For the last couple of days I have been pretty torn on what I should do. No, this is not some major life decision, but I still have not been able to decide. This week I received Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition as a gift. I have been waiting for this edition to come out for months and have wanted to play Fallout 3 since well before I had a 360. The problem is that now that I have it I feel that I should finish Oblivion first. For some reason I feel like I should finish one massive game before really getting into another. So, I started to wonder if I am the only one that feels this way.
Ok, back to Oblivion:
level: 12 Oblivion gates shut: 3 Places Found: 45 Quests Completed: 59 Knights of the White Stallion: Knight-Errant Arena: Bloodletter Thieves Guild: Shadowfoot Mages Guild: Magician Fighters Guild: Apprentice Blades: Knight Sister Dark Brotherhood: Eliminator Order of the Virtuous Blood: Sister Court of Madness: Tourist Current quest: Blood of the Divines/Allies for Bruma
Yeah I know, that part was a boring read, but here is the gist of it. I am getting towards the end of the main quest line and some of the faction quest lines, but I still have a long ways to go in other factions. I also have not even begun Shivering Isle. I probably could finish the main quest line sooner than later, but it would probably be better if I did more faction quests in order to level up. It seems to me that this is all going to take a lot longer than a couple of days (26 of 60 achievements unlocked). Especially since Allies for Bruma, while being an optional quest, takes a lot of time.
Boo! I LOVE watching shows like Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures and I think it is very interesting to have a video games version of that type of television show. Ghostwire: Linked to the Paranormal is the first game to be released exclusively for the DSi and not the DS. There is finally a reason to use the camera in a game. I am not sure if this game is going to be as fun and scary as watching some of my favorite shows, but it is exciting to see that DSi exclusive games are coming and how its features can be used. Ghostwire: Linked to the Paranormal is expected be released late 2010.
Ok. So the University of Michigan football team might not be living up to its own historic standards, but that doesn't meant that Ann Arbor doesn't still squeeze over 106,000 spectators into the Big House on Football Saturdays. I know that not everyone is a Michigan fan and so does Microsoft. They have recently introduced the University Collection in the avatar marketplace.
I have mentioned several times I want a DSi, but I am still concerned about buying one only to have the price drop a month later. Now there is a rumor that the DSi will be getting a screen size update, but only in Japan. I should point out that Nintendo has called the rumor speculative. On the other hand, the original source of this rumor has a history of getting the story right. I really have a hard time making the decision to buy a DSi when it seems that there is a lot of speculation that if true could make me really regret my purchase. If this rumor is true and it is released in Japan it would probably only be a matter of time for the luck to spread to other countries. I know Nintendo is doing well, but is anyone else worried about giving them a lot of money just for something else to come out within six months?
*EDIT*
Ok. So, I wrote this last night before going to bed and what did I wake up to? This:
(Credit: Nintendo Japan)
Nintendo has taken the wraps off a new version of the DSi handheld that sports larger 4.25-inch dual screens. The portable gaming unit will be considerably bigger than current and previous DS and DSi models. It will be dubbed the DSi LL in Japan where it goes on sale on November 21 for 20,000 yen (about $220). In Europe, the unit will be known as the DSi XL when it appears on store shelves in the first quarter of 2010. Nintendo did not provide details on a possible North American launch.
The DSi LL's larger screens require a much larger housing than the original DSi
(Credit: Nintendo Japan)
Tor Thorsen has additional details on the DSi LL/XL at GameSpot. But, with the possible exception of some bundled DSi Ware titles, this is exactly what it looks like: a supersized version of the DSi. We're still scratching our head as to who would actually want one of these, since we've always felt the pocketable aspect of the DS/DSi was one of its great advantages. On the other hand, many of us never expected Nintendo titles like Wii Fit to achieve megahit status, either.
