Blizzard has announced that they have a huge announcement(hah) coming up pretty soon. Speculation is that it will be the announcement for Starcraft 2 and not the dead on arrival Starcraft:Ghost. Rated-M will continue to follow this story to give you the total up to date information.
If you haven't heard of this game, you've been hiding under a rock. Or perhaps you have been too focused on other stuff. Well we think it's time to open the eyes of the world to the awesome sandbox game Crackdown!
Crackdown is developed by the GAME GOD David Jones, the man who created Grand Theft Auto, and even coded Lemmings 1&2 BY HIMSELF! You play as a member of "the Agency", a group of super-cops hell bent on wiping out crime in Pacific City. Agents are clones of their former selves, kind of a rebuilt super-soldier. Think Universial Soldier meets Marvel Comics here...
The game's structure takes the typical GTA-style missions to the next level. Not only is the ame open ended, but you can do any mission at any time! You can go straight to the biggest, baddest crime boss there is and take him out...or try to... Chances are, you'll have to do a lot of levelling up (yes, like an RPG), and get some sweet weapons before you can actually beat the baddest bosses in the game. However, the fact still remains that how you play the game is up to you.
So what are the RPG elements? Well, each player will have a basic stat set that they will be able to increase. Increasing them is as simple as using the skill you want to increase. The more you use it, the better you get at it. The more you shoot, drive, lift, fight, run, the better you get at it. Eventually you will become a super hero. Also, depending on the skills you increase, your physical appearance will change as well.
So what about multi-player? Well at any time, you can have a friend jump in your game via XBL for some killer co-op play, but it doesn't end there. While playing with a firend, you can learn some of their unique skills, as well as share your unique skills with them. You can also trade items and other stuff!
So far, there are over 100 licensed music tracks built in the ame, with the unique ability to assign specific songs to specific NPC's and areas. This is awesome for the fact that if you feel Boss A deserves Song B, you can make it so that song always plays when he is around.
So you can see why we are so hyped about this game. This game is only for XBOX 360, developed for Microsoft Game Studios by Real Time Worlds, and we anticipate this to be one of many system sellers for the first next-gen system on the market. To see more about this game, visit the official site, linked below!
http://www.crackdownoncrime.com
It's almost time! Time for what? Viva Pinata, silly! We are just a couple short months away from both the game and TV show for the next RareWare masterpiece. To celebrate this awesome game, we bring you the Viva Pinata Spectacular! In this article, we give you everything you need to get your Viva Pinata fix! So sit back, eat some gooseberries, and enjoy!
First, we bring you the mp3 of the official theme somg for the show, possibly the game as well. This song is courtesy of 4kids and RareWare.
Viva Pinata Theme Song (1MB MP3)
Next up, we bring you a catalogue of all the informative websites out there so far.
If you can't find the info on any of those above sites, you aren't looking hard enough!
From now until the launch and even after, we will be continually updating this page with more and more info! Check back for these updates!
Famed video game developer RareWare offers free video game soundtracks on their official website. All soundtracks are in mp3 format, and represent a wide spectrum of their games. To see what is offered for yourself, and grab your favorites, check the link below!
http://www.rareware.com/extra/downloads/all_download.html
Another great site we came across recently allows you to take your XBOX Live GamerCard from your 360 and use it as a forum signature! The sig is updated in real time, and features all the information you would find in your xbox.com profile, such as last game played, last time played, achievements, etc.
The card is really simple to set up, and is even compatible with MySpace.com! Check out my example below.
Pretty cool, huh? Visit the link below to make your own!
http://www.mygamercard.net
So you started getting random error codes and/or red lights on your XB360, eh? Well you aren't alone. However, just because you get an error or red light doesn't necessarily mean your system is FUBAR. We have found a website which not only lists every known error code on the system, it explains the red lights, symptoms, and fixes too!
