A new Final Fantasy XIII trailer [video]

Maybe it's just me, but every time a new Final Fantasy trailer is released, whether it was 10 years ago, or even up to now, I just get overcome with this sense of benevolence because of the fact that I am looking at sheer video game beauty. Now it has gotten to the point where not only am I reveling in the fact that I actually get to play this video game sometime in my life, but that it also doesn't even look like a video game. The fact that it actually is playable makes it that much more enticing.

When I see movie previews I get excited, when I see video game previews of today, part of me can get even more excited because I will actually be able to connect with the characters in a way that is not possible with movies. All of that leads me to say this: I cannot wait until Final Fantasy XIII is released. And what's more, I actually get to experience it before most people.

I might as well give you all an update as to what will be happening with the Video Game Aid. It's not going away, but if my cards are able to be played right I will be able to bring you content before it is released in the U.S. No, no, no, I'm not pirating video games, I'm actually going to be overseas where I will most likely get them before everyone else, at least the Japanese made ones anyway. If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm going to be leaving for Japan early next year.

I got a job over there teaching children English and I will be leaving late January. So you should not expect a lot of content between the end of January and most likely the end of February. I will still try to write on this blog, but I do not know how much time I will have, especially when I will be having another blog which is chronicling my time in Japan for all my friends and family.

Don't worry avid readers, I have no intention of leaving this blog bare for a long period of time, but as I have stated before, life gets in the way from time to time. Get psyched about FFXIII and enjoy the video. And no, I do not know what it is about, but I'm sure it won't matter because like me, you will probably just enjoy the video for it's gorgeous nature anyway.

-Jeremy aka Adridius

MK VS DC Universe [review]

Yeah..it's as awesome as the poster...for real...

Having shed it's rather evil, gory and flat out horrible gameplay in recent years, MK vs DC Universe has tried to merge two worlds that many (including myself) considered could not be merged. When you take the classic nature of Superman and Batman and their oaths to themselves not to kill the people they hate, and couple it with the fatalities, blood and gore of the likes of Jax, Sonya Blade, and Raiden, people start to wonder how these seemingly opposing sides can fit into a jigsaw puzzle that has a million pieces. Well, in short, it worked.

Graphically MK vs DC Universe looks polished and well done. It is a smooth looking fighting game with wonderful 3D surroundings and fighting arenas that have a couple of unique uses. The graphics in the cut-scene are identical to the graphics that are in-game. Nothing much to complain about here other than the fact that Wonder Woman and Sonya Blade do not totally look like women. Their faces seem a bit off. Wonderwoman seems to have too much tone to her face and Sonya Blades lips are the size of a brillow pad. But, nonetheless, all of the characters are well done.

When it comes to gameplay, at it's core, and really MK's whole make up is it's unique fighting style. Nothing has changed in terms of uppercuts, special moves, and the like, but one thing has been taken out and another thing has been added. Fatalities are included in this game but are not what you would expect, i.e. there is not nearly as much blood. What is included is a new aspect of gameplay called Rage. Think of Street Fighter's power bars that get filled up as you get hit. Instead of a super power being unleashed through a series of arrows and buttons on a controller, rage is simply activate by pushing down on a few buttons. While in rage it is hard for the opponent to block, attacks do more damage, and you are faster. This bar can also be used for BREAKERS which break an opposing fighters combo streak.

The interesting thing about MK vs DC Universe is how every player has similar moves, and yet they do them in a unique way. This brings a sense of identity to the game and helps make the game more unique, however; one of the gripes I have with the game is the fact that some of the moves are much too similar. They may look different to the naked eye, but in effect they do the same thing as some of the other characters moves. My least favorite character so far is the Green Lantern, I felt as if Midway just kind of gave him a few powers with his ring and figured that would suffice as his 'unique' ability. When in reality it just makes him boring. But the fighting overall is classic MK (without the overly graphic blood) and fans of the series should feel right at home, whether they are playing as Batman or Scorpion.

One of the greatest aspects of MK vs DC Universe is indeed the storyline. How is it that Superman isn't able to just pummel everyone around him? Why did these two seemingly opposite worlds collide? Which side is really the enemy? All of these questions are answered when you play through the story mode. It's fun to be able to play through each story mode separaetely. You can always play as DC or you can play as MK, but to get the full affect of everything this game has to offer, I would suggest playing both in whatever order you want. Getting the full affect of the game is key.

This leads me to my next point, the story-line, voice acting, and gameplay in between each cut-scene is great. I didn't feel that any of the fights that I had were mundane and unnecessary, or that it was too cheesy. This story honestly felt like the real deal and was very believable. The only voice acting that I had a problem with was (surprise) Green Lantern's. He didn't sound believable. It was almost like a voice simulator gone wrong. Again, I don't know what Midway was thinking when they put him in and gave him that voice (or those boring moves), but GL definitely got shafted. As for everyone else it was believable that yes, Superman could get beat by Batman, that the Joker, a seemingly feeble character compared to, well, EVERYONE, could totally kick butt, and that Lui Kang, a human, could take out Captain Marvel if need be. When you get a hold of the story and understand some things, these fights are believably even.

Another thing that Midway did well was that they made fun of themselves in a way. They did not take themselves too seriously. When Joker is out pummeling on people that should have beat him with one hit, they don't act like he's the man, they put it in context where it's funny, and yet again, believable. They don't make Superman or Captain Marvel look like gods, therefore it is believable that they can be beaten up by the likes of Catwoman and Jax. It is all relative, and Midway did an excellent job with the story line.

A few new features in gameplay may catch your attention. The first is the ability to grab. When you grab someone successfully you then enter a mini-game of sorts where you try to press one of the face buttons (on PS3, Triangle, Circle, X, or Square) and hit the opponent; the catch is if they hit the button you hit they will counter the attack and hit you and the mini-game is over. The aim is to hit them four times for maximum damage, but at any time up to that point that they counter it, the mini game is over. This also is similar to when you are in a falling mini-game. If The Flash pushes you off of a cliff, instead of dying you start to fall and the Flash can beat the crap out of you. But if you push the right button that he is pushing, you can flip him around and start beating him. If The Flash is beating you up all the way until you fall and you reverse it right before you hit the ground, he now receives all the damage that he caused you.

The third is "Test your might." On certain levels you can throw people into the walls and then grab them and run them into wall, after wall, after wall until you end up on the other side of the building. At this point it is up to each player to feverishly press one of the face buttons as fast as they can. If the person pushing is overpowering the person being pushed then the damage for "Test your might" goes up; if the person being pushed overpowers the person pushing then the damage will go down. A simpler way of putting it is a virtual tug of war, with the outcome determining damage.

Overall MK vs DC Universe was much better than expected. It is the first MK game I have ever owned and I am so happy with my purchase, I do not regret it one bit. The story mode can go by quickly if you keep playing and if you have no one to play with, such as all fighting games, it can be boring. But the prospect of playing with Superman and Batman against childhood video game characters that you've always known about such as Scorpion and Sub-Zero is something to appreciate and relish in. Not to mention this is Superman's first decent game. Midway did an awesome job of balancing his enormous strenght and speed and making him believably vulnerable without even entering kryptonite into the equation. Bravo Midway, bravo.

