about your gameplay?
THP8: Absolutely nothing. That has yet to be announced.
Colin: Well we'll just have to hope for great gameplay. Thanks for coming.
THP8: Anytime. Look for me in November on your XBox, PS2, PS3, and 360!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Colin: Put your hands together for Guitar Hero 2!
Guitar Hero 2: Rock on!
Colin: Let us in on yourself.
GH2: Dude, i really shouldn't. I'm still in development and i lik don't have any info for you. Play Guitar Hero. I'm going to be very similar.
Colin: Uhh, thanks anyway. That's it for me, folks, good night!
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Tell your friends about me!
Hey all you readers,
I have to ask a favor from you. Can you spread the word about my blog? I'd love it if i could gain more readers. Also, i insist that you should ask me questions. I'm slowly running out of topics and wish for you to go ahead and ask questions.
Thanks,
Colin
I have to ask a favor from you. Can you spread the word about my blog? I'd love it if i could gain more readers. Also, i insist that you should ask me questions. I'm slowly running out of topics and wish for you to go ahead and ask questions.
Thanks,
Colin
Monday, September 04, 2006
I'm feeling pathetic... PLEASE READ THIS!!!
After a tragic loss in a game of S-K-A-T-E, i feel pretty pathetic. I'd really like to know if anyone actually reads this blog. If you do, please, PLEASE email me at chilloutmon@gmail.com or AIM me at eatsleepsk8 4evr. Please help me feel better about myself... see, i do sound pathetic, don't I?
Friday, September 01, 2006
Bully: Rockstar's new law suit
E3 2005: Rockstar Games announces it's new game, Bully. All they say is that it takes place in a boarding school and will feature a "troubled" 15-year-old in a new school. The first question, coming from an online media reporter, was: "Is this going to be some kind of Columbine simulator?" WTF?????????????
So, a year and a half later, info is released about the game. Here's the skinny.
Like they said in '05, you play as Jimmy, a "troubled" 15-year-old in a new boarding school, Bullsworth Academy. The alleged "Columbine Simulator" is actually aimed at a T rating, and will feature no guns, blood, or language in any form. How's that, you god damn critics? IT'S NOT GRAND THEFT AUTO. There's no blood or guns or sex scenes. HAH! IN YOUR FACE! Actually, the games fighting (of course it has some) is mostly kicking punching, tackling, etc. No blood squirts out of your fallen opponents. No AK-47's appear from nowhere. As a matter of fact, your "arsenal" consists of stink bombs, snowballs, spitballs, smoke bombs, firecrackers, and more. Some of your special moves will be the Atomic Wedgie, The Nuggie, and more of that sort.
This game even has a stealth element. Say you put a stinkbomb in the toilet, and the Prefects (which are pretty much the guards)know it's you (which will happen often) you have to get out without getting busted. Some of your stealthy maneuvers are hiding in lockers, bathroom stalls, and under tables. There is much more to be revealed about the stealth in Bully.
What do you know, this game has good values! Sometimes you have to attend classes to up your skills. Chemistry can help you pull off advanced pranks. Auto shop can help you improve the quality of your two main forms of transportation, your skateboard and your bike. Gym can help improve your strength and teach you new fighting moves. English is about as important in this game as it is in real life, but it ups your arsenal of excuses in case you get busted. There are a few more classes, but their purposes have yet to be revealed.
Bullsworth Academy and the surrounding town offer a lot of secret places and side-missions to explore. In one, a gym teacher is found outside an adult bookstore. He asks you do a few favors for him. Those don't matter. But the last one is fun. A classic. The "Panty Raid". I wont get into specifics. There are also five cliques. The jocks, the Nerds, the Preps, the Greasers, and the Bullies. If you do side quests for one of the cliques, your respect in that clique will go up. Some side quest will make your respect with other cliques go down, though. Having a lot of respect with the cliques and other people around Bullsworth will help you, especially in co-op missions, where you need to find a friend to help you out.
The game runs on an improved version of the San Andreas engine, so graphics are not a problem (at least on the PS2). The camera is great (at least in the demo) and easy to use. All the basic gameplay is pretty good. It's the concept that sets Bully apart from other games. Is there any other game even close to it? I don't think so. Harry Potter doesn't count because the books are gay and the games are worse. It also has a few things that help you reminisce upon past games. Like in gym class you play Dodgeball. This is a tribute to the great NES game Super Dodge Ball. Also, the art class minigame is a tribute to the arcade classic puzzle game Qix.
So does this game seem like a Columbine Simulator to you? If it does, you're either an asshole, a politician, or (in most cases) both. Look for Bully in October on the PS2. Unfortunately, I'm currently Playstation-less, so i won't. But I'll get a review from my friend Peter.
So, a year and a half later, info is released about the game. Here's the skinny.
Like they said in '05, you play as Jimmy, a "troubled" 15-year-old in a new boarding school, Bullsworth Academy. The alleged "Columbine Simulator" is actually aimed at a T rating, and will feature no guns, blood, or language in any form. How's that, you god damn critics? IT'S NOT GRAND THEFT AUTO. There's no blood or guns or sex scenes. HAH! IN YOUR FACE! Actually, the games fighting (of course it has some) is mostly kicking punching, tackling, etc. No blood squirts out of your fallen opponents. No AK-47's appear from nowhere. As a matter of fact, your "arsenal" consists of stink bombs, snowballs, spitballs, smoke bombs, firecrackers, and more. Some of your special moves will be the Atomic Wedgie, The Nuggie, and more of that sort.
This game even has a stealth element. Say you put a stinkbomb in the toilet, and the Prefects (which are pretty much the guards)know it's you (which will happen often) you have to get out without getting busted. Some of your stealthy maneuvers are hiding in lockers, bathroom stalls, and under tables. There is much more to be revealed about the stealth in Bully.
What do you know, this game has good values! Sometimes you have to attend classes to up your skills. Chemistry can help you pull off advanced pranks. Auto shop can help you improve the quality of your two main forms of transportation, your skateboard and your bike. Gym can help improve your strength and teach you new fighting moves. English is about as important in this game as it is in real life, but it ups your arsenal of excuses in case you get busted. There are a few more classes, but their purposes have yet to be revealed.
Bullsworth Academy and the surrounding town offer a lot of secret places and side-missions to explore. In one, a gym teacher is found outside an adult bookstore. He asks you do a few favors for him. Those don't matter. But the last one is fun. A classic. The "Panty Raid". I wont get into specifics. There are also five cliques. The jocks, the Nerds, the Preps, the Greasers, and the Bullies. If you do side quests for one of the cliques, your respect in that clique will go up. Some side quest will make your respect with other cliques go down, though. Having a lot of respect with the cliques and other people around Bullsworth will help you, especially in co-op missions, where you need to find a friend to help you out.
The game runs on an improved version of the San Andreas engine, so graphics are not a problem (at least on the PS2). The camera is great (at least in the demo) and easy to use. All the basic gameplay is pretty good. It's the concept that sets Bully apart from other games. Is there any other game even close to it? I don't think so. Harry Potter doesn't count because the books are gay and the games are worse. It also has a few things that help you reminisce upon past games. Like in gym class you play Dodgeball. This is a tribute to the great NES game Super Dodge Ball. Also, the art class minigame is a tribute to the arcade classic puzzle game Qix.
So does this game seem like a Columbine Simulator to you? If it does, you're either an asshole, a politician, or (in most cases) both. Look for Bully in October on the PS2. Unfortunately, I'm currently Playstation-less, so i won't. But I'll get a review from my friend Peter.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Battle of the Current-Gen Consoles
After a rousing episode of South Park, i've buckled down and did a bit of research on the Gamecube, XBox, and PS2. Don't want to spend hundreds of dollars on a next-genner? This is the article for you.
Lets start with the Gamecube. Nintendo has delivered a very new console, different from all others. Unlike the PS2, the GCN is a huge leap from the N64. Brand new controllers, design, and overall look. Although not quite as powerful as the PS2 or XBox, the Gamecube can deliver the goods.
Although the GameCube doesn't have the power of the PS2 and XBox, don't think its a bad system. It still has lots of good things. Like the Game Boy Player. You stick it on the bottom of the console and you can play your favorite Game Boy and GBA games. Fun! I think the best thing about the GCN is the little doodads. Like the microphone and the GBA connector. Screw you, EyeToy! We have Game Boy Players!
I also like how the GameCube comes in lots of different colors. First came Indigo. Then came Black. Then the Platinum GameCube was released (that's when i decided to purchase one myself. Now there are orange ones and i think they have a special Pikachu edition. You can also get controllers in various colors too, so you can look like a super-dork with your indigo console and bright orange controller. Geek out!
Anyway.........the selection of games is somewhat small. But there are a few great games that easily make up for the overall lack.
One of the last good games for the GameCube is Chibi-Robo. It's really fun. It's really addicting. And it's soooo cute! Awww, look, that lego dinosaur is going to eat me! It's teeth are sooo adorable! This game is fun for a long, long time. It's really addicting. And it's got great sound design. But after a while, the addiction wears off as the game becomes incredibly repetitive. The camera also neads some drastic work. A 7.5 out of 10.
The next game is Ultimate Spiderman. The game is great overall, it will provide hours of fun. But only hours. Its really, really short. I beat it in about 8 hours. The second time around, it only took about 5. But it does have some replay value, unlocking sweet costumes and secret bonuses. The cel-shading comic-book-style graphics are outstanding, even on the GameCube. You also get to play as both Spiderman himself and Venom, giving the game a good-cop bad-cop feel. In a good way. The last thing is that the enviroment is huge! You will feel like a farmer in the Mall of America playing this game. But a helpful map makes it easy to locate all the missions. Yeeeeah booooi! 9 out of 10.
The last good game is Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory. Next to Resident Evil 4 (look for a review of that later on), this is definately the best game for the GameCube. Look, the GCN has Splinter Cell! Don't say this system isn't for hardcore gamers. There are hardcore Mario gamers, right? Right? Whatever. This game is phenominal. There are lots of new techniques and a new approach to using them. There are subtle but powerful graphic upgrades. And the co-op multiplayer mode is friggin' addicting. Sweet! There is one small problem that blocks Chaos Theory from total perfection. It's really, really easy. But it's still long and fun. 9.5 nightvision goggles out of 10.
The GameCube is pretty average in the graphical department. Not that the PS2 is much better. But at $99.99, it's a great deal.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Next up is the PS2. It's got power. It's got style. And it's got an assload of games. The PS2 is a system targeted for hardcore gamers, with franchises like Metal Gear Solid and Grand Theft Auto. But it does have some very different games, like Guitar Hero and Katamari Damacy. Lets take a closer look.
The thing I absoulutely hate about the PS2 is it looks pretty much the same as the PS1. Sony did a knockout performance mimicing the original PlayStation. But they stepped up the graphics and added media capability into the mix. Kudos, Sony!
Like I said, the PS2 isn't much different from the PS1 on the outside. The controllers are exactly the same, the design is exactly the same, even the memory cards are the same! But the PS2 has more powerful processors and the graphics card is a bit better. But not a lot. A good PS1 game looks like an average PS2 game. Lets pick up the pace, Sony! Hopefully the PS3 is better. "Oh yes, it's very different. The PS3 is silver!"
The EyeToy is really cool. It's a really great idea. If only they could figure out something cool to do with it! Instead your using your arms to swat flies on your TV screen. What a waste of my 30$!! You have to admit though, EyeToy Antigrav is just plain sweet. What could be more fun than PRETENDING your riding a hoverboard. Besides actually hoverboarding. But its the next best thing to Dance Dance Revolution for a video game workout.
One thing i think is really sweet is that Mad Catz has this line of controllers that are designed around football teams. The have about every single NFL team, so you can show off your team colors while pwning your opponents in Madden 06. Yay! There also is Dance Dance Revolution. Who could forget DDR?
The PS2 market is flooded with terrible games. It's got more 0's that Bill Gate's paycheck. There's a bad game. Then, there's Torino 2006. There also is D.I.C.E., the next Power Rangers. Oh, and who could forget 50 Cent: Bulletproof. Let's not even go there.