This info is a must have for any 360 owner. Red lights don't mean death. in the words of the Hitchhiker's Guide, "Don't Panic". Just visit the link below!
http://www.llamma.com/xbox360/repair/Xbox-360-error-codes.htm
XBL has been booming the last few days. Here is a sampling of things recently added:
Chromehounds - New Weapons/Colors/Items
Viva Pinata - New Episodic Videos
Just Cause - Trailers and DEMO
Texas Hold Em - Was free for 48 hours
Samurai Warriors 2 - A Crapload of Download Content (before the game is even out!)
Test Drive Unlimited - New Demo
Oblivion - Vile Lair DLC
Red VS. Blue - New Episode
Check out Live for these and a lot more!
Snakes On A Plane came out this weekend and I was there. Let me just say that it put that stupid pirate movie to shame. I'll tell you now, if you go into the theater and take this movie too seriously, you'll be let down. It's not for the stuck up look at me type. But, if you go in ready to just enjoy a no punches pulled action movie, you're gonna have a blast. The beauty of SOAP, funny anagram there, is that it doesn't take itself too seriously in any way, shape or form. The whole thing is a pretty silly idea, but damn it was fun to watch. So go, and enjoy yourself. No it isn't Spiderman, but it is Snakes On A Plane, and that's exactly what you get with this movie, a crap load of snakes. We got snakes in the lights, snakes in the luggage, snakes in the drink cart, and snakes in the barf bags. Snakes dropping into the bathroom and breaking up a mile high club initiation session was probably the high moment for most teenagers in the crowd. Plenty of "made ya jump!" moments too. The action moves at a perfect pace, giving you just enough time to catch your breath before tossing you back in for more. The always awesome Sam Jackson is super cool, not quite Pulp Fiction cool, but he rocks every second he's on screen. Delivering his lines with the intensity of a burning inferno. No doubt this movie will become a cult classic, it's just got all the right elements and I'm hoping it comes out on DVD for Christmas.
The verdict: See it
Kevin
Imagine this. You are sitting in your living room, you have no surround sound system, you don't even have one of those awesome rocking chairs with the speakers built in. So what's a man to do to get a little boost in sound? Well, with Japan and Nintendo on the job I think I have the answer for you right here. Enter the Nintendo franchise speakers. You can plug these bad boys into a Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, iPod, or any other handheld/equipment that accepts a headphone jack. With these nifty speakers not only can you get better sound then with the tinny gameboy speakers, but you could look stylish doing it. Either that or your girlfriend will kick you out of the relationship immediately. But who cares when you have a realistic Pow brick pumping out your sound for you?! This is a simple footnote in the bizarre world of Nintendo branded merchandise. Unfortunately, at the time of this article, http://www.lik-sang.com was sold out of said speakers, however they do normally carry them so keep an eye out for these rare treats!
In the next few days, I will be making some changes to the site. One change, probably the biggest, is the introduction of our review format.
Reviews are nothing more than an opinion. We all have our own opinions on things. That's why our review format is going to be called "Opinions". Why fancy it up with a name that blurs the line, like "review"? Reviewers today are more opinion heavy then they ever were. There are even some sites/publications that are paid by game companies to say specific things about games. A true review would be unbiased, and only talk about the specifications of an item, and the performance thereof. However, the entertainment industry changes that around, so that entertainment reviews are full of opinions.
So we just wanna tell it like it is. I may love a game, but another writer here may hate it. Expect us to both tell you why. We aren't gonna use some crappy rating system, no letter grade, no stupid decimal number. We will simply say one of three things at the end of our reviews. "Buy, Rent, Pass". Those three words say it all.
We will also allow you readers to add to these reviews, both in our forums and in the comments section at the end of each post. We all have our own opinions, so if you agree/disagree with us, let us know!
Most of the other changes are aesthetic in nature, but if any more major content changes occur, I will be sure to let you all know!
Now I'm going to take a chance here, but I think some of you will find this interesting if you don't know about it yet. A bunch of remixers decided that a soundtrack for Chrono Trigger was in order, however it isn't about just the game itself, it's actually a soundtrack for a movie version of the game if it were ever to come out. Now, I downloaded it(as it was the only version available at the time) and I must say it's super high quality as if Yasunori Mitsuda himself put it together. The title of this project is simply Chrono Symphonic and is definately worth a download. So if you want to hear some of the best video game music ever to grace a game then definately give this a download.
