Brian The Gameaholic's Blog

Brazil Judge Bans Video Game 'Bully'

2008-04-12T19:13:00.001-04:00

I thought that this article was pretty interesting, seeing that Bully has been out for some time and now they are just banning it. Must have been the scholarship edition that came out not too long ago.

By TALES AZZONI
SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) — "Bully" has taken a beating in Brazil, where a judge suspended sales of the video game on the grounds it is too violent for young children and teenagers, a prosecutor said Thursday.
Judge Flavio Rabello prohibited the game from being imported, distributed, sold or promoted on Web sites or in stores in Latin America's largest nation, said Rio Grande do Sul state prosecutor Alcindo Bastos. Companies have 30 days to comply with the judge's order.
Bastos said the judge found the game was inappropriate for children.
"The aggravating factor is that everything in the game takes place inside a school," Bastos said. "That is not acceptable."
Made by Rockstar Games and mainly distributed in Brazil by JPF Maggazine, the game lets players act out the life of a 15-year-old student and decide how to deal with teachers and cliques at a boarding school.
A local youth support center had requested the ban.
"We have not been notified of the judge's decision," JPF Maggazine's attorney Diogo Dias Teixeira said. "When we are, we will decide if we will appeal."
He said the company advised retailers not to sell the game to anyone under the age of 18.
A spokesman for Rockstar was unaware of the ban and could not immediately comment Thursday.
Rockstar, a unit of New York-based Take-Two Interactive Software Inc., is known for "Manhunt 2," in which players fight violently to escape from a psychiatric institution, and for the popular "Grand Theft Auto" game series, in which players can hijack cars and run down pedestrians.
Bully is rated "T" for teenagers age 13 and older in the U.S., not of "M" for mature players 17 and older. It launched in October 2006 in the U.S. for Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 2 gaming console. In March, it became available for Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 and Nintendo Co.'s Wii, according to the Rockstar Web site for the game.

Drakengard 1 & 2.

2008-04-08T19:41:00.002-04:00

Do you love RPG games? Do you love collecting what seems like limitless amounts of new weapons, each with their own devastating attacks? Throw a dragon in there for good measure and you have the Drakengard series. This game is nothing less than amazing despite low review scores. Produced by Square Enix (Final Fantasy Series) Drakengard delivers hours upon brutal hours of gameplay. Even if you beat the game, there are more endings than one, adding to the overall replay value. This is one game that lets you take out aggression on hundreds of enemies, either Dynasty Warriors style or by riding a dragon. I have played through each of the two games, but even after finding most of the weapons and viewing all of the endings, I still want to play more. If you need a cheap (under $20) game that will last you a long time, pick up either of these copies and thank me in the morning. Later.

Timesplitters 2.

2008-04-04T16:47:00.002-04:00

There isn't much to say about the first Timesplitters: I doubt that anyone has even played it. In 2002, TS 2 came along, earning game of the year. I suggest that anyone who owns a PS2 or Xbox pick up this game if they love an amazing first person shooter with challenges and amazing multiplayer games. I picked it up for around eight dollars at Gamestop and there were more than a few copies of it for each system. I think I played the game about 20 hours since I got it last week and that is after doing homework and taking 18 credits of courses a week. yes, it is that addictive. Go and see for yourself, not like it is going to cost that much if you don't like it, which I highly doubt.

Dynasty Warriors Franchise.

2008-03-31T13:47:00.003-04:00

Back in the day, Dynasty Warriors was the most amazing game you could play to kill an entire weekend either alone or with a friend. Playing as a Chinese warlord and taking down literally hundreds of enemies with brutal attacks was where the fun was at. The graphics may not have been the best thing out on the market, but it was still fun. Skip forward some years and only make minor tweaks to the game. I don't know what they were thinking, but people aren't going to buy essentially the same copy of a game over and over. Maybe if you added some new element like Tekken 5 did (the mini games and such) and maybe people would put down 50 bucks to get the copy. I picked up Dynasty Warriors 4 for 12 dollars just because I read reviews and did some research and found that it was the best out of all the games in my opinion. What do you think about the series as a whole? Do you have a favorite game in the series?

