The smartphone revolution

Over the last couple of years, I’ve come to believe that the way we connect to the world will be through our phones. Other countries, like Europe and Japan, are already ahead of the States in this aspect. With the great push of the iPhone and Driod, already most of our civilized cities encompass and encourage this technology. Now, the choice becomes, which smartphone is the “best”?

Let’s start with a quick history lesson in mobile technology, we going back back to the turn of the 21st century. A now defunct little company, called Palm, took over the market of portable digital organizers with their flagship and self titled Palm devices. The early models could sync with your PC and connect to the internet on their own via additional modem hardware (since the majority of the internet clients were still using “dial-up” connections). As high-speed, wireless, and Bluetooth technologies evolved, so did the Palms allowing for more mobility and usability. At this time, Microsoft took a stab at the technology with the introduction of the Pocket PC built around their Windows CE technology. Pocket PC and Palm changed the way the world saw the internet. Now, through a simple wireless connection, you could view your calendar, email, and some websites all from the palm of your hand. In addition, you no longer had to connect your little device to your PC (thanks to innovations in Microsoft’s Exchange Server email system). At this time, Microsoft, as they so regularly do, changed the name from Pocket PC to Windows Mobile. Shortly thereafter, Blackberry entered the market with the first devices that integrated your cellular phone and your digital organizer. Microsoft soon followed suit with another revamp of their Pocket PC OS, called Windows Mobile for Smartphones. Due to cost (whether they were manufacturing or just greedy profits), these two devices were originally only available to the financially elite or businesses. Unfortunately, Palm entered the market too late. They hung for a while, but eventually lost to the Windows giant and Blackberry. This brings us to Apple’s emergence into the industry with their now highly sought after iPhone. The iPhone’s hardware and OS has introduced a new change in the mobile technology. Now integrating a simple digital camera, camcorder, digital organizer, full internet browser, email, and a slew of social “apps” and games, you don’t even need a PC for your day-to-day internet tasks. Admittedly, Microsoft had already achieved this by Windows Mobile 6, but never on the scale Apple did. Leave it to Mac users to start a trend. With the internet giant, Google, hot on Apple’s trail releasing their Android OS (commonly referred to as Driod) and Microsoft back in the race with their completely revamped Windows Phone 7 OS, Blackberry is now a dead company. Will anyone else take up the race? Who knows; but they better have an astounding device and PR department. Well, maybe this wasn’t quite a short history lesson.

On to the competitors. Personally, I want a completely autonomous phone that doesn’t even need a computer. What do I mean by that? Well, here are the requirements:

1. email, calendar, etc, must function with my existing email accounts (whether they be work or personal) and should be accessible no matter where I am. Applications on the phone should be able to integrate these. Screw viewing it through a web browser.
2. I prefer a completely touch screen device with the ability to zoom in while viewing objects (like web pages, pictures, etc). As a bonus (but no required), the phone should have a very usable “dual thumb” keyboard. Not one of those crappy half keyboards where you end up pushing 2 buttons instead of one.
3. The device must be of decent size. This means not to large to fit in my pocket, but not so small that you have issues typing with the on-screen keyboard.
4. The device should be able to download and install miscellaneous applications via the cellular network that can keep up with my mobile life, such as social website access, online banking, simple games for entertainment, electronic books, references for “trivia” questions, etc.
5. Have a decent digital still/video camera in case I want to photographically document and share/brag my mobile life.
6. A fully functional web browser that can view real web pages, not just mobile-friendly ones. This includes videos, animations, and scripts (forms).
7. The phone should be able to get any updates it needs for the OS or applications via the cellular network.
8. Oh yeah, it needs to be able to make phone calls, too.

I’ve had the luck of being able to use the iPhone, Driod, and Windows Mobile (not the new 7 ones) devices. Over the years, I became partial to Windows Mobile. Currently, I have a HTC Driod Eris. My only downfall with the Eris is it’s slightly smaller size; this can be remedied by replacing it with the Motorolla Driod X (if I only had the funds). The Eris also tends to go into a huge lag when trying to place or answer a phone call. I think that’s a problem with the Andriod OS, though, as the wifey has the same problem with her LG Ally. I was able to tinker with an iPhone 3GS for a while. I would still be using it for work, but the cell program we’re using doesn’t have any more allocations for the “special” iPhone data plan (which irks me to no end that it requires a data plan different from AT&T’s other smartphones). Also, the fact that you must initially set the phone up and apply updates through iTunes really boils my already overfull pot of “things I don’t like about Apple’s proprietary methods”. As for Windows Phone 7, I don’t know what to expect. The devices I’ve seen so far (in pictures only) seem a bit small, so I’m waiting for them to get through their initial consumer wear and tear. Like Apple (now on their 4th generation), I’m sure there will be much more to offer in future revisions. I’ll hold my opinions and stick with my Windows Mobile 6.5 Samsung Jack for now (even though I don’t care much for the physical device) until I can actually test drive 7. Hopefully, some time early next year.

For now, outside of the iTunes requirement, the iPhone has impressed me the most with its smooth transitioning OS and perfectly sizable hardware. Overall, Andriod is a more fully-featured OS. The Driods are 2nd in my book only because they annoyingly lock up (drag) in certain scenarios and require an app for memory management. Like installing Windows 7 on an old computer, until the hardware manufacturers catch up, memory usage will continue to be Andriod’s downfall. As for Windows Phone 7, it was a much needed upgrade to the now antiquated Windows Mobile. However, let’s see if Microsoft can make the same or better innovations by the time they’re on their 4th generation devices. If you’ll remember, the iPhone still lacked quite a few features in it’s first incarnation, and though it was older, I still strongly stood by my Windows Mobile when Apple first released them.

 

BTW, I think it’s time to finally let this blog die. Between married life (yes, as of Oct 23, the GF/fiancé became the wifey), work, and projects around the house that need completing, I just don’t have the time or desire to play on the internet anymore. Unless I get a huge hair to rant about something, you probably won’t be seeing anything new here. I don’t even socialize on Facebook much anymore. Sorry, but real life has just gotten in the way of my internet socialization (god forbid).

 

l8rz, and maybe see you in the next incarnation of the interwebz…

On the barstool and ranting…

Yup. I’m back at Taco Mac again, and here’s a quick writeup on the two latest games.

Halo Reach. Yes, midnight release. All next day play. It’s still the same engine used for Halo 3 and ODST, but Bungie has tweaked it a bit to expand the Haloverse to MASSIVE environments. Well, maybe not as massive as Fallout, but pretty darn close. What can I say other than it’s Halo. Go get it. You’ll love it. Well, I do. New multiplayer maps and modes (yes, I’ve actually played a few). New story. New hero. And, you’ll just have to play it for yourself to find out who’s origin it is.

