NoF 4 LIFE - ABSOLUTELY!!!

Okay, so I finally decided to set up shop on here too.. And I don't regret it! You GameSpotters are quite neighborly. Add me and I'll add yoooooooou! Let's buddy up with a mutual track!! =oD

[ Check me out, y0! - http://yogizilla.wordpress.com ]

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• 29Aug 08

  My Whereabouts, N+ Shocker, and The Decline of Gaming Clans

  First and foremost, I wanted to let all my friends know that I am still alive! I am now a resident of California (San Diego, to be exact). As always, moving out is a long process. I'm getting settled in, becoming more of a family man, etc. etc. There have been lots of changes in the past few months and, boy, it's been a wild ride!!

  Anywho, I've toned down my gaming affinities quite a bit but I'm still itching for some good fixes here and there. Currently, I'm into the quick fixes like those you'll find on XBox LIVE Arcade. I've also been into some heavy karaoke, for poops and chuckles. Yeah, I got sucked into the crappy American Idol version of Karaoke Revolution. They really need to port the old version to the X360 - much more songs to select.

  Speaking of song selection, I'm stoked for Rock Band 2. I just hope they'll be smart and make the peripherals compatible across-the-board. The addition of cymbal ports is definitely a smart move. Now, Rock Banders will have the pleasure of boasting 200+ songs right out of the box; that is, if you own both Rock Band and Rock Band 2!

  Back to XBLA, I've really gotten into Fable II Pub Games. Still not sold on Fable II but I am a lot more interested. Apparently, Pub Games is a freebie for those that pre-order Fable II. I'll pass for now.

  My one gripe with F2PG is that Fortune's Tower is the only game with a real strategy to it. Keystone and Spinnerbox are much more about luck and being smart enough to change your bets often (and knowing when to quit). Spinnerbox could have been so much more.. It seems a bit lazy as finished product but I must admit I love watching those coins spin.

  The neat thing about F2PG is that you get all sorts of perks for Fable II. Unique items and game enhancements can be unlocked by winning various tournaments and such. It's a good time for everyone! Alas, no online multiplayer.. Shockingly, I bought the game anyway!

  Onto the next XBLA treat, I've been really surprised with how good N+ really is. It's gotten some crappy reviews, mostly because people judge the graphics rather than the gameplay and abundant features. The multiplayer options in N+ are amazing. The level editor is a huge treat.

  Watching your ninja die never gets old but this game has much more than just cheap gimmicks. The racing and coop modes in N+ add tons of replay value to the game. I find myself loving even the basic singleplayer modes are surprisingly addicting. I'll have you know that pure platformers annoy me.

  While I think 2D games still have a place, I rather be without some of the heavy platforming elements. N+ somehow finds a way to make the physics and headaches of it all really draw you in. I'd go as far as to say that N+ succeeds where even games like Prince of Persia (the newer versions) fail. The controls are easy to get and very much responsive so your focus is on just figuring out solutions to the puzzles at-hand.

  Basically, N+ is a puzzle game in an action-packed wrapping. It's a good mix and it does it without being too pretentious. Don't get me wrong, I love PoP but I think a lot of the spirit of old-school games has been lost in an effort to bolster eye candy. N+ may not be the sexiest-looking game (if you are a polygon counter) but it is very much stylistic and well thought out.

  N+ uses some very simple T&L, pixel shading, and anti-liasing to make for a game that may not be up to today's standards but it certainly not ugly. I can't focus enough on how much of a pleasant surprise the game is. At first, I told my buddy, KiNgDeeM, that I couldn't get into the game cause it was too simplistic and I'd get bored easily. The fast-paced nature of the game makes it addictive and highly replayable.

  I don't know how good the DS and PSP versions of N+ are but there's a good reason this game has quickly become a cult classic. Just check YouTube and other viral video sites and you'll see lots of fan fare. N+ is definitely worth looking into.. Darn it, we need more people hosting online sessions too.. Ranked and not!

  BTW, my belief on XBLA pricing is that no game should be priced above 400 unless it has replay value and multiplayer options. N+ has both and is well worth it. There are, however, many XBLA games that I feel should be more at the 400-600 range but that's for Microsoft to wise up about.

  In other news, I am in a writing mood once again and I have a little free time (sorta) for once. I have a piece I'm writing and syndicating on MySpace, N-o-F.com, and Facebook. It's about the decline of gaming clans, in a nutshell. Should be a good read for those that are open-minded. Yes, I'm getting back on the soap box. ;o)

  • Posted Aug 29, 2008 4:29 pm GMT
  • Category: Rant
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• 5May 08

  Why using the Rock Band guitar will make you very sad.

  I just wanted to get the word out to all of you. I am officially convinced that the Rock Band guitar is a huge POS. It looks nice and it feels more like a real guitar until you start to use it and the aesthetics no longer matter. Immediately, you'll notice that the Rock Band guitar is hard to strum on. I had hoped they fixed this issue with the wireless guitar, which a friend so graciously bought me for my birthday. Nope. The strumming on the wireless guitar is still GARBAGE.

  How can I describe the strum bar on the Rock Band guitar? It's like a loose vagina lip (or a limp penis if you prefer). I'm sorry for the visual but that's just how it is. It just flops about and doesn't seem to do much of anything for you. Strumming on the Rock Band guitar is much different than using the uber-responsive Guitar Hero Les Paul or Xplorer. As others have mentioned, the Rock Band guitar just feels cheaply made, as if you can easily break it (that's cause you CAN easily break it).