What about you: would you be interested in b
As lame is this probably sounds, I really liked Excitebike for NES when I was a kid. I don't really remember it being overly difficult, but I did really enjoy being able to make my own courses. If you also enjoyed playing this game oh so long ago then you might be happy to hear that on Nov. 9 Nintendo will be releasing a WiiWare version called Excitebike World Rally. If you don't want to wait until Nov. 9 or want to reminisce about the original Excitebike then it is available for 500 Wii points on the virtual console.
Personally, I really think that at least some achievements should be "leaked" before a game is released. I love achievements and I almost always check a game's achievements before buying the game. There is one game I probably would not have bothered buying if I had read the achievements before hand. I honestly do not think that, generally speaking, letting people have a sense of some of the achievements would turn them off to the game. I do think that it would help generate some excitement about the game. Not because achievements make or break a game, but because, at least in this case, I think that any news is good news. So many games are coming out this holiday season that I would think that anything that helps set you apart from the other games and makes players more interested is a good thing. Besides, achievements are available online so quickly that most people can see them before they make it to the store. Why wait?
* Master Assassin - Unlock All Trophies (Platinum)
* The Birth of an Assassin - Be reborn as Ezio Auditore Da Firenze. (Bronze, 20G)
* Arrivederci Abstergo - Break out of Abstergo. (Bronze, 20G)
* Welcome to the Animus 2.0 - Enter the Animus 2.0. (Silver, 20G)
* The Pain of Betrayal - Complete DNA Sequence 1. (Silver, 30G)
* Vengeance - Complete DNA Sequence 2. (Silver, 30G)
* Exit the Son - Complete DNA Sequence 3. (Silver, 30G)
* Bloody Sunday - Complete DNA Sequence 4. (Silver, 30G)
* Undertaker - Discover the Assassin's Tomb inside the catacombs under Santa Maria Novella. (Silver, 20G)
* The Conspirators - Complete DNA Sequence 5. (Silver, 30G)
* An Unexpected Journey - Complete DNA Sequence 6. (Silver, 30G)
* Bleeding Effect - Complete training and reenter the Animus. (Silver, 30G)
* The Merchant of Venice - Complete DNA Sequence 7. (Silver, 30G)
* The Impenetrable Palazzo - Complete DNA Sequence 8. (Silver, 30G)
* Masquerade - Complete DNA Sequence 9. (Silver, 30G)
* Bianca's Man - Complete DNA Sequence 10. (Silver, 30G)
* The Prophet - Complete DNA Sequence 11. (Silver, 30G)
* The Vault - Complete DNA Sequence 14. (Silver, 30G)
* An Old Friend Returns - Escape the hideout. (Gold, 100G)
* Myth Maker - Find the 8 statuettes in Monteriggioni. (Bronze, 5G)
* Vitruvian Man - Unlock all 20 pieces of Subject 16's video. (Bronze, 20G)
* Street Cleaner - Hide 5 dead bodies in a Bale of Hay. (Bronze, 10G)
* Fly Swatter - Kick a Guard while using the Flying Machine. (Bronze, 5G)
* Messer Sandman - Stun 4 guards at once by throwing sand in their face. (Bronze, 10G)
* Doctor - Perform an Air Assassination on a Poisoned NPC. (Bronze, 20G)
* No-hitter - Kill 10 enemies while remaining in conflict without being hit. (Bronze, 20G)
* Kleptomaniac - Pickpocket 1000 Florins. (Bronze, 10G)
* Lightning Strike - Sprint for 100 meters. (Bronze, 10G)
* Sweeper - Sweep 5 guards at once by using a Long Weapon. (Bronze, 10G)
* Venetian Gladiator - Discover the Assassin's Tomb inside Santa Maria della Visitazione. (Bronze, 20G)
* I can see your house from here! - Discover the Assassin's Tomb inside the Torre Grossa. (Bronze, 20G)
* Hallowed be thy name - Discover the Assassin's Tomb inside the Basilica di San Marco. (Bronze, 20G)
* Prison Escape - Discover the Assassin's Tomb inside the Rocca di Ravaldino fortress. (Bronze, 20G)
* Choir Boy - Discover the Assassin's Tomb inside Santa Maria del Fiore (The Duomo). (Bronze, 20G)
* Assassin For Hire - Complete your first assassination mission for Lorenzo Il Magnifico. (Bronze, 10G)