9/10

Jeremy aka Adridius

LBP; CODWAW; MKVSDC; ME; SM [crazy catching up and first impressions]

Create your own set of fun with these five totally different (from each other) games!

If you all did not catch all of the acronyms in the title, let me break it down for you. I have recently purchased (within the past month) five new video games. Little Big Planet; Call of Duty: World at War; Mirrors Edge; Spiderman: Web of Shadows and Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe.

All of them are wonderful games, I would highly recommend any of them. Yes, some of them have their flaws, and others seem almost flawless, but all in all, I am glad I spent the gobs and gobs of money it took to buy all these games (if you can do math, you know how much I've spent). I haven't been writing much because (A) I've been working and doing other things and (B) because I've been playing all of these awesome games.

But briefly I want to let you know my impressions on every one so far. Call it a mini-tiny-teeny review.

Little Big Planet:

This game is simply just a big ball of fun. I haven't even started creating my levels or gotten into all the crazy aspects of dressing my sack person, but still, I had fun with it for the hour or so that I played it. It's one of those games that's extremely unique, and might require a bit of understanding as to just what the developers were really trying to accomplish in making this video game. So far it seems as if it's going to be a hit. I mean, what other game gets people excited because they allow you to dress up as Street Fighter characters?

Call of Duty World at War:

Once I heard that this game was basically going to be all the things of COD4 and more, I didn't even thing twice about buying it. I didn't read any reviews, I didn't rent it, I just bought it. Suffice to say it has not let me down in the least. Online is just as fun as COD4 and the first person story mode (so far) is better than that of COD4. It's as if this is just an add-on to an already great game. An add-on that I payed $60 for, but an add on no less. And it has not left me disappointed; in fact, if this was the only game I bought in the last month I would be just fine.

Mirrors Edge:

You've seen my preview for the game, and I can safely tell you that the actual game is living up to the preview I gave it. The story-line doesnt necessarily knock me out of my chair so far, but the whole aura of the game is simply amazing and unique. While I was playing it today I was thinking that this could definitely be a good movie. Not because of the first person aspect, but because I have a good feeling about the main character and her story as the game progresses. My mind may change down the road, but I still think a hot asian girl jumping from buildings trying to escape people who are constantly shooting at her would be a pretty good way to be entertained for 1.45 hours or so. Call me crazy.

Spiderman: Web of Shadows

Ok, the voice acting...actually check that PETER PARKERS' voice acting sucks. I don't know who is the voice behind it, but it sucks. Every other Spiderman game I have played has had the voice of Spiderman/Peter Parker believable. In this particular instance I almost want to just plug audio receptors to my brain and look at subtitles while I imagine my own voice. But other than that the game plays fine. The fighting is fun, the fact that you can have Hero friends and Villain friends is a plus, and it seems as if the story line, since it comes from a comic book, is going to be entertaining.

Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe:

If you have been keeping up with this blog for about five or six months then you know that when I first heard about this game I thought it was a joke. It just didn't seem to go together. The whole concept of classic super heroes fighthing against the most gruesome set of video game characters (blood spilling wise) to hit consoles in the past decade and a half just didn't seem appropriate. The more and more I learned about the game I started to come around. Now after owning it today (which it is also the first MK I've ever owned), I have to say that it is pretty fun. The only gripe I have about it so far is that Wonder Woman just doesn't look like Wonder Woman *sigh*.

I hope that was helpful to you all a little bit. All of these games are fun and fantastic in their own way and it makes me excited to be a player of video games. I bought everything for the PS3 except Spiderman, which I probably should have just went a nice 5 for 5 in that department, oh well, I have to give my 360 some kind of love right?

-Jeremy aka Adridius

Mirror's Edge [preview]

The First "first person" game ever?

So I finally fired up my Mirror's Edge preview that I have been meaning to get around to for about a week now. My only regret is that I did not get around to it sooner. I am currently playing Spider-Man: Web of Shadows, Little Big Planet, Call of Duty: World at War, and what I have most recently reviewed Ratchet and Clank Future: Quest for Booty. The latter is probably not going to be played as much as the three former.

I haven't been the most adamant about keeping up with which company is coming out with what and what games are coming out when. I know what to keep an eye out for, but I haven't been on top of my game, so to speak, in terms of keeping up with EVERYTHING about video games like I used to be. And the reason for that is, well, real life and the fact that I have a huge opportunity coming my way soon that I have to get ready for (more on that in future postings). And I currently work, so that is taking up a good amount of my time.


Back to Mirror's Edge. I remember the first time I heard of this game, I picked up a copy of EGM and it was the cover story. As I was reading I was thinking, "If they can pull this off, this would be not only incredible and amazing, but genre changing (or creating for that matter)!" As I walked into one of my local GameStops I had mentioned to one of the salesmen that I was worried that this game was going to let me down. That it was going to somehow be much lower than my expectations, and that worried me. Not only as a gamer, but as a lover of creativity and the ability to pull ideas out of your head and make them work to the best of their abilities.

As I was playing the demo of ME I noticed something, this game is incredible. It is honestly unlike any game I have ever played in my entire life. The feel of it, the sense of oneness with the character. For the first time I actually felt like I was the character, rather than feeling like I was playing a characters story that usually I can't relate with. Whether it be a super hero like Spider-man or a cartoon character figure like Crash Bandicoot; Snake from Metal Gear Solid, or even Mario, I never related to those characters, I just enjoyed the fact that I got to play as them and some, through their amazing story. The Cloud Strifes and Aeris' will always have a place in my video game heart, but never once did I actually feel as if I was the character in question. Mirrors Edge has done that to me and I have only played the demo!!!!

So far it is EXCEEDING my expectations, which, by video game standards, is pretty dog on rare. Becasue although the hype leading up to awesome games are warranted, sometimes after you get done playing them you think, "That was great, but not great enough for me to have salivating over its release for the past year." This isn't to say that those games are bad, or to say that there arent other games that exceed gamers' expectations, it's just simply that Mirrors Edge is going to be one of those games, I hope, that I can look back on and say, "In a time where I thought I'd seen it all, and I was wondering if we had hit a ceiling in the creative process of video games, they come out with something so personal and extraordinary as this."

I can't promise that this is going to be one of the top 10 games of all time, or that this will even fall under the category of my own top 10, but if the controls, gameplay, and sheer fluidity of, what I consider to be the first real "first person" game can hold up to what I just experienced in the demo, then this could change the way the "first person" genre is defined.

