01.01.08
Posted in Game Reviews at 12:13 pm by earl
(8.75/10.00) I have been a big fan of the series of Simpson games in the past, but this game really showed me what could be done with the franchise. And despite a few flaws, this game succeeds. The story is relatively simple, with the gang basically realizing that they themselves are in a video game. However, they take it different ways. Marge wants to change the world, Bart wants to use his superpowers to fight crime, and well Homer, he just wants to eat. You run an early few of the just-right 16 episodes trying out the different powers of each character, and then the plot thickens with Treehouse of Horror-related episodes, and then they move on to try to save their game from extinction when the “Xbox 720″ comes out. Each character has his or her own ability, with Homer’s super ball attack and gummi ball, Lisa’s Hand of Buddha and it’s assorted attacks, Bartman’s Skills, and the occassional Maggie level, the game is well balanced. The game is also hillarious, with the all of the cast reprising their voice roles. You can just walk around SPringfield and hear random quotes or funny sayings as you walk by. There are several hillarious moments, and several references to the series sometimes only veterans will get-Linguo. I really liked this game, although it did sometimes have some flaws. The camera is one of the biggest, several times getting in my way of completing the mission. Also, sometimes the mission objective could have been a little clearer, and you’re a little curious as to what to do. The language in this game can also be a little coarse, too coarse for younger gamers. However, if you like the series and you want a great game to keep you busy, this is the game for you.
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Posted in Hands-On with Earl at 11:55 am by earl
Assassin’s Creed is one of those games that comes along once every now and then and does something new. Something fun, exciting, and original that leaves you speechless. The first few levels I played showed a man in modern times, outside of the past setting. The people experimenting on him want to find out more about his past ancestor’s assassin-y, so they probe his memories. So the whole game is taking place…..in your mind! After a quite wordy explanation, you do a long tutorial, which then leads to the action. You play as Altair, a trained assassin who plays by his own rules. He’s disrespectful to the leader and is banned. You now must work your way back up to get your title back. But I paid no attention to the story. I was busy watching Chocolate Rain on Youtube during the cutscenes. Anyway, you get into the cityscape and I, using the unique and sometimes troublesome control scheme, went attacking. You can use the face buttons for mapped to each hand without any other buttons for “socially acceptable” acts, or hold R1 and do the same button presses for I guess non-acceptable acts, like killing innocents. I ran through throwing more people down and attacking more innocent people than Sylar at a quiz bowl. The game had an overall fun feel, and I look forward to possibly playing it more in the future.
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12.28.07
Posted in Movies, The Tube, Top Tens, Video Games at 2:26 pm by earl
Hey guys, this is The Earl-ies 2007, where I designate the the best of the year. Thanks to everyone who voted and argued about Pirates of the Carribean 3, but ultimately I have decided the winners. I decided not to give out awards to games I had not played, which eliminates a lot of categories. I found that’s they weren’t based on the game’s quality as much as they were just guesses. But don’t worry, I still have tons more to offer. I’ll list the category, below it some nominees if there are any others, and then I’ll start a sentence with the winner in bold writing, just so there’s no confusion. Let’s move on. Oh and by the way, Super MArio Galaxy won Gamespot’s Game of the Year!!!
Best New TV Show of 2007
Chuck, due to the hillarity of the situations, and how it reminds me of Monk. That is a very good thing.
Best Returning Show of 2007
Scrubs Heroes The Office My Name is Earl Monk Psych Mythbusters
Tie Between Heroes and Scrubs, because Heroes delivered not one but two awesome finales this year, and Scrubs is as funny as ever, and it won’t be here this time next year. (Tears)
Best New TV Show Character of 2007
Monica Dawson Adam Monroe Bob Bishop
Adam Monroe, thanks to his cool theories of wiping Earth’s slate clean and just being a cool villain.
Best Movie Moment of 2007
Maelstrom Scene in Pirates 3
Final Battle in Transformers
Destruction of Venom in the Bell Tower
Any of the Skating Scenes in Blades of Glory
THIS IS SPARTA!!!!
Maelstrom Scene in Pirates 3, there’s just so much going on, that it’s automatically awesome.
Best Movie of 2007
Spiderman 3
Wild Hogs
Pirates of the Carribean 3: At World’s End
Transformers
Blades of Glory
National Treasure 2
NAtional Treasure 2, this is a great movie and one that any fan of the series should see.