Metroid Other M. Next to Halo, I’d have to say Metroid is my next favorite series. Well, maybe third to Gears, but Metroid is the longest running besides Mega Man. This latest installment goes into Samus’ background, which has never been explored by Nintendo. So far, it’s excitingly not what I expected. The gameplay is like nothing the Metroid fans are used to (and impressive). The lack of camera control can be a bit awkward at first, but I’ve yet to be in a situation where it can be a problem. The 3rd person gameplay has added a whole new twist. If you have a Wii and know anything of Metroid’s history (all the way back to NES), you must play this. I miss the nunchuck control from the Prime Trilogy, but the simplified controller has come to be a huge bonus over the GameCube plethora of buttons. Oh, and you no longer have to collect energy and missile refills from your enemies. Just lift the controller vertical and press A for a recharge. Nice!

Well, time to part. The Taco Mac manager just opened a special tap of the Heavy Seas Cannon Cask that I must try. Yay for Fridays!

 

l8rz!

Now, time for teh game on.

The dust has settled (back on the racks), updates have been implemented, new machines installed, and accounts created. Time to get back to gaming!

I'm finally able to enjoy a calm weekend by myself since the soon-to-be wifey is off visiting her family. Ah, there's nothing like listening to the cicadas backgrounded with drunk Mexican karakoe at midnight. Did you catch the sarcasm in that statement? The neighbors are throwing down again. I guess if I went inside, I wouldn't have to hear it. :P

So Dante's Inferno finally came in. If you've ever tried to read Virgil's "Dante's Inferno" or "The Divine Comedy", you know they're not easy stories to follow due to the language. The game is roughly (and I'm serious about "roughly") based on The Divine Comedy. It's much easier to follow the story, and a whole lot more entertaining. However, I'm a bit dissappointed. I was expecting this awesomely over-hyped game to be something new and fresh. What I ended up playing was a God Of War remake. Now the graphics were fairly well done, but there could have been more. I was pretty downed by the FMV sequences as they were rendered less detailed than the actual gameplay. The backgrounds were pretty well done, but the camera control (which there was none) sucked. I hit one section where I kept jumping off the ledge because the camera was at such an odd angle, I couldn't see where I was supposed to land. The gameplay, however, was well done. You can choose to either violently punish or absolve your enemies from a grab. And I mean violently. This is no kids game. You are in hell, and the characters/enemies show it. The squemish wouldn't like this. I, however, reveled in and awed at the developers depictions. It's how I would view it. In all, a fun and gorey play. But, save your pennies for Halo Reach when it comes out 9/14. My inner fanboy is giddy with excitement for the midnight release. Yes, I have my copy reserved (regular, I don't do collector's editions anymore). :D

I really should come up with some sort of rating system if I'm going to keep doing this.

l8rz!

Late night Linux brain spazisms

Sometimes in the evening, when I'm trying not to think about work related stuff, my mind goes into overdrive with weird projects. Sitting on my back porch slowly enjoying a Crown and Coke and mucking with my Netbook, tonight has become one of those nights.

It started with a simple decision to find the "fastest" OS for the Netbook. So far, Fedora Moblin has won, but I'm having issues with getting the wireless to work (Red Hat-based distributions are my preferred). Ubuntu Netbook Remix has come in at a fully functional second, but I'm not that familiar with Debian-based Linux. If I can't fully manipulate the OS from a termial (or Command Prompt), I'm not satisfied. Windows 7 Starter Edition is what came with it (and is functionally the best), but has it's slower moments (hence the desire for something faster). In my spare time waiting on ISOs to download (CD images for you computards out there), I started thinking about the 3 Playstations (the original - two grey boxes and one white "PSOne") I have downstairs collecting dust. "Hey, I wonder if you can put Linux on one of those?" Why in the hell would anyone want to put Linux on such an underpowered piece of hardware? Just to say it's been done. After sorting through the Google and Bing searches, parusing through multitudes of forums, and following nothing but dead links (websites that are no longer available), I found the Runix project. However, files from this attempt can no longer be found. It was a neat idea, but because of the PS's hardware limitations (no HDD, a 512K ROM, and only 2G RAM), I'm guessing it never got off the ground. So sad. It would have been fun to try. There are Linux projects out there for the PS2 (non-slim since it won't take a HDD). But, I'm not ready to throw in the towel on my PS2, yet. I don't have a PS3, and from what I've read, the software PS2 emulator on the current PS3 (the first models had a hardware chip) is crap. Also, Sony killed the PS3's ability to dual-boot with Yellow Dog Linux in a recent firmware update. Bastards. They just keep compiling reasons for me not to get one. I love my 360. Maybe when I get my original XBox back from Pops, I'll see what I can do with it. I remember reading where you can turn one into a massive Media Center. Oh well. At least I have some other Linux projects on the mind from other thunkings (like creating my own arcade console and home automation to name two). Those require a little financial backing that I'm just not ready to invest in. However, I will make them a reality at some point.

Oh lookie, my drink is empty. Time for another. ;)

l8rz!

Down with the Nazi regime!

Ugh it’s been a busy two weeks. Trying to get any game time in has been a chore at best. Oh, and the house still hasn’t been vacuumed in 2 weeks. This is not a fun thing to deal with when you have to readily shedding pooches. Two game updates this week:

Yes, I love fighting Nazis. Read my previous posts if you haven’t realized that already. After collecting dust on the table for almost 2 weeks, I was finally able to play and finish ID’s Wolfenstein. If you’ve never heard of the Wolfenstein name, then you are either too young or never play video games. If the latter, then why are you reading this? j/k NEwayz, the Xbox360 reincarnation puts our hero, B.J. Blazkowicz, in a whole new story. Without giving away the story, there’s not a whole lot I can say. The weapons you find along the way are pretty frikin cool. Especially once you get further along and can start upgrading them at the Black Market. My Panzerschreck (rocket launcher) and Leichenfaus 44 (particle disintegrator) were pretty unstoppable (as long as I had ammo for them). Considering the game was built on a modified version of the Doom 3 engine, the graphics weren’t too bad. The characters aren’t overly realistic like Modern Warfare. However, the immense environment was was pretty detailed especially once you start using the Thule Medallion to move in an out of the Veil (something you will be doing quite frequently to survive). There are 3 modes of gameplay to keep you entertained for many many hours along with some online multiplayer modes. Overall, not a bad rent. And, if you can find it in the bargain bin, not a bad buy. I will be looking for a decently priced gently used copy myself (no, I haven’t hit eBay, yet).