But there is light in all this. There are some truly great games for the PlayStation 2. Like Guitar Hero! You get a guitar-like controller. You play rock music. Nothing in the world will make you feel more like a rock star. Plus, the music kicks ass and Dance Dance Revolution-like gameplay makes it the most addictive game i've played in years. In addition to the fun, it has plenty of challenge. The only problem is this: where the fuck is the AC/DC?!? 9.5 out of 10.
Then there's Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. It's fun. It's violent. It's really, really, really not appropriate for young minds. Oh well. Screw you, ESRB! After that short screwing seesion, GTA: San Andreas remains true to the franchise. It's got big-ass enviroment. And when I say big-ass, i mean BIG-ass. In a friggin helicopter it takes about 5 minutes to cross the entire map. IN A HELICOPTER. Sweet. Helicopters. The game really is a step up in the control department. The've fixed most of the control bugs, including the Auto-Aim feature. But the camera still sucks, and i fear it always will. Boohoo. Anyway, the game has tons of stuff to do and a pretty unique multiplayer mode. Fun fun fun! And theres a lot of suprising variety in the challenges. That makes it sweet. Super-sweet. I give is 9 out of 10.
Then there's my personal favorite. God of War. It's just plain addicting. If ripping people's heads off doesn't sound fun to you, then your just plain weird. And/or squeemish. It's really, really fun. Trust me. But if you can't play M games, then.... HAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!!!! Poor fool. This game is superb in every way. Its got great graphics and is constantly amazing gamers. You come around the corner and WAM! There's a minotaur! The gameplay is top-notch. Everything is top-notch. The actions is brutal and way satisfying. You will rip a head off and say, "Hey, that was really great. Maybe i should get a puppy. A three-headed puppy." But the game is too short to enjoy for long. Luckily, there is some replay value. 10 out of 10.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Last but definitely not least, the XBox. It's a powerhouse. It's got an arsenal of chart-topping games. And it has a secret weapon: XBox Live. The XBox, Microsoft's first venture into gaming is the best-selling of the three current-gen consoles, even with it's late release. Let me break it down.
Like i said, the XBox is juiced. With 2 Intel Pentium III 733 mHz proccessors, the XBox is the most powerful system around (excluding the 360 and PS3). It's power results in outstanding graphics, lightning-fast proccessing speed, and enhanced gaming. In english, You get great-looking games, really fast loading etc., and detailed gaming (example: lots of enemies on the screen at one time). Overall, it makes your gaming experience a whole lot better.
The success of the XBox is not because of the power. It's because of the feature that sets the XBox apart from every other system. XBox Live. As you probably know, it's the online gameplay on the XBox (it is also available for the 360). Most XBox games have some online capability, whether it's a deathmatch, capture the flag, or knockout race, you can do it with other people from around the world. Although Xbox Live service costs extra, it is worth every penny.
But you have to give credit to the selection of games and nifty accessories. There's Dance Dance Revolution (of course). It also has those NFL controllers i mentioned earlier. There isn't much else, but the games fill the empty space.
First up is Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory. It's probably the last Splinter Cell game on the XBox. It's different from the others in a few ways; there are many new techniques (like knife combat) and an easy tutorial that puts you in real situations to learn how to play. There are some powerful graphic upgrades from Pandora Tommorow (the previous installment in the Splinter Cell series) making the game look much better even in the dark. And the Co-op mode? Dude. There's a whole seperate campaign for cooperative mode and you will have oddles of fun with your imaginary girlfriend. Sweet. There's only one problem..... sorry to burst your bubble, Sam Fisher, but your game is too easy. 9.5 out of 10.
There also is Burnout 3. They say third time's the charm, and that applies with Burnout 3: Takedown. Or maybe it's just the fact that the series was transferred from Acclaim to EA. Plot? Nah. But you get to drive unliscenced cars in various cities around the world with urban, mountain, and forest areas. But the lack of real cars is made up by the variety of vehicles. You have muscle cars, coupes, sports, compacts, SUVs, and supercars. And what could be more fun then crashing the shit out of 'em? I submit the nothing is! Online mode is great too. You will have fun blowing up your friends on XBox Live. Overall, the game presents itself flawlessly during your crash rns or drunk driving practice sessions. 10 out of 10.
The last game is perfect. Literally perfect. It is one of the best-selling games of all time and definitely the best for the XBox. I think you know what i'm talking about. HALO 2. The original Halo was a chart-topper on both the XBox and PC. But Bungie had to have a sequel. So they released Halo 2. Many people say it is the best game of all time. But everyone can agree that Halo 2 is pretty damn close. It's got some of the best graphics available on the XBox. Playing this game, you are confronted with a complete sensory overload. The sights and sounds are a lot to take in. Even the smell of your XBox overheating because your so addicted to Halo 2 ties in perfectly (Bungie's amazing foresight foresaw that). Bungie also payed a TON of attention to detail, texture, etc. There is no invisible walls (unless you're flying). The gameplay is flawlessly controlled with the classic left-stick motion and right-stick camera scheme. The game is always changing, making it new every time. And being caught in the struggle between Earth and the Covenant is compelling and you will feel like you're actually there. The best part of Halo 2 is definitely the online play. Don't call it online play. Call it a whole online community. It took what was good about other online games (clans, messaging systems, voice chat, and various interesting matches) and added even more (customizable game types, characters, and party matches). You also can take up to 3 guests on one system on the internet to play with you. 10 out of 10.
At 120$*, The XBox is probably the best choice. It has power, games galore, and XBox Live.
But if you want a cheap system or a good system for the family, the GameCube is the obvious choice.
Want to play Grand Theft Auto, Tekken, and more great games? The PS2 is your console. It's a bit more expensive, but it has more power than the GameCube and is great for hardcore gamers.
So, there you go. If this guide didn't help you, than you can email me at chilloutmon@gmail.com.
Lets start with the Gamecube. Nintendo has delivered a very new console, different from all others. Unlike the PS2, the GCN is a huge leap from the N64. Brand new controllers, design, and overall look. Although not quite as powerful as the PS2 or XBox, the Gamecube can deliver the goods.
Although the GameCube doesn't have the power of the PS2 and XBox, don't think its a bad system. It still has lots of good things. Like the Game Boy Player. You stick it on the bottom of the console and you can play your favorite Game Boy and GBA games. Fun! I think the best thing about the GCN is the little doodads. Like the microphone and the GBA connector. Screw you, EyeToy! We have Game Boy Players!
I also like how the GameCube comes in lots of different colors. First came Indigo. Then came Black. Then the Platinum GameCube was released (that's when i decided to purchase one myself. Now there are orange ones and i think they have a special Pikachu edition. You can also get controllers in various colors too, so you can look like a super-dork with your indigo console and bright orange controller. Geek out!
Anyway.........the selection of games is somewhat small. But there are a few great games that easily make up for the overall lack.
One of the last good games for the GameCube is Chibi-Robo. It's really fun. It's really addicting. And it's soooo cute! Awww, look, that lego dinosaur is going to eat me! It's teeth are sooo adorable! This game is fun for a long, long time. It's really addicting. And it's got great sound design. But after a while, the addiction wears off as the game becomes incredibly repetitive. The camera also neads some drastic work. A 7.5 out of 10.
The next game is Ultimate Spiderman. The game is great overall, it will provide hours of fun. But only hours. Its really, really short. I beat it in about 8 hours. The second time around, it only took about 5. But it does have some replay value, unlocking sweet costumes and secret bonuses. The cel-shading comic-book-style graphics are outstanding, even on the GameCube. You also get to play as both Spiderman himself and Venom, giving the game a good-cop bad-cop feel. In a good way. The last thing is that the enviroment is huge! You will feel like a farmer in the Mall of America playing this game. But a helpful map makes it easy to locate all the missions. Yeeeeah booooi! 9 out of 10.
The last good game is Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory. Next to Resident Evil 4 (look for a review of that later on), this is definately the best game for the GameCube. Look, the GCN has Splinter Cell! Don't say this system isn't for hardcore gamers. There are hardcore Mario gamers, right? Right? Whatever. This game is phenominal. There are lots of new techniques and a new approach to using them. There are subtle but powerful graphic upgrades. And the co-op multiplayer mode is friggin' addicting. Sweet! There is one small problem that blocks Chaos Theory from total perfection. It's really, really easy. But it's still long and fun. 9.5 nightvision goggles out of 10.
The GameCube is pretty average in the graphical department. Not that the PS2 is much better. But at $99.99, it's a great deal.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Next up is the PS2. It's got power. It's got style. And it's got an assload of games. The PS2 is a system targeted for hardcore gamers, with franchises like Metal Gear Solid and Grand Theft Auto. But it does have some very different games, like Guitar Hero and Katamari Damacy. Lets take a closer look.
The thing I absoulutely hate about the PS2 is it looks pretty much the same as the PS1. Sony did a knockout performance mimicing the original PlayStation. But they stepped up the graphics and added media capability into the mix. Kudos, Sony!
Like I said, the PS2 isn't much different from the PS1 on the outside. The controllers are exactly the same, the design is exactly the same, even the memory cards are the same! But the PS2 has more powerful processors and the graphics card is a bit better. But not a lot. A good PS1 game looks like an average PS2 game. Lets pick up the pace, Sony! Hopefully the PS3 is better. "Oh yes, it's very different. The PS3 is silver!"
The EyeToy is really cool. It's a really great idea. If only they could figure out something cool to do with it! Instead your using your arms to swat flies on your TV screen. What a waste of my 30$!! You have to admit though, EyeToy Antigrav is just plain sweet. What could be more fun than PRETENDING your riding a hoverboard. Besides actually hoverboarding. But its the next best thing to Dance Dance Revolution for a video game workout.
One thing i think is really sweet is that Mad Catz has this line of controllers that are designed around football teams. The have about every single NFL team, so you can show off your team colors while pwning your opponents in Madden 06. Yay! There also is Dance Dance Revolution. Who could forget DDR?
The PS2 market is flooded with terrible games. It's got more 0's that Bill Gate's paycheck. There's a bad game. Then, there's Torino 2006. There also is D.I.C.E., the next Power Rangers. Oh, and who could forget 50 Cent: Bulletproof. Let's not even go there.
But there is light in all this. There are some truly great games for the PlayStation 2. Like Guitar Hero! You get a guitar-like controller. You play rock music. Nothing in the world will make you feel more like a rock star. Plus, the music kicks ass and Dance Dance Revolution-like gameplay makes it the most addictive game i've played in years. In addition to the fun, it has plenty of challenge. The only problem is this: where the fuck is the AC/DC?!? 9.5 out of 10.
Then there's Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. It's fun. It's violent. It's really, really, really not appropriate for young minds. Oh well. Screw you, ESRB! After that short screwing seesion, GTA: San Andreas remains true to the franchise. It's got big-ass enviroment. And when I say big-ass, i mean BIG-ass. In a friggin helicopter it takes about 5 minutes to cross the entire map. IN A HELICOPTER. Sweet. Helicopters. The game really is a step up in the control department. The've fixed most of the control bugs, including the Auto-Aim feature. But the camera still sucks, and i fear it always will. Boohoo. Anyway, the game has tons of stuff to do and a pretty unique multiplayer mode. Fun fun fun! And theres a lot of suprising variety in the challenges. That makes it sweet. Super-sweet. I give is 9 out of 10.
Then there's my personal favorite. God of War. It's just plain addicting. If ripping people's heads off doesn't sound fun to you, then your just plain weird. And/or squeemish. It's really, really fun. Trust me. But if you can't play M games, then.... HAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!!!! Poor fool. This game is superb in every way. Its got great graphics and is constantly amazing gamers. You come around the corner and WAM! There's a minotaur! The gameplay is top-notch. Everything is top-notch. The actions is brutal and way satisfying. You will rip a head off and say, "Hey, that was really great. Maybe i should get a puppy. A three-headed puppy." But the game is too short to enjoy for long. Luckily, there is some replay value. 10 out of 10.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Last but definitely not least, the XBox. It's a powerhouse. It's got an arsenal of chart-topping games. And it has a secret weapon: XBox Live. The XBox, Microsoft's first venture into gaming is the best-selling of the three current-gen consoles, even with it's late release. Let me break it down.
