January 2009

  • Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds – The Best Cartoon-Styled Golf Game Ever!

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    Let me be perfectly clear here. This game is not trying to be, nor will it ever be a Tiger Woods golf game. The entire point of the Hot Shots Golf is to be the exact opposite. A more cartooned styled golf game that offers comedy and golf merged into one. The controls are really easy to master, and you are able to select from plenty of different people, all with their own special abilities and handicaps, in order to fight your way tooth and nail through many different courses to become the new champion. Again, I reiterate, this is no Tiger Woods game. It does not even touch near as close, and it’s not trying to. What it is trying to be is a funny golf game that offers a good time for all players wrapped up nicely together. And as that, it wins my solid stamp of approval. So if you are a fan of the total package, realistic simulator game, then go buy Tiger Woods.

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  • Lair – As Broken as a PS3 Game Comes

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    I will admit: that the premise for Lair, a Factor 5 and Sony Computer Entertainment production is genuine. But that does not necessarily mean that this game is anything worthwhile, especially worth spending any of your hard earned dollars on. While in theory this seems like a great idea for a video game: ride on around on a cool looking dragon and breathe fire upon your foes while hacking and slashing from atop your reptilian steed, this game is plagued by so many flaws and faults that it greatly deteriorates what otherwise would be a great video game with an awesome and original premise that offers much to gamers. Unfortunately, this game is riddled with glitches and common oversights that went untouched and overlooked during the production process. The end results make playing this game so annoying that many gamers will become easily frustrated early on in the game.

    The controls are really choppy, which is equivalent to the choppy graphics and long level load times.

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  • Heavenly Sword - Nothing Heavenly About it!

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    In light of the smash hit for the Xbox 360 gaming consoles. Dynasty Warriors, I think that Sony Computer Entertainment wanted to offer their own version of a battle ridden game where enemies swarm upon your character from all sides and you have to fend them off with brandishing a trademark weapon and flailing your arms wildly. This I get. But what I don’t understand is what they were thinking when it comes to Heavenly Sword, which at best, is a lackluster rip off of Dynasty Warriors. And similarly, Dynasty Warriors was created by Microsoft Studios, whereas Heavenly Sword was created by Sony Computer Entertainment, so it makes sense that each game is signature to the corresponding console.

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  • Formula One Championship Edition – Great Graphics, Boring Game Play

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    Toot your horns and get ready to go on a high octane racing adventure with the latest foray of tire burning, suffocating and blinding racing for the Sony Playstation. A creation of Sony Computer Entertainment and SCE Studios in Liverpool does bring to the world of avid racing game fans everywhere, Formula One Championship Edition. This time around you can expect amazing graphics, a kick butt managerial mode and plenty of awesome cars and highly detailed, intense racing tracks to destroy your million dollar racing machines on. However, like the many Formula One games that have preceded this one, get ready to drive your car in endless left circles, sometimes right, until your eyes bleed. But then again, that is the how Formula One racing games work – so I can’t be to biased against them for making this game true to its real life format. And now on to the goodies and bad parts about this racing adventure from Sony.

    Sony made sure to pull out all of the stops when they created Formula One Championship Edition for the Sony Play Station Three console.

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  • Folklore – Awesome Role Playing Game with a Dungeon Builder

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    To be one hundred percent honest, I was not expecting very much at all when I removed Folklore for the PS3 from the rental case that it came and popped it into my console to see what I could do with it. But then again, you never know about certain games, which is why, mind you, I rented it before buying it. And now I happily own a copy. And especially considering that there are some enormously successfully games out there for the PS3 like Elder Scrolls the Oblivion, or Final Fantasy, amongst others, I found it hard to believe that this game would really be able to offer gamers much more than had already been done prior. But boy was I freaking wrong! Game Republic (JP) and Sony Computer Entertainment did a simply put, fantastic job of rendering this game to be fierce competitor with other rival role playing games.

    The game offers a totally different take on the world of fantasy role playing video games. It merges two different worlds in the game, the world of the living and the world of the dead.

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  • Most Anticipated Games of 2009

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    Every year brings a host of new releases, some good, some bad and this year looks set to be a good one with a number of exciting titles on the way. Let’s have a look at the pick of the bunch due for release in 2009.

    Street Fighter IVFirst up is Street Fighter IV which looks visually stunning with stylized 3D environments and characters. Although the game-play will be the same 2D affair we’re used to there will be more movement in the camera for a better sense of depth and loads of new special moves to master. Old favourites like Ryu, Ken, Guile and Chun-Li, as well as villains Vega and M. Bison return for more fighting action and they’ll be joined by a host of entirely new characters. It’ll be released on PS3 and Xbox 360.

    F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin is next up and it picks up the story where the original left off, in fact it starts half an hour before the end of the last game and casts you in a new role as the psychic Michael Beckett.

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  • Little Big Planet Review

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    Little Big Planet Box UKLittle Big Planet is a fantastically cute game for the Playstation 3 which is suitable for the whole family. Released towards the end of 2008 it is a puzzle game featuring platform game-play and allows for a huge amount of user-generated content.

