Available now for Wii, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, and DS (although this review covers the Wii version specifically)

When Wii Fit first came out, my favorite mini-games off the bat were the skiing, long-jump, and snowboarding games.  Developers also immediately saw the potential of a Balance Board skiing/snowboarding marriage, and within a few months a number of skiing games for Wii hit the shelves, the most famous being We Ski.

The only problem was, We Ski wasn’t very good.  The game felt like a gimmick, with Mii-style characters and sub-par gameplay, and it certainly did not do justice to the potential of the Wii Balance Board.  There was a feeling that something better would come along. Enter Shaun White Snowboarding.  With his latest X Games Gold Medal, Ubisoft couldn’t have picked a better sponsor for the game.

Although the game was released for 6 consoles, the one that garnered the most attention was the Wii version, which uses the Balance Board. (Alternatively, you can use the Wii Remote to control your boarder, but what fun is that?) So how does it fare?  Here is the rundown:

Gameplay: First off, this game is really fun to play. The balance board is a very sensitive instrument, so you might want to set the sensitivity settings to LOW.  Doing this allows you to really push your weight around the board: grinding into turns, leaning forward for more speed, and of course spinning around in mid-air.  As a snowboarder myself, I can say that the controls are fairly accurate to what you would do on a real snowboard.

Graphics: Wii titles often get dinged for having lackulster graphics, and this game is no exception. Playing it on 360 or PS3 is a much different experience than playing it on the Wii.  However the graphics are secondary to the interactive nature of the game, and the Wii makes do with the power it has in this regard.

Music & Sound: The soundtrack is decent, pulling mainly rock tracks from Audioslave, Sonic Youth, and The Offspring.  Nothing especially significant here, pretty much what you would expect from a snowboarding game.

Pros: This is Wii playing the way it was meant to be - fun, interactive, and realistic - the kind of game you can whip out for a party and everyone is guaranteed to have a good time.  Wanna-be boarders can get an easy, pain-free intro into snowboarding, and veteran boarders will have fun tuning their skills in the off-season.  The use of the balance board is done well.  The Wii needs more games like this.

Cons: Even when leaning forward on the board with all your weight, it never feels like you go very fast in this game. Also the wipeouts could be better, and the developers decided to allow the rider to go through some hard objects like trees, which only slow you down instead of completely stop you in your tracks!  (Not much for realism there...!)

Overall: B+

Rent or Buy: If you just got Wii Fit with the Balance Board for Christmas and are looking for a good game to use it with, then I would recommend buying this one.  Just don’t get it from Circuit City!

- Stefan

* Attention Friday High-Five Followers: The answer to the following question is the final High-Five Coupon Code for Friday, January 30th. Shaun White has many sponsors, including Oakley and Sony Playstation.  What is the one and only soft drink sponsor that he has?

Good luck!

Posted by stefan on 01/28 at 12:53 PM
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Available now for Xbox 360, PS3, PC

This being my first time with the Dynasty Warriors series, I was excited to get a look at the kind of gameplay that enables a sixth installment.  After you insert a game, a wallpaper picture usually comes up giving you the first peak at what kind of visual experience you can expect.  As you know first impressions are important, and my reaction to seeing the terrible wallpaper that pops up when the cursor is over the Blu-ray disc was to give a little disappointed “Ugh.” I flopped down to read a book instead (I know, what gamer does that right?).  Later that week I was in a more optimistic mood and decided to give Dynasty Warriors 6 a go, despite the first impression that left me believing this game was going to be just an uninspired sequel.

If you don’t know about this series it has a lot to do with hacking and slashing whole armies with your war hardened hero.  The third person view gives you a good look at the character you’re playing, which can only be changed when at the begging of the story, or “Musou” mode.  There are plenty of choices between styles of hacking and slashing including heroes who use swords, spears, bows, staffs, claws and more.  Over the levels your characters gain experience giving them points to use on a grid that is similar to the sphere grid of Final Fantasy X.  This aspect of the game is pretty shallow in the view of an RPG fan because leveling up doesn’t do a whole lot for your character, however it does give you a warm fuzzy feeling when that LEVEL UP icon flashes on the screen.  Other features of the game include a free mode, allowing as much hacking and slashing as your thumbs can physically take, as well as a challenge mode and couple of places where you can see how your characters and equipment are progressing.  As for the options they are basic but what is really needed like personalized button schemes and vertical and horizontal axis inversion are included. 

Pros:
It’s a great way to blow off some steam, just set the difficulty to easy then hack and slash away.
The characters are beautifully done and have a mystical glow compared to the NPC’s.
There are some different options if you get tired of playing story mode for hours, which make for a nice interlude.
It’s not an easy game to get through, (unless the difficulty is on easy) so there should be plenty of dieing and cursing before you beat this title.  Some may see this as a bad thing, but not me.

Cons:
Although the camera may be in close to see the beauty in the characters, it ultimately makes protecting yourself much harder because you often have enemies attacking from off screen.
There aren’t too many different attacks or combos you can string together which can boil gameplay down to primitive button mashing. 
Even though the characters are well done, it doesn’t seem like the developer put the same amount of effort into the environments surrounding such beauty.

Overall:
This game is fun.  Nothing extraordinary and yet it’s not ordinary, it’s just fun.  It is interesting to see some of the artifacts from ancient china that were thrown into the story mode for a little authenticity, and worth while to listen to some of the ideas and values portrayed through interaction between characters.  These little bits make the story mode bearable, but bearable at best so if you’re looking for an adventure story to sink your fangs on you should keep looking.  This genre is more in tune with gamers that want to cut their way through enemy laden cities, chaining together kill after kill to make your character into an war hero, all while collecting some pretty cool weapons of course! 

Rent or Buy?
With new games costing 60 dollars, and used not too far below that I cannot recommend purchasing this game.....so just rent it!

Grade:
C+

Happy gaming,

-Stu

Posted by admin on 01/20 at 10:21 PM
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So as you may have heard there was a little convention in Sin City last week.  (Warning - the dude in this video is kind of annoying).  Even though attendance was down 30% from last year, there were still enough cool games and gadgets to keep gamers and electronics lovers happy, including the new FC Mobile NES portable cartridge player seen in the video.

