Tag Archives: Playstation

Wii Review: Wii Sports Resort

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Posted by Rob on June 14, 2010 – 11:22 pm
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While on my honeymoon, I stumbled across a $50 Best Buy gift card in my wallet, and was itching to head to the mall and buy something neat. In the end, I decided to finally pick up the Wii Motion Plus, which came packaged with Wii Sports Resort. I enjoyed the casual games of Wii Sports, so I figured I would equally enjoy Wii Sports Resort.

Wii Sports Resort is kind of a mixed bag, with some great games, as well as some lame ones. There are twelve total, though two (golf and bowling) are basically clones from Wii Sports, but with the Motion Plus controls. Before I get into the game, let me talk about Wii Motion Plus. It’s a small device that attaches to the bottom of the Wii Remote, but the problem is that the Motion Plus is encased in a silicon sleeve, so you have to go through some effort to attach it each time. The Nunchuck then connects to the bottom of the Motion Plus. This makes the controller bulky…what was initially a nice light controller in your hand is now getting weighed down with the Motion Plus and the casing. However, it’s only a minor annoyance, and if anything I hate it more for the effort to hook it up than the weight it adds (which is actually minor, but I just want to complain about it.)

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Ten of my Video Game Moments (in my life)

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Posted by Rob on January 23, 2010 – 9:02 pm
Filed under My Personal Life, Video Games
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Im not saying that what follows are the 10 best games ever made, or my top 10 favorite games. Instead, I starting thinking back through my life about some fond memories I have of playing video games, from growing up to nowadays. I  brainstormed a bit about these memories and to see what would to mind, and then I organized them chronologically and as you see below. Enjoy taking this trip down memory lane with me.

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PS3 Review: WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2010

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Posted by Rob on November 25, 2009 – 3:47 pm
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I always start off these reviews by saying this…I am no longer a fan of the WWE (I stopped following it in about 2001 or so, back when it was still the WWF). I do not watch it during the week, I don’t follow it online. All I know about whats going on in the WWE is based on each edition of Smackdown vs. Raw that comes out, so my knowledge is generally limited. That being said, I LOVE playing the Smackdown vs. Raw games (to hearby be referred to as SvR), and I tend to purchase the newest edition each year. Normally, there are some minor changes every year, but this years edition (2010) surpasses them all, and I think it is safe to say that SvR 2010 is the best wrestling game ever made.

I guess I will start with the actual in-ring gameplay. SvR 2010 now allows each wrestler to perform 16 strong grapples, as opposed to the old school 8, which means that each wrestler now has a move set that is twice as large. You use the right analog to perform a quick grapple, which is usually a cheesy weak move that wont do much damage, but is a great way to get in a cheap shot (usually a punch, kick, elbow, or quick takedown.) Then if you hold R1 while using the right analog, you will initiate a strong grapple. These are the big, devastating moves such as power bombs, choke slams, suplexes, DDTs, and all that other good stuff. Depending on the direction you push the right analog will result in different holds. For example, R1 and left on the analog will initiate a wrist hold, and R1 and up will start an up-close true wrestler grapple. Once the grapple is initiated, pushing the right analog in any of the four basic directions will result in a different move being performed. So that’s where you get your 16 moves from…four different grapple holds, and four moves for each grapple. You can assign which moves you want for each hold from a menu screen, and there are literally hundreds of moves to choose from. Oh, and lets not forget the grounded grapple moves. When an opponent is lying on the mat, you will be able to perform up to six different moves, depending on where you are standing (head, side, or legs), and if he is lying on his back or face-first.
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Election Day Plans

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Posted by Rob on November 2, 2009 – 7:54 am
Filed under My Personal Life
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Since the schools are closed tomorrow for Election Day, I dont have to go in. So Ive been thinking about my plans for tomorrow, and this is what I hope to accomplish:

  • Finish watching Season Nine of The Simpsons
  • Play SvR2010 (so long as it comes in on time)
  • Get my lessons finished for Wednesday
  • Start reading my Civil War book for class
  • Get a hair cut

That is what I hope to accomplish. Who knows what I will do. One thing is for sure though…the leisure activities will take precedent over the school ones!!!