Jeremy aka Adridius

Ratchet and Clank Future: Quest for Booty [review]

Ratchet and Clank was first released for the PlayStation 2 in 2002. It has since emerged as one of the premier 3D platform shooters. Since that time, Insomniac has brought us eight great games spanning over the PS2, the PSP, and the PS3. So with all of this historic achievement already under the massive gun filled arsenal that is Ratchet and Clank, Insomniac had their work cut out for them in their latest installment in the series: Ratchet and Clank Future: Quest for Booty.
The game starts off with you as Ratchet, after defeating Emperor Tachyon you immediately begin to look for Clank, who was kidnapped and taken by a mysterious being named Zoni. Along for the mission with you is Talwyn, and you soon realize that Captatin Darkwater, whom you have been looking for to find Clank, is dead. After fighting on a ship, you get shot to Hoolifar Island by Rusty Pete, where you wash up on shore with nothing but your handy wrench. And there the search for Clank begins.
When you first arrive on the island you will notice that the graphics are smooth, well designed and cartoony. It’s not supposed to look drop dead gorgeous because this game is more on the comical cartoony side than anything else. Still, do not mistake cartoony for rough edges and blocky characters. The graphics look real enough to allow you to be amazed at the art, but still cartoonish enough to remind you that this is a cartoon type game and that you are a fictional character. It manages to not take itself too seriously while still having a genuine respect for the surrounding areas and the supporting characters along with the main cast.
Speaking of the main cast, the voice acting is done surprisingly well. At first glance, if you have never played the series, you may look at the character as a knock off Crash Bandicoot or something of the like. When in fact, Ratchet and everyone he comes into contact with have their own personalities. Those personalities start to show themselves early on and it is furthered by the fact that the voice acting is not only good, but believable. At no time am I playing the game where it seemed as if the voice behind the character did not fit.
The part of the voice acting that helped the overall sound of the game was the fact that, just like the graphics, the voice acting does not take itself too seriously. The game is intent on delivering a good story line with a protagonist and an antagonist along with twists and turns, but in conjunction they sill manage to throw in a little comic relief that is corny and yet funny. It is just the type of humor that kids, as well as adults, can laugh to. For example, in one instance you are trying to get a door to open and one of the supporting characters says, “We need to read the words from the book of the dead.” The following lines are then, “I’m a little tea-pot short and stout, here is my handle here is my spout.” And then the door opens. In another instance you must say the secret password to get another door to open, and the password is, “butterscotch, snickerdoodles.” Again, nothing to make you roll on the floor and laugh, but just comical enough to remind you that even though this game is serious and has a respectable story, it is still a cartoon game with a bit of a kid feel too it.
But one thing that is absolutely not simply for kids is the amount of ammo and arsenal at your disposal. In the beginning, when you crash land on the island, you do not have anything other than your wrench. This is so that you can learn the games controls and the ins and outs of some of your gear such as the Omniwrench Millenium 12 and the Swingshot. Once you finish a certain task on the island you begin to slowly accumulate your arsenal of weapons. These can range from the simple, the Magma Combuster which shoots fireballs, to the absurd, the Tornado Launcher, which launches a Tornado that is surprisingly pretty simple to control with the SIXAXIS motion controller. Other gadgets include the Fusion Grenade, which is a thermonuclear hand grenade and the Lightning Ravager, which is a whip with lightning attached to it. There are other gadgets that you accumulate throughout the game as well that were not mentioned. All of these gadgets have the ability to level up and become stronger the more that they are use.
Since Ratchet and Clank Future: Quest for Booty is a 3D platformer you would think that there might be problems with the camera. As many hours as I’ve played I couldn’t tell you that there is much of a problem. If anything it is the same problem one might run into on any 3D platformer, and that reason can vary with each individual player. Overall it worked fine, the only thing I would mention as a negative is the inability to press a button, such as R3, and have the camera automatically be behind you. This is just one small nuance that I have been used to having in other platformers, but it is by no means a huge deal.
Gameplay is what you would expect. It can be fast paced, it can be slow, it can be run run run run run, or it can be a patient waiting game. But for the most part it is simply in one word, fun. Whether it be blasting people away with our Magma Combuster or tilting your SIXAXIS controller to control your Tornado Launcher, it’s classic Ratchet and Clank and it’s a fun experience. At first, I thought that (on normal) the game was rather hard since you do not have many points for your health to work with. And then I found out, to my surprise, the game is extremely forgiving, at least in the early stages.
At times I would be doing great in a certain mission or task, and then I’d die. To my surprise when I came back to life, certain doors that I had blown through were still blown through; weapons I had leveled up, were still leveled up; and all in all, through big fights there were a lot of chances to get more health and to get more ammo for my guns and other gadgets that I had. This game really pushes you to succeed (in normal mode) and it is much more fun because of that fact. The one area that most impressed me was the lateral strafing and jumping. Strafing is what you’d expect, move side to side to dodge bullets and enemies. But the fact that I was able to jump side to side as well as I was able to move from side to side was an enormous tactical advantage that I had in a game. This aspect of maneuvering doesn’t require too much thinking as is true with some other parts of the game.
All in all, if you are a fan of the series you will no doubt be impressed with Ratchet and Clank Future: Quest for Booty. And you absolutely know what to expect: gadgets and guns are this franchises staple. If you are new to the series this is not a hard game to pick up on. You might be a little confused as to why someone who looks like a cat, or a fox, or whatever you think he might be, is looking for a little robot, but it will all make sense in time. During that time, you should be able to crank out hours of fun in Ratchet and Clank Future: Quest for Booty.

Score 8/10

Jeremy aka Adridius

Vote for Video Games! [Election Night]

OBAMA! McCAIN!

We need to make sure that whoever wins, we come together as AMERICANS after this is all said and done!

Editors note: This blog post is geared toward Americans as it contains thougts about the election. It is by no means a statement of "America is better than the rest of the world" and by all means I encourage you to still read it if you are from another country. But keep in mind it is for Americans on the day we decide who our next leader will be. Thank you- Adridius

Usually video games and politics don't mix. But I felt compelled to just write a little something about the election.

It is great that we can live in a country where so many different people have so many various opinions about the world and how it operates. Some people like horror movies, some people like comedy, some people like Twilight, others like Harry Potter. Some people prefer a quiet walk on the beach while others prefer hanging out in a club. One group would campaign for Xbox 360 if it were a candidate and a whole different set of people would campaign for PS3.

We have Fanboys, nerds, geeks, music lovers, conservatives, liberals, democrats, republicans, reds, blues, optimists, pessimists, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, agnostics, athiests, scientists, philosophers, sociologists, journalists, bloggers, mad people, happy people, sad people, weird people, smart people, dumb (with relativity) people, people who make not so good decisions and people who always make the best decisions; CEOs, plumbers, construction workers, bankers, lollygaggers, lazys, musicians, DJs, singers, actors, TV watchers, book fanatics and of course, gamers.

We are a diverse group of people in America (and frankly all over the world), so we have to get out and vote. If you didn't vote today, I'm sure you have your reasons and I'm not going to blast you for it. But if you didn't vote today simply because you were lazy and didn't feel like it, here's a big wag of the finger and a tsk tsk.

There is a gaming point to all of this. We all may be Wii, PS3, or 360 fanatics, but we all have one thing in common, we are gamers. We like long games, short games, story-lines, fighting games, RPGs, racing games, customizable games, casual games, and so forth. We are all gamers and we are part of a large community even though we are all indiviuals and may not agree on everything (like who is the best player in Super Smash Brothers Brawl). We must take that idea and apply it to however the election turns out because we are all Americans. We may be different, but we are all unifiably the same in one respect, we live in American and we are part of a bigger whole.

If McCain wins, get behind him, if Obama wins, get behind him. We cannot be Red and Blue (unless of course it is an online multiplayer army game) forever, we must be unified after this election no matter how it turns out. Happy Election Day everyone!

-Jerem aka Adridius

NBA Live 09 [review]

It has been over ten years since the first NBA Live was released on the Genesis. Since then NBA Live has added new features, create-a-player, and all new ways to enjoy the game of basketball in a video game. If you are familiar with the series then you will be familiar with modes of the game such as Dynasty Mode and the NBA All-Star Weekend. But NBA Live has added a few new wrinkles to their already popular franchise.

