NFL Tour

This is the time of year that games get released which weren't quite good enough to make the holiday season lineup. NFL Tour is one of these games. The concept is a good one, but as usual EA Sports has tainted the solid game play idea underlying the game. The idea of having a 7 on 7 pickup game played by NFL stars is a great one. There are an endless combination of strategies for plays. I initially downloaded the demo on the PS3 last week because I usually check out anything that involves the NFL. My first play experience was less than satisfying and I knew right then there was no way I was going to pay sixty bucks for this game. Last night, I was messing around with my PS3 because Xbox Live is STILL acting up (seriously, Micro$oft what gives?). I went into the menu system and found out you can turn off a lot of the crap that I didn't like about the game like: Slow Motion, Big Hit Meter and a few other things. These "enhancements" to the game inserted by EA to appeal to hyperactive teens (in EAs mind I guess) only served to muddle up a fairly decent game. With those settings turned off, I had an enjoyable experience. It wasn't enough to make me want to go out and pay sixty bucks for it, but if the game comes down to 20 bucks some day then I might pick it up.

2007 a great year for new Video Game IPs

Here are some of the best:

Mass Effect - Xbox 360

One of the most engaging Sci-Fi RPGs to come out in a long time. Mass Effect, by Bioware is perhaps the best selling of the new IPs and for good reason. An epic story line combined with visceral combat and an engaging chat system make this game hard to put down. Some deficiencies have been noted like a spotty frame rate at times, a confusing inventory management system and long elevator rides, but those are minor issues compared to the game as a whole. I would look for at least two more games in this series and I am hoping these minor issues will be addressed.

Uncharted: Drakes Fortune - PS3

This game is stunning in almost every way that one can measure in a Video Game. Stellar graphics with zero slowdowns, fun intuitive gun fights and Tomb Raider-esque puzzles make for an experience no gamer should miss. This game took me totally by surprise. I got a PS3 for Christmas and having been mostly an Xbox 360 guy, I hadn't kept up on the PS3 exclusive games very much. I have been playing this game for the last week and I don't want it to end. One great thing I like about it is the fact that if you make a mistake and fall to your death on a climbing puzzle, you don't have to go back and redo a half hour or more of the game you just went through. The cut scenes are gorgeous and the gun battles are very fun albeit there are a lot of them. PS3 owners finally have something to crow about and show their Xbox 360 buddies a reason to upgrade their old PS2s.

Assasin's Creed - Multi-platform

This one might have gotten a tiny bit of a pass since the producer, Jade Raymond is such a hottie. However, there is a solid game here with the addition of a much needed control scheme to do the kinds of things the main character, Altair can do. The controls are extremely tight and I found myself doing some free running through medieval cities like Jerusalem and Damascus with ease. Ubisoft should be commended for doing such an excellent job on the control scheme. Overall I think the game is fun with a few minor annoyances. For instance, it is way too easy to hide right after you have killed someone. I could brutally murder a guard with another guard standing within six feet and as long as I held down the "blend" button, the other guard would leave me alone. Also, guards seem to hate horses being ridden too fast. I guess there is some sort of Crusades Era speed limit I never read about. With that being said, this IP has a lot of potential and since it sold so many copies I think there is no doubt that we will see more.

PORTAL - Multi-Platform

I guess you could call this one a new IP although it is set in the Half Life Universe. This game is too good and too much fun to go without mention though. You will need to play it for yourself to see why. I would expect to see more from this IP in the future as well as being integrated in the upcoming Half Life games. Best computer voice in any game ever.


Bioshock - Xbox 360

Seriously, if you haven't played this game. Go out and buy it now and play the damn thing! This was my vote for game of the year. It has incredible graphics, an engaging storyline and tight game play. When you fight your first Big Daddy, be prepared to change your underwear. The sense of weight and power that they have is amazing. Once you kill your first Big Daddy, you will take a deep breath and gleefully plan your next assault. This game has some very interesting moral choices (I saved all the Little Sisters), a great soundtrack, excellent dialog and a lot of variety. Bioshock 2 has already been announced although without Ken Levine unfortunately. If the sequel is half as good as the original, gamers are in for a treat.

I can't remember a better year for new IPs or for gaming for that matter. It is gonna be hard for 2008 to compete with 2007. I think it is a bit telling that there were no Wii games on my list. Don't get me wrong, I love my Wii, but at this point it is distancing itself from mainstream gaming which can seen as either good or bad.

