I want to wish everyone a very (belated) Merry Christmas and hope that Santa got you what you want or that your family didn't drive you crazy. Anyway, it's been a while since I've posted and here's what I've been up and also a little gaming knowledge for the masses.
Sonic Ultimate Genesis Collection
For the past few weeks I've been trying to platinum this game. The only thing holding me back was Dr. Robotnik (or Eggman depending on your preference) Mean Bean Machine (or Puyo Puyo in Japan). I tried playing it legit (going through the 13 stages and ultimately beat the good doctor). Instead, I punched in the level select code and tried the hold right, then left and it didn't work. One early morning and about 15 loads from my save state and the chime for MBM and my platinum popped up. I never want to play Puyo Puyo or MBM EVER again.
On a lighter note SUGC is $20 at your local gaming store. The price-to-game ratio is insane and can only be beaten by emulating the games. At $30 (what I payed for it), I couldn't say no, plus I'm a sucker for retro games and games of my youth. The only game that I wish was included in the collection was Gunstar Heroes, however it's on PSN and XBLA.
Madden NFL 10
I finally got the platinum for this game thanks to jmowen and kdogg2010, who gave me jmowen's psn id, from ps3trophies.org. The only one I needed was the lateral trophy and I thought I had it, however, the game was set to pro. The requirement for all trophies was all-pro or higher and it includes the MySkill setting as well.
Battlefield: Bad Company 2
This is what I expected Modern Warfare 2 to be, all-out chaos. The beta for BC2 is better than Modern Warfare 1 (which outside of Burnout Paradise and MLB 08: The Show) logged the most hours in my O.G. PS3. Right now as I type the collectors edition is selling for the price of the standard copy. If I was a betting man, the offer may end at the beginning of the year, so get to Gamestop, Amazon, or wherever you buy games and reserve it.
Valkyria Chronicles
If you like Final Fantasy Tactics or Fire Emblem, then you'll absolutely love this game. If you don't like anime-style animation, get used to it because the characters are modeled that way. *In the interest of full disclosure: I love anime.* I played the demo of it after hearing nothing but good things about it on various websites on the interwebs about a year later. Partly due to me not having a PS3 or having the internet to download PSN demos.
Closing Time
The next blog I'll write (before the end of the year), will be a two-year year-in-review. Since I missed a ton of games toward the end of 2008 until mid 2009. I'll be giving my annual awards (okay second annual because I used to do it when I was an active member of GameTrailers. Don't believe me type in my PSN ID on google and you'll find it on GameTrailers under the name 36PSWii.) Anyway before I go, two pieces of info I'll share.
First, Google Chrome pwns all. I still use Firefox for my video downloading (since my FF update things have been screwy and I don't want to use safe mode because it disables some of the most useful plugins that make the internet more enjoyable. I.E. no ads whatsoever.) Chrome isn't a resource hog like Firefox will always be. Since Chrome is a BETA, it does have some issues. Also since it's a Google product the issues will be ironed out (nothing major just some minor things that are annoyances that's all.)
Second, here a link from the greatest gaming website community blog on the face of the internet DESTRUCTOID.
Enjoy the rest of your holiday (whatever you celebrate) and remember Double XP weekend for Uncharted 2 last until Monday and also I got ModNation Beta (and thanks to kdogg2010). Later!!!
I just got finished with a game of Madden 10 (on PS3) and I have some good news and bad. The good is EA has done a decent job with this patch. However, the same issues that many gamers have with Madden on higher difficulties (and not as much but happen less frequent on lower difficulties) still exist (holding cells, lineman getting beat off the snap, defensive backs swatting the ball and tackling at the same time, and the dreaded jumping airwalking catch just to name a few). Here's the link about the second patch and what it updated: Madden 10 Second Patch.
The Good:
Flats are no longer as abusive: Linebackers and Defensive Back cover the flats pretty good. LBs (and DBs to an extent) break toward the running back and snuff out flats. *Side note: I had the Philadelphia Eagles and the CPU was the Tennessee Titans with Versuz2's settings Pro difficulty and CPU skills all at 100.* My stat line with Brian Westbrook, 10 catches 150 yards and a touchdown (that came on a 67 yard play to the flats). The flat routes that I normally would check down to weren't available (nice zone defense and the patch to thank) and I made throws that I normally wouldn't attempt.
CPU runs a hurry-up offense under 4 minutes: I think that available on day one, but whatever the case, Vince Young had his men up at the line around the 30 second point on the play clock and hike it at between 25 and 27 seconds.
QB sacks before the ball is thrown: This is great on Pro setting, however on All-Madden they still throw the ball down with zen-like precision. *Side note: Second game was between Colts (me) and the Seahawks (and their hideous lime green jersey).* I have yet to throw a ball out of a sack yet. I know that it can be done, but I need to figure out the timing and animation to do it from.
Replay Length Increased and More Key Play Replays: This was something that I had wanted fixed in Madden 09, but it's better to have it now than not to have it at all. If you have a breakaway touchdown, then this is awesome. My (somewhat) minor complaint is when a tackle is made when the player is tackled while crossing the goal line. It still has the cutoff and looks unnatural (from a broadcast perspective). The other fix to replays was to add more 'big' play replays (i.e. converted 3 downs, sacks, and interceptions). It adds a little more to the presentation, I could have done without it, but it's there.
Pursuit Angles "Fixed": CPU Players still take 'the less optimum' route to the ball carrier. For instance (referring to the Eagles/Titans game), I was running an inside zone running play and when I break to the outside there's the safety and a corner back (it's hard to picture without picture, so bare with me). In a real football play the lead corner would come down at angle and force the RB toward the sideline (in effect ending the play without giving up more yards) and give the safety a chance to finish the play (best case scenario). Instead, he and the safety are running parallel with each other (the safety is ten yards ahead of the play) and the corner runs toward the safety giving me more room to turn up the field. However, on All-Madden they make the 'correct' football play, with motion-shifting, time shift tackles, etc.
Chain Gang Cutscenes Reduced: Pre-patch, the chain gang comes out on EVERY close play and measures the yards gained. We know that there's two sets of first down markers (the 'official' first down markers and the 'ones Madden acknowledges'.) Sometimes, you know that you've gotten the first down by clearly crossing the marker, but the 'Madden' first down marker says otherwise. Now, the chain gang appears on plays that are too close to call (even though I know the outcome based on what cutscene is shown).
Players 'actually' blocking: This shows up on the Pro setting (players maintaining their blocks), however those who know about All-Madden know that blocking does not exist.
The Bad:
Hitched animations for Wildcat: In goal line QB draw situations, I can understand that. Now EA has ruined the Wildcat formation. The HB Direct Snap is pretty abusive and I think that they should have focused more on that than the Wildcat. I wanted to see what changes were made to the Wildcat (referring to Eagles/Titans game), so I called two plays; one was QB Power which I ran successfully, the other QB choice was effectively blown up before it was snapped. Without that hitch animation, Jeremy Maclin gets around the DE and gets a nice 6-10 yard gain, instead hit for a loss. I'll do some more testing with Miami's Wildcat and let y'all know if it hurts or helps it.
Best of Both Worlds Not Fixed: This animation can be fixed, as evidence see the hitched animations topic, but we know EA is busy with Madden 11, so I had hope that it would be fixed, but it wasn't. Apexisfree is probably gonna made a video about this not being fixed.
The Airwalking Catch Still Exists: I really hate this animation, even more than BoBW. We know in real life that catch is impossible to perform, let alone attempt. Again something else Apex is gonna talk about.