The Xbox Summer of Arcade has started once again this year, and they have games on the docket that I’m after. Over my many years of gaming, I’ve accumulated quite a few consoles. Some of those consoles (the Sega Dreamcast) I purchased (very cheap, mind you) for a few specific games. I’ve been able to replace most of them through the Xbox. Dead or Alive 2 I replaced with the Dead or Alive box set for Xbox (the original). Soul Calibur has been available in the Xbox Live Arcade for some time, although I haven’t forked out the Microsoft Points for it, yet. Last week, my last Dreamcast title was finally replaced. Good thing, too, because the cd reader puked about a month ago. Hydro Thunder Hurricane. I’ve been waiting for years on this one. Now, I’m a happy camper complete with a graphics upgrade and some new tracks added from the sit-down arcade version (at Dave and Busters the last time I was there). Time to start looking for my old NES favorites in the Wii Arcade.

The four weeks at work is going to be crazy busy so I’ll try to get at least part one of the automated Windows 7 install up this weekend.

 

Happy boating (racing)! l8rz

Automating a Windows 7 install

Lookie! I’m ranting about computers now!

Ok, so for the last couple of weeks, I’ve been working with Windows AIK, scripts, and Windows PowerShell to come up with a fully automated Windows 7 install for work. Mind you, I’m extremely anal when it comes to computer procedure and writing scripts. This is why I’m not a programmer. I probably would have finished this a week ago were it not for my OCD-ism.

It took a couple of days to learn the WSIM (Windows System Image Manager) interface. Once you get used to it and understand the different passes in an install (this is something new that started with Vista), it’s actually pretty intuitive. Between this and Sysprep, creating an automated install has become so much simpler than it was during the .ini file early days of Windows NT to XP. I’m starting to really like XML (eXtensible Markup Language).

To save from having to do a bunch of stuff by hand (I have some “geniuses” I work alongside that don’t follow written and verbal directions very well), the install calls some registry tweaks and does a few other things in the “post-install” phase. In the past, I accomplished this with another coworker via .cmd scripts. Now that the responsibility has fallen solely on me, I’m trying to broaden my horizons by leveraging more powerful and secure tools in the Windows environment. Most of the computer’s configuration settings are accomplished via Group Policy Objects (GPO’s) via our domain environment. I L-O-V-E GPO’s! However, GPO’s have their limitations and scripts are still required. Eh. Why can’t Windows be simpler like Linux? WSH and VBS are still the primary scripting languages in Windows with WMI and WinRM (Windows Remote Management) being the primary form of system management. However, Microsoft is highly touting and pushing the PowerShell environment. Now learning PowerShell is a pain. PowerShell a collection of Windows Scripting Host (WSH - Windows’ primary scripting language along with Visual Basic Scripting - VBS - and Javascript), Windows Management Interface (WMI) calls, and Command-line scripting (“BAT files”, for the old computer literates) all in one. It’s an extremely powerful tool to have in your management tool bag. Like learning any new “language”, it takes time. I’ve been cheating and modifying scripts off the web for my own usage. I’ll write my own and learn the contexts some other time.

Now that I’ve introduced you to my carefully crafted baby (and extreme headache), I’ll try to break down each of the parts in a tutorial, of sorts, for you to apply to your own environment. Hopefully this will allow you to have your install ready to test and push to production within a couple of days instead of the couple of weeks it took me. Stay tuned for the details.

 

l8rz!

Bayonetta…

Is this porn? I thought I rented a video game.

So the premise is, you are Bayonetta, the supposed last surviving Umbra Witch who was outcast and has lost her memory. She’s taken up lot with the Hellspawn over the last 20 years, as she fights (and kicks some serious ass) the minions of heaven all the while popping in and out of Pergatory (everyday Earth) to harass some schmuck who’s chasing after her to get revenge for the death of his father.

The Applegeeks guys hit the hammer on the nail with their Lite strip:

Button punching. There are so many different combinations of buttons to push in this thing… My thumbs are sore. To be honest, I expected a whole lot more from this game based on marketing. Once I got into it, I wanted a whole lot less. Once again, this is one of those titles from Japan that leave me wondering, “what the hell is wrong with you people?” Anyone who watches anime is familiar with “fan service”. Well, this game is loaded with it, and I’ve never really cared for it. To give you a good example, think Najica Blitz Tactics.

Outside of the annoying ecchi (who in the hell would think up using your hair as a “uniform”?), the gameplay elements are pretty fun. You go around beating the snot of stuff and laying some serious smackdown. Graphics are awesome, and the sound effects are really cool assuming you have a DTS audio setup. If you can get past the retarded fan service, the story has some hilarity to its entertainment value and it’s worth the play. Give it a rent, at least.

 

l8rz.

Evolution of the RPG on 360.

The Role-Playing Game (RPG) genre on the Xbox 360 has been weak since the release of the console. Over the last year or so, however, there have been some releases to help out this genre and, hopefully, give it new life.

One I just recently finished is Magna Carta 2. Now this is not the most advanced of RPGs, but it can have it’s place. It’s developed around the Unreal engine, but you can definitely tell this is a translation of a Japanese game. The thing that bothered me most is the dialog screens. The characters appear on each side of the screen (depending on who is talking), move their arm up and down or bow their head and the mouth moves. Not much for a cut scene. The game did have a few full-motion video (FMV) sequences, however; and the story eventually progresses enough to keep you entertained. Overall, I wasn’t disappointed. I just realized I can’t put that much time into RPGs any more.

One major disappointment has been Final Fantasy XIII. I never got very far with XII on the PS2, but I loved the game. It was leaps and bounds past its siblings. For XIII, I can understand that Square Enix was trying to put a new spin on their fortune flagship franchise, but I’m gonna have to say they “facepalmed” with this one. I’m not even sure I would classify it as an RPG as much as I would an adventure with a LOT of frikin movie sequences. You play for 15 minutes, then you have to go through a 5-10 min movie. To be honest, I felt the only things that classified it as a RPG are the character upgrade enhancements and their battle system, of which you control one of the 3 characters in your party (and you don’t get to choose who you want as your party leader until disc 3). Now Square Enix lived up to their reputation of awe-gaping graphics and sensually melodious soundtrack. I’ll give them that part. No one else has ever managed to rival them in those departments, so far. I still haven’t finished the game (I am on disc 3), and probably won’t for a while. I’ll get back to it eventually.