Capcom talked about a number of their upcoming games, even allowing members of the press to give them a go. Street Fighter IV looks to fulfill all of the expectations gamers worldwide have for it. Resident Evil 5 was also quite impressive with smooth gameplay and excellent graphics.

One of the biggest highlights from the video game industry at CES is the Nyko Wand.  When released it will be the first third-party Wii Remote in the North American market. The Wand also won CNET’s “Best of CES” award for gaming. Wii users look forward to Nyko’s version of the Wii Mote, which undoubtedly will be cheaper than the Nintendo version.  That is, of course, unless Nintendo sues Nyko again, like they did over the Nyko wireless Nunchuk.

Other Nyko CES products include wired versions of last year’s wireless releases of the Wing Classic Controller and Kama Wireless Nunchuk Controller. Also they will soon be releasing a heavy-duty foot pedal designed for the Rock Band and Guitar Hero World Tour drum kits.

And finally, for those retro-gamers out there, importer Innex also let CES attendees play old-fashioned Super Mario Bros and Star Fox on their new Limited-Edition Red & Gold Retro Duo console. Having debuted at last year’s CES, the Retro Duo plays both NES and SNES game cartridges, and is available now at vpgames.com

Posted by stefan on 01/13 at 10:41 PM
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All the internet is aflutter of the recently rumored possibility of a corporate takeover of Half-Life developer Valve by the web’s newest behemoth, Google. The Inquirer was the first source I read to drop the news, and it’s really pissed some people off. Google, despite their best efforts, have come off as a new breed Microsoft, a pig with lipstick if you will, gobbling up many companies in pursuit of becoming the premiere internet technologies company. Acquiring Valve would be an interesting move for Google, and most sources say it would mostly be to gain control of Valve’s Steam, which links gamers to games like Team Fortress 2 online.

Personally, I wouldn’t mind seeing Google take over Valve, if Gabe Newell is cool with it. Like The Inquirer wrote, “It is a good buy for them, a good thing for Valve, and in general, good for everyone except MS.” Valve is a fresh company, Google probably wants to regain some of that reputation. Think of Portal; a witty game that tons of people like. Google would do well to associate itself with such a business. It’s good PR. And, more importantly to Valve, Google, and nearly every human being, there’s an ass load of money in the deal. But then again, if Valve’s talk with MTV is any indication, then this whole story is a “complete fabrication.”

I’m gonna keep my eye on this regardless, though. Should be interesting to see unfold. Plus, corporate buy outs are fun! Right AIG?

Posted by Daniel on 09/17 at 09:42 PM
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Well, marketing doesn’t get much more creative than this. In what can only be described as a very well thought out, but poorly targeting promotional scheme, EA last week gave out free gasoline at stations in London, England and Los Angeles, California to push their new video game Mercenaries 2. According to reports, the L.A. operation went smooth, with free gas being given out until the station shut down for the night.

London, however, was a different story. The area’s representative (MP for you politically savvy folks) stated that “hundreds of residents [had] faced misery” due to the major gridlock and noise. My only idea is that England’s gas prices aren’t as high as they are in Los Angeles, as the Californians understood quite clearly that free gas was something to be happy about.

Why gas, you ask? Well, Mercs 2 takes place in oil-rich Venezuela, where your character has to use any gasoline you find wisely, as its a rare commodity in the fiction (wait a second, reality too). The publicity stunt is not the first international attention EA’s new title has gotten, though. Venezuela’s government, headed by President Hugo Chavez (shown, with a parrot, for reasons unbeknownst to me) has criticized the new game as getting the American public comfy with the idea of an invasion of a sovereign nation simply for oil. I mean come on, why would we ever do tha---

...Oh yeah.

Though, I highly doubt that President Bush ordered EA to start black ops in the form of video game distribution, even after Chavez implied at the United Nations that our President was the Devil. Either the United States has gotten quite clever with how we conduct our pre-invasion operations, or Venezuela has become a little paranoid. In the meantime, keep up the marketing schemes! Activision, free WWII-era guns for a day in the name of Call of Duty: World at War? Think about it.

Thanks to Joystiq

Posted by Daniel on 09/07 at 07:28 PM
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To say I’m excited about Media Molecule’s upcoming LittleBigPlanet would be a complete understatement. I’m pumped up. And if predictions that the PS3 exclusive title will be Sony’s biggest hit in 2008 come true, then Media Molecule should be pretty excited as well. To show their excitement, they recently announced a user contest open to anyone over 13 in Europe, Japan, and the United States. The contest consists of downloading the SackBoy template, then creating! You can use programs like Photoshop, or even hand draw details onto the template, scan, and then send your submission on in for consideration by September 30.

This kind of marketing is exactly why I think LittleBigPlanet will be such a hit in October and beyond. A submission from the three eligible regions will be featured in the final copy of the game, and will no doubt be available for download on the PSN soon after release. So, if you’re excited for this game, and would like to brag to your buddies about how you’re SackBoy design made it into the game, then get to designing! Time’s almost up! And make sure to be unique, this challenge isn’t for the feint of heart!

Posted by Daniel on 09/07 at 04:13 PM
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If you’re a gamer that uses a headset, you find that there are several different products you could buy. And soon, thanks to Sony you’ll have one more option. Since releasing the PS3, Sony has attempted to corner that market by providing first party accessories, such as the Blu-Ray remote and PlayStation Eye, before third party companies could make too much of a profit. The same strategy is now being implemented with bluetooth headsets.

When Socom: Confrontation ships in mid-October, Sony will bundle in it’s new Bluetooth headset with the PlayStation brand name and usb docking/charging station. Though rumors are still circulating about how much the bundle will cost, it can be guessed that it’ll fetch around $80, given the steep price of standalone titles these days. If you opt for just the headset, you’re looking at $40-$50, which is fairly competitive though slightly more pricey than third party alternatives.

Personally, I would opt for a Sony brand headset before I went for another one. With the extra cash spent on it you get quality and compatibility assurance, and no doubt a solid product. I just hope Sony uses its head and makes the price competitive with alternatives out there.

Posted by Daniel on 09/03 at 10:41 AM
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If you’ve all been keeping an eye on this game like I have, then this news no doubt has you giddy with anticipation for tomorrow’s demo. Pure comes from the makers of the MotoGP and ATV Offroad Fury franchises and aims to take ATV racing to a whole new level. If you take a look at some of the screenshots, you’ll see that the stunt jumps and boosting gets your very high up in the air, making for some insane combinations of death defying aerials. 