Holding Cells Still Exist on All-Madden: If you don't know what a holding cell is look at my blog about fixes madden needs to make.
Conclusion:
I haven't tried out the franchise mode stuff yet, because of the issues with the core gameplay. I'm pretty sure it works, I'll probably try within the coming weeks. Madden 10 is still needs some things done to make me stomach playing All-Madden once again. All I want is an accurate simulation of football, and apparently EA is STILL attempting to simulate football (since Madden 06 at least to me). I'm pretty much done with Madden and I won't be getting Madden 11. I would reserve judgment to when the demo comes out, however I've seen this story before and the outcome is going to be the same. Lies about EA Tiburon improving the game, only to find out more flaws are exposed. I'll play some games of Madden to get my football fix in. Until Backbreaker comes out, my football fix will be watching games on Sunday with my folks. The last Madden that I bought was Madden 08 (with Vince Young as pitch man) and it was completely different from the 360 version. Madden 10's very slow might be the equivalent of how Madden 08 (on PS3) ran. That was maybe the most fun I had in a football game since the 2K days.
This is Kennedy singing out and remember the power that we consumers have can have an impact on everything. Also anyone who makes Ian Cummings or his team go into depression is a good guy by me. Later!!!
I've been reading a ton of articles about downloadable content and how gamers feel about it. Personally, I don't mind it IF, it adds something extra that extends the life of the game and it's reasonably priced. Most DLC is a quick cash grab with things that should have been free, on the disc, or patched in day one (for instance Dragon Age's DLC).
Assassin's Creed II has a dicey situation. The game has 2 memory sectors blocked. The new DLC has those two sectors. I don't know what the cost is but it definitely extends the life of the game. I personally have mixed opinions on AC2, haven't played it yet. If Ubisoft improved the complaints of AC1, then I'll buy it. For now, if I walk into a rental store and it's in stock, I'll rent it.
Madden 10 (and NCAA 10) were the dumbest pieces of DLC EVER (there may be some even dumber, if any exist, I'll post my comments about it). The online franchise should have been free or at least $4.99, however it is half-baked and not even worth it (I didn't buy it nor was I planning on buy it). The second pieces they had were things that were in Madden 09 and were free. The AFL Legacy Pack was a decent get, though had I known there were codes to get it I would have gotten it for free ($6.99 was steep should have been $4.99 like the Fight Night Pack).
Speaking of other EA products, Rock Band, Burnout Paradise, and Fight Night Round 4 have some of the best DLC values. All three are completely optional, but they definitely add life to the games and have good values. These three games are high on my games list.
This wasn't one of my "well-thought out" blogs, but it was something that was on my mind. If you'll excuse me I'm gonna play some Fight Night and wait for PS Store to update so I can get Smells Like Teen Spirit on Rock Band. Later!!!
After an another hiatus (these things happen too much with me), I've got some new info on some games that I've been playing (and a beta website for MAG).
Battlefield : Bad Company 2 Beta
My PSN friend FizZ1 gave me the keys to the beta of Bad Company 2 and I'll go on record as saying this game is better than Modern Warfare 2, but graphically and gameplay wise. The Battlefield franchise has be a mainstay on the PC front, and it came to consoles with the release of Battlefield 2: Modern Combat. I played the demo of the original BC (on PS3) and felt a bit underwhelmed. One thing BC1 had over MW1 was destructible environments.
BC2 Beta is MW1 but with strategy, medics, and no kill streaks. My stats got reset ( I made it to lv 14), but I plan on working to get my stuff back, if the stats aren't normal. Most of the games that I've played on BC2 have been pretty fun, a couple were not so fun, but overall I would recommend anyone who didn't buy MW2 (like myself), to buy this game (which I will since BC2 doesn't come out until March).
MAG BETA INFO
I went to Playstation Lifestyle (dot) com and saw that they were giving out a website to give keys to MAG Beta. Since I'm a relatively nice guy here's the link. The file itself is 300+ MB and the update is 1.8 GB (I waited for 4 hours to finish the download and played a game the next afternoon). MAG is a decent game, if you don't have an internet connection or hate playing squad based games (i.e. every SOCOM game), then you should pass. I'll give MAG another chance tonight and then probably play some BC2 for the weekend.
COMPARISON OF ROCK BAND AND GUITAR HERO
I've been playing Guitar Hero since the original (when my boy Rambeaux FORCED me to play), but I never bought it until GH3 (technically traded back some of my PS3 games, mostly sports games so I wasn't missing much). Rock Band was released shortly after and folks have been comparing the two. I'm playing GH:Metallica and RB2 right now, so I guess I can fairly compare the franchises. I wish I would have bought RB on PS2 last Christmas, but blame Gamestop and myself for trying to buy it the day before Christmas.
To truly enjoy Rock Band, you've got to have a broadband connection. If you don't, you're missing out on the appeal of Rock Band, downloadable content. Every week since RB1 was released Harmonix (the original creators of GH) gives gamers the opportunity to add songs to their collection. If you like the artist download the entire album, track pack, or individual songs. GH3 (and Neversoft, the current developers of GH and former creators of the Tony Hawk Franchise) however only released a handful of content and the Death Magnetic Album Pack a few weeks before GH: World Tour. Then Neversoft (and the greedy higher ups at Activision) decided to make GH similar to RB.
RB and GH share a few songs in common, but both execute them in different ways. For instance, GH has a mechanic called Slider Gems, clear gems descend the fretboard, and tap the corresponding fret(s) or use the slider bar (which acts as another strum bar). RB's Stratocaster controller has buttons that you tap in the middle of the guitar neck. You use those buttons for solos (this is optional, but they're there should you wish to use them).
The presentation and User Interface are two things that impact one's enjoyment. RB has a star system that you can see how close to 5 starring (or gold starring) you are. GH3 and World Tour didn't have it, however starting with GH:Metallica they have something similar, a meter with the number of stars on the side. In terms of presentation, GH's animations were decent, GH:M is a different story because Metallica, Lemmy of Motorhead, and King Diamond came in a motion captured most of the stuff. RB's animations are decent too, though some of the motion do get redundant (i.e. the bassist smashing the guitar into the camera).
GH has gotten stale (i.e. Smash Hits and Van Halen should have been DLC), whereas RB is still fresh, to me anyway. The best combination of instruments to get is all Guitar Hero stuff. If not get the RB bundle for $99 and buy a GH controller and GH:M if you like Metallica, if not, RB2 (and RB1 with DLC and Lego Rock Band) should be enough content to keep you busy until RB3's release.
That's it for me, now I'm gonna watch the rest of Alabama v. Auburn. Later.
It's been a week or so since I've blogged and some strange things have happened and with no hesitation lets go.
The Unlikely Comeback
I was watching the Colts and Pats game last Sunday and I saw one of the most unlikely things happen. Bill Belicheck and Tom Brady lose a game that they were ahead in. This is happening with more frequency (since the Colts won the AFC championship game against them in '07). The only time I've seen someone go for it on their own side of the 30 would be on Madden (except for that time this season the Pats went for it and converted). The box score shows that Indy won, but for 58 minutes New England was the better team. Belicheck's blunder probably will cost them home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
3.10 Update Brings Facebook
Updated the PSTriple last night (slow download night for me I guess, took over an hour. I was on my moms wireless network so that did help, or hurt.) I haven't integrated my Facebook account to my PS3 because I don't remember how I typed my password, same with my PS3 (though I typed it in correct last night, weird), but they're both auto-logins so I'm not losing that much sleep. When I get my computer hooked up, I'll have more details. BTW, anyone that has a 360 has Facebook too (although you've gotta have a gold account and a Facebook account to even access it. Paying for features FTL.)
