After playing NBA 2K8 some more, I'm settling into it and enjoying it more.

I still have some issues with it, but finding some stuff that I like a lot... for the first time in a sports game, I kind of enjoy having to manage the players egos. 2K8 has a slick system, and it adds a lot to the franchise mode.

The arenas are fantastic... the crowds look incredible (some even wear team jerseys now) and they even do the things the crowds do in real life, like shouting "SHHHEEED!" when Rasheed Wallace shoots the ball, or yelling out "DEEEETROIT BASKETBALL!".

The top 3 plays of the game, hot zone system, and more detailed stats are most excellent.

Where I still have problems is that the animations appear more jerky than 2K7... like there are frames of animations missing, and at times the player movements are spastic... trying to stop on a dime and shoot can be frustrating as your player keeps moving after you stopped. The game has a faster pace to it than 2K7, which sounds good on paper, but leads to the spastic movement.

I also noted a few quirks with the announcing... they recycle some old diaglogue, but added some new stuff. The new stuff sounds recorded differently and sticks out like a sore thumb. It sounds like the announcer was sick or his voice changed. It's weird to hear.

New expansion for Heroes of Might and Magic V called Tribes of the East.

It features new race, Orcs, and it added a variety of other things. Orcs are splendid, might oriented race, with inventive new race special, Rage.

I recommend.

You cant be serious about that statement. Its way too old style anime . Unless that statement was to bait me and Tony so carry on

Skate

Haven't played a skating game in 4 years, kind of wanted a new one. Was going to choose between either this or Tony Hawk's Proving Grounds, decided to get something a bit different than I had played before.

Good decision. It's a very good game. A big hard at times, given the more realistic style of the game, and controlling with the analog stick instead of the D-Pad takes some getting used to. But I really like the feel of the game, can even be fun just skating around the city grinding off things and running into people. The tricks actually look cooler to me because they aren't as unrealistic as the Tony Hawk games.

So far so good. Hopefully it lasts a while.

My roommate rented Just Cause for the 360. I'm watching him play it right now. We've been laughing our asses off all evening at how ridiculous it is.

Just Cause was a weird game... it was very close to being something good, but fell apart on some crucial aspects.

In the end, I enjoyed the grappling, the aircraft, and the idea of the setting (there was some pretty scenery, especially from the air). But, it was just too big of an environment with nothing going on to be anything better than mediocre.

Yeah, I've only played about two hours, but it seems very repetitive and it doesn't come close t the scope of GTA, which had way more missions and side missions. The idea is nice - a sandbox game with the objective of revolutionizing against a whole government - but the implementation fell apart.

I will say that the game is incredibly fun to just mess around with. The physics are off-the-wall, but they are fun to pass time.

The side missions involve liberating a territory or doing a very similar task... I forgot the exact number, but it was over 100 of these missions... doing the exact same thing over and over and over again. It was the most ridiculous thing I ever saw in a video game, but of course, I did them all just to get the achievements!

But, yeah... the physics and especially playing around the with grapple hook was fun. I loved grappling to a helicopter and then somehow hijacking it... although, I was beginning to suspect that it would not really possible to do in real life..

Further impressions of Skate.

I definitely picked the right skate boarding game to purchase. This one is a lot of fun, and quite long too. The analog control for a game like this takes a loooot of getting used to, as the D-pad is generally a better option. The fact they don't even have it as an option, when all the D-pad does is make you give a thumbs up, is incredibly dumb. However, I feel I've gotten a good hang of it.

The flick it controls I think I have got down pretty decently, the only time they become a real problem is when you are doing S.K.A.T.E matches (like HORSE) and have to copy someone's trick, which is tougher than it should be. It's a good thing the computer usually sucks at that game.

This is all about street skating, really. Sure, there are times where you have to do verticle, but the quality of the street skating design is a lot higher. Verticle can be kind of annoying, particularly when trying to get some good air for some good grabs, which is why I usually don't do it unless I have to. It can still have its moments, but overall I mostly do grinds and flips and what not.

My biggest quibble is that after a while you kind of just keep doing the same tricks over and over, because they get you so many points. But it is still a lot of fun. It is a rather huge city. I've already played it I think over 10 hours or so (didnt count, so cant be sure) and it looks like there is a lot left to go.

Right now, thinking of an 8.5-9.0 for my grade.

