Expectant Gamer

It's Alive!!

2009-01-20T12:52:00.000-08:00

It's official (mostly). As of the end of the long weekend, the new site is up and running. I am still missing a couple little graphical items, but those should be coming soon. So for the most part I am very happy with where everything is right now.

This does mean however that THIS site is pretty much dead. I won't be taking it down (b/c most of my pics are anchored here) but this will be the last post that i make on it (barring any sort of issue with the official one).

So from now on if you want to read anything that may be going on in my life, the babies life, or the lives of several of my friends that are posting with me, you need to go here.

Again, this is not the end, but a new beginning.

The OFFICIAL WiFi Pirate site is up!

http://wifi-pirate.com

Official Site Coming Soon

2009-01-12T14:35:00.001-08:00

Well i finally bit the bullet and got a REAL .com. I am naturally working on setting things up the way I want them to look, so until then this is still the site to see. When the sheet falls, and the reveal is made you can go here for my true site. It will be a while, so bear with me until then. To anyone that cares send me some suggestions for the new site. It will be like the current one but with a more organized navigation. Sections will be broken up so they are easy to find.

If you have help to offer (i am looking for help with graphics, resources, and of course and editor) feel free to leave me a comment or email me.

Thanks everyone. I hope this is what i expect it to be... Forward into the future!!

Goldeneye N64

2009-01-09T12:14:00.000-08:00

All aboard for another trip in the "Way Back" machine. Going back now to the late 90's, when my friends and I didn't have a lot to worry about. Fresh outta high school, working crappy jobs just to have money to buy what ever we wanted, not to many worries to hold us down.

Enter the Nintendo 64 and the game that would rule our nights for years, "Goldeneye 007". I am not sure that I or really anyone, can put a finger on what exactly it was about this game that made it such a time sink. One things for sure though, we all lost countless hours playing this game over and over and over again.

The story of the game followed directly the story of the movie. It made a few twists and turns but always kept up with the movies plot. You, of course, play as Pierce Brosnon, as the one and only James Bond. Shooting your way through several different environments, using many an amusing gadget, and different powerful weapons.

The story mode was fine and good, but it really took a back seat to the real draw for this game, the multi-player modes. Five different modes, Eleven different maps, and Thirty different characters to choose from. Countless different variations of the different modes lead to an almost endless list of ways to approach each and every map. My friends and I would play literally all night and never get tired of it. To this day I can still pick up the controller and almost always pinpoint where all the other opponents are strictly based on what they are seeing in their square of the screen. This game (and it's later successor Perfect Dark) was the biggest reason I had such a hard time giving up my N64 a few years ago.

About a year ago there was a rumor that it might eventually make its way onto the Xbox Live Marketplace. That, sadly, will probably never ever happen due to a mountain of red tape that apparently Microsoft and Nintendo and who ever else is involved can't seem to climb.

Until the day that they make it for some other system (possibly a download for the Wii Virtual Console) I will have only my memories to keep me company. I don't even care that the graphics haven't aged well AT ALL, I just love the game and everything that went along with it at the time.

Another Dead Hero...

2009-01-07T07:17:00.000-08:00

Well the big news of the day, and probably the week, is that the 1up Network is pretty much dead.

As of yesterday UGO Entertainment took over EGM and it's sister site 1Up.com. If the story had ended there it probably would have been fine, however it sadly did not. UGO in corporate buy-out fashion, swung the mighty axe of Destruction +1. They put an end to one of, if not the best, gaming magazine left out there. As an avid reader of this magazine, almost since the beginning, I feel like i have come to really know most of the writers and editors there. Granted i have never met any of them, but if you read something from a group of people each month for years, you feel close to them.

When Ziff decided to kill off the "Official Playstation Magazine" i felt almost the same way. Seeing as how most of the former writers there were absorbed into the EGM/1up scene it wasn't so bad. I still could catch up on projects that everyone was working on, where they were headed and what they wanted to do next.

This, again, is not where the story ends. When UGO shut down EGM, they also sent most of their stars from the 1up network packing as well. Shane Bettenhausen, Ryan O'Donnell, Nick Suttner, Philip Kollar, James "Milkman" Mielke, Ryan Scott, Matt Chandronait, Jay Frechette, and Greg Ford. That is just a few of the 40 employees that were part of the lay offs. This is the truely sad part of everything.

Again i have been reading, listening, and watching videos, podcast and articles from these guys for years now. It feels like you just lost touch with friends that you have had for years and now you may never know what they are up to next.

Talent was one thing that the group had for certain. I defy you to watch any of the 1up show episodes and not find something informative, or funny in every single one. I guess that is why it is so hard to understand why UGO would cut most of it's star lineup.

No more 1Up Yours, no more 1Up Show, no more 1Up FM... i don't understand it. I am not trying to be melodramatic here but it's really sad. I loved getting my news from those guys, finding out what was the next big thing, or the next flop. Seeing all the fun they were having making the 1Up Show made me want to be a better writer so that i could one day have a job like that. Seriously, i started this blog with the thought in the back of my head that one day i could be part of a group of people that produced informative well balanced shows like them.

