TOP TEN: Playstation 3 Ads

About two weeks ago, I gave predictions on both NFL Championship games. One of which, the Colts, I got right. The other, Vikings over Saints, was a misfire. I did however say the game would go into overtime, so I win a little.

As far as the Super Bowl, I ran a simulation a couple of days ago and the Colts beat the Saints 31-16. Melvin Bullitt was the MVP of the game. I'll have to do one more sim, this time without Dwight Freeney.

The reason for today's topic was a bit spur of the moment. I was on Playstation Lifestyle (dot) com and they had a handful of PS3 commercials that they deemed 'cool'. I, of course, must go to the extreme and give my opinion with ten I think are 'cool'.

PS3 commercials have gotten progressively better over the years. The earlier ads were okay at best. The Saliva ads were pretty good, but I think Sony's marketing department is hitting their stride with 'It Only Does Everything' ads To save on bandwidth, some ads have clickable links with the appropriate youtube videos. Before I begin, I must (as a show of how terrible PS3 ads in North America were) show the demon-devil-doll ad.



I also have an honorable mention with the Best Buy 'BOOM' ad.



There's no criteria for the list (one rule, I at least have to see the ad one and no offense to my European PSN friends, but I watched one of the 'This is Living' ads and they were a little out there. I usually like out there stuff, but that was beyond me.) I won't have any mini-commentaries after each ad.

10. David Wright : MLB 07: The Show


*Mini-comment: This was one of the better 'creepier' ads in the PS3 lifecycle. Also, it has the 'creepy' PS3 jingle, which I wish would have been the disc boot screen before it was removed with 3.00 update.*


9. PS3 Montage


8. PS3 Slim $299 Rumor

*Despite what people think, this was not one of the first 'Dear Playstation ads'. It made me chuckle inside because a majority of PS3 gamers go on blogs and get rumors. Then to see a company deny and eventually admit to something we knew was true."


7. MAG

6. Ratchet and Clank: Future : A Crack in Time

5. Desperate Father

*If my dad did this to entice me to my games with him, I'd run away from home.*

4. Unsatisfied Girlfriend

*If my girlfriend was mad at me because I didn't hook up the PS3 to the internet (or hook up her game system). I would shame myself and sit in the corner and not eat for a few days.*


3. Uncharted 2


*Originally, I had this at number 2, but realized that the current number 2 is very funny. Plus, if your gf sits and watches you play games, that's one that you can 'file that under not a issue.'*


2. Ungrateful Grandson


*The best comeback ever. You should use it in an argument on the internet, you'll probably win.*


1. Dustin Pedroia : MLB 09: The Show


*One of the first (if not the first) Dear Playstation ads. I'm a huge Red Sox fan (I should say a huge sports fan, in the interest of full disclosure). On Youtube, there's a whole series about the debate offered in the video. If you don't feel like searching here's the videos*


Angry Yankees Fan



The Agent



Hitting Coach


Have a great day (or if I don't blog again this week, great week) and remember the Dreamcast ads, "It's Thinking!!!"

The Fall, Rise, Fall, and Rise of the PS3

Hello gamers, I couldn't think of a good title for this blog topic. As you can tell, I've been thinking about the future of the PS3 and what it could possibly mean for those who own the PS3. Originally, I wrote this topic on a blog on gametrailers(dot)com, and I decided since another major game is around the corner to revise this blog. If you wish to read my earlier post about this go to gametrailers and search "36PSWii".


But before I begin the actual topic, I've got two things I wanna share. First, since I didn't write about the keys to victory for the NFL Divisional Games, I'll give you predictions of who's going to the Super Bowl. Two games were played on Madden NFL 10, and the first game (Vikings/ Saints) was a high scoring game. Vikings 48 - Saints 45 in overtime. The second game Colts and Jets was a blowout; Colts 38 - Jets 10. Vikings and Colts are in the Super Bowl and the week before I'll simulate the final score and post it either in my comment and/or my blog.

Second, I've got an issue with friends deleting me off their PSN account. I had this happen when I was gone off PSN for a year and a half. That I didn't mind, because I wasn't online and I had no way to tell people not to get rid of me. The issue that I have is people that I add delete me with no warning. Typically, if I delete you off my friends list you're either not online for a year or you've done something I didn't like (and I'm a pretty hard person to piss off). I shouldn't get too emotionally attached to something like this but that's my two cents.

