Tony Who?

I fear for the Tony Hawk series. As Army Men did before it, and Dynasty Warriors continues to do (and what the Madden series is ever-guilty of), the Tony Hawk series is fading into obscurity with a rapid succession of sequels containing usually slight game play changes. You’d think that after incorporating manuals they’d have no where left to go. Who can blame them, though? Each new title dumps buckets of money onto Activision desks. The most recent addition they added was “nail the trick” mode, which one can enter to use the joysticks and perform tricks with more realism. It’s neat, but it doesn’t last forever. Enter skate.

 

Tony Hawk: A Timeline

Tony Hawk. Everyone has heard of him by now. He can easily be credited as the man who took skateboarding from a small activity enjoyed by a select few, to a mainstream, extreme sport. Skating has it’s own subculture. It has evolved. Enter the Tony Hawk Pro Skater games.

Just like skating, this loosely physics based skating game has been evolving with the years. It started simply in 1999 and has become the skating game giant played in homes all everywhere. How exactly did it evolve, though?

(Click me)

Assassins Creed

This holiday season you’ll have a wealth of highly rated games to choose from. The Orange Box, Halo 3, Final Fantasy Tactics A2, BioShock, Call of Duty 4, Super Mario Galaxy, surely all of us will be broke by the end of this holiday season. Well theres a problem guys, Assassins Creed has just been added to that list. Not by me… Oh NO! But by many reviewers. This isn’t a how to choose a game or an “official” review of a game but should be a good read regardless.

See I’m here to give you a bit of a different review. Warning I reveal some base level spoilers, if you want to be saved from them don’t read this step by step review.

Wasted Technology…

Alright, let me start off with a disclaimer. I like Half Life and anything Valve has put out. Actually, scratch that, I LOVE what they have put out. With the release of the Orange Box, I have once again been sucked into the world of Half Life only to emerge as a more enlightened person. Whether it be from a mind bending battle against a research labs AI, a fast paced team cluster f**k, or just following Alyx Vance deeper into a never fully explained story plot, I just feel better exploring the worlds Valve has created. Yet, one thing has been bothering me throughout my experience in any of these games.

Gunbound: Welcome to the Metagame

There are only two ways to play Gunbound Revolution. Ultra high angle shots with Boomer or all people using Aduka using only the second and special shots. It is not a team game. You may only fire upon someone whom another team mate has not fired upon. You cannot use healing items. In fact you’re only allowed to use a dual or dual+ item. When you join a room, you must have clicked ready within a microsecond. If you notice someone who is not ready or if the “master” of the room has not started the game, you are required to spam their name until they rectify this mistake.

This game sounds perfect right? What’s wrong with it? There are only two ways to play Gunbound Revolution. Ultra high angle shots with Boomer or all people using Aduka using only the second and special shots. It is not a team game. You may only fire upon someone whom another team mate has not fired upon. You cannot use healing items. In fact you’re only allowed to use a dual or dual+ item. When you join a room, you must have clicked ready within a microsecond. If you notice someone who is not ready or if the “master” of the room has not started the game, you are required to spam their name until they rectify this mistake.

Yggdra Union – Literal Title Here

I finally got around to playing an interesting looking game called Yggdra Union – We’ll Never Fight Alone. Before I touched the game I thought the title was just some sort of inspirational little cliche. I thought that there would be some Norse mythology and a bold story about overcoming adversity and fending off a great evil. I was so naive.

Caciss and Chad review: Knights of the Old Republic II

Sometimes a game has such a powerful effect on people. It’s addicting. It consumes your soul. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II is just such a game. Recently Devin and myself both sat down to play it at the same time. I chose the path of a righteous Jedi, the upholder of justice and wisdom. He chose the of a dark Sith, passionate and self-sustained.

Homeworld: Real Time Borefare

Homeworld is an RTS developed by Relic Entertainment and released in 1999 for the PC. Homeworld features two races, which are pretty much carbon copies of one another — the only real difference being ship design. I’m pretty sure their single player mode is also identical. Homeworld has scored pretty obscenely high on Metacritic, a 92 or something like that. I figured: “Hey, I’ll give this game a shot.”

The Origin Behind the Name of My Future First Child

Deedooloodooloodooloo! Duhn! Duhn-duhn-duhn-duhn! Digga-dun digga-dun digga-dun digga-dun! Duhn!

“What in the crap am I trying to pronounce?” you ask. It’s the first catchy song of the best game you’ve probably never played. It’s called Tecmo Cup – Soccer Game (in America). As the introduction begins the narrative of Robin Field, a soccer player only surpassed by his father before him, the first song gets you pumped up. Personally, I think it starts off with a striking resemblance to “Eye of the Tiger” and continues by sounding similar to pure awesome. It could just be me. Maybe you should listen to the music yourself.

Guitar Hero Cash-In: Rocks the 80s

You know, I’m still a kid. I wouldn’t even say that I am a kid at heart because I still openly enjoy video-games, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and cartoons. I’m 21 years old now and I have become a little more frugal. I know a deal when I see one and I try not to spend money that I don’t have. One of the most recent games that I vehemently regret purchasing, however, is Guitar Hero Encore Cash-In: Rock the 80s. I don’t know why I bought it. Some small part of me thought they wouldn’t possibly sell this game for the usual $50.00. It called to me. It vexed me from behind the counter.