Like i said, the XBox is juiced. With 2 Intel Pentium III 733 mHz proccessors, the XBox is the most powerful system around (excluding the 360 and PS3). It's power results in outstanding graphics, lightning-fast proccessing speed, and enhanced gaming. In english, You get great-looking games, really fast loading etc., and detailed gaming (example: lots of enemies on the screen at one time). Overall, it makes your gaming experience a whole lot better.
The success of the XBox is not because of the power. It's because of the feature that sets the XBox apart from every other system. XBox Live. As you probably know, it's the online gameplay on the XBox (it is also available for the 360). Most XBox games have some online capability, whether it's a deathmatch, capture the flag, or knockout race, you can do it with other people from around the world. Although Xbox Live service costs extra, it is worth every penny.
But you have to give credit to the selection of games and nifty accessories. There's Dance Dance Revolution (of course). It also has those NFL controllers i mentioned earlier. There isn't much else, but the games fill the empty space.
First up is Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory. It's probably the last Splinter Cell game on the XBox. It's different from the others in a few ways; there are many new techniques (like knife combat) and an easy tutorial that puts you in real situations to learn how to play. There are some powerful graphic upgrades from Pandora Tommorow (the previous installment in the Splinter Cell series) making the game look much better even in the dark. And the Co-op mode? Dude. There's a whole seperate campaign for cooperative mode and you will have oddles of fun with your imaginary girlfriend. Sweet. There's only one problem..... sorry to burst your bubble, Sam Fisher, but your game is too easy. 9.5 out of 10.
There also is Burnout 3. They say third time's the charm, and that applies with Burnout 3: Takedown. Or maybe it's just the fact that the series was transferred from Acclaim to EA. Plot? Nah. But you get to drive unliscenced cars in various cities around the world with urban, mountain, and forest areas. But the lack of real cars is made up by the variety of vehicles. You have muscle cars, coupes, sports, compacts, SUVs, and supercars. And what could be more fun then crashing the shit out of 'em? I submit the nothing is! Online mode is great too. You will have fun blowing up your friends on XBox Live. Overall, the game presents itself flawlessly during your crash rns or drunk driving practice sessions. 10 out of 10.
The last game is perfect. Literally perfect. It is one of the best-selling games of all time and definitely the best for the XBox. I think you know what i'm talking about. HALO 2. The original Halo was a chart-topper on both the XBox and PC. But Bungie had to have a sequel. So they released Halo 2. Many people say it is the best game of all time. But everyone can agree that Halo 2 is pretty damn close. It's got some of the best graphics available on the XBox. Playing this game, you are confronted with a complete sensory overload. The sights and sounds are a lot to take in. Even the smell of your XBox overheating because your so addicted to Halo 2 ties in perfectly (Bungie's amazing foresight foresaw that). Bungie also payed a TON of attention to detail, texture, etc. There is no invisible walls (unless you're flying). The gameplay is flawlessly controlled with the classic left-stick motion and right-stick camera scheme. The game is always changing, making it new every time. And being caught in the struggle between Earth and the Covenant is compelling and you will feel like you're actually there. The best part of Halo 2 is definitely the online play. Don't call it online play. Call it a whole online community. It took what was good about other online games (clans, messaging systems, voice chat, and various interesting matches) and added even more (customizable game types, characters, and party matches). You also can take up to 3 guests on one system on the internet to play with you. 10 out of 10.
At 120$*, The XBox is probably the best choice. It has power, games galore, and XBox Live.
But if you want a cheap system or a good system for the family, the GameCube is the obvious choice.
Want to play Grand Theft Auto, Tekken, and more great games? The PS2 is your console. It's a bit more expensive, but it has more power than the GameCube and is great for hardcore gamers.
So, there you go. If this guide didn't help you, than you can email me at chilloutmon@gmail.com.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
What's the deal with the PS3?
Guess who's back. Back again. Tony's back. Tell a friend.
Screw Shady, we have a video game critic! Hoorah!
Tony's back and he's helping uncover the truth about the Sony PlayStation 3. So without more of my blab, lets get started.
Tony: Ahhh, yes. The PS3. When it was announced who knows how long ago, gamers everywhere flipped. That was, what, 2 years ago? Well, it's coming like a bloodred shroud following Mehrunes Dagon on a shopping spree.
Colin: Yes, and it shall burn a hole...in your wallet.
Tony: Well at 500 bucks for a 20gb hard drive and 600 for a 60gb, i think ill just buy a 360.
Colin: Lets search the web for polls, etc. on who is gonna buy a PS3.
Tony: Good idea. I'll google it. You check G4TV.com and IGN.com.
So Colin and Tony set out on a great web search to find the answers to lifes greatest question: Who's actually gonna buy a PS3?
Tony: What did you come up with?
Colin: Well at g4tv.com there was a poll, and the results go something like this*.
Yes - 30.3%
No - 45.9%
Don't Know Yet - 23.8%
IGN doesn't have anything.
Tony: I found this on the IGN boards.
Current Poll Results:
Yes (18 votes): 20%
Maybe (17 votes): 19%
No (51 votes): 59%
Total Votes: 86 (Days Left: 29)
And Network World came up with this:
Yes: 26%
No: 69%
Maybe: 5%
Colin: By the looks of it, most people are sticking with th 360 and the Wii. I may buy a Wii myself.
Tony: Super. But what makes the PS3 so friggin' expensive?
Colin: Oh, thats easy. The Blu-ray capability. The stupid blu-ray reader in there cost 150$ alone! I think Blu-Ray is a huge gamble. Movies are fine as it is.
Tony: Well i'm somewhat interested in them, being a HDTV owner.
Colin: I think that Blu-Ray is the next UMD. There wicked expensive. There are very few. And there are about 2 different blu-ray capable units in the world.
Tony: I bet by Christmas Blu-Ray is gonna be huge.
Colin: That's exactly what you said about UMD movies!
Tony: Well i'm a bit more confident in Blu-Ray as you're not paying for a movie you can only watch on your miniscule PSP screen.
Colin: Whatever. I also hear that PS3 games are going to go for 70$ to 100$ a piece!
Tony: Maybe, but those of us with real jobs can afford that for a really great game.
Colin: Yeah, like driving an ice cream truck is a "real" job. Anyway, That's way to much for one game.
Tony: Let's wait for some solid info before we make accusations.
Colin: That's a deal. See you later!
Tony: Till another day, Colin.
SOOOOO.... thats what we have so far on the PS3. Look for more info later this year and look for the PS3 November 17. I know i won't.
Screw Shady, we have a video game critic! Hoorah!
Tony's back and he's helping uncover the truth about the Sony PlayStation 3. So without more of my blab, lets get started.
Tony: Ahhh, yes. The PS3. When it was announced who knows how long ago, gamers everywhere flipped. That was, what, 2 years ago? Well, it's coming like a bloodred shroud following Mehrunes Dagon on a shopping spree.
Colin: Yes, and it shall burn a hole...in your wallet.
Tony: Well at 500 bucks for a 20gb hard drive and 600 for a 60gb, i think ill just buy a 360.
Colin: Lets search the web for polls, etc. on who is gonna buy a PS3.
Tony: Good idea. I'll google it. You check G4TV.com and IGN.com.
So Colin and Tony set out on a great web search to find the answers to lifes greatest question: Who's actually gonna buy a PS3?
Tony: What did you come up with?
Colin: Well at g4tv.com there was a poll, and the results go something like this*.
Yes - 30.3%
No - 45.9%
Don't Know Yet - 23.8%
IGN doesn't have anything.
Tony: I found this on the IGN boards.
Current Poll Results:
Yes (18 votes): 20%
Maybe (17 votes): 19%
No (51 votes): 59%
Total Votes: 86 (Days Left: 29)
And Network World came up with this:
Yes: 26%
No: 69%
Maybe: 5%
Colin: By the looks of it, most people are sticking with th 360 and the Wii. I may buy a Wii myself.
Tony: Super. But what makes the PS3 so friggin' expensive?
Colin: Oh, thats easy. The Blu-ray capability. The stupid blu-ray reader in there cost 150$ alone! I think Blu-Ray is a huge gamble. Movies are fine as it is.
Tony: Well i'm somewhat interested in them, being a HDTV owner.
Colin: I think that Blu-Ray is the next UMD. There wicked expensive. There are very few. And there are about 2 different blu-ray capable units in the world.
Tony: I bet by Christmas Blu-Ray is gonna be huge.
Colin: That's exactly what you said about UMD movies!
Tony: Well i'm a bit more confident in Blu-Ray as you're not paying for a movie you can only watch on your miniscule PSP screen.
Colin: Whatever. I also hear that PS3 games are going to go for 70$ to 100$ a piece!
Tony: Maybe, but those of us with real jobs can afford that for a really great game.
Colin: Yeah, like driving an ice cream truck is a "real" job. Anyway, That's way to much for one game.
Tony: Let's wait for some solid info before we make accusations.
Colin: That's a deal. See you later!
Tony: Till another day, Colin.
SOOOOO.... thats what we have so far on the PS3. Look for more info later this year and look for the PS3 November 17. I know i won't.
Metal Gear Ac!d 2
By request of games_r_us, here is a quick review of Metal Gear Ac!d 2 for the PSP.
Everybody likes Metal Gear Solid, with the Solid Snake, and the sneakin', and all that good stuffs. But what happens when you take a classic shooter/stealth game and turn into....you're gonna love this....a TURN-BASED STRATEGY? It's obvious that nobody but Hideo Kojima could pull of such a feat with a good result. Lets take and Acid Trip, shall we?
The mechanics in this game are flippin' awesome. They are very user-friendly, providing some solid game time. Solid Snake is controlled by--what else--cards. There are separate cards for shooting, healing, etc. You also trade in cards to move. But the difference between most card strategy games is this is actually easy to understand. The in-game tutorials will teach the noobs and refresh the veterans. A caveman could play it! And don't try to sue me if your a "caveman". Just because you're a bum and actually live in a cave doesn't make you a caveman. You wouldn't be reading this if you were a bum anyway. So with that out of the way, let us continue.
Like every other game, there is a flaw. Actually, there's two. First, there's this new 3-D thingy called "Snake Eye". And it will damage your eyes. Not really, but if it was any worse, it would. After a half hour of play, you will be racing to Rite Aid for a jumbo bottle of Advil. And that's not a metaphor. It's true. It's not too bad though, as you can turn the Snake Eye feature off. Aside from that, the only other flaw is the storyline is kinda boring. It's new, just really, really boring. I mean, the original Metal Gear Acid started with possesed dolls hijacking an airliner, which makes this look like a romance novel. But at least this game doesn't have 8 bazillion pages of text every cutscene!
Overall, the game is easy, fun, but just a teeny tiny bit boring. You should rent it at least, and if you liked the original MGA, it's a buy. An 8.5 out of 10.
Everybody likes Metal Gear Solid, with the Solid Snake, and the sneakin', and all that good stuffs. But what happens when you take a classic shooter/stealth game and turn into....you're gonna love this....a TURN-BASED STRATEGY? It's obvious that nobody but Hideo Kojima could pull of such a feat with a good result. Lets take and Acid Trip, shall we?
The mechanics in this game are flippin' awesome. They are very user-friendly, providing some solid game time. Solid Snake is controlled by--what else--cards. There are separate cards for shooting, healing, etc. You also trade in cards to move. But the difference between most card strategy games is this is actually easy to understand. The in-game tutorials will teach the noobs and refresh the veterans. A caveman could play it! And don't try to sue me if your a "caveman". Just because you're a bum and actually live in a cave doesn't make you a caveman. You wouldn't be reading this if you were a bum anyway. So with that out of the way, let us continue.
Like every other game, there is a flaw. Actually, there's two. First, there's this new 3-D thingy called "Snake Eye". And it will damage your eyes. Not really, but if it was any worse, it would. After a half hour of play, you will be racing to Rite Aid for a jumbo bottle of Advil. And that's not a metaphor. It's true. It's not too bad though, as you can turn the Snake Eye feature off. Aside from that, the only other flaw is the storyline is kinda boring. It's new, just really, really boring. I mean, the original Metal Gear Acid started with possesed dolls hijacking an airliner, which makes this look like a romance novel. But at least this game doesn't have 8 bazillion pages of text every cutscene!