<3 Baragin Bin.

2008-03-26T21:27:00.002-04:00

I know I have told you that I love buying discount games from the mall, but today I really hit the jackpot. I picked up Timesplitters 2 for the PlayStation 2 for around the area of seven bucks, and Soldier of Fortune Gold Edition for 4 dollars. They are both fun games in my opinion, and you really cannot beat the price. Buying something like Halo 3 for 60 dollars is both fun and an investment at the same time, so I try to get older, acclaimed games for a lot less cash. Maybe that is just me or all of you out there just like to spend money like it is going out of style. Later.

Condemned 2: Bloodshot: Buy It.

2008-03-24T19:57:00.003-04:00

Seriously, this game is great if you are into the whole horror genre. The first installment of Condemned is great, and for 17 dollars, you get a lot for your money. The second game (if you played it) changes a few gameplay components, all of which seem to be working just fine. Grabbing enemies and launching them through TV's is satisfying, along with the fun little "fight club" the game has to train you into becoming a better player. i don't play online much, but from what I have heard, it is nothing special. Monolith did a great job with this game; and playing with the volume up and the lights down is scary and fun at the same time. I recommend it if you like scary games that rely more on your brains then gunplay, and if you like having nightmares. Later.

Going home.

2008-03-14T13:52:00.002-04:00

Finally, Spring break is here in all it's glory. I'm sorry but I cannot talk for long since I still haven't packed yet. I'll be back in a week and let you know how Condemned 2: Bloodshot works out. Hopefully I won't be so scared as to sleep with the lights on. later.

Lost Passwords.

2008-03-12T21:22:00.004-04:00

I'm sure everyone who looks at this site was all angry that I haven't been posting for a while. Well, blame that on my poor memory since it forgot the password to my blog. I tried to request another, but the password never got to me. It took me until last night to discover that they were all in my junk box. Oh well. Anyways, I'm still playing Bioshock like a fiend, and Condemned 2: Bloodshot came out today, but I think I'll hold off on that until I give the first Condemned another run through to get back in the scared zone. Check out the other web page I'm writing for: www.thatvideogameblog.com I do a lot there as well. Later.

Snow Day.

2008-02-22T20:38:00.003-05:00

Thank god, I really didn't want 4 classes today. Besides, I got a great chance to get in some quality hours on Bioshock, which is probably my favorite 360 title to date. It has everything, humor, great gun fights, and awesome powers that let me do some crazy things. If you are looking for some cheap, old school games and don't want to pay an arm and a leg on Ebay, check out www.shopgoodwill.com. I have seen some deals on there that are just insane. Old NES and SNES games for under $15.00. They were even selling an Atari 2600 in the box. It is like going to goodwill and finding something great for a really good price. Besides finding these electronic treasures, it is also helping a good cause. Start looking! Later.

P.S. I am now on www.thatvideogameblog.com . Do me a favor and check that out as well.

Getting Phyched Up.

2008-02-20T19:40:00.002-05:00

I finished the Darkness today after much rushing and running. Why rush you ask? I have Bioshock and I don't want that thing getting too dusty before I play it for the rest of eternity. I have this habit of not being able to just put down the game I am currently playing for another. I have no idea why, but I cannot switch tasks when I have already invested time into something else. Sure I missed a few fetch missions, but I can always go back and play the game again. I am going to need to because i have to pay for next and FINAL semester of college (about $3,200) by July. I have researched Bioshock, downloaded all of the extra content on Live, even read the whole booklet. I think that I am ready to finally open the box and witness what everyone has been talking about. Game of the year? I'll just have to wait and find out. Lets all just hope and pray that I dont break my wrist playing the hell out of this game tonight. Later

Auction Time.

2008-02-18T19:49:00.001-05:00

Since I was at home for the better part of the President's Day weekend, I didn't update at all. A couple of weeks ago, one of my friends found an auction site that sells the same things as Ebay, but for a fraction of the price. Shopgoodwill.com is the name of the website, and do they have some deals. Take these listings as an example. Atari 2600 STILL in the box, $14.00. Sega Game Gear, $15.00. NES and SNES games that I could only imagine having are priced under 20 dollars for a set of six or seven. Check it out, you will not be disappointed.