What looks most amazing about Pure is it’ss pristine graphics. The game takes you from Italy to South America and the environments are beautifully rendered, making for a nice visual experience as you’re flying through the air pulling stunts. And, with Disney as publisher, the game has a good level of legitimacy, but also a lot riding on it. So, I’ll be checking out the demo as soon as it comes out tomorrow and I hope you PS3 and 360 owners do the same. I’ll be posting my impressions on here after a quick play through the demo.

Posted by Daniel on 09/03 at 10:16 AM
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If you watched CBS News’ Early Show the other day, you no doubt saw Maggie Rodriguez interview the United States’ Olympic golden boy, Michael Phelps. At the end of the interview Maggie hands Phelps a copy of Call of Duty: World at War, the latest installation of the franchise, being developed by TreyArch and published by Activision. So, is this move by Activision saying that if you win 8 gold medals you will also be rewarded with an awesome video game a couple months before it’s even released? Well, not quite. TreyArch has released the following on Phelp’s superiority to video game development and release schedules:

Now what you didn’t see is the “I O U” card that was contained within =D… Yes, unfortunately the game isn’t quite finished yet, but it’s close. We’ll be sending Michael the first disc off the production line though later this year, we promise!

Aha! Okay, I can deal with that. Making him nothing short of a national hero, fine. Praising him upon his return home from Beijing, go right ahead. Give him an advanced copy of CoD: World at War, not cool at all.

Call of Duty: World at War will be available to everyone, yes, even Phelps, in November. At which point you’ll get to wage war as a Marine in the Pacific Theatre (Being ordered around none other than Kiefer Sutherland, hell yeah), or as a Russian pushing through to Berlin.

Hat tip: Joystiq
Video courtesy of TreyArch

Posted by Daniel on 09/02 at 08:36 AM
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EA DICE’s (of Battlefield fame) Mirror’s Edge is looking to be something truly special. The game employs some really unique gameplay aspects, such as “true” first person shooter aspects, which basically means you can see your legs and arms as you move, while most other FPS titles only show the hands holding a gun. You play as Faith, a messenger living in a police state in which all communication is monitored and the crime world coordinates via runners. Faith is a traceuses who uses her environment to escape from hordes of armed guards. The ultimate goal is to escape, but doing so will prove to be a challenge. There is an optional hint system that will light up routes in red, but as the game progresses the hints will be more and more rare, ultimately just showing you the final point to get to.

What is so cool to me about this game is that it requires you to be clever and to think on your feet. When you attack guards, you can steal their guns and knock them out, disposing of the gun after. A completely non-lethal run through the game will result in some sort of trophy/achievement, and with big guns slowing Faith down, it seems like non-lethal is the way to go. Then again, when trying to get by a hostile helicopter, you may be pushed to extremes and have to pop some caps in order to survive and deliver your package.

Keep your eyes open for more about this game, and check out a very cool gameplay video here. Mirror’s Edge will be hitting shelves on the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC before year’s end. 

Posted by Daniel on 09/01 at 01:39 PM
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If you’ve been following Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe like I have, you really get pumped up when Midway announces new characters for the game. At the Leipzig Games Convention in Germany last week, developers did not disappoint. For the first time it became known that Wonder Woman, Deathstroke the Terminator, Raiden, and Kano would be gracing the bloody battlefield between the two universes. While it was pretty much assumed Wonder Woman would be joining the DC team, Deathstroke is a pretty interesting and not-so-obvious pick. With his sword and guns, though, he’s sure to fit in just right, especially considering he looks a lot like a Mortal Kombat character himself. Then, of course, we have Raiden and Kano, two MK veterans.

While there was no gameplay footage of the newcomers, I ran across a video of the Joker (announced not too long ago) fighting against Katana. Based on this video alone, I think the Joker will be by far my favorite character to play as. I was worried the one major flaw in this game would be a detachment from the DC Universe feel in favor of a darker and more traditional Mortal Kombat style. After all, this is a Mortal Kombat game, above all. What the Joker does, in my view, is balances out the serious with the insane in a way that will give this game a huge level of replay value. I mean, come on, watch that video and tell me that the Joker’s fatality isn’t ridiculously crazy and very, very awesome. 

Posted by Daniel on 08/26 at 09:40 AM
(2) Comments  

While there are many exceptions, most next-gen video game titles these days are pushing the envelope on realistic gameplay. Of course, games like Mario or Ratchet & Clank shy away from this, which is only natural. But look at games like Call of Duty 4, or Metal Gear Solid, games that at times look nearly completely photo-realistic. For gaming developers, it seems that the fringes of realistic development is reserved as a hobby, a sandbox where innovative ideas are welcomed and pursued. In 2006, Lionhead Studios demoed “The Room,” a hyper realistic rendering of a room with various portals and object manipulations. Every splinter of wood accounted for, every page in a book fully detailed, and even perishable objects like a bowl of oranges aging before your eyes. I myself just finished watching it and was amazed, though even the presenter knew where such a project was destined to go. Nowhere. And it’s precisely because developers and publishers, and even gamers, don’t quite know how to deal with reality in gaming. For a hobby that aims to take us out of reality, if for only a few hours, we are moving stunningly close towards it.

Here’s another example of where gaming may indeed be heading. “Emily” is Image Metric’s rendering of an actual employee who was filmed and then was digitally rendered, each muscle in her face receiving it’s own “control system.” It’s simply amazing to watch, as everything but her eyes completely convinced me she was a real person. Wait until 1:30 into the video and you’ll briefly see the “real” Emily. Is realism going to go to extremes like this in gaming? If so, I have my reservations. Do we want to kill each other in video games when that person looks completely real, and maybe even dies realistically? Is there something strange in approaching another “Sim” that looks completely like a real man or woman, with real relationships? It’s actually rather frightening, if you ask me. Human interaction has a monopoly on realism, if computers are able to reproduce something, or create something completely genuine and real, then, in the end what is real? I’ll end this before the discussion slides too deep into metaphysics, but it’s certainly something to think about.

What are your thoughts?