* Macho Man - Defend a woman's honor. (Bronze, 10G)
* Steal Home - Win a race against thieves! (Bronze, 10G)
* Show your Colors - Wear the Auditore cape in each city. (Bronze, 10G)
* Handy Man - Upgrade a building in the Stronghold. (Bronze, 10G)
* I like the view - Synchronize 10 View Points. (Bronze, 10G)
* High Dive - Perform a Leap of Faith from the Top of Florence's Giotto's Campanile. (Bronze, 10G)
* Mailman - Intercept a Borgia Courrier. (Bronze, 10G)
* Tip of the Iceberg - Use your Eagle Vision to scan a Glyph in the environment. (Bronze, 10G)
* A Piece of the Puzzle - Unlock a piece of Subject 16's video. (Bronze, 10G)
* Art Connoisseur - Buy a Painting from Florence and Venice. (Bronze, 10G)
* Podestà of Monteriggioni - Reach 80% of your stronghold's total value. (Bronze, 30G)
* Perfect Harmony - Tint your clothes with those colors: Wetland Ebony and Wetland Ivory. (Bronze, 10G)
* In Memory of Petruccio - Collect all the Feathers. (Bronze, 30G)
* Red Light Addict - Spend 5000 florins on Courtesans. (Bronze, 10G)
* Man of the People - Toss more than 300 florins on the ground. (Bronze, 10G)
* Victory lies in preparation - Get all Hidden Blades, Item Pouches and Armor upgrades for Ezio. (Bronze, 10G)
If you own a PS3 and a subscription to Netflix you will be happy to know that soon you will enjoy the same streaming experience that 360 owners have had the last many months. When I heard that Netflix was coming to 360 I have to admit that I was very excited. I currently pay to rent 3 movies at a time and unlimited access to streaming movies. I really hated streaming things on my laptop and so being able to watch these movies on my television through my gaming console seemed like it would make a huge difference in my movie viewing life.
The truth is that it really didn't. I am not saying that this isn't big news, but I don't think it is as big as some people are making it out to be. In order to get access to the streaming movies you have to have a subscription through Netflix. That means that you can already have access to all the movies available online and more. Again, this is just me, but I was hoping to not really have to worry about getting movies in the mail and that just wasn't the case. Most of the things that I actually wanted to watch were not available online. There were movies available that I ended up putting in my queue, but was more just because I could rather than things I actually wanted to watch. Of course, I am sure that in the future Netflix streaming movies will be up to par with the mailed DVDs. The good news is that if you already have Netflix then this new PS3 feature will not cost you a dime. Is Netflix a great service? Yes. Is it nice to be able to stream movies? Yes, but in my experience this was hardly life changing.
Earlier in the week I displayed my annoyance about how third party memory cards will no longer be usable after the update. Well, I have some good news. It turns out that the storage devices will not become totally useless. The problem with the third party devices is that Microsoft is concerned with people's ability to cheat when storing their profiles and other game data on these devices. What does this mean for you if you have a third party device? It means that you will still be able to store things like pictures and music, but you will no longer be able to access profile or game data. I still hope that Microsoft will consider making their units comparable in price in the future, but if they do not at least we still have another option to store all the "extras".
Oh! I should probably mention that I really reallyreally hate when people cheat and this is a prime example of how people that cheat can really screw the rest of us over. I am glad that Microsoft takes cheating more seriously than say Nintendo, but it would be really nice if unicorns walked the earth, no body went hungry, and assholes who are too weak to man-up and play the game would stop cheating.