2008-02-11T23:13:00.000-05:00

Valentine's day is coming up, and I thougnt to myself Oh crap, another box of candy...woo-hoo. Luckily, my girlfriend is awesome and took me to Gamestop for my gifts. It was great; I got to pick out whatever I wanted, so I decided on a copy of NHL Hitz '03 for PS2 and The Darkness for 360. I tested out both games last night, which to my delight seem like a good buy so far. I better kick the crap out of them quickly because Bioshock is just waiting for me at home. Sadly, working and class are taking up 60 hours a week WITHOUT homework or RA stuff, so I gotta find some time to play. Later.

Bioshock...Finally

2008-02-06T22:41:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I finally took the plunge and got a great deal on a copy of Bioshock for only 28 bucks. It was used, but only played for two hours. I think that it still qualifies as brand new. Hopefully, I can find some time in my schedule to actually play the thing. I did a stupid thing though and had it sent to my house, which means I have to go home next weekend and get it. Luckily, it is a 4 day weekend, so it isn't that bad. These 16 hour days are killing me, but I can only think of the 18 credits and hundreds of dollars I am making by working three jobs. Gotaa love being busy. Not. Later.

Only Another Month.

2008-02-02T00:42:00.000-05:00

I'm pretty excited that I only have to wait until the end of this month to get my hands on a copy of Condemned 2: Bloodshot. There was so much that was not covered in the first game, like why everyone in the city went insane and why birds just die and rot in the streets and subway. The first game scared the hell out of me, and the producer Monolith said that this installment is going to make me crap my pants. Lovely. Good thing I'm not paying for electricity because I might be sleeping with the lights on. Anyways, a kid in my class who works at Gamestop let me know that some guy dropped off a garbage bag of games, like Paper Boy, Crono Trigger, and Final Fantasy 1 still in the box. So brian might be getting a good deal on Chrono Trigger and a used copy of Bioshock. Sick. Anyways, I think I have to lay down because I haven't slept much this week. Later.

The Last Remnant.

2008-01-28T20:37:00.000-05:00

Hey, I'm back...sorta, and with a preview of the game Last remnant for Ps3 and Xbox 360 coming out this fall (oh why did they have to push it back?) Since I am in the middle of working 6 hours, and on duty, ANNNDDD took 4 classes today, I think that I will concede my awesomeness to Wikipedia for their words on this fantastic game that you should all reserve when that actually comes available.

And Wikipedia says...The Last Remnant will feature a brand new battle system labelled by Hiroshi Takai (director) as a "Turn-burst, command-based system using symbol encounters." There will be no random encounters. It will also contain quick time events, sequences where the player must press a combination of buttons with a correct timing to defeat enemies. This system has appeared in other video games before The Last Remnant, for instance in Shenmue, Kingdom Hearts II and Final Fantasy VIII.
In addition to the main character, the player's team (called a "Union") is composed of a number of soldiers whose skills vary according to different parameters. One parameter is the "morale" bar, which is affected by the events in battle and affects the way characters perform in battle. Battles can involve up to 70 enemies at once and will be at the core of the gameplay. Nobuyuki Ueda has commented on the battle system, claiming that it is "much deeper than the few seconds it received in the movie".Additionally, a high number of quests are expected.