Also, on a side note, if you’re a Radiohead fan, check out their latest music video, which has Thom Yorke completely rendered through computer data code, using absolutely no cameras or lighting. It’s not as realistic as “Emily,” but it’s pretty cool regardless.

Posted by Daniel on 08/20 at 09:50 AM
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For those of you who can’t afford an African safari, or don’t want to be trampled by a horde of wildebeests, then there may be a video game coming for you. On August 28 developer Rhino Studios and publisher Sony will release Afrika, a photo-realistic African adventure that places you in the the wild with animals ranging from elephants, zebras, and lions, to name but the few species I know are in Africa (and I don’t know a whole lot). As of now, the title is slated for a PS3 exclusive release.

The premise of the game revolves around you, the player, going out and working in the field as a photojournalist. You will be given an assignment to drive out (or have an AI driver take you) and photograph a specific animal. You will use your PS3 Sixaxis controller to steady your hands and take a good shot. Based on the clarity of your photo, you will be payed some cash that you can use to buy better cameras and take better shots, thus earning you larger amounts of money.

I think there is great potential for this game specifically and the theme in general. While this game may become too repetitive or narrowly focused, I think it appeals to a broad audience. If in fact the game includes educational information about certain species of animal or plant life then Afrika may prove to be very intriguing. There hasn’t been a game like this since Pokémon Snap on the Nintendo 64, and with the photo-realistic graphics, I think it’s definitely a game to keep an eye on.

Posted by Daniel on 08/13 at 11:38 AM
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It’s certainly no surprise that there will be a Batman game releasing in 2009, what will the major success of the recent Dark Knight film and all. The question is, though, what type of game will it be? Rumors first pegged a Batman title to Pandemic Studios, a Santa Monica based developer that typically only deals with Real Time Strategies (RTS). For all intents and purposes, as well as common sense, lets rule out Batman the RTS. Kotaku is saying the game is rumored to be a GTA style, free-roaming rendition of Gotham City. This would probably make sense as most superhero games, upcoming DC Universe and Spider-Man: Web of Shadows included, are of this third-person style and allow players to quickly move around the given fictional city. It’s a formula that’s worked to give most DC/Marvel titles of the like moderately warm approval. But it’s not the only way things can be done and, of course, this is still only a rumor.

What may give us some certainty is news coming from NeoGAF about a confirmed Batman: Arkham Asylum title being developed by Rocksteady Studios and published by Eidos. Details, sourced from NeoGAF and summed up by Joystiq, are as follows:

The Unreal Engine 3-powered game is going for a gritty, Chronicles of Riddick-esque feel. DC Comics’ Wildstorm is crafting the characters’ look. Some villains in the game include Joker, Harley Quinn, Killer Croc, Penguin, Riddler, Scarecrow and more. According to the post, Arkham Asylum is projected for a 2009 release on PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 and is not being rushed to tie into any TV or film marketing cycles.

This certainly sounds more promising, though I’m curious how the player perspective would work. Would it be like Chronicles of Riddick and be in first person, or will there be a more Metal Gear Solid, sneaking feel to it? Batman seems like the type of superhero that doesn’t like you to know he’s there until, well, he’s about to kick your ass. I’m sure you’re all as curious as I am to see how this Batman game, or games, will turn out.

Could it be that Commissioner Gordon predicted this whole discussion when he said the last line in The Dark Knight? “[Batman’s] the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now.” Well, Commissioner, a solid Batman game is one we may not deserve, but damn, we need it.

(Update 8.13: Eidos has now completely confirmed early mumblings of a Batman: Arkham Asylum title that is planned to be a “haunting, action detective game.” Additionally, according to Warner Bros. Interactive president Martin Tremblay the game, with a story penned by the Batman Beyond (animated) writer Paul Dini, will be “graphically distinct” and “incredibly dark.")
Hat tip to Joystiq

Posted by Daniel on 08/12 at 06:42 PM
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Major companies like Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft are no doubt knowledgeable of the success of franchises like The Sims and the anticipation for upcoming titles like LittleBigPlanet. These types of games signal a new movement in video game culture. Personalized user homes and generated content able to be downloaded online show that gamers both like to “belong” to a community, and like their work to go recognized. Running along the same vein, looking at bluetooth headset communication via games like EndWar may trigger full in-game communication amongst gamers. The Big Three have recognized this communal aspect of gaming and are attempting to accomodate accordingly. Whether their efforts will pay off is still up in the air.

With their purchase of the Wii gamers were given the opportunity to create several ”Miis,” little animated avatars that could be used in several first and third-party titles for the console. The Miis can be be submitted to the Check Mii Out Channel where users can have their created Miis rated by others in the online Wii community.

In the Fall, Microsoft will be answering the Wii’s Miis with their own personalized user Avatars. While only three titles have been identified to make use of the avatars. In the future, only titles with an ESRB rating of E10+ will make use of the Avatars.

Finally, Sony seems to be going a more Sim-ish direction. With PLAYSTATION Home, releasing some time in the Winter or Spring, will allow PS3 users to decorate their own homes, import photos/videos onto their Sony Bravia HD video or photo frames (to share/watch with other users who are invited into your “home"), or go shopping for new content in the downtown area. PS3 gamers can commune in a local theater to view Blu-Ray movies or game/film previews, or, as one would expect, play video games. Before you hop into your favorite online game like Call of Duty 4, you can join up with others for a quick game of avatar pool or bowling. While the primary goal of Home is to promote online play, it seems Sony is investing a lot into this PlayStation Network release, as it’s been delayed several times already and is still in a closed beta.

All these community play endeavors beg the question, is this truly the way online community play is going? When we play video games, aren’t we trying to detach ourselves from others and reality, or is it that we wish to become more interconnected with one another? I guess the Big Three and the success of their respective software releases will help answer that question. And you never know, some may feel the way Dwight from The Office did when he became playing Second Life: “I signed up for Second Life about a year ago. Back then, my life was so great that I literally wanted a second one. Absolutely everything was the same...except I could fly.” Maybe Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft are targeting the Dwight Shrute in every one of us, the part of us that longs for a second life. Who knows.

Posted by Daniel on 08/11 at 06:04 PM
(2) Comments  

We predicted it would happen!