Modern Warfare 2 = Angry Gamers (and Viruses)??
Many gamers know about the hubbub about MW2 and the non-dedicated servers issues. If you don't read about it. Turns out Infinity Ward's IWNet has viruses. I don't know what to say about MW2, at first I was super excited about it, then issues about dedicated servers (even though console gamers have no influence over PC decisions), and other things makes me just want to rent it, or maybe buy it used at 30 bucks.
That's it for me, I'll some postings about some Black Friday sales and other musings. Before I forget, I watched The Ultimate Fighter and it was a good one. Brendan Schaub with that one hitter quit knocked out Jon Madsen. Until the next time, later.
After a brief hiatus and recharging the blogging batteries, I got some new things to share.
N(o) F(un) L(eague)
I watched two games yesterday (Dolphins v. Patriots and Panthers v. Saints), would have watched a third (my Cowboys got that 'W') but I was too far into Rock Band 2 to even care. The Pats are looking like their 2007 selves, which is a good thing for the league and a bad thing for everyone else. The Dolphins look as though they've might have given up on the season, which is too bad because I like the wildcat/single-wing/cowboy that they use. Phins had their chances but couldn't pull it out. Besides, the way New England's been playing I kind of foresaw that loss.
The Saints done it again, another comeback victory. My pops thought it was a fluke when they beat Miami (my moms sneered and I laughed at them both), but I told him a great quote from Rasheed Wallace, "Both teams played hard, my man." And that's exactly what New Orleans did, played hard. N.O.'s pass defense is good, the run not so much. Offensively they remind me of the Pats from '07, who do you stop? That being said I got my top 5 power rankings:
Indianapolis Colts: It was a tough division game, but they won. Houston is definitely a team to look out for.
New Orleans Saints: They're no longer the 'Aints. Impressive comeback victory against a divisional foe.
Minnesota Vikings: Brett Favre went to the perfect situation. He's got too many weapons, and the defense is really scary.
New England Patriots: Read my previous statement earlier about them.
The winner between tonight's football game: Whoever wins this game will end up being the 3 seed in the playoffs.
My boy Chad Ochocinco is back. Gave a ref a dollar bill to 'bribe' him. That's classic Chad. Welcome back, Chad to my "DUDES" club.
Phillip Rivers (a.k.a. the crap talker) narrowly beat Eli and the G-Men. I caught the tail end of that one. San Diego has been one of my more disappointing teams in the league. L.T. has lost two steps and the defense is okay. They need to change something otherwise they might not make the playoffs.
Modern Warfare 2 (semi) boycott
As much as I loved Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (which I found out my skills have vanished, and the fact I haven't played fully in a year or so), I can't support MW2, not yet. Infinity Ward (the developers) took away dedicated servers from PC gamers. I'm not a PC gamer, but I understand why they are angry. Picture this; you and a few friends play with the same guys at the same time every night. Now, what if the company said that you couldn't play at that particular time anymore. You'd be (mildly) angered and maybe you'll have some negative things to say about that company.
That's the same thing happening to PC gamers. Sure, they're snobs and they spend (more) money on their PC than you would on a PS3, 360, and a Wii. They have a right to be mad, but they also brought it upon themselves (PIRATING). Many people are going to pirate MW2, others might buy it used. As far as me, It'll be next year when I get it. I want to play Demon Souls, Batman: Arkham Asylum, and Valkyria Chronicles, plus get better at Rock Band/Guitar Hero.
Footnote: The Yankees won the World Series, I'm ho-hum that they 'bought' a world championship. Hats off to A-Fraud.
That's it for today, gonna watch a few videos on nba.com and play more Rock Band 2. Later!!!
Every once in a while karma comes back and bites you (or rewards you). Whatever the case karma or in Bible terms, sowing, can be good or bad. You do good things, you'll get rewarded. Do not so good things, you'll get rewarded with negative consequences. The aim of this blog is to reward good guys (and gals) for good deeds, and people (or companies) I think have done wrong, constructive criticism. The most karma points one can have is 1000 either positive or negative. Points can be given or taken on any criteria. These five people/companies are in the inaugural list of karma
Positive Karma
Ed Schultz
Big Eddie gets 1000 karma points with me because he and I share the same exact beliefs. Healthcare for everybody, wages to be increased, and calling out those who are greedy. One of his fellow MSNBC hosts, Keith Olbermann, also believes in most of these things as well. (Also Keith gets kudos for taking on ClusterFox News for the past 5 years or more). The main reason Ed Schultz gets 1000 karma points is that in disguise he's a black guy. He went to a black high school, presents African-Americans on his show, and he doesn't take crap from anyone. Watch his show at 6et/5ct on MSNBC.
Dylan Ratigan
Dylan gets 1000 karma points because he, like me, hates spin. He breaks down anything financial related into bits that even a junior high person can understand. He may have a few conservative tendencies but I can live with that. Here's a video of Dylan taking on 'Birther Queen' Orly Taitz.
Here's another of him taking on "idiot' Brad Blakeman.
Versuz2 of Youtube
Another one of the good guys. He gets 1000 karma points for his dedication of wanting a better and more realistic game of football. Any post he makes about Madden football is automatically deleted and he keeps making the videos so people can see through the rose tinted glasses. He makes valid points about many things and here's a sample.
Those are the three with good karma by me. To balance good you must have bad or negative.
Negative Karma
ESPN gets -995 karma because they still have yet to fire Dana Jacobson for her remarks about Notre Dame and Jesus. If anyone in the world said that they would be fired on the spot and be demonized in public. They also get negative karma for three of the worst shows on television, (even worse than the O'Reilly Factor and Campbell Brown: No Brains No Clue), even worse than them. SportsNation, Mike Greenberg, and Dana Jacobson. SportsNation first: I knew the idea of user generated content would be dumb. It only works if the users have some creativity. Instead the "idiots" at ESPN go the ClusterFox route and regurgitate talking points. Another reason to steer clear of that show is the mindless Colin Coward. If you google search him, I think anyone could beat him in a fight.
Next Dana Jacobson. She has no brains and no clue what she's talking about. So what that she covered the Sacramento Queens (they haven't been relevant since I was in high school, back in 2003) and she went to Michigan (though I feel the state's pain during the recession). Other than her, everything else I can deal with. Skip Bayless used to get on my nerves, now after 6 years of watching Cold Pizza/First Take, I overstand where he comes from. Fire Dana now ESPN or your product will suffer.
Finally Mike Greenberg (or as I like to call him Mike Foolish): This "dummy" disrespected Guitar Hero (even though Rock Band is the better of the two). That's a no-no. The moment he laughed at GH was the moment I stopped watching their show. (For three years my sanity was been restored since not watching that crap.) If you do a google search of him, anyone could beat this clown in a fight, even a wet paper bag.
The only reason why ESPN doesn't get the full negative karma because of shows like Rome is Burning, Around the Horn, Pardon the Interruption, Baseball Tonight, NFL Live (to an extent), and the Scott Van Pelt show.
Gametrailers.com
They used to be on my good karma list until about early 2008 when they changed their system of getting points. It used to be when you gave thumbs up, commented on anything, posted videos, or write blogs, you'd get GameTrailer Dollars. Once they changed that, I lost any incentive to post blogs on their site. My account's still active and I don't have the reason to log in, because some of the people probably deleted me as a user. Add to the fact they disrespected Uncharted 2, but said that you should buy the game anyway, -1000 karma for you gametrailers.