The main protagonist is an 18 year old swordsman named Rush Sykes, who is designed primarily for fans of traditional Japanese role-playing games. He is trying to rescue his sister, Irina who is kidnapped by a mysterious man. The siblings hail from the peaceful Eulam Village, but soon Rush finds himself involved in a global conflict centering around the Remnants. Both characters were designed to appear as part of a "normal" family that is sucked accidentally into an adventure that is far from normal.
Accompanying Rush is a 19 year old David Nassau, the young, authoritative Marquis of Athlum. He aims to gain independence from a nation called Celapaleis. Despite being of royalty, he joins the battlefield alongside Gae Bolg, a devastating cannon-shaped Remnant. He is described as calm and collected and is known to have a deep relationship with a female character with silver hair.
Another character shown in the new trailer is a battle scarred woman with silver hair and blue schemed character designing. Not much information other than knowing David Nassau is known.
Another character is an older man with long silver hair and crimson clothes, known simply as The Conqueror, and is designed to appeal to Western gamers. Many screen shots of him show him with blood splattered all over him which is thought, allegedly, to be the "blood of his victims". The Conqueror is a collector of remnants ; he is also linked to Rush, although the nature of this link is unknown.
An English actor who appeared in James Cameron film Titanic, Emmett James, voices the character Wilfred Hermeien, a politician and chairman of the congress.
Yusuke Naora has stated that many main characters have yet to be revealed, some of whom will be playable. Naora did already reveal that the scar-faced/grey-haired woman, who is named Emma, has a deep relationship with David.

Week From Hell.

2008-01-24T21:26:00.001-05:00

Getting up at 7 in the morning sucks. A lot. Taking 18 credits and working another 18 for the next 15 weeks is even worse to think about. Sadly, with all of that and my computer taking a nose-dive into Spyware territory, I have not been able to sleep let alone play video games. I just don't feel right without them. Kinda going through withdrawals. Let's just pray that I can find some spare time during the weekend to write about something interesting on here. Later.

Rock Band Rules.

2008-01-21T00:56:00.000-05:00

Sorry that I haven't been updating recently, but getting up for RA training at 730 in the morning and no Internet to speak of, it was a little difficult. So my girlfriend and I decided to go down to my friend's room and try out his new game Rock Band. It is amazing to say the least. It has such great artists like weezer, Nine inch Nails, and about 60 others. There is also something for everyone when it comes to playing an instrument. Of course there is guitar and bass, but if you get bored with that, there is drums (which does get some getting used to) or vocals which really show that you cannot be a singer at all. So if you have the $160 or so to shell out for all of this, you better do it. Later.

The Legend Continues.

2008-01-12T23:36:00.000-05:00

I got Gauntlet Legends in the mail today, which was surprising because I was not expecting it to come so fast from Washington state since I ordered three other Nintendo 64 games a week earlier that still have not come in. I popped it in, and for four dollars and change, it was worth every penny to get it off of E-Bay. For the same price, I couldn't even afford the gas to get to the casino, which I doubt still has the console version, or pay the $1,100 to get the actual coin operated game delivered to my house. Mass Effect still has a pretty good effect on me, but after seeing a six minute video review for Bioshock, I wish that I had both of them. Oh well, since school starts for me on the 16th, I doubt I'll have any time to play anything, sadly. RA training is nothing but a pain that cuts into my Xbox/Ps2/N64/Snes/girlfriend time (not always in that order). Oh well, might as well enjoy God of War II when I can. Later.

Moving On.

2008-01-07T23:13:00.000-05:00

After nine and a half hours of gameplay (or something like that) of God of War, I decided to move right onto the next installment. I really could not think of much to improve the first game, even though it was made almost two years ago. Before I began to play God of War II, I decided to brush the dust off of my Xbox 360 and play a little bit of Mass Effect. I was at the point where I was just running around, trying to solve everyone else's problems. Not too much fun. Finally, lots of fighting, killing, and getting new weapons came about. I can't even put the game down for more then a few hours at a time. If you haven't gotten Mass Effect and like games like Star Wars: Knights of The Old Republic, then you should really invest your money in it. later.

I Need This.

2008-01-04T00:59:00.000-05:00

My friend and I were talking about the days when we used to go to the Mohegan Sun casino arcade and spend a ton of cash on some awesome arcade games. There was this one game that involved skateboarding but we couldn't figure out what the hell the name of it was. He told me to find it, and of course, I came through that same night. It was Top Skater, one of the best games for a dollar a play. I found it on this website that is actually a warehouse for these dinosauric beasts. I thought they were going to be expensive, and they really are. Top skater (with the 50 inch screen) is sold for around $2,400, which doesn't include another $300 for shipping. We both agreed, if we were rich, we would have an entire basement full of these things. If someone out there really wants to make my day, they will send some donations and send Top Skater to Sterling. Pronto. Or Gauntlet Legends, even though I just got it on E-Bay for Nintendo 64 for .99 cents. Later.