When you first put in NBA Live 09 into your PS3 you will instantly notice that the graphics of the game are well done. They seem polished, well put together, and the players faces and body language seem pretty natural. If someone else, who was not familiar with the game, were to walk into the room, they might possibly mistake NBA Live 09 for a real NBA game on your television. Sadly though, when you start to play it does not necessarily feel like an NBA game.

NBA Live 09 has all the workings and makings of a solid NBA game, but the execution fails. While playing in a regular exhibition mode, or even in some of the special modes such as the Rookie Challenge, I always felt that the game did not possess the fluidity that should come with a sports game; especially one that represents a sport that is played all over the world. Strictly speaking on the mechanics of how the player is operated; I always felt as if the game was one step behind what my controller was telling it to do, a lag if you will. The problem is that I was not online at the time, I was offline playing a game against the computer. The game of basketball is almost like a ballet in a sense that your movements have to be fluid and graceful if you are to execute, and instead of getting a standing ovation from the audience I felt as if this game deserves a round of boos with tomatoes being thrown for how rigid and stiff NBA Live 09 plays. Please do not misunderstand, the game plays pretty well, but from a guy who used to play NBA Live 98 on his PS1 when growing up I have to honestly tell you I do not feel much of a difference as far as the fluidity of the game, and that’s disappointing.

As far as the overall gameplay, it can be fun and interesting. This is definitely not some arcade version of a basketball game where you the player can constantly get away with throwing the ball down court and slamming it in for the score. There are mechanics to the play calling, there are times when you must be patient, and if you aren’t smart while you are playing the computer, even on a standard level, will beat you. In real life players can’t blaze down the court for a score all the time so it should not be expected to be any different in a video game.

On the subject of gameplay there is a new feature this year in the NBA Live series that has interested numerous amounts of people; the Dynamic DNA along with NBA Live 365. These are separate and yet joint features that work together for your overall unique gaming experience. First Dynamic DNA; this is basically at it’s core a statistic and tendency gauge. If you go and look at certain players DNA in your roster, you will see what kinds of play ability they excel in (such as posting up, or spotting up) and what kinds of play ability they lack (such as pick and roll or isolation). This goes a long way in helping you determine what situation your player should be in to excel in any given situation whether it be defensive or offensive. Understanding each players tendencies will ultimately give you the advantage because planning and execution will be much easier if you are familiar with the players. DNA also plays a role in tendencies that are in-game. During halftime you can see your entire teams DNA and understand what areas are your strong points, and what areas are your weak points. Not only do you get to see your own DNA during halftime and at the end of games, but you also get to see your opponents. Again, this helps with planning and execution. During a game you are also given the opportunity to see what areas of the field your player excels in. For example, if I am running down the middle of the lane with LeBron James and go left to shoot and score, I will then see at the top of the screen a message such as “LeBron James Middle Perimeter go left 35%.” NBA Live 09 constantly keeps track of your players strengths and weaknesses throughout your gameplay.

And keeping track of gameplay is something that NBA Live doesn’t only do in the virtual world, but in the real world as well. After entering in the code that you received when you purchased NBA Live 09 into NBA Live 365, with internet access NBA Live 09 will automatically update players DNA during the 2008-2009 NBA season. This puts a literal spin on the word “live” and can make strategy that much more difficult for gameplay. Because let’s say Tony Parker is having a great first few weeks, and then he gets cold. A certain play that you ran well with Tony Parker the first few weeks may not work as well the next week because he’s off. This can totally change the dynamics of NBA Live 09 and your experience therein. There is however a problem with all of this. If, somehow, you do not have your box that you bought the game in, or you bought it used and the place you bought it from doesn’t have the box, you then have to go online and purchase (for 10 USD) the NBA Live 365 feature. Once again, to me, EA has taken something that should be free and made it into a recipe for making money. I can’t blame them for trying to make money, but the problem I have is that Madden has been doing updates like this for a few years now and it’s always been free. True, it may not be as intricate as NBA Live 365, but the concept is the same and the idea is not terribly original.

Other modes in the game include Dynasty Mode, which is basically a season long stay with one team while you try to win the NBA Title. Then there is NBA All-Star Weekend which consists of the Rookie Challenge which is Rookie players vs. Sophomore players; the three point shootout; and the dunk contest. Basically all the aspects of the real All-Star Weekend are able to be recreated in virtual form.

An interesting mode that is also in the NBA Live 09 is the Scenario Play. In this mode you can set up a game scenario to your liking. If you want to have the Celtics play the Lakers, you can do that. If you want to have there be only 20 seconds left on the clock with the Lakers up by 2 you can do that. If you want to have there be three seconds left and you try to score at the buzzer, you can do that. You have the power to create any scenario you want and practice, or just play for fun, to see how well you can react to the situation you have put yourself in.

Online play is interesting. The one gripe I have about online play is the lag. As I was attempting a free throw shoot I noticed that I would have to press the O button sooner than I would in an offline game. This can get very frustrating especially when your internet connection is in the green. A new feature to online mode (that would be much better without all the lag) is Team Play. This is almost self explanatory as you, and up to nine other people can all control one player on two teams and play against each other. This can be either really fun, or really frustrating in the same respect to how playing a real pickup game can be fun or frustrating. People will ball hog, people won’t know how to play their position, and some people won’t play good defense. Overall, I like the concept so it’s not a total loss.

All in all, NBA Live 09 has a lot to offer, even more than some of the things that I’ve mentioned above such as Be A Pro, NBA Live Academy, and the FIBA world championship. If you are a basketball fan, you will enjoy this game probably just as much as football fans enjoy Madden. However, the fact that there is more than one professional basketball game to choose from you might want to look elsewhere for better gameplay, mechanics, and fluidity. NBA Live 09 is probably everything you’d expect from EA and the Live series, but it fails to live up to the enormous hype it can generate from year to year.

6.5/10

Jeremy aka Adridius

Woman Murders Virtual Husband [crazy news]

Don't delete characters!!!!

A 43-year-old Japanese piano teacher is now at the mercy of the legal system in where she could end up spending 5 years in prison or have to pay up to $5,000 dollars. Why? Because she murdered her husband...virtually. After being divorced by her husband, in MapleStory, she decided to get even. She got into the 33-year-old man's account and deleted his character. When the man discovered that his character was no longer 'alive' so to speak, he called the police. The woman has now been jailed for suspicion of illegally accessing a computer and manipulating electronic data.

Wow. Times sure are changing. When I was coming up people usually murdered...well...other people, in the flesh. But what's weird is this woman is OLDER than me. So, I guess the use of "when I was coming up" applies to her as well even though she's nearly twice my age. Wow, what an interesting story. Here's hoping she simply has to pay the money rather than go to jail. Can you imagine the conversation in jail?

Random person: What are you in for?
Woman: Murder
Random person: Who'd you kill?
Woman: My ex-husband.
Random person: Wow, it must have been bloody.
Woman: No, it was just a click of a button.
Random person: Did you blow him up?
Woman: No, he'll be here to visit me soon.
Random person: .......

Yes, that would be a GREAT conversation!

-Jeremy aka Adridius

Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 [DLC]

"WE'RE BACK!! Er...maybe"

I heard an interesting tidbit today that Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 might be coming to Xbox Live and PSN for download. Now, before you turn into Mr. Pee Pants let me explain. I read that the info came through a leak from the ESRB. This is not to say that they gave away this leak, only that it seems as if this is one of the games they are rating and it was on their website, or something.

The details on it are scarce, but the fact remains that there will most likely be a download for MVC 2, which makes me very happy and bubbly inside. What would be REALLY cool is if they had an extra character pack for download as well. I know, I know, you're probably asking me if 50+ characters is enough, and yes it is, but a few more characters for such a beloved game is always welcome on my PlayStation 3. Here's hoping this actually happens, because if it does, I will have a new best friend for an unspecified amount of time.

-Jeremy aka Adridius

The good and the bad [editorial]

Time is Money...Time is video game play?

A couple of days ago I had a thought. The thought was partially depressing and partly exciting. The video game industry has changed so much since I was born in 1986. Games are becoming longer, story lines are becoming more intricate, graphics are becoming clear and sharp, TV’s have picture that looks incredibly real, and physics engines make the gamer believe they are actually in the world they are playing.

This is all well and good, but here’s the problem, the very aspect of gaming that is making it great, i.e. the length, story line and graphics, also may be its detriment. I have done no research on this, I don’t have my P.H.D. in gaming, unless PHD stands for “way cool person who has played a lot of video games since he was three.” The following statements are strictly my opinion and I open the comments up to discussion for this subject, whether you agree with me or not.

Games used to be about completing a task that had very little to do with story line, almost a pick up and go if you will. Games also never had a save function. Fast forward 20 years, gamers are complaining that games seem too much like movies, the graphics, story lines, and characters rival some of the best movies every made. The gameplay is deep, the physics engine is lifelike. One $60 game can now take you from heaven to hell and all the emotions in between. You can rescue someone, find out how screwed up you are, and defeat a nemesis of yours all in the first 20 minutes let alone the entire game that may take anywhere from 20-100 hours if you decide to get everything.

This longevity of games is in itself wonderful for the gamer. Depending on whether you are a casual gamer or you are a gamer that plays something until you beat it, long games with story lines and memorable characters are what make games great, now-a-days, in my opinion.
But the problem for the developers is also a problem for the gamers. The length of video games is now making it harder and harder to keep up with every hit title that comes out, whether it be the underdog that came out of nowhere, or whether it be something as world renowned as Grand Theft Auto. Unless you are sitting in a basement somewhere living off of your friends and family, there is no way you are going to be able to keep up with every racing, RPG, sports, adventure, strategy, war-time, first person shooter, motion sensored, superhero, mascot , beat em up game that is available to play. Yes, you might be able to keep up with some, maybe even most, but let’s be honest, time doesn’t grow on trees and we don’t have as much of it as we’d like. Secondly, even if you do manage to enjoy all these great games, can you beat them all? Can you fully experience everything that game has to offer when you have another 25 games to get to in the next six months to a year? I would venture to say no, because I know I have more time than the average person and still I can’t keep up with EVERYthing that great developers have to offer.

On the flip side, this is great for the industry, and yet it’s bad. Granted, most people are only going to buy one game at a time, but if they have the ability to buy multiple games for multiple platforms, would they even do it; knowing that they don’t have time to beat this game on the Wii, and enjoy that game on the 360, while interacting with this game on the PS3. Granted, most people don’t have all three systems, but the same philosophy of time you have to play games, and the amount of games you buy is applicable to all platforms even if you only have one. This in turn may mean declined sales, in the long run, I repeat, in the long run, for developers. Even though the video game industry has EXPLODED in the past few years, I guess I’m thinking out loud as to how long it will last and at what price. By no means am I saying the video game industry is going under, nor do I want it to. I just wonderful if the added dimension of time going into gaming on both the developers and game players side will have any negative effect on the game industry as a whole.

I hope nothing bad happens, but if games continue to get longer, more complex, and have deeper story lines will there be enough time to go around that will keep the industry thriving? Let me know what you think.

-Jeremy aka Adridius

PS4 rumor [rumor and ludiocrasy (yes I made that up)]

TOSTERSTATION!!!

I was reading one of the great video game blogs known as Destructoid and I came across an interesting rumor; PS4 screens. Apparenty Sony has been sending screens to developers to get their feedback on the system that could drop sometime in 2011. Sony will be trying to make the cost of the system less while still upping it's power and simultaneously making it smaller. They will do all of this with the help of God, Satan, Magic, and technology (just kidding).

I'm going to go silly first and then I'm going to go serious. Why does this system look like a toaster? I mean seriously? Are we going to be able to toast bread in our new PS4's while we play God of War 5? Will there be a mini-game in X-Men where the faster Pyro burns something the m0re burnt your toast will get? They should call it Sony ToastStation! Yay!

On a serious note. I hate these rumors. I haven't even really broken in my PS3 yet (until I play an RPG on it, it's still not broken in) and people are already talking about a PS4 in 2011? Can we save it please? Can we keep the PS4 rumors at bay until at least two years before the darned thing is supposed to come out? That would be great. But no, what will probably happen is that when PS4 does get released we'll be talking about PS7, totally missing the fact that we need a PS5 and PS6. Don't those sound like Air Force airplanes? "Make sure the PS6 is going at least 100 miles an hour before you reach 2,000 feet!"

Granted, this is a rumor, but it's seriously one of my least favorite rumors. Give me a rumor, or screen shot about God of War III, that would be wonderful.

-Jeremy aka Adridius

Gamers and a depression

Video games make people happy..it's science people!!

Wow. I know I haven't been on for a while. Going out of town, having a job, and being tired when you get back will do that to you. Hopefully I'll be able to get a gameznflix account set up soon and at LEAST give you all mini-reviews at a semi-regular pace if nothing else.

For the first time in a while, I was actually looking through my video game blogs (because as of late I've been focused on football blogs, because, well, it's NFL season!!!). I came across a post that was asking which console should be played the most if we go into a depression (which I've heard some say we are in, personally, I'm not buying that we are in a depression just yet, but most definitely we are in a recession).

The wonderful thing about gaming, and other forms of entertainment, is that it takes your mind off of the world's problems, life's problems, and personal problems, and let's you live out the problems, story, love affair, or action of another character. It can be an extreme form of comfort and contentment to simply get away. So I ask you gamers, which console, Wii, 360, or PS3, should be the bridge from our recession (or some say depression) to more glorious financial times? I personally like all three and if I was only given one I would manage just fine with any of them, seriously. But what consoles do you think would help the nation get through a hard time?

First and foremost the 360 comes to mind simply because of the community it brings. It's as if we can all escape the world at the same time and go into our own gamertagged community. The 360 also has a wide array of games that are liked by a lot of people. And with its price tag having dropped, I could easily see how this system could get someone through a hard time.

The PS3 may be next because it's the other hardcore gamer system of the big three. It's appeal is free internet play, japanese publishing and technology, and a cult following that goes back to 95. And personally, I think it's the most elite system of the three in terms of graphics, capability, and design. The developers have been slowly catching on as to how they should go about developing software for this system. It's getting better and gaining more ground, but that price tag might turn some people off.