Originally there were six but, I forgot the last thing with negative karma (thanks sleep for ruining a great idea). Remember the golden rule: "Do unto others, as you would do to yourself."
Last blog gave a handful of my most disappointing games. Part two is the last half of games that I was disappointed with.
Dragon Ball Z: Legacy of Goku
I had high hopes for this game. Being that it was a DBZ game (back in early 2000, DBZ was like Barbie for dudes and some gals.) I kinda figured that it would be awesome. Be that as it may, LoG was an RPG, which I don't mind playing, but the collision detection was completely off. You only got to play as Goku, which is a plus, but many wanted to play as Vegeta or Piccolo. Add to the fact, the game ended at the Frieza saga and Dragon Ball Z: Budokai was around the corner and you have a recipe for disaster. I played LoG 3: Buu's Fury and it was a step-up in the right direction (or wrong depending on you point of view). Needless to as, Legacy of Goku, FAIL!!!
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within
I loved Prince of Persia: Sands of Time and when Ubisoft announced Warrior Within, I had some high hopes for it. Sadly, WW took everything I loved about SoT and went all dark and emo. Add some confusing use of time travel and the Prince being emo and there's a recipe for bigger sales but at the cost of alienating the ones who put the original on the map. The only saving grace of this game is the platforming. At least Ubisoft didn't tinker with that. Prince of Persia: Warrior Within, FAIL!!!! At least Two Thrones redeemed the Prince and gave us some hope that Assassin's Creed would be awesome (which it wasn't to me).
WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2005/2007
Two games Kennedy?! Sure, why not. Smackdown v Raw had a lot of pressure to live up to. Arguably one of the better wrestling games, Smackdown: Here Comes the Pain, was billed as one of the deepest wrestling game (in terms of wrestlers and match types) since WWF No Mercy (one of the best wrestling games period). For one, the rosters on SvR were shrunk down (i.e. no Brock Lesnar, fewer legends, and fewer wrestlers in general). The graphics weren't that great (compare to HCTP), and they added commentary (which in wrestling games is needed, but not with my music).
In the case with SvR '07, it felt rushed. Granted it was coming out on Xbox 360, PS2, and PSP, I think Yuke's could have polished the game a little more. Loading issues with Create-A-Wrestler were fixed, but you would get commentary issues. For instance, a match between Stone Cold Steve Austin and Triple H would have a commentary about Mr. Kennedy (Not me, the former WWE wrestler). Smackdown : Just Bring It, had some horrendous commentary (Chris Jericho was GREAT the other day!!!), but I could live with that. Having another wrestler being mention without being in the match, eh, not so much. SvR '10 may be the entry the series needed to get me back in it, but after '07 enough was enough (and it was time for a change. R.I.P. Owen Hart). Smackdown vs. Raw 2005/2007, FAIL!!!!
Enter the Matrix
You knew this would be on a list. First, everyone assumed that you would be playing as Neo (sadly, Ghost and Niobe were the main characters). Second, the use of Bullet Time. Bullet Time was done better in Max Payne (an under-rated franchise and I'm looking forward to 3, whenever it's released). Three, collision detection. The one thing in games that developers should get right was done horribly. Finally, the Dreaded Movie Tie-In Game. Anything, movie related should be avoided like the plague (except for Scarface: The World Is Yours and Spider-Man 2). Had this came out after the movie (say 6 months), it would have been an awesome game. Sadly, bugs, shoddy A.I., random performance drops, and bullet time causing the game to freeze. I wish I had my $50 bucks back so I could have bought something else. Enter the Matrix is full of EPIC FAIL!!!!
These are my games of fail/disappointment. Hope you haven't played most of these games, because getting the memory of the games out of your mind is hard to do.
A mind is a terrible thing to waste, as well as $60. Do some research about the game before you buy and maybe you'll be the next me. Later!!!
As a gamer (and also in real life) we have certain expectations that we wish to have fulfilled. Some do come true, but more often than not things come up just a bit short. In the case of video games, your hard earned money is the difference between an awesome game getting a sequel (i.e. Demon Souls or Uncharted) or terrible game getting a sequel. While not all games fall under the latter, they generally granted as disappointing or underachieving. The games that follow are some that I was generally disappointed in (or in some case didn't see what the hype was about the game).
Metal Gear Solid 4
I was very hyped about this game. It's a very good game (in fact it this game forced me to get my PS3 repaired.) I even gave MGS4 the distinction of my PS3 game of the year (if I had the internet and my PS3 working during the Christmas holiday). The thing that made me angry about MGS4 was the way Kojima tried to cram EVERYTHING Metal Gear related into the game. Some things it worked for others, ehh not some much. Without ruining the game, this is for MGS fans only (and I'm an MGS fan) and I could have done a better job writing the script (but that's why I make opinions and not write stories). MGS4, FAIL (even though I bought the Collector's Edition and still enjoy the game, the story fails)!!!
Assassin's Creed
By far the biggest disappointment (or second biggest depending on who you ask) for this console generation. AC had the team of the Prince of Persia trilogy behind this game (which got my attention). Second, many people fell under the spell of Jade Raymond (yours truly was not, despite the fact that gamer girls are hawt) and I wasn't buying what she was selling. Third, the premise behind the story, *****SPOILER****** The main character is an ancestor of the character you're playing as
******END SPOILER*********
Combat was pretty crappy (and you'd think Ubisoft would have ironed out the kinks in PoP's combat system), because once you got the counter the game was broken. Sure scaling buildings in 1300s was fine the first three time you do it, but each time before you could begin a mission (I stuck with it, but it felt forced). The A.I. was stupid, finding flags was pointless, and if I ever see a leper or a beggar again I'm stabbing them to death with the hidden blade. Ubisoft got my money (at $30) and now they've got a sequel. I won't be buying it, even if it gets great reviews, because of the sour taste AC1 gave me. Assassin's Creed, FAIL!!!
Grand Theft Auto 4
The hype surround GTA4 was about as much as MGS4 (maybe depending on which game you preferred). Sure the game is realistic, characters have morality, and you can drunk drive (which I don't condone) something about GTA4 felt hollow. The game looks awesome and everything (and I mean everything) respects physics (even Niko Bellic), but it was more of the been there done that approach. Meaning if you've played a GTA game before then you pretty much know what to expect.
Sure, GTA4 has it's moments (and every game has it's WOW factor moments), but San Andreas was way better than 4 (because of you could make Carl Johnson, protagonist of San Andreas, whatever you like). I've been putting off finishing GTA4 because of the trophies (and I don't plan on starting over anytime soon). GTA4 got tens across the board when in reality, it's not even 9.5 territory, more like 8.8 to 9.3 territory. GTA4, FAIL!!!
Guitar Hero World Tour
After Guitar Hero 3 (I'm not counting Aerosmith because it was a cash-grab), many people complained that GH3 was hard and frustration (which was/still is true). The moment World Tour was announced, people said that GH was copying Rock Band (which is true as well). Rock Band was fun and challenging, GH:WT was an exercise in boredom. A few songs were awesome to play (anything by Muse, Ozzy, heck even No Sleep til Brooklyn was tight), but with games like this you're bound to have a clunker (or ten). Add the fact the drums weren't build well (however if you're one of the lucky ones to get a working drum kit, it rocks), some of the note charts were off, and Rock Band was way better. All major retailers not having Rock Band in stores on Christmas Eve and Guitar Hero World Tour, FAIL!!! Guitar Hero Metallica was great and I'm still not sold on 5 (even though I need a new guitar controller).