In a previous blog, we had mentioned that EA’s choice of using Brett Favre for the cover of Madden 09 might backfire. Well now it appears there is another layer to this story.  With only days before the release of Madden ‘09, there is word out that EA Games will be offering a Limited Edition with a new cover, one featuring Brett Favre in his New York Jets uniform. Favre, a future Hall-of-Famer, was traded early this morning to the New York Jets for a 4th round draft pick in 2009 (a 1st rounder if Favre takes 80% of snaps and takes his new team to the Super Bowl). The 20th installment of the Madden franchise has been surrounded with questions of who would grace the cover, or if anybody would even want to?

The Limited Edition is reported to not only include Favre in his Jets uniform, but will also apparently include some other, as of yet unknown, goodies. And, in what I think is a rather comical addition, when you play as the Jets’ Favre at the Green Bay stadium, the fans continuously boo when he enters the field and the commentators drop a few lines on the issue of the trade. I look forward to seeing how well the Special Edition sells, or if Madden gamers will prefer to see Favre in his traditional colors…

What do you think?

Posted by Daniel on 08/07 at 02:07 PM
(3) Comments  

Friday, 08 Aug 2008 05:30am
New South Wales, Australia

A man has been charged after the attempted robbery of a taxi driver at South Coogee, NSW last night.  According to NSW police, at about 11pm on the 7th of August, a 47-year-old taxi driver picked up a 29-year-old man on Belmore Road, Randwick before driving him to South Coogee.  Upon entering Elphinstone Road the 29-year-old allegedly assaulted the driver with a fake gun and demanded money. During the struggle the driver lost control of the taxi and it crashed into the curb. The taxi driver was then chased on foot by the 29-year-old but managed to call police.

Police arrived and the 29-year-old was arrested before being taken to Maroubra Police Station where he was charged with assault with intent to rob. He was granted conditional bail to appear at Waverley Local Court on the 27th of August.  After his arrest, police found small amounts of cocaine and marijuana, along with his “weapon” - a white plastic gun used for shooting games on the Nintendo Wii video game system.  The man was stripped of the gun before being booked into Coogee police station.

“The driver of the taxi was unaware that the gun pointed at his head was a toy gun,” says police officer Cox of the NSW brigade, “When it is dark and someone points what you believe to be a gun at your head demanding money, you don’t think twice about it.”

Posted by stefan on 08/07 at 01:07 PM
(1) Comments  

If you’ve been hesitating to pick up a copy of Burnout Paradise, now you really have no reason to. You really wouldn’t think developer Criterion Games was in a partnership with Electronic Arts, with this latest endeavor to please fans. Given that EA is such a huge company, FREE downloadable content (DLC) presumably isn’t there biggest concern. Luckily enough, they must have given a nod to Criterion to go ahead and give Paradise owners some sweet new additions to an already pulse-pounding game. Here’s the list of the three upcoming expansions and some brief details on what will be featured:

“Cagney" Update

• 70 new Freeburn online challenges, ranging from Online Stunt Run, Marked Man and Road Rage modes
• Improved SD Rendering
• Custom Soundtracks
• New Cars
• 1080i Support Added for the PS3 Version
• Available July 10 (PS3) and August 4, 2008 (Xbox 360)

“Davis" Update

• Addition of Motorcycles! W-w-w-what?! Two Bikes Immediately Available in the Junk Yard
• New Locations Tailored to the Presence of Motorcycles
• New Weather and Day/Night Cycles. Finally you won’t be driving in daytime only!
• 70 New Motorcycle Specific Challenges
• Available this September!

“Eastwood" Update

• Addition of Islands Connected to Paradise City for More Burnout Mayhem!
• Available this Fall!
  
  I’m most definitely looking forward to the addition of motorcycles to this franchise. It’s the first time bikes have been featured in this game, and I’m really looking forward to how they interact with the rest of the Burnout environment.To download and install these updates simply have your console connected to the internet, turn on Burnout: Paradise and follow the on-screen instructions. See you on the road! I’ll be the car driving at you 120 Mph ready to smash you into a construction site. Oh, and before I forget, how do you feel about planes?
  Posted by Daniel on 08/06 at 09:30 PM
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Some things in life each one of us can be certain of: Death, Taxes, and the complementary release of a video game for major animated children’s movies. This year’s Kung Fu Panda is no different, folks. If there is any difference from the mass of animated movie inspired crap video games (lets call it what it is) that we see all the time, it’s that Kung Fu Panda the game is not half bad (you win, universe).

The game loosely follows the plot of the movie. For those of you who are completely disconnected from animated movies, I’ll briefly fill you in. Po, the protagonist of the movie and video game, is an overweight panda and kung fu enthustiast. He stumbles upon the chance to defend his land by taking up the burden of fighting the dark warrior snow leopard Tai Lung. Through much training with his Master Shifu, and despite the berating from the Furious Five (a Tiger, Monkey, Viper, Crane, and Mantis), Po eventually earns the respect and friendship of both his Master and the Furious Five, culminating in his defeat of Tai Lung and rise as a Kung Fu Master.

The game switches things up slightly. Because the game can’t survive on the one enemy, Tai Lung, alone, the developers had to integrate more into the storyline. So, Po will often have to save the Furious Five from their imprisonment by enemies ranging from crocodiles, to gorillas, to kung fu fighting hogs. Of course, the game’s climax involves a show down between Tai Lung and Po. Along the way Po picks up food which restores his health, Dragon scrolls, and coins that, as far as I could tell, didn’t equate to any prizes. In addition to Po, Master Shifu and the Furious Five are also playable characters. There is a multiplayer mode which may break up the more linear nature of the single player game, but it’s not likely that children playing this game will be into playing against other children. If you’ve ever seen a child play video games then you know they are in their own world. Interacting with other human players even indirectly may be too big a step, especially if that other human is a middle aged man who gets sick joy out of playing Kung Fu Panda online and stomping on little children’s fun (you know who you are), ruining the game and the movie for them. Players with the Nintendo DS version mainly use the D-Pad but also use the touch screen for attack moves. Likewise, the Wii Remote is used to perform various specialized attack moves. On the PS3, the SIXAXIS controller is useful for playing as Crane and maneuvering in flight. I thought this was very cool, how each system brought something unique to the table in terms of how their peripherals interact with the game.

