The Buzz

So while going through my cloest today i happen to find this game. Monster Rancher for the original play station, putting it into my Ps3 and a rush of memories came flooding back to me. For those of you who don’t know what monster rancher is it’s a game were you well…..ranch monster. But thats not it you have to raise your monster from start to end, the end being death. Training and entering your monster into battles from F so S rank to win title of Monster Champion.

The most “Fun” part of this game “and the reason i got in trouble a lot when i was younger” Is how you go about getting the monsters. See the lore of the game was the monsters were trapped in discs that you had to free in the shrine. These Disc translated in “our world” to any Cd or DVD you had laying around the house. Open the Psx Disc drive Put in any random CD and from it a monster would be born. The funny thing was is that you would always get the same monster from the same disc so you had to try a lot to get the monsters you want. To this day Mary j blige album Whats the 411 Still gives me a red dragon.

One down side to this game is that monsters never lasted that long….5 months tops if you were and good rancher.So you could never make it to the higher ranks with your first monster. But i’m guessing thats the point of the game and why monster mixing is in. Monster Mixing lets you take blend two monsters type and stats to make a whole new monster. So i would Mix my older stronger monster into a new Mid level monster that could swipe the lower ranks in the first month. Monster rancher has been on just about every PlayStation console since it’s release on the PSX. Also showing up on the GBA and PC with Monster rancher online.

Over the years this monster rancher series has been…..lacking…..but it will always have a special place in my heart. Anyway i’m off the play pokemon!

Now we’ve heard from some within the fighting game scene that 7 characters will be added to the Super Street Fighter IV roster this September.This makes sense as new characters for SSF4 has been talked about since the beginning by Capcom.Then we linked to the Street Fighter Facebook page that showed images of Rolento and Alex as new characters. when you add that the arcade release is right around the corner in Japan, Capcom would want to make sure the arcade version has something over the console version and if this will cost us some extra money to get these characters if they come out. But who would you like to see on the roster?

Finally! Activision has released new downloadable content for Transformers: War for Cybertron on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Marketplace. The DLC package includes 5 new playable characters and 4 new action filled maps for $9.99 on the PSN or 800 points on Xbox Live. Players have even more options to crush the competition into sheet metal and upgrade their bots. Lets hope that Activision keeps a steady stream of content coming.

Transformers: War for Cybertron DLC

Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 (PS3)

Developer: Traveler’s Tales Games Publishing
Publisher: Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment
US Release Date: June 29, 2010
Systems: PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, DS, PSP, & PC
ESRB: E10+
Official Site

BOTTOM LINE

Graphics: 2
The detail put into the environment, animations, effects, and cut scenes was adorable and fun to watch, but there were a few glitches. Most of the graphics looked as if they were rendered for the Wii.

Sound: 4
The sounds were timed perfectly and made the actions seem real. The annoying muffled “Hello” given by almost every character you walk pass was a little too much.

Game Play: 3
The game is fun and entertaining with well designed controls that are pretty easy to learn and master. The films/books are followed pretty well with a diversion or two here and there. Too bad that backtracking sometimes gets tedious, the AI is barely ok, there is no online co-op, no playing quidditch, and players could only save at the end of a mission or when an unlockable item is collected.

Replay Value: 5
With 24 missions to complete, a list of achievements to attain, a large amount of unlockable items to collect, and the ability to replay any mission at anytime with any characters gives the game high replay value.

Overall: 3
This is the best of the Lego game series so far. The game is excellent for kids and any Harry Potter or Lego fan, young or old. Unfortunately, some players may find the humor and game play a bit juvenile.

Recommendation: RENT or BUY USED

FULL REVIEW

As a long time fan of the Lego franchise and the Harry Potter series, buying this game was a must for me. I have played a couple other Lego-themed games before, so I was excited to see how this rendering was going to come out. In this fun action-adventure title, players explore the magic and wonder of Hogwarts in the colorful world of Lego. Like other Lego-themed games, the main focus of the game is to play through a generally linear story while destroying any destructible thing in sight to collect tons of Lego studs and various unlockable items. This time, players get to do this with the help of magic spells, potions, various vehicles, and a host of characters straight from the massively popular film/book series.