We all know that the new 360 update will feature Twitter and Facebook, but what you might not know is that it is possible that you might be getting screwed over as well. Well, you and anyone else that uses third party memory cards like this instead of Microsoft ones such as this. Obviously the companies that sell the third party memory cards are very upset and you should be too!
Lets say you realize that you need a new memory card and head over to Amazon.com. This is what you will find:
Xbox 360 Max Memory Card 2GB by Datel = $39.99
Xbox 360 Memory Unit 512MB by Microsoft Software = $39.99$24.99
Hm. The actual list price is the same but there is a huge difference between 2GB and 512MB. Once this update goes live users of third party cards will get a warning saying that they most transfer everything from the memory card to the internal or risk no longer being able to access the data on the card.
So, what happens once Microsoft has the monopoly on their already overpriced product? They only time a monopoly is good, imo, is when I am the one that has a hotel on Boardwalk.
I have mentioned before that while I do not own a PS3, God of War III is a major contributor in my desire for one. Back in September Sony announced that they would be releasing the God of War Collection (PS3 exclusive of course) where players can experience God of War and God of War II in 720p HD. Check out the new trailer!
I am still really excited for New Super Mario Brothers Wii! There are a lot of games that some people think are more fun when played with others, but I tend to not be a fan. This is mainly because playing with friends usually means offline for me and I cannot stand split screen. It drives me nuts. Maybe if I were playing on a 60" television...actually...nope, tried Mario Kart on a 60" and it still drove me crazy. So, I am very much looking forward to New Super Mario Brothers Wii because of its co-op play. No split screen and it looks like a lot of fun!
I am sure all of you Xbox 360ers out there remember the last preview. If you were totally jealous that I got to be in on the preview over the summer then here is your chance to get in on the next update preview.
Microsoft has announced that they have opened up the sign-up for the beta. Depending on what you are into, this update may or may not be up your ally. I have been addicted to both twitter and facebook for longer than I care to admit, but I am not sure them being available on 360 is going to change my life. (Well, unless I can play Farmville on my 360. Yes, I am still playing that crap.) I am sure that there are numerous possibilities on how these two could be useful or fun on the 360, but I think they will have to offer something more than the websites or iPhone apps already give us.
I should also mention that Zune will also be available on the 360 after the update as well. A Zune Pass gives user unlimited music and video streaming and 10 song downloads per month. Microsoft Points can be bought through Zune and can also be used to purchase music and videos. I don't usually play music on my 360, but this could be nice in the future if linked to any of the music genre games. Until then, I have no problem continuing to use Netflix to watch movies and television shows instead of paying for a second monthly subscription.
I think this next update will be a "nice to have" update. Nothing that I think most people really feel is needed (or even wanted for some), but merely just a few extra bullet points on the comparison charts. If you do want to try to get in on the beta then make sure you fill out the survey here: xbox.com/xboxliveupdate
Hope you picked up a few extra shifts last week because you will need the large paycheck this week! Here are some of the games coming out this week:
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Exclusive to the PS3, Among Thieves is the sequel to 2007's Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. In this action-adventure/shooter players take on the role of fortune hunter Nathan Drake. Among Thieves offers online multiplayer, competitive and co-op, however offline multiplayer is not available.
Available for PS3 and Xbox 360, Brutal Legend is an action-adventure game that stars Jack Black as roadie Eddie Riggs. In the amazing heavy metal themed open-world game, combat is fun for hardcore and casual gamers alike. Not into heavy metal? Me either, but this game still rocks (pun semi-intended). The game features cameos from some of the gods of heavy metal, but length of the soundtrack list puts some music games to shame!