Next-Gen Madden
The moment when Madden was announced on next-gen, many people were thinking that the gameplay from the PS2-era of Madden would make the leap forward. Sadly that was not the case. Every year Madden is getting to be progressively worst. Maybe something to do with lack of competition, whatever the case is Next-Gen Madden, FAIL!!!
That's part one stay posted on part two with even more FAIL!!!
Many reviews hail this game as "one of the greatest games of all-time" and they're quite wrong (in reality it's Super Metroid, but I digress). However, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is quite possibly one of the best single player game on the PS3 (and maybe this console generation, until something else comes along.) Needless it say, U2 deserves a lot of praise and it truly shows that video games are slowly blurring the line between itself and movies.
In my mini impressions (written Wednesday) I said the review would be up no later than the weekend, well things come up and today is the perfect time to post the review. Before things start, there will be no spoilers (i.e. the final boss, plot twists, how to beat bosses, etc.) Number 2, so far I'm 1-2 in my keys to victory. Phillies up 2-1 on the Dodgers and I think the Yankees may sweep the Angels. Both teams play today at 4 ET/3CT on TBS (NLCS) and 8ET/7CT on Fox (ALCS).
Mr. K., will I have to play the original Uncharted to understand the story in the sequel? It's optional to play the original, but for continuity sake, you should. Plus as an added bonus, you get $100,000 (in game of course) to help buy items from the Uncharted store.
Story
Uncharted 2's main character is Nathan Drake. He's a mixture of Indiana Jones, Lara Croft, and anybody who delivers one-liners. In the original, his cast of characters included Victor Sullivan, Elena Fisher, and Eddy Raja just to name a few. The sequel has some likable characters and some who are the scum of the earth. Because of integrity, I won't reveal the story, but I will say that from the moment the game is in the PS3, you won't put the controller down. For the most part the story is down right awesome and if you love action movies, you'll probably like this game. Story: 10/10.
Gameplay
A complaint of many people (myself included) was about gunplay and hand-to-hand combat. Enemies would soak up bullets, melee was decent, and blind-fire didn't 'work' how it should have. Naughty Dog has fixed a ton of these complaints and added some new things that 'help' the flow of the game. For instance, you can aim while blind-firing. Enemies are a little easier to kill. A new reversal system. Grenades can be throw and not equipped. Some things are subtle whereas others are dramatic (stealth kills FTW!!!). Overall, the tweaks make U2 an even polished product.
One issue that wasn't fixed was the cover system. It wasn't broken, it just didn't work the way that I expected it to. Rolling from pillar to pillar was fine as well as leaving cover. It's when there multiple places to cover, one next to each other, where the cover is slightly flawed. It's not a gamebreaker, but I can see people getting angry at this.
On a positive note, once the game begins there is no loading whatsoever. The original Uncharted had that as well. Two sidebars, on chapter 25, there's a section where the game freezes, but that's nothing a quick reboot can't fix. U2 has some clipping (i.e. things that go through other things), but it doesn't affect gameplay at all. If you're trying to find some clipping you can find it, but it's not worth it.
Finally, Nathan climbs as a human being. Last game he made Superman-type leaps that were a bit too unrealistic. Some of the leaps are a bit superhuman, but for the most part he reacts and moves like a human being. Kudos to the animators at Naughty Dog. Another kudos goes to the camera guy. The camera doesn't leave you in a blind spot (expect for this one time and that's all my fault.) Also the way it transitions makes U2 look and feel like an action film. Gameplay: 9.5/10 .
Visuals
I won't spend much time on this issue. The game is beautiful. Below is a video of how nice the game looks. BTW, in 1080i it's stunning. Can't say anything about anything lower than that, haven't tried anything lower 1080i.
To be honest, there's 100 treasures that you can find as a sidequest. Gun challenges that require you to kill a certain number of enemies with a specific weapon. The game keeps track of these things, so you won't have a brain cramping trying to remember if you've got kills or not. There's a ton of replay value, and I haven't mention the multiplayer (which from the beta was good). Puzzles are little weak (this is coming from a guy who plays Prince of Persia: Sands of Time once a year for nostalgia), but they aren't mind-numbing. Some platforming can be a little confusing, as the game's surfaces tend to blend. This wasn't too much of a problem for me because Sands of Time taught me how to spot the not so obvious. U2 is relatively straight-forward and that's a good thing (unless you're after treasures). Firefights are intense and will be in your mind for a good while. Replay Value/ Fun Factor: 10/10
Overall Judgment:
This game is not a perfect, but it is a masterpiece. When I finished U2 on Wednesday, initially I gave it 10s all over the board (and that would be too fanboyish). Instead, I took a long look at the product overall and determined a few things:
If you own a PS3, buy this game (as well as the original)
This game will be at least PS3 game of the year (it will for me)
Naughty Dog fit the entire game on a single layer Blu-Ray disc and I applaud them for that.
Overall Grade: 39.5/40. A must buy for any self-respecting "video gamer" and maybe you can fool some people just like the commercial. Final note: Doughnut Drake FTW!!!
I'll probably start my clean-up run sometime during the week. The treasures are going to be the hardest, but I have a guide and can mark off those I already have and I shutter to think about Crushing!!!
Kennedy out and remember, "There's a guy above you. There's a guy above you. There's a guy below you. There's a guy below you."
Taking a break from the usual video game talk, today's topic is the "Keys to Victory" for the four teams remaining in the baseball postseason. The NLCS is a rematch of last year's NLCS (Phillies won against the Dodgers 4-1 and eventually won the World Series in five games). The ALCS is between two teams of destiny (Destiny's Darlings: Los Angeles of Anaheim and Destiny Because of Who We Are: New York Yankees). These are gonna be good games between evenly matched teams and with these keys (4 for each team), one team will be happy, the other angry that their season ended.
Being that the NLCS is tonight, I'll go with these guys first and since the Phillies are the champions, no reason to disrespect them but to let them go first.
Philadelphia's Keys to Victory
Get men on base: Common baseball wisdom is to have men on and use baseball smarts to get the runners in. The Dodgers pitching staff won't allow guys like Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, or Jayson Werth get on base because of their threat to steal bases. Also, L.A. doesn't typically walk many men. If you get a runner on, make sure that he scores by any means necessary.
Play to your advantage (Citizens Bank Ballpark): This ballpark is very hitter friendly (not new Yankee Stadium friendly), balls hit off the bats go launching. If the wind is blowing in, expect a couple of pitching duels. If it's blowing out, folks will go crazy (hitting home runs that is)
Cole Hamels must find himself: Last postseason Cole Hamels was the best pitcher in the playoffs. During the year, he's struggled to find that mojo that he had during October. We know that he's capable of silencing loud bats with that nasty circle changeup. If he wakes up and becomes Cole Hamels in game two, then the Dodgers will fall.
Don't let L.A.'s clutch guys (Furcal, Kemp, or Ethier) get in a groove: Ethier's bring guys in scoring effectively. Furcal's the guy who can get a team back in a game with his baserunning or making at-bats longer. Matt Kemp is a stud. He plays the game the right way and can change a game defensively. On the bench they've got a former Phillie, Jim Thome, who's prone to break-up a tie with one swing of the bat. There's also a guy named Manny Ramirez who's a great hitter due to a big hit soon.
