Bully Is One Game That I'm Picking Up.

Whenever I think of Rockstar, I think of two things. Good, solid games, and controversy. This company has brought out some of the best games of our time, such as the Grand Theft Auto series, The Warriors, and State Of Emergency. These titles were nothing less but ground-breaking for the industry, (except for SOE, that was horrible). Now Rockstar has set itself up for yet another controversy, the one with the name Bully. The basic plot for this game is that you play a 15 year old high school kid in a prep school who deals with jocks, bullies, and other social classes. It has the inclusion of weapons, but no killing was put into the game. Of course, some people have a problem with it, just like any good game. The group Peaceaholics, a youth group, along with the British Police. Yes, an entire organization has been calling for the ban of this game. In my opinion, that is just going to make the game sell more. Even though the ban could be real, Rockstar has continued to develop this game which is set to hit the shelves in October. One source told GameSpot that Bully will only be released on PS2, and was canceled for the Xbox. Either way, I am still getting this game, censorship of a police force or not.

Guitar Hero Will Rock Your Face.

Tonight while working, I walked past a room where something awesome was going on, so I had to join in. I saw two fellow college students rocking out on Guitar Hero, and right then I knew that I had to play. It was quite hard at first even on the easy setting, but when I got into the music, the game went to a whole new level with me thinking the whole time, I NEED to own this. Just imagine playing DDR with your fingers, because that is pretty much what you are doing. The tracks range from Smoke On The Water by Deep Purple to Franz Ferdinand's Take Me out. I can honestly say that I am going to purchase a PS2 just for this game because of how great it is. I give it two thumbs up and encourage every gamer to play this for even 5 minutes because after that, you'll want to own it and the soon-to-come-out Guitar Hero 2. Bestbuy seems to offer the best deals for GH with a complete bundle (including a PS2, controller, game, and guitar controller) for only $234.00. That is a deal if I ever heard one. If you just want the game, it retails at around $40.00, but I am sure you can pick it up at Gamestop used for a lot cheaper. So go out and get your rock on with Guitar Hero, I swear you'll be jamming for months to come.

Gone For A Few Days.

So I have to go to some training in Massachusetts for a few days, so I'll be unable to put anything new on here. I might as well post a question for you to answer while I'm gone. What are your top 5 NON-Sport games of all time on any system. I'd just like to know what you guys like so I can write more about that. Thanks, later.

No Save Games.

I, and probably most of you, prefer games that automatically save once a certain point in the game is passed. Yesterday, I spend a good four or five hours playing one of my newly bought games ( Final Fight: Streetwise) and after smashing faces for a while, the game freezes and I have to turn it off. When I reboot, of course nothing is saved and everything has to be done over again. What a pain in my ass.

Bored Out Of My Mind.

So I moved in yesterday to college. Funny thing is that in a building that houses around 300 kids, I know of 3 other people which are not close to my room at all. So after about 10 hours of putting everything away, I have once again found that I am bored out of my mind. So what do I do? Go to the mall and pick up two games. Stubbs The Zombie : Rebel Without A Pulse (Xbox) seemed like an awesome buy for 20 bucks, and Final Fight just because I loved that game when I was growing up. So maybe I have found a cure for boredom, well, until my residents move in and I have no time to do anything but study and watch after them.


P.S. Go get Madden tonight, you'll thank me in the morning. Later.

Madden 2007 Is Coming For You.

Yesterday at Wal*Mart, some old lady was handing out these little pieces of paper to everyone as they were going in. strangely enough at 7am, I don't care what people are doing, so she slipped me this piece of paper and I didn't even notice. Later, I opened it up and read that on Tuesday at 12am, Lisbon walmart is doing a Madden '07 tournament. It's five bucks to sign up, winner getting a copy of Madden then $25.00 for 2nd then $10.00 for 3rd. If I was here, I would get into that, but sadly I will not be here. Anyways, Madden '07 looks better then ever. Now on it's 17th season, new features include becoming the lead blocker to create a hole, then jump to play as the tailback and run through. Also added are new juke moves which I always love, and new running patterns for the ever changing football franchise. Also, for the 360, there is create-a-player, a new crazy superstar mode which has everything from picking your parents to taking I.Q. tests for scouting. I don't know about you, but just from hearing this, I want this game now. All of the critics agree that this Installment of Madden is better then any football game out there, so get a copy soon to beat on your friends with.

You Have A Problem With Video Games, But Not This.

