This Weeks Happenings…

I love it when a plan comes together!

I’ve had quite a busy week this week. I’ve not been able to get as much gaming in as I’d hoped, but it’s been quite an interesting week to say the least.
It’s been quite a catch up week in terms of playing through a few older games and getting round to playing online with a few friends on several games.

I got chance to have a little play around with my camera and posted The Street Fighter – Fight Pad video. I’ve have had some great feedback from several people too which is great.

Thanks guys & gals!

Hopefully I’ll get round to using it a little more.

Anyway…

This week I met an 80s legend!

A-Teams very own Face, (Dirk Benedict).

It was great to finally meet someone I watched so much on Tv whilst growing up!

He also played Starbuck in the original series of Battlestar Galactica, which I watched so much as a kid and love the new series too.

He’s such an awesome guy in real-life and he was kind enough to take time out from playing Columbo at a theatre in Blackpool, to do a signing for around 200 fans.

Anyway, back to gaming stuff…

The 80s were AWESOME! Enough said…

This week I picked up a copy of Lips: I Love the 80s & Lips: Party Classics. Both were on sale at GAME for £12.98.

That’s more or less half the price of the RRP. Which is fantasitic considering both have only been out for a couple of weeks.

They also had the Wireless Microphone Bundles for £19.99 which are great to use with Rock Band too, so if you haven’t already got a pair I highly recommend you should get them while they’re so cheap. Currently they’re around £19.99-£24.99 just for one of the mics separately.

There’s nothing more fun than a few drinks and shoving on some Lips!

Borderlands: Island of Dr. NED.

I booted up Borderlands this week with a couple of friends and we decided to play through The Island of Dr. NED.

It takes you to a spooky, kooky, Scooby Doo-esque island where zombies roam freely.

It doesn’t add much in terms of new loot or raise the level cap, but what you get is a fresh extra few hours of play.

There’s a new Halloween themed story that’s being told by Marcus, (who told the story of Vault Dwellers in the main game).
This time he’s talking with a child that asks him various questions which can lead to several funny moments as he gets interrupted and corrected.

It adds several quests which are all a mix of the usual: Find someone dead, kill a certain beast in some area and the some ‘Scavenge the loot’ missions which make you search to find the last piece of the puzzles.

It’s as close as we’ll ever get to Borderlands 4 Dead!

There’s several new enemies and not just the land crawling with zombies, but other creatures like ‘SkeleRakk’, ‘WhereSkags’ and ‘Tankensteins’ to name a few, all with there own characteristics and attacks.

I think my favorite part is the whole landscape & art style. It feels like a theme park ride and blends the perfect colours & lighting effects.

Overall a fantastic addition to what was already a great game and a definite purchase to anyone who likes Borderlands.

I finally purchased a copy of Halo3: Recon ODST recently and have fired it up for the Halo: Reach Beta.

I should get chance at a chance to post a few of my thoughts on it sometime this week.

My first impression so far is that its more Halo with added ‘Umpf!’

That’s about all I’ve been up to this week really. Although I’m looking forward to getting a copy of Alan Wake and Red Dead Redemption in the coming weeks.
Fingers crossed I can put some cash aside for them.

So this week I’m hoping to get more wrote up on here, like my thoughts on the Fight Pad, maybe a little more on SSFIV and try and figure out getting some more videos on here too.

Oh and why your here…

There’s a new Dreamcast Blog just gone Live which seems to have some great intentions. It’s about keeping an extensive archive about the Dreamcast in great detail. It’s going to have loads of reviews and information, with pictures of all the packaging and things like Multi-Regional versions of games etc…

You should go check it out! : Dreamcast Channel

So that’s it for This Weeks Happenings!

Any thoughts and suggestions would be a great help too!
Email: hlmodfreak@hotmail.com

See you in the funny pages!

VIP0R’s Blog… is a TeaM-InK® Ltd publication. All rights reserved.

This Weeks Happenings…

Whats the word on the street?!

This Weeks been a long week, but I’ve actually fit quite a lot of different games in.