That's the Phillies keys to victory, now the Dodgers:
L.A.'s Keys to Victory
Get Manny Being Manny: After having been suspended 50 games during the season, Manny hasn't been himself. Whatever planet Manny's on he's one of the best hitters in the game and if he can find time to reappear on Earth, the Dodgers will be grateful. L.A. doesn't need Manny, but the mere presence of Manny Being Manny will intimidate anyone.
Keep Philly's speed threats off base: As I mentioned in Philly's keys, if any one that I listed gets on L.A. pitchers will lose focus and then they're down 2 (or at least one if L.A. has a lead). If slow baserunners (such as Ryan Howard, Pedro Feliz, or Carlos Ruiz) are on, you can focus more on the batter. Pitching out and throwing over keeps runners honest, but with Philly's guys they have the green light whenever they feel.
Take Philly's big bats (1-7) out of the game: If there's no one on base when Ryan Howard's up to bat, walk him. You can't walk Chase Utley, because he's capable of stealing a base, but he's prone to striking out, same with Ryan Howard, and they can both get around inside pitches. Best solution, pick one guy and pitch to him (preferably Utley). Raul Ibanez is a pretty good hitter (made better thanks to C.B.P.) and Jayson Werth can turn things around with one swing. Any pitcher will have a tough time dealing with this line-up but with careful pitching (and a little luck) they can be beaten.
Don't pitch Chad Billingsley: I wrote my notes out yesterday afternoon while watching Around the Horn and then today L.A. announced he'd be in the bullpen. Chad has been average at best and lukewarm at worst. He couldn't pitch his way into trouble if he wanted to (that's how terrible this guy is). A few years ago, he was an effective pitcher that could give you 6+ innings, now he can't even do that. If I were Joe Torre, I'd bring Jon Garland back for the LCS and let Billingsley rot.
For the prediction: Phillies in 6. LCS MVP: Jimmy Rollins.
Now for the ALCS. First up is the Angels (because they won a championship more recently)
L.A. Angels of Anaheim Keys to Victory
Don't let the Yankee bats get hot: 1-9, the New York Yankees have one of the more potent line-ups in baseball. If one guy gets on a roll, the momentum will quick swing toward NY and next thing you know they've scored 5 runs in the inning and you have to face Joba and Mariano and that's lights out. If I had to take a bat away from the Yankees, it'll be Teixeira. He hasn't gotten started and why would you let him. Deal with A-Rod and hope he reverts back to A-Fraud.
Play Angel Baseball: These guys get runs on the board using old-school baseball tactics. Drag out at-bats, draw walks, steal bases, sacrifice fly, rinse and repeat. In new Yankee Stadium, runs will be scored by both teams, so it doesn't matter how you get them it's how many you get. When the scene shifts to Anaheim, both teams can score 4 or 5 runs and that'll be enough to win. If they can force Yankee pitchers into 8+ pitch at-bats that would nullify that 3-man rotation they plan on having.
Don't leave men on base: In the last series, the Dodgers left 30 men on base in a game. In the post season, efficiency is key and if you can put pressure on the Yankees, they will start pressing and doing things out of character.
Go with a 3-Man Rotation: According to Wikipedia, Yahoo Sports, and USA Today, the Angels are planning a 4-man staff. The Angels have a workhorse in John Lackey, who in the past works well on three days rest. Jered Weaver hasn't done it, but I think he'd be good early but not so much later (5th inning on). Scott Kazmir has pitched on 3 days rest and he does a good job, though he'll get tired at about the 80 pitch mark. If you go 3-man and get a 2-1 lead, I like my odds with Lackey pitching two of the four games to get to the World Series.
Now here's the Yankees.
New York's Keys to Victory
Go 4-man rotation: CC Sabathia isn't good at all on three days rest (looks at postseason last year for best example and 07 against the Red Sox when Cleveland gave those games away). A.J. Burnett, if I remember, hasn't pitched on 3 days rest before and he's injury prone also running him 3 times isn't the smartest idea. Andy Pettitte is the only guy that's been some what successful on 3 days rest (and he's a horse, though not as he used to be.) Why are the Yankees going 3 man - to protect their 'investment' Joba Chamberlain. I say get Phil Hughes on the mound and make it a 4-man. If the games rain out, they Yanks will be at a disadvantage (as would the Angels if they take my advice).
When the bats are hot; Lights Out: Simply put, refer to #1 for the Angels, replace A-Fraud with A-Bomb, and pray Teixeira breaks out his funk.
Don't let at-bats drag out: This is crucial. If the Yanks plan on going 3-man, they better limit their pitches otherwise the Angels will take advantage and you'll be in a hole. You'll rarely see an Angel at-bat go less than 6 pitches. They are selective and will not chase anything (except for Vlad Guerrero who's a involuntary selective hitter. I.E. he's a free-swinger).
If the game is in the Yankees favor Joba in the 8th, Enter Sandman, good night: The Angels are comeback kids, but dealing with Joba in the 8th and Mariano in the 9th is just too much for any team to handle. To quote Chad Ochocinco, if Rivera's in closing "Kiss the Baby."
This series is hard to predict, but I think the Angels will win in seven. Finished Uncharted 2 and I'll post the review this weekend. In the meantime here's a video with my favorite wide receiver Mr. Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson:
To quote Brett Myers, "Boom!! Outta Here!!" and I'm out.
After playing the original Uncharted about 2 years ago on Christmas Night, I kinda figured that a sequel would be coming out (when I didn't know). Be that as it may, I picked up Uncharted 2 (day one, natch) and spent 10 hours non-stop playing it (with the occasional interruptions of hunger, bathroom breaks, family, and PSN friends messaging me.) How is it? In the category of Best Game Available on any Console. Better than Halo 3? Yep (and UC2, has a multiplayer). Better than MGS4? As much as Kojima wowed me last summer (and still to this day on the PSone), yes. Better than Metroid Prime Trilogy? It's a stretch (3 games for $50 vs 1.5 for $60), but I'd say yes (Samus is pissed at me for giving Drake a higher recommendation than her game, but I LOVE me some Metroid and need to finish Prime 2 and get 3, but that's another story). Now that I've teased you, what makes UC2 a contender for BGAOAC (or maybe Game of the Year, which it will win) and why if you love video games, why you should play this game.
THE FIRST FIVE MINUTES
The first five minutes (though it is scripted a.k.a. predetermined before you do anything, all video games have moments that are scripted) cannot be put into words. Looking at any videos about UC2's opening moments give any context as if you have the controller in your hand. I was literally concerned for Nate and how he would get out of that predicament. If the first five minutes don't get you amped up then I guess you're not an adrenaline junk (or like action films either).
ACTION PACKED WITH A BIT OF STEALTH
If you like Metal Gear Solid anything or Splinter Cell, you'll love the ninja(a.k.a. stealth) this game has. Of course you can run, gun, hide, and grenade as in the original but stealth is definitely the way to go. The game doesn't punish you if opt to use brute force (okay it does with waves upon waves of enemies), but the satisfaction of being ninja-y will give you a smirk, a chuckle, a laugh, and sigh all in one go. Before I forget about the action, a quote from a review of UC2 from Destructoid.com:
It's not hyperbole to say that to date, the single-player campaign mode in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is the best, most exciting action/adventure game you'll ever play. It's not because of anything Naughty Dog did with how you control or play the game -- that remains largely the same from Drake's Fortune, which was released in 2007. It's not even because from a visual and technical standpoint, this may be one of the most impressive titles we've seen on any platform, including PC.