The link for the project is: http://chrono.ocremix.org/
It has been recently announced that Just Cause, the newest game from Eidos, will see a demo release simultaneously for X360 and PC on August 24th. This game definately impresses, and a demo download should be more than worth it to hold us over.
I just found out that for the first 48 hours that Texas Hold' Em is up for download on XBLA you will be able to download it for free. That's right, in order to get more people excited about XBLA they are offering the full game for free. Downloading is said to begin on August 23rd and after the 48 hours it will go to regular price. So there you go, get your downloading pants on and head to XBLA on August 23rd so you dont miss this once in a lifetime(hopefully not) deal!
Microsoft has recently announced that they are going to start instituting "consumable" content for Xbox 360 games. Basically what this means is that you will be able to buy certain content for a price, and that content will eventually "break" to where you have to repurchase it. So, basically think of it this way....In "Dead Rising" you are able to have 250 weapons to do what you will. Now, with this new "consumable" content you could buy a new weapon, such as a more powerful version of a shotgun or what not, and once it breaks you must repurchase it. Now, the way the described it is they would have a special XBL vendor ingame that would make it to where once you have put all these weapons into your "shopping cart" and you would then go to xbl and purchase it with real money. Would this work? Is it going to be good for XBL or a tremendous downfall? Only time will tell. Also, Microsoft has not yet announced what game this will premier in, but I have a gut feeling that it will be Viva Pinata.
When I was 5 years old, I was introduced to Pro Wrestling. Since that time, I really haven't been able to stop watching it. I have gone through some periods where I didn't catch every show. Dare I say that during those times, WWE lost my interest a little bit. However, through and through I'm still a huge fan of Pro Wrestling.
It's in my blood. My grandfather and uncles would wrestle local shows in Kentucky with greats like Wahoo McDaniels and Harley Race. Though I never got to see them in action, my family tells me it was fantastic. A lot of great wrestlers came through the south, and there is a good bet my grandfather met most of them. Perhaps this is why my family introduced me to wrestling at a young age.
That being said, the 80's were good to me in terms of wrestling. I was a big Hogan fan, and never missed the TV shows. I watched the cartoon "Hulk Hogan's Rockin' Wrestling" and I ate WWF cereal. I had one of those wrestling buddies. You know, the small stuffed doll of your favorite superstar that you could perform wrestling moves on?
Why did I like it so much back then? Sure, it had a lot for a young boy to go for. Violence, cool comic book type heroes, cool moves. But there was certainly other stuff to watch. If you would have asked me then, I would have taken WWF over cartoons any day. Roddy Piper, Andre the Giant, Superfly Snuka, Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, Jake the Snake Roberts, "Mouth of the South" Jimmy Hart. Those guys were better than any cartoon hero.
But why do I still watch it today? Wrestling has had it's low points. Robocop in a WCW cage match, Mae Young giving birth to a boot, Fake Diesel/Ramon, David Arquette the WCW World Title holder... It's had it's high points. Monday Night Wars, Andy Kauffman, Hulkamania, old ECW, just to name a few. Through thick and thin, I mostly always watched. And you know what? I still love it.
I watch today because the wrestlers entertain me. They are so over the top and in your face these days. I like the way wrestling moves have progressed over time, but I like the fact that classic moves are still there too. I like wrestlers like Kurt Angle, Sabu, Edge, Cena, and HHH. Wrestlers that can talk AND fight. I like that some crowds boo favorites (ie. Hogan VS. The Rock). I like hardcore wrestling. I like Vince McMahon. There are simply too many things about the company and their shows that I love to sit here and name them all.
WWE has it's issues, but so does any federation. What is important is that I still find it entertaining after all these years. Some people ask me why I still like it, and there is really no short one-lined answer to that. There are those of us that just watch it. We are wrestling fans. We keep the shows alive by filling the seats. We help the local federations. We respect the wrestlers for the hell they put their bodies through to entertain us. We love wrestling.