    Players control on screen avatars known as Sackboys or Sackgirls and they can run around, jump, hang onto objects to swing and fly and also drag or push objects in order to navigate their way through the diverse levels. Starting off in your own personal pod you can play through a story mode which features fifty pre-built levels ranging from small mini-games to large involved environments.

    Visually speaking the game is absolutely gorgeous and the Sackpeople are super cute with terrific animations and loads of personality. The imaginative backdrops are extremely creative and the graphics are fantastic with objects crafted from various materials each with their own unique physics properties.

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  • Grand Turismo 5: Prologue – Sony’s Best Racer Yet!

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    When it comes to racing games that are as realistic as possible, often times many video game production companies avidly fail to deliver a truly exceptional product. However, when you take one of the largest video game production companies in the world, that being the monster company Sony Computer Entertainment, and have them work hand in hand with Polyphony Digital, the ending results are the most fabulous and realistic racing game ever created for any of the next generation consoles, yet in this case, exclusive to the Sony Play Station 3 console.

    Released in the earlier part of 2008, ‘Grand Turismo 5: Prologue,’ is by far one of the most intense, realistic and vetted racing games of all time. And considering that Sony has authored four prior releases, they had a rather lofty already existing platform to improve upon.

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  • Hall of Classics: Actraiser

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    It's strange to think that console gaming has been going on for over 30 years. Video Gaming is a fast-moving industry with a fickle audience. Yesterday's stunning breakthrough is today's badly-aged bargain cart, as well as tomorrow's nostalgia trip. In Game Head's new feature, Hall of Classics, we'll be looking at games that went through all three stages. What made them great for their time, why were they replaced, why are they memorable now?

    The first entry in HoC is Enix's 1990 platformer/God-game, Actraiser. If there's one thing that made the Super Nintendo Entertainment System an excellent console, it was the role playing games. SNES's main competition, the Sega Genesis, never really caught up in that category. There were so many RPG's on the Super Nintendo that it became the foundation of many of the genre's modern-day cliches. Amid the mass of formulaic adventures with predictable characters and uninspired mechanics, a few really innovative titles came out. Actraiser was one of them.

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  • Time Crisis 4: Should Be Left in the Arcade

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    Contrary to all of the rumors and wilds speculation that must have been circulating the offices of Namco when they were getting ready to release the much anticipated fourth edition of their arcade smash hit endeavor, Time Crisis 4—they would have been much better just leaving this game to the quarter pumping neophytes at the local arcade, who would have made them more money than this traditional shooter flop did. And for those of you who are not familiar with the Time Crisis franchise, I will quickly bring you entirely up to speed, okay!

    If you ever find yourself in an arcade, where protagonist patrons waste ample amounts of silver quarters frying their brains in front of mostly old school games that offer a nostalgic notion – then you will most certainly happen upon Time Crisis, 1, 2, or even three and sometimes in rare cases, Four. This game made a solid name for itself as one of the most popular arcade shooters ever, and here is why. It features two player game play in front of huge wide screen TVs and it was filled with props.

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  • The Sims 2: In-Game Product Safety Recall

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    If you have played The Sims 2 with the Pets expansion pack for very long, you know that toddler Sims will often fall asleep in the pet bed. Unfortunately, when I was playing last weekend, one of my toddlers became STUCK in the pet bed.

    The Sims 2 toddler asleep in pet bed

    Connor fell asleep in the pet bed, and awoke with his "hygiene" need at critical level. He cried and cried, but would not get out of the bed. I sent various adult Sims over and instructed them to pick him up, bathe him, cuddle him, etc, but the action vanished as soon as it hit their queue.

    At first, I just thought that Connor was pitching a temper tantrum. I tried buying a teddy bear and setting it beside the pet bed, to tempt him out. No dice!

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  • More People Working Out to Wii Fit Games and Getting in Shape

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    The statistics on the numbers of people in the United States who are considered to be overweight are rather astounding. At last census (December of 2008) the US government stated that at least sixty percent of our population was considered to be overweight, with more than half of them are considered to be seriously obsess (thirty pounds or more over the average weight for their bodies). In line with this was the statement on the US government’s website (us.gov) that proclaimed the most popular New Year’s resolution in America was weight-loss. And furthermore, the website stated that those who sought out effective methods of losing weight, inclusive of at least twenty minutes of continuous exercise at least three to five times per week, would greatly reduce their risks of contracting serious illnesses later on in life namely, heart disease, cancers and diabetes.

    Why People Enjoy Working out to Video Games
    Video games are just plain fun for most people – at least those who enjoy playing them.

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  • Vampires in The Sims 2: Living with Vampires

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    Vampires were introduced to The Sims 2 in the Nightlife expansion pack. For information on how to identify vampires and have your Sim "brought across" see my previous article, Vampires in The Sims 2: Identifying and Creating Vampires.

    Your vampire Sim will have certain, shall we say, "cravings," but it is not necessary for your vampire Sim to feed on other Sims for survival. Vampire Sims are just as happy filling their Hunger need by cooking and eating regular food. (I decided that my Vampire character Bob would probably like spaghetti, since the meat sauce looks like blood.)

