Games of the Year Plus 10 Games for 2010

1. First, let me be the last person to wish everyone a Happy New Year, hope everyone's been safe and enjoying their time with family. With a New Year it gives us a chance to reflect on the year that was and the things we enjoyed. In my case, I've got a little housekeeping to take care of from '08 and then '09.

Typically when I blog, I'm writing with first hand accounts of everything. Today's gonna be different. For most topics it'll be my Mr. Kennedy persona. For topics that are tough, I'm bring two of my other online aliases 36PSWii from Gametrailers and EHeroClayman from Youtube to settle some debates once and for all. Think of it as the multiple personalities of one guy. Here's a couple of topics from '08 that must be taken care of.

2008 Game of the Year

*To separate my different handles, I'll be typing with the standard font, 36PSWii has italic font, and EHeroClayman has bold font.* There was only two games that could be classified as '08 GotY. In April 08, GTA4 was released. A few months later MGS4 was released. Both games got tons of 10/10's, tons of hype and fanfare, and many awards. Today will 'unofficially' settle the debate of '08: GTA4 vs. MGS4.

36PSWii: MGS4 was by far the best game of '08. It was the SOLE reason why I bought a PS3. Originally it was supposed to be out in '07 but something called Halo 3 pushed the release back a few months. Needless to say, if you weren't a MGS fan, then you wanted to play GTA4. I loved GTA:San Andreas, but by that point what more could you do in a sandbox game. GTA4 had great graphics but they didn't push the limits of the PS3. MGS4 pushed the limits of the PS3 (at the time) and it looked magnificent. Add to the fact, this was the 'last' MGS title with Solid Snake as the main character, memorable boss battles, and the 'conclusion' of the loose ends the other MGS' created and there's my GotY.

EHeroClayman: Let the record show that I'm a big fan of MGS (obviously), however GTA4 was something fresh that the gaming industry needed. Rockstar games always pushes the medium of video games to spark controversy (whether intended of unintended). The thing that surprised me about GTA4 was playing as a non-American. Typically most video game lead characters are white American males. The exceptions to the rule were Carl Johnson and Niko Bellic both from GTA games. GTA had something MGS was missing and that was realism. Add to it multiplayer (which MGS also has) and characters that you genuinely cared about (everyone except Michelle/Karen and Dmitri) and you've got my game of the year. Too bad PS3 doesn't have the Xbox exclusive DLC, because I want to find out some major plot points.

Kennedy: Since I'm the deciding vote, I'm giving it to MGS4. Simply put, if you own a PS3 and you haven't play this game, you're missing out on what video games do to a person. Everything in MGS4 is memorable even the mandatory installs during the missions. The only thing GTA4 has on MGS is trophies, but you didn't play MGS for the trophies. You played to see how in the world Hideo Kojima was going the bring the series to an end with all those loose ends. Some were clarified, others could have been explained better. Whatever the case MGS4 is the 2008 GotY.

Guitar Hero Vs Rock Band

This debate has been going on for the past 2 years, with no 'clear' winner in sight. Again here's my take on it from 2 differing points of view.

EHeroClayman: I loved the Guitar Hero franchise, but when Rock Band was released I knew that it was a potential great franchise. GH oversaturated itself over the span of 2 years. In those same 2 years, RB has released 1 main game, two spinoffs, and of course the 'optional' track packs for those who don't have internet. This model I can support, GH's model is destined to fail and I'm glad I jumped ship as fast as I could.

36PSWii: GH's franchise will not die. As long as there's DLC GH will still exist. People will still flock to GH because it's the 'established' brand. Playing as the Beatles is cool and having Lego versions of yourself is fine, but I like seeing an exaggerated version of me on stage playing some Ozzy, Sting, and Zakk Wylde. GH for the win!!!

As you can tell PSWii's argument falls flat on all merits. Rock Band wins by default because of two things. One, Harmonix, the original creators of Guitar Hero, know about music and their charts are similar to actual guitar. Two, as long as music exist RB's model will continue to be supported by people such as myself. The one thing GH has over RB is superior instruments.

Now here's the 2009 Awards. Some categories will have nominees, some won't. I'll be taking over the duties for the majority of the awards until the '09 GotY. No pictures of the game covers, because I'm lazy.