We have come across a full achievment list for Enchanted Arms, the upcoming JRPG from masterful developers FROM SOFTWARE. Here is the list with point values:
Betrayal (25): Defeat the traitor in the abandoned mineshaft.
Bizzare (25): Defeat Tokimune's bodyguards at Kyoto Palace.
Close (75): Defeat the Queen of Ice at the Ice Palace.
Conclusion (25): Defeat Ouka at London Castle.
Deep in the Ruins (25): Defeat Fire Golem in the sealed off area.
Defender (25): Defeat Poseidon at Entei's Temple.
Deja Vu (25): Defeat the Sphinx at the white flower field.
Destiny (25): Defeat Ouka in the abandoned mineshaft.
Fanaticism (75): Defeat Professor Kou at the magic research facility.
First Meeting (25): Fight with Yuuki in a gambling match.
Gaudian (25): Defeat Odin in the Sage's Tower.
Grand Finale (150): Happy Ending
Immobile (75): Defeat Saisho at the Temple of Trials.
Mysterious Enemy (25): Defeat Minotaurus in the abandoned mineshaft.
Ocean (25): Defeat Aquagel at the wharf.
Purgatory (75): Defeat Entei at Entei's Temple.
Raid (25): Defeat Oboro at Iwato village.
Reform (25): Defeat Sayaka at Iwato village.
Rescue (25): Defeat Oboro at the Ninja mansion.
Resolve (25): Defeat Touya at the Ice Palace.
Riddle (25): Defeat the mysterious man in the Graveyard Town.
Running Wild (75): Defeat the Queen of Ice in the sealed off area.
Sea of Trees (25): Defeat Amazonia in the underground military path.
Subordinates of Ice (25): Beat Siren in the Sage's Tower.
Tragedy (25): Defeat Cerberus at the magic research facility.
Enjoy!
So a few new rumors have surfaced recently....before I begin, let me note that these are rumors and may or may not become true. Still, it is terribly interesting to read stuff like this, just as it is to count scales on dinosaurs. Anyway, here's the rumors:
I was looking on Gamefly today to see what kind of deals they have on their used games(which aren't too bad, but you could probably find better) and I found something more than I bargained for. Apparently, they are allowing you to pre-Q Wii and PS3 games. That means one of two things: A) Gamefly expects the Wii and PS3 to be huge and want to get Q's filled up right away
B) Those systems in question are coming out in the next 2-3 months or sooner
Now if you don't know what Gamefly is, then you've been living under a rock for awhile, but here's the service in a nutshell: Online game rentals. The most interesting thing to me is the fact that they have Super Smash Bros Brawl on the list even though it's not suppose to come out until next year. Check out www.gamefly.com for more information
What can I say about Broken Lizard? If you've seen "Super Troopers", "Club Dread", or "Puddle Cruiser", then I might not need to say much at all. If you are one of the masses that haven't, then perhaps it's time you do. Broken Lizard is a comedy troupe the likes of which haven't been seen in years. In fact they are the funniest since Kids in the Hall. But that's another issue entirely.
Headed by Jay Chandrasekhar, Broken Lizard always stars in their films, and usually play such different roles from film to film that at times you forget that it's the same dudes! Their films hardly get the best reviews, but in all honesty, just watching the films for the comedians themselves is enough for me. It's nice to see a comedy troupe in an era where there are none.
Ok, so Jay directed the Dukes of hazard film. It wasn't great. However, it isn't considered a "Broken Lizard Film". Just thought I'd go ahead and point that out, since I know some of you might not know that trivia bit...
Broken Lizard has a new film coming, called "Beerfest". Yeah, you saw the previews. I think that this may be their funniest film yet! In the meantime, check out the official Broken Lizard MySpace page, which we have linked below for you!
http://www.myspace.com/therealbrokenlizard
Apparently a lot of game sites are posting the full confirmed Wii Launch schedule...however, take this with a grain of salt, because usually a launch window for a system is between 2-4 months. However, the list so far is as follows:
