Congratulations!! It's A...

Friday we will hopefully be able to find out what we are having. I don't think either my wife or I really care what we are having, so long as it is healthy. So far in the few ultrasounds we have had the baby has not been very cooperative. Legs crossed, revealing nothing of what it may be. The appt we have Friday is apparently a 45min deal, so hopefully with that amount of time they will be able to say one way or another what's up.

Stay Tuned. If i find out actually what we are having i will post it asap. 

More MGS LBP info

So more information has come out on the MSG pack for LittleBigPlanet. The pack will hit the PSN on December 23rd (just in time for virtual stocking stuffing). The individual costumes will cost $2 or you can buy them as a pack for $6. Which includes the Snake, Meryl, Mantis, and Raiden costume. Raiden as announced before will not be sold as a stand alone, only in the pack.

The MGS level pack will also be $6 and includes a HUGE variety of items. First the Gurlukovich costume not available in the other costume pack. Also, 72 stickers, 12 materials, 10 decorations, 18 objects, and apparently more they don't mention. The biggest part (or maybe the smallest) is in this pack you will receive the "Paintinator", a small paint ball gun that your sack boy will carry around. It's the gun that is featured in the video above. 

Once again this whole package is looking better and better. Now that they have patched the game again (1.07) they added an ingame store to buy items from the PSN. They also added a more specific way to search for levels, in game. Very nice additions.  

!

As an update to a story i posted about previously Media Molecule and Sony have let loose with a few more details on the upcoming Metal Gear Solid pack for LittleBigPlanet. 

In addition to the costumes, buying the "Level Pack" will set you up for 11 new Trophies for LBP. Also of note is the fact that your Sackboy will be able to pack some heat (sort of) in the form of a paintball gun. This also will lend to the trophies that you can collect. 

This addition to the game sounds better and better the more i hear about it. To get a complete list of the trophies (both new and old) go to PS3Fanboy's site for just that.

This is all good news considering the fact that i got on to play LBP for the first time today in a while and couldn't get "Online" with it. I wasn't able to access any community levels, or anything else that required a connection to the servers. I thought they got all this sorted out. Did i miss something?

Strictly for the game Nerds.

The people that get it are already laughing. The ones that don't never will.

One good plug deserves another...

So since i got a plug on a recent Podcast from Fullsignull, i figured i would return the favor. I know you're not really supposed to send traffic away from your site but...

FullSignull is a website that revolves around Games and Tech. The also (as mentioned) have a podcast on iTunes, available here. They are just on their 9th podcast now and are starting to hit their stride, so to speak. 

Check out their site and give them a listen. Maybe if i send them enough hits i can get a guest spot on a show one day. 

You got your MGS in my LBP...

Finally a LBP download that i can get behind. Coming apparently very soon to the PSN is a download for LittleBigPlanet that will give you several things from MGS4. You can get them all separate for a small fee or together for a slightly larger one. Items include the "Old Snake" costume *pictured above* also a Meryl costume, and a Screaming Mantis suit. You can also get the MGS level pack as well. Sony will throw in for free if you buy them all a Sackboy version of Raiden from MSG4. 

They haven't given an exact date for the pack or a price break down. However if the past packs are any indication then the suits will be around 99¢ and the package deal probably around $4.99. Since there haven't been any "Level Packs" released there is no indication of what the price may be for that.  I can't imagine that they would charge much more than $5 for it though. It depends on what is involved in it i guess to determine the price. 

The Ol' Bait and Switch, "Home" Style!!

Ok so it's a given that this is going to happen (the Internet was created for these things) but this is just funny to watch. I love the reactions from the other avatars as they all just walk away.

Final Fantasy 6

Well i figured today was as good a day as any to drop a retro review of my favorite game of all time. Final Fantasy 6, or as it was known for so long in the states Final Fantasy 3.

I have such great memories of this game. I remember the first time i saw a friend of mine playing it at his house. I watched him play through about the first hour of the game with wide eyes, internally plotting how i could get the money to buy my own copy. 

I think the first thing that i got caught up in with this game was the graphics. For the time it was probably one of the most colorful and beautiful SNES games on the market. From the environments, to the characters, the spells, everything looked amazing on that 26 inch tube television. 

The story, as i would find out through playing the game, was very inviting and easy to keep up with, yet never boring. Of course this was before the cliche' of stories that had a main character that couldn't remember their past, but needed to save the future. I don't remember the exact count but, along the way you would meet and be able to use a very wide cast of characters. Ninjas, Fighters, Mages, even Gamblers and a feral human/animal thing would all join your party. Each bringing their own special abilities and weapon types.

The Music, well the music from most games sticks with me years after the game has gone. Nobou Uematsu composed some of the most memorable music of the series (at least for me) for this game. Once again, like River City Ransom, I took some of the music and made a ring tone for my cell phone. It's hard to describe music from a game like this and do it justice, the easiest thing to do would be go and find it and give it a listen. I am sure that you can find most if not all of the important songs on imeem.

Gameplay... well as far as RPG's go or the Final Fantasy series goes, it wasn't really revolutionary. However it did introduce a couple of new gameplay mechanics to the series. Sabin (the monk/fighter) had different special moves that he could pull off so long as you entered them in SFII style on the controller. There were also a couple times when your party would be forced to split up and you had to control each independently of the other. These situations usually happened at key plot points in the story. 

There isn't room enough for all the good things that i could say about this game. Like i said before it is probably my all time favorite game. I own it for about three different systems. I play though the bulk of the story regularly about once every 2 years. Sure i know how the story will end, and nothing surprises me anymore in the game but that doesn't matter. From the first time i played it years ago to the last time i played it a couple months ago it still entertains me. 

If you have never played the game before and are a fan of RPGs from the later era of the SNES days, you owe it to yourself to play this one. Other than the original SNES cart, you can also find it on the GBA, and on the PSX as part of the "Final Fantasy Anthology".