    Vampire characters can fly, although I have never seen an NPC vampire do this. To make your vampire fly, click on the destination and select "Fly Here." Your Sim will transform into a bat, and fly to that destination.

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  • Vampires in The Sims 2: Identifying and Creating Vampires

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    I sent both Bob and Baxter to college. While they were there, I flipped a coin and decided that Baxter would be the heir. This left Bob (the spare) free for me to goof around with. I decided to make Bob a vampire.

    Sims 2 vampire Bleh!

    Vampires were added to The Sims 2 with the expansion pack Nightlife. After you install this expansion pack, two new NPCs (the Count and the Contessa) will appear in your Downtown lots at night. The vampires can also be identified by their two stereotyped behaviors:

    1. "Stalking." A "stalking" vampire walks around with their arm over their face, in the classic Noseferatu pose.

    You can have your own vampire Stalk somewhere by clicking the destination, and choosing "Stalk here."

    2.

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  • The Sims 2 Stories: Generation 1

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    A little while ago, I decided to play a modified (i.e. unofficial) version of one of the many generational Sims 2 challenges. The idea with a generational challenge is to play an entire blood line through a series of generations. In my case, I decided to go whole hog and play through 26 generations, one for each letter of the alphabet.

    (My apologies for the poor quality of some of these early pictures. I didn't realize I had my game camera stuck on "medium quality" and "small picture size" for a while.)

    I started by creating the challenge founders, Aaron and Alice Alphabetti. Aaron was a Family sim, with a lifetime aspiration to have ten children. (Good luck with that one, buddy!) Alice was a Knowledge sim, who wanted to max out all seven of her skill levels.

    Aaron and Alice had what could well be the single worst wedding in all of history. I lost track of what was happening, and didn't realize that Alice's carpool had arrived to take her to work. As a result, she walked away and drove off to work immediately after the ceremony, but before it was time to cut the cake.

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  • Fallout 3 Works on Some PCs, Crashes on Others – But Why?

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    Post nuclear apocalypse Washington D.C. is the setting for the intense, gory and super violent thriller RPG, Fallout 3. However, many gamers are in an uproar because the game seemingly causes fallout of its own when they try to play it. And the platform that they are trying to play it from matters little when it comes to Fallout 3. Basically, this puppy causes its own little nuclear winter on just about every operating system, but why? And mind you, its not just me that’s complaining, it’s the entire gaming community that is demanding that they fix the multitude of issues that are associated, namely with the PC version of Fallout 3 – here is the scoop as I see it folks! And trust me, I will not sugar coat it one single bit. I love the game, hate the glitches and here is why!

    Can Any Platform Play Fallout 3 Properly?
    In a rush to release the game for multiple platforms, the makers, Bethesda, overlooked all of the compatibility issues that were lying before them.

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  • If You Like Civilizations and Other RTS Games You Will Love Medieval II: Total War

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    It’s Medieval Europe and the world is constantly at war. Even the Christian nations under the guides of the Papal States are frequently warring with each other, when they are not off battling in the Crusades. Can you turn your nation into a world empire? Do you have the tactics and leadership skills to battle opponents and make a name for your country? Or will you be destroyed like nations of the past and fall into the writings of a history book as the only recollection of your people? The most realistic Medieval RTS is here and it rocks. Read on to learn more about Medieval II: Total War.

    In-Game Play
    The in-game play is rather intense. Much like other RTS (real time strategy) simulators, you can build your own cities, with hundreds of options to choose. Adjust the taxes to make the populous happy, or tax the hell out of them and watch them revolt. Fight rebels trying to take your lands.

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  • The Sims 3 is coming! The Sims 3 is coming!

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    I should preface this by pointing out that I am a complete nut for The Sims games. I lost a year and a half of my life to The Sims. I was there for the debacle that was The Sims Online. (I was a beta tester, but dropped out after the first few weeks. My review in a nutshell was, "Blecch.") I gave Spore a whirl, didn't care for it, and switched back to The Sims 2.

    As you can imagine, I'm terribly excited about the prospect of The Sims 3, which is scheduled for release this February. There is precious little pre-release information about The Sims 3, aside from what you can read on the back of the box or on the Amazon page. (The game went up for pre-release sale not long ago.)

    There are two features which will set The Sims 3 apart from The Sims 2 you will now be able to follow your Sims to work, and they are no longer bounded at home by the edges of their property.

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  • Physics Games

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    In my last post I highlighted a few top-of-the-line flash games made in the past couple years. Arguably the most innovative genre of browser accessible games is the physics game category. While a number of console and PC games rely on an impressive physics engine to make the game smooth and pretty, like Valve Corporation's Source Engine, flash physics games make hard science the core of the game itself. Here are three physics games that'll test your ingenuity.

    Fantastic Contraption

    Colin Northway's engineering-centered puzzle game challenges players to guide a pink shape (sometimes it's a circle, sometimes a square or triangle) into a shaded "goal" zone. In order to do so, he provides players with the parts necessary to build a machine that can drive, carry, or even toss the shape home. What makes Fantastic Contraption so clever is the fact that it isn't overly complex. There are a grand total of five types of pieces available for your machine.

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