Finally, the most family friendly and family inclusive system, the Wii. Who wouldn't want to play this to get away from their problems? You can be a professional bowler, tennis player, boxer, and baseball player all before noon. And with it's wide selection of first party games, it's sure to be a system that will draw nostalgic feelings from anyone and everyone who has loved playing Nintendo.

With all that said, I seriously am sticking by my first proposition. Give me any one of the three and I'll be fine (thankfully for me I have all three). We'll make it through these hard times gamers (even if you aren't aware that we are in hard times). Just keep your thumbs on that controller and by the time you beat that first person shooter on ultimately ridiculously hard difficulty mode, we'll be out of this recession. Happy gaming.

-Jeremy aka Adridius

Karma is a Spore [news]

When I was walking around Target yesterday I spotted something that I had been hearing about for a while; Spore. My idiot mind thought it was going to be on consoles, so at first the fact that it was a PC and Mac game didn't quite click with me. Then after a bit of deliberation with myself it all started to make sense as to why it would be a computer game (because it's kind of like the Sims...or actually, probably totally like it depending on how you think of it). At that moment I considered buying it, but then thought two or three more times about it and decided not to just yet (I do this with a lot of games).

Interestingly enough I'm looking through game blogs and come across similar stories, Spore is being downloaded like crazy over Torrents. You might ask, "Well Jeremy, a lot of games download like crazy on Torrents." And I would respond that a lot of games haven't been downloaded 171,402 times since September 1. Apparently this is happening because gamers are outraged at EA.

The reasoning behind the crazy amount of downloads is because, some would suggest, EA was asking for it when they put some controversial DRM controls on the disc and also when they only allowed users to create only one account per copy of the game. Needless to say this pissed a lot of people off to the point where a lot of users on Amazon gave it a 1 out of 5 and were ripping it to shreds with their user reviews. Here is one review:

EA, of course, is not obligated to grant you that extra activation or even provide that service. In a couple of years they might very well even shut down the general activation servers, because "it's not financially feasible" to keep them running. What you will be left with is a nice, colorful $50 coaster. And you will be required to pay for another copy/license if you want to continue playing.

This basically means that you are actually RENTING the game, instead of owning it. The game WILL stop to function in the future. That's inevitable, because even if EA keeps the activation servers going, there IS going to be a time when EA will simply cease to exist because of financial issues or federal laws (like most business eventually do).

This is getting serious folks. As if EA didn't have enough of a bad reputation with gamers, this gives EA another bad PR hit with a game that was highly anticipated. Actions such as this show why EA is constantly being referred to as the devil. Just chalk it up as another reason to hate EA. What do you think readers?

-Jeremy aka Adridius

It should be noted that I am not advocating downloading this game off of a torrent, I'm simply reporting a story.

Madden 09 [review]

Yay!!! MADDEN!!! WOO HOO!!

In the past 20 years we have seen Mario go from side-scroller to space flyer. We have seen Sonic go from fast 16-bit graphics to a 3D adventure. In 20 years we have been introduced to a countless number of games and a numerous amount of consoles. Twenty years has shown us a lot, but this year in particular marks the 20th anniversary for the best selling American football game of all time: Madden.

The number one complaint, when it comes to gamers and Madden, is that there is not much innovation from year to year. One year gamers are introduced to defensive audibles, the next year we have a special “quarterback vision” that helps the gamer throw more accurate passes, and yet another year there is an option for offense and defense to “read-and-react” which is essentially changing your play at the line of scrimmage; something you had been able to do for two years already on current-gen consoles. For most gamers this does not constitute innovative thinking.

Finally, bring on Madden 09. The focus of this year’s Madden is that the game adapts to you. This is shown immediately when you fire up your PS3. Before going to the game menu, John Madden himself in all of his projector-like form comes on the screen and says his piece about a game that is near and dear to him, American football. He then proceeds to take you into a simulator where you will be tested on four aspects of the game: run offense, pass offense, pass defense, and run defense. After you complete each task you will see a meter that shows you what skill level you are at for each part of the game. For example; if you do extremely well on the rush offense simulation, then your skill level for that will be All-Madden, which is the highest degree of difficulty. After you have finished all four categories you are then given a Madden IQ. The higher your Madden IQ, the higher the difficulty will be when you play actual football games.
An interesting aspect about the Madden IQ is that the game literally does adapt to your skill level. If you choose “My Skill” level for your difficulty level, whatever aspects of the game you thrived in during the skills test will be more difficult, and whatever aspects you did poorly in will be easier. Example: If you did great on your run defense and run offense, but didn’t do so well on your pass defense and pass offense, the computer will be much harder against the run, and much harder when you are trying to stop the run. But the computer will be lenient, and easy when you pass or are trying to stop a pass. It’s just like giving each facet of the game a skill level between Rookie (easiest) and All-Madden (hardest).

After every game you complete with “My Skill” level turned selected, your Madden IQ can change positively or negatively. If you previously had a high IQ passing the ball against the defense, but had a poor game, your passing IQ might go down. If you had a low IQ for pass defense and you had a great game against the pass, your IQ might go up. So the game is constantly adapting to your skill level to give you the challenge you need to keep the game interesting, but it also is lenient in your weaker areas so that you can continue to get better.

Another new thing about Madden is its graphics. The graphics this time around look stunning, compared to previous years. They are not the best graphics that I’ve seen on a game by far, but they are better than previous versions of Madden. This time the graphics don’t just stretch the limits of the players, but the actual field looks that much more crisp and realistic. The easiest thing I can compare it to is to say that the field looks like you are watching a football game, live, in High Definition. Yeah, it’s that crisp. The players graphics themselves are not the best I’ve seen, but in the same right they look much more realistic. Lineman don’t look like they are taking illegal substances with overly huge muscles. Quarterbacks don’t look the same size as lineman, and everyone on the field seems a bit more realistic. The players look a bit more defined than in years past, but again, these are not the most amazing graphics I’ve seen on a video game, they are simply just better than previous Maddens.

When it comes to gameplay, nothing has changed very much. You can still call offensive and defensive audibles. The weapons system has returned. Briefly, a weapon is what a particular player excels at the most. A receiver might have a “hands” weapon that shows he is one of the best catchers in the league; a quarterback might have the “accuracy” weapon, which tells that he is an accurate passer. The change with weapons this year is that instead of only seeing four of your weapons on either offense or defense, you now see every player on the field who has a weapon. This was a nice addition in my opinion.

One new facet of the game that should be mentioned is the ability to rewind a play. Before you actually start playing your game you choose whether you want to have 1 chance to rewind, or up to an infinite amount of rewinds. A rewind lets you do the play over. If you throw an interception that you shouldn’t have thrown you can press the rewind button and go back to start the play over again. Rewinds can be beneficial for novice players to understand their mistakes and correct them, but if you do an infinite amount, rewinds can be annoying and can totally take away from the game.

Running the football has a nice new twist when it comes to gameplay. Instead of trying to juke away from a defender, if you time the juke, spin move, or highlight stick correctly, you can actually break away from a defender’s grasp. Usually if you were getting hit by a defender in games past, that was it, you no longer had control of the ball carrier.