The “Not so Exclusive” Juggernaut Character from Gamestop

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Posted by Rob on September 16, 2009 – 7:58 pm
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So this whole thing really got me mad. I had pre-ordered MUA2 for the “exclusive” Juggernaut code. I generally hate pre-ordering, but when the benefit was this good, I had to.

Then last Thursday Juggernaut was available on PSN for a $1.99 DLC.

Now, maybe its just me, but an “exclusive” Juggernaut character is one that is only available through Gamestop, and not through PSN. Dont get me wrong, Im not mad that its on DLC. Im glad…I think that making something as beneficial as an additional character an exclusive offer is stupid.

Anyway, my point is that Gamestop is messed up for claiming it was going to be exclusive, when it clearly was not. I only pre-ordered (thus paying the MSRP of $59.99) to get this once-in-a-lifetime character. Had I known that PSN would offer it, even though it was not free, I would not have pre-ordered. I would have just got it through Gamefly, do the “keep it now” for $47.99, get my 10% discount for having the year membership, and then use my $5 game credit you get every three months.

Bottom line is that I could have got MUA2 and Juggernaut for about $45 or so in the end (getting the game from Gamefly and then buying Jugs from PSN), but instead was misled into paying $60.

For shame Gamestop, for shame.

First Impressions: Wolfenstein (PS3)

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Posted by Rob on August 20, 2009 – 5:39 pm
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Finally got Wolfenstein in from Gamefly. They shipped it Monday, but I didnt receive it until today (Thursday). But enough about how slow shipping is. Onto my first impresions of the game!

Wolfenstein is a FPS set during WWII. The basic story is interesting, as it has the Nazi’s doing some crazy occult stuff, and its up to you (Agent B.J. Blazokwicz) to put a stop to it. So you run around, shoot Nazis and creatures from another dimension, and collect gold and intel pickups. You also get cash at the end of each mission, which can be used to purchase new weapons and upgrades. What was interesting was upon starting the first mission, I was rewarded bonus cash for playing Wolfenstein 3D from the PSN.I didnt play too much into it, so I only got $1000, but I wonder if I play more I get more cash, and possibly some other goodies.

The difference-maker in the game is the Thule Medallion. Its an artifact you receive early on, and you use it to alter the environment. For example, the two powers I have for it allow you to either view the environment with enhanced senses to easily pick out key locations, and also lets you slow down time, making it easier to dodge traps and bullets.

Also, in between missions you go to the town, from which you interact with individuals to prompt the next mission. You can also search the town for gold and intel documents, and take down Nazi soldiers who are patrolling the area.

So far its a lot of fun. The WWII setting, and the occult twist, has definitely got me hooked, and I already know I’ll be playing this game through. There is also an online competitive multiplayer mode which I have not checked out yet, but I will get around to it eventually.

Happy 20th Anniversary Sega Genesis!!!

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Posted by Rob on August 14, 2009 – 9:51 pm
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Today was the 20th anniversary of the U.S. release of the Sega Genesis. Since Im writing this, you are correct to assume that I owned a Sega Genesis back in the day. My first console was the NES, and eventually it was time to upgrade. I had two choices…the SNES or the Genesis. I dont remember why, but in the end the Sega won. I loved my Sega, until the day I replaced it with a PS1. Talk about brand loyality! However, I was happy with the PS1, and have since not strayed, still rocking my Ps2 and PS3. But I digress.