* "A Serpentine Crave" - Bishop of Hexen
* "Ad Notics" - Rotting Christ
* "Am I Evil?" - Diamond Head
* "Angel Witch" - Angel Witch
* "Angels Don't Kill" - Children of Bodom
* "Assault Attack" - Michael Schenker Group
* "Back at the Funny Farm" - Motörhead
* "Battle Angels" - Sanctuary
* "Battle Hymn" - Judas Priest
* "Believer" - Ozzy Osbourne
* "Betrayal" - Lita Ford
* "Birth of the Hero" - Tvangeste
* "Blackout" - Scorpions
* "Blitzkrieg" - Deathstars
* "Bomber" - Girlschool
* "Breadfan" - Budgie
* "Cathode Ray Sunshine" - Dark Tranquillity
* "Children of the Grave" - Black Sabbath
* "Crack the Skye" - Mastodon
* "Cremation" - King Diamond
* "Cry of the Banshee" - Brocas Helm
* "Dawn of Battle" - Manowar
* "Deadly Sinners" - 3 Inches of Blood
* "Destroy the Orcs" - 3 Inches of Blood
* "Diary of a Madman" - Ozzy Osbourne
* "Die For Metal" - Manowar
* "Dr. Feelgood" - Mötley Crüe
* "Drink the Blood of the Priest" - Brocas Helm
* "Fast as a Shark" - Accept
* "For the Glory Of" - Testament
* "Free Your Hate" - KMFDM
* "Frost" - Enslaved
* "Girlfriend" - Kabbage Boy
* "God of Thunder" - Kiss
* "Goliaths Disarm Their Davids" - In Flames
* "Hall of the Mountain King" - Savatage
* "Her Ghost in the Fog" - Cradle of Filth
* "High Speed Dirt" - Megadeth
* "Holiday" - Scorpions
* "Ignisis Dance" - Wrath of Killenstein
* "In the Black" - Motörhead
* "Insomnia" - Dark Fortress
* "Kickstart My Heart" - Mötley Crüe
* "Lay It Down" - Ratt
* "Leather Rebel" - Judas Priest
* "Live Wire" - Mötley Crüe
* "Loke" - Enslaved
* "Love Dump" - Static-X
* "Machine Gunn Eddie" - Nitro
* "March of the Crabs" - Anvil
* "Marching Off to War" - Motörhead
* "Master Exploder" - Tenacious D
* "Murmaider" - Dethklok
* "Metal Church" - Metal Church
* "Metal Storm/Face the Slayer" - Slayer
* "Metal Thrashing Mad" - Anthrax
* "More Than Meets the Eye" - Testament
* "Mr. Crowley" - Ozzy Osbourne
* "Mr. Scary" - Dokken
* "Narita" - Riot
* "Never Say Die" - Black Sabbath
* "Nightstalker" - Cloven Hoof
* "No Love Lost" - Carcass
* "Oblivion Instrumental" - Mastodon
* "One Shot at Glory" - Judas Priest
* "Overnight Sensation" - FireHouse
* "Painkiller" - Judas Priest
* "Progenies of the Great Apocalypse" - Dimmu Borgir
* "Pure Evil" - Iced Earth
* "Queen of Desire" - Ostrogoth
* "Queen of the Masquerade" - Crimson Glory
* "Riding the Storm" - Running Wild
* "Rip the System" - KMFDM
* "Road Racin" - Riot
* "Rock Bottom" - UFO
* "Rock of Ages" - Def Leppard
* "Skeleton on your Shoulder" - Coroner
* "Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck" - Prong
* "So Frail" - Mirrorthrone
* "Soul Thrashing Black Sorcery" - Skeletonwitch
* "Stigmata" - Ministry
* "Still of the Night" - Whitesnake
* "Sulphur Injection" - Apostasy
* "Superbeast" - Rob Zombie
* "Swords and Tequila" - Riot
* "Symptom of the Universe" - Black Sabbath
* "Tag Team" - Anvil
* "Technical Difficulties" - Racer X
* "The Axeman" - Omen
* "The Beautiful People" - Marilyn Manson
* "The Hellion/Electric Eye" - Judas Priest
* "The Metal" - Tenacious D
* "The Somber Grounds of Truth" - Bishop of Hexen
* "The Wild and the Young" - Quiet Riot
* "Thieves" - Ministry
* "Through the Fire and Flames" - DragonForce
* "Thus Spake the Nightspirit" - Emperor
* "Tornado of Souls" - Megadeth
* "Warriors Dawn" - Slough Feg
* "(We Are) the Road Crew" - Motörhead
* "Welcome Home" - King Diamond
* "Wheels of Steel" - Saxon
* "When the Night Falls" - Iced Earth
* "Witches" - Candlemass
* "World of Hurt" - Overkill
* "Y.R.O." - Racer X
* "Youth Gone Wild" - Skid Row
* "Zoom Club" - Budgie
Brutal Legend (360) Brutal Legend (PS3)
Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition
If you are as lame as I am and have not played Fallout 3 yet, here is your chance. Remember the Cold War? Fallout 3 is a futuristic example of what could have happened. The Game of the Year Edition offers the original Fallout 3 game as well as all 5 of the DLCs!
