Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Battlefront 2 DLC Out Now

I am downloading the content as we speak. it's up for those in the west. If you don't see it right now... just wait, and it should appear soon.

Monday, January 30, 2006

THAW Review Up

You can cheek out my full review of THAW over here at TeamXbox.com.

I'm truckin' through Quake 4 and Amped 3 right now...I'll be sure to post reviews once I finish them.

No 2006 Release for Halo 3?

This internal memo from GameStop seems to state that Halo 3 will not release this year. Seems fishy to me...but I alreadly suspected that Halo 3 will launch in 2007. But, expect full Halo 3 coverage at this years E3. I think Bungie will probably follow the same release strategy as they did for Halo 2, trailer first, weekly updates, than a release date and demo at the next E3.

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Marble Blast Out

Marble Blast Ultra is now able to be purchased and downloaded on the Xbox Live MarketPlace. It costs 800 MS Points ($10) and is freakin' sweet.

Heres a tip: the first Easter Egg in the game is located in Level One. On the jumping part, you have to get to the higher level on the left. Do a RB and Jump combo (when full blue) to get up there, and than just carefully tread along untill the end.

Still no Full Auto demo, might be out latter tonight. I'll keep you posted.

Monday, January 23, 2006

Who Thought This was Cool?

OK...so now both Amped 3 and TAW do this thing where they "interrupt" your gaming session to switch camera views. Let me be clear on this: your going along, having fun, than bam! right out of nowehere the camera angle shifts, usually to a wide-angle zoom. I get the idea: tyrying to show you how cool the trick looks from a distance...but it does NOT work. At all.

Seriously...just leave my camera alone. When your driving in PGR3...the view doesn't just switch from first person to thrid just becuase your getting some air...so why should these games be any different?

Also....another rant on Amped 3....who the hell uses the X button to select things? Hello, thats what the A button is for dumbasses. I just majorly screwed up trying to quit a challenege and start agin by just pressing A instead. After 4 long years of Xbox gaming, Im pretty set on a few butoon comobs: X to reload, Y to grind, A to jump, R Tigger to fire, AND A TO SELECT MENU ITEMS. Seriously, it works just fine the way it is. If you want to go and be all "inventivie" in the controls, than why don't try doing something IN THE GAME (like, I don't know, using the damn Bumper buttons),

Just some grips. Otherwise great games though.

Sunday, January 22, 2006

Dashboard Update + Texas Hold 'Em

So, the Internet and forums are abuzz over the rumored upcoming Dashboard Update for the 360. Heres my thoughts.

First off...people are making this much bigger than it will ever be. The update will probably add the camera, and fix some of the most noticable achievment bugs. Also, the update will probably do some behind-the-scenes fixes so that the cheating that took place on the XLA titles comes to an end.

But heres my big thought: MS has gone on record stating that the camera will apear both "sooner than you think" and when the first titles to make use of it become available. If the Dashboard update is a reality...and the camera is a part of it (and I realize these are big ifs) than I expect that the Texas Hold 'Em game is coming along with them. No other game currently in the window right now has any chance of supporting a camera. Maybe the Hopp Challenge game...but thats only becuase I have no clue what the hell that game is about.

So, while your reading the thousands of other rumors and theories out there on the Net...kep mine in mind.

Also...I heard somewhere that on the 25th the Full Auto demo will hit the MarketPlace, lets keep our fingures crossed.

Friday, January 20, 2006

Week In Review--1/20/06

Have not had much time to post throught out the week this week as, well, I was pretty busy. Here's a day-by-day recap.

Monday--Purchased FFXI beta and Quake IV. Finished installing FFXI.

Tuesday--Disneyland Trip--rode the new Monsters Inc ride (its great, BTW)

Wednesday--First day of new term classes. Re-log on to FFXI. Complete Child/Father Quest. Gain 200 XP. Play some Quake IV.

Thursday--Play some DOA4 rounds in time attack mode...still about 15 away from the final character. Finsh night with a breif FFXI time play and few rounds in Quake IV.

Friday--Post a recap of the week on a blog no one reads. Begin my weekend. Sleep.