There are some other decent titles out there for the 360 in this arena if you’ve got the time for them: Mass Effect, Dragon Age: Origins, Infinite Undiscovery. You just have to be careful when picking from this genre these days. You don’t get the development put into these like before. Players scream for online multiplayer venues like Halo and Gears. Most of the time, these RPGs just end up with as a translate from the East. And nothing personal against the Japanese, but there are some weirdasses over there producing games. There are just certain things about that culture I will never understand.

 

I’m sticking to shooters for a while. l8rz.

Google random funniness (via The Chive)

Being a computer geek, I felt this was worth a repost:

 

l8rz.

Looking forward

Since we are only a couple of weeks out from E3, let’s go over some of the few new releases coming up that have already been announced.

I’ve been griping about not having any games just jump out at me and totally enthrall my senses since the beginning of the year. Final Fantasy XIII has turned out to be a bit of flop (more on that in another post), and I’ve been bored out of my mind trying to find a game that just really hits home as a full out winner. Of course, I still haven’t played anything more than the demo for Dante’s Inferno, either. ;) I was piddling around on the Xbox Dashboard last night and found a couple of release trailers that made my fanboy giddy with oodles of excitement.

Crackdown 2. I wasn’t a huge fan of the first game. Like many, the only reason I bought it was to have my in to the Halo 3 Beta testing (*facepalm*: “Sucker!”). I don’t know if they are basing the game’s popularity on sales (uh, duh. Halo 3 Beta was included) or actual documented playing. Now, I will admit that I eventually got in and played for a little while, but it wasn’t something I would call a headliner as far as most awesome games are concerned. But, apparently, a new Aussie company has given this release a work over with a new story, better graphics, even more stuff to just destroy and blow up, and a hugomongus multiplayer experience. Sheer curiosity will have me adding this one to my rental queue in just over a month (July 6). Eh, who knows. I may even pull my old copy back off the shelf and play it a little more.

Laura Croft and the Guardian of Light. As I mentioned Tuesday, Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix (Eidos’ new parent) are bringing Laura back for some XBLA action. No release date yet, but keep an eye on Xbox Live Arcade this Summer.

Halo Reach. After Monday’s post, you already know my feelings for Halo (probably more than you care to know). The release date has been announced. Get ready to drop September 14. I’ll be in line at midnight waiting on my copy. Work will just have to get over the fact that I won’t be in that day. ;)

Call of Duty Black Ops. I had no idea a new game was even in the works. Well, if this was a real analytical blog, I would be doing more reading keeping up with the gaming world. ;) Based on the trailer (uncut version available on their website), which is mostly FMV sequences, this one has received a huge overhaul in the graphics department. I’m wowed… impressed… no, flabbergasted! This looks awesome!! The Call of Duty series has pretty much controlled the World War era and set the standard for the historical (mostly fictional) FPS. I think I might actually be ordering this one without doubt. I’ve always waited on these, but as I’ve played through the series (and am in love with each one), I’ve slowly added them to my collection. I’m still working my way to the Modern Warfare series (don’t kill me). November 9th. Keep your eye on this one! ;D

Castlevania Lords of Shadow. The Belmonts are back! The Castlevania series has to be one of the longest running storylines in gaming rivaling even Mario’s plethora of adventures. I’d even be willing to bet that it’s cultish fan base even rivals the Browncoats (Joss Whedon’s Firefly/Serenity TV/Movie for all you non Sci-Fi-nerds). On the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) in the 80s, Simon Belmont first appeared with his trusty whip to battle the menace you all know so well, Dracula. Yes, THE Dracula. Ever since then, the Belmont name has been cursed throughout time to ever be haunted by the vampiric pain in the butt. Castlevania has been one of Konami’s major cash cows ever since. Stories have split, moved forward and backward in time, and taken on alternate timelines. This will be the first entry into “next-gen” graphics. And from what I saw in the trailer (yes, they did show gameplay!), this is going to blow your mind! Konami’s not releasing a whole lot of info on the the promo site, so I can’t tell you too much about the game other than the Belmont this time is Gabriel. Just go watch the trailer and mark your calendars for this November 13 release. If you need some catching up, check out the Shopping Channel on your Wii for WiiWare and NES Castlevania classics.

Now of course, Cliffy B’s announcement of Gears of War 3 on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon last month had me checking my pants for puddles, but it’s another year away. Watch next April for that one.

Although E3 is not the presentation spectacular it used to be, tune in to G4TV June 15-17 for updates from the Expo floor and get ready for a wild ride.

 

l8rz!

Zombies… phttt….

Nothing provides as good of an enemy as a Zombie. Well, maybe a Nazi Zombie, but Zombies nonetheless. The Left 4 Dead series has earned a happy place of instantaneous love in my heart. But, it annoys the hell out of me.

“Dude, you’re in your 30’s. Why do you still play video games?” For this one reason: stress relief. Pure, unadulterated, bloodsplatteringly, and fantastically violent stress relief. And, yes. Be glad I don’t work for the post office. ;) Left 4 Dead 2 is my most recent pixilated enjoyment that’s become extremely difficult to put down. As Valve’s credit is due, they have created a masterpiece of a game… assuming you have friends to play it with. It presents a masterful play control and amazing ability to track your teammates. If you get lost, you can easily find and catch up with them again. OK, so what about those of us who don’t want to stay up all night playing games with twelve-year olds? The game’s single player mode isn’t so forgiving. Your CPU teammates never (and I mean, NEVER) take the lead. They’ll cover your butt and rescue you all day long, but trying to get the three of them through a campaign is like dragging along a 500 lb sledge hammer. Hello?! The zombie AI shouldn’t be smarter than they are. I’d like to be able to use the sniper rifle occasionally. And, it’d be nice if one of you jokers would throw a pipe bomb every once and a while, too. ;)

The character development, environments, graphics, soundtrack… it’s all astounding. Grab some buddies and at least go rent this game for nothing else if just to listen to Ellis’ redneck twang and quips:

”Did I teell yew abat dis time my kusin Keith drown’d in the Tunnel of Luuve?”

Hilarious!

Well, Excuse me for now. I have an undead clown that requires my assistance with a chainsaw…

 

l8rz!

Laura’s Back!

Oh, hell. More money for me to spend…

Red vs. Blue

It’s been almost a week since the end of the Halo Reach Multiplayer Beta. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a whole lot of time to play with it. I did spend long enough to acclimate myself with the new “loadouts” and weapons, though, so here’s my take:

1. Multiplayers are not for me. I don’t spend hours upon hours on Xbox Live looking for my next human sacrifice. I want story. But we know this already.

