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Batter up! Konami brings the sweat, strain and muscle of a real batting cage to video games with its The Cages for Wii. Get ready to take on 19 different practice pitches ranging from fast balls to curves in the ultimate pitching and batting game ever created for the baseball lover. Test you batting skills in mini-games either alone or against fellow gamers. Wii's Motion Plus makes The Cages: Pro-Style Batting Practice seems as real as the real thing. Various challenges such as home run, distance and most points test your control of the bat as you swing and hit balls to all areas of the field. You can even track your cardio and calorie burning! So step up, suit up, pick up and shut up as you pit your batting skill
against The Cages: Pro Style Batting Practice. The look, the feel and the excitement of a real turn at bat
will keep you swinging and going for the run. Hey, batter, batter!
What if you had the ability to manipulate time? What would you do with it? Would you use it for good or for bad? That's the premise behind Activison's new first-person action game Singularity. When a Russian Cold War experiment in time, element 99, goes terribly wrong you must use the Time Manipulation Device to unravel and repair the time line as you travel from 1955 to 2010. Through your journey you must fight threats from the past, present and beyond as you scramble to save time before it is too late. Singularity combines science fiction and horror as you bounce from alternate histories and parallel realities. Explore the secret Russian Base Katorga-12 and uncover long hidden secrets in documents, audio and video files and more. Witness the shifting of history as you manipulate Echo Events, Time Shifts and Time Rifts. With Time Manipulation Device you can age or renew objects and people, stop time and control gravity. By using the Chrono Plug and Chrono Pull you can find your way through time and pull objects from the past or future. An arsenal of weapons is at your disposal when using the Time Manipulation Device such as the E99 Seeker, Auto Cannon and the Dethex Rolling Grenade Launcher. You can even upgrade your weapons. Play in Extermination or Creature Vs. Soldier modes with six-versus-six team based gameplay online. Singularity is a bold new experiment in gameplay. The special effects, character designs, environments and storyline all combine to make a totally unique game that I predict will become a huge success with gamers. I was amazed at the time sequence effects-especially the reassembly of long dead objects and people and the rapid aging effects used against enemies. This is no game for sissies as the action is intense, the adversaries
ruthless and the gameplay fast and furious.
Isn't it time you played Singularity?
Transformers: War For Cybertron Experience first-hand the final battle for Cybertron as either an Autobot or a Decepticon. The slightly redesigned Transformers (with the blessing from Hasbro Toys) battle it out in 3rd person action including several multiplayer modes from four character classes and choice of abilities and weaponry. With the push of a button covert from robot to vehicles in a variety of environments. Players can compete with each other via console or online using their own unique characters through the most important moments in the final war for Cybertron. Activision has pulled out all the stops in its latest Transformers video game with more action, smoother transformations, lightning fast battle, more weapons, more levels, more detail, more color and special effects, more Transformers and more fun. Look for Transformers: War For Cybertron in all games formats, rated T for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, T for Teen Fantasy Violence for Wii and E10+ Fantasy Violence for DS. War For Cybertron makes for some awesome game play with plenty of
surprises, stunning visual and sound effects, breakneck game play and so much
game play variation courtesy of multiple environments and Transformers that
are sure to please any serious video gamer.