I can't imagine what Garnett, David Ellis, Jeremy, and the rest of the guys that are left, are going through. To have to go back to that empty office where they all had so much fun, spent so much time together. It must be torture. I guess if there is a bright side at least they still have jobs to go to.

I can only hope that the members that have been separated can find some way of getting back in the game. Though it has changed a lot over the past several hours, i look forward to the future projects that they all work on. I hope they keep us (the gaming public) updated with everything they are doing, and where they plan to go next.

So sorry to see it end this way 1Up. I know i am not the only out there that will miss the weekly updates from your podcasts and such. Good luck to everyone in whatever you do next. And to all those that are left at their desks, keep doing what you have been for years and you will still have loyal fans willing to give you candy, and even booze once in a while.

End of the world, no. End of something great, positively.

It's A Boy!!

2009-01-05T11:36:00.000-08:00

I didn't think it was possible, honestly. With all the women in my family i really didn't think it would happen. However i guess nature wasn't listening, b/c sure enough, we are having a boy.

Everything went well during the ultra sound. Measurements are fine, development is fine, things are all where they should be and working according to how they should. As of right now my son weighs in at a hefty 11oz. and is only a day off the pace of the original due date.

It has finally started to sink in that we are going to have a kid in the next few months. We started looking at things for the room, and clothes. Some things from family members have already started coming in.

As i told my wife since i am the only male in a family of about 10 female children, grand children, and great grand children, our SON will be spoiled rotten. My father seemed pretty chill about having a grandson but i could tell deep down he can't wait to take him on his first fishing trip.

Names have been picked out, for years now, and our son will be Brandon Xavier. I can't wait to meet the little guy when he comes out...

Congratulations!! It's A...

2008-12-31T12:27:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-19T09:23:00.000-08:00

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.

!

2008-12-18T14:39:00.000-08:00

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.

2008-12-18T11:54:00.000-08:00

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

One good plug deserves another...

2008-12-18T11:30:00.000-08:00

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...

2008-12-17T14:03:00.001-08:00

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!!

2008-12-17T13:41:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-17T11:55:00.000-08:00

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.

2008-12-17T11:45:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-16T13:51:00.000-08:00

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...

2008-12-15T14:49:00.000-08:00

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...

2008-12-11T12:58:00.001-08:00

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

2008-12-11T11:35:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-12-10T13:54:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-10T11:24:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-09T14:43:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-09T14:38:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-09T14:01:00.001-08:00

Funny little exchange from this morning.

8-Bit Jezo has arrived...

2008-12-09T11:56:00.001-08:00

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...

2008-12-09T11:42:00.001-08:00

Just thought this was pretty cool.

Via Shawn Elliott's Twitter.

Left 4 Dead

2008-12-08T14:00:00.000-08:00

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...

2008-12-08T13:06:00.001-08:00

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...

2008-12-08T09:22:00.001-08:00

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

2008-12-05T11:45:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-05T10:41:00.000-08:00

"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!

2008-12-05T09:48:00.000-08:00

Bump

2008-12-04T13:20:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-04T11:48:00.000-08:00

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.

2008-12-03T11:20:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-03T09:09:00.000-08:00

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)

2008-12-03T05:10:00.000-08:00

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!!

2008-11-26T08:53:00.001-08:00

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

2008-11-25T11:19:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-24T11:52:00.001-08:00

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

2008-11-24T11:31:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-11-24T11:19:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-24T05:12:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-24T04:56:00.000-08:00

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!!!

2008-11-21T14:54:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-20T13:37:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-19T12:46:00.000-08:00

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..."

2008-11-19T09:57:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-18T05:15:00.000-08:00

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...

2008-11-17T13:07:00.001-08:00

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)

2008-11-12T11:25:00.000-08:00

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).

Way Back Wednesday's

2008-11-12T11:21:00.000-08:00

So i want to do something that i have been thinking about for a while now on my blog. I have an over abundance of "Old School" games in my head that i play or have played over the last twenty some odd years of gaming.

I have decided to call the section, "Way Back Wednesday's" partly b/c i want a snazzy name for it, and partly b/c i can't think of anything better to call it.

Since today IS Wednesday, what better day to start it off?

Like Roger Moore instead of Sean Connery...

2008-11-12T09:06:00.000-08:00

So despite the fact that Daniel Craig is the new Bond, i decided to use that headline.

I finished playing through the single player story of 007 Quantum of Solace Tuesday. I don't really know what i should have expected from the game but I don't think it disappointed as much as the last several games did. That being said, this game does deliver a limited amount of the James Bond vibe.