Time to use that Wii Balance Board for something other than Wii Fit. Incorporating the balance board, the game features both real Olympic sports as well as other winter oriented activities. There is also in-game customization that includes the use of Miis and an in-game store.
JU-ON: The Grudge is a haunted house simulator based on the Japanese movie "Ju-On." The American movie "The Grudge" was based on the Japanese version. This hunted house simulator is said to be the first of its kind. Using the Wii mote as a flashlight the game focuses on instant scares over depth and story (but isn't that true of most scary movies as well?).
Surprise...surprise...Jim Sterling has written another article about Bayonetta. "How Bayonetta is blatantly hotter than your girlfriend" is one in a long line of articles where Jim has made me wonder what exactly he is over compensating for. Make sure you check out his article from the above link. Here is my response:
She technically walks around naked ALL THE TIME:
I spend most of my day naked and I don't cover it by hair.
Having a suit made of hair is actually hot and not disgusting:
Did you know that more bacteria grows on hair than the inside lock on a bathroom stall door? That is why body hair is called a scent trap.
She kills angels:
As you said, angels don't exist...neither does Bayonetta
Supermodel proportions:
Wait a minute. Did you read what you wrote? "...she is also based upon the hottest examples of physical perfection in the world." Then you followed it with, "...but actually they're not attractive at all." So, does she look like a supermodel or not? Are supermodels hot or not?
She will gyrate her hips on command, for free:
You have to pay women? Sucks to be you. By the way, even Hitler had a girlfriend that he didn't have to pay.
Bayonetta has guns strapped to her feet:
Sorry, I don't do the foot fetish thing. Putting something near someone's feet does not automatically make it sexy.
She can summon BDSM devices at will:
Not sure that a guillotine is the same as nipple clamps. Besides, the guillotine was invented as a more humane way of execution. It's purpose was not to humiliate, but to kill people quickly instead of using multiple strikes with an axe or sword.
She doesn't look like Sarah Palin:
The shear fact that you had to bring this up is a pretty good sign that there is a strong resemblance.
You can press her buttons anytime:
"Bayonetta is obviously a woman who will respond to any and all imput..." Hey, don't blame women for your inability to satisfy. It really isn't that complicated.
Just fucking look at her!:
Yes, that is EXACTLY the problem. That is all you can actually do. The real thing is so much better.
I am really starting to wonder if I am going to like Bayonetta. I was really excited about this game but, thanks to Jim, I am starting to think that Bayonetta might just be more slutty than sexy. Maybe being a female has clouded my perception, but I think that constantly being told how hot someone is just isn't sexy. I guess that means that my pre-first impression is that the over sexualized nature of this game is going to annoy me, but I hope that Bayonetta proves me wrong.
