One of my Christmas gifts this year was the brand new Force Unleashed II for the PS3. As a child that grew up in the Star Wars era this game is right up my alley. The first game was great (I had the good ending for the first one) and I am disappointed to say the second one is not. Let me explain before the hate mail starts. I am almost through the game so its not liked I picked it up for 10 minutes and thought more of the same. The story is not as good as the first one and I am not ruining anything for you by telling you the cameos by Yoda and Boba Fett are just that... cameos. As a matter of fact the Yoda subplot actually feels tacked on. The gameplay is the same so its mostly pick and play. The new force rage is very much like God of War. The double jump dash is a bit annoying you will find yourself really having to concentrate to make a few crucial jumps. The violence is minimal and if the kids watch the cartoon they can handle this. One thing that is funny at first but quickly becomes annoying is the chatter among the stormtroopers. The funniest one is at the beginning on Kamino when they talk about learning to swim. The boss battles are either easy or hard you will find the board with the casino fun to "explore". If you want more information on the boss battles shoot me a message I will help where I can.
Grade - C - Sorry George Lucas
Update: I finished this game last week and let's just say the end does not save this game. My only suggestion is when it comes to choices you may want to go toward the light and use You Tube for the other.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Thursday, December 2, 2010
How can I win the Holidays but be "cool"?
One of the questions I get from parents and friends is "What game and/or system do I buy for _______?" I know that the 13 year old wants Call of Duty: Black Ops and its assumed the younger kids want something for the Wii. I have a problem with both these gifts. Here are some tips on how to give "cool gifts" and a way to be a Santa...
Let's deal with the teenage crowd first. A 13 year can play Black Ops and be really good at it, the problem I have is going online with a game like this. The single player campaign is only half the game in most of these FPS. I have heard the argument you can't always control what your kid does on Xbox Live or PSN but you can. There are a ton of other great games out there this Holiday season. Black Ops promotes little Billy being locked in his room yelling into his headset till 3 in the morning. Its the Holidays damn it lets get everyone in front of the Xbox, PS3 and Wii. Here's a few winners to try instead:
ModNation Racers - PS3 - this game is Mario Kart but better. The commentary is funny and the controls are very pick up and play. Plus the races are short so everyone gets a turn.
Viva Pinata - Xbox 360 - There mini games are fun and can get fierce fast. Plus some of the games favor the players who are losing to make it closer so anyone can win
Pac Man Championship Edition - Xbox 360 - Look online on sites like Ebay for the compilation disc which I think has Uno on it to. Its a throw back for 30 something gamers and puts you on the same plane as the new generation. Again games are timed at 5 minutes so its outstanding.
Super Mario Bros. Wii - 4 player action and not a lot of buttons to learn. Much like Pac Man brings old and new gamers toward a common goal... fun.
Lego Anything - All platforms - Lego games are very good games for parents and kids to play together. The games themselves are easy. Finding 100% of the items and unlocking everything is tough. Plus for parents the guides are all over the Internet so if you can't find something look it up. Let the good people at Google help you find it. I find IGN has a great site with good guides.
Move and Kinect are great family fun but are much more expensive. Move can be costly at $100 for the starter kit and $50 for an additional wand but that covers 2 people. Only 2 people can play Kinect at a time for the same $150. Both come with a game and are fun. For the Move, if kids are around EyePet is pretty cool and for Kinect Kinectamals is cool too.
Most the games listed above can range from $10 - $40 with the peripharals (Move and Kinect) going for much more. Also those maybe harder to find.
I know what you are thinking though what is going to make me look like the hero this Holiday season.....
Another game system... I know I know but its always cool to have 2 systems. The PS3 is one of the best BluRay players on the market and the new Xbox slim has built in Wifi and a new sleek design. What better way to graduate from the Wii then to get into "next generation gaming". Want to make it better, have it hooked up on Christmas morning. If you have a great gift idea, leave it in the comments.