From the outset of the story you get the feeling that you aren't going to truly "Run and Gun" your way through this game. It doesn't go so far as to be the Gears of War 2 "Stop and Pop" either. There are situations that you can't just run in kill everyone and leave the bodies in your wake as you run out the room. Stealth does play a factor in the game as well (achievements please). Sneaking around feels correct in the spots where you need to, the silent kills are pretty brutal despite some of them not "feeling" like you are killing or disabling anyone. The gun play is nice, there are many different types of weapons to use and find through the levels. The sniper rifle as in most FPS's is still my favorite.

The story revolves around the last 2 movies "Casino Royale" and (naturally) "Quantum of Solace". Before each mission you are given a briefing through the MI6 computer that shows some fancy animations and a time line. I don't know (since i haven't seen the latest movie) if any of it will tie in directly to the story (though I'm almost certain it will) but i always felt like i was missing something. There are people talking about the time line and discussing things that happen and i have no idea why. That and the end of the game's main story kinda ends on a cliff hanger. I guess they are setting you up for the next game? Or maybe the movie itself? Either way i thought there was another stage coming and it simply didn't happen. Time will tell i guess when i see the movie later in the week.

So keeping with the groaners in the game, i have a HUGE gripe with this game. Being that it is a Bond game after all, why is there not a single gadget in the game. None! You can't count the hacking sequences (doors, locks, and cameras) they aren't true gadgets in use. So from what i can tell there are some in the Multi-Player but still... why don't i use them in the main game. I am not expecting a million different things but even the "watch laser" was fun to use in Goldeneye. Seriously, nothing in main game. Did they fire Q?

So did i finish the game, yes. Will i play the multi-player stuff sure. Am i glad that i didn't purchase the game, defiantly. I can't call it a final verdict on the entire game, but as far as the single player game goes, i would give it probably a rent. If you want to play a great Bond game travel back in time to 1996 and play Goldeneye for Nintendo 64. If you are looking for a rental that will pass the time (why aren't you playing one of the million other great games out there) you will probably be happy, for a while.

So like i said it's ain't Sean Connery, but it for sure isn't Timothy Dalton.

Gonna go back in time!

2008-11-07T11:14:00.001-08:00

So the guys at Criterion have done it again.

Not only have they brought us new online components for their amazing racing game Burnout Paradise. They also added Bikes, and a day/night switch on time. Both for free i might add.

Now they are bringing in some new vehicles. With the Legendary Car Pack coming some time (probably early 09 I'm guessing) soon they are adding in the "Jansen 88 Special" a.k.a. The DeLorean DMC12... The thing even fricken hovers! Also in the pack are cars with the names, The Calvary Bootlegger, Manhattan Spirit, and the GT Nighthawk. Not really sure what the other cars are modeled after, but being as the name of the pack is "Legendary Car" they will probably be very recognizable to the average gamer.

This add on will cost you some Microsoft Points or some PSN bucks, but really... flying in the DeLorean around Paradise City... Listening to GnR... its like the 80's all over again.

Dreams do come true...

2008-11-05T12:50:00.000-08:00

*The only version i could find without music but it has German subtitles*

Bond is back... I sure hope so!

2008-11-03T09:12:00.001-08:00

In honor of the release of the newest James Bond game AND movie; "Quantum Of Solace", I thought i would profess my love of the movies and (some) of the games.

Though most fanboys would have you believe that the only game with the 007 moniker on it is "Goldeneye" for the Nintendo 64, it's sadly is not. Bond games date back all the way to the Atari 2600 (represent) and Apple II days. Originally just "James Bond 007" game was released back in 1983 by Parker Brothers. In the game the missions were based on three different Bond movies, Diamonds are Forever, Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only, and the Spy who Loved Me. Also the game is labeled as a "Role Playing Game" I didn't own this game but i am guessing that being it was on the 2600 (not known for wonderful RPG titles) it is labeled as such b/c you take on the "Role" of James Bond.

Fifteen years, and about 10+ games later, Goldeneye for Nintendo 64 hit. Instantly it was a classic. The game followed almost exactly the plot of the movie. Putting you in the shoes of Pierce Brosnan as Bond. The regular single player story was fun enough but where the game really shined was in the multi-player.

Get four friends, four controllers (and a TV big enough to matter) and have fun for hours. I can't even count the number of times that my friends and i would go a full weekend of just playing this game. I can still remember each of the maps and could easily find each of my friends at any point in time just based on their screen. Despite what some people will tell you about the nostalgia for this game being better than the actual game, i still find it amusing to play.

So now nine years and many many bad Bond games (Including a rehash of Goldeneye, and a Racing game) later comes the latest attempt to put Bond back on the map. Enter 007 Quantum of Solace (movie and game).

The movie picks up immediately after the end of the last flick (which is actually the first book by Ian Flemming) Casino Royale. Bond is pissed and on a mission of vengeance. Right on!

The game however is a bit of both worlds. You will complete missions based on Casino Royale AND QoS. Going back to a first person point of view the game already has scored major points with me, and with other excited fans of the series. Developed by Treyarch (the folks that did some of the COD games) and using the COD:4 engine, this game looks amazing in previews.