Later, Sports. First, The News.

Finally some news worthy, uh, news. 

Konami announced that they are bringing several of their games over to the iPhone and iPod Touch. The games that interest me the most are Silent Hill: The Escape, and Metal Gear Solid Touch. 

Silent Hill: The Escape is "a First person 3D shooting game that lets players utilize the control features on the iPhone and iPod Touch..."

Metal Gear Solid Touch is "an original game that brings to life the world and characters" of MGS4. There are eight "touch shooting" levels available in the initial release and more to come later. 

The other titles they announced were, Dance Dance Revolution S Lite and Frogger. Neither of which really grabbed me and made me happy i actually have an iPod Touch now. MSGT is supposedly coming out for a "Spring 2009" release. And if John Davison is to be believed then Silent Hill: The Escape is headed to the iPod/iPhone this month.

You Look Nice Today

Ok so I have long since been trying to find Comedy Podcasts that were, in actuality, comedic.  Recently I stumbled upon a few Twitter feeds for a couple different people that always seem to make me laugh (hotdogsladies, scottsimpson, and lonleysandwich). Looking deeper into the info behind these guys, much to my surprise and excitement, they conduct a podcast. 

The name of the Podcast is "You Look Nice Today." It is a little hard to describe. I guess you could roughly put it into words by saying it is a couple of guys sitting around talking and cracking jokes. But that wouldn't do it the justice it deserves. They are all very smart, well read, and have a vocabulary that far exceeds my own. However what draws me to the podcast is their extremely dry wit. Listening to them banter back and forth is great, most of the time i find myself rewinding parts b/c i have just laughed through the tail end of a joke. 

It may not be video game related but it is well worth the listen if you just want straight up humor on you iPod or other mp3 playing device. I mean really how can you go wrong with a podcast that has episode titles like "Nicklepuss" and "Where is the ham?"

Here is the link to their podcast through iTunes. 

Cue the tumble weeds...

Ugh! This truly is the "Dry Season". I can't find anything news worthy out there. The only thing really talked about is how bad the VGA's were last night on Spike. I will find out for myself tonight. I figured recording them on my DVR then having the ability to fast forward the horrible celebrity banter was the best option. 

There aren't any new games coming out that are worth even mentioning. The Christmas season sucks as far as new releases, especially if you can afford to buy things when they come out the month before. Then you don't even have something to look forward to in your stocking. 

I don't even think i can come up with something interesting that i saw/thought about on the highway today. Other than the fact that it is 70° today and Christmas is a week and a half away.

Way back Wednesday, now on Thursday...

Let's see, where to begin. 

River City Ransom. This is one of those games that you play over and over again, never really caring about how short it is (or how short you could make it). I remember playing this one with a friend A LOT over the course of about a day and a half. I don't think it was even a continuous play, i think we played it, stopped then played more starting from the beginning. 

This game was memorable for a huge list of small quirks that just made it so much fun. For instance, the fact that the main characters were "Alex" and "Ryan", pretty simple boring everyday names. Also the "story" revolved around you getting through River City then defeating the man behind the take over of "River City High School" named "Slick". In defeating Slick you also rescued Ryan's girlfriend "Cyndi". That was pretty much the entire plot.

This game also managed to hide the fact that it was a beat-em-up wrapped around a RPG. Inside the various stores you were able to purchase food, books, and other accessories. Food ranged from egg rolls to pizza, and the books had titles like "Stone Hands" and "Dragon Feet". Buying books, and sometimes different foods would boost your stats, as well as giving you a permanent upgrade to your attacks and defence. 

Also this game was just a huge time sink if you wanted it to be. I can remember playing for hours on end just taking one player with a stick and one with a rock and just playing stickball in the game. Probably now what the developers had in mind with those two weapons but, i am sure i am not alone in using them for that purpose. 

The interaction between the enemies and heroes was pretty good too, i can't remember any specific lines of dialogue. However i do remember that the names of the gangs were hilarious. You had the "Generic Dudes" the "Frat Boys", and more specifically you had guys named "Moose" that you fought against. Oh and sometimes when they died, if they didn't run away, they would say things like "Barf!". Hilarious!

The music also has a way of working it's way into my head from time to time. So much so that i actually took the music from the store interior and made it my ring tone on my cell phone. 

Like with the previous games i have listed in this section of my blog, i would love to see another more updated version. Again, however, i don't want some slapped together shadow of a game. If they can't make one worth the time of the fans of the original, don't bother. I am happy just playing the Virtual Console version of the NES cart for the time being. 

Home Delay

This is why people have lost faith in Playstation home.

From PS3Fanboy.com

Did you hear? The Home open beta starts today. The client has been patched up to version 1.03 and the servers are down while Sony does various jiggerypokery behind the scenes. TedTheDog states that the service should be back up, along with the launch of open beta, "early PM UK time," though he adds that he can't be more specific than that, thanks to the nature of the global updates.

Ted also confirms that the Home icon will appear on the XMB as soon as the final switch is pulled, though people who are using their PS3s at the time will need to restart. In case you're wondering, it's already past Midday in the UK, so it could go live at any minute. We'll update this post as soon as that happens.

[UPDATE] TedTheDog has updated with the current situation, as of 3pm GMT (10am EST): "Still progressing nicely, now on the testing stage. No eta still as I wouldnt want to guess how long it will take for each region to verify its elements are working but we're getting there." Shouldn't be too long now ...

More updates after the break[UPDATE 2] Rut roh! "Testing complete and a couple of technical problems have been found. We need to iron these issues out first and I'm waiting to hear how long that might take (I'm not qualified to even guess, its very technical). Apologies, I know you all want to get in but we must get these things right. And please remember, this is a beta and today is our first step into the Open Beta environment and what we're doing today is part of the beta process itself."