What I played of the PC version of this game I surprisingly enjoyed (and I haven’t enjoyed an animated movie game since Genesis’ Aladdin!). The fighting moves were entertaining, Po’s catchphrases (though often repeated and voiced by what sounded like someone other than the movie’s Jack Black) gave me a chuckle, and the graphics were very sharp. The only downsides I could come up with were that 1) the voice acting should have been all the original cast members, 2) developers should have figured out another way around not having enough enemies rather than cluster bombing the game with generic ones, and 3) the coins should have equated to something or have been replaced by some sort of customizable prizes. My enjoyment of this title doesn’t stand alone either, it received moderately good review scores from most game sites. Child and adult alike, this game appeals to the sense of humor and the greater kung fu sense, to pound fools into the ground.

Kung Fu Panda was released this past June for the PC, PS2, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, and Nintendo DS. It was developed by Vicarious Visions and published by Activision. 

Posted by Daniel on 08/05 at 07:05 PM
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Before I took my driver’s test when I was 16, the only experience I had behind a car was virtual. Thanks to Gran Turismo, I had all the knowledge I needed to pass. Sound made up? Well, it is. But, such stories may soon not be so unfounded if this clash of the real and virtual world is any testament. While we may not always be much interested in senior citizen bowling competitions in Maryland, when there is a Wii console involved, things get interesting. Seeing that a 79-year bowler was beat in Wii Bowling by an 84 year old who had only recently taken up virtual bowling is just funny. Granted, the winner only knew how to bowl through the Wii, the real bowler having to adapt to the virtual form of the game. But still, pretty funny.

With stories like this, games such as We Ski, Wii Fit and other semi-physically strenuous games on the Wii, one could argue the Wii is breaking new ground. Parents may begin buying Wiis for their children and insisting they get much needed exercise from it. You never know. Personally, I think video games will always have a demonizing aura around them, regardless of health benefits. What do you think? Can video games one day be seen as a viable source of exercise, especially with the direction the Wii is going in? 

Posted by Daniel on 08/02 at 07:14 AM
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I’ve always been a big fan of the Ratchet and Clank franchise. The humor is mature without going over the heads of little kids who play the games. The gameplay is quick, the graphics at once cartoon-ish and pristine. I’ve owned two titles myself, Up Your Arsenal for the PS2 (see, even the titles have a bit of adult humor!) and Tools of Destruction, which was packaged with my PS3. The latter I figured I’d play a tiny bit of before moving onto my big titles like Call of Duty 4 and Assassin’s Creed. However, I was pleasantly surprised with how much I still liked the Ratchet and Clank gameplay, a whole four years after I originally played it on PS2. The basic premise of the games consists of playing as Ratchet, a young and furry rebel, and going on inter-galactic adventures with the help of your trusty and wise sidekick robot, Clank. Clank himself is used once in awhile as the main playable character in order to reach small areas, open doors, and, well you get the point; Clank does Ratchet’s dirty technical work. In Tools of Destruction it became clear to me that Insomniac Games was trying to market a stand-alone character for Clank independent of Ratchet. Several times throughout Tools of Destruction, a mysterious bunch of “Zoni” aliens guide Clank through puzzles, shrouding the little robots seemingly simple story with intrigue.

Secret Agent Clank, released exclusively for the PlayStation Portable on June 17, 2008, takes Clanks independence and importance to a much greater level. While attempting to intervene in the robbery of the precious “Eye of Infinity” jewel, Clank finds that his trusted comrade Ratchet is actually the thief. In an attempt to exonerate his jailed friend, Clank travels throughout the galaxy, uncovering some pretty unnerving plots including: mind control, a giant laser, and the destruction of every planet in the galaxy. You play as Clank throughout most of the game, though several times you control Ratchet in jail (fighting off enemies he himself originally threw in jail) and Captain Qwark, the series’ good for nothing “hero.”

This game, only for the PSP, is obviously targeting a specific audience, children who don’t know the franchise very well but like the idea of playing as the robot in gameplay that is fairly straightforward. Though, for any hardcore fans of Ratchet and Clank this title should help shed some light on a question that constantly hangs: What is Clank’s story?

Posted by Daniel on 08/01 at 09:39 PM
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If you read my blog the other day, you know I’m not a huge fan of the Wii and Nintendo’s pursuit of fully interactive gaming. I am impressed, though, with what Namco Bandai Games’ We Ski is trying to do. The first fully compatible third party Wii title to be compatible with the Wii Fit Balance Board, We Ski will also use the Wii Nunchuck as a ski pole. Skiers can traverse 14 courses at day or night, as well as being able to play game modes such as Ski School, Centipede Races, and Search and Rescue. What the Wii has always lent itself to is gaming with your friends, and We Ski will be no different; in Freestyle mode you and 3 of your friends can battle it out on the slopes.

What I find most intriguing about We Ski is that it appeals to a broad audience. Wii gamers, be them older or those gamers’ children, can all get something out of this game. If even I’m willing to try my luck on the Balance Board, that’s saying something. Also, it’s not unheard of for Wii sports games to improve real world sport skills. So, if you’re looking to get into Skiing, you might want to check out We Ski first!

We Ski was released in North America on May 13, 2008 on, you guessed it, the Wii only. 

Posted by Daniel on 07/31 at 04:25 PM
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Your hanging out with your buddies playing Rock Band. You’re manning the drums, ready to rock out. Blue Oyster Cult’s (Don’t Fear) The Reaper guitar intro starts up and you know you’re going to be pivotal. The racket coming from your drumsticks hitting the drum head is drowning out the steady cowbell of the song. It’s clear amongst your friends, in the words of Christopher Walken, “We need more cowbell!”

And now you will. Pelican’s Rock Band Drum Pad Silencer Pads are specially made to reduce sound from the drumstick, making for a much more clear and concise drumming. As drummer, you’ll be able to clearly here your contribution to the song and be on time for your next hit. Plus, in addition to the reduced noise, these drum pads come with Rock Band logos, making for a much more authentic feel over the bland and blank original drum pads.

To top it all off, the Pelican Silencer Pads are only $24.99. Get yours today and start rocking out the right way!