Let's deal with the teenage crowd first. A 13 year can play Black Ops and be really good at it, the problem I have is going online with a game like this. The single player campaign is only half the game in most of these FPS. I have heard the argument you can't always control what your kid does on Xbox Live or PSN but you can. There are a ton of other great games out there this Holiday season. Black Ops promotes little Billy being locked in his room yelling into his headset till 3 in the morning. Its the Holidays damn it lets get everyone in front of the Xbox, PS3 and Wii. Here's a few winners to try instead:
ModNation Racers - PS3 - this game is Mario Kart but better. The commentary is funny and the controls are very pick up and play. Plus the races are short so everyone gets a turn.
Viva Pinata - Xbox 360 - There mini games are fun and can get fierce fast. Plus some of the games favor the players who are losing to make it closer so anyone can win
Pac Man Championship Edition - Xbox 360 - Look online on sites like Ebay for the compilation disc which I think has Uno on it to. Its a throw back for 30 something gamers and puts you on the same plane as the new generation. Again games are timed at 5 minutes so its outstanding.
Super Mario Bros. Wii - 4 player action and not a lot of buttons to learn. Much like Pac Man brings old and new gamers toward a common goal... fun.
Lego Anything - All platforms - Lego games are very good games for parents and kids to play together. The games themselves are easy. Finding 100% of the items and unlocking everything is tough. Plus for parents the guides are all over the Internet so if you can't find something look it up. Let the good people at Google help you find it. I find IGN has a great site with good guides.
Move and Kinect are great family fun but are much more expensive. Move can be costly at $100 for the starter kit and $50 for an additional wand but that covers 2 people. Only 2 people can play Kinect at a time for the same $150. Both come with a game and are fun. For the Move, if kids are around EyePet is pretty cool and for Kinect Kinectamals is cool too.
Most the games listed above can range from $10 - $40 with the peripharals (Move and Kinect) going for much more. Also those maybe harder to find.
I know what you are thinking though what is going to make me look like the hero this Holiday season.....
Another game system... I know I know but its always cool to have 2 systems. The PS3 is one of the best BluRay players on the market and the new Xbox slim has built in Wifi and a new sleek design. What better way to graduate from the Wii then to get into "next generation gaming". Want to make it better, have it hooked up on Christmas morning. If you have a great gift idea, leave it in the comments.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Kinect - the new Guitar Hero or Wii
I'm guilty I am an early adopter. I bought the PS3 bundle from Wal Mart so I could get it "first day". I bought the Move and Kinect also (my review of Move is in an earlier blog). So over the weekend family and friends gathered at our house for a party and I put on the Kinect, before I get to the results I want to go over the set up.
1. I have an Xbox Elite 120gb (the old one) with a wireless adaptor
2. I have a pretty good amount of room
3. I still had to move furniture
4. I am pretty good with the set ups
It took me some where between 10-15 to get the wires where I wanted them and to hook up my wireless adaptor. I would give yourself between 45-60 minutes set up time before the game play can start. So do not unbox this thing at a party and tell Santa to hook it up before Christmas morning. Put the disc in and away I went. Directions are easy to follow on screen. Now to the fun...
The disc is some typical mini games but its fun and fast. There are five different mini games to start. All show off the fun of the controller. There is an aquarium mini game where there are cracks in the tank. The now famous "human breakout" that was used in the demos at E3 where you hit a ball back at the wall, a rafting game, a pop the bubble game that is located in space and a running game where you need to duck/jump when cued. Each game is easy to learn. See it once and away you go. This is where the party fun begins. Each person can jump right into Kinect view and start to play. At our party everyone from 10 year old nephew to my 40 year old brother jumped in the same spot on the floor and played with minimal problems. Each game takes 5-7 minutes at most. The best part of this process was Kinect will take 3 pictures of you playing during game play. Some you will see coming others you will not. The fun ensues with the ones you are not expecting. Everyone had fun.
This is the new Guitar Hero/Wii. Let me explain.
1. This may be hard to find, you can see by the Amazon icon this thing is selling upwards of 20% over cost and some stores are already out for now. MSRP is $150
2. This is fun for the whole family. Grandma can get up and plug the leaks and its fun to watch. With the camera I can already see the pictures that could be posted. Remember the famous Wii fit girl? http://www.comedycentral.com/videos/index.jhtml?title=wii-fit-girl&videoId=262460
3. Its easy, remember picking up Guitar Hero and letting your four year old niece play the drums, I do.
4. How will it hold up in the long run? For the longest time my Wii was the expensive bookend I have ever had. Most of the games are the same but who cares until they are all the same. Everyone "bowled" on the Wii but what else was there? Nintendo was forced to change and years later everyone is catching up. Lets hope I don't just jump and duck.
5. Dance games and exercise games will be huge on this so college kids will go crazy for this. Its a party starter and whats funnier then when I reach for my drink so does my avatar. Plus my wife may want this so what is a better reason to buy it.
Grade - B
1. I have an Xbox Elite 120gb (the old one) with a wireless adaptor
2. I have a pretty good amount of room
3. I still had to move furniture
4. I am pretty good with the set ups
It took me some where between 10-15 to get the wires where I wanted them and to hook up my wireless adaptor. I would give yourself between 45-60 minutes set up time before the game play can start. So do not unbox this thing at a party and tell Santa to hook it up before Christmas morning. Put the disc in and away I went. Directions are easy to follow on screen. Now to the fun...
The disc is some typical mini games but its fun and fast. There are five different mini games to start. All show off the fun of the controller. There is an aquarium mini game where there are cracks in the tank. The now famous "human breakout" that was used in the demos at E3 where you hit a ball back at the wall, a rafting game, a pop the bubble game that is located in space and a running game where you need to duck/jump when cued. Each game is easy to learn. See it once and away you go. This is where the party fun begins. Each person can jump right into Kinect view and start to play. At our party everyone from 10 year old nephew to my 40 year old brother jumped in the same spot on the floor and played with minimal problems. Each game takes 5-7 minutes at most. The best part of this process was Kinect will take 3 pictures of you playing during game play. Some you will see coming others you will not. The fun ensues with the ones you are not expecting. Everyone had fun.
This is the new Guitar Hero/Wii. Let me explain.
1. This may be hard to find, you can see by the Amazon icon this thing is selling upwards of 20% over cost and some stores are already out for now. MSRP is $150
2. This is fun for the whole family. Grandma can get up and plug the leaks and its fun to watch. With the camera I can already see the pictures that could be posted. Remember the famous Wii fit girl? http://www.comedycentral.com/videos/index.jhtml?title=wii-fit-girl&videoId=262460
3. Its easy, remember picking up Guitar Hero and letting your four year old niece play the drums, I do.
4. How will it hold up in the long run? For the longest time my Wii was the expensive bookend I have ever had. Most of the games are the same but who cares until they are all the same. Everyone "bowled" on the Wii but what else was there? Nintendo was forced to change and years later everyone is catching up. Lets hope I don't just jump and duck.
5. Dance games and exercise games will be huge on this so college kids will go crazy for this. Its a party starter and whats funnier then when I reach for my drink so does my avatar. Plus my wife may want this so what is a better reason to buy it.
Grade - B
Monday, November 1, 2010
Xbox 360 quick reviews & Kinnect Deals
Last week we gave the PS3 love and this week with Kinnect right around the corner I decided it was time to do some quick reviews for the Xbox 360. The first game up for review is Ninja Blade. The best way to describe this game is Ninja Gaiden meet God of War lite. The mechanics of this game are similar to Ninja Gaiden (the reason I bought it) with quite a few quick time events and just like God of War they can get annoying at time because there are so many. The story on this one starts well enough but gets worse as it goes on. This is your typical button masher with big boss battles but the best part of this game is the price. Usually you can find it in the 29.99 or less bin. This game is an ideal title to tide you over between games you are waiting for. This game does do plenty right and was kind of a sleeper Xbox exclusive and is great if you are buying an Xbox and looking to expand the game library without going broke.