Also, it appears that the Far Cry 2 and Uncharted spaces won't be available in the European beta today. Likewise the new Diesel and Ligne Roset stores, along with the Red Bull Air Race, won't be available til next week. The American beta should include all these things today. Feel free to say mean things about SCEE in the comments below.

[UPDATE 3] Things don't seem to be going brilliantly over at Sony HQ. TedTheDog writes: "Apologies for the delay in an update, you may have noticed a PSN outage in the last hour. Things seem back on track now although the outage delayed us a little we are moving again. Hope to have another update soon."

According to the Twitter post of both PS3Fanboy and PSHomeCentral, the Home servers are now live. At least until they crash from all the people trying to get in. The time is 4:40pm Est

Mama... Mama I'm Coming Home!

So the wait is over. Tomorrow December 11th 2008, Playstation's Home Open Beta will be here. Really the only question bigger than what will it be like is, does anyone still care? 

I mean this thing was announced in March of 2007 and was slated for its "Original" release in Sept of the same year. It has been in development since 2005. PS3 owners have been hearing literally for years about the functionality of the social networking community. There has been closed beta testing since before summer. Sony has been dropping tiny little tidbits here and there for what seems like forever. When the wool was partially pulled off of our collective eyes they revealed that most of what was promised has been "scaled back". 

About the only thing that i care about with this anymore is the "Trophy Room". Where, you guessed it, your trophies are displayed for you and your friends to see. I may venture out of my house to look around the different game inspired sites. Some seem more exciting than others, like the Uncharted Bar, or the Far Cry 2 desert. 

I dunno i just can't get excited about it anymore. Even knowing for SURE that it will drop tomorrow, i still don't care much. I guess time will tell if their years of work on the community was worth it. I am sure though that the people that drool over the NXE avatars, and the Wii Mii's will be all about this. Eh... 

Random thoughts

So i am driving down the road today (where i do some of my best and most random thinking) and two things came to my mind.

One if you want a quick trip to the mental hospital, here is a Pro-Tip. Sit on the side of a major highway in just your underwear and pet a dead animal like it is your best friend. 

Second, why hasn't Uno Rush come out for LIVE Arcade? They tease us with this new game like a year ago (ok more like 6 months i guess). How long can it possibly take to craft an Uno game? I mean, you already had all the foundation laid with the first one. Slap on a new coat of paint, drop in the new gimmick, and push it out to the public. Now the official write up on the Xbox home page has a date of TBD. Which means either they aren't doing it anymore and don't want to tell us. Or they have no earthly idea when it will either be done or through certification.  Well poop on you. I'll go back to shooting Nazis...

Thank you Anonymous

Mr. Anonymous that posted on my blog. I only have this to say to you, Thanks. 

You bring up a good point. I DO need an editor. I never pretended to do this on a professional level. I write posts b/c i enjoy doing so. I have a love for gaming and gaming culture.Because of that love i have taken it upon myself to write this blog. It may not be what you like, it may not be what a lot of people like, but oh well. Some people don't like Opera, some people don't like math, that's up to the individual to decide. 

If you are giving me actual constructive criticism then, thanks again. As i said before i am not a professional. I do this in my spare time, and i do it so that i have a place to keep my thoughts. Even if no one out there read a single word of any of this i would still write it. I realize that i need someone to edit my thoughts, however doing this guerrilla style isn't exactly conducive to having someone look over my stuff. I do my best to check my spelling, punctuation, and such, but i am not perfect and don't have a degree in English (which is probably painfully obvious to some).

If you just hate my blog, well then don't come back. This is the same issue that comes up with parents. They complain that their kids are watching filth on TV and Movies, and they pick up bad habits. Well the solution to that problem is simple don't let them watch it. If you don't like my blog, don't read it. Simple as that.  

So in closing, if you are an editor that would like to take on the job of helping me out (for free mind you) then let me know. If you know of a better way to get my posts edited let me know. If you don't care what my grammar is like, and just enjoy the fact that i tend to ramble sometimes let me know.

Thank you for caring.

Mirror's Edge

I am sure this is pretty much what the designers had running (no pun intended) through their collective heads when they were working on this game. 

Brush with greatness

Funny little exchange from this morning. 

8-Bit Jezo has arrived...

So since it is the Christmas season. And i just happened to be handed this link, i thought i should share. For those out there that think Christmas Carols are all to flashy and over the top. What with all the orchestral accompaniment and all, try out Doctor Octoroc and his album "8-Bit Jesus". 

Here is the actual Track list that i am currently listening to and totally enjoying. 

1. We Three Konami

2. Ryu The Red Nosed Reindeer

3. Silent Knight Man

4. Carol of the Belmonts

5. Joy to Commando

6. Deck the Kremlin

7. Little Drummer Nemo

8. The Legend of Noel

9. Super Jingle Bros.

Now these tracks aren't what you might be thinking, just the regular Xmas carols done in 8-bit sound... they are more like if Christmas was a Capcom game and starred Mega Man. It really is amazing stuff. They have brought back my love of Christmas, and i may actually like to listen to this outside of the Christmas Season. 

Here is the link to the easiest way to Download them all. Oh and it's free!

8-Bit Jesus

Sushi Big Daddy...

Just thought this was pretty cool. 

Via Shawn Elliott's Twitter.

Left 4 Dead

So i don't think this needs to be said but this game is amazing. Hey have you heard that yet from anyone out there in the gaming press... no, well let me elaborate. 

This game throws you in the shoes of one of four "survivors" after the Zombie Apocalypse has occurred. Your job is pretty simple, and the game lays it out for you right from the start, "Stay together to survive." Yeah that is pretty much it. Make it through 4 movies/missions/chapters and get rescued at the end of each. If you can keep all three of your friends alive in the process, even better.

Playing alone is fine, the bots can handle themselves, sometimes better than you can. They rarely miss and hardly ever get beat down so bad they need YOU to help them. However, you will rely on THEM quite a bit. You will be beaten, trampled, and dragged to almost certain Zombie doom over and over again, and you will love every minuet of it. 