Sega was sweet. I remember how sharp and beautiful I thought it was, especially the original Sonic games. Sega had quite a few awesome multiplayer games such as  Golden Axe, Streets of Rage, and that cowboy shooting game I always forget about (not MadDog for the Sega CD, the cool side-scrolling one.) I also loved Road Rash, and they freakin’ NEED to make a new version of that for the next-gen consoles. WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU WAITING FOR EA?!?!?!

Then came the six-button controller, and I had a blast using that with Street Fighter II, the BEST fighting game ever made. I popped sooo much time into that game. Oh yeah, there was also that Eternal Champions fighting game, which was weird. It was a neat premise, but I remember it being REALLY slow, like all the characters were extremely groggy.

I also had a collection of Disney games, both because I liked Disney when I was younger (and I still do dammit) and because of my younger sister. We both played those games, like Aladdin and Lion King. I remember when she would play to a certain point where she got stuck, then I would take over and get her past a level or two, then she would play again. The ol’ pass-and-play. Oh, and we also used to play the crap out of NBA Jam. That game was the shizzle back then. Someof my all-time favorite catchphrases from a video game are “He’s Heating Up”,  “He’s on Fire!” and “The Nail in the Coffin!”

So yeah, I had some great experiences with my Sega. Once again, I dont know what made me choose the PS1 over the Dreamcast, but I think I made a good choice, and dont regret it. In memory of today, I will pop in some Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection on my Ps3 and rock through some games.

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Resistance 2 Medic only Mission

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Posted by Rob on July 25, 2009 – 3:48 pm
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I popped the game in today, and instead of doing the random players assignment (where you say “play now” and the game lumps you into a quick-play mission with seven other guys), I decided to find and join a room. While going down the list, I came across a “Medics only” room. Now, there is no way to enforce this, but the host wanted everyone who joined to be a medic. I love being a medic, so I decided to join.

There were four of us initially the first time through, and it was fun. For starters, its hard to die since everyone has their Phoenix guns equipped. Thus, you are constantly healing yourself through the Phoenix’s gun, but you can easily heal a squad mate who is in dire need as well. And if you did happen to die, you didnt have to wait very long, since the medics have the fastest revival rate. Of course, relying only on Phoenix guns has its disadvantages.

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PS3 Review: X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Uncaged Edition)

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Posted by Rob on July 23, 2009 – 3:53 pm
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I’ve been waiting to get my hands on this game for awhile, and Gamefly finally delivered. The game is loosely based on the movie, but in many ways, is actually better. While the movie cut back on the violence and such, since it was a PG-13 movie and all, the game did nothing of the sort. It was Wolverine at his savage best- mutilating enemies in a wide variety of ways!

The game follows the basic plot of the movie, with Wolverine being tricked into returning to Stryker so that his regen ability can be used to power up Deadpool. The game goes back and forth across the time when Wolverine and the rest of the squad are in Africa looking for adamantium, and then it goes to Wolverine getting the adamantium skeleton and then going on a rampage looking for Sabertooth. Across the game you come across some bosses from the movie such as Sabertooth, Gambit, Deadpool, Blob, and Agent Zero (the guy with the accurate shot).

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Sony’s E3 PS3 Conference

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Posted by Rob on June 2, 2009 – 2:01 pm
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I’ll be keeping this blog active and write as I watch Sony’s E3 conference. Im very excited for it…more so than Nintendo’s. Im looking forward to seeing more God of War and hoping for some voice chat news. Sony is really behind compared to Microsoft.

-Talking about the PS2. Interesting that they are still planning to keep it going, and keep making games for it. With the price tag of $100, everyone should have a PS2.

-Uncharted 2. Lots of gameplay. Looks awesome. The first one was great, and I would love to buy it, but its still a ridiculous $40 used at Gamestop. The game has been around for a long time, it really should be cheaper by now. But I think it is one of the PS3′s best franchises, next to Resistance.  Its gonna be a must-have.

-Showing off some MAG. Thats the 256-player FPS. Sounds ridiculous. Looks good. Also looks a little more complex and strategic compared to most FPS. I like how you can be a soldier, or pilot the tank or helicopter. Very cool.