New Year, New Games.

2008-01-02T21:25:00.000-05:00

If you are anything like me, you took some of that hard-earned Xmas cash and blew it on games. I picked up Pilotwings 64, Turok 2, and Ready to Rumble Boxing for Nintendo 64 for about $20 total with shipping. Not a bad deal. I think tonight I'm going to get into God of War since the double disk God of War II came in today. In the meantime, check out gamestop.com for some great games that are coming out soon, like Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom and MLB '08. Later

Merry Xmas.

2007-12-26T21:31:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I had one of those. Why? Because I got Mass Effect for Xbox 360 and then took all those Wal Mart cards I got and bought God of War II. Maybe I should start playing the first one since I wrecked Tiger Woods PGA '08 in less than a month of playing. Let me know what you got, because I'm going back to play right now. Later.

The Duke Is Coming To Town.

2007-12-19T23:12:00.001-05:00

Yeah, you heard me. Duke Nukem, one of my personal heroes, is fianlly coming back in the form of PC. Read this review I found on IGN, it's worth it for any die-hard fans of the series. Later.

June 1, 2001 - Gamers everywhere know the name Duke Nukem. The alien-killing, girl-getting, cigar-smoking bad-ass is perhaps the most recognizable digital hero in the business. He has starred in his own series of video games across the PC and home platforms. Duke Nukem Forever is the latest in the long-running first-person shooter series and will arrive, according to series developer 3D Realms, "when it's done." For PC owners, it's looking more and more likely to ship in mid- to late 2002.
So what can players expect of Duke's next big offering? More of just about everything, to be sure. It's bigger, badder and, according to 3D Realms, all-around better than any other Nukem offering before. That's certainly a bold claim, as many of the Duke titles have impressed. The 1996 first-person shooter improved upon id Software's Doom with larger, interactive environments, truly unique weapons and gadgets and a careful balance of B-movie humor. If everything goes as planned, DNF will bring it all to the next level.
FeaturesWhile concrete details about the PC version of Duke Nukem Forever are still somewhat scarce, we've been able to put together the following facts.
A 3D first-person shooter starring everyone's favorite bad-ass Duke Nukem
Duke travels to the city of Las Vegas, Nevada, and surrounding areas to kick some alien ass
The hero must save the City of Sin from an evil cyborg determined to turn regular citizens into flesh-eating zombies
Nukem can use an arsenal of weapons including a rocket launcher, a shotgun, a pistol, an automatic, a sniper rifle and his own feet
Players can travel through large 3D environments with various vehicles including a motorcycle, a "Hummer," a jet ski, a donkey, a mine cart, and a jet fighter of some sort, among others
The game features extremely interactive environments allowing Duke to eat foods from vending machines, shoot holes through walls and glass, break through barriers and generally blow stuff up
An advanced 3D engine allows for real-time lighting effects, a spectacular particle system, facial animations and lip-synched speech, and more
Plus, and perhaps most importantly to the Nukem faithful -- a whole lot of blood, guts, cussing, one-liners and yes, even strippers
The StoryThe setting is Area 51 -- the mysterious military base located on the outskirts of Nevada. Duke's old nemesis Dr. Proton, a muscle-bound cyborg who stands almost eight-feet tall, has nuked parts of Las Vegas, gained control of Area 51 and stolen an alien spacecraft. The evil foe uses the extraterrestrial ship to contact aliens from around the universe and align them in his new army. He has also killed and reanimated various soldiers guarding the top-secret base to make them do his bidding. It's up to Duke Nukem to swing into action, take back Las Vegas, dispose of the evil aliens and zombie military guards, save the women and ultimately restore order to Nevada.
GameplayThe Duke series has never been about storyline so much as it has raw action and funny one-liners, so it's no surprise that it's here Duke Nukem Forever looks to excel. Players control Nukem as he travels through the underworld of Las Vegas killing alien pig-military -- the only characters to return from the older shooter -- as well as zombies, and other still-unknown otherworldly baddies. Duke is out only for himself -- and the women, which of course has always been a trademark of the franchise, and what makes it so special.
The real difference between Duke Nukem Forever and its granddaddy is the sheer scale of the first-person shooter. A look at the footage of the game in action shows a fully realized Las Vegas, Nevada, complete with stretching skyscrapers, flashing lights, signage, cars, and life -- all as far as the eye can see. Duke can, as in other games, explore the city as he desires, going in and out of buildings, through the streets, into the desert, inside Area 51, and more. Already it looks incomparably huge, and as 3D Realms has often been quick to point out, it's not even finished. Other areas featured include, of course, Area 51, as well as the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, the Vegas strip and parts of Arizona.