2. The grenades have become waaaaay too powerful. Now I get that Master Chief (Spartan 117 – John Smith) was the last of the Mark III Spartans. I get that Reach takes place before those upgrades with the Spartan II series. But what the hell? The Spartan’s are still supposed to be a bunch of bad-asses that make the ODST human soldiers look like child’s play. A well placed grenade in a tunnel or room still shouldn’t KIA you instantly. From what I understand, this was a well known complaint around the Beta.

3. Armor Abilities and Loadouts.

Ok, this is the newest feature that seems to delve further into the Halo universe and what the Spartans were truly capable of. Of the 4, I thought the Sprint was the most tacky ability, but it did provide all those run-and-gunners the ability to move in for some quick kills. And I mean quick. I had my butt handed to me several times by one of these. Cloaking is back. This time the Elites aren’t the only ones hiding in the shadows. This is extremely useful for sneak and slash with the energy sword. Jet packs are… well… jet packs. You get the idea. Burst jumps, limited flight, etc. IMO, they just leave you a really good slow target for snipers. The last was my favorite. Armor Lock. I am the king of getting myself in over my head in battle scenarios. This is why I won’t last a zombie invasion very long. Well, now, when you see that sticky grenade headed for your face, engage the shield, and you may have just saved your hide long enough to prevent a respawn. :) Note, that each of these abilities are limited, as Bungie explains it. They require a “cooling off period” after you use them. Being the non-manual reader, I had to figure that one out the hard way. My own personal speculation and interpretation of the Reach storyline is saying similar to ODST. Your 4/5 advertised Spartans are each going to be specialized with their own favorite weapons (remember, Romeo likes sniping and Dutch likes heavy weapons?). This is where the Loadouts will probably come into play. Your standards are back with a new look: assault rifles, pistols, sniper rifles, etc. The new Elite weapons are always my faves. Pink Mist of Death has been my all-time favorite achievement in the series (i.e., Halo 3 - the Needler). To see the new Needle Rifle… 

oh, it’s on now! Also, there are two new grenade launchers with the Covenant version popping out 4 stickies that will track your butt down and launch you into Reach’s stratosphere. Beware this handful instant death. Even the Armor Lock can’t save you. Especially if Bungie doesn’t do something about that grenade power issue.

So until this Fall (or Bungie’s next round of press releases), we’re left with a taste of the new gooeyness that is Halo. We can only wonder, “who is the ‘Lone Wolf’?”

 

On another note, I finally downloaded the Grifball maps! Anyone up for a game? ;)

 

l8s!

(images courtesy of Bungie.net)

The direction of gaming?

This speech from DICE 2010 hit the interweb about a month ago and stirred up a bit of a buzz among some of my gaming kinsfolk. Now, with ever-growing advent of online browser games like Facebook offers, more and more people are getting into gaming in general. Ads across webpages like Google’s AdSense are becoming more acceptable. Combine these two aspects and, yes, I could see life and “gaming” going the direction the speaker suggests. However, my outlook on gaming still centers around entertainment and, mostly, console gaming. I either own or have owned in my time the following consoles (do the math as I’m about to disclose my age generation, here): Atari 2600, Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), Nintendo Gameboy, Playstation, Sega Dreamcast, Playstation 2, Xbox, Xbox 360, and Wii. Now, I’ve played on a whole lot more consoles than I’ve owned like the Neo Geo, Atari Jaguar, Sega Super System, Sega CD, Nintendo 64, Nintendo Game Cube, Playstation 3 and the list could go on. Keep in mind, my writings just refer to console gaming. I don’t get into PC gaming like I used to (including the new browser-based generation), which is much older.

As I’m writing these reviews more frequently, I’m noticing more and more of a pattern in console game development these days. Originality doesn’t exist quite like it did in the earlier days of the “third generation” consoles (Xbox 360 / Playstation 3 / Wii). Also, the genres have bled together even more. It’s all about TPS (third person shooter) massive environments, or FPS (first person shooter) run-and-gun, or RPG (roll playing game) and TBS (turn-based strategy) thought-provokers. I think the only genres that haven’t changed are MMO (massive multiplayer online), Sports, Fighting (like Street Fighter) and Racing. The old days of Adventure vs Shooter vs Action vs Challenge is slowly dying. The Strategy genre is something that derived from the early days of Command and Conquer and Warcraft (not to be confused with the MMO World of Warcraft). Over time, this genre has lead way to the release of modern wonders like Halo Wars and Battlestations Midway or the re-release or continuation of Command and Conquer and Tropico. MMO and Strategy are still new in the overall age of gaming, so they tend to be more “cult-driven” genres, so to speak.

Now, keep in mind, this is only my perception of the evolution of gaming as I’ve experienced it over the last 25 or so years. I’d love to hear any of your comments on this and where you think gaming has been and will go.

l8rz

Erin go Braugh(less)!

Happy St Paddy’s Day, all. This is the day in which we lift a pint of Guinness (or Harp, if you so choose) in honor of the Irish. As part of what a dear friend says before each round of shots, “Sláinte!” (I can’t ever remember the second half.)

Cheers!

Test drive the Prototype.

Yes, being the fanboy I am, I did buy Final Fantasy XIII, however, being this is the first 3-disc game I’ve played since VII on the PS2, it’s going to be a while before I get into the write-up on it. So, instead, I give you Prototype.

Within an hour, I immediately felt like I was playing Crackdown, again. Now Crackdown I would have never purchased had it not been for the Halo 3 beta invitation that was included with it. I’ve hardly even played the game. Prototype is basically Crackdown on crack. Leaping and gliding from rooftop to rooftop, running up the sides of buildings, jumping and running at superhuman capabilities. The added bonus, your body is a weapon. You have the ability to absorb your enemies and morph into them. Your hands and arms turn into blades and boulders for massive hand-to-hand damage against militia, tanks, and even buildings. The blood, gore, and language are prolific. Yes, this game is rated M for Mature. The graphics are done fairly well however, I haven’t noticed much of a soundtrack. In defense, I haven’t been able to turn the volume up very loud, either. In all, not a bad rent. I’ve actually played it more than one day. And, now that you can find a used copy for around $30, not a bad buy, either. With all the side quests alongside the story, there’s plenty of game play. Although the landscape is the city of Manhattan, it’s still expansive enough to give you plenty of room to roam. And you can go from north side to south side to east side to west side with no lagging load times. Awesome! If nothing else, give it a rent to quell the need of some serious bloodshed and destruction.

l8rz

Rocking out, again.