Between working & finishing off with my unpacking, I sat down more often than I have for a while and got some good hours on a few machines.
This months pay has also been pretty decent allowing for more leeway when it comes to buying things I wouldn’t normally afford with having a house, bills and other necessities getting in the way. Alas! Everything seems to be going much smoother now.

So anyway let’s get to the games.

Splinter Cell: Conviction.

I finally managed to get a copy of Splinter Cell: Conviction and flew through it in a matter of hours. What a roller coaster!
Although a tad short, it was still greatly paced and full of excitement. It just felt like being sat down in the cinema and watching a decent action movie (Ala Bourne Identity).

One of the games most brilliant features is the ‘Interactive Interrogation Animations’ which keeps the action going during the cut-scenes and can have several outcomes.

You can’t get much more satisfaction than slamming a guys head into a urinal.

Some other great & unique features are the ‘Mark & Execute’ which basically sees you aiming at a target and pressing the right bumper to spot the enemies location, which is similar to the feature in Rainbow Six: Vegas. After marking several enemies you can Execute which basically takes all the targets in range one by one in a slow motion effect which looks like something taken straight out of the Jason Bourne films. It gives you a real buzz after you take out an entire room using it.
Another great feature is ‘Last Known Position’ which is when you get spotted and you leg it, you leave a silhouette behind from where the enemies last saw you. Enemies will keep searching that area while you can go round behind and flank them.

This time round some of the other games mechanics have been slightly rewritten too. There are quite a few tricks Sam used to have up his sleeve that are missing, like Split jumping, being able to pick up & drag bodies to hide them from other enemies and he’s forgotten how to whistle. Only slight changes but several times I would have been more stealthy if I could have hidden a few bodies out of sight.

I’ve not really had too much chance playing through co-op, due to not having any friends online that I’d normally play something like that with, or we’ve all been online and played something all together. That’s one draw back with Conviction, the lack of online multiplayer. It’s been part of the franchise in one form or another since Pandora Tomorrow, so I was quite surprised it was cut. Although it became a bit daft in Double Agent where spy’s seemed like superhuman acrobatic ninjas, versus the over techno-enhanced super soldiers.

What I’ve played of the co-op seems fun though and with promised DLC support I can see it lasting a little more than most games do lately.

Micheal Ironside is still Sam Fisher, I don’t think they could ever replace him to be honest. He is the voice of Sam and always should be. Never change him.

Overall the game seems like a typical Ubisoft title where its fantastic, but could have had that little bit longer in development to polish a few things off properly. Mostly the twitchy AI & some character model textures could have done with some touching up.

But it’s still a brilliant game. I like the new direction they’ve taken and has added much-needed fresh take on the stealth/action genre.
I recommended it for fans of the series & action gamers alike.

Wolfenstein 3D.

Die, Allied Schweinhund! Mein leben…!

I’ve been playing this game for a couple of hours here & there this week, I don’t really know what got me started on it. I started playing it just before my magazine of Retro Gamer arrived, which heavily features John Romero and the creation of all things at id Software. It was either in anticipation of that or just a random nostalgic impulse.

This is one of my favorite games of all time. DooM might be better, but there wouldn’t be DooM without this game a year earlier. I can remember the first time I saw it and knew it was something different. While all my friends were busy playing Sonic the Hedgehog, I was busy on my Pc shooting Nazis and wondering who the bloke in pictures on the wall was… (Hey I was only about 7!)

I remember being at a friends sleep over and playing it till around 10pm when the lights were supposed to be turned off to go to sleep, then we stealthily played it till about Midnight. (Again I was about 7 so that was really, really late).

Anyway since then I’ve grown up and understand a lot more about WWII and actually found out more about the game’s story. I can see why there were the Zombies & Nazi experiments in Return to Castle Wolfenstein. In the second chapter of Wolf3D there are Zombies and mentions experiments among other things in the brief story pages at the end of chapters.

I know many people look at Wolfenstein and laugh, but at the time it was so ground breaking in many ways and made way for the juggernaut that is DooM and the wrath of Death-match that is Quake.