Definition of tragedy. "A disastrous event, especially one involving distressing loss or injury to life: an expedition that ended in tragedy, with all hands lost at sea." So many things could be put into this category, such as the attacks of 9/11 which is now a movie for the masses. In one Wednesday, this movie brought in over $4.4 million and is thought to be number one as soon as the weekend hits. This makes me ill on the inside to think that someone out there is raking it in on a human tragedy such as this one. This isn't like some video game that is all fantasy-land, but rather an actual event that should NEVER have been made into a Hallmark movie. Oliver Stone (Platoon, Alexander) should go out back and shoot himself for profiting on such a horrible time in the nation's history. This is going to be just like when we all were dumb enough to buy flags and hang them everywhere to show our support....where did they all go? Someone raked in the cash then as well. That is why I remember in my own special way and don't have to give other people money to go watch a film. Furthermore, this and Flight 93 only further the stereotype that people from the middle-east are bad and to justify reasons why we have troops overseas. Maybe next time when we blow something up, we can make a movie about it so people feel justified about that too. So to America, something like this is acceptable to watch, since it only got a PG-13 rating, but games that AREN'T REAL are unlawful to buy if the person is under 17. So it is ok to hate people of middle eastern decent for what they did, but it's bad to point a gun at something on a television screen. Give me a break. Furthermore, watch this and tell me if you still feel the whole attack was not our fault or staged in the first place, thanks.

Back To School, Back To School.

It's sad that I have to go back to school already. It seems like it cut my summer in half because there is just so much I haven't done yet. I got a job with the University as an R.A. (Resident Assistant) Pretty much I am a babysitter for 18 year-olds and to help show them the ropes at college. But hey, free room and board is awesome. Anyways, now that I'm going back to school, there is only one word that can explain whats going to happen to my gaming career: Multiplayer. 16 person LAN's of playing Halo and Star Wars: Battlefront, I can hardly wait. Going back to school also sharpens my skills, so when I come back on break there will be much owning of friends on any game. Luckily since I know time management, I won't be writing this from home after I get kicked out. Sorry to say with a major of Professional Writing, the R.A. job and this, there might be a sporadic amount of posts coming from me. Do not fear though, if you leave me comments, I'll be sure to get you feedback as soon as humanly possible, even if I have to be late for a class. So I leave this coming Sunday for the semester and hopefully I can trade off some of my games for other ones and give you some more reviews. Later.

Tall Boys + Gaming = Pure Love.

You may ask yourself, Why is this college student up at 6am writing a post about energy drinks that are designed to keep a person awake? I think you just answered your own question. I remember when I had my first taste of an Amp: Tall Boy. It was probably two months ago when a friend left a half empty one in my room and I drank it. I swear I felt better, had more energy, and it rekindled my interest in all-nighters while attempting to beat my newest game. Now I have to have at least one a day to keep on top of things. It is an addicting product, but if I don't feel like garbage when I wake up and it's not too expensive (like 2 dollars and change) I'll keep buying them. Theres nothing better then playing a great video game and having a Tall Boy right at my side...it's amazing really. Star Wars: Battlefront II wouldn't have been as exciting if I wasn't drinking a Tall Boy for a much needed boost. I doubt I'd be writing these posts if it wasn't for Amp because I would still be in bed. So next time you buy a new game and want to get into it in a hurry, buy a Tall Boy and keep the gaming going for hours, it's totally worth it. Later.

I Loathe Catch-Up A.I.

Sorry I haven't been posting for the last few days. Every time I sit down to write something, a friend calls or I lose my train of thought or my O.C.D kicks in and I have to clean my room. Anyways, I do indeed hate Catch-up A.I. This occurs when I'm stomping the computer in a video game like NBA Jam or Madden and all of a sudden I start losing....big. The computer uses cheap moves and my buttons all of a sudden don't work and my lead shrinks. I'll be up 30 or 40 points in a game, then the momentum shifts and my payers act like they all were fed laxatives. I simply hate that the computer change the pace of a game so quickly and cause me to lose because it needs to play catch-up. If I set a game on hard then I do expect the artificial Intelligence to be tough, but not cheap like my players not executing plays right or providing any sort of defense. So if you are a game designer and read this (not a high probability) Stop being cheap. Thanks.

Price Is Right Should Be A Video Game.

I don't know about you guys, but I would be willing to bet as a 12 year viewer of "The Price Is Right," but doesn't it sound smart to make a game out of it? The show has been on what, like 50 years ? Developers always take on movies and some books and they get garbage results, why not just back a winner from the beginning like Wheel Of Fortune? You and three friends (Sorry if you don't have friends) pick from a variety of characters composing of old people, military staff, college kids, or middle-aged, balding men. Do some kind of fastest finger challenge and then go bid. It would also be nice if you could play the game in different eras, like the 70's when nothing was over $500. Price Is Right does boast over seventy different games, so that could bring in hours of fun. You already know what the ending is, SHOWCASE SHOWDOWN. If you win that enough times, I'm sure that there are going to be some people bowing to you....some where.

Medal Of Honor On The PSP.

I've been waiting for this day since I got my hands on my PSP about a year ago. It was announced on Friday that Medal Of Honor will be coming to the PSP. The working title is Medal Of Honor Heroes and will ONLY be available for the Playstation Portable. Of course there is a single player campaign, but also included are 15 multiplayer maps with six different killing-the-other-guy modes so you can play wireless with eight other people. In this new Medal Of Honor version, there are three campaign modes, each using characters that have appreared in other games (Jimmy Patterson, John Baker) whom you will have to help take down the Nazis. Developed by EA Canada in conjunction with EA Los Angeles, Medal of Honor Heroes will ship to stores this holiday season 2006, so you know where I'll be on that day....outside in the cold.

Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop!

I read some of the previews for the new zombie killing title on the Xbox 360, Dead Rising. I didn't think too much of it until I saw the commercial for it on T.V. and that is when my jaw dropped. This game looks amazing to say the least. It turns out that you play as a freelancer named Frank West who is hunting for a story. He gets this Hot lead or something to go to a small town and BAM, zombies everywhere. Frank then sets up shop in a mall, (shouldn't he know that's the WORSE place according to every movie and game?) and that is where all the carnage occurs. You must help Frank find out why there are zombies everywhere using anything as a weapon. Dead Rising also works in real time, so if you must wait 72 hours for a helicopter to come get you, prepare to survive for that long. I saw pictures of Frank using a stuffed Panda bear to mess up some undead, so I guess everything is fair game. This horror/action/adventure title is very open though, letting you go out of the mall and explore further into what caused all of this chaos. There are missions that have to be completed, so you cannot lead Frank into a closet and keep him there until everything blows over. I do anticipate playing this game, but something keeps bothering me in the back of my head about mall based videogames....hmmm...State Of Emergency? Blech. Let's all hope it shares NOTHING in common with that mishap.

Breaking Controllers 101.

Ahhh yes, the great art of smashing controllers when you feel cheated at a game or it's just pissing you off because you can't win. I, along with a lot of people, really get into the game when I am playing it. When something happens and I get really angry, the only I can express that anger is smash whatever I am holding at the time. There are a few different techniques that I have seen, so the next time you feel the urge to let the controller fly, try one out for size.

The swing- This works well after you lose completely because the controller will be in pieces after. Grab the cord about eighteen inches out from the controller and begin swinging it faster and faster in a circle (this may take some practice) After it picks up enough speed, hurl that sucker into something and watch the plastic fireworks show.

The Twist- This is my brother Jeffrey's favorite one. He has a PS2 but only played Grand Theft Auto on. The game did something to piss him off, like cut out or die, and he would do the twist and have a pile of them on the ground over the weeks. The twist is composed of grabbing either side of the controller and twisting it like you would a soda can. If you're too weak to break it, it just hurts. It was funny to watch him smash them and then have to go get a new one all the time.

Bouncy Ball- Just grab the controller like a baseball and ricochet it off of something and see how many things you hit in one combo. Fun if you have a lot of things on shelves.


So try one of these styles out and see how much fun it is to get your anger out for around $25 every time. (Unless you own a 360)

Web Junk I Found.

While looking for something that was actually interesting to write about, I found something that had to do with Mario because of the new games that are being released. What I found was this. It is from the Super Mario Bros. Show, which was before my time. After seeing this though, I'm thankful that I wasn't old enough to watch it. I don't know about you, but when Mario called me a paisano, whatever the hell that is, I felt a little confused of whether to laugh or cry. I just thought everyone should view this because now you know Mario can rap.....sort of.

What A Good Game Needs.

Too many times I have seen games that just lack any sort of interest in them (Take the Batman video games for example) and then there are games that are well promoted and a joy to play. There are six areas that need to be fufilled for the game to be solid and actually worth the forty or fifty bucks.

Story- There needs to be something that this game brings to the table that separates it from all others. Even if this is an old idea, it must be presented in a new way for gamers to gain interest.

Graphics- Even if the game has the best of everything else but looks God-awful, it is not going to sell. This area must be taken into great consideration because it is a basic reason why games move off of the shelves; because it has all them purdy colors.

Sound- I hate, absolutely HATE games that have horrible sound. If the game has a timeless soundtrack, it makes the whole playing experience that juch sweeter and gets the gamer more involved. On the other hand, sometimes speed metal must be played over it or I go insane.

Playability- The more you think of the game as real life, the better it is. Games that hold your interest and make you feel like you are actually shooting a tank or flying are the games that everyone gets.

Entertainment- One must ask the question, is this game fun to play, or is it a hunk of expensive garbage. This is, hands down, the most important aspect of a game. If it does not entertain the buyer, it never gets played.


Replay- If I play a game and quit before it even finishes, the game is now worthless. Games that you can pop in two or three years from now and still be challenged are the best ones.

Here are some top choice games that you should pick up because they score so well in each of these areas, making them a great buy.


PS2

Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening Special Edition
Fight Night Round 3
Guitar Hero
Kingdom Hearts II
Metal Gear Solid 3: Substance
Midnight Club: Dub edition
Onimusha: Dawn Of Dreams
Prince Of Persia: The Two Thrones
Resident Evil 4
Soul Caliber III

Xbox

Burnout Revenge
MC3 Dub Ed.
Ninja Gaiden Black
P. Of Persia Two Thrones
X-Men Legends II: Rise Of Apocalypse

DS

Castlevania: Dawn Of Sorrow
Tetris DS

PSP

GTA: Liberty City Stories
X-Men Legends II
Daxter
WRC: FIA World Rally Championships

Gamecube

Castlevania: Dawn Of Sorrow
Gun
X-Men Legends II
P. Of Persia: The Two Thrones


Note: There are a LOT more good games out there, these are just a few, thanks.