  The duty cycle for the Rock Band guitar can best be described as "casual use". I have a friend that uses his every day for at least an hour and his strum bar is so loose that it feels like it is going to fall off. As the retention and resistance of the strum bar fades away, so does the responsiveness. This means you have to strum harder and it can totally throw your rhythm off. When you use the RB guitar, you're pretty much forced to down and up-strum constantly or just strum REALLY hard.

  I gave the RB wireless guitar a chance due to a few friends that swear by it, even after using the Guitar Hero controllers repeatedly. I can now summize that they are crackheads. There's no way an uninfluenced mind can arrive at the conclusion that the RB guitar is better. Let's look at the things beyond responsiveness that make the guitar BLOW.

  The Rock Band guitar, unlike any of the Guitar Hero controllers, does NOT break down easily. There's no quick release and, if you're not careful, you can break the guitar. Even putting batteries in, which should be a snap, is a painstaking process. If you don't happen to have a decent Phillips screwdriver, good luck. Those machined screws are a pain to take out. Four of us tried to no avail. I had to try some MacGuyver stuff to get it to work.

  The absolute worst part about it all is that you can't play Guitar Hero (any of them) with the Rock Band guitar. WTF? I knew this ahead of time but, still, it just seems like such a waste. If only they sold wireless guitar controllers for the 360 separetly - I would have totally gotten that! But the only way you get this is via online sale. Good luck finding it in the stores. The extra guitar was an impulse buy some friends encouraged me on and I feel bad they spent their money on junk. I'm about to break down and sell this POS for half the price to my delusional friend. With the money I make, I'll just get a wired Guitar Hero controller. Bump it. I can't deal with the RB controller anymore! =oX

  Overall, the extra features and sweet style of the Fender Stratocaster-inspired RB guitar controller is not enough to make up for the ultimate suckiness. The lack of software support and production value makes me sad. It'll make you sad too. Avoid the Rock Band guitar at all costs and sell it onward if you have it!
  • Posted May 5, 2008 10:03 am GMT
  • Category: Opinion
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• 28Apr 08

  GTA IV: On The Hype Pipe Or The Real Deal?

  Call me crazy but, to me, the best Grand Theft Auto was GTA2 for the PC. Why? It had a really fun online multiplayer mode. I didn't mind the overhead view; heck, that made lots of games (Fallout, X-Com, and Syndicate included) perfect. Sadly, post-Windows 98, the game stopped working (without some sort of hacks, that is). Grand Theft Auto IV seems to be going back to the roots of the game while throwing in the things that made GTA3 so great.

  Now, as many of you know, single-player games rarely hold my attention so, for me, a brunt of my time in GTA4 will likely be spent in the multiplayer mode; that is, if I still pick up the Limited Edition game. There are hardcore GTA fans forming the line as we speak. I will take my chances and try to pick up the game tomorrow. If they don't have the LE version, I'll take it as a sign and either not get the game at all or forego the cool swag.

  In any case, GTA4 is all the buzz now and the cynical gamer in me says there is no way it will live up to the hype. I feel the game will be a good temporary excursion and diversion at best. If you're like me and single-player campaigns do not do it for you, you may feel the same way. But wait.. There is some hope!

  Since the game is already in the hands of a few lucky people, a lot has been leaked. The multiplaye modes do seem quite promising. It's not merely free-roaming and co-op modes. There will be free-for-alls, team deathmatch, and objective game modes as well. One of the modes that really appeals to me is Mafiya Mode (it's actually called something else but let's just stick with this for now - it's short and sweet. I like the concept of multiple teams working together to complete objectives. According to many sources, you get to use your in-game cell phones in this mode to communicate with team members or trick gullible enemies into going off-track from their goals. I really dig team objective gameplay (which is why I do a lot of Search And Destroy in CoD4) so this alone makes me have a little more faith in GTA4 online play.

  The other multiplayer game modes do not seem to make much use of the cell phone but that can be a good thing. The interesting thing is that GTA4 creates a fluid open world (or at least the illusion of it) by foregoing a traditional opening menu and starting you off where you last saved. From there, your cell phone becomes a device for contacting friends and launching the various game modes. I am glad that Rock Star really went with a robust multiplayer system and not a very grass-roots thing.

  For the old-school GTAers, there will be plentyo f races, car thefts, and destruction. The ADD/ADHD gamers will be happy to know that Free Mode is indeed a reality so you can run around and do whatever you want, or you can get creative and create your own objective-driven game modes. Some of the suggestions for Free Mode include touring Liberty City, checking out the local hookers, going bar-hopping, searching for easter eggs, and trying to out-run the law at six stars. This game will be a dream come true for those that like to keep themselves busy with lots of options.

  While I am keeping my enthusiasm in check, I am curious about the multiplayer. It's been so long that I've been hearing the rumors of the various features. Hearing that they are the real-deal is great. I'm also happy to hear about the exclusive XBox 360 content cause, quite frankly, my Sony fanboy friends are getting way too annoying with their silly brand loyalty. It's almost cult-like how crazy they get about their games. Let me tell ya': Metgal Gear Online is cool but nothing to write home about. It's basically Vegas 2 sprinkled with features from other popular FPS games, if you ask me.

  Getting back on-topic, Grand Theft Auto IV promises a lot. I have to wonder how much it will actually deliver. I know that, even if I enjoy it, CoD4 and Vegas 2 will still be my main bread-and-butter but, seeing how I have a lot of fanboy friends in my clan, NoF, I'll be sucked into the friggin' game one way or another. Haha... Well, see you guys on GTA4 at some point - back to work for me so I can be ready for some gaming fun later! =oD

  • Posted Apr 28, 2008 1:46 pm GMT
  • Category: Games
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