Posted by Daniel on 07/31 at 03:43 PM
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The events that transpired between Star Wars Episodes Three and Four are more-or-less unknown. It’s clear in the latter Episode that Darth Vader and the Emperor have taken control of most of the galaxy, constructed an authoritarian empire, and make the Jedi an all but forgotten force. Yet, how did this reign of the Dark Side come to pass? Who did Darth Vader’s bidding throughout the Empire by killing off the Jedi?

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed aims to answer some of these questions. In the upcoming LucasArts third-person action adventure, you control Vader’s secret apprentice. The game actually opens with you playing as Darth Vader immediately after the end of Episode Three. In a search for one of the last Jedi, Vader runs across a small child who will eventually become his secret apprentice and the protagonist of the game. George Lucas was a major collaborator on the project, authorizing the creation of new characters and plot lines, so all you Star Wars fans have nothing to worry about, this title has been blessed by the Star Wars god.

While The Force Unleashed runs centrally on the Havok physics system, what is particularly impressive is this titles use of Euphoria physics which essentially gives AI characters a central nervous system. So, say you decide to launch a storm trooper into the sky with your mad Force skills (oh yeah, this apprentice is so secret he even has to fight off the Empire sometimes). That storm trooper will attempt to grab onto anything it can around him to hang on to and save his life. None of the reactions of AI enemies will be scripted, all will be completely genuine and reactive to their environment and the move used against them. Euphoria was used in GTAIV as well and will be used in all future Rockstar titles, but I have a feeling we’ll really see this physics system...err..unleashed...in this title. But it doesn’t stop there! On top of Havok and Euphoria is Digital Molecular Matter. With this physics engine wood will splinter as would should, glass will shatter as it should, and metal will bend as it would in the real world. This is by far the most entertaining looking aspect of the game.

Prepare for the Force to be unleashed on September 16th on the PS3, Xbox 360, PSP, PS2, Nintendo DS, and the Wii. Each platform had the title built specifically from the ground up, and each will contain special exclusive content for that platform. 

Posted by Daniel on 07/30 at 04:50 PM
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Like most gamers, I like my racing games fast and pretty. The more detailed the body of the car I’m driving, the more beautiful the environment, and the more RPMs my flashy car can get, the happier I am. Until now, my racing experience has basically been restricted to the Burnout series; besides the aforementioned qualities I like in racing games, I enjoy brutally crashing into other cars and being rewarded for it. This is not to say, of course, that I don’t appreciate games like the Gran Turismo franchise. I do, though I’ve never been able to grasp the technicalities of street/circuit racing that those titles required you to understand.

Midnight Club: Los Angeles looks to be a middle ground between the Gran Turismo and Burnout franchises. You get access to some amazing automobiles, from the Saleen S7, to the Ford GT, to the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14 motorcycle. And, more importantly, you get the huge Lost Angeles city to explore and race in. The current map of L.A. in the game is as big all three maps from the last Midnight Club title combined. So, think about Burnout: Paradise City, then undoubtedly think bigger. That’s a lot of ground to cover, but going at 120 mph you shouldn’t have a problem breezing through the city. Plus, if you’re an L.A. local yourself, you can pretty much find your way around town in this game, as Rockstar San Diego has tweaked the city streets only minimally in order to create a more fluid racing experience. Racing itself is accomplished pretty simply by flashing your headlights at another car and then racing to the starting line (apparently you’re racing even before you start racing!). You can use the classic behind the rear camera or if you want the true experience you can get behind the wheel where you can see your drivers (your?) arms steering and switching gears when necessary, not to mention the pretty interiors of some very expensive cars. Utilizing Rockstar’s RAGE engine, realistic traffic and weather will keep your racing experience interesting, not to mention another Rockstar GTA trademark, getting chased by the cops.

Though not a loyal fan to the franchise and never actually having played one of them before, by the looks of it Midnight Club: L.A. looks promising. If you love open, highly detailed environments and fast cars, you may just need to check this one out. It’ll be available on the PS3, Xbox 360, and on the PSP as Midnight Club: Los Angeles Remix in October of this year. 

Posted by Daniel on 07/30 at 05:21 AM
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Not a fan of buying a used NES controller and spending hours converting it into a USB compatible controller? Don’t have a soldering iron handy? Well now you don’t have to. Due to popular demand, VP Games has made the Nintendo USB Controller NES-PC/MAC Controller available! Old favorites like Mike Tyson’s Punch Out! and the Mario Bros. series, or even simple Flash games, are games meant to be played with a simple combination of buttons found on the original gamepad.  The retro gaming community is ever growing, and as technology and gaming becomes more and more advanced, the nostalgia for the classics is being embraced. Don’t waste your time on forums trying to figure out the intricacies of soldering your own NES controller, get one today!

Posted by Daniel on 07/28 at 01:58 PM
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In October of this year Ubisoft will be releasing a new major RTS for Xbox 360, PS3, Nintendo DS, PSP, and PC. Tom Clancy’s EndWar is a near future simulation of a WWIII apocalypse. Driven to desperation due to global warming, high gas prices, and the detonation of a nuclear weapon in the Middle East, the power of the U.S., the EU, and Russia clash and war ensues. Players will duke it out in a single player campaign and online, with the latter taking place in a global arena where each day the front lines will change based on individual battles that occur online. What’s very cool is that several of Tom Clancy’s characters and institutions will interact in EndWar. Third Echelon, Sam Fisher’s organization from the Splinter Cell franchise, will provide battlefield intelligence to the U.S. In 2009 Ubisoft will be launching the flight combat sim H.A.W.X, another Clancy invention; until then, EndWar gamers can call in air strikes which send H.A.W.X. pilots soaring overhead. Need a little help on the ground? You can call in off map support in the form of Ghost Recon special ops.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of EndWar is the ability to play the game completely through voice commands. I’ve never used a headset for my PS3, but I think the idea of waging war online solely with my voice is an awesome step forward. I’m used to hearing gamers curse each other to high hell while playing Call of Duty 4, but I feel if they are occupied ordering around units there will be little squabbling between players and teammates online. Plus, if this E3 demo is any testament, voice command warfare in EndWar will be extremely easy. After several missions, I’m sure even the most amateur headset users, myself included, will be sufficiently acclimated to the system. Should be very interesting, no doubt.

The fate of the U.S., EU, and Russia are in your hands this October, soldier.