Aiding Duke in his adventures are several vehicles that the hero can now pilot. Duke'll drive a Harley Davidson through the streets of Vegas, roll through the city in the back of gang-car, soar through the skies in a jet fighter, or hobble slowly into the desert on a donkey. Each "vehicle" -- be it animal or jet ski, reacts in a complete different, realistic manner, and allows Nukem access to areas of the game otherwise inaccessible, or too time-consuming to access in another fashion.
While the first thing players are likely to notice is the grand scale of the worlds in DNF, 3D Realms has stated repeatedly that is trying to create a living, breathing environment that is fully interactive for the game. To that effect Duke can blow holes into walls, shatter out windows, blow up building areas, destroy doors and video cameras, obliterate internal objects and more. Furthermore, in keeping with the realism of exploring such gargantuan environments, Duke can also play pinball machines he encounters, buy food from vending machines, and fool around with other contraptions.
Of course, in any Duke game weaponry is integral and DNF is no different. In this all-new adventure Duke can take out foes with a truckload of new weapons including, but not limited to a pistol, automatic, sniper-rifle, rocket launcher, shotgun, laser-gun and his foot -- he can stomp on smaller enemies and splatter their guts onto the floor. Developer 3D Realms is keeping much of the arsenal in the title secret still, but players can look forward to a whole cast of new weapons and such gadgets as a jet-pack and laser trip-wire too.
Graphics and TechnologyDuke Nukem Forever runs on a modified version of the Unreal engine, which any first-person shooter fanatic will swear by. This has allowed 3D Realms much more freedom to realize truly realistic looking 3D environments on a grand scale. The engine effortlessly spits out polygons to draw city blocks that seemingly stretch forever with no loss in texture detail. Characters come to life with picturesque facial animations that are synched perfectly with speech, hair that swings as they bob their heads, eyes that follow gazes, and more. The particle effects system, meanwhile, boasts impressive explosion effects with shimmering fire, shattered glass, and blood spilt in every direction -- just like Duke fans want it. Add in real-time lighting effects, interactive environments, and a variation in locales unequaled in any other first-person shooter and you begin to see and understand why Duke Nukem Forever has been one of the most hotly anticipated titles over the last couple of years.
OutlookDuke Nukem Forever has been in development forever. But when 3D Realms finally delivers the product unto PC owners, the wait will most likely have been worth it. The title brings the tight play mechanics and super-cool theme and style of the Nukem series into the next-generation of 3D first-person shooters. In addition to shooting everything in sight dead, Duke can fly jets, float jet skis, control cars, ride donkeys, shoot out environments, interact with realistic sidekicks and enemies, and all with a visual finesse that's sure to inspire drool upon FPS fans.
The game will almost certainly hit PC mid-to-late next year. You can look for more information as we get closer to the release date.
-- Matt Cassamassina
E3 2001 UpdateMay 18, 2001
The newest game in Duke Nukem franchise, Duke Nukem: Forever seems like it has been in development for eons. We've waited forever like a starving Survivor contestant being lured with a crumb of food for a look at how the game actually played. We expected this E3 would finally be the time it would happen.
We were wrong.
3D Realms, who continues to say the game will be out "when it's done," only released a new video of the game at the show. But even that impressed us enough to leave us wanting more -- and hoping it will come soon.
The video starts out by showing us that this is the 10th anniversary of Duke; the first game in the series, Duke Nukem came out in 1991. It then goes on to show the 1996 hit Duke Nukem 3D, which got us all hooked on the franchise.
Finally, it fades to a prominent 2001 and then to a breathtaking cityscape of Las Vegas, from the air. As the camera pans around the city, showing casino after casino, we're finally treated to a little bit of Duke-ness.
We see Duke sporting bazookas and sniper rifles, riding on motorcycles, Jet-skis, trucks and helicopters.
We also see gorgeous explosions and freaky monsters -- octobrains from Duke Nukem 3D are back, but in fully rendered glory, but there's also new aliens that look mean and nasty, including a terminator-like creature. We also see hot chicks talking to Duke. What would a Duke game be without hotties, after all?
Planes whiz by casinos in Las Vegas, unleashing missles on the buildings and creating massive explosions.
In addition, the same level of interactivity as we saw in Duke Nukem 3D looks to be included in the new game. We see Duke pushing keypads to open doors, buying snacks from vending machines, and playing pinball.
Of course, the story sound awesome, too: At one point in the trailer, a general says, "It appears they have the President." We can only assume it will be Duke's job to get him back safely.
Near the end of the trailer, a character asks, "What are you gonna do? Save the world by yourself?"
Why yes. Yes, we are.
-- Mike Morrissey