Dawn of Discovery is a sequel in a series of games. While I had played the next most recent 1701 AD, I had played it on PC and thought that this series would be a good buy for the Wii. The fact that the game is also $15-$20 cheaper on the Wii sure did not hurt my decision.
Dawn of Discovery is a city building game that I would say is somewhere between SimCity and Civilization. In order to build your settlement you must find an island. Of course, there are several things to consider when choosing the island. Size is obviously important if you want to build the settlement to one of the larger classes. As your settlement grows more buildings and bonuses become available. So, choosing an island with room to grow is fairly important.
The second, and perhaps the most important thing to consider is the resources that are available on the island. Not every island can produce everything a settlement needs to grow. When choosing an island in the beginning it is wise to find one that will give the most basic of needs. As the settlement grows it is possible to find other islands to settle in order to expand the empire.
There are two gameplay modes available when you play Dawn of Discovery, Story Mode and Continuous Play. Story Mode is pretty much a very very long tutorial. There are seven chapters to play through with each teaching different aspects of the game. If you have played any of the games in the series then it would probably not hurt you to much if you went straight to continuous play. The game is rated 10+ and so the storyline is right up there with watching The Care Bears. In the Story Mode players take the role of William, the handsome and peace loving prince. William of course has a jealous brother who feels that war is the only way to succeed and *spoiler alert* it is no surprise that in the last chapter peace loving Prince William must eventually go to war and capture his evil brother. Oh, did I mention that Prince William gets to marry the beautiful and exotic princess in the end? *yawn*
While the game is fairly simple to play, a lack of planning can make it more difficult. Any mistakes are fairly easy to correct, but with good strategy players might be able to avoid most mistakes altogether. Some of the areas that I had trouble were mainly in maintaining enough goods to keep my citizens happy at the social class that they were in at any given time. As the population increases it puts a strain on resources. The reason this is a problem is because there is no easy way to gauge supply and demand. If the population's needs become greater than the supply a warning message is given, but if you do not have the resources to increase production the population quickly reverts to lower class levels taking their high tax dollars with them. A lack of income makes it even more difficult to increase production if the population needs several things at the same time.
Another problem I had with this game is that there is a serious lack of any real information. At times players are offered to pick a new technology that will give some sort of bonus. Sounds good, right? I am sure it is if there was any indication what these technologies actually do. Even when in the construction menu there is no information about these special buildings. Some are obvious such as houses and churches, but I still have no idea what a tea house actually does. I actually never even figured out how to save my game! There are points in Story Mode where it suggests that the game be saved, but that is about as close as it got for me. I honestly hope this is not a problem in Continuous Mode.
I know there seems to be a lot of negatives about this game, but I actually did enjoy playing it. The negatives that I have stated do make the game fairly frustrating at times and would probably make the game downright infuriating if the game had been any more complex. The good news is that the game is pretty simple and that might have just been its saving grace. The game is simple enough to understand and problems are simple enough to fix that even though the faults in the game could be major, they end up not effecting gameplay all that much.
I think that in the future I might give the PC version a try. I have a feeling that it will be much more in depth, which if the problems with the Wii version are not fixed could be a major waste of $50!
Dawn of Discovery (Wii) Dawn of Discovery (DS) Dawn of Discovery (PC)
I think it might be fair to say that I have been looking down on the Nintendo DS and DSi for a long time. Any recent interest that I have had in the Nintendo handhelds was solely based on the E3 coverage of Scribblenauts. Then for some reason I decided to take a look at the games that are offered for the Nintendo DS and DSi. Within an hour my Amazon Wishlist jumped up 50 items.
I think it is pretty obvious that in the areas of graphics and hardcore games the DS is not going to compete with PS3 or 360. I will also say that, in my opinion, there seems to be a lot of CRAP out there for the DS. All that being said, I can see how a lot of the games/software could easily cure daily boredom.