In all the political turmoil, I have to do something to keep my already stressed mind off the latest governmental issues. So, I’m still renting and playing games.

This week, Guitar Hero 5 for the 360. I’m not so impressed this go ‘round. I’m guessing Activision wanted to get in on the younger generation with their latest in this extremely drawn out series. It’s not really geared around a single player experience. The new features in this one differing from World Tour is the ability to customize your own band with characters of your choosing from the Rockstar Creator (from World Tour), and you can play with your Xbox Live Avatar. The scoring system has also been improved to add additional challenges. Depending on the song, you are required to try a different instrument to get the extra 3 stars. Oh, and you can now get 6 stars if you complete a song without missing a note. Since it’s focused more on the younger gamers, the screen real estate is mostly occupied by the instrument “highway”. This makes it even more difficult to see the actual characters performing in the background. Overall, if you just really love the Guitar Hero series, and have to have every one, then, by all means, add it to your collection. Me? I’m going to leave it at a rental until I either have kids or can get my GF more interested in playing for the score and achievements… neither of which I foresee in my immediate future. :)

Metroid Prime Trilogy for the Wii is next on the list. I’m a huge Metroid fan from the Nintendo era, but skipped over the Gamecube. I’m looking forward into getting into this latest release (and remastering) in the Metroid line. I’ll let you know next week (or later this week if it sux).

 

l8rz.

Ramblings from the barstool.

I’m back again this week from my favorite wing joint, Taco Mac Metropolis. I’m still getting the hang of my fairly new Windows 7 Starter Edition Netbook. There’s a few quirks to still work out, but it’s getting there. This week’s game reviews are BioShock 2 and Borderlands.

BioShock. I’m not really sure why the original FPS bagged my attention. Maybe it was the graphics. Maybe it was the environmentally haunting musical score. Maybe it was the idea that a modern-day Atlantis could have been constructed in the 1940/1950s. BioShock 2 picks up 10 years after the original with a whole new story where you play as one of the complexly unknown Big Daddy characters designated as “Delta”. The way 2K Games constructed this edition of the series was very intuitive. By slyly mentioning events and characters from the original, you don’t miss anything if you didn’t play the first, but you can’t help but snicker with laughter every time you run across a reminder if you did. Continuing with the use of the Unreal engine (Gears of War, Unreal Tournament, etc.), the graphical detail and response speed are as awesome as with the first. The new multiplayer feature seems to have real potential, but I haven’t really tried it out (I’m the story player, remember?). I completed the game on the middle difficulty in about 4 days with a good collection of the achievements. I’ll need another go ‘round to get more of the achievements, but it’s definitely worth the play. I’m happy with spending the full $60 on this one.

Borderlands is the most addictive game I have played in quite a while. The graphics and game mechanics play out like a comic book, which I’ve always found to be a really cool way of presenting a game. The world is massive. Unfortunately, like Red Faction, the quests get a bit monotonous; however, they are much more challenging and varied. From first inserting the disc into the tray to finally looking at the time before bed, I had spent the better part of 8 hours behind the controller. Woah. I haven’t had a game trap me in that hard in a while. But, I’ve gotten my fill as I don’t have that sort of time to devote to games these days, with having a GF and a house and all. ;) If you do, go for it!

Well, I’m out till next round. Besides, I’m completely fascinated with Olympic Curling at the moment, and I don’t know why…

 

l8rz!

Returning to the depths of Rapture…

Yay! Bioshock 2 is in the mail on its way! I’ve been in full anticipation for its release ever since the first announcement 2 E3s ago (that’s Electronic Entertainment Expo for the uninformed). I hope to have some extended time with it this weekend, but V-Day has already been claimed by my GF. I seriously doubt I’ll finish it in 2 days, but I should at least have a write-up next week for ya.

Guitar Hero World Tour. Yes, I’m finally at the 4th release in this really long series. Having played II, III, and Aerosmith, it was time I finally delved into the band aspect of Guitar Hero. My response? I SO WANT THE DRUMKIT!! I’ve only had time to work my way through the “life as a guitarist” story, but this will be another game I’ll be adding to my library soon… as soon as I spend next month’s game budget on Final Fantasy XIII. ;) I will have to say, nothing is quite as entertainingly screwed up as watching a digital recreation of Ozzy Osborn singing “La Bamba” (with Sting as your bass player and Travis Barker from Blink-182 on the skins). My GF told me a hilarious conversation she had with a coworker about guitar gaming:

Coworker: We were playing Rock Band the other night. I was all hyped up and thinking I was cool. As soon as I started playing, I couldn’t hit a single note. I failed us out in no time. Guitarist are gods. A couple chords on a guitar and the panties drop. No one ever got laid by playing a guitar game.

GF: Keith did.

LOL! That’s awesome! And the best I can do is 5-staring the “Medium” setting. She loves her dork. ;p~

 

l8rz!

But, I’m with the band… (parte duex)

Where did I leave off? A yes, the Artist pass. We did not realize the true power of this simple laminated card until the second day. My GF has a bad habit of overstepping defined lines of security; mostly out of absentmindedness. OK, well, I’ve seen her do it twice. Anyway, she noticed a friend of hers working for the sound crew that we did not anticipate to be on the cruise. She hopped into the “secure” area behind the stage to say hello, not thinking about the fact that cruise goers were not supposed to be back there. Apparently, the security detail lurched for her, but quickly stopped once he saw the pass around her neck. Heather neglected to tell us that as long as we wore that pass, we could go behind stages and sit in the artist listening area for the Skynyrd show. To be honest, we didn’t take advantage of the pass’ power except for the Skynyrd show. I sat next to Kevin Kenny of Drivin’ and Cryin’. I didn’t want to bother him as he was there to listen to Skynyrd with the woman on his other side (his wife/gf/lady friend I would assume), so I never actually talked to him. But I sat next to Kevin Kenny…. Heh. Surprisingly, most of the artists, other than Skynyrd, walked out and about in the crowd while they weren’t playing. Over the course of the cruise, we talked with Dan, lead singer of Hill Country Revue, at one of the bars (he told me he had a huge crush on Heather once I said we were her friends), Phil from Molly Hatchet, Paul from Hightide Blues, Tom Hambridge and his agent, Richard Turner (he was pretty quiet) from Blackberry Smoke and his wife Mary-Anne (sp?) (who sat with us late night), along with others I can’t really remember. My brain suffered a social overload at some point. Heather introduced us to the rest of Oakhurst (AP, Kruller (the happiest man alive), Max, John, and Loomis), of which I think it’s safe to say they befriended us. Zach came to Atlanta to play for Heather’s live CD, so we partied with him, his wife, and Heather after the show. There was always a late night show where Francisco Vidal or Scott Munn (or both) would perform covers joined by various people from the different smaller bands. Zach seemed to play with everyone. By the second evening, we kept asking, “Where’s Zach? Oh, he’s on stage.” Heather aptly titled him the “banj-ho”. Since my GF wore her “I <heart> my dork” T (it received a lot of good comments), we decided that Zach’s wife is getting a “I <heart> my banj-ho” T for her birthday later this year.