Blur, from Activision, is an action packed racing game that makes me a bit nostalgic. The obvious objective is to be the first to cross the finish line. Although, having the fastest car and being a good driver is not good enough here. In order to be first, mastery of the power ups placed throughout the race track is necessary. Power-ups range from a homing missile to lightning road blocks. Choosing the correct ones for your situation is something to think about too. The road block probably isn’t the best idea if you’re in first place. The same idea with last place. Picking up a shield won’t do any good. The racing itself would have been enough to make this game a good choice for race fans. But the addition of the power-ups add the chaos that will get you addicted. If you’re the single player person, blur has plenty to offer. The absence of any real story is a downer. But the road to being the best is an amazing ride. Racing on the tracks is how you prove yourself worthy of taking part in one-on-one boss races. Winning this race unlocks their car for use and a car mod. It sounds simple, but the objectives just to participate can be difficult, but entertaining just to attempt at. Some examples would be to push an enemy car off the side of a mountain. While others are more generic, finish a track with X time. As you race, you gain fans. Fans can be gained by completing task on the track or by just doing whatever it takes to win. When certain fan numbers are reached, new cars become unlocked. With this said, there are twenty-five total levels in the single player game. Leaving you with plenty of unlockable material. Add this with its multiplayer feature, and you’ve got a game with every penny. The online multiplayer adds much to the single player game. Along with increasing the level cap from twenty-five to fifty, you’re racing against other players. Which adds competitive gameplay. Being out in front of the pack is nice, but you’ll find yourself swerving and picking up shields often in an attempt to stay there. While being in last can be just as fun. Everyone is in front of you, giving you plenty of targets to shoot at. There is lag at times, but never enough to intrude on the fun. Unfortunately splitscreen takes a back seat to online. The removal of the rear-view mirror makes it harder to take down opponents who are behind you. Other than that, the multiplayer is solid and will provide hours and hours of enjoyment. Too finish the package, Blur looks great. It uses real world race tracks and over 55 licensed photo-realistic cars. As the race goes on, your car will become damaged. This is represented by the life bar above the car. But it’s also noticeable just by looking at the car. The bumpers can come off, windows could be broken. The hood could come completely off. These little details really show how hard the developers worked on the game. For the future of Blur I hope to see some DLC (downloadable content) put on the market. Blur is a refreshing take on the racing genre and is a game I would recommend to all racing fans alike.
If you enjoyed the latest Shrek movie from Dreamworks you’re going to enjoy the new Shrek Forever After video game from Activision available in all game formats. Playable as a single player or in groups of four, Shrek Forever After lets Shrek and his friends (Fiona, Puss In Boots and Donkey) travel between two realities while they solve puzzles, fight Rumplestiltskin’s army and gain experience and skills. Playing the game is like watching the movie: special effects, animation and environments are crisp and full of detail and almost match the quality of the computer animation used in the film. Players’ response times, movements and interaction with other characters is smooth with no lag time, funky overlaps or unnecessary awkward moves. Follow Shrek as he suddenly finds himself in a wickedly twisted version of his reality where ogres are hunted, Rumplestiltskin is ruler, no one knows who Shrek is and nothing is as Shrek remembers it. Shrek must set things right, find his true love and save his friends. Each character has their own unique
abilities and with perseverance can obtain coins to acquire new skills and
upgrades. It’s a unique Ogre
opportunity to make Shrek’s fairy tale have a happy ending. Shrek Forever After is rated E10 for
cartoon violence comic mischief and mild lyrics.
Heart Gold/Soul Silver Guest review by Jack Campbell Pokemon has returned well in a way. For those of you who have been playing Pokemon for many years you will remember gold and silver. Well they are back as Pokemon: Heart Gold/Soul Silver. You the gamer will return to the Jojto region to catch, train and battle your way through the Pokemon you remember so well. The enhancements from the original which has been brought over from the previous Pokemon outing on the DS, Heart Gold/Soul Silver for Nintendo DS adds several additional boosts to the already familiar style of gameplay which seemingly take away many of the little niggles that have plagued the series since its inception. The most pertinent of these changes is the fact that you can now finally toggle run which is great for any of you which have played the old Pokemon games. Not having to hold down the B key the whole time is a nice perk. A player can do this by tapping on the stylus running shoe icon. The DS versions have been set up so that the gamer can do each command with a stylus click. Another perk to the game is that you can set more than one item to your quick-use list. Finally, as previously seen in Pokemon Yellow a player will be able to see his or her lead Pokemon walking along with him or her in the game. While this feature doesn't inherently add anything to the title, it's nice extra to be able to interact a little more closely with one of the animals that you dedicate so much time and effort into. Another cool extra which comes with the game is the Pokemon walker called
well the Pokewalker .The Pokewalker allows a player to
beam one of his or her Pokemon from the game into a small Pokeball shaped
device. A player can take the Pokewalker any where he or she wants to. When
walking with the Pokewalker every step the gamer takes is called a Watt this
helps with leveling up your Pokemon and helps unlock cool extras like routes
which will allow a player to find more items or battle and catch Pokemon. The Pokewalker also allows a gamer to play against other players. What cool is that the Pokéwalker stems from the fact that players can be greatly rewarded just by walking. Maybe it's more of Nintendo ability to get us up and do something rather than play their games all day. Either way it's a lot of fun.