I often find myself not wanting to buy games due to the shear fact that I also like to watch tv. With only one tv in the apartment I really have to decide if I would rather play the flavor of the week game or watch any of the 30 (probably more) tv shows on my DVR. This is usually the problem with a lot of the Wii games. While I really do like Animal Crossing: City Folk, I am not sure I like playing it more than I like watching Heroes, Top Model, Flash Forward, LOST, or any of many others. With a handheld console this is obviously less of a problem.
The other thing that makes the DS/DSi more of a consideration for me is that I am a full time student that has to park two hours before my classes if I want to find a spot at all. I am sure I could find lots of productive ways to fill these 8 hours a week, but I usually end up in a reading room listening to podcasts. If I had a DS/DSi I could spend those 8 hours listening to podcasts while playing Peggle Duel Shot.
Another important consideration is that new games for DS/DSi seem to be a third of what they are for PS3 or 360. It is really not hard to find games for PS3/360 that are in the $50-$60 range while new DS/DSi games are around $20. What does that mean to me? Well it is pretty simple. I am far more likely to shell out $20 once every week or two, but $60 makes me really have to think hard even if I haven't bought a new game for months. Plus, if I spend $20 on a game and it turns out that I don't really like it I won't hate myself nearly as much as wasting $50-$60.
Ok, so there has to be a downside. My main downside is that with all the price drops there has not been one for the DSi...yet. I have no idea if there will be one, but at a price only $30 less than a Wii, I think it might be a little high. That is not to say that $170 is outlandish, but I am personally not ready to shell out that much money right now. Will it be on my Christmas list? Yes, but there is a lot of other things I can spend that kind of money on. If the price does drop to the $100-$130 range than it will probably make it to my "to-do" list for the week. That being said, I should also note that the DS lite is around $130.
Overall, I could easily see myself having a Nintendo DSi in the next 6 months. (My birthday is in March.) I don't really foresee a lot of you running out and buying a DS/DSi tomorrow, but I do hope that you will at least give it and it's collection of games a look.
Check out the Arcade 140 store here for all your gaming needs.
Ok. I admit it. I generally prefer to do my karaoke singing at the bar, but now there are so many music games out there that we can all pretty much stay at home. Before I had my son I knew where to find karaoke every single night of the week. I even met my boyfriend at karaoke. So, now that I spend a little more time at home I have been trying to figure out the best way to feed my karaoke addiction.
Rock Band and Guitar Hero These are obviously major winners in the music game market. While both look really fun, it would be really hard for me to play the whole band by myself. Not only that but I am only really interested in singing and not the rest of the instruments. The good news is that I do not need to buy the full bundles for what I want out of these games. I always have the option to buy the software and a universal mic.
Karaoke Revolution and Lips Number One Hits In case you hadn't already guessed, these games are singing games. They are both coming out in the near future and are sequels. Just like Rock Band and Guitar Hero both of these games have downloadable content that is added on a fairly regular basis. Given the fact that my biggest interest is singing it is really nice that the original LIPS Bundle comes with two universal mics. Both of these games obviously also focus on songs with a lot of vocals which is not always the case with the band style games.
You might remember awhile back that I was talking about how I had been playing Oregon Trail on my iPhone. Since my fondness for the game has not diminished I have to say I was excited about the news that Oregon Trail will be released as DS ware. I am not excited because I plan on buying it for the DS since I already have it for iPhone. Plus, I sadly don't actually have a DS.
I am excited about it because I think this is a good game for kids. Sure it is not going to teach kids everything there is to know about trail life...Actually, it won't even teach them some of the really interesting things that you get to learn later in life, but it might get them curious. I think the more opportunity there is for kids to learn, and have fun doing it, the better.
As for the DS playing adults, Oregon Trail is a fun and cute game. It is not going to take a lot of brain power as some of the other games out there, but it is far more entertaining than others. I think the best reason to play Oregon Trail as an adult is that it brings back memories of playing it as a kid. It is a small price to pay for a trip down memory lane.
