Hello and welcome!
I just wanted to let you guys know about a charity event that the guys over at Mariomarathon.com are putting on. They are playing through all of the Mario games and based on the amount of money they recieve for the charity , http://www.childsplaycharity.com/ , They will continue playing based on the amount of money they accrue. So far they have been playing for 48 hours, and have raised $12,000 + so far.
You can catch the live web-stream of the guys playing below, or on their website: http://www.mariomarathon.com/
They have a paypal link on the site that you can use to donate.
For more about childs play, check Child's Play Charity.
Check it out and donate!
~K
Backlog
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Review: Too Human.
Hello and Welcome!
I know, amazing isn't it? another blog post!
I got Too Human when it was on sale a while back, with the hopes that I could play with Nate and his brother. And that is where the drama begins...
The environments are pretty repetitive, but don't look too bad. It is mostly just bad level design.
I kept trying to convince myself that I was having fun just collecting Items in this game. But I think I only convinced myself enough to finish the game.
Do I recommend buying this Game? Even at $10 it is hard to recommend. Do I recommend playing it? Again, very hard to recommend unless you just REALLY like getting loot, and maybe are a masochist.
This game is supposed to be part of a trilogy. I really hope that they DO make an second and third game. Hopefully they will take the story and fix all the gameplay elements to make a good game.
~K
I know, amazing isn't it? another blog post!
I got Too Human when it was on sale a while back, with the hopes that I could play with Nate and his brother. And that is where the drama begins...
Ah yes, the Drama. You see, I thought that Too Human was a multi-player game. You know, multiple players. As in, More than 2. Yeah, that was not the case (though the initial information about the game said it would be 4 players) , leaving me to play it on my own, while the two brothers played together.
The game itself (maybe not this iteration, but the title in general) has been in development for 10 years or so, with the last 3 years being the title we have today. Part of this delay was reported by Silicon Knights (the Developer) as difficulties with the Unreal 3 Engine. Opting to use their own engine (and sparking a lawsuit, and counter lawsuit From Epic Games) Silicon Knights finally released the game in late 2008, as the first part of a Trilogy, maybe...
This game wants very badly to be a great game. Unfortunately there are many technical difficulties and annoyances which prevent that greatness from shining through. It also seems to lack the polish that one might expect from a Microsoft Game Studios title. Anyway, I am going to break it down for you in the style of old reviews:
GAMEPLAY
The concept behind Too Human's game play was interesting in theory. Rather than mash the a,b,x,y buttons to pull of attacks you use the Analog sticks. It sounds awesome, I know. Unfortunately it was not implemented very well and you, more often than not, are just holding the stick in the direction of the enemy. Not very exciting.
However, it may have been more interesting if you attacks did damage more than 25 % of the time... Easily 3 out of 4 times, my attacks do NO damage, as if I am not even hitting the enemies. Which leads to me dying, a lot.
Ah yes, dying. You know something is wrong with your game balance, when you have to put an achievement for DYING 100 TIMES. Seriously, WTF were they thinking. The fact that I had barely scratched the surface of the 4th and last area, and already acquired this 'achievement' is a clear sign that the balance of this game was broken.
Other than that, the skill upgrade system is laughable, and barely worth mention.
The Enemy variety is anything but. The only Variety enemies have are their polarity (Ice, Poison, Fire, etc). But aside from bosses I would not put the number of different enemy models at more than 10.
Really for me the only redeeming factor was the loot drop aspect of the game. Being the loot whore that I am, I enjoy getting a new weapon, or a new peice of armor. Unfortunately, again, they did not balance that part, so my only good point is barely good. Getting a new piece of armor every 5 seconds and only 2 percent of that actually being good just isnt fun.
STORY
Man, I think there could have been a really good story here, but it is told through disjointed cutscenes and difficult to hear environmental dialog so it ends up janky and hard to follow.
SOUND
THE SOUND IN THIS GAME IS CRAP. Ok, that is not fair. The sound effects and Music in this game are quite good. The mixing how ever is atrocious. My tone-deaf Luddite of a sister could mix better than that. Why is it bad you ask?
- The in game dialog cannot be heard over any noise other than the music. Even when you adjust the levels.
- Everytime you get a rare item an musical audio sample plays to let you know. THIS SAMPLE PLAYS AT 11. It is so deafeningly loud compared to the rest of the audio, you have to turn the sound down to compensate (which further compounds the first problem)
- It is clear they tried to create dynamic dialog from your co-horts and peons in the game, but by the time you clear a world you have heard the same corny drivel 20 times each.