Accomplishing missions using stealth, gadgets, and down right brute force looks like it is a blast. The cover system borrows a bit from other First/Third person shooters, allowing you to suck up to a wall and the camera pulling back to give you a better vantage point. You can still pull of "007 Movie Moments" but they aren't labeled for you with a Giant neon sign that says "Shoot Here, It's What Jimmy Would Do!". You don't ever have to do them but when you figure out something that would make a great action moment you are rewarded.

Being that i am a huge movie buff, and a total nerd when it comes to both Bond and the games, i for one can't wait to get this one in my hands.

"007 Quantum of Solace" the game comes out this Tuesday on pretty much every system, and the movie will be in theaters this weekend. This IS however just a preview based on all that i have heard, seen and read second hand. So i will have more on this game as i am allowed to play it. Stay Tuned!

*Update*

Gamefly HAS sent me my 360 copy in the mail. I hope to have it by this weekend.

Bob Barker should have Neutered this one...

2008-10-30T13:39:00.000-07:00

Well I thought how bad can you screw up a game show that has been on for literally decades? Oh how wrong I was.

Yeah that isn't the best of endorsements for this game, but it's the truth. I rented this one for my Wii with the hopes that my wife and i would have a lot of fun bidding on things, spinning the "Big Wheel" and playing the Price is Right Games. Sadly, it didn't happen.

Starting off the game boots up with the Price is Right music, and i start thinking, "Oh yeah bring it on Bob!" Much to my dismay there is no voice of the beloved Bob Barker in the game... nor is there the voice of the new host Drew Carey. Just some run of the mill voice over actor (no offense whoever you are) that reads the lines that you WISH Bob was.

The game starts and you get to choose between several different avatars to use as your on screen character. Nothing really of note except that the only African American person looks like a homeless crack head you would see on Cops for some reason. Input your name, and let the fun begin. The next item up for bid... Actually this is one of the things that did impress me about the game. They show you a full motion video of the item you have to put a bid on, complete with "The Bob Barker Girls" showing it off. Then it breaks down again. Everyone places a bid and the winner gets the value of that prize added to their "winnings". No second chance for the other players you automatically move on to the first game.

You get four different games to choose from, i don't remember what they were b/c they all pale in comparison to "Cliff Hangers" which is in the game. The winner of the previous game gets to choose first, then so on down the line until all the participants have played a minigame of their choosing. Nothing much more than that, again there was FMV but the video at one point didn't match the item description they were giving me on screen, that's a downer.

Next we have the Big wheel spin. You know the drill Spin the wheel get the closest to the Dollar that you can without going over and move on to the Showcase Showdown. Well the only flaw here is that if only one human player gets to closest to the dollar then the game is over. so even if you don't get the dollar you move on anyway. . .

Showcase showdown is pretty much the same, watch, bid, and hope. Don't go over and win, come with in $250 of the amount and win BOTH. Prizes were shown in the FMV, bids were made, and the game was over... that's it.

Nope i didn't miss anything. Start all over again if you actually liked playing a really bad version of "America's Favorite Gameshow". I didn't enjoy the first trip (it didn't help that my wife won) so after trying to talk myself into playing again (and losing) i put it back in the envelope and back to the warehouse it went.

This is one of those rare games that makes me very happy that i have a subscription to Gamefly. I don't think i can even recommend this one to the fans of the show that haven't left with good ol' Bobby B.

Cue the sound ghost of Rod Roddy!!

Bom bom bom ba bom waaaaaaaaaa....

Mystery Case Files; Millionheir

2008-10-30T13:19:00.000-07:00

Do you like those games in Highlites where you have to find all the hidden items in a picture. Did you ever watch "Finders Keepers" on Nickelodeon? Do you enjoy those bar games that make you find the differences between two pictures? Did you find Waldo?

If you answered yes to any of the previous questions, and have a DS and $20 then this game might be fore you.

Mystery Case Files : Millionheir, isn't going to change the way you look at your DS or revolutionize the game market, but its still fun. The "story" (if you can call it that) is that you are a detective and the millionaire "Phil T. Rich" (no that's not a joke) has gone missing. It's up to you and your trust stylus to find him. I don't know exactly how you connect finding items on a screen to interviewing a suspect, but somehow that's the way to solve the case. Find enough items with in your (optional) time limit and then solve one more puzzle and move on to the next person.

There are around 10 different areas and their respective inhabitant to talk to and interview. Most of the time you are just finding the proverbial needle in a hay stack. Some of the other puzzles are spin offs of a jigsaw puzzle, bejewelled, and others. There are several special items and little gimmicks that the game uses well enough. Goggles see under water, x-ray sees through things, and you can even blow in the DS mic to "clean things off".

Once you play through the game you can go back an complete it at different skill levels, and as i said before you can turn on or off the optional time limit, making you work harder to find items. I would say that this game is great for travel but if that travel is on a bumpy road, prepare for motion sickness.