Playing with three other friends is where this game becomes golden brown. You and your buddies take on the roles of the four zombie slayers on a mission to get the heck outta Dodge. Still you NEED to stick together. Run to far ahead, or lag to far behind, and you will be in serious trouble. Especially in the final stage of each movie when your rescue boat/plane/tank gets there and about eleventy billion zombies are all biting at your heels literally. 

Once you get tired of the story mode, you can play a versus match. This also is where the game shines. Now instead of playing as a survivor, you get to play as one of the "Special" infected. 

There is the "Smoker", who uses his extendo-tounge and drags people away from their buddies to their death. He sounds like a 3 pack a day smoker that has just run a marathon.

Then there is the "Hunter". Able to leap around, move very fast, and will pounce on unknowing civilians and attack them with lethal blows until they stop moving. Always lurking in the shadows... Sounds like someone that is having really bad night tremors. 

Next we have the "Boomer". He is just a big bloated, festering corpse. Full of god knows what, and ready to throw it up all over you. When he does yack on you, beware. The horde now smells you like a pregnant lady smells ... well anything really. Also if you get to be the unlucky one to shoot the Boomer in the wrong spot, he will explode all that foulness on you as well. This guy sounds much like every stereotypical fat man in every movie you have ever seen. 

Last but not least is the "Tank". Just like the name would suggest, he is a huge beast that is very strong and hard to take down. No need for finesse with him, just smash everything in your path until it is a bloody pulp. Moves slow, attacks slow, but packs a mean right AND left hand. He sounds like, well the Hulk™ I guess, minus the "Hulk Smash!" stuff. 

Bottom line is, this game is fun. I don't normally recommend that everyone get/play a game, however this would be the exception. This is a game not to miss. If you like first person shooters. If you enjoy horror movies, or at the very least just want to have fun with friends, get this game. I can't tell anyone to spend $60 on a game, but i think this one is worth a rent for sure. 

That strange sucking sound...

That strange sucking sound you hear, oh that's just all the good games being sucked out of the market. Welcome to the doldrums of the Holidays. 

Now is the time when most publishers and distributors just sick back and wait for the profits to roll in. They don't release any games worth a damn really anymore until spring. I have mixed feelings about this years slow period. On the one hand i want the party to never end, keep the Triple A games coming to me and i will keep buying them, or at least renting them. On the other hand i am glad that the train has finally come to a screeching halt. My wallet and calendar can't take much more of this schedule. 

I just realized that the 3 games that have been at my house from Gamefly, are the same ones that i rented at the beginning of November. After a very steady rotation of at least 2 games a week, the well has run dry. I finally have time to go back and play more of Fallout 3 and Fable 2. Oh yeah and some game on my PS3... what was it, oh yeah LittleBigPlanet. How soon we forget things when the tidal wave of media crashes on our heads, and we can't come up for air. 

I haven't written a "current" review for a game in weeks b/c i have had to much on my plate. One thing is for certain, I am ready to start taking games off my "Pile of Shame" instead of adding to it. 

Aliens are out, Ghost are in...

This is a story that i found on Joystiq, that I found quite interesting for several reasons...

In a recent interview with MTV News, Sigourney Weaver discussed her potential involvement in two upcoming ludological adaptations of hit 80s films in which she starred. Weaver claimed she turned down an offer to work on an Aliens title as she believed the digi-Ripley portrayed in-game was "not true to the character." She also explained that the resumé of the Aliensdeveloper wasn't too impressive -- one of their past titles was a game "called 'Rednecks', where you shoot animals." 

We, and, more notably, Sega (the publisher of the pair of Aliens titles about which the MTV reporter was inquiring) have absolutely no idea what she's talking about. However, her feelings towards Atari's recently acquired adaptation of Ghostbusters were crystal clear -- she's interested in joining the cast, but only if the title is "high-quality."

Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena

The first one looked amazing on the Original Xbox, this one is shaping up to look even better on the 360. Another game to watch out for in the coming months/years.

Game Addiction

"What They Play" just ran a big article on video game addiciton that is well worth the read.

Here is the link to the full story. 

Watch this... Nuff Said!

Bump

So we are about 16 weeks into this thing they call "pregnancy" and nothing seems to have changed either in my life or my wife's. We still do all the things we used to do, there is no sickness, no weight gain... nothing really to prove that she is with child. 

Save one thing...

The most ever so slight "baby bump". It just showed up here recently. You have to understand my wife is six foot tall and weighs... well that wouldn't be proper, we'll just say, less than me. She has started to complain that some of her jeans are getting "snug". The first time i guess we really noticed it was when she was wearing a really nice sweater that hugged her body. There it was... the bump. I think it is rather cute, she doesn't seem to like the fact that she will soon be packing on the weight and beginning to uh... plump. But deep down i know she is absolutely ecstatic about it all. 

Other than that you would never know that my wife and i are expecting a child in the next 6 months. I am glad that the baby takes at least 9 months to develop and be born, it gives me the time to get myself prepared to change my life FOREVER. Lucky for me i have such a great circle of family and friends that either have been through this themselves or know someone that has. I can fall back on their support and know that they will lend a helping hand when need be. 

Also, I was told the other day that there would be NO PICTURES of any sort going up here or anywhere for that matter of her getting bigger and bigger. If you want to see it, you will have to see it in person. 

Old School

So I am a self professed "Old School" gamer. I grew up playing Atari 2600, and NES. I had more than my fair share of games for each, more so for the NES than anything. 

One of my favorite games of all time was Mega Man II. Actually I was always a big fan of the Mega Man series in general (up until it started to lose all cred, which was about MM4). I recently downloaded the first three Mega Man games for the Virtual Console on the Wii. They all held such fond memories for me, and i had some left over Wii Points to spend, so I figured why not.