Mario Strikers Charged




Pissed off! I just played through the Second Cup, the Crystal Cup. I was (W-8, L-2, SD-0), only matched by Baby Bowser. Anyway, in the elimination round, I managed to hold Wario off by barely winning 2-1. Then Mario must have beat Baby Bowser. So it was me (Waluigi) and Mario in the finals. I thought I was going to lose. It was 2-0, Mario with just over a minute left. But I was able to score 2 goals quickly, and then the last 30 secs I owned him and won 6-2. So I got a shot at the Crystal Cup Champion, Diddy Kong. If I beat him, I'd unlock him, unlock a new field, and win the cup and advance to the next Cup. Well, he is a BITCH!!! The Championship matches are 2 out of 3, and I lost the first two. His special move is a pain. He calls upon a space ship, I think, that abducts one of my players for around 30 seconds or something. And he's the first opponent I played where the sidekicks use their special moves alot and skillshots. I almost won the first match though, 3-2.

So, I have to restart the cup, and play through all 10 matches again. Then the elimination round, and if I win that, the rematch with Diddy Kong.

It's getting challenging which I love. I do wish there was one retry option per match though. Or at least for the Championship match.

Its a Holiday in Cambodia where people dress in black! Pol Pot! Pol Pot! Pol Pot!

It seems that Guitar Hero is getting worn down a bit. Other than new songs and battle of the guitarists, there really hasnt been much expanded with the game series where at this point they are pretty much milking the series dry with the steep price.

B/B-

I loved GH1 and GH2, but oddly I am not excited about #3 at all... the series really needs something new. The more I think about it, the more I'm certain Rock Band is going in the right direction and GH is not.

Manhunt 2 on the Wii

I dont know where to start but to say Im pretty disappointed in the game granted that some of the stuff has to do with censorship of the executions but also the controls itself on the Wii. First by starting out is that I have my Wii HDTV compliant but I couldnt help but notice the graphics were not just on last gen graphics but it looked like it was a straight port from the PS2 AND the graphics didnt change much at all from the first Manhunt released like 4 years ago. Having put that aside, Im thinking graphics are flawed but at least the gameplay is fun.

So that part is taken care of, I get to the storyline and theres no relation to the first Manhunt where you have so many psychopaths chase you as if it was a game, the plot isnt anything like that but it was more like the game "The Awakening" which I thought was only an average game itself. You pretty much play a schizo psychopath escaping the asylum but the real problem is the game is more somber and quiet like the Silent Hill games and Doom. Barely did I come across that many hunters and if I did it seems like stealth executions seem to get screwed up alot because of how much of a hinderance the Wii controls are and these controls itself is what I have a problem with the PS3. Its simply not that responsive or intuitive. I always have to end up fighting the hunters by hand to hand combat. Thats my second strike.
My third strike however has to do with when my executions go through but the sequences itself gets blurred out as much as looking at negatives of a photo and what makes it worse is the Wii controls go through 4 different phases of button meshing which distracts me from engaging in the sequences itself since my eyes really have to stay glued to the combination button. Its my main gripe with Heavenly Sword to because if you screw up any of the sequences your whole execution gets rejected. I wish the game was as simple as the first one where you just time your killings without having to go through like 5 motions

Looked into the gamespot forums and it wasnt just only me that thought the Wii controls for Manhunt 2 really hindering the enjoyment of the game. They said it was less blurry on the PS2 and you dont have to go through the motions of millions of motion meshing to get the execution right. My grade so far is a C+ which makes it the lowest grade for a Rockstar game since State of Emergency

The games Rockstar makes outside of GTA are never that good. Rockstar is a one-trick pony developer.

Does Max Payne count?

I disagree with that. Bully, The Warriors and Max Payne 2 got great reviews.

I like Midnight Club and Max Payne a lot.

I didn't like the Warriors that much, and Manhunt never appealed to me. Bully sounded semi-interesting, and I'll try the 360 version out.

I think Bully will turn out to be a straight port from the PS2. Rockstar has done this many times with the GTA story games and the latest from Manhunt 2 which looked like a straight port from the PS2 unless the graphics really sucked that badly on the Wii

I'm sure it'll be a port, but it should have some better graphics and achievement points. That'll be good enough for me.

I was going to add that I don't necessarily disagree with Demandred either. Even though I like Max Payne and Midnight Club, Rockstar would not be kept afloat with those alone. If you take GTA out of their library, they don't have a lot to fall back on. I wouldn't go so far to say they are a one trick pony, but they have only one tentpole franchise.

Hold on here guys...... Max Payne wasn't made by Rockstar. I don't why all you seem to think so. Max Payne was made by Remedy, the developer that is currently making Alan Wake for the 360. Oh.... i know why you guys think Rockstar did Max Payne. Rockstar published the ports of the PC version of Max Payne for the PS2 and Xbox and then did the same for Max Payne 2. They were the publisher not the developer for those games.

They also published the PC versions.

I see the Rockstar logo on my very precious and totally awesome copy of Max Payne 2.

I wasnt sure if you were counting them, though, as it does have Rockstar, but developed by Remedy.