Passing can seem a bit hard at first, but then you realize that slant passes are a little easier to pull off. I wouldn’t go as far as to say they are too easy, because like in the NFL, if the player is running right in front of you it’s easier to hit him on a slant route than it would be to hit a player downfield who has a safety and a cornerback over them.

A major complaint I have with the gameplay in Madden 09 is the fact that there are no more “jumps”. In Madden 08, on defense, if gamers timed it right they could jump the snap. This would allow them to penetrate the backfield quicker because the defenders started to get out of their stance while the quarterback was snapping the ball. I have yet to be able to do that on Madden 09. I have looked in the controls, and tried to find the “jump the snap” option for R3, and for the life of me, it wasn’t there. This is very disappointing because jumping the snap gave the defense a bit more power in 08. If you played against someone who always snapped the ball right when they got to the line, then you knew you could jump the snap and either get in for a sack or bring down a running back for a loss of yards. In 08, jumping the snap kept the offense, whether controlled by human or computer, honest. Since that is gone it is now tougher than ever to get in the backfield to make a play.

One huge aspect of the game that has been poorly done over the past couple of years is the on-field commentary. Tom Hammond and Cris Collinsworth, do an outstanding job. But it’s not just them, the producers who put together their pre-recorded responses made each person, especially Collinsworth, appear as if they were actually sitting next to you watching the game. There is not a lot of repetition such as their was in previous Maddens. There aren’t just statements made about a random player, with said players name thrown into the statement. The commentating sounds so legitimate that I actually feel as if I’m listening to a pro football game. If there was a “most improved” section of this review, the commentary would be #1 on my list.
Superstar mode is what you would expect. Either build a character, or take an existing rookie and you can put them through an RPG-like character creation with practices, pre-season, and regular season games. This mode is for the most hardcore and patient Madden players.
Online has gotten better on PS3, there is not so much lag, and this time around you can actually create leagues with your friends to play out full seasons. The problem here is that if you only have four teams, you can only play with four NFL teams, not the normal 32. Another problem is that most of these leagues are private, so if you find yourself just wanting to jump into a league you are better off playing Franchise mode offline.

An added gameplay option that I particularly enjoy is the Madden Moments. These are moments in NFL history that any NFL fan should remember. Some are more memorable than others, but the point is, these moments were fun to watch, and hopefully are just as fun to play. One example of a Madden Moment is when the Green Bay Packers an the Denver Broncos were tied 13-13 last year and went into overtime and Green Bay drove almost the full length of the field to win the game with a touchdown. The game starts off with Green Bay getting the ball and you, as Green Bay, must drive the length of the field and score the touchdown. Some of the moments can be a bit difficult at times, but nonetheless it is a nice addition to the game.
Lastly; the tutorials are a great way for people who don’t understand the game of American football to learn how to play. This has nothing to do with your Madden IQ and everything to do with teaching you how to play the game of football. In one mode, you are taught how to use your blockers in a running game so that you can score. In another mode you are taught how to use the spin move, the stiff arm, and the highlight stick to avoid defenders; and then the last mode of running you learn how to use both of these aspects to avoid defenders and get to the touchdown. It’s an excellent way to be introduced to football.

Madden has gotten better, but in that same right it hasn’t progressed much in my mind. Yes there are new gameplay ideas added, and new ways to play, but for some reason I kept wishing I could get the new gameplay with the same game I played in 08. Madden 09 is an incredible football game, but putting it next to it’s predecessors it does certain things right, and other things wrong. It seems to me that if new aspects of the game are added, old aspects have to be taken out. Whether this is because of space on the disc or because they plum forgot about it (see my paragraph on “jumping the snap”) it’s not fair to the gamer. Overall, it’s better than Madden 08, but in my mind I wish that EA could stay consistent while offering new content.

Overall: 8/10

-Jeremy aka Adridius

Donkey Kong and Super Mario [graphics talk and remembering the past]

I was playing...check that...I was watching my friend play my Wii last night. As she was playing Donkey Kong Country 2 and Super Mario Brothers. I felt compelled to be a true geek and explain to her what 'bits' of graphics are.

I asked her, "Do you know how many bits of graphics PlayStation 2 has?" And she obviously did not, nor did she very much care. "It has 128 bits," I said. What you are playing right now has 16 bits of graphics (DKC 2).

Even though when I was younger playing on my Super Nintendo and marveling at the graphics of DKC, I still had to take a step back and marvel again, at age 22, at the beauty I was witnessing on the television in front of me. The detail, the smoothness, and the rich color that was before my eyes in only 16 bits of graphics was utterly stunning. And you have to remember folks, this was more than ten years ago.

When my friend was playing Super Mario Brothers, I thought that the Goombas, in all of their 8 bit form, were highly underrated as far as graphics go. The next time you get a chance to view a video or play the game, I want you to really look at the graphics. I understand it's only 2D, but the fact of the matter is that 23 years ago that is an amazing accomplishment.

It boggles my mind what kind of graphics we will be having in our favorite games in another ten years when I *GASP* hit my thirties. But even though we marvel from year to year at the graphical designs, we have to remember our roots and give credit where credit is due. That's why I wrote this particular blog post (and also because I haven't written in about a week, life is getting in the way).

Enjoy the videos!

-Jeremy aka Adridius

P.S.- The PS3 Madden 09 review will be up soon.

If ever there was a case to make against games...[horribleness]

This should never come before a baby....

Rene Edward Barrios, 26, who lives in Tucson Arizon has been given 10-21 years in prison for killing an 18 day old baby. The baby's name was Jaden Ecinas. While Rene was playing a video game (console and game not discolsed) Jaden started to cry. Bothered by the infants cries Rene paused his game, walked over to the infant and shook him and then struck him. He would finish his game in the next 10 minutes in which time the infant Jaden would stop breathing. Jaden was pronounced dead at the hospital. Jaden was in Rene's care because Rene's girlfriend left him in charge of her son.

Rene ended up getting manslaughter. He should have gotten murder. I hope he gets the maximum 21 years in prison. For all of you that were wondering where I am working now I will tell you. I am working at a daycare with three and four year olds. They are all sweet and kind and innocent in their own ways. No matter how much they scream and cry, or hit each other, or straight up disrespect their teacher's (me and another lady), I do not condone striking them. Spankings are another issue all-together, but that form of punishment is not allowed in daycare so frankly it's moot to discuss.

Beating a child however (which I believe is leaps and bounds different than spanking) is inexcusable. It shouldn't be tolerated in any form or fashion. When I sit back and think of actions or ideas that get me angry, child abuse (in any for, sexual or beating, or exploitation) is probably right there at the top of my list. I think about what I would do to the son of a female dog who decides they like to beat on their (or others') kids.

The fact that this "man" (because no real man would beat a child) beat a child becasue the child was crying while he was playing a video game is beyond me. I understand being annoyed when you are trying to do something, but when it comes to responsibility versus gaming, responsibility always wins. I am a huge advocate for games. I believe they are good for you, that they can help you to be smarter, more aware, and that they are an art form. But do not confuse my zeal for gaming to mean that it comes before all other responsibilites. You don't go out and buy a new game if you can't pay for your car. You don't go buy a $600 dollar system when you have a mortgage that comes first. And you do NOT put video games before human life (I mean, duh).