On our third day (second full day), we docked in Cozumel for 8 hours. Heather, Ralph, Zach, Loomis, Kruller, John, my GF, and I rented scooters to tour the coastline outside the city for the afternoon. AP originally joined us, but ended up staying in town due to a pretty rough night before (it was his birthday). Our first stop was a Mexican cantina for real fish tacos (corn tortillas and fresh fish), tequila shots, and Mexican beer (I was happy to see they had Sol). You can tell this place was used to catering to Americans. English was spoken better than some places in Atlanta, and they had running water. I will tell you, however, taking a dump in Mexico is odd. They won’t let you put the TP in the toilet. There’s a trashcan next to you lined in a plastic garbage bag. They must change it regularly since there was no stench in there. Anyway, as we walked in looking for a place to sit, Scott, Nick, Kenny, and Ron from BonePony invited us all to join them and pulled up tables. They had rented a Jeep instead of scooters. After food, we toured the coastline more working our way around the west outside the city. I’ve seen the clear water of the Keys and grew up in the muddy waters of the southeastern seaboard, but I’ve never seen water as blue as I saw in Cozumel. It was like living in a postcard. Our next stop put us at a tiki-mexi-Rastafarian-type bar. As we parked the bikes, sitting there was none other than BonePony, again, and Hightide Blues. Jokes and stories ensued. I found a hammock next to Kruller and Loomis. With my $2 Sol, I felt like every George Strait, Kenny Chesney, and Zac Brown song I’ve ever heard about Mexico. No wonder they never want to leave. The temperature was beautifully near 90 with a cool breeze. And this is in January! I didn’t move for almost an hour. Unfortunately, our time was limited, so we continued our bar-hopping for one more stop, then returned to town and the boat.

We made a lot of new acquaintances that week; many we hope to see again next year. Oh, yes. We will be going, again. Heather said she is even going to try to get us officially registered as her crew this time. Might as well since she kept introducing us as her entourage. ;) Our first vacation together, and a first real vacation for both of us in many years. It’s something this gaming techogeek definitely needed.

So how did we get home? Ha! Here’s the funny part. The rattletrap said it’s final farewell about an hour and a half from home (almost 30 minutes from where we blew the tire on the way down). A blown head gasket. I wasn’t all that worried as my GF has family not from from that location. Ralph had family not far as well, so we had a place to stay if needed. But, it was getting dark, we were not used to the cold since we had been in warmer climates all week, and we were sitting on the side of the road with hangovers and lack of sleep. Luckily, 3 of the bands Heather had befriended were not far behind us on their way back home. In twos we loaded up with each of our rescuers. John and Charlie with Hightide Blues, Heather and Ralph with Blackberry Smoke, and us with BonePony. I cannot begin to express my gratitude to these guys for taking time out of their trips to accommodate us. Scott, Nick, Kenny, and Ron are a great bunch of guys. They took on almost complete strangers (other than our quick meeting at lunch on Cozumel) to help us home. Thank you so much for your help and goodwill. You are more than welcome in our home if you ever need a place to stay while in Atlanta.

Whew. What a story. What a week. Memories that will last forever; or, at least, until next year! :p~ Thank you Sixthman! Thank you Heather!

 

w00+!

But, I’m with the band… (part 1)

It has been a little over a week since my return from Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Simple Man Cruise 2010. It’s taken me that long to recover. 4 days of music on open water (minus the 8 hours we spent on Cozumel). One of the most defining comments I heard on the boat describes the whole cruise. “Nowhere else will you see this many drunk rednecks and no fights.” I felt sorry for the Carnival crew as they are probably more used to serving calmer and non-riotous customers. By the last evening, I noticed the staff behind the bar was singing and dancing with the music of the late night “super-band” of Scott Munn, Francisco Vidal, Zach Daniels from “Oakhurst”, Heather Luttrell, Walter Ray, and Paul McDonald from “Hightide Blues”. I’m pretty sure they were just celebrating the fact that all of us crazies were getting off the boat the next morning, but it was at least good to see them loosening up. :)

So where to begin. Well, I had been trying to find the funding to go on a Sixthman cruise since the first Rock Boat back in 2000. Last year, along with Heather’s convincing, I was able to talk my GF into booking. Little did we know what was in store for us over those 4 days. As I’ve mentioned before, we’ve become pretty good friends with Heather Luttrell and her band which consists of Ralph Luttrell (her father), Charlie Wooten, and Hoffa. John McKnight sat in as drummer for Hoffa since he couldn’t make it. Our trip began bright and early Wed morning before sendoff as Heather and boys picked us up in a rattletrap 1991 Ford passenger van borrowed from a friend. Now when I say rattletrap, did this thing ever rattle. You had to slam the doors with the force of a small elephant just to get them to securely close. At it’s top speed of 65mph, when you open or close all the windows, the roof would make a popping sound as the aerodynamics and pressure changed around it. I still think there was an automatic airfoil (like on the Porsche or Audi cars) up there just readjusting. ;) Anyway, about an hour into our trip, the poor thing blew a tire. An hour and a half, a call to AAA (since we couldn’t find the jack), and a stop at the nearest Wal-Mart for 2 new tires (the spare was bald), we were back on the road. Aside from John’s hysterical sense of humor and constant jokes, the rest of the 6 hours went by pretty uneventful as most of us caught up on our sleep. Sixthman sponsored a “send-off” party at a bar in Tampa, which we attended. We had never been on a cruise before, so we didn’t really meet a whole lot of people there. The beer was cheaper than what I’m used to paying, so I was happy.