Overall, the game is easy, fun, but just a teeny tiny bit boring. You should rent it at least, and if you liked the original MGA, it's a buy. An 8.5 out of 10.
Monday, August 21, 2006
my hit counter
this is just a counter for the # of hits on my site. its really just for me, so ignore it.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Grab Bag: A couple good games for the PSP
Ahhh, the PSP. The first time anyone got off their ass and tried to shut down Nintendo in the Handheld market. Kudos, Sony! Although it didn't take down the DS, the PSP rolled out a few truly great games. And now i bring them to you in one piece. It's the Grab Bag: PSP!
First up is an american classic. Grand Theft Auto! All you PS2 and/or XBox owners that can play M games are probably hankerin' for a GTA game on the PSP (especially after the Hot Coffee mod from San Andreas). Rockstar games has answered the call of violence-thirsty gamers everywhere with Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories.
The latest installment (besides the PS2 version of Liberty City Stories) in the series provides classic GTA gameplay: Run, shoot, bash, hi-jack, murder, and blow your way through an intense yet new campaign, or just run, shoot, bash, hi-jack, murder, and blow for the hell of it. Yay! The new campaign features some very familiar faces and places, like Tony Cipriati. You also will play a few eerily familiar missions from previous GTA games. But it's definitely not a remake. The game has the perfect balence of new and old.
As usual, the world of LCS is MASSIVE. Theres a lot of old but fun mini-games like cabbie, ambulance driver, and more. Plus there are new mini-games like selling used cars. "Buy the car, dammit! Buy the car or i'll shoot you!" Oooh, it sounds like so much fun already!
You can't fault Liberty City Stories much, but it does have some old camera and aiming issues. But those don't get in the way much, as the auto-aim feature is upgraded a bit. Besides that, the game is flawless.
The graphics are pretty good for the PSP, and variety of weapons and vehicles is in no shortage. Overall, the game has the best from previous Grand Theft Auto games plus a good amount of new things, making it a great game. 9 stick-ups out of 10.
The next game is another classic: Tony Hawk's Underground 2 REMIX. It's a great game and a textbook example of a port (being a game taken from a console and put on a handheld, or vice versa). The game takes what was right with the console version and improved on it a lot.
The best thing about this game is all it's content. A great story, exciting multiplayer, diverse characters, and pretty easy controls. It also has a perfect balance of challenge and fun, with some good laughs mixed in. You'll spend lots of time with this game, as once you complete the storyline, you can attemp "classic mode", which, as it says, is a mode with classic THPS style. You try to complete goals, some classic (collect c-o-m-b-o and s-k-a-t-e) and some new (hit the five statues with tomatoes). It's a fun way to get back to the classics without hooking up your PS1.
The game also presents itself extroardinarily well. The graphics are stunning, while the free-roam areas are detailed and jam-packed with secret spots and more. Aside from that, you can find neat hidden easter eggs throughout the game (like a little nerd kid who will do the whole Star Wars act). As a plus, the soundtrack is loaded with classic Metallica tracks mixed with modern rock and hip-hop songs.
There are two things wrong with this game. First, the humor and cutscenes are usually dumb and juvenile. THUG 2's Bam Margera is nowhere near as funny as the real Bam. And they over-exagerrate Tony Hawk's sense of humor (no offense to the Birdman, you're just not that funny). The second flaw is the controls. Sometimes simple jumps can be intensely frustrating, and nailing hard tricks and lines is near impossible. It's not too bad, though, as practice makes perfect.
The game is good, one of the best for the PSP. It's great all-around. THUG 2: Remix is one of my personal favorites. I give it a 9 out of 10.
That's all for now, folks, look for more PSP titles to be reviewed.
First up is an american classic. Grand Theft Auto! All you PS2 and/or XBox owners that can play M games are probably hankerin' for a GTA game on the PSP (especially after the Hot Coffee mod from San Andreas). Rockstar games has answered the call of violence-thirsty gamers everywhere with Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories.
The latest installment (besides the PS2 version of Liberty City Stories) in the series provides classic GTA gameplay: Run, shoot, bash, hi-jack, murder, and blow your way through an intense yet new campaign, or just run, shoot, bash, hi-jack, murder, and blow for the hell of it. Yay! The new campaign features some very familiar faces and places, like Tony Cipriati. You also will play a few eerily familiar missions from previous GTA games. But it's definitely not a remake. The game has the perfect balence of new and old.
As usual, the world of LCS is MASSIVE. Theres a lot of old but fun mini-games like cabbie, ambulance driver, and more. Plus there are new mini-games like selling used cars. "Buy the car, dammit! Buy the car or i'll shoot you!" Oooh, it sounds like so much fun already!
You can't fault Liberty City Stories much, but it does have some old camera and aiming issues. But those don't get in the way much, as the auto-aim feature is upgraded a bit. Besides that, the game is flawless.
The graphics are pretty good for the PSP, and variety of weapons and vehicles is in no shortage. Overall, the game has the best from previous Grand Theft Auto games plus a good amount of new things, making it a great game. 9 stick-ups out of 10.
The next game is another classic: Tony Hawk's Underground 2 REMIX. It's a great game and a textbook example of a port (being a game taken from a console and put on a handheld, or vice versa). The game takes what was right with the console version and improved on it a lot.
The best thing about this game is all it's content. A great story, exciting multiplayer, diverse characters, and pretty easy controls. It also has a perfect balance of challenge and fun, with some good laughs mixed in. You'll spend lots of time with this game, as once you complete the storyline, you can attemp "classic mode", which, as it says, is a mode with classic THPS style. You try to complete goals, some classic (collect c-o-m-b-o and s-k-a-t-e) and some new (hit the five statues with tomatoes). It's a fun way to get back to the classics without hooking up your PS1.
The game also presents itself extroardinarily well. The graphics are stunning, while the free-roam areas are detailed and jam-packed with secret spots and more. Aside from that, you can find neat hidden easter eggs throughout the game (like a little nerd kid who will do the whole Star Wars act). As a plus, the soundtrack is loaded with classic Metallica tracks mixed with modern rock and hip-hop songs.
There are two things wrong with this game. First, the humor and cutscenes are usually dumb and juvenile. THUG 2's Bam Margera is nowhere near as funny as the real Bam. And they over-exagerrate Tony Hawk's sense of humor (no offense to the Birdman, you're just not that funny). The second flaw is the controls. Sometimes simple jumps can be intensely frustrating, and nailing hard tricks and lines is near impossible. It's not too bad, though, as practice makes perfect.
The game is good, one of the best for the PSP. It's great all-around. THUG 2: Remix is one of my personal favorites. I give it a 9 out of 10.
That's all for now, folks, look for more PSP titles to be reviewed.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
A few questions answered
A dude named Shawn asked me two questions via email. This post will answer those questions.
His first question is this: Is there a faster way to get answers?
My response: Yes. If you dont want to wait a few days for me to post my response, you can IM me. My AIM screenname is eatsleepsk8 4evr. If you IM me, i will give you direct answers and i may post the conversation here. If you dont want me to post it, just tell me not to. Don't worry, i won't tell anyone ;)
His second inquiry was this: Can you explain your rating system a little better?
My answer: Sure, why not. Lets start from the bottom and work our way to the top.
1 out of 10: An absolutely terrible game. You'd have to be a complete moron to waste your precious time and money on this game.
2 out of 10: Just short or complete horror. This game is a waste of time.
3 out of 10: This game is truly bad. Avoid it.
4 out of 10: An almost fair game. It's probably a complete waste of time, but it may have some value depending on your tastes.
5 out of 10: A fair game. If your a complete fanatic of the series, you could try it out. But don't waste any money buying it.
6 out of 10: An average game. If you really like the series or genre then you may want to rent it.
7 out of 10: Pretty good. A rent, but if you like it and have some extra cash go ahead and buy it.
8 out of 10: You should definitely rent it regardless of your tastes, and its a buy if you like the series or genre.
9 out 10: A buy. Unless you don't like the series or genre or don't have any cash, you should absolutely add this title to your library.
10 out of 10: An absolute buy. There is no excuse for not owning this game, regardless of your tastes. Out of cash? Make some. If you miss this game, shoot yourself in the head. It's a one-of-a-kind game, and positively cannot be missed.
So, with those questions answered, go on and read away!
His first question is this: Is there a faster way to get answers?
My response: Yes. If you dont want to wait a few days for me to post my response, you can IM me. My AIM screenname is eatsleepsk8 4evr. If you IM me, i will give you direct answers and i may post the conversation here. If you dont want me to post it, just tell me not to. Don't worry, i won't tell anyone ;)
His second inquiry was this: Can you explain your rating system a little better?
My answer: Sure, why not. Lets start from the bottom and work our way to the top.
1 out of 10: An absolutely terrible game. You'd have to be a complete moron to waste your precious time and money on this game.
2 out of 10: Just short or complete horror. This game is a waste of time.
3 out of 10: This game is truly bad. Avoid it.
4 out of 10: An almost fair game. It's probably a complete waste of time, but it may have some value depending on your tastes.
5 out of 10: A fair game. If your a complete fanatic of the series, you could try it out. But don't waste any money buying it.
6 out of 10: An average game. If you really like the series or genre then you may want to rent it.
7 out of 10: Pretty good. A rent, but if you like it and have some extra cash go ahead and buy it.
8 out of 10: You should definitely rent it regardless of your tastes, and its a buy if you like the series or genre.
9 out 10: A buy. Unless you don't like the series or genre or don't have any cash, you should absolutely add this title to your library.
10 out of 10: An absolute buy. There is no excuse for not owning this game, regardless of your tastes. Out of cash? Make some. If you miss this game, shoot yourself in the head. It's a one-of-a-kind game, and positively cannot be missed.
So, with those questions answered, go on and read away!
Thursday, August 10, 2006
I've spent some quality time...
I have returned from spending some quality time with my friends at camp... AND THEY CONFISCATED MY DS, PSP, LAPTOP, AND MP3 PLAYER! So, as far as this blog goes, i've made nooooo progress over the last four days. So i've decided to branch out into a new area: places. So look out for the hottest places to go during the summer. Or winter. Whatever.
Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth 2
Long name, short review.
Besides Return of the King, pretty much all the LOtR games sucked. But, wait, what's this? Battle for Middle Earth 2?!?!? Hazaa!
Yes, the first Battle for Middle Earth was actually good. But the second was is better! Yay!
Battle for Middle Earth 2 takes place in the enchanted region of northern Middle Earth. This pretty much means it has nothing to do with the movies, as they take place in southern Middle Earth. This also means there are new stories in the game.
As in the first BFME game, you can play as either the Good or Evil sides. The good entails use of Dwarves, Elves, and some Humans, while the evil is pretty much all Goblins and Orcs. The storyline is pretty samey. Kill this. Defend that. Rescue them. Where have we seen it all before? Well, lets see. Maybe THE FIRST BATTLE FOR MIDDLE EARTH GAME? Basically, the story is a bit tired.
Next the gameplay. Let's put it this way. It's very. very simple. Not that thats bad, it actually makes the game a lot more fun. It's easy to enjoy the stunning scenery and variety of unique characters. Another good thing is that it is packed with lots of gameplay for on- and off-line gamers. And if your like me (still paying off your 360 and can't afford XBox Live) then its a great thing.
As i said, the game is packed with lots of new units and heroes. If your wondering what the hell i'm talking about, the game's combat is like Command and Conquer: build units and buildings then attack everything. Only in this game, one unit is actually 6-20 guys. It makes things a lot easier. Trust me. Some units, like giants, trolls and heroes are singular, but they are very powerful. Now your'e asking me "WTF is a hero?" Its a unit that has storyline importance, special powers, and really whoops ass. Examples of heroes are Elrond and Eowyn. There are also new heroes like Glorfindel and Gloin that are not in the movies.