Grade - B
Monopoly seems to come out for every system every time. I remember having this for the Sega Master System so many moons ago and the problem is it really hasn't changed. There are new ways to play the game and the game still takes a while. The AI has only improved slightly even at the most difficult level. The deals they propose are usually terrible for one player sometimes including them. The control scheme is a bit troublesome also. There is a light at the end of this tunnel: the new mini games on this Monopoly are fun and kept friends and family entertained for sometime. This game screams rental though, once you have gone through the mini game once or twice it gets kind of old and playing single player seems kind of dull.
Grade - C
On Thursday Microsoft releases Kinnect for the Xbox 360 and there are a few deals out there but it sounds like finding the thing is going to be tough enough. Kmart offers a $25 coupon/reward for buying it there and an additional $15 coupon for a game purchased with it. The new book is out at TRU and has $10 off $75 on the back page so that is an option also. Looking at games Target has Buy 2 get 1 Free and looks like Amazon is going to match that deal but do not use 1 click when when buying. Later this week more Xbox games and I will be reviewing Kinnect more toward the middle of the month. Any questions please ask...
Grade - B
Monopoly seems to come out for every system every time. I remember having this for the Sega Master System so many moons ago and the problem is it really hasn't changed. There are new ways to play the game and the game still takes a while. The AI has only improved slightly even at the most difficult level. The deals they propose are usually terrible for one player sometimes including them. The control scheme is a bit troublesome also. There is a light at the end of this tunnel: the new mini games on this Monopoly are fun and kept friends and family entertained for sometime. This game screams rental though, once you have gone through the mini game once or twice it gets kind of old and playing single player seems kind of dull.
Grade - C
On Thursday Microsoft releases Kinnect for the Xbox 360 and there are a few deals out there but it sounds like finding the thing is going to be tough enough. Kmart offers a $25 coupon/reward for buying it there and an additional $15 coupon for a game purchased with it. The new book is out at TRU and has $10 off $75 on the back page so that is an option also. Looking at games Target has Buy 2 get 1 Free and looks like Amazon is going to match that deal but do not use 1 click when when buying. Later this week more Xbox games and I will be reviewing Kinnect more toward the middle of the month. Any questions please ask...
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
NHL 11 - Lets Go Pens! - Target Buy 2 get 1 Next week!!
I am confident that my brother and I have a small ownership in EA Sports. I look at my collection to see year after year of NHL titles I have purchased and think I am the one feeding this beast. NHL 11 has some minor tweaks to it that make it better then the previous year (broken sticks, new physics engine, updated rosters) but there is something far more addicting... the new card game that you can play in the Ultimate Team which I will address later in this review.
The game is mostly the same, the graphics are slightly better and the game play has improved some. I am still against the pinning against the boards "button" because it seems like you can get someone if they are anywhere near the boards but I digress... The game play is fun and is always better having some friends over to the house or on the headset. Simple to learn how to play and the shooting system is great using the right analog stick but knowing you can always use the "classic" set up for your stick from NHL 94.
I am not bragging but I win the Stanley Cup every year I have played be a player. I have upped the difficulty (I usually play on Pro and above) and still come out on top. This year I have a new vice Ultimate Player. This card game mixed in with my NHL game play has me playing as my own nicknamed team: Toledo Gatorz. You get everything from uniform cards to skill cards and player cards. For all you old school gamers it reminds me a lot of Baseball Stars for the NES. You get points to buy cards and can play in tournaments. The part that will draw you in is the auctions. You can bid/trade players and not just NHL players, all the players in the game, so start brushing up on your CHL prospects. You will quickly look for your favorites (Eric Tangardi) and try to acquire them. This will require you to play all while managing contracts and playing each game. It is addicting and oh by the way you buy these packs from your PSN account too (the EA beast rumbles). My only flaw is I wish I could put my player from Be a Pro into this mode, maybe next year EA. Here is my gamer tip of the week play the demo first for Ultimate Team you get some free packs when you load the game to give you a head start...