Posted by admin on 07/25 at 11:21 AM
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If there’s one game to look out for this November, it’s Midway Games’ Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. There has been a lot of hype surrounding the title so far, but not too many details. That is, until E3 rolled around this past week. Up until recently, gamers enthusiastic about the very notion of an MK vs. DC showdown were drawn in by the concept art promo featuring Sub-Zero and Batman. Then, no doubt in an effort to draw in non-traditional fighting gamers, or at least ones that didn’t pay much attention to the Mortal Kombat franchise, Midway played up the DC Universe aspect. We found out early on that heroes like The Flash and Superman would be playable characters, making the buzz about this title crazy. Who doesn’t like the idea of beating the crap out of that hot-headed Superman while playing as the Dark Knight, right?

Some of the features I’m most excited about come from the E3 trailer. I don’t know why, but playing as The Flash and running your enemies through multiple walls at high speed, or shooting your enemy with lasers from your eyes as Superman sounds like a lot of fun.

As of now, the roster for the DC Universe is: Superman, Batman, Catwoman, The Flash, and Captain Marvel. On the Mortal Kombat side we’ll see some familiar faces: Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Shang Tsung and Sonya Blade. Players will be duking it out in arenas ranging from the Batcave, Hell, Gotham City, and a partially destroyed Metropolis. According to the Mortal Kombat co-creator and this game’s producer Ed Boon, the game will feature blood and MK characters will perform the always-fun Fatalities, but there will be a Teen, as opposed to MK’s typical Mature, rating. DC characters will refrain from killing their opponents, opting instead for a “Brutality” finisher. So, you won’t be able to rip out Scorpion’s spine as Superman, but hey, that’s not how Superman rolls!

Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe will be available November 3, 2008 on the PS3 and Xbox 360. Keep a close eye on this title, folks, it’s shaping up to be pretty awesome.

Posted by admin on 07/23 at 11:26 AM
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LittleBigPlanet may very well represent a shift in how PS3 gamers will interact with their games and each other. Developed by the British company Media Molecule and published by Sony, LittleBigPlanet has gotten a lot of attention for it’s imaginative concept, unique artwork, and user-content oriented post-launch.

Visually, LittleBigPlanet is uniquely stunning. While the industry as a whole may be moving to realistic rendering a la Metal Gear Solid 4, Sony is boldly going in another direction. The game immediately makes one think of a light-hearted Tim Burton fantasy world, where rag dolls interact with stiff, stage-like backdrops. It’s really like no game that’s yet to be put out, and visually speaking it’s quite impressive.

In terms of content, LittleBigPlanet will ship with at least 50 pre-constructed levels for users to play through and get acclimated with the development tools and what they can do with them. Then, as one can imagine, the future of the game will largely depend on user-generated content. This is where I’m very hopeful. I think Sony is bringing something unique to the table with this title and, if games like the recent Echochrome are taken into account, gamers are warming up to the idea of creating their own gaming experience. Players will be able to construct very complex levels and can even put a personally designed object at the finish line for other players to acquire. This could be some sort of unique building block, an abstract tree, or even a box with a picture of your face (via your PS3 hard drive or PlayStation Eye), if one were so vain. Multiple users can be in the same “world” at once while online or on the same system, and with the ability to slap other rag doll players, racing to the finish line may become reminiscent of a street fight.

Look for LittleBigPlanet in October 2008 exclusively for the PS3. In the meantime, check out some trailers courtesy of GameTrailers.com

Posted by admin on 07/23 at 11:16 AM
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Feel the electricity of Big Play Saturday with NCAA Football 09! Powered behind groundbreaking gameplay controls and unique college-style animations, NCAA Football 09 arrives on campus with all the excitement and pageantry of a storied college bowl game. Develop a loyal fan base with an adrenaline-pumping Home Field Advantage and see if you can build your legacy in the Online Dynasty Mode. With authentic collegiate gameplay and thousands of school specific plays, college Saturdays jump to life like never before with NCAA Football 09!

* What is Wide Open Authentic College Gameplay? – Make unforgettable plays by taking advantage of huge running lanes and utilizing personnel mismatches as you pick apart soft zone coverages in the passing game. Fake out the defense with a directional pump fake as you scamper for a big score. Test out the new defensive tackling system that ensures variety, realism and smoothness with every authentic college animation.
* The All-New Online Dynasty – Play a complete revolutionary dynasty experience online with 60 years of continuous play. Online Dynasty includes full recruiting, redshirts, stats, NCAA news, custom schedules and more. Up to 12 players across the nation can compete in your dynasty, so invite your friends to join and launch your legacy. It’s as easy as running a Fantasy Football League!

* All-New Dynamic Gameplay Engine – Break in and out of jukes, stiff arms and spins in a swift, fluid motion. Steer a player in mid-move in any direction with the analog stick.

* Home Field Advantage Makes its Next Gen Debut! – Composure is the key when in a hostile environment. When rattled, question marks will replace the button icons for receivers during pre-play and squiggly lines will replace the field routes. If your pass is picked off, the “Quarterback Quiz” mini-game will appear and you will be asked to identify which defense you just faced. Choose correctly and regain some of your composure. Call a timeout as you “Ice the Kicker” before your opponent goes for a game winning field goal as an all-new lower camera angle with audible heartbeat and controller rumble will make it difficult for your opponent to complete the field goal. Interactive timeouts allow you to choose up to 6 offensive or 6 defensive strategies for the drive, which will uniquely affect your gameplay.

* What is College Atmosphere? – Revel in the spirit of game day with crowds decorated in school colors and sidelines packed with energetic mascots and cheerleaders as team specific sounds like cannon blasts and chants keeps the energy high after every score. Team performance drives the all-new dynamic home/away attendance that will affect gameplay and smart play-by-play with Kirk Herbstreit, Brad Nessler and Lee Corso will make every minute feel like college football Saturday.

* What are Custom Music and Sounds? – Upload your personal music and sounds from your hard drive in more than 20 user-defined situations to create custom in-game atmosphere authentic to your favorite school.

* Fun with Mascots! – Switch up your game with an arcade style of mascot vs. mascot and discover unique special moves like summersaults and back-flips as you go for the score. In regular game modes, score a touchdown and enjoy interactive celebrations with your favorite mascot, you can even trigger school-specific celebrations with the touch of a button! 

Posted by stefan on 07/01 at 01:02 AM
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