Latter on tonight I will be uploading my THAW review...and perhaps posting a first impression of Quake IV.

Right now, here are some FFXI thoughts.
  • Graphics are simiply unacceptable. Period. They suck. The worst on 360, hands down.
  • Long and boaring set p that could and should be alot easier. Will alienate gamers who purchase the retail version of the game.
  • Bad user interface...just bad.
  • Lots of fun to play...but alot of work as well.
  • Super Bunnies? How can I kill three bunnies in four hits and than get killed by one with one hit the next time? WTF?!?
  • NO VOICE!?! How did MS let Square shove that up their ass?

Monday, January 16, 2006

Just Finished Installing

Almost two hours since my last post...and I just finished the final DL and am in the world playing. I choose basic classes and characters for my first run just to get the feel of the game, but latter on I want to learn some real magic.

I'll be on this and Quake 4 throughtout the rest of the week. See 'ya online!

Installing FFXI

As you can see at right...Im in the middle of downloading and starting the Final Fantasy XI beta. I'm about an hour into it...I think Ive still got a ways to go.

I'll post my thoughts on the supposdly long and stupid process when and if I finish.

Sunday, January 15, 2006

Whats Up With TLM?

So, back in October I told the world that The Lost Man, my Java Halo Project, would be ready for the end of November. That came and went...and so did January 12...the expected release date. Than, in a little PPS update, I said it wasn't coming untill May 2006. Heres the full story.

TLM is still in devlopment. I'm still coding on it everyday. In order to make it the best experiance possible, I need more time to finsih it. Seriously, I get held up in Niovember and Decmber with the holdiays and Xbox 360...and IO have not even finished raw coding for the end.

I expect may will be the final release date for TLM...but nothing is set in stone. If I don't have a good hold on the game by March, I'll push it back again. Sorry, thats just the way it works.

I'll try to update more with WWWU and stuff to keep you posted, but there just really isn't a whole lot to comment on. If all goes well, though, I will have a MAJOR annoucment the begining of February.

Stay tuned...and get ready for The Lost Man to invade your PC this May.

COD2 Review

Just finished and posted my review of COD2 on TeamXbox. Enjoy.

LINK

Friday, January 13, 2006

House of the Dead 4

My secert favorite game series is heading to the Xbox 360...this is the game Ill be playing in secert for years...online support would be AWSOME! Heres a tight new screen. No relase date is currently available, but I think its coming Fall 2006.

Slow News January

I've been active for the last couple of weeks...but theres just nothing at all to report. The biggest news had come in the form of new screen for the March releases of Burnout, Battlefield 2 and others. Oh and the release of DOA 4...which is cool but sooooo hard.

I've manged to finally unlock the Spartan character in DOA 4....but man do I suck. It took me forever to manage to get the Plasma Throw Combo down. All in all....the game is cool, but hard. You can read my full review of the game over at TeamXbox...here.

BTW--heres some news, I am now commited to using TeamXbox's review system to write my reviews. I just finshed THAW and COD2...so I'll be writting up reviews latter on. I'll be sure to post the links here for all to read.

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

STAR Awards Part 2 (Other)

Here's the new part of he STAR Awards...the Non-Video Gaming Awards. Enjoy!

Best Acting in a Cineamtic Production
Tom Cruse (War of the Worlds)

Best Special Effects in a Production
King Kong

Best Orginal Score
Munich, John Williams

Best Movie, Drama
Rent

Best Movie, Sci-Fi
SW:ROTS

Best Movie, Comedy
The Producers

Best Cineamtic Production
Star Wars Episode III: ROTS

Best Directing
Steven Speilburg, Munich

Best Acting, TV
Charile Sheen, two and a Half Men

Best New Show
How I Met Your Mother

Best TV Show, 2005
Current (DirecTV Ch. 366)

Best Book, 2005 (TIE)
Freakonomics; Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner
Harry Poter and the Half-Blood Prince

Best Comedy Spoof
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

Best News Coverage Channel
Current

Story of th Year
Iraq Death Toll Reaches 2000

Person of the Year
John McCain

Wednesday, January 04, 2006

HD DVD Add On for Xbox 360

By now I'm sure you've heard about the HD DVD addidtion for the Xbox 360 that Bill Gates just annouced during his CES Keynote. Not much else, incluidng date, price or real specifics, but there is quite a bit of info just from the annoucment.