I rented this as a stop-gap game between several other big name titles that were coming out. It served it's purpose, and i enjoyed it. Like i said before if you have twenty bucks and just need something to do on your DS, you could do a LOT worse than this game.

From the Depths of the Vault (not a Fallout Review)

2008-10-29T14:47:00.000-07:00

So being a self professed game-aholic, i am fully aware of my addiction and the effect it has on me. Here are but a few examples of what i mean.

First, when a game comes out that has any media push behind it, my friends will almost immediately come to me and ask if i have played "Game X" yet. Because sadly they know that either i already have or am planning on it. I am thought of as the person in my circle of friends that has at least heard every gaming nugget of info out there and can explain them.

Second, I also am a music nut. Putting these two passions together (Gaming and Music) and you get a very strange cocktail. I almost always have a song from some game running through my head. Be that the theme from Golgo13, to Super Mario Brothers, Oblivion, or even the Underground passage from Goonies II (which is currently on loop in my brain. On my iPod i have about 600 different songs either taken directly from a game or inspired from games.

Speaking of i would highly recommend that everyone check out several bands that are my favorites as far as this category goes. The Advantage, The Minibosses, 8bit Weapon, and Mega Drive. All of which do some pretty amazing renditions of your favorite (and mine) video games.

Lastly, I never suffer from "Buyers Remorse". Unless the game i just got is truly horrible and i can't stand the fact that it is in my possession, i very rarely feel bad upon purchasing a game. Except for the fact that i have games now that i have yet to finish. Which brings me to the new Sidebar that i added today to the site. Taken from the 1up shows inspiration, i have added the "Pile of Shame". These are games that i own and have yet to finish. There are some very old games in there and most of them are well worth the trouble of finishing, but i just get distracted so fast to another more shiny new game.

And on that note i am off to my 360 and the comforts of the "Wasteland" and Fallout 3. . .

Brothers in Arms; Hell's Highway

2008-10-29T11:16:00.000-07:00

I wasn't ready to play this the first time i sat down with it. I played thru the tutorial but then got bored. I picked it back up however when i had a little better attention span and really like it now. It takes some time to get used to the fact that you aren't a "Super Soldier" that can take down the Axis Powers on your own. You are a commanding officer and that is what you do... Command. Tell certain fire teams to set up at point A and fire on point B. There is a lot more strategy than i thought would go into this game, and this is fine by me and it works quite well.

Scout out the landscape, figure out ahead of time how you want to approach a skirmish, then execute. Once you get used to the fact that you can't rush in, and you have to approach each fight with a certain amount of strategy most players will do just fine.

However the down side is quite steep. The multiplayer aspect of the game is pretty much your standard FPS game. The difference being that you have a (human player) commander and they give you orders on where to go and set up and do what with whatever. The problem is that you don't HAVE to do this. So as you might expect if you get a team that is a bunch of randoms, they aren't probably going to listen to you and will just go off on their own and die. The up side is that if you have a team that works together like a well oiled machine you can dominate.

The story really relies on the fact that you have played the two previous games (which i had not) so if you don't have any emotional attachment to anyone i can see where the story would fall kinda flat. The game itself looks a little on the dated side as well. You can tell that this game was ment to have come out about 2 years ago. Unfortunately they were using an older version of the Unreal Engine i believe and the time shows. I guess that is what happens when delays plague your release. The sound quality is done well, nothing feels out of place, and they don't go down the path of over using words that describe "Germans" like "Krauts" or "Jerry" so frequently that you can't stand to hear it anymore.

All in all the game is put together well and the entire package is worth checking out. It's just too bad that it was forced to sit and wait for almost 3 years before it could be released.

*the pic above was taken from Joystiq, only b/c of my love of the site and the picture itself*

15 seconds of fame

2008-10-29T09:28:00.000-07:00

So i recently posted a review through the website Slapstic.com and apparently through that the website N4G.com found the review and posted it to their page.

One step in the right direction. Now if only i can do that all the time everything will fall into place.

"I love it, when a plan comes together."

Here is the link to the article.

Fallout 3

2008-10-28T14:25:00.001-07:00

This is an actual shot of me, just after my "Head A Splode".

Fallout 3 is finally here. I actually have it (lunch box and all) in my hand. This game couldn't have come out at a worse time too. I haven't even begun to scratch the surface of Fable II, and haven't even started working on my LittleBigPlanet creations.

Well either way i can't wait to take my time and walk through the wasteland after exiting vault 101 tonight. Wish me luck on the outside. Oh and don't forget to wear your goggles.

Tears of... Er... Gears of War 2

2008-10-23T11:44:00.000-07:00

So if anyone out there reads this then you are probably into Videogames, if so then you probably heard of Gears Of War, if so then you probably saw the "Mad World" commercial they did for it a couple years ago. This is the follow up to that commercial. The song featured here is "How It Ends" by DeVotchKa.