Today i sat down and decided to take a run at Mega Man III. For the life of me i can't remember the best way to go about beating the bosses so i just started with Snake Man. Two things quickly came to my attention. 

One, the trick from back in the day where you would hold right on the second controller to do super jumps and keep you from dying in pits, it still works. 

Second, this game is hard. I don't mean hard like Mega Man 9 hard but hard like I used to go through this game no problem when i was a kid and now, I Suck!

This brings me to my point. I am getting old... yes i realize it happens to everyone, and no one is exempt. It's not that i didn't realize i was thirty, trust me, the back pain i have almost constantly reminds me. The shocker is that my skills as a gamer are slowly going away. I guess deep down i already knew they were when i regularly get my ass handed to me in COD4 and W@W. My "twitch" skills are almost non existent now. Which explains why i am just as happy to play a game like Rainbow 6 Vegas or GRAW where you can take your time and think your way through a battle. I also enjoy a good thinking mans game too, like BUZZ Quiz TV or Scene-It. It's like my brain still functions just as it always did but the time response between my head and my hands just isn't as fast anymore.

This may not seem like much to the average everyday person, but to a guy that is totally addicted to games that down right require you to be able to react with split second timing, it's a HUGE deal. I am hoping that over time, like physical therapy i can recondition my muscles to do what i want them to.

Listen to the song in my play list called "This Old Man" by MC Frontalot... it will make this post more funny, and relevant. 

Oh well such is life i guess. Now get off my damn lawn before i have to turn the hose on you!

Play the game with your Butt... seriously.

So this past weekend I got another game in the mail, this one was a request from my wife. Rayman Raving Rabbids; TV Party was the request. We enjoyed playing the first game in the series on the Wii, however the second one didn't hit on much. Actually thinking about it i can't even think of what the subtitle was for the second game, oh well. 

So the hook or the gimmick for this game is that you can use the Wii Balance Board along with the Wiimote and the Nunchuck. You don't HAVE to use it but if you do have the board you can use it with the rest. I thought it would just be really gimmicky and stupid... which i guess it could really be, but i was having to much fun to really care. 

I am not sure exactly how many minigames there are in the main game but there are more than a few. Also there are about 10 different styles of mini games as well. Some make you play music along with the TV, some make you dance, racing games, driving games, etc. 

What i will say is that this game is made for the ADD gamers out there. As you play some of the longer minigames there will be commercial interruptions that sort of take you out of the experience but are still fun. Also after each minigame there is an advertisement that will give you the chance to gain control of the "game board" for another turn. It's an interesting concept that makes you really pay attention to what is going on so that you can make the choices in the match. 

My wife and I played through a session of the game last night and really enjoyed it. We are both looking forward to the weekend when we can play a little more of it. Oh and you really can play with your butt...

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

To this day Uncharted stands as one of my favorite PS3 games. Granted there are other games out there that are just as amazing graphically and game-play wise, like MGS4, Little Big Planet, and even Ratchet and Clank. None of these seemed to suck me in as much as Drake's Fortune did the first time i played it. I couldn't set the controller down and just continued to press farther and farther into the game world until i had finished. Even now i still want to play through other sections of the game not only to discover the other artifacts that i missed, but also just to enjoy the wonderfully animated and detailed vistas in the game. 

Well recently Naughty Dog released a "teaser trailer" for the upcoming and as of yet un dated sequel, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. The trailer so far is pretty dang short and really doesn't give you any info short of the fact that Nathan is back, and there will be blood... I mean snow. Apparently they are planning on releasing another trailer or more info during the VGA's on Spike this year (December 14th at 9pm, check local listings). I can't wait to see more of this game. Rumor is that the trailer they released is rendered in real time with the in game engine. If that is to be believed then this game could look better (and probably should) than the first game. I guess we will have to wait and see on the 14th, to see if and what Naughty Dog has in store for us. I can't wait, the first game was a big reason why i got a PS3 in the first place.

Ducktales (NES)

So here is a game that you may not have thought anyone would review. I for one loved this game back in the day (and still play it every now and then on roms).

Ducktales came out on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in the late 80's early 90's. Obviously based on the hit kids show of the same name. You played as Scrooge McDuck, and along with the help of your nephews, and personal pilot Launch Pad, went on adventures through several different environments to get treasure. Scrooge, as usual, is on a quest to be the richest duck in the world. 

Developed and published by Capcom this game was memorable for several different reasons. As always with Capcom the game play was very tight and precise. Scrooge carries a cane which he can use several different ways. He could use it as a weapon to hit enemies with, a tool to break rocks and such, and also as a mode of transportation, if you will, as a pogo stick that he could bounce around the stage. Also being from Capcom, the music was amazing in the game (for its time). I still listen to several different versions of the "Moon Surface" song by groups like "The Advantage", "Minibosses", and "Entertainment System". Over all it was a very easy game to get into and play over and over. 

Also this game had something very strange for the time it was released with, "Non-Linear Gameplay". You could choose which place you wanted to go to from the very beginning. Locations such as "Amazon", "Snow Mountain", "Underground" and the afore mentioned "Moon Surface". Each of these locations had vastly different terrain for you to go through, different "Boss Fights" to overcome, as well as a different treasure for Scrooge to collect.

This is one of those games that (at least in my head) should get a sequel on the current generation of systems. Not like the "Golden Axe; Beast Riders" sequal but more like the "Mega Man 9" kind. Which is pretty handy considering that Mega Man and Ducktales were both done by Capcom. However i won't hold my breath considering that Ducktales isn't really the hit show it was when i was 10 years old. Just like the Rescue Rangers game for NES... ahhh memories. 

All hope is not lost, like i said you can play it as a rom if you like. Also if you have an old NES like i do you can probably find it on ebay or something and still play it... hey wait a second. I DO still have my old NES... Ebay here I come!

Combat!!

Wow does this game take me back. I mean way way back. Combat was probably the most memorable game for me on the Atari 2600. More so even than "Boxing" or the horrible port of "Pac-Man". 