First--it's an add on, externaly. No internal modification required. This is actualy realy important. On one hand, games won't want to require this drive as not all will have it, yet, some games, like MS ones, may require it just to sell the unit.

More to come latter, rest assured.

Tuesday, January 03, 2006

2006 STAR Awards

Here they are...the winners of the 2006 STAR Awards for video games. Tomorrow, the winners for all other areas will be listed.

RU Stands For Runner Up

Best Console
Xbox
RU: Xbox 360

Best New Device
PSP
RU: iPod G5

Best Online Game
Perfect Dark Zero
RU: SC:CT

Best Offline Game
Call of Duty 2 (X360)
RU: Half Life 2 (XBX)

Best Graphics (Current Gen)
SC:CT
RU:SOCOM 3

Best Graphics (Next Gen)
Dead or Alive 4
RU: Call of Duty 2 (X360)

Best Gameplay
Call of Duty 2 (X360)
RU: Battlefront 2

Best Controls (Current Gen)
Half Life 2
RU: SC:CT

Best Controls (Next Gen)
Kameo: Elements of Power
RU: Call of Duty 2

Best Star Wars Game
Battlefront II
RU: Republic Commando

Best PS2 Game
SOCOM 3
RU: Soul Calibur 3

Best GameCube game
Mario Party 7
RU: Mario Superstar Baseball

Best PC Game
Battlefield 2
RU: The Movies

Best Xbox Game
SC:CT
RU: Half Life 2

Best Xbox 360 Game
TIE: Perfect Dark Zero
Call of Duty 2

Best PSP Game
GTA: Liberty Stories
RU: Burnout Legends

Best Nintendo DS Game
Mario Kart DS
RU: Nintendogs

Game of the Year
Call of Duty 2
RUS: (In Order) Perfect Dark Zero
SC:CT
SOCOM 3
Half Lfe 2

Best Developer
Bungie

Best Publisher
Microsoft Game Studios

Best DLC
Halo Map Pack
RU: Live Aracade GeoWars 2

--------------------------------------
Worst Online Experiance
Call of Duty 2 (X360)

Worst Graphics
Tony Hawk's American Wasteland (X360)

Worst Next-Gen"Ness"
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2006

Worst Game of the Year
Amped 3'

Biggest Letdown
MechAssualt 2
SW: Episode III

Worst Devloper
Valve

Thursday, December 22, 2005

Away On Leave

There will prbably be fewer posts the next couple of days as I celebrate Christmas with my family. I'll be at home this year, so if I have anything to report I'll go ahead and post, but I doubt it. If I don't post again, Merry Christmas, Happy Kawanza, Happy Hanuka, Happy Festivus and any and all others.

P.S. Don't forget about the STAR awards on 1/3/06 and the Year in Review on New Years Eve. I'min the middle of finishing both of them for their releases.

P.P.S Halo: The Lost Man is still in development, and won't make a public appearance until May 2006. Sorry.

Marble Blast Ultra

This new Marble "sim" game comes out tomorrow over Xbox Live Aracde for 800 MS points. The title looks cool to me, and I'll probably end up buying the full version once I get a 1600 MS Point card from my brother on Christmas.

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

New Battlefront 2 DL Content

LucasArts annouced Monday that new DLC has gone out and is planned for BattleFront 2. This week, an update has been released to allow you to play Jedi-Free-For-All on Kayashk. A Premium pack is scheduled for January that includes favorite from the orginal, including Rhen Var and Bespin.

Sunday, December 18, 2005

The Game That's Making Me Glad I Got a 360

...is Elder Scrolls 4. I've never played any of the orginals, but man this game looks good. So much action, so many different things to choose from. I'll go out on a limb and say this is the first game that will show off the Xbox 360'real potential for normal games. This is the next-generations alright. I might have to go out and preorder this title.