The game covers the first four years of the Harry Potter series with great precision. Each year has about six fun-filled missions to complete. A number of bonus stages are also available for play. Players start each mission with a team of three characters, who are predetermined based on their importance in that mission and the special skills that they possess. For example, Hermoine and Ron can use their pets to fit into small areas and Hagrid’s strength gives him the ability to pull levers. Players take control of one character while the other two are AI. It is possible to switch control to any of the two AI characters by pressing the triangle button. Later in the game players learn how to create polyjuice potion, which will allow them to transform the character they are controlling into any character that has been unlocked and bought. A second player may chime in or out at anytime for exciting co-op play. That second player will control one of the available two AI characters and will have the same ability to swap and transform characters as necessary. No online co-op is available. If a player ever gets confused as what should be done next, they can follow Nearly-Headless Nick as he floats to the next area that should be explored.

The graphics of the game are a little less than impressive for the PS3 and on par with the Wii. Hogwarts was a bit gloomy looking, but the distant views from outside of the castle walls and the effects of the spells were quite nice. I did not notice too much HD graphics, but the careful attention was placed on detailing Hogwarts. The animations were fluid and the cut scenes were adorable and fun to watch.

From the majestic “Ahhhh” of the expecto patronum to the nerve numbing shriek of the mandrake roots, the sound effects were very well developed. Various sountracks from the original movie playes softly in the background and did not distract me from the actual sound effects of the game play. I did find the greetings of characters walking arounf Hogwarts a bit annoying at times. I simply loved building radios and watching a procession of skeletons and other characters dance around to the music.

The game play is very intuitive. Spells can be easily changed by selecting the spell you want from a spell wheel and the incantation can be implemented with the push of a button. The analog sticks are used for exploring the terrain and maneuvering vehicles. There are mini-bosses, such as the troll in the girl’s restroom and waves of Death Eaters, and epic main bosses, such as the Basilisk and Lord Voldemort himself. Most of the time all a player needs to do is figure out the sequence and frequency of their enemy’s attacks and counter it with a spell or two. Some enemies do require a little more skill and wit to tackle than others. Vehicles were a little clunky at times, but they were pretty easy to control. All animated violence was done so that it was humorous instead of horrific. Instead of leaving a pool of blood after death, players explode into a number of Lego studs. The automatic game saving system could have been better. The only time that the game was saved was when a mission was complete or an unlockable item was collected. The AI friends could be a little more helpful and AI enemies a little more intelligent. I was a little upset that you rode a broom, but did not actually get to play quidditch. Nor did you get to actually ride Buzzbeak.

The replay value of the game is pretty high. Players have the option of replaying any mission that has been completed to find secret areas and items that were missed or previously inaccessible. There are over 100 playable characters and a wide range of spells to unlock. There are over 10 bonus stages that are available and over 30 trophies to collect. With the cut scenes and backtracking, a player wishing to complete the main story may be looking at about 12 hours of total game play. The player determined to play the game to 100% completion may be looking at least 19 hours of play time.

Upon release, this game was stamped with a typical $49.99 price tag. I did expect a little more out of it for the price, but the game is very fun to play and will leave players entertained for hours. Trying to get all of the achievements and items may be a bit draining because of the repetitious gameplay and amount of backtracking that will be involved. Unless you are a diehard fan of the Harry Potter or Lego series, I suggest that this game be rented or bought when it is a bit cheaper or used.

Remedy Entertainment announced Alan Wake all the way back in 2005 during the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo. Since then it’s popped on and off of people’s radars at sparing intervals, and now that it’s finally been released, it seems as if Duke Nukem Forever should be only just around the corner. It can then only be described as fortunate that with such a long development period, Alan Wake has turned out to be a compelling and rewarding title to experience.

Having written multiple bestselling novels, Alan Wake has spent the last two years suffering through a severe case of writer’s block. With his mind stumped for ideas, he and his wife Alice head to the small logging town of Bright Falls. After setting up their cabin, things take a turn for the worse as Wake finds himself waking up after a car crash, with no recollection of how he got there. He’s missing a week of his life, Alice has mysteriously gone missing and members of the town have turned into shadow axe wielding maniacs, controlled by malevolent darkness intent on stopping Wake and his efforts to find Alice.

Alan Wake is not an open world game. What you do have though is a linear game that for the most part, gives you quite a bit of breathing room to explore. The game is structured like a TV show/novel in episodic fashion with recaps at the beginning of each episode. This serves as a great formula as the game become more story driven and allowing gamers to play through an episode take a break, pick it up again and still have an idea of what’s going on in the story.