If you have never played Combat on the 2600 then you don't and probably won't understand the nostalgia for this game. You and a friend could play as many as 27 different variations of "Combat" on one cart. Tanks, Bi-Planes, and Jets were all present and accounted for. Most of the modes just involved you destroying the other player how ever you could. The variables came in with the different "Surroundings" as well as all the different types of, i guess you could say, ammo you used. Some bullets would only go a certain distance, some would go farther, some would bounce around the screen. You could play as invisible tanks, the only way to know where you were on screen was the bullet ts coming out of the cannon. 

I can't even count the number of hours that my sister and I would play this game. It helped settle many a family dispute. Who ever wins doesn't have to take out the trash, that kinda thing. My father, and mother would also play against each other some times, which was absolutely hilarious. 

We used to keep a little red notebook beside the Atari that we would log out win/losses in. Which just goes to show that not only do some games not create violence in the home, but they diffuse it. 

If publishers and developers could find a way to harness the essence of Combat into a new generation of video games i would be all over it. I actually think that they are headed in the general direction of doing just that. Think about how Co-Op centered some games have become, not to mention all the games that offer a wide variety of variations on regular Vs. matches. If they could find a way to make a new game that was as readily assessable as that game was, and make it just as much fun to play today as it was then, they would have a hit for sure.

The game has not aged well, that kinda goes without saying considering it was on the 2600. However, if you are as much a game dork as i am (very few are) then it would be worth just seeing where some of these War Games possibly got their start. 

Flash Back

Back before life and jobs and responsibility, my friends and I would just make really stupid movie, TV shows, and commercials all day. Some of them were really bad (Bill you know what I am talking about) some of them were really good, some were just straight up crazy stupid funny, and possibly (quite probably) offensive. Here is an example of what i am talking about. This video was recently dug up from the vault and i think it deserves a view or two. No midgets were harmed in the making of this video.

Wrath of the Lich King

I have avoided a post like this for a while now, but I guess I can no longer ignore it.

I... Have never and WILL never play WOW... There I said it. 

Here is the thing, I absolutely LOVE RPGs. I have owned every Final Fantasy game since the original NES version (including original Gameboy, and Mystic Quest versions). As well as countless other RPG's spanning several different systems.  I also have played all of Blizzards previous games like Diablo one and two, Warcraft, and it's sequels (excluding WOW). 

The reason I don't play is I think due to the fact that I have an addictive personality when it comes to games (no, really I do) and I know that should I try the game out, I may not return. It's like the alcoholic that has been sober for 15 years and doesn't go to parties or Bars where there is booze b/c he knows he may just slip and fall back into old habits. I don't play the game b/c I know that I may like it and not be able to stop myself. 

I have several friends that play WOW on a regular basis. They tell me how much fun it is, and how amazing the game as a whole is. I just agree, and sip my ginger ale. I only bring this up b/c of course the newest expansion for the game "Wrath of the Lich King" just dropped and most people that were sucked in before are back into it and talking about the game again. 

Also the more I think about it, the longer I go without playing the game the better. By this point i would be so far behind the rest of the herd that in order for me to try and close the level gap between myself and my friends i would have to "poop-sock" this game for about 2 months in order to get anywhere close. 

I don't talk down to my friends that play the game, they do what they want it is their own business. However when several of them talked about getting the new expansion, I did try to convince them that they didn't need it, and they were better off in their lives not having it. Much like a long sober friend tries to talk a buddy out of that shot of Jager they just got from some chick at the bar. 

So play on my friends that have been sucked back into the Realm of Azeroth. Enjoy leveling up till you can't get any higher, Say hi to the Lich King for me, Have fun storming the castles. I shall never join your ranks on the hills of Northrend, but it is for the best, trust me.

Valkyria Chronicles

I hate to say it but this game just didn't get the time devoted to it that it should have. I rented this one midst the wave of games that came out over the past several weeks, and i just couldn't seem to devote enough time to it. 

That being said, I am not giving up on this game. From the 10 or so hours that i did spend with it, I was quite pleased. The art style is amazing, kinda like watching someone paint a comic book on canvas right infont of you. Playing mostly like a RTS it was able to catch my interest on the PS3 simply b/c there aren't a lot of original games on that system in this style. It also throws in a dash of third person shooter in the way that your characters are controlled. The story was involving enough (a small town caught up in a World War), and the characters themselves were likable. 

Like I said I just didn't devote enough time to it as I should have. I put the blame solely on myself and nothing else. I have sent it back to Gamefly but I anticipate as the holiday gift giving season approaches I will soon own this one. I don't want to commit to a review of the game as a whole but i think saying simply that i will purchase the game, or rent it again speaks to the fact that it is a game worth checking out. 

Batman is Cut!

I don't mean cut like, from the team cut, I mean like he has been lifting for the past several months and been hitting the Bow-Flex a little too hard. The latest (and i guess First) trailer for the upcoming PS3 and 360 game "Batman: Arhkam Asylum" has arrived, and it looks pretty sweet. 

Batman has beefed up and is ready to take on the residents of Arkham (who were mostly put in there by him). From the screen shots I have seen and the trailer, I will keep this one on my radar. There hasn't been a really good batman game in, well forever, so it has a long climb over the empty husks of previous games. At least it looks like it is headed in the right direction. 

Batman: Arkham Asylum Trailer

Batman: Arkham Asylum official site 

Killzone 2

Just a quick little post about the Beta. Again thanks to Robin Yang of GameDaily, for the Beta code.

I have played a couple of the Multi-Player matches now and my first impressions are pretty good. Other than the fact that I am a n00b as far as this game goes and am not sure of what I should be doing, my experience has been a pleasant one. The game runs very smooth, I have yet to have any major frame rate issues. Also the controls are pretty easy to grasp, being as I didn't play the first one, I have been able to catch on quickly. This game also looks beautiful! Running at least at 60fps everything looks great. The one area that I have played (I don't know if there are more) is very well done. Animations look great, from behind the gun everything looks smooth and everything just feels good. 