Best BETA

• Battlefield: Bad Company 2
• ModNation Racers
• MAG

The winner by no one's surprise is BFBC2. That was the primary beta that I was playing. MAG was okay (256 players is nothing to scoff at), and ModNation still has some work to do before it becomes a Mario Kart killer. The beta of BFBC2 is probably better than MW2 and the full game is coming in March, so get your copies reserved at Amazon and Gamestop so you can have an advantage.

Best Sports Game

• Fifa 10
• UFC Undisputed
• Fight Night Round 4
• MLB 09 : The Show

The winner is Fifa 10. If you don't like soccer, this game will make you appreciate the skill that it takes to play it. Past Fifa's were good, but this one is quite possibly the best one. I played the Show on PS2 and I can say the PS3 version is miles better than it. Fight Night and UFC have brought back some much needed competition in the sport of competitive fighting. If you're to get one sports game this year (before baseball season starts,) get Fifa 10. Plus it helps that the demo is awesome and you can save replays to EA's server.

Best Rhythm Game

• DJ Hero
• Guitar Hero: Metallica
• The Beatles: Rock Band
• Lego Rock Band

Two band centered games a cool and plus it never gets old playing Lego games, well until they release a Lego game on a franchise I know nothing about. But DJ Hero is the clear winner. Here's a sample of the mash-ups in game.



The only thing that's stopping me from getting DJ Hero (outside of a job) is the $120 price tag. Other than that, DJ Hero wins Rhythm GotY.

Surprisingly Good Game

• Batman: Arkham Asylum
• Guitar Hero: Metallica
• Assassin's Creed 2
• X-Men Origins: Wolverine

GH:M was definitely a contender to win this award. I heard good things about AC2, but I've still got the terrible taste of AC1 in my brain. I will eventually get to playing AC2 in '10. Same with Wolverine. But the winner is Batman: Arkham Asylum. AA did something that hasn't been done since the NES days, make a great Batman game. Hats off to Rocksteady games for doing the impossible.

Disappointment of the Year

• Resident Evil 5
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

I was pissed off at MW2, frankly I don't even care to play the game with BFBC2 around the corner. Instead, my rage is on RE5. All the team at Capcom had to do was make RE4 in high-def, add Chris, and make it 10 times darker and creepier. Instead RE5 wants you to play co-op and buy stuff that should have been free on disc. RE5 is collecting dust in game shelves and I won't buy it. If RE5: Alternate Edition is rated better than RE5, then I'll pick it up. If not I'll avoid it.

PS3 Game That Should Be on Hard Drive

Flower. The best way to describe Flower, is a free flowing version of Pac-Man. Instead of controlling the flower petal with a joystick, it uses Sixaxis Motion Control. It's a carefree type of game and it has trophies to boot. I bought it at $5 during the Thanksgiving sale and it's absolutely worth every penny (now Flower is back at its normal price of $10).

Best RPG

Demon Souls. One word to describe it, HARD. You will die and die a lot. It's an old-school RPG and I'm an old-school gamer. I need to get to a store and buy it. Plus, I've heard nothing but good things about it (way back in February).

Developer of the Year

If this was done before Christmas, it was Naughty Dog hands down. Instead, Rocksteady games gets the nod for *AGAIN* doing the impossible: Making a GREAT Batman game. This game company gets a ton of kudos from me.

PSN GotY

• Shatter
• Peggle
• Flower
• Pixel Junk: Shooter

You can play Peggle for free on your PC, and it's addictive. Shatter is Arkanoid with a modern day facelift. Any Pixel Junk game becomes addictive. However, the winner is Flower. It's so simple even a caveman can play it. All four gain my seal of approval of must buy games on PSN, along with Super Stardust HD.

Best Graphics

• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
• Batman : Arkham Asylum
• Madden NFL 10

What?! Madden is the best graphics category?!! Madden despite its flaws in gameplay is a gorgeous game in HD. B:AA is pretty impressive, but UC2 is the winner. Two Words: Train Sequence. That plus some crazy snow textures and faces that get damaged over time (something B:AA has as well) gives UC2 my best graphics. Playing UC2 in standard def (something I don't recommend if you can avoid it), doesn't put into words how much Naughty Dog has improved their game engine in a span of 2 years.

Retro Game Collection of the Year

It has to go to Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection. 40 games for $20, it's a steal of a deal. This game was on my radar when my PS3 was broke and I wanted it pretty bad. Sure you could pirate these games (some you won't be able to get because of DMCA), but that takes the fun out of some game. SUGC is a glorified emulated Genesis (or Mega Drive) with a handful of games missing (Gunstar Heroes and Outrun), but for the most part if you grew up playing Genesis games it should be in your collection.