-Some PSP info. I dont really care because personally, I believe the DS > PSP.

-MGS Peace Walker for the PSP. Not only do I not care because its on PSP, but MGS 3 and MGS4 were not my cups of tea. I’ll pass.

-PSN. FFVII coming as downloadable! Im soooo buying that!

-Home. What a waste of my time. Home is insanely ridiculous and retarded.

-New Rockstar exclusive game. Titled Agent. Im not sure how I feel. I dont like GTA games because I hate the controls. I’ll have to see how this one is.

-Assassins Creed 2 looks interesting. I dont know how I feel about da Vinci creating inventions to help the main character assassinate people…

-OK, seriously?! You have a trailer for FFXIII which comes out early 2010, and then follow up RIGHT BEHIND that with FFXIV?! Ridiculous.

-The PS3 wireless controller. Looks like a black Wiimote, but has a sphere that is read by the PS Eye. Seems pretty awesome.

Click here to see Joystiq’s full synopsis of all the gaming goodness that occurred!

Now I have to leave for school, so I’ll miss the rest. Was decent, but I think Nintendo had a better, more exciting showcase.

I was disappointed the God of War III has been set back until March 2010. I was really looking forward to it. Im hoping they decide to go with including Blu-ray versions of GoW I and II with it also, seeing how one cannot play Ps2 games on some PS3′s (particularly mine).

Only a Few More Days…

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Posted by Rob on May 8, 2009 – 6:30 pm
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Tuesday, May 12 is just around the corner. Its only a matter of time before I have the precious Sacred 2 in my possession! I plan on hitting up Gamestop nice and early in order to optimize my gaming time for the day.

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Gamestop wasnt so bad

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Posted by Rob on April 4, 2009 – 6:27 am
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So Im really lazy. Ive been wanting to sell a bunch of my old PS1 and PS2 games forever now. Im just too lazy to go on ebay and sell them. And I didnt want to trade them in at Gamestop because its a rip-off. But it kept bugging me. I had over 20 games just sitting there doing nothing. So eventually I gave in, and went to Gamestop. I had 9PS games, 10PS2 games, and 5 PS3 games I was trading in. I expected to get about $80-90 for  them. That wasnt too bad…it allowed me to trade in all my games I no longer played for a brand new game.

So I get there, and they dont take back PS1 games. So now Im like, “hmmm…I wonder how much I will get.” My game estimation took in the fact that I had some heavy PS1 hitters such as FFVII and FFTactics. So these are the games I traded in and what I got for them:

SOCOM- 13.87 (the best part is that its not even the full game…its only the online multiplayer version)
Conan- 7.50
Viking- 7.50
MGS4- 21
Simpsons- 12 (I had paid $9 for it new from Best Buy)
Simpsons Road Rage- 4.13
ESPN Hockey- .75
Lord of the Rings- Fellowship of the Ring- 1.13
NHL ’06- 1.05
Robin Hood- 1.13
The Thing- 1.13
Hunter Reckoning- 1.13
Street Fighter Anthology- 13.50
GTA 3- 3.37
XMen Legends- 1.87

SubTotal of 91.06

I then decided to spend 14.99 for the Edge Card and year subscription to Game Informer. This was good because it gave me 10% more trade credit on these games. Also, if you trade in six games or more, you get an extra 40% trade in value. So in the end,  I got 50% extra trade in value, which made the games worth $90. I thought this was a pretty good deal. Sure, some of my PS2 games went for a dollar, but what else am I going to do with them?!

So the grand total I got in store credit was  $76.07.

I spent 50 on Fallout 3 (it was $54.99 used, and I got an extra 10% off thanks to the Edge Card.) I put the rest as a down payment/ reserve on Sacred 2, which comes out in May.

All in all, it was a good experience. The trick is to get as much bonus credit as possible, by trading in games in bulk and having the Edge Card.