It attempts to put the same Emotional twist on the fighting that the other commercial did. It works well with the video and the clip is put together nicely. I don't think anyone will be crying over Marcus Fenix or Dom but hey, EMO kids cry over all kinds of stuff.

Clip Embedded below.

Dead Space

2008-10-21T11:09:00.000-07:00

Ok well first things first... NOT A GAME FOR KIDS!!!

Little kids i mean. The 12 year olds that just learned what "four letter" words are fun to say in an almost public place... they can still play b/c they are anyways b/c their parents don't care. No, i mean the little little ones. They need to have this game well out of reach.

Second. Take a look at the pic, a good long look at it. Yeah those things are everywhere. They will attack you, from front to back above and below. They will find you and get you.

This game is, in short, very well put together. Slick production on every level, music, sound, voice acting, lighting, everything. I don't think this game is a "Horror" game really though. I would say it falls more to the "Thriller" category. Sure there are several moments that you will jump at, maybe even yelp like a little girl that just had a frog shoved in her face like an old 1930's sitcom. More so than that though is the overall sense of dread. Turning every corner with you gun out, opening every door waiting for something to try and rip your face off. Playing last night i actually turned my ringer off on my cell phone b/c i knew that if my wife were to call me in the middle of playing this game, i could very well crap my pants.

The rest of the game is just average i guess. Not to detract from the game as a whole, but if you are looking for a beautiful story arc or looking to gain something from having played this game, its just not there. The story is run of the mill "In space no one can hear you scream." stuff, and by about chapter 5 you pretty much have a clue of how it will all end.

That being said this game is still great. I am very happy that i am playing it, it was well worth the wait. I just don't see a lot of "replay-ability" in it. Once you finished the story and the game itself, your done.

They say it's not the destination its the journey that makes it all worth it. Well that couldn't be more true with this game. The ride to the end is well worth the effort put into the game, just don't expect a watershed moment when you finally hit your stop.

Ok ok ok... not so bad

2008-10-20T14:18:00.001-07:00

Ok so as most already know the first possible "Killer App" for the PS3 (besides MGS4) is Little Big Planet. Supposed to be coming out tomorrow (Oct. 21st) however due to some soundtrack issues, it has been delayed.

At least it isn't as bad as would be expected. The delay has only pushed it back apparently a week. Now the release date is set for Oct. 27th, with a "No Street Date" clause on the game. Meaning that they should get them as early as Oct. 26th and can start selling them at any time. This is good news b/c i want to get as much time in with the single player game as possible before the vaccum that is Fallout 3 comes on (which is the next day actually).

Once i actually sit down with my creation and tweek it some more i will post a video of it. Can't wait to see some more stuff from some of these people. Several stages that i played made by just random Beta testers was simply AMAZING!!

Booooooo!!!

2008-10-17T10:34:00.000-07:00

No that is not inreferance to the fact that Halloween is coming soon...

more toward this... from pretty much the internet.

"That ~~little~~, er, BIG delay that we reported earlier today? Yeah, it's now effective for the entire ... planet! In a statement published on semi-official site Three Speech, SCEE confirms that the worldwide delay is indeed due to "one of the background music tracks licensed from a record label for use in the game," which references "two expressions that can be found in the Qur'an." (We've posted the full statement after the break.)

No word yet on the new release date for any territory. And we're still awaiting SCEA's response to the matter, which we hope to update with shortly.

Update: Media Molecule has released a statement noting that they have anofficial patch ready for day one, but "a decision was made within Sony that the right thing to do for quality and support of people with no on-line was to replace existing disks." The patch is still ready and the post suggests it will likely "go live at the same time as the game," which still has no new release date."

This is me pissed that i have to wait till WHENEVER to play this game now. Can i have the Beta back then please??

Pregnancy Confirmed!

2008-10-16T11:58:00.001-07:00

Just got back from the Dr.'s office. It is confirmed that my wife is carrying the sequal. She is a little over 8 weeks pregnant which puts the due date around the end of May.

It was very surreal seeing the Ultrasound of the little thing (i say thing b/c who knows). We got to see the tiny and i mean tiny heartbeat. I don't know what else to say. I am going to be a father in about 9 months and that is a little weird. At least i have NINE MONTHS to prepare myself and everything around me for the new arrival.

I will post the picture of the untrasound soon.

Thank you 1Up!!

2008-10-03T20:05:00.001-07:00

Big Thanks go out to 1Up!!

I have been trying to get into the Beta for Little Big Planet litteraly ALL WEEK. Tonight i got confirmation that i had won my code. I am in!! It is downloading as i type this message. I am pretty sure how my weekend is going to go now. I only wish that the beta didn't end in 7 days. Oh well at least i actually won and can start to create my masterpiece!

So thanks again to 1Up!! You guys always have a way of making my week and my weekend better.

NEW PUNCH OUT!!