Top Video Games of 2007
7. Metroid Prime 3
6. Assassin’s Creed
5. The Simpsons Game
4. Halo 3
3. Ratchet and Clank 5
2. Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock
1. Super Mario Galaxy-It is a picasso of gaming. True Perfection.
Best Console of 2007
Wii, because it has a perfect game.
Biggest Dissapointment of 2007
The Writers Strike
Brawl in February
No More Scrubs SOon
No More King of Queens
They are all equally dissapointing.
Game Most Looking Forward to in 2008
If you don’t know the answer, leave.
Best DVD of 2007
Heroes Season 1
Transformers
Pirates 3
Heroes Season 1 Thanks to the great Features and the Bargain at $40!
Thank you guys for reading and I hope 2008 is a great year for all of you!
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12.27.07
Posted in Game Reviews at 10:41 am by earl
(7.75/10.00) This game came with the Wii Zapper peripheral, and it is well worth the price of the Wii Zapper alone. After popping in your Wii Remote and Nunchuk into the peripheral, you get started into Link’s Crossbow Training. It works pretty well, with the look of the Zapper basically going for a gun shape. There are 10 levels in the game, the first 3 already unlocked. You have to meet a certain point level to be able to go on to the next level. I got stuck on Level 5, but soon I’ll move on. There are 3 game types, one where you just point, shoot, and rack up points, another where you have to defend yourself from live targets, and another where you have full control of Link. The game looks just like Twilight Princess, and is quite reminiscent. Although it takes some getting used to, Link’s Crossbow Training packed in with the WiiZapper is a bargain at $25.
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12.22.07
Posted in Video Games at 4:54 pm by earl
What? You mean videogames actually came out this week? DId they have anything to do with Guitar Hero? No, then why bother! Ehh, OK, we actually had a pretty good week in video games. With releases like NIGHTS: Journey of Dreams for the WIi, and ATV Untamed for multiple platforms, it was a solid week. However, the Game of the Week has to be MX vs. ATV Untamed….for the Wii. Hah hah!
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12.21.07
Posted in Hands-On with Earl at 10:48 pm by earl
I got my hands on two adrenaline-packed titles of this year, and I had a pretty good time with them. Let’s Start with SKate. Oh yeah, I also played Guitar Hero 3 for nearly 45 minutes in Sam’s. Skate was the potential Tony Hawk killer this year, however, I haven’t found anyone claim a verdict. I will. Skate kinda feels better to me. I would control my skater with the left analog stick, and the board with the right. The controls take some getting use to, beut in the end they feel solid. I snapped the right analog stick back and to the side a couple of times, and found out a couple of times what the ground tasted like, but pretty soon I was pulling ollies and being hip. Word. The controls worked really well, and the graphics were gorgeous. It felt like a must-buy for skating fans.
DiRT was another title I got to tinker with. This is basically a title that felt like Burnout met Motorstorm. Anyway, the game won a prize in my book for the most camera angles I’d ever seen. It also won an award for awesome damage system. Absolutely the most realistic I’d ever come with it. YOu hit a wall on your bumper, the bumper dents in perfectly. The windows crack, everything was great. I loved it, although the steering felt a little loose at times. Just a little tweaking, and it would also have been as cool. Strangely, there was no dirt on my track. It was rather clean. They were both great experiences.
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Posted in Video Games, Weapons of Mass Enjoyment at 10:16 pm by earl
I would like to let James and DM know that I put there gift cards to good use. I pooled them together and purchased Shadow of the Colossus, a PS2 adventure game. And only after reaching, far from beating, the first colossi, I love it. The scale is epic and the colossi leave you gasping, thinking “How do I do this?” The game is great, the graphics are gorgeous, and I look forward to defeating the 16 colossi and reviewing it at a later date. Thanks again guys.
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Posted in Video Games, Weapons of Mass Enjoyment at 9:37 am by earl
Gamespot is doing it’s best and worst of 20007 Awards which are coming up soon, and here are some of the categories and their nominees. You’re free to vote, so here’s a link to the first category. Click here to go to it.
Best Original Music-Orange Box, Mario Galaxy, Assassin’s Creed, Bioshock, Mass Effect. I of course voted Galaxy.
Most Suprisingly Good Game-Medal of Honor Heroes 2, Dimentium, Puzzle Quest, etc. I’m voting MOHH2.