PS3 Wireless Headset

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Posted by Rob on January 29, 2009 – 7:34 pm
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I picked this up the other day, thanks to my awesome $50 giftcard for being “Employee of the Month” at work. Anywho, I just wanted to say its pretty great. Previously, I had been using my old PS2 wired headset/headphone thingy. It was clumsy and got tangled, and the audio quality was definitely lacking.

With the official PS3 wireless bluetooth headset, I have seen an increased level of audio quality. Also, not only do I hear better, but people hear me better. Whats also nice is that I can sync it to my PS3, and now I can get on-screen status reports for it, just like you would get for the controllers. So if I happen to somehow hit the mute button or turn off the headset, the on-screen icon pops up telling me whats going on.

If you play online, and dont have a bluetooth headset yet, then I highly recommend the official PS3 one. I have experienced nothing negative about it so far, and am really enjoying it. Its a great buy, and worth the cash.

PS3 Bluetooth Headset

PS3 Wins

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Posted by Rob on January 27, 2009 – 7:55 am
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So as you may remember, I was debating whether to get a 360 or a PS3 as my next gen. system of choice. It was a tough call for awhile, but I gave in to the PS3 in the end. Why? Well, for starters, I found a great deal on it, and in the end, it actually ended up being cheaper than if I was to buy a 360. This is due to the 360s need to purchase a separate wireless router ($90 or so) and the need to pay a subscription fee to play games online (I think it was $50 a year). So in the end, the PS3 was cheaper. Also, I got sick of hearing about 360 owners who went through three, four, or sometimes FIVE 360s because they kept dying on them. Nuts to that. I dont want to have to constantly be shipping my system out.

So Ive had the PS3 for a few months now, and I really enjoy it.

First and foremost, the graphics are awesome. One can easily see the advancements that have been made since the PS2. Also, as with the PS2, I love the controller. Im very comfortable using it, and I believe that it has plenty of buttons to deliver the most complicated games (by this I mean in regards to advanced controls). Some people claim that the game library is lacking, but I think its a great selection. Also, some of the PS3 exclusive games are totally worth getting a PS3 for, such as Resistance, LittleBigPlanet, and Motorstorm (oh, and did I mention the up-coming GOD OF WAR III?!?!).

Going online is quite simple and easy also. One icon from the main menu takes me to the PSN store, which is where you can buy and download games, or access free demos. Its quite easy to do, and I have never had any connection errors/problems. Playing games online is generally easy also. Each games access to online play is different, but most of the games offer little problem. Resistance is very online friendly, while some games (particularly WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2009) sometimes have issues, which results in it taking awhile to get a game on, and also is prone to lag. However, I must say that SvR09 is the only game in which I have ever experienced lag. So I blame that on THQ (the game developer), not on the PS3.

One of my biggest disappointments in the PS3 is the lack of voice chat. Not all games offer voice chat (once again, blame the game developer), and on some online games, it is necessary to have. For example, in the dungeon crawler Dark Kingdom, players have to constantly access their menus to upgrade their skills, equipment, and perform other functions. When you are playing with a friend online, you have no idea when they are doing this, so their character is just standing there, and you’re wondering if they are in a menu or just went to take a leak. The PS3 itself offers voice chat, but you have to be in a chat room in which to do it, and in order to do anything else, you have to leave the chat room. My grandest vision would be that you could chat with a friend out of game, as in you can be playing one game, your friend a totally different game, but still be able to chat. Im hoping that they fix this through an update one of these days, but I’ll hold my breath.

So in the end, the PS3 is the way to go. It may cost more than a 360, but it comes with the router already inside, and the online services are all free. Theres no need to subscribe to a membership just to play games online. Oh, and did I mention that the PS3 is also a Blu-Ray player? Take that, 360!!!

PS3 wins this generation’s console wars. ‘Nuff said.

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