This game is great. If you are hockey fan this is must have. Fantasy Sports hockey fan you should already have this.
Grade - A
Holiday shopping season is right around the corner and Target is helping you out next week. The famous buy 2 get 1 free sale starts next week. Basically 33% off games. I know Best Buy has this week too but its on limited titles. Also the rest of the week I will get to some quick reviews on the Xbox 360 and Wii
The game is mostly the same, the graphics are slightly better and the game play has improved some. I am still against the pinning against the boards "button" because it seems like you can get someone if they are anywhere near the boards but I digress... The game play is fun and is always better having some friends over to the house or on the headset. Simple to learn how to play and the shooting system is great using the right analog stick but knowing you can always use the "classic" set up for your stick from NHL 94.
I am not bragging but I win the Stanley Cup every year I have played be a player. I have upped the difficulty (I usually play on Pro and above) and still come out on top. This year I have a new vice Ultimate Player. This card game mixed in with my NHL game play has me playing as my own nicknamed team: Toledo Gatorz. You get everything from uniform cards to skill cards and player cards. For all you old school gamers it reminds me a lot of Baseball Stars for the NES. You get points to buy cards and can play in tournaments. The part that will draw you in is the auctions. You can bid/trade players and not just NHL players, all the players in the game, so start brushing up on your CHL prospects. You will quickly look for your favorites (Eric Tangardi) and try to acquire them. This will require you to play all while managing contracts and playing each game. It is addicting and oh by the way you buy these packs from your PSN account too (the EA beast rumbles). My only flaw is I wish I could put my player from Be a Pro into this mode, maybe next year EA. Here is my gamer tip of the week play the demo first for Ultimate Team you get some free packs when you load the game to give you a head start...
This game is great. If you are hockey fan this is must have. Fantasy Sports hockey fan you should already have this.
Grade - A
Holiday shopping season is right around the corner and Target is helping you out next week. The famous buy 2 get 1 free sale starts next week. Basically 33% off games. I know Best Buy has this week too but its on limited titles. Also the rest of the week I will get to some quick reviews on the Xbox 360 and Wii
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Quick Reviews Ninja Gaiden Sigma 1 & 2
First let me just say that this is one of favorite franchises. Its a button masher I know but I still love both these games (including the Xbox 360 one) and news out of the TGS that a third one is on the way.
First a quick console history, Ninja Gaiden first appeared on the NES and made through its through the consoles up to the previous generation (Xbox) and it hit the Xbox in two games. Ninja Gaiden and Ninja Gaiden Black (or as it would be called now Ninja Gaiden: Game of the Year) brought out the best in players on the Xbox. Years later the PS3 one upped the ante on the Xbox version by calling it Ninja Gaiden Sigma (the ad slogan was the reason you bought a PS3) and gave the game a next gen update. Not to be outdone NG2 appeared as a limited console exclusive to the Xbox 360 and NGS2 was released roughly a year later on the PS3. If you want the ins and outs of the history of Ninja Gaiden visit the Wiki page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninja_Gaiden.
The game is known to be difficult even on the "easier" levels. For me its a joystick smashing good time with epic Boss Battles, upgrading weapons and more cleavage then one needs to see. The story for each of these incarnations are terrible (Volf the Wolf really?) but the graphics are great. The graphics have aged a little but in 2007 NGS was one of the best games on the PS3.
To make this short and sweet if you liked God of War, chances are you will like the NG series. I felt the second one was a little watered down on the PS3, they eliminated some of the busy work from the Xbox 360 version and of course cut out the blood (I did not care but it seems everyone else did). If you were a fan of the series on any system pick up all 3.