Best Licensed Music-Guitar Hero 3, Rock Band, Def Jam Icon, etc. I’m of course voting GH3.
Best Story-Bioshock, Mass Effect, Orange Box, etc. I’m voting Mass Effect.
Best Sound Design-Bioshock, Def Jam, Rock Band, etc. I’ll vote Bioshock.
Best Graphics, Technical-Crysis, COD4, Supreme Commander, etc. I’m def. voting COD4.
Best Voice Acting-What? Super Paper Mario isn’t on here? Heavenly Sword, Bioshock, Mass Effect, etc. I’m voting Heavenly Sword.
Best Graphics, Artistic-Assassin’s Creed, Bioshock, Galaxy, etc. I’m voting Galaxy.
Best Use of A Creative License-The Darkness, The Simpsons, etc. I’ll vote Simpsons.
Best New Character-Portal, Heavenly Sword, Mass Effect, Bioshock, etc. I’ll vote Portal.
Funniest Game-Warioware Smooth Moves, Super Paper Mario, Simpsons, etc. I’ll vote Paper Mario.
Biggest News-Bungie/Microsoft Split, Manhunt 2 outlaw, GTA4 Delay, etc. I’m going with Bungie Split.
Best Multiplayer Game-Halo 3, Rock Band, COD4, etc. I’m for sure going with Halo 3.
Most Improved Sequel-Galaxy, Halo 3, etc. I’m 100% voting Galaxy.
Best New Gaming Hardware-360 Elite, Rock Band Set, PSP Slim, etc. I’ll vote Elite.
Most Innovative Game-Phantom Hourglass, Puzzle Quest, Orange Box, etc. I’m voting ORange Box, because of Portal.
Best Use of Control Scheme-Assassin’s Creed, Warioware, Hourglass, etc. I’m going with Warioware.
Most Despicable Use of In-Game Ads-GH3, Prostreet, Tabula Rasa, etc. I’m voting Prostreet, because real rock isn’t about complaining about advertising! Rocking is rocking!
Worst Trend-Bad Wii-ports, Frequent Updates, Lousy Cliffhanger Endings. Lousy Cliffhanger Endings Ratchet and Clank 5!
Most Dissapointing Game-Lair, Blue Dragon, Kane and Lynch, etc. Lair lair lair lair LAIR!!!
Flat-out Worst Game-Jenga, Anubis 2, Deal or No Deal, etc. Jenga, because what have been better than to have played Jenga on my Wii?
Worst Game Everyone Played-Mario and Sonic Olympics, Spiderman 3, NBA Live 08, Sonic the Hedgehog, etc. Gee, I wonder….
Most Dissapointing Delay-Spore, GTA 4, MGS 4, MErcenaries 2, etc. If you don’t know my answer leave and never come back.
Game of the Year- Galaxy, Rock Band, Halo 3, Mass Effect, Bioshock, etc. I’m voting Galaxy.
I’m going to vote for the Platform and Genres later.
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12.15.07
Posted in Video Games at 9:58 pm by earl
Not that 2007 is drawing to a close and the flood of great games has washed away our Christmas lists, and some will be very happy December 25-eternity trying to beat total 5-star Guitar Hero on Expert, we must now look ahead toward the year that is to come, and the awesomeness it has for us. I know that was the world’s longest run-on, but I passed English. Here are some of the biggest games…..in 08.
January
Burnout Paradise-360,PS3-22nd
February
Assassin’s Creed-DS-5th-No, this is not a typo.
Devil May Cry 4-360,PS3-5th
Turok-360,PS3-5th
No More Heroes-Wii-5th
Super Smash Bros. Brawl-Wii-10th-I want a 10 Game Informer, a 10.
Lost Odyssey-360-12th
De Blob-Wii, DS-?
Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword-DS-?
March
Battlefield: Bad Company-360,PS3-?
Quarter 2
Lego Indiana Jones-360, Wii, PS3, PS2, DS, PSP
Splinter Cell: Conviction-360, PC
Mario Kart Wii
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots-PS3
Grand Theft Auto 4-360,PS3
Iron Man-360,Wii,PS3,PS2,PSP
Spore-DS, PC
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed-Wii,360,PS3,PS2,PSP, DS-September
Quarter 4
Fallout 3-PC
Dead Space-360,PS3
Borderlands-360,PS3,PC
Unknown
Alan Wake-360, PC
Afrika-PS3
Alone in the Dark 5-360, PS3, PC, Wii?, PSP
Banjo-Kazooie 3-360
Guitar Hero IV-360, Wii, PS3, PC, PS2?