GRAPHICS
The graphics in this game are actually ok, aside from the awkward cutscenes. The armors you get are distinct and you can tell the difference easily between the styles and the colors.The environments are pretty repetitive, but don't look too bad. It is mostly just bad level design.
I kept trying to convince myself that I was having fun just collecting Items in this game. But I think I only convinced myself enough to finish the game.
Do I recommend buying this Game? Even at $10 it is hard to recommend. Do I recommend playing it? Again, very hard to recommend unless you just REALLY like getting loot, and maybe are a masochist.
This game is supposed to be part of a trilogy. I really hope that they DO make an second and third game. Hopefully they will take the story and fix all the gameplay elements to make a good game.
~K
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
FreePlay: Phyta
Hello and Welcome.
Today I wanted to talk about a beautiful non-game called Phyta.
Phyta is the latest creation from Cambrian Games. On the most superficial level it is a 'game' where you control a small sun which coaxes a black vine to grow. Using this vine you attempt to capture golden 'angels'. Once captured, the angels empower your sun. This allows for your fine to grow faster, and more tendrils. After 5 or so captured angels, you progress to the next 'level' which has a different type of angel. Check out the video below to see how the game plays.
The ascetic of this game is so simple, yet so beautiful. That combined with the beautiful (and repeating) guitar/violin track have had me playing this game for hours.
On a higher level, I think this game is really about desire. The vine desires the sun, and to capture the beautiful angels. I also can't help but feel that you, as the vine, are not necessarily the good entitiy in this presentation. It actually cursorily reminds me of Shadow of the Collosus.
Anyway, I highly recommend you check the game out. It is available to download for Windows and Linux.
And since there is no Readme or instructions with the game, I will give you a little hint: The Vine follows your sun which is moved by moving the mouse pointer. However, if you hold the left mouse button, the vine will grow faster, but thinner. This is good for catching up to some of the later Angels. Also, holding the right mouse button will cause your vine to sprout leaves. These are good for capturing some of the later angels that can pass through thin vines.
Enjoy!
~k
Monday, May 18, 2009
8-bit Fatalities.
Hello and Welcome.
I just wanted to share with you an intersting art project I came accross:
I just wanted to share with you an intersting art project I came accross:
This is a collection of paintings by flickr user TastyPaints.com. It is a more graphic look at all those 8-bit murders you commited as a kid. Now, feel some remorse you evil, evil person! Oh, and while you are wallowing in your own murderous misery, check out the full gallery.
~K
P.S. My personal Favorite is the Final Fantasy Black mage.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Deal of the Day: Blue Dragon.
Hello and Welcome.
Just wanted to post a quick note about a deal that I saw today.
You can get Blue Dragon for 10.99 from NewEgg. With free Shipping.
Seems like a pretty good deal, even if the game didn't get that great of a response. I already picked up my copy. :)
Just wanted to post a quick note about a deal that I saw today.
You can get Blue Dragon for 10.99 from NewEgg. With free Shipping.
Seems like a pretty good deal, even if the game didn't get that great of a response. I already picked up my copy. :)
Friday, May 1, 2009
Free Dawn of War 2 Soundtrack!
Hello and Welcome,
Just wanted to post a quick note, that Relic is giving away the Dawn of War 2 Soundtrack free.
I Downloaded it and checked it out. It sounds pretty epic.
You can get it on Steam or from here.
Grab it while it is free. Heck, grab the game while you are at it, it is pretty awesome.
~K
Just wanted to post a quick note, that Relic is giving away the Dawn of War 2 Soundtrack free.
I Downloaded it and checked it out. It sounds pretty epic.
You can get it on Steam or from here.
Grab it while it is free. Heck, grab the game while you are at it, it is pretty awesome.
~K
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Battlefield Heroes, and Contest.
Hello and Welcome.
Ok, We are going to have our First ever contest! Details later in the post. But first, let's talk about Battlefield:Heroes, Shall we?
Currently BF:Heroes is still in closed Beta, but if you are lucky, you can sign up and they will send you a Beta Key, eventually.
The premise behind BF:Heroes is similar to Team Fortress 2, Cartoon shooter with different classes. Pretty basic, and really fun.
It differes a bit from TF2 in that you can customize your character with different cloths, Emotes, and Widgets (bonus XP, healing items, etc). Similiarly, you can gain additional weapons with which to lay down the hurt. You also gain levels and new skills as you progress through matches and can do missions, which net you points to buy things in the BF:H store.
Unfortunately, (but intelligently by Dice/EA) all of the interesting clothing etc has to be purchased with BF points. These points equate to actual dollars in the game. Even worse, very few things are permanant, rather they all have a 7-30 day timer on them. So even if you buy that awesome Ninja/Pirate costume, you are going to have to fork over the money again in a month.
Aside from the BF point items the other items also have a timer. The smart play on Dice/EA's part, is that the more you play, the more points you earn, thus keeping your items etc.
Once this game goes live, it will be free to play, so look for it then.
Okay, now for the contest! We are going to give away a free BF:Heroes Beta Key to one lucky person! (hopefully the key works. :P)
To enter, leave a comment with your idea for the craziest, funniest, or coolest BF:H costume. There are already some great costume choices, so whatever you guys come up with will have to be good!
I will select the winner after one week (Wednesday, May 6th). Good Luck!
~K
Ok, We are going to have our First ever contest! Details later in the post. But first, let's talk about Battlefield:Heroes, Shall we?
The premise behind BF:Heroes is similar to Team Fortress 2, Cartoon shooter with different classes. Pretty basic, and really fun.
It differes a bit from TF2 in that you can customize your character with different cloths, Emotes, and Widgets (bonus XP, healing items, etc). Similiarly, you can gain additional weapons with which to lay down the hurt. You also gain levels and new skills as you progress through matches and can do missions, which net you points to buy things in the BF:H store.
Unfortunately, (but intelligently by Dice/EA) all of the interesting clothing etc has to be purchased with BF points. These points equate to actual dollars in the game. Even worse, very few things are permanant, rather they all have a 7-30 day timer on them. So even if you buy that awesome Ninja/Pirate costume, you are going to have to fork over the money again in a month.
Aside from the BF point items the other items also have a timer. The smart play on Dice/EA's part, is that the more you play, the more points you earn, thus keeping your items etc.
Once this game goes live, it will be free to play, so look for it then.
Okay, now for the contest! We are going to give away a free BF:Heroes Beta Key to one lucky person! (hopefully the key works. :P)
To enter, leave a comment with your idea for the craziest, funniest, or coolest BF:H costume. There are already some great costume choices, so whatever you guys come up with will have to be good!
I will select the winner after one week (Wednesday, May 6th). Good Luck!
~K
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Wow, I suck.
Ok, I Know.
I suck, I haven't posted in about 2 months. Right after I redesigned the site.
I promise to work harder and post more for you! Infact, you will get something today. So stay tuned!
~K
I suck, I haven't posted in about 2 months. Right after I redesigned the site.
I promise to work harder and post more for you! Infact, you will get something today. So stay tuned!
~K
Monday, February 23, 2009
I missed you too.
Hello and Welcome.
Well you know I have been working on the site, yeah but what ELSE have I been doing?
I played a few games, and my thoughts on those:
Dead Space:
Really loved this game. Great setting. It really kept the mood throughout the game.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed:
I actually liked the Force Unleashed. I hear some people saying they had a lot of trouble with the Star Destroyer pull, but I finished it in about 5 minutes, AND I didn't fight any of the Tie Fighters.
Prince Of Persia:
Basically a glorified cutscene. I got through most of the game just by tapping the A button. I did like the narrative, and how they told the story (through little conversations between the Prince and Elika). But it was basically like watching a movie. And I had to stop playing it because I got to a game breaking bug that would not let me proceed.
Mirror's Edge:
Oh god, I still don't know how I feel about this one. The Mirror opposite of Prince of Persia (Get it, mirror, ha ha). This game kicked my butt. When I was moving, and jumping and climbing, it was one of the best experiences In games I have had in a long time. When I stopped, well, lets just say all the happy feelings stopped too.
Chrono Trigger:
One of my Favorite RPGS EVER. I will write more about this later.
Phantasy Star Universe:
The Spiritual followup to Phantasy Star Online. There are a lot of things I like about this game over PSO. But there seem to be a lot more things that are frustrating about it. I think most of that comes from the Single player mode. More on this later.
Phantasy Star Portable Demo:
This demo gets a special mention, because I spent a large number of hours playing it. Same premise as PSU (Same engine as well) but on the PSP. Its actually a sequel to PSU, but you get to make your own character. You play through the very first part of the single player story, and can play "Multiplayer" (by yourself, like I did.) up to level 20. The nice thing about this demo: any progress you make transfers into the retail product when it is released next month. More demo's should do this.
Gears of War 2:
As of yet I have only played the multiplayer options, but I am really liking it so far.
Call of Duty World at War:
Meh, I prefer COD4
Rockband 2:
More of the same, but that isn't a bad thing.
Monster Hunter Portable 2:
At first I didn't really like this game, but I am really getting into it now that I am making my own armor and weapons.
Burnout Revenge:
A Bit of Classic style burnout as well.
Civilization Revolutions:
A WAY dumbed down version of CIV, but still really fun.
Read Some Books:
Making Sense of Japanese:
This is a must read for anyone studying Japanese grammar. This book is brilliant, and funny.
Fables:
Still Enjoying this series. I now know who the Adversary is!
Watchmen:
Love it.
Watching some shows:
Dr. Who:
This show is AWESOME. I highly recommend it, if you have netflix, the first 3 seasons are on instant watch.
Lost:
Still haven't watched any of the current season, but I am caught up till there.
BattleStar Galactica:
Again, not the current season (4.5). I still love this show.
And one sad thing: I lost my DS. :(
So, let me apologize, I know that wasn't the most intriguing thing to read. Word Vomit rarely is. I just needed to get it off my chest, OK? Now I can actually write about some good stuff!
~K
Well you know I have been working on the site, yeah but what ELSE have I been doing?
I played a few games, and my thoughts on those:
Dead Space:
Really loved this game. Great setting. It really kept the mood throughout the game.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed:
I actually liked the Force Unleashed. I hear some people saying they had a lot of trouble with the Star Destroyer pull, but I finished it in about 5 minutes, AND I didn't fight any of the Tie Fighters.
Prince Of Persia:
Basically a glorified cutscene. I got through most of the game just by tapping the A button. I did like the narrative, and how they told the story (through little conversations between the Prince and Elika). But it was basically like watching a movie. And I had to stop playing it because I got to a game breaking bug that would not let me proceed.
Mirror's Edge:
Oh god, I still don't know how I feel about this one. The Mirror opposite of Prince of Persia (Get it, mirror, ha ha). This game kicked my butt. When I was moving, and jumping and climbing, it was one of the best experiences In games I have had in a long time. When I stopped, well, lets just say all the happy feelings stopped too.
Chrono Trigger:
One of my Favorite RPGS EVER. I will write more about this later.
Phantasy Star Universe:
The Spiritual followup to Phantasy Star Online. There are a lot of things I like about this game over PSO. But there seem to be a lot more things that are frustrating about it. I think most of that comes from the Single player mode. More on this later.
Phantasy Star Portable Demo:
This demo gets a special mention, because I spent a large number of hours playing it. Same premise as PSU (Same engine as well) but on the PSP. Its actually a sequel to PSU, but you get to make your own character. You play through the very first part of the single player story, and can play "Multiplayer" (by yourself, like I did.) up to level 20. The nice thing about this demo: any progress you make transfers into the retail product when it is released next month. More demo's should do this.
Gears of War 2:
As of yet I have only played the multiplayer options, but I am really liking it so far.
Call of Duty World at War:
Meh, I prefer COD4
Rockband 2:
More of the same, but that isn't a bad thing.
Monster Hunter Portable 2:
At first I didn't really like this game, but I am really getting into it now that I am making my own armor and weapons.
Burnout Revenge:
A Bit of Classic style burnout as well.
Civilization Revolutions:
A WAY dumbed down version of CIV, but still really fun.
Read Some Books:
Making Sense of Japanese:
This is a must read for anyone studying Japanese grammar. This book is brilliant, and funny.
Fables:
Still Enjoying this series. I now know who the Adversary is!
Watchmen:
Love it.
Watching some shows:
Dr. Who:
This show is AWESOME. I highly recommend it, if you have netflix, the first 3 seasons are on instant watch.
Lost:
Still haven't watched any of the current season, but I am caught up till there.
BattleStar Galactica:
Again, not the current season (4.5). I still love this show.
And one sad thing: I lost my DS. :(
So, let me apologize, I know that wasn't the most intriguing thing to read. Word Vomit rarely is. I just needed to get it off my chest, OK? Now I can actually write about some good stuff!
~K
Friday, February 20, 2009
Upcoming Rock Band DLC
Up on the Rock Band forums, Harmonix has announced the DLC for next week and I must say that I couldn't be happier.
Tracks-
Drive By Truckers: 3 Dimes Down
Lucinda Williams: Can't Let Go
Neko Case: People Got a Lot of Nerve
Old 97s: Time Bomb (LIVE)
Steve Earle: Satellite Radio
Jimmy Eat World: Futures
Jimmy Eat World: Lucky Denver Mint
Jimmy Eat World: Sweetness
All tracks are masters.