After that, what could be wrong with the game? Nothing really, everything else is pretty average. But there is one thing. There are a few control problems, like the ease of unit tracking. I mean, the mini-map is about the size of a half-dollar on my 60 inch widescreen TV. And the microscopic dots that represent a unit are truly invisible to the naked eye. If you don't have an HDTV, its pretty much not even there. Doing a level, i thought i saw a red dot on my minimap, but when i looked it was just a tree. And when i thought i saw a tree, it turned out it was on of my heroes. Also, the camera doesn't zoom out nearly enough to select all your units at once. It gets annoying when a man-eating dragon is attacking your base and you have to move your units back a few at a time. By the time your back at full strength, your base is nothing but burnt chicken.
Overall, the game is awesome, although a bit buggy. If your a fan of the first Battle for Middle Earth, this is a definite buy, especially if you have XBox Live. If not, it's a rent. 7.5 out of 10.
Besides Return of the King, pretty much all the LOtR games sucked. But, wait, what's this? Battle for Middle Earth 2?!?!? Hazaa!
Yes, the first Battle for Middle Earth was actually good. But the second was is better! Yay!
Battle for Middle Earth 2 takes place in the enchanted region of northern Middle Earth. This pretty much means it has nothing to do with the movies, as they take place in southern Middle Earth. This also means there are new stories in the game.
As in the first BFME game, you can play as either the Good or Evil sides. The good entails use of Dwarves, Elves, and some Humans, while the evil is pretty much all Goblins and Orcs. The storyline is pretty samey. Kill this. Defend that. Rescue them. Where have we seen it all before? Well, lets see. Maybe THE FIRST BATTLE FOR MIDDLE EARTH GAME? Basically, the story is a bit tired.
Next the gameplay. Let's put it this way. It's very. very simple. Not that thats bad, it actually makes the game a lot more fun. It's easy to enjoy the stunning scenery and variety of unique characters. Another good thing is that it is packed with lots of gameplay for on- and off-line gamers. And if your like me (still paying off your 360 and can't afford XBox Live) then its a great thing.
As i said, the game is packed with lots of new units and heroes. If your wondering what the hell i'm talking about, the game's combat is like Command and Conquer: build units and buildings then attack everything. Only in this game, one unit is actually 6-20 guys. It makes things a lot easier. Trust me. Some units, like giants, trolls and heroes are singular, but they are very powerful. Now your'e asking me "WTF is a hero?" Its a unit that has storyline importance, special powers, and really whoops ass. Examples of heroes are Elrond and Eowyn. There are also new heroes like Glorfindel and Gloin that are not in the movies.
After that, what could be wrong with the game? Nothing really, everything else is pretty average. But there is one thing. There are a few control problems, like the ease of unit tracking. I mean, the mini-map is about the size of a half-dollar on my 60 inch widescreen TV. And the microscopic dots that represent a unit are truly invisible to the naked eye. If you don't have an HDTV, its pretty much not even there. Doing a level, i thought i saw a red dot on my minimap, but when i looked it was just a tree. And when i thought i saw a tree, it turned out it was on of my heroes. Also, the camera doesn't zoom out nearly enough to select all your units at once. It gets annoying when a man-eating dragon is attacking your base and you have to move your units back a few at a time. By the time your back at full strength, your base is nothing but burnt chicken.
Overall, the game is awesome, although a bit buggy. If your a fan of the first Battle for Middle Earth, this is a definite buy, especially if you have XBox Live. If not, it's a rent. 7.5 out of 10.
Friday, August 04, 2006
I'm leaving :'(
I am sad to announce that i will be gone from august 5 to august 9. When i get back, i should have some good fresh reviews for you, so dont give up hope!
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion
Three words: Best. Game. Ever. Its simple math, really. Insane graphics + endless freedom + hundreds of missions + tons of things to do + a gigantic world full of dungeons, mines, old forts, and camps to explore + great controls and camera + easy to learn elements + great stealh element + neat new freeform missions like buying houses, betting on matches at the arena, riding horses, enchanting items, making spells, and more + the incredible realism = the best game ever. Simple, no? Lets go in depth.
First, the sick graphics. When you first step out of the Imperial City Sewers, the first word of of your mouth will be "holy shit!" You look around. In front of you is a Aylied ruin, literally glowing in the bright sun. Behind you is the gleaming majesty that is the Imperial City. White Gold Tower reflects in the waters of Lake Rumare. Its a work of digital art. Then when you look out from the watch towers at Cloud Ruler Temple on a clear day, you can see the entire province of Cyrodiil. That is when you realize this is probably the best looking game ever.
Next, the endless freedom. You can do whatever you want after you complete the tutorial. You can go join a guild. Do a side quest. Join the arena. Work on the main quest. Even just walk around talking to people, if you want to. You can do whatever you want. But do go trying to kill the guards as they are always 10 levels above your own. If you save up enough gold, you can buy a house. Or a horse. You can buy some armor or weapons, kill some wolves and sell their pelts, go hunting for deer in the woods. You can ride your horse around, raiding bandit camps or old abandoned mines. IT DOESN'T MATTER. Do whatever the hell you please.
If you get bored with the main quest, there are literally hundreds of side quests. Pretty much anywhere you go, theres a quest. Whether it's killing a few ogres or stealing a rare ring, there is a great variety of quests for you to do. If you don't want to fight or get in trouble, head to Chorrol and help the countess with her investigation. If you want to go on a wild killing spree, help the Odiil boys recover their farm. There are enough quests to fufill anyone's needs. Theres even a quest where some girls invite you to have "a little fun". Unfortunately, you have to kill them. Awwww, poopy.
The province of Cyrodiil is HUGE. It could take you at least an hour to cross it by foot. Thankfully, you can "fast-travel" to any location you've already been to. Everywhere you go, there are dungeons, mines, bandit camps, and more quests for you to explore. Go ahead, head into that Aylied ruin and kill everything in sight. It's your choice! You will also find small villages and camps with people to meet and sometimes help out. If you're bored of quests, you can hop on your horse and go exploring in the woods. You never know what you might find! In fact, a lot of mines and dungeons have special enchanted items at the very end. Go for it!
The controls in Oblivion are a peice of cake. Mmmmmmmm, delicious cake. Move with the left stick. Typical. Move the camera with the right stick. Typical. Attack with RT. Cast a spell with RB. Block with LT. Jump with Y. Talk and activate stuff with A. Open your inventory with B. Sheath/Unsheath with X. Change the camera view between first- and third-person with the right stick button. Enter sneak mode with the left stick button. And finally, wait with the Back button. This may seem like a lot, but a easy tutorial will guide you through the basics of gameplay. The camera is great. Variety with the view helps A LOT. Overall, the controls and camera in this game are flawless.
As I said before, the basics of the game are easy to learn in a simple tutorial. But the tutorial also helps you with harder things, like potion-making. Other elements are easy to learn too. The manual tells you how and where you can make spells, enchant items, and more.
The new stealth element adds another aspect to playing. The sneak mode (easily accessed with a click of the left stick) can help you evade guards and creatures. It also serves as the basis for the Theives Guild and Dark Brotherhood quests, as you need to sneak your way through. It is easy to tell when you can be detected by any living thing (plants excluded) with an "sneaking eye" that appears around your crosshair. When it is dark, you are unnoticed. But when it brightens, somebody knows your there. Even in sneak mode, not everyone will attack you. Also, when you are in sneak mode, you can pickpocket someone. Unless your sneak skill is higher than theirs (there is no way to tell), they will detect you. But if your sneak skill is higher than theirs and your sneaking eye is dark, you wont be detected. Hazaa!! There also is a new lockpicking mini-game. You basically push up the tumblers and press A just as it hits the top. If you hit A too early or too late, your lockpick breaks and you have to start over again. As your Security skill gets higher, picking locks becomes easier.
The addition of Freeform Missions (missions where there is no objective; you start them on your own) provides cool new things to do. You can do things like buying houses and horses, reading books that raise specific skills, getting trained, and betting on Arena matches. You can buy houses in every city. Houses vary in quality and cause. For example: there is a beat-down shack in the Imperial City for only 2000 gold, while there is a mansion in Skingrad for 25,000 gold. Two of the 7 houses have mini-quests. The house in Anvil (a nice manor for 500 gold) is haunted. The first time you sleep you are awakened by ghosts that want to kill you. After you defend yourself, you start a short mission. In Skingrad, there are two quests. First, if you buy the House Servant's Quarters (a furniture set), a nord woman name Ejya will offer to be your maid for 150 gold. Also, if you look on top of a ledge on the 3rd floor of the house, you find a letter depicting where treasure is hidden inside the house. After you purchase a house, it only comes with a bed and perhaps a few small things. To spruce it up, you can buy furniture sets from a local trader. These sets may include Bedroom Areas, Dining Areas, Studies, Storage Areas, Wall Hangings, and a lot more. You can also buy horses at stables outside of every city. Except for the Imperial City (the seller there has...well...eaten all the horses. Horses range in price from 500 to 5000 gold. You can bet on matches at the Imperial City Arena. Your Luck greatly effects your chances at winning. Also, you can get training in various skills from various people all across Cyrodiil. Other Freeform Missions include making spells, enchanting items, and reading skill books.
One of the best parts of the game is the realism. Bethesda added things like crime and punishment, bounty, fame, and infamy to make Cyrodiil seem like the real world. If you commit crimes such as assault and robbery, you get a bounty. If anyone catches you, that is. If they do and the guards nab you, you have 3 choices. You could: A. Pay gold equal to your bounty, B. Go to jail (your skills will be damaged permanently and your stolen items will be confiscated), or C. Resist Arrest. It is just as it sounds. I would never chose C, as the guards are always 10 levels above your own. Fame and Infamy effect how well known you are throughout Cyrodiil. If you complete "good" quests (like completing Main Quest segments and helping the Counts and Countesses throughout the land) your Fame is raised. If you complete "evil" quests (like Theives Guild and Dark Brotherhood quests) your Infamy is raised. This doesn't effect your game much, but it will help you in many small ways.
Add all those things together and you get one kick-ass game. If Elder Scrolls 4 was this good, man, i can't wait to see 5. I give Oblivion 10 paint horses out of 10. HAZAA!!! BEST GAME EVER!!!
First, the sick graphics. When you first step out of the Imperial City Sewers, the first word of of your mouth will be "holy shit!" You look around. In front of you is a Aylied ruin, literally glowing in the bright sun. Behind you is the gleaming majesty that is the Imperial City. White Gold Tower reflects in the waters of Lake Rumare. Its a work of digital art. Then when you look out from the watch towers at Cloud Ruler Temple on a clear day, you can see the entire province of Cyrodiil. That is when you realize this is probably the best looking game ever.
Next, the endless freedom. You can do whatever you want after you complete the tutorial. You can go join a guild. Do a side quest. Join the arena. Work on the main quest. Even just walk around talking to people, if you want to. You can do whatever you want. But do go trying to kill the guards as they are always 10 levels above your own. If you save up enough gold, you can buy a house. Or a horse. You can buy some armor or weapons, kill some wolves and sell their pelts, go hunting for deer in the woods. You can ride your horse around, raiding bandit camps or old abandoned mines. IT DOESN'T MATTER. Do whatever the hell you please.
If you get bored with the main quest, there are literally hundreds of side quests. Pretty much anywhere you go, theres a quest. Whether it's killing a few ogres or stealing a rare ring, there is a great variety of quests for you to do. If you don't want to fight or get in trouble, head to Chorrol and help the countess with her investigation. If you want to go on a wild killing spree, help the Odiil boys recover their farm. There are enough quests to fufill anyone's needs. Theres even a quest where some girls invite you to have "a little fun". Unfortunately, you have to kill them. Awwww, poopy.
The province of Cyrodiil is HUGE. It could take you at least an hour to cross it by foot. Thankfully, you can "fast-travel" to any location you've already been to. Everywhere you go, there are dungeons, mines, bandit camps, and more quests for you to explore. Go ahead, head into that Aylied ruin and kill everything in sight. It's your choice! You will also find small villages and camps with people to meet and sometimes help out. If you're bored of quests, you can hop on your horse and go exploring in the woods. You never know what you might find! In fact, a lot of mines and dungeons have special enchanted items at the very end. Go for it!