The first game was hyped as the PS2's "Halo Killer" and didn't even come close. This one on the other hand... Well it may not be the "Halo Killer" it will certainly make the Bungie (or Gearbox, or who ever) step their game up quite a bit. PS3 Fanboys should be very happy with this game, as long as they flesh out the story and keep the muti-player kids happy.

Left 4 Dead

So I got Left 4 Dead in the mail on Friday of this past week, and was able to get to it finally on Sunday. A friend and I played about 3 hours of the Off-line Co-Op together. We played through the entire first section/movie/area... whatever you want to call it. 

This game is simply put, Fun! We both had so much fun running through the town blasting everything that limped, ran, and jumped our way. I have never in all my years of gaming played a game that created a more authentic feeling of fear. Not that fear like you have playing Resident Evil where you are waiting for the Zombie in the closet to get you, no. It's more the fear of if you see one zombie slowly walking your way, you are pretty confident there are about 100 behind him that are going to rush you very soon. There is also a very real feeling of being afraid of the dark. I was talking to my friend about how this game makes you afraid to be the one that is lagging a little behind. If you are the last one to leave a room or you wander too far off from the others, it could very well be the last mistake you make. The game warns you right from the beginning. "Stay Together To Survive!" So very very true in this game. 

I absolutely cannot wait to play more of Left 4 Dead. I haven't even scratched the surface of the regular sections, not to mention trying it out online as a Zombie. My only recommendation is to try this game on advanced. Sure it is a little harder but it makes it all the more realistic when that smoker starts dragging you away from your friends into the woods and they don't hear you screaming!

KillZone 2 Beta, Here I Come!!!

Big time thanks goes out to Robin Yang @ Game Daily for the Code to the KillZone 2 Beta. I am absolutely stoked to get into this one. Now i wish i didn't have plans tonight... but tomorrow IT'S ON!!!

Fallout 3 on Google Maps

So google maps can do anything. Add in a dash of "nerd-dom" and it can do even more. 

Here you can see where people have gone through and found places in the game for you. If you don't want spoilers (I guess) don't click, but if you are stuck trying to find a location, check it out. 

Out of Afrika

So Afrika is coming to the US... as strange as that sounds it's true. National Geographic has picked up the publishing rights to the PS3 game already out in other areas of the world.  

Afrika is pretty much a digital safari. You go out on tours and take pictures of digital representations of real life animals. I am not so sure about this one, but it seems like it would be a pretty relaxing game. Also, who needs anymore reason to buy a game than how GREAT it will look on an HDTV. I may have to put this one in the Queue. 

"I have the key to One-Eyed Willie..."

Wow, where do i begin with this game. Of all the games I played on my NES, this one probably has the most fond memories for me. That includes other big titles like Super Mario Brothers, Final Fantasy, and River City Ransom.

First of all to give you a little more back story on myself, I have always loved the movie version of Goonies. I have literally watch the movie upwards of triple digits. I can give you just about the entire script word for word with no assistance. I really don't know why I latched onto the film like I did but it is quite the obsession. So I vividly remember getting this game the year it came out for Christmas. From the second the title screen dropped in and the first stage started with that rendition of Cindy Lauper's "Good Enough" I was totally hooked. 

I played the game every moment that I was allowed to and probably have an entire notebook somewhere of all the passwords that I would acquire. That's right kiddies, before there was hard drives, or even memory cards, you had to do things the hard way. Beat it in one sitting or get a pad and pen and write down your code, or you were back to square one. Anyway...

I don't think I really ever cared that the game was called "Goonies II" and I never saw the first game, that was released in Japan only. Nor did I seem to care that the story line of the game was a complete fever dream of the movie. I mean really, three Fratelli brothers, and ice world, and... AND a mermaid named Annie!! None of that mattered to me. I was just happy to take on the in game persona of "Mikey" as he went on a quest to save his friends from the evil Fratelli's. 

The game took you to strange locations not seen in the movie, like the Fratelli's Attic, the "Underworld", a strange Ice level, and the underwater level where you had to rescue Annie. You would collect interesting items along the way. Some were weapons, like the slingshot, the bomb, and the boomerang. Some items helped you out in stages, like the spring shoes, the helmet, and the candle. There were also other random NPC's that would help you along the way too. There was the old man, and the old woman that would either give you info or items. There was the Eskimo and how could I forget "Konami Man". Best thing about the NPC's was that if you hit them either with a hammer or your fist they would usually say "OUCH! What do you do?". That is just some great engrish there. 

I absolutely loved this game. I can't say enough about it. I have played it recently through ROMs on my PC but it just isn't the same. I need to have Nintendo release it on the Virtual Console, then i can get the full pleasure of playing it again with a (mostly) original controller. To me this game hasn't aged a bit. Sure the graphics aren't "Next Gen" but who cares. This game is timeless to me. So if you still have an old NES sitting around your house and a couple extra bucks, you almost owe it to yourself to play this game if you never did in the 80's.

Gears of War 2

The hype machine rolled into town and I had a ticket to get on. The view wasn't any different than the last time i took this trip but, the ride was still fun.

So after finishing Gears last night I realized that, as a whole this game is essentially the same as the last game. The environments all feel like Gears, the weapons all function the same, the characters all still interact the same. That being said... I am fine with all of it. I wouldn't want EPIC to change anything really. What i enjoyed about the first game held over to the second. The game is a lot of fun to play in single player and the fun factor ramps up exponentially from there when you add extra players. 

The story is (obviously) a continuation of the first. You are still trying to stop the "Locust" from destroying the whole of human civilization and pretty much destroying the planet. There are several different areas for you to traverse with you squad, including, cities, countrysides, underground levels, and a very very organic level. Like I said before all of which feel like they are part of the "Gears" world. You never get the feeling that this level is just tacked on at the end to give you something else to do. The progression of the game is very fluid. Though you make a lot of stops in different places you never find yourself asking, "How the heck did i get here?". 