Price
$1.99 (160 Microsoft Points) per track
$8.49 (680 Microsoft Points) for Alt Country Pack
$5.49 (440 Microsoft Points) for Jimmy Eat World Pack
Tracks-
Drive By Truckers: 3 Dimes Down
Lucinda Williams: Can't Let Go
Neko Case: People Got a Lot of Nerve
Old 97s: Time Bomb (LIVE)
Steve Earle: Satellite Radio
Jimmy Eat World: Futures
Jimmy Eat World: Lucky Denver Mint
Jimmy Eat World: Sweetness
All tracks are masters.
Price
$1.99 (160 Microsoft Points) per track
$8.49 (680 Microsoft Points) for Alt Country Pack
$5.49 (440 Microsoft Points) for Jimmy Eat World Pack
While, I personally couldn't care about the Alt Country Pack, more Jimmy Eat World is always a good thing, and those three songs are some of what I've been dreaming of playing on Rock Band ever since I picked up a plastic guitar.
- Nate
- Nate
The New Look
Hello and welcome.
Finally some real content on this blog. I am sure that you have been wondering what we have been up to for the last 2 months! (Admit it, you were curious.)
Well, as you can see, I have been working diligently on making the ascetic of this blog a little more pleasing.
Walk with me, I will give you the tour.
New logo:
Thought I would make an actual logo for the site. Stylisticly it may not be the most original thing, but it definitely fits with our crude awesomeness. Can you figure out what all the letters are from? (Don't post it in the comments, I might have a contest! With a prize!)
New Categories:
As you can see, we now have more links to our different article types. The original five are still around: DLC, New Release, Unplugged, Retro, and Freeplay. And we have added a few more: Japan (For japan only, or related info), News (for uh.. News?), and WTF (for anything crazy or random we decide to share!) Plus, check out those slick Icons I 'made'. Can you figure them all out?
Polls:
Useless information gathering! New one each week. Don't let the simple nature of these polls decieve you. There is a darker underlying purpose behind them.
GamerCards:
Our 360 gamer card info. If you want to add us, just make sure you say it was from NerdNats!
Goozex:
The (referral) link to my Goozex profile. (More on that later!) Join up through my link please!
And Twitters from each of us:
Well, that is it for now. Next post will be about what I have been Playing/Reading these past few months.
~K
Finally some real content on this blog. I am sure that you have been wondering what we have been up to for the last 2 months! (Admit it, you were curious.)
Well, as you can see, I have been working diligently on making the ascetic of this blog a little more pleasing.
Walk with me, I will give you the tour.
New logo:
Thought I would make an actual logo for the site. Stylisticly it may not be the most original thing, but it definitely fits with our crude awesomeness. Can you figure out what all the letters are from? (Don't post it in the comments, I might have a contest! With a prize!)
New Categories:
Polls:
Useless information gathering! New one each week. Don't let the simple nature of these polls decieve you. There is a darker underlying purpose behind them.
GamerCards:
Our 360 gamer card info. If you want to add us, just make sure you say it was from NerdNats!
Goozex:
The (referral) link to my Goozex profile. (More on that later!) Join up through my link please!
And Twitters from each of us:
Well, that is it for now. Next post will be about what I have been Playing/Reading these past few months.
~K
Thursday, February 19, 2009
I'm a blog, I'm a Blog, Oh the Blog is back!
Hello and Welcome!
Hopefully you all got my awesome Reference from that title.
I know, I know. It's been too long. Busy month(s) and all.
Rest assured, We are back and with a vengeance! I have a slew of things I want to write about, plus we are changing the format.
No more "DLC Mondays" "New Release Tuesdays" etc. We will still write about those things, but we are not going to restrict ourselves to certain days and amounts. If I want to write 6 stories in a day, well I will, and if I don't for a week, well I won't.
Also, I have been working on a redesign to the look of the site. We have a new logo, and links to different topic types. Plus we have added twitter feeds and other little touches.
I will make it live this evening, so have a look!
~K
Hopefully you all got my awesome Reference from that title.
I know, I know. It's been too long. Busy month(s) and all.
Rest assured, We are back and with a vengeance! I have a slew of things I want to write about, plus we are changing the format.
No more "DLC Mondays" "New Release Tuesdays" etc. We will still write about those things, but we are not going to restrict ourselves to certain days and amounts. If I want to write 6 stories in a day, well I will, and if I don't for a week, well I won't.
Also, I have been working on a redesign to the look of the site. We have a new logo, and links to different topic types. Plus we have added twitter feeds and other little touches.
I will make it live this evening, so have a look!
~K
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