Xbox Live Compensation

Rumors have it that Microsoft is going to be compensating Xbox 360 owners with a free Xbox Live Arcade game for the issues that cropped up with Live over the holidays. That is nice and all, but I would rather they just gave us the points so I can buy whatever I want. What if I already have the game they are offering? This is still just a rumor, but I think they could handle it better than giving us some lame Xbox Live Arcade game no one wants.

Yahtzee reviews Super Mario Galaxy

At the risk of becoming a Yahtzee fansite, here is the promised review of Super Mario Galaxy:

PSWII60

Well, I got a PS3 for Christmas so I am almost totally console agnostic. As soon as I get a PSP I will be. That will mean just choosing the best games each console has to offer. The last generation I only owned an Xbox and so I missed out on a lot of games. Of course, back then I was hopelessly addicted to MMOs so it wouldn't have mattered much. I am very happy with the PS3. Actually, surprisingly so. It offers some unique games and options that the Xbox 360 doesn't. I am playing Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction and High Velocity Bowling. All three are great games. The system itself is a little bit classier than the Xbox 360. It's also whisper quiet compared to the chugging along that the Xbox 360's disk drive does when playing a game. The Web browser is a nice addition that I think Microsoft needs to add real soon. Both the Wii and the PS3 have it. I find it very handy to watch You Tube videos and other similar things on a nice big screen. Each system offers something unique and I am certain if someone only owned one of the systems that they would be very happy and be kept busy with many great games and features.

I am going to try and offer better content this year instead of just product announcements and video trailers. We will see how that works out. Stay tuned for some more Yahtzee tomorrow though. He is one funny SOB.

Yahtzee and Mass Effect

I don't agree with him in this case, but he is damn funny...

Hands on with: Arkadian Warriors

When I put up the press release for this game I had no idea it was coming out so soon. This is the kind of thing I have wanted to see on Xbox Live Arcade for a long time. Is it worth it? Maybe. The game gives you three characters to choose from: a Warrior, an Archer and a Sorceress. I have played to level five with a Warrior and have not tried the other two classes. The game plays like Diablo and all of its clones. That is to say, it is very familiar. You get quests in a small town and a gateway opens up to portal you to the quest location. No wandering around trying to find where you are supposed to go with this game! You then proceed to travel through randomly generated dungeons hacking and slashing your way past a veritable cornucopia of monsters. There isn't much strategy to combat, after all it is a Diablo clone. You can find magic items and as you level you unlock various abilities for your class. One odd thing is that when you slash your sword, it doesn't make a sound when it contacts a monster. It feels like you are just swishing it around. Oddly, it does make a sound when you hit other objects. So far the quests have been the standard fare that one sees in these types of games and in MMOs. I think games like Dungeon Runners and Fate are better and I would dearly like to see them on Xbox Live Arcade. This games seems to be a fun diversion and if you are a fan of Diablo/Gauntlet clones then you will enjoy it. You can also link up with a friend to do some coop dungeon exploring. By the way, speaking of Gauntlet, where the hell is Gauntlet 2 for Xbox Live Arcade?

Yahtzee Reviews Guitar Hero 3

Hilarity ensues...

My cat Frodo as a LOL Cat

I have been busier than a one-legged cat trying to bury a turd on a frozen pond, so here is a picture of my cat.

Xbox 360 dashboard updated.

Redmond , Washington—Your Xbox LIVE® friends list is about to get a whole lot bigger. Microsoft Corp. today announced the launch of Windows LIVE™ Messenger on Xbox 360™, connecting friends across Xbox 360 consoles, Microsoft® Windows®-based PCs and Windows Mobile®-powered devices.

Chat with your friends via Live Messenger.

Chat with your friends via Live Messenger.

With this update to Xbox 360, friends and families can easily connect and chat directly from their television using Windows Live Messenger, a network of more than 20 billion relationships and more than 260 million active accounts.
"Xbox LIVE has really become the
largest social network on television."
—Jerry Johnson, Microsoft

Beginning the week of May 7, 2007, the Xbox 360 Spring Update will provide Xbox 360 owners worldwide with access to Windows Live Messenger features, broadening the communication options on the Xbox LIVE social network.

More details here.

I downloaded the update last night and for the most part I liked what I saw. I did have some problems though. Everyone's gamerscores showed up as 0 and I kept crashing when I tried to voice chat with a friend of mine. I am putting that down to network overload. I'll check it out more tonight along with the new Xvid support.