If you thought the new Dreamworks computer animated movie: How To Train Your Dragon, then get set for Activision’s new video game for Wii. Rated 10+E for fantasy violence the game is bursting with awesome animation, exquisite backgrounds and environments and awesome features including the ability to customize your dragon! Choose to play Hiccup or Astrid on the island of Berk in scenes taken directly from the movie with a few additional scenes thrown in for good measure. Dragons and riders can face off other dragons, train to gather strength and skill, go on adventures, explore their island and take part in tournaments. Multi-player Mode allows gamers to play other characters in the film and
look for loads of mini-games to sharpen your skills. Play the game and take the adventure pat
the film to whole new arenas of fun, adventure and excitement as you pit your
skill as a dragon rider to its limits.
So what are you waiting for?
Mount up, take flight and have the time of your life as a Viking
Dragon Rider!
Guest review by Jack Campbell Toki Tori from Three Tribes has now come to the PC. After years of being on the Wii, the cute puzzle game has finally crossed over. In Toki Tori you play as a little chick called Eggbert who is trying to find his lost siblings(eggs). To get back his siblings Eggbert is armed with many tools. Eggbert can freely walk around each stage, but that won't be enough to get all eggs. To accomplish that, you use the tools at your disposal which chance based on the level your currently playing. Using these, you can do things like build a bridge, create a block, freeze an enemy, or even teleport. There are four key locations in the game; Forest Falls, Creepy Castle, Slimy Sewer and Bubble Barrage. Each location has ten basic levels and then you can choose to stay and attempt the "hard" stages (seven in the first two worlds, nine in the third, six in the last) . If you want to beat the game, you'll have to beat the hard stages eventually, but if you're not so confident you can do the rest of the normal stages first. Together there are over 70 locations to puzzle your way through. Some of the levels are much harder than others. Two Tribes has stated that if anyone gets stuck they can contact them for a hint. I will not lie there were a couple of levels were I had to on the net for help.
Music and graphic wise, this is a great game. The music is amazing and the
graphics are very smooth. The game retails for $4.99 - a steal of a deal. I
have however seen the game on sale on Steam for $3.75. Any puzzle lovers out
there should shell out the $4.99 and pick up the game.
Guest review by Sopheap Eang Divinity II: Ego Draconis plays similar to the online giant World of Warcraft. That's not a bad thing, why change something that isn't broken, right? Did I mention it didn't go online? It's my one and only complaint. The story starts off with a very well made cut scene that includes the soon to be nemesis. Afterwards the player is sent off to a tutorial village. Here, the basics of the game are taught. The game uses standard WASD controls are us-ed. The number keys 1 through 6 are used to map certain skills or items for quick use. All of the other windows for items, the world map, etc. can be accessed using the ESC key. Each window can also be accessed by individual keys. Something to be noted is that every character is voiced. It's a nice touch. The graphics in the game are acceptable. It doesn't do a whole lot to "raise the bar", but it does a good job of maintaining the standard. With different computers, different impressions are made. To truly appreciate the game, a top notch computer is a must. Throughout the adventure, a multitude of environments are visited. Woodland paradises where small rabbits frolic in the fields. To dark caves and corridors where turning a corner could mean death. One scene I personally found enjoyable were raiding goblin settlements. Then taking their hearts to sell to a soldier in a nearby village. Quests in this game are a large source of where a player gets his/her points to level up. These quest made me question my sense of right and wrong. For example, it's a time of famine, and a villagers pigs, who he thinks of as family, are taken by soldiers to feed other starving people. Will you sympathize with the pigs' owners. Ultimately causing the death of others, or will you say its okay to part a man from his "kids". There are many quests that make you think about good and bad. They shape who you are in the world of divinity. Character development is where all the replay value is coming from. The player has control over every aspect of their character. Their physical prowess with melee weapons, their to pick off targets from a distance, and their metal strength to perform magic. Notice I said "and", the game doesn't limit a player to classes. Having the ability to mix and match skills make gameplay very different for different character builds. Giving hours and hours of play. Divinity II: Ego Draconis from Larian Studios puts up a good fight against other games in the RPG genre. I can see myself playing this for a very long time. Making this game worth every penny it's worth.