2008-10-02T13:36:00.000-07:00

So this news recently broke, and i was hesitant about even caring about the fact they were doing Punch Out!! again. Considering the fact that the first was one of my top 10 NES games of all time, and subsiquent games haven't been able to capture the flavor of the first one...

Boy was a wrong (at least visually and audio-bly?). If you haven't watched the above clip do it now... i will wait... ... ... done good. See (and hear) what i mean. All that was missing from that little preview was a very stereotypical black man as your trainer, a pink track suit, and crowd noise (you know what i mean you can hear it in your head now).

Can't wait to find out more about this game, just a shame it probably won't hit until well into 2009.

Delay, a window into the future.

2008-10-01T13:36:00.000-07:00

So i haven't been posting recently b/c i have been working... and i have been trying like a crazy person to get into the Little Big Planet Beta. Ridiculously hard to do apparently.

The game releases on Oct 21st, the Beta started last week, and i still don't have a code. I am not one of these people that i have seen posting in certain forums that are up at all hours of the day and night mashing the refresh button hoping that they get in. That isn't my style, i have the game paid for and i am just waiting to pick it up. It is amazing that people are so nuts about getting into this they are losing sleep.

I just watched the special episode of X-Play where they go thru a lot of the aspects of the game and it only made me more sure of it being a hit. Like i said before, this game is going to get a lot of attention from me in the near future. Which is going to be hard considering Fallout 3 is coming like the next week after LBP. I guess i will have to play one in the morning and one at night. Wish me luck.

Seatbelts.

Dear God No....

2008-09-24T08:58:00.000-07:00

This story is so gross that i had to post it here as well just so that everyone can see it.

I have thought in the past that i had some lazy friends and that they (and I) sometimes needed to clean up more around the house. However they cannot hold a candle to this person, whoever you are.

This link is again, totally safe for work, nothing offensive or anything like that. You will be grossed out though, bet on it.

Click on the link if you want to see more, but you have been warned!

Surprise!!

2008-09-23T09:17:00.000-07:00

So this weekend we (my wife and i) went ahead and told my immediate family the news that we were pregnant. I think they were guessing something was up but i don't think they knew that it was going to be the news they got.

Everyone came over for dinner and (with out going into a long story) my niece was there as well. We told her that she had a present to open and she was very excited. She opened a box that had two (really horrible previous christmas gifts) ducks in side. Upon Further investigation one of the ducks had a smaller ceramic duck in a pouch. I explained to her that it was two larger ducks and there was one more one the way.

Well she didn't understand but my Mother and Sister sure did. They both started yelling and crying at the same time (both in joy, not madness). Everyone was all smiles the rest of the day. I told them that we didn't want the rest of the family. At least not until we have an ultrasound to show them. Oh and we will be finding out the sex of the baby too. None of that guessing till it's born BS.

Madden 09

2008-09-19T05:19:00.000-07:00

Ok so first off, I am not a "sports gamer". I very rarely will play ANY contact sport game on any system. It's not that i don't understand them (except Hockey), it's more that i just don't like the level of SIM that goes into playing the games themselves. Like Baseball games (yes i realize it's not a contact sport) on most systems are way more complicated that i want them to be. I liked RBI Baseball on my NES. Get up to bat, hit the "A" button to swing... and that was pretty much it.

So imagine my surprise when i discovered that when i played the latest iteration of EA's Madden series, that i really liked it. The game can be as simple as i want it to be. Pick a play let it run out on screen. If you're on defense you don't have to do anything if you don't want to. If you're on offense you just hike and pass to an open man and run. Or this game can be as complicated as you want. Pick formations, call audibles, change pass or rush coverage... it can get really complicated.

Not to mention that you can go through "SuperStar" mode and make a player and nurse him through the process of being drafted for a team, making the cut, and actually playing in games. Franchise mode that lets you manage the team swap players, make play changes... way complicated for my liking.

That being said i really enjoy this game. I have been playing with a group of guys recently, and was able to take part in their Madden League. Playing online games against another human that doesn't swear at you, call your mom out, or act like you are the gayest man at the gay pride parade, is nice. I can't say that i am destroying people in the league but at least i am holding my own. . . Anyway

From the graphics to the sound (except that ass Chris Collinsworth, ugh!) the presentation of the game itself, and the addition of the self adjusting game play, this game is tight. I don't mean that in a slag way of saying "It's tight Yo!", no i mean this game is actually very tightly produced. Everything feels correct. Nothing feels out of place or over done (again except Chris).

I would give this one probably an A- or 4 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Princess Peach is real..

2008-09-17T13:33:00.001-07:00

Sort of... i think this is how my wife sees herself, I could agree with that. She is my Princess.

Will work for games...

2008-09-17T13:33:00.000-07:00

So upon finding out that my wife is probably pregnant, i have come to the realization that i will for at least the next 18 or so years be without a "disposable income". My only solution for this is to sell off anything and everything that i can to get money to feed my hunger (i.e. games, not drugs, alcohol, or gambling).