And finally the Big Daddy, the Game of the Year.

Game of the Year

• Batman: Arkham Asylum
• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
• Assassin's Creed 2
• Killzone 2
• Modern Warfare 2

Out of the nominees, only two did I think highly of. In a rare case of me changing my mind at the last moment, I award my Game of the Year to both Batman: Arkham Asylum and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.

Uncharted gives you the best value for your gameplay. It's 50 bucks as I type and it's rare to see a single player driven game have a pretty good multiplayer. What I mean is, UC is a single player game, the MP is a bonus feature and a good bonus feature to boot.

Batman's game is exactly how you want a Superhero game to be. Get to face (hear and see) some of the rogues gallery. Using his gadgets to get across areas and use them in combat scenarios. Most importantly, the developers were fans of Batman and anytime a fan gets a hold to something they hold dear, chances are it's going to be good. I wish I could drive the Batmobile or fly the Batwing, but that's what sequels are for.

That's what I think of 2009's games hopefully 2010 and beyond will be equally as impressive. Speaking of 2010 games, here's that list of 10 games (on PS3) and little description on why you should keep an eye on them.

• Heavy Rain: I was a fan of Quantic Dream's Indigo Prophecy (one of my underrated PS2 titles). The moment they announced it, I knew it was going to be good. If you want to know how Heavy Rain's going to be, I suggest picking up a copy of Indigo Prophecy and playing it on your PS2, because BC PS3's can't emulated it right.

• God of War 3: Huge fan of the first 2 God of War games. Gonna get 3 because of the first two and plus I want to know how the story ends. Similar to the reason why I wanted MGS4.

• Gran Turismo 5: Die-Hard GT fan. People are waiting for Polyphony Digital to release the game. The release says March of this year, wouldn't be surprised if it's pushed back to the summer. Polyphony is notorious for game delays because they want their games to be perfect (i.e. no patches needed).

• Battlefield: Bad Company 2 : Two words: Destructible Environments.

• MLB 10: The Show : I'm a die-hard baseball fan. Missed Sony San Diego's 09 The Show on PS3. I did buy it on PS2, so they did get my hard earned cash. One of the best exclusive games on PS3, even if you don't like baseball.

• Dante's Inferno : Normally, I wouldn't recommend a game similar to God of War, but this clone seems pretty good. I've got a sneaky suspicion that some of the dev team on DI have worked on GoW or may have been fans of it. Either way, PS3 is gonna have some brutal games.

• ModNation Racers : I mentioned in the blog MNR, needs a lot of work. I'm beta testing it, not as much as BFBC2, but I believe MNR has a ton of potential. If framerate issues can be fixed and course editing is even easier, watch out Mario Kart.

• 3D Dot Heroes : It's an Atlus RPG, it's quirky, and it's $40 when it's released in May. Plus Link from Legend of Zelda makes an appearance, so it's full of win.

• White Knight Chronicles International : WKC was supposed to be out right around the release of Uncharted 1, instead the Japanese have it and we're getting that version plus a few things extra. The game's made by Level-5, a team who's used to making great RPG's. Some of their works include Dark Cloud 1 & 2, Rouge Galaxy (another sleeper PS2 title), and Dragon Quest VIII (the best RPG released on PS2).

• Final Fantasy 13 : The king of RPG's is finally coming after numerous delays, a multi-platform announcement, a death of my PS3. The only reason why it's on my list is because of it's weight in the industry.

These are my 10 for '10. Out of the blue, another title may come up and replace one of these on the list (like Mass Effect 2). Have a safe week and remember: '10 maybe the third year in a row that PS3 is the top dog.

Merry Christmas and All That Jazz

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!!!

Madden 10 Patch #2: Did It Save the Franchise? Inital Impressions About Patch #2

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!!!

Downloadable Content: Easy Way for a Quick Buck or Something Else?

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!!!

Better Late Than Never

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.

The Week of Weird

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.

Sports, Video Games, and More Sports

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:

1. Indianapolis Colts: It was a tough division game, but they won. Houston is definitely a team to look out for.
2. New Orleans Saints: They're no longer the 'Aints. Impressive comeback victory against a divisional foe.
3. Minnesota Vikings: Brett Favre went to the perfect situation. He's got too many weapons, and the defense is really scary.
   
4. New England Patriots: Read my previous statement earlier about them.
5. 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!!!