The Fall, Rise, Fall, and Rise of the PS3

The PS3 has been out for about 3 years (technically this is going into the third year, but I digress) and it seems as it's been out for 10. At the beginning of the PS3 lifecycle, Sony fanboys (myself included) defended the system from bogus claims and valid claims such as no games, copying Xbox Live, and it was too expensive. All of which is true, and it seems as though some decisions Sony has made increased the number of gamers who purchased a PS3, but also it had at one point divided the Sony base (the one's who bought the system for $499 and $599 respectively). With great games all has been forgiven, such as the Uncharted franchise and Ratchet and Clank, and at least two more great games are around the corner such as Heavy Rain and God of War 3. This history lesson can show companies what mistakes not to make. The mistakes Sony has made, there are also some successes that were made. The next six months are going to be great for PS3 owners or they could be a failure depending on the decisions the Sony execs make.

The E3 Fiasco

Arguably the most infamous thing Sony prior to 2007 was famous for. If you never seen the fiasco, I've got a brief youtube video on this link. I watched it live and thought it was okay at best. Everyone was eager to find out what exactly the PS3 was "capable" of doing. Of course, tech demos of MGS4 and the infamous Killzone 2 trailer were shown, but games such as Genji had promise (too bad it failed for anyone to remember it), and I can't forget about Heavenly Sword a.k.a. the Goddess of War (that's what some people called it).

The two things many people complained about (back in 2006) was the price of the PS3 and how many versions of it were planned on being released. As many people know, the PS3 was originally released in two forms, the 20 gig and 60 gig version at the price of $499 and $599 respectively. Sony figured since Microsoft could get away with making multiple consoles, they could also. The one thing I give Microsoft credit about the first Xbox and Sony for the PS3 is the mandatory hard drive. After the E3 presser (press conference), people were questioning Sony's audacity to release a console for 600 bucks. At that time many people started to dig Sony's grave and rushed to the 360.

System Launch

The PS3 was launched in Japan November 11, 2006 and North America was released on the 17th. There were reports of people getting shot and injured (someone may have been killed, my memory's on that are a bit fuzzy, but I think someone was). People on EBay were charging upwards of $10,000 for one, and I was trying to get money just to buy one (for $600 of course). During my Christmas vacation from college, I ran across one at a Wal-Mart two days before New Year's and another one at Wal-Mart in my area. Me and my homeboy were going back to school and we stopped at our Wal-Mart to pick up a few items that we needed. The night before I picked up Twilight Princess on the Gamecube and started playing it. The next day, January 7, 2007, I finally had the money to buy a PS3, and to my surprise Wal-Mart had one. I didn't notice the night before if there were any.

I was a happy man to finally get a PS3, but there was one problem, there were no games out that interested me. In the beginning of 07, I wasn't an FPS fan, so Resistance: Fall of Man was out of the picture. Instead, I bought Madden NFL 07 and NBA 2K7. A few days later, I bought Fight Night Round 3 and Ridge Racer 7.

During the PS3's infancy, the things you can do on it now, such as internet browsing, watching downloaded videos from PSN or on your thumb drive, media servers, in-game cross media bar, and whatever else we can do now, wasn't even possible on PS3. Another thing the PS3 had a big problem was updates. It seems as if there was a system update EVERY DAY and these were mandatory and if you didn't do it, you could play your game. There's a list of other things you couldn't do, but I don't want to waste time remembering it. PSN itself was bare-bones. Of course you could download demos, but it's not how it is now. Some demos are rare, if you didn't download them from PSN when the PS3 came out, you would never see them again. Gran Turismo HD Demo is the perfect example of this.

The only bright side to having a first generation PS3 was that you could play ALL of your PS2 and PS1 games, so that made up for the lack of games. It wasn't until November 2007, that 'Uncharted' waters became a little clearer.