Guest review by Jack Campbell Insomniac seemed to have honed their skills with the last two Ratchet and Clack games. The balance of hilarious and badass has been great with the new attention to the series . Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time according to an update from Insomniac is the last in the series. For any who played the last one you know that this one begins with Ratchet in search of Clank. When you play as Clank, you will explore the Great Clock, a station built in the exact center of the universe (give or take a few feet) to monitor and control the flow of time. Clank finds out that he is not just a random error and that he was built to be in charge of maintaining the Great Clock in his father’s absence. Doctor Nefarious tries to take control of the clock to control time itself, Ratchet must join forces with the only other living lombax in order to stop him. The storyline itself is fairly average, yet again very funny at parts
there are great plot twists though out the game. The part which got me
rolling was the donning of a disguise Doctor Nefarious and then roaming
around his fortress ordering the destruction of his minions. Ratchet
& Clank Future: A Crack in Time will take you as you make your way
to the center of the universe. Traveling from planet to planet as you search
for a way to access the Great Clock will pit Ratchet against changing
climates and strange enemies, all of which pridefully deviate from the norm
and keep the trip fresh and interesting. Make sure to check out all the
weapons which Ratchet is known for.
This is one of the only action platformers to come out this gen. I am
sorry to see the series going away.
Are you ready for the next generation of interactive video games? It's here! Activision presents for Wii, Tony Hawk Ride, a totally interactive skateboard that gamers use to perform awesome skateboard moves on screen. Tony Hawk Ride includes a full-scale skateboard (minus the wheels), designed with sensors, that when used allows players to emulate skateboard moves. Flip, slide and perform all the moves a real skateboarder does! With a little practice you can even create your own moves. Players can choose to be a professional skateboarder or as a cute Wii character. You don't have to be a skateboarder to play. Various skill levels allow you to hone your craft and learn how to control the board. The board is totally interactive with no buttons or controllers to mess with. The board does all the work. Full motion sensing technology allows players to perform skateboarding tricks and motions as if they were actually skateboarding. Incredible environments and challenging obstacles make Tony Hawk Ride a real rush. The characters and levels are colorful and well designed, there's plenty of visual effects and get ready to rock the house with cool, high energy soundtracks. Choose your level, where you want to skate, how difficult the maneuvers will be and even play multi-player, online or compete with other in the Hot Seat and create your own modes. Personalize it, share it and have a great time. Robomondo is the developer for Activision for X-box 360 and PS3, while
Buzz Monkey provided the technical expertise for Wii. No matter what system you choose, Tony
Hawk Ride is sure to provide you with plenty of thrills, spills and
chills.
No other band in the history of rock and roll has had more influence on music and popular culture than The Beatles. From their early days of performing in small 'dungeon' clubs throughout Europe to their final days as a studio band with Apple Records, The Beatles Rock Band for PS3 from EA and Harmonix delivers The Fab Four to Beatles fans worldwide. Jam with the band or sing along with up to three singers-no matter which your choose, you'll live, breath and perform as only The Beatles could. I grew up watching The Beatles. I
remember seeing them when they first appeared on the Ed Sullivan show as mop
top teenyboppers during the early 1960’s.
I watched as they progressed to Nehru jackets, experimented with
drugs, embraced Eastern religion, joined Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club
Band, walked on Abbey Road, split up and went their own creative ways. The Beatles: Rock Band has captured the sheer exuberance and joy of watching the band perform. Clever animation and background sequences emulate the periods when the performed their hits. I got a real kick out of watching the psychedelic sequences and the Abbey Road studio period. The video game starts off with a clever sequential animated short that takes viewers through the entire experience of The Beatles, from teeny bopper to longhair to socially conscious commentators. Hidden jewels let you see actual footage of The Beatles at play, in public and at work. They really give you a connection to the band members-not as iconic trendsetters, but as real human beings caught up in a cultural phenomenon. The Beatles changed the face of society, from the way dressed to their very public opinions, use of drugs and free spirits. The Beatles: Rock Band allows players to experience what it must have been like performing as a Beatle-both in front of live audiences and in the studio. Unlike other Rock Band games, The Beatles game lets you play selected greatest hits as they were performed. No additional band members can be added-although you can add some extra vocals and there are no audiences except when The Beatles performed live. All-in-all The Beatles: Rock Band is a killer video game with great
graphics, and an entertaining and
well-executed format (I love the historical accuracy) and lots of fun to play
or sing along with.