The controls in Oblivion are a peice of cake. Mmmmmmmm, delicious cake. Move with the left stick. Typical. Move the camera with the right stick. Typical. Attack with RT. Cast a spell with RB. Block with LT. Jump with Y. Talk and activate stuff with A. Open your inventory with B. Sheath/Unsheath with X. Change the camera view between first- and third-person with the right stick button. Enter sneak mode with the left stick button. And finally, wait with the Back button. This may seem like a lot, but a easy tutorial will guide you through the basics of gameplay. The camera is great. Variety with the view helps A LOT. Overall, the controls and camera in this game are flawless.
As I said before, the basics of the game are easy to learn in a simple tutorial. But the tutorial also helps you with harder things, like potion-making. Other elements are easy to learn too. The manual tells you how and where you can make spells, enchant items, and more.
The new stealth element adds another aspect to playing. The sneak mode (easily accessed with a click of the left stick) can help you evade guards and creatures. It also serves as the basis for the Theives Guild and Dark Brotherhood quests, as you need to sneak your way through. It is easy to tell when you can be detected by any living thing (plants excluded) with an "sneaking eye" that appears around your crosshair. When it is dark, you are unnoticed. But when it brightens, somebody knows your there. Even in sneak mode, not everyone will attack you. Also, when you are in sneak mode, you can pickpocket someone. Unless your sneak skill is higher than theirs (there is no way to tell), they will detect you. But if your sneak skill is higher than theirs and your sneaking eye is dark, you wont be detected. Hazaa!! There also is a new lockpicking mini-game. You basically push up the tumblers and press A just as it hits the top. If you hit A too early or too late, your lockpick breaks and you have to start over again. As your Security skill gets higher, picking locks becomes easier.
The addition of Freeform Missions (missions where there is no objective; you start them on your own) provides cool new things to do. You can do things like buying houses and horses, reading books that raise specific skills, getting trained, and betting on Arena matches. You can buy houses in every city. Houses vary in quality and cause. For example: there is a beat-down shack in the Imperial City for only 2000 gold, while there is a mansion in Skingrad for 25,000 gold. Two of the 7 houses have mini-quests. The house in Anvil (a nice manor for 500 gold) is haunted. The first time you sleep you are awakened by ghosts that want to kill you. After you defend yourself, you start a short mission. In Skingrad, there are two quests. First, if you buy the House Servant's Quarters (a furniture set), a nord woman name Ejya will offer to be your maid for 150 gold. Also, if you look on top of a ledge on the 3rd floor of the house, you find a letter depicting where treasure is hidden inside the house. After you purchase a house, it only comes with a bed and perhaps a few small things. To spruce it up, you can buy furniture sets from a local trader. These sets may include Bedroom Areas, Dining Areas, Studies, Storage Areas, Wall Hangings, and a lot more. You can also buy horses at stables outside of every city. Except for the Imperial City (the seller there has...well...eaten all the horses. Horses range in price from 500 to 5000 gold. You can bet on matches at the Imperial City Arena. Your Luck greatly effects your chances at winning. Also, you can get training in various skills from various people all across Cyrodiil. Other Freeform Missions include making spells, enchanting items, and reading skill books.
One of the best parts of the game is the realism. Bethesda added things like crime and punishment, bounty, fame, and infamy to make Cyrodiil seem like the real world. If you commit crimes such as assault and robbery, you get a bounty. If anyone catches you, that is. If they do and the guards nab you, you have 3 choices. You could: A. Pay gold equal to your bounty, B. Go to jail (your skills will be damaged permanently and your stolen items will be confiscated), or C. Resist Arrest. It is just as it sounds. I would never chose C, as the guards are always 10 levels above your own. Fame and Infamy effect how well known you are throughout Cyrodiil. If you complete "good" quests (like completing Main Quest segments and helping the Counts and Countesses throughout the land) your Fame is raised. If you complete "evil" quests (like Theives Guild and Dark Brotherhood quests) your Infamy is raised. This doesn't effect your game much, but it will help you in many small ways.
Add all those things together and you get one kick-ass game. If Elder Scrolls 4 was this good, man, i can't wait to see 5. I give Oblivion 10 paint horses out of 10. HAZAA!!! BEST GAME EVER!!!
iPod Video or PSP?
I got an e-mail from Dan in San Diego, CA, asking which is better: the Video iPod or the Sony PSP? I really can't answer that, Dan, so I've enlisted the help of my good friend Tony Buckney. Lets start the debate.
Colin: I would have to go with the PSP.
Tony: I beg to differ. The Video iPod is better.
Colin: Why do you say that?
Tony: Well, the PSP's music and movie functions are a bit sketchy. I mean, there aren't a lot of UMD movies out there, and it's hard to transfer data from your computer to your PSP, much unlike the Video iPod, which does it automatically.
Colin: But the PSP makes it easy to play movies and music once its on the memory card.
Tony: I don't doubt that, it's just that getting data on the memory card is a challenge in the first place, and a 32 mB memory card is very small.
Colin: Your absolutely right. But there are bigger memory cards available for next to nothing. It also is pretty easy to change memory cards.
Tony: Next to nothing? A 1 gB card is 60 bucks!
Colin: Well, thats a lot cheaper than a Video iPod.
Tony: Yes, but are you forgetting that a 30 gB Video iPod is 300$.
Colin: Well the PSP is mainly for games.
Tony: What games? Pretty much all the games on the PSP suck.
Colin: Not true. Theres ATV Off-Road Fury, Metal Gear Acid... and you have to have played Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories!
Tony: Okay, i'll admit, there are some really great games for the PSP. But the Video iPod is the MP3 player to have!
Colin: All right, so we agree that the PSP is more for gaming and the Video iPod is geared toward music and movies.
Tony: Agreed.
There you go, Dan. It's your pick. Are you in for the games or for the music and movies? That will determine what to buy.
Colin: I would have to go with the PSP.
Tony: I beg to differ. The Video iPod is better.
Colin: Why do you say that?
Tony: Well, the PSP's music and movie functions are a bit sketchy. I mean, there aren't a lot of UMD movies out there, and it's hard to transfer data from your computer to your PSP, much unlike the Video iPod, which does it automatically.
Colin: But the PSP makes it easy to play movies and music once its on the memory card.
Tony: I don't doubt that, it's just that getting data on the memory card is a challenge in the first place, and a 32 mB memory card is very small.
Colin: Your absolutely right. But there are bigger memory cards available for next to nothing. It also is pretty easy to change memory cards.
Tony: Next to nothing? A 1 gB card is 60 bucks!
Colin: Well, thats a lot cheaper than a Video iPod.
Tony: Yes, but are you forgetting that a 30 gB Video iPod is 300$.
Colin: Well the PSP is mainly for games.
Tony: What games? Pretty much all the games on the PSP suck.
Colin: Not true. Theres ATV Off-Road Fury, Metal Gear Acid... and you have to have played Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories!
Tony: Okay, i'll admit, there are some really great games for the PSP. But the Video iPod is the MP3 player to have!
Colin: All right, so we agree that the PSP is more for gaming and the Video iPod is geared toward music and movies.
Tony: Agreed.
There you go, Dan. It's your pick. Are you in for the games or for the music and movies? That will determine what to buy.
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Got Questions? I've got answers!
If your wondering what game you should get, whether you should buy hardware or not, or any other gaming questions you have, give me a shout at chilloutmon@gmail.com. I will answer all your questions. No question is a stupid one! Except if your wondering wjat and MMORPG is. I've heard that one WAY too many times.
Games for Cheap Bastards: XBox 360
Quite frankly, if you're a cheap bastard, you probably can't afford a 360. ANYWAY... There are a few cheap games for the 360. There's NHL 2K6 and College Hoops 2K6 for you sports fans. There's Perfect Dark Zero for you shooter types. And thats about it.
If you want a review of NHL 2K6, look in the My Picks for the XBox 360 post. As for College Hoops 2K6, here's the skinny. Its an average basketball game, but it has the NCAA teams instead of NBA. Its not bad. Its got 3D crowds and arenas, 325 teams with a variety of customization options, and it just has a great atmosphere. But the graphics are pretty bad for the 360 and its pretty much the same game as its XBox and PS2 predecessors. And the commentary just plain pisses me off. 6 out of 10.
Perfect Dark Zero is a solid shooter. It has a good storyline. It has some decent multiplayer options. And it has some sweet weapons and graphics. It has quite a few flaws, though. The vehicles and gadgets are a total wash, and although there's a good variety, some of the multiplayer is buggy. It also has some pointless stealth elements, like ducking under open tables. Most of the time, you'll get detected no matter what you do. Then it turns into some samey shooting. I give Perfect Dark Zero 6.5 out of 10.
Now, all of these games go for $29.99* which is the cheapest price for any game on the 360. Get used to it.
*Prices from BestBuy.com
If you want a review of NHL 2K6, look in the My Picks for the XBox 360 post. As for College Hoops 2K6, here's the skinny. Its an average basketball game, but it has the NCAA teams instead of NBA. Its not bad. Its got 3D crowds and arenas, 325 teams with a variety of customization options, and it just has a great atmosphere. But the graphics are pretty bad for the 360 and its pretty much the same game as its XBox and PS2 predecessors. And the commentary just plain pisses me off. 6 out of 10.
Perfect Dark Zero is a solid shooter. It has a good storyline. It has some decent multiplayer options. And it has some sweet weapons and graphics. It has quite a few flaws, though. The vehicles and gadgets are a total wash, and although there's a good variety, some of the multiplayer is buggy. It also has some pointless stealth elements, like ducking under open tables. Most of the time, you'll get detected no matter what you do. Then it turns into some samey shooting. I give Perfect Dark Zero 6.5 out of 10.
Now, all of these games go for $29.99* which is the cheapest price for any game on the 360. Get used to it.
*Prices from BestBuy.com
My Picks for the XBox 360
Whats that? You bought a 360? Good for you! But i hope you bought the premium or at least the hard drive, cause if you didn't, your a moron! Yaaaaay!
Well, now that that's out of the way, congratulations on getting a 360. Your a rich bastard. Either that or you're a hard worker. But if you are a hard worker, you wouldn't buy a 360. Sooo......
Anyway, you bought a 360 and you probably are flat broke. But if you have even enough money for a game, here's what you should get:
There is one must-have game for the 360. It's name: Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion. It's game: keeping you busy for a hell of a while. The only reason you shouldn't get this game is if you absolutely, positively despise RPGs. GET IT. YOU WILL LIKE IT. Check my full review coming soon
If you already have Oblivion or you dont want the best game of the 21st century, there is quite a few other good games. If you like RPG's and you have Oblivion, Lara Croft's Tomb Raider: Legend is good too. There hardly is any fighting, but its full of puzzles, obstacles, and those classic Tomb Raider elements. If you like Tomb Raider, this is the game for you. An 8 out of 10.
There are 3 good racing games for the 360. PGR 3, Need For Speed: Most Wanted, and Burnout Revenge. PGR 3 is more sophisticated racing, where you actually have to slow down to make turns. There is drifting, but its really, really hard. Anyway, PGR 3 offers amazing graphics and hundreds of cars. There is no customization beyond the color, but the cars are all real racing cars. There's no VW's. There's no Chevy's (besides the Corvettes). Just pure racing cars. Some, like the Enzo Ferrari, look really awesome. Some don't. But the game ROCKS OUT LOUD. 9 Lambo's out of 10.
Need For Speed: Most Wanted is like most NFS games: pretty original. It has the typical customization; body kits, rims, performance parts. There are a ton of new cars, like the Lambourghini Murcielago, Porshe Carrera GT, and Aston-Marton DB9. And we haven't seen a Lambo since NFS Hot Pursuit 2. It has a storyline, although cheesy, it still has a storyline, which is pretty unheard of in the racing genre. But the best part: the pursuits. We had pursuits in Hot Pursuit (duh), but not to this level. Now, pursuits play a very important role in the campaign, as you need to complete pursuit milestones and raise your local bounty to challenge a boss (called Blacklist Racers). Also, the pursuits are diverse, enhancing the pursuit vehicles and tactics as your heat level rises. For example: at heat level 4, they use juiced-up Pontiac GTO's and start adding spikestrips and helicopters to the pursuit. I give NFS: Most Wanted a 9 out of 10.