Super Street Fighter IV.

I’ve not had too much time to play this yet seen as I’ve more or less just took the cellophane wrapping off, but what I have played is just that awesome street fighter-ness. It’s so great that it still plays & feels like a brand new game.

How can you make something that was perfect, better?! Either way Capcom seemed to have managed it!

It’s just a year after Street Fighter IV took the arcade fighting genre and this is a full super enhanced version. What was already a perfect fighter has been changed in so many minor ways which just makes all the difference. Capcom have taken all the complaints & recommendations from fans to create the ultimate version (until a Championship/Ultra Edition).

The number one complaint that I had with SFIV was the lack of a quarter match mode. It seemed such a simple feature that’s been apart of the franchise for ages. I thought maybe they would patch it in an update but it never materialized until now.

I don’t understand why SSFIV wasn’t in the form of DLC too, but I guess there’s that many changes that it would be madness to release as an update. Burnout had substantial DLC which altered the game in so many ways so it’s not that its impossible. I just think they must have found it easier to release it at retail at a budgeted price and quite frankly £19.71 is a fantastic price.

The only little niggle I’ve found so far is that the game features two ultra combos now, but you can only select to use one in a match. I think I would have preferred to have both at all times and can precisely use the right combo at the right time. It’s not over drastic, but that’s something I’d like to see.

I’ve had a quick play around with the ten new characters and played with the new ultra combos and all seem to be nicely polished and still have some great comedian characters. Especially Hakan, the Turkish wrestler who smothers himself with oil at every chance he can get.

My favorite character to return from a former street fighter is Dudley! Just a great British boxer with a corny accent. Perfect!

So that’s mostly what I’ve been up to this week. Many different games & a nice mix of genres too. I also had a good hour or so on Torchlight via Steam which I might talk about more when I’ve finished it to the end, but it’s defiantly a great Diablo game!

That magazine Retro Gamer that I mentioned about earlier is a great read. It features an interview with John Romero. Going all out on the ins and outs of the creation of id Software. Where DooM came from and how Quake forced John Romero to leave the company he built from the ground up.

Also features The Making of Dizzy!

I’ve also been having a few thoughts onto what I’d like to do on this blog too. I’m defiantly going to start updating and using it more now I’ve got more free time and some extra cash flow. I’ve also got a podcast kit that I’ve hardly used yet, just set it up ready to use.

So watch this space…

VIP0R’s Blog… is a TeaM-InK® Ltd publication. All rights reserved.

Regular Broadcast will resume shortly…

Testing! Testing! One…Two…Three…

Hi there!

Yeah I’m still alive! I’m still out there somewhere doing the usual stuff!

I had to cut short doing all postings and things whilst I tried to sort out things like my personal funding, cut costs of things and also sort out some important family stuff in-between.

It all happened at the same time with E3 too which didn’t help!

So this was just a little posting to say I’m coming back shortly with a few bells and whistles attached and hopefully a few friends too!

Anyway…

See you soon!

-VIP0R-

VIP0R’s Blog… is a TeaM-InK® Ltd publication.  All rights reserved.

The Regular Broadcast will resume shortly…

This Week on Xbox LIVE: Arcade

More titles added to the growing World of Downloadable Content!

This week sees 2 new titles, Wallace & Gromit: Fright of the Bumblebees and Yosumin Live for 800 Microsoft Points each.

BOGGLE is also getting released for Hasbro Family Game Night  for 800 Microsoft Points.

Deal of the Week: Bionic Commando: Rearmed.

Last weeks early announcement has finally arrived for Deal of the week.

Bionic Commando: Rearmed is 1/2 price to celebrate the release of its new bigger next gen brother, Bionic Commando.

Normally 800 points, its now available fore Xbox LIVE Gold Members for 400 points.

A 1/2 Decent Deal of the Week for once.

New Modern Warfare 2 Trailer

Finally! After weeks of waiting! AWESOME!

After getting teased by Infinity Ward and Activision twice, we now get the full trailer to Modern Warfare 2.