I really got excited when I heard that LucasArts was releasing a brand new Indiana Jones Lego video game for Wii. The first version was a lot of fun and by all indications the second release would be even more fun. They were right! Indiana Jones 2 is wonderful homage to the Indian Jones films and this time around it includes Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Look for full 360 degree adventure with awesome levels, equally impressive background, action, special effects, sound and sound effects and of course lots and lots of humor. All of your favorite Indian Jones' supporting cast are present as are his most notorious villains, dangerous locations and exotic locals. Indy and his trusty whip and gun take on the bad guys, barely escape clever traps and have a rousing good time doing so. Look for all-new levels and most exciting news of all-an all-new builder Mode where games can construct their own level! That's right! Gamers can construct their own game level with cast, vehicles, terrain, traps, dangers-you name it, you can design it! Plus, the new slit-screen capability lets players experience the game in pairs without being tethered together. Roam around all you want. This is a truly exciting and fun game that the whole family can enjoy wit hours of playtime, lots of surprises and of course LEGO snap together building. Look for more bosses, more danger, more vehicles and tons of playable characters. If an adventure video game has a name it must be LEGO Indiana Jones 2!
Pirates, Days, Hysteria and Fairytale Travel the Seven Seas as you search for Blackbeard’s treasure and the
Seven Keys of the Seven Seas. It’s
all-out buccaneer adventure in Pirates: Duels On The High Seas from O-Games
for Nintendo DS. Gather a daring and trusted crew as you search for treasure, battle pirates,
run blockades and battle sea monsters when Britannia ruled the waves. It’s non-stop action and adventure that’s
rated “E” for everyone. Test your wits and mettle as you sail uncharted waters, collect weapons,
crewmen and treasures as you search for the elusive Seven Keys. Single and multi-player options make
Pirates an exciting high seas adventure with memorable characters, beautiful
vistas, intense battles and lots of surprises. “Avast me hardies!
Shiver me timbers and set sail.
We’re off to find treasure, treachery, tempestuous seas and
temptation!” Imagine yourself traveling through time.
Envision yourself as a soldier pulled form the Battle of Little
Bighorn and thus being saved for certain death. Suddenly you find yourself thrust into pivotal battles and
skirmishes through out time. Sometime in the future Dr. Koell, the head scientist of the Kronotek
institution, has discovered abnormalities and aberrations in the time
flow. Key moments in time are being
disrupted and unless they are repaired time will run amuck and history as we
know it will be changed which in turn will alter the present and future. You are given the unenviable assignment to travel through time, right the
wrongs (involving warfare) and set things aright. With the guidance of Mother and assigned co-patriot Dexter you
travel the time stream, stop at important intervals and take part in
historical battles. Here’s the cool part, you get to use futuristic weapons. For example: a machine gun during the
Civil War. There’s lots of bloody
action set against historically accurate environments. Look for plenty of full 360 degree action,
realistic battle and plenty of weapons.
The game does have a few glitches, such as slow character reactions and
movement and the occasional clunky weaponry and confusing scenarios, but
all-in-all, Darkest Of Days is a fun play from Valcon Games made for Xbox 360 and
Xbox Live. I get the impressive production on the game was rushed without catching
all the glitches. It’s a good concept
that needs a little more fine-tuning. Have you ever thought of getting into the medical field? If so, you want to check out Hysteria
Hospital: Emergency Ward from O-Games. You might want to change your mind. In Hysteria Hospital players work in an Emergency Room and it seems like
there's an emergency every few seconds. It’s frantic and panic as you deal with patients and their crazy
sicknesses, doctors, and order supplies all while trying to cope with a
million other tasks. The pay is good but the hours are a killer. It’s stress, distress and just a plain mess as you design your
own Emergency Room, travel to seven different hospitals, travel through 60
levels of excitement and emergencies and work you tail off to become the very
best nurse in the medical profession. Take a bird’s eye view of the action as you rush around each Emergency
Room performing different tasks and trying to keep your sanity amongst the
insanity! Look for Hysteria Hospital: emergency Room for Wii, where the playtime is
fun time and the fast-paced frantic frivolity is fantastic. Who doesn’t love Fairytales?