Alan’s primary enemy is the darkness which embodies all of his enemies. Generally, if it’s daytime, you’re safe as safe can be. At night however, the ghouls come out. In order to properly combat these foes, you’ll need to first melt away that darkness through various means of light, then blast away at them with your standard firearms. The primary tool to do this is a flashlight that you’re rarely without, but you’ll also get to use spotlights, shop lights, and street lights as a method to deter your enemies. Flashbangs, flares, and flare guns are also present and provide some nice crowd control for those sticky situations. While it doesn’t really evolve much, the combination of darkness melting and gunplay is entertaining enough that it holds up fairly well throughout the game. The driving seems pretty solid when the game calls for it or when you have the option to, resulting in you mowing down those same pain inflicting enemies with glee. One problem with the driving system was the way the camera would somewhat whiplash back to the center.

Interspersed between Alan’s nights hikes are daylight sequences in Bright Falls. Daytime in Bright Falls reveals a rustic Pacific Northwestern town that has been exquisitely detailed and constructed.  It’s in these sequences that you feel the greatest weight of Remedy’s development period. Every towns-person and character is distinct and feels alive, their personalities all painted with a careful brush. It’s extremely immersive, unlike like say Oblivion’s town’s people with the same 5 faces and the same 4 voice actors. Rose, the Tor brothers, Barry. All of them have their own heart and soul in the story

In-game, the graphics are beautiful and solid. A brilliant soundtrack gives an ambient feel throughout every level within Alan Wake. The voice acting is also nice. The developers make the best use of motion blur and focus. The use of dark and light is almost perfect and the atmosphere is even enhanced by swirling, mist-like darkness that envelopes the world throughout the game. However the quality of the cinematic movies is erratic from start to finish. Lips fail to sync with dialogue and characters fall in and out of low resolution textures. It’s almost as if Remedy forgot to go back and touch up older cut scenes to ensure proper continuity. The lighting is so mesmerizing in Alan Wake it practically becomes a character in itself. The way it represents not only the spark of inspiration but also as a safe zone against “the taken” creates a profound sense of comfort in the gamer whenever they encounter pools of light.

The game should take most players about ten to twelve hours to complete their first playthrough, not exactly a long time but at the same time it doesn’t overstay its welcome. As far as replayability goes, Alan Wake has collectibles like Coffee Thermos, Manuscript, TVs & radio and hidden supply chest scattered throughout the level. An unlockable Nightmare difficulty upon completing the game which contains a small portion of exclusive manuscript collectibles to be discovered. There is no multiplayer, which is understandable as trying to incorporate the unique combat into a competitive setting would probably not work

Remedy said they spent so long developing Alan Wake because they wanted it to be as perfect as possible. While it may not reach the realms of perfection, it’s still a stunning title that’s almost worth the long wait. The Finnish developers have built a believable universe surrounded by a strong narrative, impressive storytelling techniques and enjoyable combat with a unique twist. It has its flaws with repetition, linearity and some poor presentational issues, but this is a world ripe for a sequel to improve upon every single aspect. It might take another five years, but you can guarantee it will probably be worth it.

I don’t know about the rest of y’all but I’m mad hype about DJ Hero 2 which is coming out this October.  Even though the songs havent been released yet but the artists featured will pleased Hip-Hop heads and the Pop lovers, with some of the returning artists featuring new songs heres a list of the newcomers.  If I didnt mention in my past article this one will feature party mode which supports the mic, so heres the list

(*newcomers)