An Uncharted Future

Naughty Dog, the creators of Crash Bandicoot and the Jak and Daxter games, hinted they were going to make a realistic looking game for their first PS3 game. It was called Uncharted (with no Drake's Fortune subtitle). Back in 2005, when I first read about it in Game Informer, I thought to myself, there's no way this game is going to be any good. Slowly, my homie Rambeaux (who at the time didn't have a PS3), was talking the game up and I was leaning on the fence about it. It wasn't until the demo of Drake's Fortune was released back in the first week of November 07, a few weeks before it's retail release. I downloaded it and immediately I was hooked. The graphics were stunning and made me proud to say I was a PS3 owner. I got the game during Christmas and spent time beating the game and trying to find all the treasures.

Before Uncharted, the PS3 didn't have many games specially made for it (Yes I'm aware of Heavenly Sword, Lair, and Ninja Gaiden Sigma). Insomniac Games the month before released Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, Activision released Guitar Hero 3, and EA had Rock Band. Activision also released a little title called Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, that changed the landscape of gaming both online and offline. The online part of CoD4 was addicting and that's where I made a few friends and joined a clan.

During the first half of 2008, the PS3 was getting stronger by the day. Folding at home was released so PS3 owners could help to find a cure for cancer. Playstation Home was still in the closed beta stages and just about everyone was looking forward to it. Some game called MGS4 was coming out in June and it had it's own console bundle. The 80 gig PS3 was getting phased out and the 40 gig would be the 'NEW' standard. I also can't forget about GTA4.

*Quick Comment*As a first-gen PS3 owner, I was okay with the 80 gig system. It at least had backwards compatibility. The biggest mistake Sony made was getting rid of BC. As you can see on PSN, they have PS1 classics and there are some rumors that Sega said that PSN might have PS2 classic games. Add to the fact, the God of War Collection was released and many people want the MGS franchise rereleased as a PS3 title. Some friends of mine had this debate years ago, and I'm still hearing people wishing PS3 had BC. *End Quick Comment*

After July 31, I had no access to the internet to tell my PSN friends not to delete me. I assumed that the wireless connection that I was 'borrowing' would be back on an unfortunately it wasn't. Before I left PSN, I downloaded 2.40 and read that a lot of people (probably 10,000 people) had their consoles bricked. Lucky for me, mine didn't brick, but what I didn't see was the 'death' of my PS3.

A few days before Christmas, I was playing MGS4 and my system got hot and shutdown. At the time I knew my PS3 would get hot (as all phat before the 40 gig was released would). I didn't let my system completely cool off and jumped right back on it. 2 minutes later, the fans completely shut off and the system powered off FOR GOOD. I died inside, but at least I got MGS4 from my dead system. This wouldn't be the last time a PS3 of mine would shutdown.

'Uncharted' Waters Again?!

During the Christmas holidays I went back to the PS2 (phat) and played games that I didn't have time to start playing, such as Indigo Prophecy. Since Heavy Rain could be considered a spiritual successor of IP, I suggest those who want to get a feel of how HR is might be like pick up IP from Amazon(dot)com. Brand new it's 109 dollars, but a used copy will cost you $10. Also during my PS2 frame of mind, I bought Guitar Hero World Tour (instead of getting my PS3 fixed) and MLB 09: The Show. With my birthday coming up and my PS2 probably on it's last legs, I decided now was the time to get it fixed.

I went through Sony's online Customer Service and placed an order for my coffin. My original receipt had water damage to it, so I did my best to handwrite the information that couldn't be seen. I thought that I wouldn't be getting a PS3 back, but Sony loves money. After a week or so later, I got my current PS3, 60 gig backwards compatible. A part of me, still wishes it was my original, but I can't complain. I also kept my limited warranty just in case this one dies on me and I can get it fixed (I still also have my receipt as well).

I finally got back online August 09 and I noticed that most of my friend's list has vanished. A few people kept me on. To make up for lost time, I downloaded demos of games that I missed to see if I really wanted to buy them or not. One game that impressed me was Batman: Arkham Asylum. The demo of Uncharted 2's multiplayer came out as well and I encouraged most of my friend's list to download it. I bought UC2 and had a blast playing it (I still have a blast playing it). Trophies and Home were finally implemented (even though trophies were around since the 2.40 update).

Fast Forward to Now and the Future

Now, with the PS3 looking more stronger, there's a few things that we need to keep an eye on. One in particular is the premium PSN that could be coming by E3. It's going to be something similar to Qore, you'll get access to betas, videos, and other extra stuff that the free accounts won't get (until a little later). I think could be a good thing, but I'll have to do more research about it when it's announced.