Ghostbusters-Wii, PS2, PS3, 360, DS, PC
Brutal Legend-360, PS3
Bionic Commando-360, PS3
Mercenaries 2-360, PS3, PS2
Halo Wars-360
Haze-PS3
Killzone 2-PS3
Too Human-360
Tekken 6 (PS3)
StarCraft II (Win)
A Whole Lot of Wii-(Insert thing here) games
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King-PC
Saboteur-360
Soulcaliber 4-360, PS3
Destroy All Humans 3!
AND MORE!!!
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Posted in Video Games at 4:30 pm by earl
I would just like to send a plea out to the game publishers and developers right now. Stop Making the bad games! Ever since the last week of good games in late November, we have had a junkload of horrible games according to Gamespot. With scores like 2.0, 2.5, 3.0 ranging across the board, you need to make it stop! Were you guys too busy playing with the WiiZapper, Super Mario Galaxy, Guitar Hero 3, Halo 3 and Rock Band to put more effort into your games?
Anyway, although the Orange Box came out for the PS3 this week, I don’t want to give it to it again. So I will give Universe at War Game of the Week. The Alvin and the Chipmunks game? Seriously.
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12.11.07
Posted in Video Games, Weapons of Mass Enjoyment at 12:24 pm by earl
Here are some pictures for the new Wii and PS2 game, Destroy All Humans:Big Willy Unleashed. It actually looks pretty good.
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12.09.07
Posted in Hands-On with Earl at 9:41 pm by earl
Dropping by Gamestop on a Christmas shopping day, I naturally expected a great game demo. No, it didn’t stop there. I got an awesome full game version play of Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii. The game starts off pretty simple, it tells the story of Mushroom Kingdom’s star festival, andso on and so forth. I couldn’t haved payed more attention if it wasn’t for the kid next to me asking, “What are you doing now” over and over. But I shouldn’t talk about my sister like that. Anyway, you play as Mario, running through the town, with the controls pretty simple: You can collect little stars, which act as your ammo, and these can be fired by aiming with the Wiimote and firing with B. Shooting Toad was more fun than it should have been. Anyway, you jump with A, and move with the analog stick. I’m pretty sure Z was crouch. Anywho, I ran through town to Peach’s castle, but then who would have guessed it, Bowser shows up and wrecks the party. However, he has a new plan, why take the princess, when you can take her castle? He takes her castle, and a magic koopa blasts Mario off into space. You wake up on a small asteroid, with a star that morphs into a bunny. You run around the small planet, chasing the bunny. However, you may be wondering, does running around a planet work? And my answer is, “well.” Nintendo has perfected the art of running around planets. Unfortunately, I saw the guys I was with outside at this point, and decided to remeet with them. I definitely look forward to spend more time with this game.
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12.07.07
Posted in Video Games at 10:20 am by earl
I would like to apologize for forgetting Game of the Week last week, but, just so you know, it was Pain, a PSN game for the PS3.
As far as this week goes, there were a couple of decent games, not going as far as the atrocity of Alvin and the Chipmunks. However, I will give game of the week to Cranium Kabooki, which is a party game based on the board game. It is Game of the week.
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12.05.07
Posted in Video Games, Weapons of Mass Enjoyment at 5:29 pm by earl
Yes, probably the funniest rip-off in Gaming (Wait, I’m not even sure if I should classify this as a game) history, the Chinese have tryed to cash in on the popularity of the Wii, with their Chintendo Vii! I promise, I could not make this up. This system(?) uses the same motion sensing(?) as the Wii. So, if you want to experience first-hand copycatting, put the Vii on your shopping list.
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12.04.07
Posted in Video Games, Weapons of Mass Enjoyment at 5:40 pm by earl
As you may have heard in the past couple of days, Activision, the team behind Tony Hawk, Guitar Hero, Several Movie Games, and the 007 Games, has joined forces with Blizzard, the money-rollers with World of Warcraft and Diablo. They have just announced several sequels, including Guitar Hero 4, Call of Duty 5, Tony Hawk 10, an untitled racing project, James Bond 2008, and more. However, they denied the rumor of a console version of WOW. Happy Gaming.
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