Turok.

2007-12-12T21:51:00.000-05:00

NTHGTHCRTDTRK- That was the code that I memorized back when Turok came out for the Nintendo 64. All these years later, I still remember the damn thing. Coming in February is another Turok, but sadly it is not going to lack a plot or just running around shooting things. This game will hopefully be different. I watched a few videos on IGN.com, and I had to say the game looked great. Grabbing a baby dinosaur and slitting its throat with a giant knife kind of took me by surprise; I didn't imagine how graphic this game was going to be, but I do enjoy it. This Spring, I know two games that I am going to be picking up; this one (upon good reviews) and Condemned: Bloodshot. I know Condemned is going to be great already, but Turok is on the fence right now for me because there is not much information to go on. Later.

Insane.

2007-12-10T01:19:00.000-05:00

Let me start off with thanking God that I got all of my Christmas shopping done last Thursday. One thing less that I don't have to do. Anyways, when I was at the mall, I had to check out Gamestop. I was looking around, not for anything in particular, when I came across two games that were priced at very good levels. They were The Darkness for $26 and Condemned: Criminal Origins for only $17. I knew the Darkness was good, so I called a friend of mine to get me the rating for both of the games on IGN.com. They usually have some fair reviews on there so I knew that I could trust them. Darkness got a 7.8 and Condemned received an 8.7. I went with the obvious choice here...condemned. Anyways, I know a few kids with the Darkness so I know I could still check it out. All the cashier told me was, "This is probably the scariest game I have ever played." So I thought that was awesome and went home. I didn't play it until today because I knew I would need a good 3 hour commitment, but it was worth the wait. The game kind of feels like F.E.A.R. crossed with survivor in an urban setting. A guy framed you for murder, you need to go find him. Homeless people and crackheads all amped up on something come out and try to kill you and you can only defend yourself with a few things. Guns only have one clip, and I found myself using pipes, fire axes, and rebar to fend off these freaks. You don't fight many people, but the environment makes you feel like you can never rest because there might be another encounter soon. When all you have is a flashlight and hear things in front of you getting smashed along with some lovely grunting, it makes the game a great play. It's not that long, like ten levels, but for the plot alone, i would have payed $20 more. Sega made the game and it came out in 2005, but if you need a cheap game for the holidays, consider this one. Besides, what other game awards you for finding dead birds and metal plates? There you go. later.

P.S. I think I erased my Bully save, so I might be playing that this winter along with Tiger Woods '08.