The next morning, we all piled down into the lobby of the hotel with the other bands for our VIP shuttle to the port. Now Heather had worked it out with Sixthman about a month before the trip that my GF and I would be boarding as her “staff”. We just thought that just meant we got to avoid all the lines getting on and off the boat and that was it. I will say, avoiding that waiting line was one of the biggest treats I could ever be thankful for. I later heard there was up to a 2 hour wait in that thing. After boarding, Heather and Ralph dragged us to the nearest bar on the deck for their traditional “frozen fruity rum drink”. Afterwards we split off to our cabins to claim our luggage. At this point, we pretty much assumed we probably wouldn’t see Heather again except at her shows, which we were fine with. So after 2 hours of orientating ourselves with the layout of the boat and music stages, we headed to the nearest bar for drinks and listened to Molly Hatchet performing on the deck stage. Amazingly enough, even with 2200 people on the Carnival Inspiration, there was so much room. In some sections, you would hardly see anyone. I will say, the deck did stay pretty packed, but there was still plenty of room to move around without having to bump into people. On our way to the next show Heather flagged us down. As she handed us our “Artist” passes, she added, “Let’s go eat. I’m starving.” If you’ve ever been on a cruise, you know how it works. The food is 24/7 (or 24/4, in our case). I did discover that the bars close at midnight with one remaining open until 4am, however. This pretty much was the case for the rest of the trip. Our day would begin once we finally got up (usually from me waking up around 10a or 11a). I’d beeline for the nearest coffee pot, we’d grab a small breakfast (or whatever they were serving), then head off for our hair-of-the-dog. I finally learned that a bloody mary breakfast really works. After a couple of hours, Heather would find us or we’d find her. We’d travel around between shows together for the rest of the afternoon and evening except when she had to perform (which we’d watch from the crowd). Now by travel, I mean at a snail’s pace. It would take her 45 minutes just to go 100 yards. I found it quite entertaining to watch her get stopped by people asking for pictures, autographs, and some regular conversation. Heather obliged them all, of which I am very proud of her. She really appreciates her fans. I’ve also never seen her revered in this sense before. She and Ralph are “gods on the water,” and it showed in both of them. They both performed with enthusiasm I have never seen from either of them in their regular hometown performances.

I feel like I’m writing a novel here. Since this is getting retartedly long for a blog, I’m breaking it up into multiple posts. Come back tomorrow for the power of the Artist Pass, the banj-ho, partying like a rock start, and scootering Cozumel, along with the grand finale.

 

l8rz

I <3 Deadpool.

He’s such a crackup! Click the pic for a larger image.

Coming back around.

Staying on top of this social networking thing is becoming more and more difficult. My resolution for the year wasn’t to spend less time on Facecrack, although it should have been. Work has been keeping me pretty busy with the new year, and by the time I get home, the last thing I want to do is sit in front of a computer. I finally caught up on all my webcomics yesterday. My RSS reader is still full of feeds left to read, though. However, despite my lack of free time, for all you interwebers out there I’m back with 4 quick reviews. I have been gaming a little too much, lately. Of course, being furloughed for a week and having a week holiday (tallying to two weeks off) during the cold winter season didn’t help. :) I’ve Gamefly’d my way through 3 titles, plus, I bought ODST the next day after my last post.

I had to try out G.I. Joe. I was a fan of the cartoon as a kid and loved the new movie. Unfortunately, the game was designed more for kids. It was fun, but not my usual bag. I do have one thing to say about it: there should be requirements for games if they’re going to start them out at $60. I mean, G.I. Joe should have sold for a LOT less as its opening price. There were no efforts put in to make the characters look humanly realistic. The landscape was expansive, but there were limits to where you could roam. The play control was sluggish as well. All of this I would expect from a game targeted at kids, but not worth $60. Gears of War is well worth the $60 price tag.

I’ve been slowly getting back into our Wii. My GF got it from her parent’s last Christmas mainly for the Wii Fit. Turns out, she’s more hard core about her workout, so the Fit wasn’t enough for her. That just means more Xbox time for me. :D At least, until she found out about Super Mario Wii… So Gamefly shipped me London Rush Hour Taxi. Not a bad game. Getting used to driving with the Wii controller was a bit difficult to start with, but once you get the hang of it, it’s pretty fun. However, my desire for a challenge and difficult puzzles goes beyond a driving game these days. I can’t even get into the Project Gotham and Forza series any longer than one evening. Taxi went back the next day.

Red Faction Guerilla. Here’s another “meh” I ran across. The graphics are well done and the landscape is massive! However, after a couple hours of gameplay and knocking out the first section, I was bored to tears. The monotony of the demolitions and guerilla-type “missions” you undertake gets old, fast. It’s worth a rent if you have some time. However, I wouldn’t recommend buying it until Gamestop drops the price to $20 on the “Previously Owned” list.

OK. Here’s one that’s been going around and around on the net. What is your take on Halo: ODST? To be honest, I love the Halo story. So to me, getting ODST was like buying the next in a series of books. Now, as far as the difficulty, I was quite disappointed. You start out the game as the “Rookie” (isn’t that typical). You’ve been passed out in your drop ship for the last 8 hours and wake up to Mombasa in shambles in the late evening. If you haven’t played yet, I’m not sploitzing here; this is all shown in the promo videos. You’re wandering around the city trying to catch up with your other ODST buddies (i.e., the rest of your 5 man and one bitchy ranking officer woman squad). As the Rook finds the remains from where his other teammates were, you run through their story as them. I found this to be a quite intuitive method for telling the story. But, like I said, the difficulty of the game is not like playing Legendary in Halo 2 or 3. I finished ODST on Hard the first go ‘round fairly easily. Normally, it takes me quite a while to tackle Hard without help. I even managed to rack up a good bit of the achievements along the way. Of course, the ODST's are human. They can’t take the beating that cyborg Master Chief can. You get shot in the head once, you’re dead. The ending is not something I have come to expect from the crew at Bungie. It was quite weak and more like one of those sappy “Hollywood endings.” This is probably why the game has gotten so much flack. My guess is Microsoft (or whichever execs are signing Bungie’s checks) forced them into a quick release for the series. That always equals some sort of bad result. Sadly, I haven’t had the calling to pick ODST back up and try out Firefight mode. I don’t play online that often, and most of my “Friends” are not Halo aficionados. I’ve been mesmerized by Soul Calibur IV lately, for some reason. And I’m not that big into fighting games (although I do own a few).

Oh, I almost forgot. I got Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 for Christmas. I got stuck in one spot, so I quit playing. I’ll probably end up starting over. Quickly, I have likes and dislikes over the first (Marvel Ultimate Alliance), but I’ll tell you more about them later. If you’re a Marvel comic fan like I am, you’ll like it either way.

I had a good rant thought up about how gaming has changed (even with me) since Microsoft introduced the Gamer Achievement system, but I’ll save that for another time since this is already too long. BTW, according to Sakusen, “…2010 is not the start of a new decade…”. “It’s the end of the decade.” Just saying. :)

 

l8rz