The first thing on my "Must Go" list is my collection of cds. Of which i own about 400. So now i am going to embark on the long journey on ripping my cds that i may actually care to have later in life to my computer. I don't think there will be any system to doing this (genre as opposed to alphabetical) but i know no matter how i approach it, it will take me a looong time.

Also i am looking into getting a large external hard drive to store all this info on. I am thinking that about a 350 or a 500 gig will do me just fine. i don't think i would ever be able to fill up a Terabyte of space, at least not during the life span on my current computer.

I will probably start this task this weekend when i have some down time between my Madden League games and rounds of Tiger Woods 09 and Rock Band 2 Battles (reviews of all pending).

Mercenaries 2; World in Flames

2008-09-15T10:40:00.000-07:00

After two weeks of being stuck in mail from Gamefly, my copy of this game finally showed up on Saturday.

The first game was a lot of fun, and i have been looking forward to playing this one for a while. The first was maybe a little too open-ended, they didn't really give you enough direction so you kinda spaced and just ran around the country side GTA style.

It's basically the same premise as the first game though, just in another setting. You are a high paid Merc that is out for revenge on a guy that didn't pay your bounty and ended up getting you shot in the ass, literally. You have to work with (or against) several different factions in order to get the information that you need to find the final guy you want to get to. That is pretty much the bulk of the story, it's kinda weak but it's enough to hold your attention and keep you moving.

The one thing that this game (was and) is known for is blowing stuff up. It does that very well. There are numerous fuel tanks, red barrels, trucks, tanks, pretty much anything that you think will explode does, and well. When things go BOOM the screen goes white and then gets very dark. Considering that is exactly what your eyes will do when forced to take in very bright lights, it is a very nice use of the effect.

Also in the game you make money at an almost alarming rate. I thought when i started that it would take a while to earn up to the Million$ mark for my "Tattooed Millionaire" achievement on the 360 but it really didn't take long at all. You have to "hire" a helicopter pilot, mechanic, and jet pilot. Once you get all them then you can pick up literally pallets of money ($100K), drop air strikes, and fix your vehicles and other things.

You get "quests" from other factions that you want to help in order for you to find your final goal. One thing to consider is that if you work for one faction you may piss off another then have to pay said faction off in order to get them to help you more. It's a nice little strategy aspect of the game.

All in all it seems like a short game. Considering that i have had the game two days and have moved through almost 50% of the game (according to the in game ticker). I don't see myself holding onto it for long, except for the fact that it has a pretty fun Multi-player aspect that allows you to jump in and out of a friends game at any point.

When it comes down to it I would score this probably around a B- or a 4 out of 5. Well worth the slot in my Game fly Queue.

Hurry up and wait...

2008-09-13T12:47:00.000-07:00

So following up on yesterdays big event, my wife made an appointment with her Dr. It's about 4 weeks away from today. She also took another pregnancy test and the results were the same. It's a pretty safe bet that she is pregnant now, but we have to wait to get the official word from the Doc.

So now the long wait begins to see if it really is officially true. . .

*Update*

The Doctors appt is set for October 16th.

Little Big Planet

2008-09-12T14:43:00.000-07:00

This game is going to be Huge.

There aren't that many games on the horizon that I am truley looking forward to. This one is defiantley on the short list though.

I have been formulating plans for level design, character design and what I want to take pictures of (with my Playstation Eye) to add to the game. I can honestly say that this game is a big reason why I am happy that I went ahead and got a PS3. Being able to design so much from just one simple game is just amazing. My creative juices are certainly flowing now.

More than just being able to design levels and such on my own is the prospect that everyone out there that also has the game is doing the same, AND we can share. I heard on one of the many Podcast that I listen to, they were making a pool on how long it would take before the first "Super Mario" level was uploaded. Its a forgone conclusion that it will happen, but hey, that's what this game was made for.

October 21st can't get here soon enough for me. I have already paid off mine and will be there first thing to pick up my copy.

A New Generation

2008-09-12T12:31:00.000-07:00

So today my wife and I found out that she may be pregnant. . .

I needed some time for that to set in. We haven't been actively trying to get pregnant but I guess you could say we were just practicing until we got it right. I guess here recently, we did.

It was very surreal hearing my wife come out of the bathroom (with a "stick" she just peed on) saying "We're pregnant!". At first i really didn't believe it. I am still thinking about it and it hasn't really sunk in yet.

I walked around Target today, mostly through the baby section. I actually looked at most of the stuff and checked out the toys, clothes, and just general "things" that you end up getting when you have a child. I think i can do this. I think I am ready.

Thus begins my new Blog. The "Expectant Gamer". I will generally post things as they come up about the baby that might be on the way. Also i will put my two cents in about video games and the culture that surrounds them. I will try to post at least once a week maybe more. I will also update this page throughout the course of this journey with links, pics, and other doo-dads that correspond with my new direction in life.

It's no longer just about me, now its truly about the future and what it holds for my wife and I.