The final game is Burnout Revenge. Its the kind of racing game that has a lot of destruction and fast-paced racing. I also has some pretty good online play. This is good game for a racing fan, especially if you're familiar with the series. Although it is the same game as Burnout Revenge for the XBox, they did add a few new cars and tracks. If you like smashing you car into your opponents and causing as much destruction as humanly possible in Crash mode, this is the game for you. 8.5 takedowns out of 10.
What? Screw racing and RPG's? How about a shooter? There are several excellent shooters for the 360. But the best are Prey and Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter.
Prey is a brand-new shooter, and was very anticipated by gamers. With its release, Prey proved what the XBox 360 can really do. It has stunning visuals, great gameplay, asuperb physics engine, and more. This is not your average shooter. This is full of puzzles, variety, and amazing weapons. Most of your arsenal will come from the enviroment. For example, if you run out of ammo on your pistol, you can pick up a crab-like alien, rip its legs off, and throw them at something. Organic weapons are you best allie. The game also features Spirit Mode, which can be entered at any time. You can use Spirit Mode to pass through forcefields and take down enemies unseen. But this does leave your character vulnerable to attack. And don't hope for a spot with no enemies; the new AI engine allows enemies to move around and patrol the halls before knowing your there. And backup will come if your under attack. Another cool thing about this game is the portals. There are many portals throughout the game. They aren't like most portals though. You can see through them (and so can your enemies), shoot through them (again, so can your enemies), and your not the only one who can pass through them. This makes for some fun gameplay. The only problem: its rated M. Prey gets a whopping 9.5 crab legs out of 10.
Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter probably the first good shooter for the 360. Its graphics are stunning and its gameplay flows pretty well. There aren't a lot of guns, but there is a lot of strategy involved (controlling your team, etc.) It's a great game all around. You are in command of a small squad of soldiers in the year 2010. You have the most high-tech weaponry and equipment. Its a fun game with a lot of variety. And it's XBox Live play is pretty bad-ass. If you liked the other Ghost Recon games or really any Tom Clancy games, this is sure to be a hit. I give G.R.A.W. 9 out of 10.
Ah, so its a fighter you want. Dead or Alive 4 is your best bet. It's got the best parts of DOA 3 and a lot more. It took what good DOA 3 had, like multi-tiered arenas and a diverse set of characters and moves. It added some awesome online play and upped the graphics. Now, not only are the characters diverse, but they are HOT!!! Really the only problem is the AI. I mean, its seems like Satan himself created it. I give the lastest installment in the DOA series an 8 out of 10.
But wait, what about sports? Well, there are a lot of good sport games on the 360. First is Fight Night Round 3. It's a boxing game. Make that the boxing game. Its got incredible graphics, solid camera and player controls, and lots of facial expressions. Hazaa! 8.5 out of 10.
What? Hockey? Oh, we got some hockey there, dontchaknow. NHL 2K6 is a pretty good game. It sticks to the basic NHL 2K series controls and annoying camera, but it adds a helpful Pro Mode, in which there are two possibilities. First, if your team has possession of the puck, the controls change to make it easier to pull off fancy moves. But if the puck is not in your possesion, the camera moves to behind the goalie. You move the goalie left and right, and when the puck is shot, things sloooooooooooooooooooooooow down and you have 5 seconds to move your save circle over the shot target. This can make spectacular saves a piece of cake, eh? The problem with this game is the AI isn't perfect and its simplicity can leave you pretty bored. 8 goals for the Montreal Canadians out of 10 for the New Jersey Devils. Go Devils!!
So, my advice to you XBox 360 owners is to BUY OBLIVION. YOU WILL LIKE IT OR YOUR MONEY BACK (not really).
Well, now that that's out of the way, congratulations on getting a 360. Your a rich bastard. Either that or you're a hard worker. But if you are a hard worker, you wouldn't buy a 360. Sooo......
Anyway, you bought a 360 and you probably are flat broke. But if you have even enough money for a game, here's what you should get:
There is one must-have game for the 360. It's name: Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion. It's game: keeping you busy for a hell of a while. The only reason you shouldn't get this game is if you absolutely, positively despise RPGs. GET IT. YOU WILL LIKE IT. Check my full review coming soon
If you already have Oblivion or you dont want the best game of the 21st century, there is quite a few other good games. If you like RPG's and you have Oblivion, Lara Croft's Tomb Raider: Legend is good too. There hardly is any fighting, but its full of puzzles, obstacles, and those classic Tomb Raider elements. If you like Tomb Raider, this is the game for you. An 8 out of 10.
There are 3 good racing games for the 360. PGR 3, Need For Speed: Most Wanted, and Burnout Revenge. PGR 3 is more sophisticated racing, where you actually have to slow down to make turns. There is drifting, but its really, really hard. Anyway, PGR 3 offers amazing graphics and hundreds of cars. There is no customization beyond the color, but the cars are all real racing cars. There's no VW's. There's no Chevy's (besides the Corvettes). Just pure racing cars. Some, like the Enzo Ferrari, look really awesome. Some don't. But the game ROCKS OUT LOUD. 9 Lambo's out of 10.
Need For Speed: Most Wanted is like most NFS games: pretty original. It has the typical customization; body kits, rims, performance parts. There are a ton of new cars, like the Lambourghini Murcielago, Porshe Carrera GT, and Aston-Marton DB9. And we haven't seen a Lambo since NFS Hot Pursuit 2. It has a storyline, although cheesy, it still has a storyline, which is pretty unheard of in the racing genre. But the best part: the pursuits. We had pursuits in Hot Pursuit (duh), but not to this level. Now, pursuits play a very important role in the campaign, as you need to complete pursuit milestones and raise your local bounty to challenge a boss (called Blacklist Racers). Also, the pursuits are diverse, enhancing the pursuit vehicles and tactics as your heat level rises. For example: at heat level 4, they use juiced-up Pontiac GTO's and start adding spikestrips and helicopters to the pursuit. I give NFS: Most Wanted a 9 out of 10.
The final game is Burnout Revenge. Its the kind of racing game that has a lot of destruction and fast-paced racing. I also has some pretty good online play. This is good game for a racing fan, especially if you're familiar with the series. Although it is the same game as Burnout Revenge for the XBox, they did add a few new cars and tracks. If you like smashing you car into your opponents and causing as much destruction as humanly possible in Crash mode, this is the game for you. 8.5 takedowns out of 10.
What? Screw racing and RPG's? How about a shooter? There are several excellent shooters for the 360. But the best are Prey and Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter.
Prey is a brand-new shooter, and was very anticipated by gamers. With its release, Prey proved what the XBox 360 can really do. It has stunning visuals, great gameplay, asuperb physics engine, and more. This is not your average shooter. This is full of puzzles, variety, and amazing weapons. Most of your arsenal will come from the enviroment. For example, if you run out of ammo on your pistol, you can pick up a crab-like alien, rip its legs off, and throw them at something. Organic weapons are you best allie. The game also features Spirit Mode, which can be entered at any time. You can use Spirit Mode to pass through forcefields and take down enemies unseen. But this does leave your character vulnerable to attack. And don't hope for a spot with no enemies; the new AI engine allows enemies to move around and patrol the halls before knowing your there. And backup will come if your under attack. Another cool thing about this game is the portals. There are many portals throughout the game. They aren't like most portals though. You can see through them (and so can your enemies), shoot through them (again, so can your enemies), and your not the only one who can pass through them. This makes for some fun gameplay. The only problem: its rated M. Prey gets a whopping 9.5 crab legs out of 10.
Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter probably the first good shooter for the 360. Its graphics are stunning and its gameplay flows pretty well. There aren't a lot of guns, but there is a lot of strategy involved (controlling your team, etc.) It's a great game all around. You are in command of a small squad of soldiers in the year 2010. You have the most high-tech weaponry and equipment. Its a fun game with a lot of variety. And it's XBox Live play is pretty bad-ass. If you liked the other Ghost Recon games or really any Tom Clancy games, this is sure to be a hit. I give G.R.A.W. 9 out of 10.
Ah, so its a fighter you want. Dead or Alive 4 is your best bet. It's got the best parts of DOA 3 and a lot more. It took what good DOA 3 had, like multi-tiered arenas and a diverse set of characters and moves. It added some awesome online play and upped the graphics. Now, not only are the characters diverse, but they are HOT!!! Really the only problem is the AI. I mean, its seems like Satan himself created it. I give the lastest installment in the DOA series an 8 out of 10.
But wait, what about sports? Well, there are a lot of good sport games on the 360. First is Fight Night Round 3. It's a boxing game. Make that the boxing game. Its got incredible graphics, solid camera and player controls, and lots of facial expressions. Hazaa! 8.5 out of 10.
What? Hockey? Oh, we got some hockey there, dontchaknow. NHL 2K6 is a pretty good game. It sticks to the basic NHL 2K series controls and annoying camera, but it adds a helpful Pro Mode, in which there are two possibilities. First, if your team has possession of the puck, the controls change to make it easier to pull off fancy moves. But if the puck is not in your possesion, the camera moves to behind the goalie. You move the goalie left and right, and when the puck is shot, things sloooooooooooooooooooooooow down and you have 5 seconds to move your save circle over the shot target. This can make spectacular saves a piece of cake, eh? The problem with this game is the AI isn't perfect and its simplicity can leave you pretty bored. 8 goals for the Montreal Canadians out of 10 for the New Jersey Devils. Go Devils!!
So, my advice to you XBox 360 owners is to BUY OBLIVION. YOU WILL LIKE IT OR YOUR MONEY BACK (not really).
XBox Live: Worth 50$ a year?
Now, there have been a few emails saying "should i really pay 50$ a year for XBox Live?" My answer: HELL YEAH! But many others say otherwise.
Your XBox Live experience really depends on what games you have. If you have a game like Oblivion with no XBox Live capability whatsoever, skip it. But if you have a game like Halo or Counterstrike with really awesome XBox Live play, it's a must.
But before you buy it, check for these things.
1. MAKE SURE YOUR XBOX LIVE ETHERNET CABLE CAN REACH A JACK. Its not worth it to buy a 100$ wireless adapter.
2. Make sure you have a good internet connection. Anything but dial-up will work.
3. If you do buy the wireless adapter, make sure you have a wireless router first.
After that, you're all set. If you have any of the following games, XBox Live is a must.
Halo or Halo 2
CounterStrike
Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory
PGR 3
NBA Live '06
Madden NFL '06
Shattered Union
Moto GP '06 (if your any good at it)
If this doesn't help you, email me at chilloutmon@gmail.com and tell me what games you have.
Your XBox Live experience really depends on what games you have. If you have a game like Oblivion with no XBox Live capability whatsoever, skip it. But if you have a game like Halo or Counterstrike with really awesome XBox Live play, it's a must.
But before you buy it, check for these things.
1. MAKE SURE YOUR XBOX LIVE ETHERNET CABLE CAN REACH A JACK. Its not worth it to buy a 100$ wireless adapter.
2. Make sure you have a good internet connection. Anything but dial-up will work.
3. If you do buy the wireless adapter, make sure you have a wireless router first.
After that, you're all set. If you have any of the following games, XBox Live is a must.
Halo or Halo 2
CounterStrike
Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory
PGR 3
NBA Live '06
Madden NFL '06
Shattered Union
Moto GP '06 (if your any good at it)
If this doesn't help you, email me at chilloutmon@gmail.com and tell me what games you have.
Moto Gp '06
Moto GP '06 is a game for the 360 based on the Moto GP motorcycle racing league. Its an international sport. It seems fun at first, but after your first race, you will be screaming "I HATE THIS GAME!" It is hands-down the hardest game i've ever played on the 360. Top 3 ever. What makes it so freakin' hard? THE CONTROL. It seems simple at first. Go, stop, and turn. Go is easy, and stop is too. But turn, OMFG!!! You turn pretty wide if your going fast. You have to slow down to 25 mph just to turn a tiny bit. It will take you hours of spinning out, going off the track, and just plain agitation to get it down. After that, it's pretty fun. But its still challenging.