Ninja Gaiden Sigma - PS3 - A
Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 - PS3 - B
Ninja Gaiden II - Xbox 360 - A
First a quick console history, Ninja Gaiden first appeared on the NES and made through its through the consoles up to the previous generation (Xbox) and it hit the Xbox in two games. Ninja Gaiden and Ninja Gaiden Black (or as it would be called now Ninja Gaiden: Game of the Year) brought out the best in players on the Xbox. Years later the PS3 one upped the ante on the Xbox version by calling it Ninja Gaiden Sigma (the ad slogan was the reason you bought a PS3) and gave the game a next gen update. Not to be outdone NG2 appeared as a limited console exclusive to the Xbox 360 and NGS2 was released roughly a year later on the PS3. If you want the ins and outs of the history of Ninja Gaiden visit the Wiki page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninja_Gaiden.
The game is known to be difficult even on the "easier" levels. For me its a joystick smashing good time with epic Boss Battles, upgrading weapons and more cleavage then one needs to see. The story for each of these incarnations are terrible (Volf the Wolf really?) but the graphics are great. The graphics have aged a little but in 2007 NGS was one of the best games on the PS3.
To make this short and sweet if you liked God of War, chances are you will like the NG series. I felt the second one was a little watered down on the PS3, they eliminated some of the busy work from the Xbox 360 version and of course cut out the blood (I did not care but it seems everyone else did). If you were a fan of the series on any system pick up all 3.
Ninja Gaiden Sigma - PS3 - A
Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 - PS3 - B
Ninja Gaiden II - Xbox 360 - A
Monday, October 25, 2010
Finishing Limbo and Starting EyePet
Well I played through and finished Limbo on XBLA. It was one of the best games I have ever digitally purchased with the exception of Pixel Junk Monsters on PSN. This was an accomplishment for me because this is the first game I have started and finished since the birth of my daughter. Feeling good I switched systems and threw in EyePet for PS3. Now this isn't the review but it plays very much like the demo (I know big shock) but I think this is one of those games that shows off the PS Move and EyeToy. It took awhile to get started, you get the egg, name the little thing (Mac) and get started. I put in about a half hour and walked away not being that impressed. I know I need to give it more time and I will.
Starting this week I will be starting "quick reviews" of games that are in my library that I have enjoyed and not. I will be doing about 1 or 2 a day. Also I will be asking for reviews of games for my potential holiday purchases. So enjoy and any questions please ask... thanks for reading.
Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction - This game was ahead of the curve and one of the reasons people stayed with the PS3 at launch. Game play was fun and graphics are right out of a cartoon. It makes you wonder why there hasn't been a cartoon yet. Other positives easy to learn, gadget guns are fun, great game to watch as well as play. Puzzles are fun and right now as part of the PS3 greatest hits a steal at $29.99 or less.
Grade - A
Finally has any of the readers purchased Time Crisis yet? I am curious before I buy the gun attachment and game. Reviews for the game seem mixed. Post in the comments and tell me what you think.
Starting this week I will be starting "quick reviews" of games that are in my library that I have enjoyed and not. I will be doing about 1 or 2 a day. Also I will be asking for reviews of games for my potential holiday purchases. So enjoy and any questions please ask... thanks for reading.
Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction - This game was ahead of the curve and one of the reasons people stayed with the PS3 at launch. Game play was fun and graphics are right out of a cartoon. It makes you wonder why there hasn't been a cartoon yet. Other positives easy to learn, gadget guns are fun, great game to watch as well as play. Puzzles are fun and right now as part of the PS3 greatest hits a steal at $29.99 or less.
Grade - A
Finally has any of the readers purchased Time Crisis yet? I am curious before I buy the gun attachment and game. Reviews for the game seem mixed. Post in the comments and tell me what you think.
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