No, it's because from start to finish, Among Thieves is an action-packed romp that delivers more over-the-top thrills than the best adventure flick Hollywood has ever produced. Name your favorite action-adventure movie. I'll wait. Oh, that? Yeah, Among Thieves is better than it. Yeah, I said it. What?
And for the most part it's true (btw, Predator FTW!!!) for more of that dtoid review click here!!!
About the action, from the opening if you aren't blown away or maybe even amazed at that sequence I suggest you check your pulse to see if you are alive. For the most part, the gunplay is the same as UC1, but a few tweaks make it a bit more functional. For instance, zooming in with a two handed weapon (i.e. assault rifles and sniper rifles), a redesigned Heads-Up Display, mapping grenades to L2 instead of having to equip them, and blindfire aiming, just to name a few tweaks.
Here's some of the stealth takedowns courtesy of youtube.
CHARACTERS AND STORY
No, I don't plan on spoiling the game, because some people actually might want to play it. I will tell you this much, Nate Drake is searching for Marco Polo's lost treasure and runs into maybe one of the cruelest dudes to be on a video game (even crueler than Liquid Snake? Maybe not that far, but I haven't FINISHED the game yet.) If you played the original UC, most of the characters are likable, have real emotion, and 'act like human beings'. The same holds true in the sequel. The enemies are smarter (like MGS Extreme Difficulty smart), and if they don't know your in the area, you can stealth kill them. Once they 'see' you be prepared for the fight of Nate's life.
CONTROLS
UC2 controls similarly to UC1, with some modification as I mentioned earlier. Sometimes Nate will cover into a wall that you don't want to cover into or get you into a position that you that you didn't intend to get to. These are the same faults in the last game, but I tolerated them a little more in UC (and I'm leaning that way for UC2). Other than that issue, Nate feels like a human being when you move him (and maybe why he positions/covers himself and why I can't be too mad at Naughty Dog for that design issue/flaw). The only time you'll wrestle with the controls is during frantic uses of cover (the only gameplay flaw in the game), but even then you'll forgive the cover system, when it saves your life a few times.
OVERALL IMPRESSION
It's hard not to like the charm of UC2. Once you pop the game into the PS3, you'll be addicted (and quite possibly play the original, which I recommend as well). Naughty Dog did their homework and I'm impressed. UC2 also has a multiplayer and I played the beta(demo) and I'll give some impressions about that once I finish the single player. This isn't a review, just a general synopsis of UC2, the review will be up probably tomorrow at the earliest or the weekend by the latest. Can't tell you where I'm at because it will ruin some expectations, but I will say I'm near the end of the game (about 91% percent finished on Normal and 25% with the trophies). Overall, if you own a PS3, chances are you've heard the hype surrounding the game and the hype is justified. IF you loved UC1, you bought UC2 day one (or maybe week one). If you didn't like anything about UC1, that's fine and understandable.
Today's blog is focusing on not just Madden 10, but the Madden franchise in general, and what EA Tiburon (and EA Sports in large) can do to improve their product.
Artificial Intelligence
This has been a big issue in Madden for a long time. The computer does smart things, questionable things, and downright dumb things. For a franchise that boast they have the best computer A.I., it doesn't accurately simulate what NFL players do. For instance, if a player gets beat on a certain route, the computer will not adjust to either the route or the player who is making the play, as shown in this video:
So what does Tiburon need to do: Ask themselves one simple question, "Do NFL players behave this way and if so how do we express that in gameplay?" Also they need to add an element of coaching (what real NFL coaches and players do every Sunday and practice the days up to the game.)
More Animations
This is maybe one of the simplest things to accomplish. Madden has too few animations and the animations that they use for some things are either unnatural or unrealistic or maybe even both. Here's an example of more animations without the benefit of video.
A running back is making a catch in the flats and the ball is thrown slightly over his head with no one around him. That would be the time for a leaping/jumping catch. Instead, Madden has it for everything. Lead a receiver too far running in place jump catch. Also, what's needed is re-addition of signature running styles. Too many guys look like their jogging at half-speed (a.k.a Tron Jogging.) More tackling animations are needed, more catching animations are also needed, and I'm glad that this catch in last year's game, the dreaded spin catch, was eliminated. That animation has caused me too much heartache, and right on cue here it is:
New Commentators
Cris Collinsworth, Tom Hammond, Alex Flanagan, and Fran Charles do a serviceable job, but they don't seem excited at their job. My solution is to bring back the EA Sports Radio guy, but since I'm the only person who liked that guy, the other alternative is to bring the entire cast of Monday Night Football, yes this includes the cast of Monday Night Countdown. This presentation has been done in video game form by the team at Visual Concepts.
Something else that I would like to add, but I'll save it for later.
New Ratings System
Many a person has complained about this especially T.J. Houshmandzadeh. How this would work is that only one player per position can be rated a 99, however the skills and attributes can be 99 (or in some cases 100.) Second, awareness would be the second main stat for everybody. Without awareness players would be mindless drones. Third, a reworking of the speed system/threshold. My suggestion is for every point difference in speed there should at least be a yard of separation to show the really fast guys from the slower players. The next question is how would acceleration be determined? Acceleration would be a little harder to do, but give me about a week and I'll be able to express it into words.
Other things that I would like to change is anything related to throwing. There would be five different factors; throwing power and accuracy can stay, but the third would be throwing velocity (how fast the ball comes out), fourth, throwing under pressure (how well can the player handle duress), and finally, throwing in inclement conditions (i.e. snow, rain, high humidity, etc.) These are just a few things that I'd change, but not everything that would be.
Clipping (Too Many Morphs in the Game)
Every video game has clipping issues, that's unavoidable, but just about every play in Madden has some sort of warping and collision detection issues that you can make jokes about.
The easiest solution to fix this (scrap the entire engine and make a new one based on physics). Money is no object for EA and they should focus on eliminating the unnecessary morphs (or preferably create a new engine. I'll give you the benefit EA if you do that, but we know you won't.) The warping can also be due to the lack of animations that the game desperately needs.
Money Plays
This has been around sports games for a long time (since the Genesis days) and I think it's time to get rid of money plays once and for all. What is a Money Play? It is a play that can be called in any situation and it will get you a first down EVERY TIME. They do not exist in real life and they should not exist in video games (if you claim to be "REALISTIC" or "SIMULATION-BASED" then be that.) An example of a money play was the first video on the page.
Use Playstation 3 as Source and Port to Xbox 360
People can be upset with me for saying this, but if the PS3 is used as the base, then a majority of issues could be fixed (everything except ratings, commentators, and money plays.) This has been done before with Burnout Paradise and neither version suffered anything game breaking that I know of. More memory equals better game and quite possibly more sales.
The people who wish for me to do some suggestions/fixes for franchise, I can't help you there because I haven't jumped into franchise mode, yet. Still disappointed about Madden 09's franchise and 08, 07, and 06. But if 10's franchise is anything like 09, I'll give out a few fixes:
Trade logic (1,2,3 round picks for Adrian Peterson, I'll pass and so should the CPU)
Return of Owner Mode
Player Progression/Regression more dynamic (Big year ratings increase; Poor/disappointing year ratings decrease; Consistent stats from year to year consistent ratings increase)
Everything from Madden NFL 04 (that includes create-a-play)
That's it for me, gonna watch the Broncos and Pats play, Miles Austin ratings increase and congrats to the L.A. Dodgers for advancing.
Change of pace before I get to the worst to best Metallica albums: First, here's the full setlist of DJ Hero courtesy of my good friends at Destructoid:
Since my bbcode skills have left me (thanks a lot Gametrailers and dial-up internet), I won't have pictures of the album covers, instead I'll link to the wikipedia page of the album and get why I decided on the spots. Without hesitation lets "Turn the Page."