Other than that, the game's pretty good. It has no story (like most racing games) and great graphics and visuals. Theres a bit of customization between your motorcycle and your rider. You can also chose your nationality. Ooh, i want to be Jamaica! What, what the hell is Qahar?? Wasn't that a movie? Oh well. Beyond the visuals, the game sucks. You listen to the same song over and over and over again. Can we get some decent music in here? Oh, i guess not. It does have some solid XBox Live capability, but the racing itself sucks. I give Moto GP '06 6 spinouts out of 10.
Other than that, the game's pretty good. It has no story (like most racing games) and great graphics and visuals. Theres a bit of customization between your motorcycle and your rider. You can also chose your nationality. Ooh, i want to be Jamaica! What, what the hell is Qahar?? Wasn't that a movie? Oh well. Beyond the visuals, the game sucks. You listen to the same song over and over and over again. Can we get some decent music in here? Oh, i guess not. It does have some solid XBox Live capability, but the racing itself sucks. I give Moto GP '06 6 spinouts out of 10.
My Picks for the Nintendo DS
I'm sure many of you are wondering: "Hey, i just bought a DS, not what the hell do i do with it?" Well, heres my take on what games you should buy.
Now, lets say you have enough for 1 DS game. What do you get? That depends on what you like.
Lets say you like racing. This is an obvious choice. Mario Kart DS. With good racing and plenty of variety, Mario Kart DS will have you racing your butt off for a while. And with the addition of Wi-Fi play, you wont be alone. I give Mario Kart DS 8.5 out of 10. And, quite frankly, there are no other good racing games for the DS. Then again, i haven't played the Burnout game for the DS...
Well, what if you hate racing, but you LOOOVE strategy. First of all, your really, really weird. Second, you should get Advance Wars: Dual Strike. It is a great game. Solid fighting, great use of the touch screen, and its REALLY addicting, in a good way. The only problem is that you're fighting the same war as the other Advance Wars games. But, if you actually played the other games, you will love Advance Wars: Dual Strike. A hearty 9 out of 10.
How about you Mario lovers out there? There are two Mario games out there that i really like (besides Mario Kart DS). Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time and New Super Mario Bros.
If you were a fan of the original Mario and Luigi, like me, Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time is the game for you. Its got the good parts of Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga (such as bros. moves) and a few of the bad. But it expands on some of the best parts of the original game. Take Bros. Moves. Although they have changed the Bros. Moves to Bros. Items, they have some great ones, like Bros. Flowers and Green Shells. The zany story to Superstar Saga is adapted into a new, even crazier story, with more Peach-nabbing, funny cutscenes, and wacky quests that never, ever end... One of the best parts of Partners in Time is the addition of Baby Mario and Baby Luigi, who are always getting into trouble. There are a few bad parts to the game, though. All of them are brought over from the original Mario and Luigi game. First and foremost, IMPOSSIBLE BOSS BATTLES. It takes a lot of time to defeat a boss. You need to work on leveling up the bros A LOT before you can defeat a boss. Which is the second problem. Its even hard just to level up, especially if your the kind of guy who avoids all the monsters nd heads straight for the boss. Then, after your killed, you have to turn your lazy ass around and battle the monsters before the boss battle. Which can be really boring. The final problem is the worst of all: incredibly repetitive gameplay. Jump, Hammer, Bros. Item. It gets pretty boring after a while. It tries to compensate by a variety of Bros. Items, but it just doesn't cut it. I give Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time a decent 7 out of 10. But if you liked the first Mario and Luigi game, this is a definate buy.
The other good Mario game is New Super Mario Bros. Its a great game, especially if you liked the other Super Mario games. Its got a lot of good things and really only 1 major flaw. Lets start with the pros. Its got great gameplay and it flows like water. Its mostly about timing, but it is not hard to get used to. It introduces a new variety or monsters, like Flying Goombas, Giant Piranha Plants, and monsters disguised as boxes. There are also bosses in each castle. Instead of the 8 worlds and 4 levels in each world from the original Super Mario Bros, there are 8 worlds with 6-8 levels in each. There is always one tower level (a puzzle level ending in a quick battle with Koopa Kid) and one final castle level (ending with a boss battle). Every castle does not have Bowser, only the first (as far as i know; im only on world 3). Then there are bosses usually relating to the theme of the world. Its a great game all around, but it has one major flaw. ITS HARD. ITS REALLY, REALLY HARD. It takes a looong time to beat, and will having your fingers sweating in notime. There is also no tutorial whatsoever, so make sure you READ THE MANUAL. New Super Mario Bros gets a 9 out of 10
Now, if you are looking for a good RPG, then keep looking. I have yet to find a good RPG worthy of buying. Well, there is Harvest Moon DS, but you should probably not waste 30$ on it unless your one of the 4 or 5 hardcore Harvest Moon fans out there.
What about a good shooter/fighter? 3 words: METRIOD PRIME HUNTERS. It is awesome, with good controls that you can customize to fit your handed-ness. It is the game to have for Wi-Fi. It has a pretty good campaign mode, multi-card and download play, and Wi-Fi, and it really is the only good fighting game on the DS.
If your looking for an out-of-the-box game, try Brain Age. Its fun. Its new. It uses the touch screen better than any other game on the market. And it can prove your not as smart as you think. It has this "Brain Age Test" that puts you through three tests that determine your "Brain Age". The best score you can get is 20. Most of the time, your Brain Age will be a lot more than your real age. Stupid. For example: i've had the game for about a week, and the best i've gotten is 39. I'm 13 years old. Wow. Anyway, the game features a ton of unique minigames that are designed to
"activate your prefrontal cortex". Some fancy words, huh? Basically it means that it gets your brain pumping. There is a bit of boring multiplayer (Calculations Battle), but you can also download a demo to another DS, which features a quick Brain Age Test, quick Training (the minigames, and quick Sudoku. Oh yeah, Sudoku. It is probably the best part of the game. Now, I suck at Sudoku. My first puzzle took me about, say, an hour. 10 puzzles later, I was down to about 10 minutes a puzzle. Kudos to myself! The game also features the talking head of Ryuta Kawashima, the creator of Brain Age. He's a "prominent Japanese nueroscientist", which basically means he studies brains, and is pretty good at it. His talking head will guide you through the game and provide tips. The only problem with the game is it gets boring after a short while, and you have to play it EVERY DAY to unlock new minigames. Thankfully, this is the kind of game you can get your mom to buy for you. Yay! Brain Age gets a 7.5 out of 10.
Now lets say your broke. Lets look at some GAMES FOR CHEAP BASTARDS*. First up is Battles of Prince of Persia. It's a halfway decent game, for $9.99. You probably will like it more if you like the other Prince of Persia games. I give it a 6.5 out of 10. Next is..well... theres nothing else cheaper than $19.99 for the DS, so.... Prince of Persia it is!
*Prices from BestBuy.com
Now, lets say you have enough for 1 DS game. What do you get? That depends on what you like.
Lets say you like racing. This is an obvious choice. Mario Kart DS. With good racing and plenty of variety, Mario Kart DS will have you racing your butt off for a while. And with the addition of Wi-Fi play, you wont be alone. I give Mario Kart DS 8.5 out of 10. And, quite frankly, there are no other good racing games for the DS. Then again, i haven't played the Burnout game for the DS...
Well, what if you hate racing, but you LOOOVE strategy. First of all, your really, really weird. Second, you should get Advance Wars: Dual Strike. It is a great game. Solid fighting, great use of the touch screen, and its REALLY addicting, in a good way. The only problem is that you're fighting the same war as the other Advance Wars games. But, if you actually played the other games, you will love Advance Wars: Dual Strike. A hearty 9 out of 10.
How about you Mario lovers out there? There are two Mario games out there that i really like (besides Mario Kart DS). Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time and New Super Mario Bros.
If you were a fan of the original Mario and Luigi, like me, Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time is the game for you. Its got the good parts of Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga (such as bros. moves) and a few of the bad. But it expands on some of the best parts of the original game. Take Bros. Moves. Although they have changed the Bros. Moves to Bros. Items, they have some great ones, like Bros. Flowers and Green Shells. The zany story to Superstar Saga is adapted into a new, even crazier story, with more Peach-nabbing, funny cutscenes, and wacky quests that never, ever end... One of the best parts of Partners in Time is the addition of Baby Mario and Baby Luigi, who are always getting into trouble. There are a few bad parts to the game, though. All of them are brought over from the original Mario and Luigi game. First and foremost, IMPOSSIBLE BOSS BATTLES. It takes a lot of time to defeat a boss. You need to work on leveling up the bros A LOT before you can defeat a boss. Which is the second problem. Its even hard just to level up, especially if your the kind of guy who avoids all the monsters nd heads straight for the boss. Then, after your killed, you have to turn your lazy ass around and battle the monsters before the boss battle. Which can be really boring. The final problem is the worst of all: incredibly repetitive gameplay. Jump, Hammer, Bros. Item. It gets pretty boring after a while. It tries to compensate by a variety of Bros. Items, but it just doesn't cut it. I give Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time a decent 7 out of 10. But if you liked the first Mario and Luigi game, this is a definate buy.
The other good Mario game is New Super Mario Bros. Its a great game, especially if you liked the other Super Mario games. Its got a lot of good things and really only 1 major flaw. Lets start with the pros. Its got great gameplay and it flows like water. Its mostly about timing, but it is not hard to get used to. It introduces a new variety or monsters, like Flying Goombas, Giant Piranha Plants, and monsters disguised as boxes. There are also bosses in each castle. Instead of the 8 worlds and 4 levels in each world from the original Super Mario Bros, there are 8 worlds with 6-8 levels in each. There is always one tower level (a puzzle level ending in a quick battle with Koopa Kid) and one final castle level (ending with a boss battle). Every castle does not have Bowser, only the first (as far as i know; im only on world 3). Then there are bosses usually relating to the theme of the world. Its a great game all around, but it has one major flaw. ITS HARD. ITS REALLY, REALLY HARD. It takes a looong time to beat, and will having your fingers sweating in notime. There is also no tutorial whatsoever, so make sure you READ THE MANUAL. New Super Mario Bros gets a 9 out of 10
Now, if you are looking for a good RPG, then keep looking. I have yet to find a good RPG worthy of buying. Well, there is Harvest Moon DS, but you should probably not waste 30$ on it unless your one of the 4 or 5 hardcore Harvest Moon fans out there.
What about a good shooter/fighter? 3 words: METRIOD PRIME HUNTERS. It is awesome, with good controls that you can customize to fit your handed-ness. It is the game to have for Wi-Fi. It has a pretty good campaign mode, multi-card and download play, and Wi-Fi, and it really is the only good fighting game on the DS.
If your looking for an out-of-the-box game, try Brain Age. Its fun. Its new. It uses the touch screen better than any other game on the market. And it can prove your not as smart as you think. It has this "Brain Age Test" that puts you through three tests that determine your "Brain Age". The best score you can get is 20. Most of the time, your Brain Age will be a lot more than your real age. Stupid. For example: i've had the game for about a week, and the best i've gotten is 39. I'm 13 years old. Wow. Anyway, the game features a ton of unique minigames that are designed to
"activate your prefrontal cortex". Some fancy words, huh? Basically it means that it gets your brain pumping. There is a bit of boring multiplayer (Calculations Battle), but you can also download a demo to another DS, which features a quick Brain Age Test, quick Training (the minigames, and quick Sudoku. Oh yeah, Sudoku. It is probably the best part of the game. Now, I suck at Sudoku. My first puzzle took me about, say, an hour. 10 puzzles later, I was down to about 10 minutes a puzzle. Kudos to myself! The game also features the talking head of Ryuta Kawashima, the creator of Brain Age. He's a "prominent Japanese nueroscientist", which basically means he studies brains, and is pretty good at it. His talking head will guide you through the game and provide tips. The only problem with the game is it gets boring after a short while, and you have to play it EVERY DAY to unlock new minigames. Thankfully, this is the kind of game you can get your mom to buy for you. Yay! Brain Age gets a 7.5 out of 10.
Now lets say your broke. Lets look at some GAMES FOR CHEAP BASTARDS*. First up is Battles of Prince of Persia. It's a halfway decent game, for $9.99. You probably will like it more if you like the other Prince of Persia games. I give it a 6.5 out of 10. Next is..well... theres nothing else cheaper than $19.99 for the DS, so.... Prince of Persia it is!
*Prices from BestBuy.com
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