Gaming is an activity, just like reading, poetry, movies, TV, jumping rope, exercising, and any other action that you don't necessarily need to do to survive. This story would be just as bad if it was a TV program instead of a video game, or if Rene was reading the latest piece of fiction and put down his book for a second. You don't put your own activities before your necessary responsibilities. I hope this guy rots in jail if and when he does recieve probation that he has a clause that tells him he can't play video games.

I think to further punish him they should force him to watch video game commercials for 18 hours a day just so he knows what he's missing out on because he decided to be a dumb donkey and beat a baby simply because the baby interrupted his game. Loser...or as a gaming enthusiast would say; EPIC FAIL!!! What a jerk.

-Jerem aka Adridius

New Skate video for Wii using balance board [video]

I started work yesterday, but I wanted to give you all something else besides my videos that I posted in celebration of 1,000 hits. I'll try to compose something two or three times a week, but don't expect alot because, well, real life has gotten in the way. Hope you enjoy the video!

-Jeremy aka Adridius

P.S.- I'm getting Madden sometime next week and will try to have a review up soon thereafter.

A Grand, A G, a Millenium, 1,000!!! [excitement]

I've never finished either FFX...but this is "1,000 words".



This is simply funny.



I like family guy and it's cool to see the people do the voices.



Videos from games from my favorite system.



Will it blend? Wii mote! Awesome!



Oh this is too cool!!




Lastly, a milli(enium, hahaha). [it's not edited, so children, please don't click on this video]


Guys and girls, we've reached 1,000 hits here at Gamer-Aid! *Cheering, clapping Woo-hooing, woop-wooping, jumping up and down and spinning out of control* YAYYY!!!

Let's see, I'd like to thank my father and my mother for making me, I'd like to thank God for making them, I'd like to thank all the people who still respect me even though I'm a 22 year old geek. I'd like to thank Nintendo for giving me my first taste of games. I'd like to thank Sony, and heck, even Microsoft. I'd like to thank all of the people who love video games.

But most of all, I'd like to thank YOU, the reader! When I look at the demographics of the people who visit this site: North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Australia, thank you all!! Thank you for taking time out of your day (even if it's by accident, hahaha) and visiting this website. Thank you for those of you who have left comments, and thank you for those of you who agree and disagree with what I say. But most of all, thanks for reading what I have to say, it means a lot.

I hope you all will continue to visit this site and leave comments and most of all; I hope you all continue to enjoy my writing (for those of you that do). Because yes, I do this because I enjoy writing, but I also do it to entertain you all as well. Hopefully one day I can work for a video game publication (and get paid :-D), but I have to admit that it is fun to say, "I have a video game blog that people actually visit and leave comments on!!" You, the reader, are the reason that I come back and keep writing.

I can't promise that Gamer-aid is going to be around forever, especially since I have a job now and will be going overseas early next year (I'll tell you all about that as I get closer to my departure date), but I definitely won't leave you hanging in the meantime. If I have to take an indefinite leave I'll let you know. But that's not going to be happening too soon.

Thanks again, and I hope you enjoy the videos!! Happy 1,000 hits (and counting)!!! YAY!

-Jerem aka Adridius

Most sold game this year (so far)! [news]

Does anything jump out at you and surprise you on this list?

The NPD Group, GfK Chart-Track Limited and Enterbrain have come together to release the Top Global Markets Report. This report will be coming out monthly to give people a better understanding of how well a game is selling and where it is selling. What do you all think about this list? One nugget that jumps out at me is the fact that Grand Theft Auto IV is beating out the 2nd ranked game by almost a million copies sold and it's not even being sold in Japan. That's interesting. Another surprising note is how many copies of Super Smash Brothers Brawl sold in the U.K. I would have thought that it would have sold more. Then again, population probably plays a strong role in these numbers (this isn't represented in any data I have, it's just a thought). America has almost three times the amount of people that Japan has and Japan has about double the population of the U.K.

What do you all think about these numbers. Let me know.

-Jeremy aka Adridius

P.S.- We are almost to 1000 hits on the blog!!! I don't know what I'm going to do to celebrate, but I'll have a fun picture or video or BOTH at the very least on Gamer-aid. Plus I'll post some kind of "Thank You". So get hyped!!!

Some tidbits [useful, or not so useful info]

LOOK OUT LEGO GOTHAM!!!!

Hello all!!! I got some cool new information for you today. First of all, Batgirl is going to be one of the characters in LEGO Batman. That's exciting. I don't know if she'll be playable or if she will simply be part of the game, here's hoping she's playable.

Secondly I found a nifty chart that shows which instruments will work across different games such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band. It kind of sucks that with more than a few entries there are a lot of question marks, but at least a list is better than no list. Enjoy.

-Jeremy aka Adridius

*Info came from here

Xbox 360
Guitar Hero: World Tour Generi-caster	Yes	?	Yes3	?	Yes3	Yes3	?
Rock Band 2 Stratocaster	?	Yes	Maybe2	Yes	No3	No3	?
Guitar Hero: Aerosmith Les Paul	Yes3	Yes3	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	?
Rock Band Stratocaster	Yes6	Yes	Maybe2	Yes	No1	No	?
Guitar Hero 3 Les Paul	Yes3	Yes3	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	?
Guitar Hero 2 Xplorer	Yes3	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	?
Xbox 360
Guitar Hero: World Tour drums	Yes	?	N/A	?	N/A	N/A	?
Rock Band drums	Yes6	Yes	N/A	Yes	N/A	N/A	?
Rock Band 2 drums	?	Yes	N/A	Yes	N/A	N/A	?
Rock Revolution drums	?	?	N/A	?	N/A	N/A	Yes

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PlayStation 3
Guitar Hero: World Tour Generi-caster	Yes	Yes7	Yes3	?	Yes3	Yes7
Rock Band 2 Stratocaster	Yes7	Yes	No2,3	Yes	No2,3	Yes7
Guitar Hero: Aerosmith Les Paul	Yes3	No3,5	Yes	No5	Yes	?
Rock Band Stratocaster	?	Yes	No2	Yes	No	?
Guitar Hero 3 Les Paul	Yes3	No3,5	Yes	No5	Yes	?
PlayStation 3
Guitar Hero: World Tour drums	Yes	Yes7	N/A	?	N/A	Yes7
Rock Band drums	?	Yes	N/A	Yes	N/A	?
Rock Band 2 drums	Yes7	Yes	N/A	Yes	N/A	Yes7
Rock Revolution drums	Yes7	Yes7	N/A	Yes	N/A	Yes

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Nintendo Wii
Guitar Hero: World Tour Generi-caster	Yes	?	Yes3	?	Yes3	?
Rock Band 2 Stratocaster	?	Yes	No2,3	Yes	No	?
Guitar Hero: Aerosmith Les Paul (with Wiimote)	Yes3	No3,4	Yes	No4	Yes	?
Rock Band Stratocaster	?	Yes	No2	Yes	No	?
Guitar Hero 3 Les Paul (with Wiimote)	Yes3	No3,4	Yes	No4	Yes	?
Nintendo Wii
Guitar Hero: World Tour drums	Yes	?	N/A	?	N/A	?
Rock Band drums	?	Yes	N/A	Yes	N/A	?
Rock Band 2 drums	?	Yes	N/A	Yes	N/A	?
Rock Revolution drums	?	?	N/A	Yes	N/A	Yes