· 2Pac
· 50 Cent
· Adamski*
· Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force*
· Armand Van Helden*
· A-Trak*
· B.o.B.*
· Basement Jaxx*
· BlakRoc*
· Bobby Womack*
· Bruno Mars*
· Busta Rhymes*
· Calvin Harris*
· Chamillionaire*
· Chic*
· Chris Willis*
· Clinton Sparks*
· Colby O’Donis*
· Daft Punk
· Damian Marley*
· David Guetta
· Deadmau5*
· Deee-Lite* (not trilled on this one)
· Dillinja*
· Diplo*
· Dizzee Rascal
· DJ Shadow
· Donna Summer*
· Dr. Dre*
· Drake*
· Edwin Starr*
· Eminem
· Estelle*
· Flo Rida*
· Gorillaz
· Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five*(personal Favorite)
· Harold Faltermeyer*
· House Of Pain*
· Iyaz*
· Jackson 5
· Janet Jackson*
· Justice
· Kanye West*
· Kaskade*
· Kelis*
· Keri Hilson*(for Grim)
· Kid Cudi
· Kool & The Gang*
· Lady Gaga*
· Lil Jon*
· Lil Wayne*
· LL Cool J*
· M.I.A.
· M|A|R|R|S*
· Major Lazer*
· Malcolm McLaren*
· Mase*
· Melle Mel & Duke Bootee*
· Metallica*(one word: EPIC)
· Missy Elliott*
· Mos Def
· MSTRKRFT*
· N.O.R.E.*
· Nas*
· Nate Dogg*
· Naughty By Nature*
· Nelly*
· New Boyz*(<_<)
· New Order*
· Newcleus*
· Nightcrawlers*
· Orbital*
· Pharoahe Monch*
· Pirate Soundsystem*
· Pitbull*
· Puff Daddy*
· Pussycat Dolls*
· Rihanna
· Robin S*.
· RZA*
· Salt N Pepa*
· Sam Cooke*
· Sam Sparro*
· Sean Paul*
· Skibadee*
· Sneaky Sound System*
· Snoop Dogg*
· Snow*
· Soulja Boy Tell Em*(GAG)
· Sparfunk & D-Code*
· Static Major*
· Stevie Wonder*
· Talib Kweli*
· The Chemical Brothers*
· The Crystal Method*
· The Egg*
· The Notorious B.I.G.*
· The Prodigy*
· Tiësto
· Tiga*
· Timbaland*
· Tweet*
· Walter Murphy*
· Warren G*
· Wayne Smith*
· Will.I.Am*
· Yeah Yeah Yeahs*
· Young Jeezy*(for the trade)

The playlist is going to be epic with DLC to boot please believe I will cop this so if wanna battle let me (Capn) or just get a party started.

Microsoft’s Kinect, formerly known as Project Natal will be coming to select Macys around the country. Thanks to an agreement between Microsoft and Macy, you will be able to try Kinect starting July 15 on the demo stations set up with the store.

• Macy’s Herald Square, 151 West 34th Street, New York, NY

• Macy’s South Coast Plaza, 33 Bristol Street, Costa Mesa, CA

• Macy’s State Street, 111 North State Street, Chicago, IL

• Macy’s Pleasanton, 1300 Stoneridge Mall Rd, Pleasanton , CA

• Macy’s Roosevelt Field, 630 Old Country Road, Garden City, NY

• Macy’s Lenox Square Mall, 3393 Peachtree Road NorthEast, Atlanta, GA

• Macy’s Valley Fair, 2801 Stevens Creek Boulevard
  Santa Clara, CA

• Macy’s Dadeland Mall, 7303 S.W. 88TH STREET, Miami, FL

• Macy’s Tysons Corner, 8000 Tysons Corner Center
  McLean, VA

• Macy’s Easton Town Center, 4141 Easton Loop
  Columbus, OH

• Macy’s SCOTTSDALE, 7014 East Camelback Rd
  Scottsdale , AZ

• Macy’s Galleria Mall, 5135 West Alabama Street
  Houston, TX

• Macy’s Bellevue Proper, 400 Bellevue Square, Bellevue , WA
  

According to the press release, Macy’s will be giving away one Kinect per day from August 12-September 10 through a drawing on the company website.www.macy.com/mstylelab.com

BioWare has confirmed that Dragon Age 2 is in the works for an early 2011 release. This is a sequel to last year’s hit fantasy action role-playing game Dragon Age: Origins.Unlike the first game where you have multiple races and class. You will have just only one.

“Dragon Age 2 thrusts players into the role of Hawke, a penniless refugee who rises to power to become the single most important character in the world of Dragon Age. Known to be a survivor of the Blight and the Champion of Kirkwall, the legend around Hawke’s rise to power is shrouded in myth and rumor. Featuring an all-new story spanning 10 years, players will help tell that tale by making tough moral choices, gathering the deadliest of allies, amassing fame and fortune, and sealing their place in history. The way you play will write the story of how the world is changed forever.”