Second, the motion controller. It's going to be a gimmick, just like Sixaxis control. I'll keep an eye on it, but I won't buy one.

Finally, the games. After the initial drought of games that PS3 had early on, now there's too many games to buy. I personally want Demon Souls, God of War 3, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, and whatever PS1 classics may come out.

This blog ended up being a little longer than I expected, but when you've got a lot to talk about, your mind goes in different directions. I hope you enjoyed reading it, as much as I typed it.

NFL Playoffs Plus Random Gaming Info

What's up world!! After writing that long blog, I needed to recharge the juices (and find some more topics to blog about). I figured the NFL playoffs would be a great place to start, but before that two topics that caught my eye over the last few days that I wanna give my two cents about.

Gilbert Arenas

Agent Zero, as I like to call him, did by far one of the stupidest things in the history of sports. Here's a link to what he did. As a basketball fan, Gilbert is among the best at scoring and cracking a joke or two. This was a joke that went too far. He claimed that he was trying to get his guns away from his kids. However he brought the guns to work (the arena) and D.C. gun laws say that you can't own a firearm. Mr. Arenas is probably gonna get jail time and his contract revoked. No NBA team would want to deal with the headache Gilbert causes and I think his career is effectively over.

Harry Reid, U.S. Senator

I have the utmost respect for Senate Majority leader Reid. I don't like how the Senate Health Care bill has shaped up (I think the House version is better because of the Public Option. I truly believe that true reform is with a single payer system). Despite that, Leader Reid made some questionable remarks about Candidate Barack Obama. I give him a pass because of all the things he's done as a member of the Senate. His choice of words could have been better, but I understood what he was trying to convey.

NFL Playoffs: Wild Card Round

I was watching most of the playoff games this weekend at my moms. The Jets/Bengals game was lackluster. Cincinnati hasn't been the same ever since Chris Henry died. I didn't expect them to show up, especially what happened to them the week before. The Jets shutout the Bengals last week and Saturday proved what I already knew, the Jets are scary hot.


Though they're not as hot as the Dallas Cowboys. After 13 years of losing playoff games, they've finally won a game. I'm happy for Jerry [Jones], Tony [Romo], and Wade [Phillips]. IF there's one team that scares me the most in a one game situation it's the Cowboys. Defensively, they are among the league leaders in defensive categories. The offense can hit a big play in a blink of an eye, and if Romo can be mistake free, they could represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.


The shocker of the weekend was the Ravens destroying the Patriots. I was on my PS3 checking to see if it was working right, more on that in a bit, and I saw the score was 14-0. I stopped what I was doing to watch the Ravens defense harass the Patriots in all three phases of football; Offense, Defense, and Special Teams. I think the Patriots dynasty is over, though I think they will at least win their division next season.

The best game of the weekend, even though I fell asleep during it, was the Cardinals/Packers. It had the makings of a blow out while I was watching it for 3 quarters. I headed back to my room to take a nap and the next thing I knew the score 51-45 in overtime. I saw the highlights and was just in awe with Aaron Rodgers. Green Bay made the right decision in getting rid of Brett Favre, because Mr. Rodgers can play.


This week is Ravens/Colts, Cardinals/Saints, Jets/Chargers, and Cowboys/Vikings. Before the games are played I'll give a keys to victory or a who I think will win.

PS3 News

In about two months time (give or take) Gran Turismo 5 will finally be released. This is another game that made me get a PS3 although it would be YEARS before it would eventually be released.

You probably seen on PSN I was playing a game called Peggle. It is addictive and totally worth the $10. You can also play it for free on your PC on popcapgames.com. The best way to describe Peggle is the game Plinko on the Price is Right. When you clear the board, you get to hear Ode to Joy and it gives you that sense of accomplishment.

My PS3 almost died on me last Saturday. It had overheated while I was playing Batman: Arkham Asylum. This was the same thing that happened to my O.G. PS3. The only thing I did different was NOT to play it when it got too hot. One of my PSN friends said I might have the Yellow Light of Death coming soon. I'm being extra cautious for the next couple of days until I know it's working right.


It's time for me to check out some Fight Night Live on Spike. So, I'll check in with my loyal readers next time.

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!!!