Everyone has memories of listening to enchanted tales of fairies,
giants, magical realms and happy endings.
Well, if you’re expecting any of those things from Playlogic’s Fairytale Fights for
Xbox 360, then you really are living in a Fairytale. In the game you play disgruntled and fame-seeking Fairytale has-beens, Red
Riding Hood, the Naked Emperor, Snow White or Jack of the beanstalk fame, who
are desperately trying to make back to the top of Fairytale fame. Follow them as they slash, hack, disembowel, dismember and do despicable
acts in their quest to regain their lost fame. Arm yourself with a myriad of weapons and magic potions and get ready to
rumble! Slice and dice through
friends and foes, go on-line for more mayhem, spill galloons of blood and kill
your adversaries in every conceivable manner from freezing to burning. Don’t let the idyllic scenarios and cute characters fool you. Blood runs deep in the streets of
Fairytale Fights.
Rated T for Teen, the new Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron video game for PSP delivers upfront Empire/Rebel action and adventure as only LucasArts can deliver. Elite Squadron allows the player to go it alone, team up with other gamers, battle on the ground or in the air. On ground and in air battle affect one another so the dynamics of the game shifts depending on what events are happening on either level. You can design and outfit your own character, choose weapons and species and search for and obtain items and bonuses. Each of the classic movie battles can be recreated from Hoth to Endor. Choose you mode of transportation form ships to ground vehicles, choose Modes such as Heroes and Villains (to play classic Jedi or Sith characters), track stats and battle your way through 12 campaign levels, multi-layer battlefronts. Elite Squadron also presents new characters form battlefront, Renegade Squadron and The Force Unleashed. Play is full 360 degree with full detailed environments, excellent character vectoring and textures and sound effects and sound track that makes you feel as if you're deep in the action as portrayed in each movie. Take Star Wars around in your pocket.
you never know when you might meet up with aliens, Sith or the
Empire.
Activision's Guitar Hero is a tremendous success. Knock-offs have sprung up-some good, some not so good. Playing a guitar is one thing, but if you don't have the turntable time, you're only making so much noise. Activision presents DJ Hero that allows gamers to take control of the music with a custom turntable to manipulate and customize each of the nearly 100 track s included and party, party, party! Be the life of the party as you take center stage as the DJ who rules the music. Combine game play, hot music from every imaginable genre and lets you bring hot DJs from all over the world into your home. Look for such stellar stars as David Bowie, Blondie, Marvin Gaye and many more. If you love music, of any kind, DJ Hero is the live music experience for you. Learn how to mix, sample, freestyle, choose scratch patterns and bust a move. Go solo or compete with others to win the ultimate DJ supremacy. Cool features include DJ + guitar and other combos, custom set lists, unlockable characters, venues and gear, multiple multiplayer modes, and easy to operate contraolls. A complete tutorial is included that guides you through stream buttons,
platter controls, rewind, crossfader, spikes, effects, freestyle, euphoria
and a plethora of platter performances
that will pacify, placate and provide plenty of pumped-up, primal play
as DJ.
X-Box 360 owners have reason to celebrate. LucasArts introduces its brand new video game Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes that faithfully follows the events and style of the animated series. As can be expected from any LucasArts game, the graphics are crisp, clean, carefully mapped out with smooth refresh, with fully-integrated backgrounds, full 360 degree play and stunning to look at. Visual and sound effects are topnotch as is the soundtrack, voice-overs and overall design of the game. Gamers will feel as if they've stepped into an episode of the animated series. Featuring a brand new storyline that bridges the gap between season one and two, players take part in stopping an new techno assassin. Play all of your favorite characters, along with a few new ones, get full use of the Force and Jedi weapons and you have to see your speed and agility to believe it. Blast Droids, take part in mass destruction, control enemy forces with the Force, earn rewards, play multi-player, upgrade, unlock bonus items and immerse yourself in the Star Wars Universe. Single-player or multi-player, the choice is yours as you join the forces of good against the evil that threatens the Republic. Buy it now, it's great. "Trust me." |
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