As far as how the game controls... pretty much like the first. I did feel however that the controls were a little tighter. I can't really describe it in detail, it's just something you feel as you play the game. There are several different and new weapons to use, most of which make Marcus (and Dom) feel even more like the super soldier they already are. To name a few, there is the "Mulcher" which is a Gatling gun, the "Flamer" a flame thrower, and the "Mortar", which is... well if you don't know what it is then you probably won't play this game anyway. There also are some new Locust weapons but i really didn't use them at all except to get the achievements. The lancer in my opinion is still the best weapon overall to use in the game. Speaking of the Lancer, they added another "Chainsaw Kill" animation to the game, eh... I don't think it was needed but it's still there.

Multiplayer? Well do you have some friends with this game, or do you have an extra controller lying around? Then you will probably be playing this game for a long time to come. Online and off line Co-Op is still there, this time however it is drop-in drop-out, and doesn't disrupt the game. Also there can be different difficulty levels for each player. New to the game is the "Horde Mode". Which allows you and several friends to take on wave after wave of Locuts, in progressing difficulty, for up to 50 levels. The rest of the standard FPS multiplayer modes are there too. Capture the flag is now "Meatflag" where you have to grab an NPC and drag him to a location, only he doesn't come quietly.

I have been trying to think up something negative to say about the game, and I really can't think of anything. I mean I am sure that there are faults in the game, but I guess i just overlooked them b/c the total package is just solid. It feels like more of the same from the first, but as I said that isn't a bad thing. EPIC has created a world that Gears exist in and that's the point. The "Bro-mance" continues through this one, and probably the next game (come on that's not a spoiler the game has sold millions already). I had a lot of fun playing through the regular story alone and can't wait to take friends on a tour of the Locust Nexus, and the busted cities of the world in Gears.

This game has legs (lots of them) and I can tell that I will be playing it for a long time to come. Multiplayer is also an easy way to keep players coming back for more again and again. This game did not disappoint the triple A hype that was behind it I just hope that in the next game that Marcus and Dom can come to grips with their feelings for each other. Now if you will excuse me I have a Brumak to tame.

Heart Beat...

So this past Thursday, my wife and i had another appt with the Dr. Nothing really special except this time we got to hear the Heartbeat of our soon to be determined son/daughter. It is still very surreal that we are having a baby, but this did make things a little more real. 

The Dr. said everything is fine, the heartbeat was strong and fast (as it should be), and everything else with my wife checked out fine. The next appt i will attend is in January when we are able to find out the sex of the baby. I think that will make everything all together real. 

My wife still hasn't been sick. She drinks water like a fish and eats constantly but still hasn't started gaining a lot of weight. But the Dr said that everything is as it should be and we are doing everything right to keep the baby safe and growing properly. 

So as of right now we are about 13 weeks into this and it doesn't seem different for everyday regular life before hand. I am sure that things will rapidly change as my wife's hormones start to get even more crazy and out of control. . . Joy!

Super Metroid (SNES)

As far as games for my  Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) goes, this one sits very high on the charts. The first time i played the game was at a friends house, and on his SNES, not my own. 

I owned the first Metroid for the regular NES. For whatever reason, possibly b/c it was the first NES game that i purchased on my own, i always loved the game, even with all of it's back tracking and confusing world layout. I had to wait a very long time before it would see a sequel, and even though some say the sequel came in "Metroid II" for the GameBoy, i don't (and didn't) buy it. That was a game i borrowed from a friend, beat, and immediately gave back. 

Flash forward to some time in 1994 i believe, and there was Super Metroid. Like i said, at first i didn't own the game, but i knew it was out there. I think my initial reason was that "Metroid II" wasn't very good, and that is why i didn't purchase it day one. After playing several hours of the game at a friends house i was hooked. Purchased it at the first chance i had after that, and have been hooked ever since. 

The story is the usual stuff as far as Metroid games go. You are a Samus Aran, bounty hunter extraordinaire. You deliver the "Last Metroid in captivity" to a group of scientist and take off. Naturally the planet then is attacked and the metroid is taken by "Space Pirates" for their own nefarious plans. You then go around the planet collecting bits and bobs for your suit and your weapon. Thus unlocking sections of the planet that were previously inaccessible. The usual back tracking and scouring the planet for items takes place. At the end of the story you face "Mother Brain" (again) and take her down with (spoiler... wait really?) the help of your little Metroid buddy that thinks your its mother. 

This game introduced many of the items that have been present in Metroid games after it. Like the "Super Missile" and the "Grappling Hook". Most all of the other game mechanics and items were polished versions of the previous games items and/or weapons. 

Probably what hooked me the most with this game was the way it looked on screen. Now this is back in the day when a really well done 2-D, go right, game was king. The different environments were all complex and looked drastically different. From the overgrown plant level, to the lava of Norfair, even the Ghost Ship, all felt really well thought out and executed. Also in this version of the game were Mini-Bosses. Besides the usual Ridley, Kraid and Mother Brian, there were other LARGE enemies to take down. Most of which you needed to use a certain item or weapon to exploit a weakness, and pretty much all of them would reward you with another/better item or weapon. Also the music in the game is wonderful. Many of the songs have been taken and remixed by actual bands and are amazing (look up Stemage/Metroid Metal). 

All in all this game still to this day is in my top 10 games of all time. I regularly play through the story and enjoy it every time. As recent as this past summer fell back into the game (on Wii Virtual Console) and went through it for probably the 10th time. 

If you have never played the game and are a fan of the action adventure side scrolling game, i would highly suggest you check it out. You can probably find a copy on ebay cheap or if you own a Wii i think you can pick it up for about $8 (play with the classic controller though).