Metallica has caused (directly or indirectly) many people to pick up a guitar, bass, drums, and learn how to sing. While they aren't everybody's favorite band, they undeniably left a mark in the music industry. This list contains only studio albums and the cover album Garage Inc. Live albums are bands most beloved or most known songs (Metallica is no exception) and sometimes the song(s) are completely changed or the techniques they did were only capable to be done in a studio and thus can't be played right live. With those caveats out of the way here's the list.
10. St. Anger: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Anger
By far Metallica's worst work and it shows. I watch the documentary for this album called "Some Kind of Monster" (which was down right funny, especially Lars dropping the F-Bomb at James) and showed how the band gets concepts to make albums. This album isn't a typical Metallica album (no solos or extended solos for that matter, few metaphors, and of course the steel drum sound.) It's one saving grace is some of the song titles Purify, Some Kind of Monster, and The Unnamed Feeling. The best way to describe this album is James exercising his demons by what he knows best and that's music.
Kennedy Rating: 1.5/5 stars. It has some awesome drumming by Lars, decent song writing by James, and seems that Kirk's talent was wasted.
9. ReLoad: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ReLoad
If St. Anger was the worst this can't be to far behind. This and it's predecessor Load were supposed to be a 2 CD album, but the band was touring and finished it later. The first five songs are pretty good, the middle is blah, the Low Man's Lyric is awesome, and the end I can't remember much about it. Fuel and The Memory Remains are staples in Metallica's live concerts and The Unforgiven II is a solid sequel to the original. Solid drumming from Lars, Hetfield is at his best on the opening two tracks, Jason's bass is good and Hammett's on top of his game.
BTW, this was the last 'studio' Metallica album made before Jason Newsted left the group. Kennedy Rating: 2/5. After listening to the first five songs, you'll grow bored with this album, but at least listen through two or three times.
The first CD of the Load/ReLoad double disc. It's a pretty good effort for the band in black. This album doesn't have classics, but it is serviceable. Load is Metallica on the decline, but it still sold well. Five years of riding the coattails of the Black Album (i.e. Metallica's self-titled CD), the band decided to give the fans a good effort. I don't mind listening to this album in it's entirety, which songs like King Nothing, Hero of the Day, Bleeding Me, Cure, and The Outlaw Torn, just to name a few. Probably on of the better Metal albums in the middle 90s.
Kennedy Rating: 3/5. The Outlaw Torn is by far the best song on the album and King Nothing shows that Metallica can still throw out the metaphors.
7. Garage Inc. : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garage_Inc.
FYI, As I'm typing this, Garage is assaulting my ears.
Garage Inc. is Metallica's double CD cover album with songs that made Metallica the juggernauts they are. The first CD is pretty good and has a few things to laugh at (i.e. Loverman). The second CD is the Garage Days Re-Revisited (the first seven songs), some B-sides (before CDs and mp3s, albums were done on tape and had two sides A and B kiddies), and a tribute to the best metal band ever Motorhead (Overkill FTW). Some songs are pretty good covers (anything by Diamond Head, Blitzkrieg, and Mercyful Fate), some you wouldn't expect (Turn the Page, Tuesday's Gone, Loverman, and Whiskey in the Jar), and others are good in their own right.
Kennedy Rating: 3.5/5. Listen to the song Breadfan on the second disc of Garage Inc. for a head-shaker.
6. Death Magnetic Guitar Hero III Remastered: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Magnetic
Why Guitar Hero III Remastered? Simply put it sounds 100% better than the CD (which I bought) or mp3. Death Magnetic is a visceral assault on your ears similar to And Justice and to an extent Master of Puppets. Death Magnetic is what Metallica fans have been waiting to hear for years. Metallica ditched their old producer Bob Rock, and brought in Rick Rubin, Mr. Def Jam himself. The result is something that I almost cried to. Everything that you wished Metallica would have done, they did. Songs over 5 minutes, check. Metaphors, check. Instrumentals, oh yeah it the longest one that they done. Add Rob Trujillo and Metallica's back on top.
Kennedy Rating: 4/5: Lars is punishing those drums in every song, Rob's bass is infectious, Kirk hasn't played this way since ...And Justice, and Hetfield's vocals are top notch.
5. Kill 'Em All/No Life Til Leather: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kill_%27Em_All
Again why this stuff again? Kill 'Em All is No Life Til Leather with 4 changes. One, Cliff Burton's bass is in full effect (He wasn't Metallica's original bassist.) Two, 3 new songs (No Remorse, Whiplash, and Pulling Teeth.) Three, some of the songs were rewritten with new solos and/or new lyrics (Hit the Lights, The Four Horseman/The Mechanix, Seek and Destroy, and Phantom Lord.) Finally, Dave Mustaine was the guitarist for NLTL and Hammett was for KEA. Despite all the changes KEA is an awesome album and it made people recognize Metallica. KEA's biggest influence was the band Motorhead as evidence in the song Motorbreath.
Kennedy Rating: 4/5: Kill 'Em All is awesome and is a staple on my MP3 Player. Cliff Burton's bass is sick and this was just the beginning.
4. Metallica (a.k.a. The Black Album): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metallica_%28album%29
This was the first time that I listened to Metallica many moons ago (back in the nineties I saw the video to Enter Sandman and wet my pants.) TBA was Metallica's commercial breakthrough. After Sandman, your ears and brains were tuned in as Metallica turned in their finest work. Sad But True was cover by Kid Rock, The Unforgiven started one of the best trilogies in music, and Nothing Else Matters showed the soft side of the band. mostly every song is classic and if you're a fan of music buy this album.
Kennedy Rating 4.5/5: From the opening of Sandman to the Struggle Within, every song is very good. Typical Metallica (a.k.a. present Metallica.)
3. ...And Justice For All: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...And_Justice_for_All_%28album%29
If TBA was poisoning brains, AJFA made Metallica arena gods. When the clean guitars of Blackened come on you're reminded of a special place when you're younger, then the assault begins (I know I use assault a lot but 'Tallica does assault ears.) AJFA (the song) is rarely played in concerts and Dyer's Eve gives people nightmares just trying to play it. The song that gave Metallica the push to be mainstream was One.
Every song shows why Metallica back in the 80s couldn't be touched and made Progressive Metal more popular in the world.
Kennedy Rating 4.5/5. Listen to The Frayed Ends of Sanity and To Live Is To Die for proof that this album is top 3 material.
The final two albums were hard to label as one and two, because without one you can't have the other. IGN's list had Master of Puppets two and Ride the Lighting one, and fans were upset. For me I was big into Ride and I knew Master was awesome. So I needed a tiebreaker, something that would force me to pick one over the other.
The Legendary Song Orion on Guitar Hero: Metallica.
I love me some Fade to Black will never get sick of hearing it, but Orion is just genius. The Guitar Hero Remaster lets you hear more of Cliff's genius and it's even more evident in Orion. Both Ride the Lighting and Master of Puppets have songs that you can't skip, songs that are classic, and great writing. Another reason why Master gets the nod over Ride is that Master was the 'last' Metallica album with Cliff Burton as bassist. Both albums get the Gold 5* treatment and if you're a fan of music buy both of these albums, your ears, brain, and hands will thank you. (AIR GUITAR MADNESS)
This is Kennedy closing and remember *whispers* DAMAGE INCORPORATED *YELLS* GO!!!!