Revealing little story bits and showing a vast amount of different locations you’ll be fighting in to find the latest Terrorists!

It shows lots of new weapons and lots of different kind of missions, from stealthy infiltration to all out ‘Get out before it Blows!’ scenarios.

BEWARE: This trailer shows the end of Call of Duty 4!

This trailer is also available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace in HD.

Modern Warfare 2 is due for release worldwide on 10th November 2009. Expect to see more at E3 in just over a weeks time.

Not so much Snow in this trailer!

Bad Company 2 Multiplayer Cinematic

There’s More Gold in them there Hills!

DICE have just released a new Cinematic for Battlefield: Bad Company 2.

It shows more Snow and more of the usual Battlefield Hectic Action! It also shows the defibrillators are back for Medics and Black Hawks from Battlefield 2 and also.

This is one of them trailers you show a friend, all the carnage and fun there is in a Battlefield game.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is due for release this fall on Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and finally for the PC.

Snow seems to be the new Modern Warfare Battleground!

New Modern Warfare 2 Footage Released

Modern Warfare 2 = More Guns + More Explosions!

As promised on Monday, Infinity Ward have released a new teaser for their next teaser that’s coming on Sunday!

The video on Sunday is going to be a teaser for the E3 trailer, but is going to be a little longer than the footage has been so far, but even seeing a split second of Modern Warfare 2 just makes anyone excited!

Here’s the new footage courtesy of Gametrailers.com

Modern Warfare 2 is scheduled for release on 10th November 2009

Bring on E3!

This week on Playstation Network

No need for your Virtual Wallet, as all the Decent stuff is Free!

This week sees loads of decent stuff, new demos and loads of videos too.

Finally Marvel Vs Capcom 2 Demo!

Don’t forget to check out the inFamous Demo and the Red Faction: Guerrilla MP Demo too!

Demos:

• inFamous
• Marvel Vs Capcom 2
• Red Faction: Guerrilla multiplayer
• Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10
• Killzone 2 4D – Behind The Bullet interactive advert

Downloadable Content:

• Chronicles of Riddick Premium Multiplayer pack (£7.99)
• FEAR 2 Armored Front map pack (£3.99)
• HAWX Russian Falcons pack (£3.99)
• MotorStorm Pacific Rift Patriot Signature Livery pack (free)
• PAIN The Ded Baron character (£0.79)

LittleBigPlanet DLC:

• Monsters Level Kit (£3.19)
• Monsters Costume Kit (£2.39)
• Bride of Sackula costume (£0.79)
• Sackula costume (£0.79)
• Werewolf costume (£0.79)
• Zombie costume (£0.79)

Videos:

• inFamous Open World Power Trip trailer
• Uncharted 2 Multiplayer trailer
• Fat Princess Drop of a Hat trailer
• Resistance Retribution The Dream Team behind the scenes video
• Resistance Retribution Mode Makers behind the scenes video
• Resistance Retribution From Vision To Reality behind the scenes video

PSP Content:

• Fading Shadows full game (£11.99)

Playstation Classic:

• Creatures 3: Raised in Space PS1 game (£3.99)

Also been released today is a new Resistance place for Playstation HOME.

One of the biggest updates for a while! Let’s hope it continues into next week too!

Alien Vs. Predator Announcement Trailer + Info

Hunter, Survivor, Prey… Which will you be?!….The one in the corner peeing their pants!

Sega has officially announced some details on Rebellion’s Aliens vs. Predator.

The game will feature 3 Campaign stories featuring 1 for each species, Alien, Predator and UNSC Human Colonial Marine. All 3 stories are going to be intertwined with one another in someway.

The game is also going to feature 3 way species multiplayer battles.

Which will you be? Well here’s a run down on the story to help you decide!

The Single player is set on planet BG-386, where a colonist mining group discovers an ancient pyramid containing a dark and horrible secret. Across the stars a race of warriors is alerted to the discovery of their pyramid and a hunting party is dispatched to ensure that it remains sealed at all costs, whilst deep inside the ruined pyramid a malevolent intelligence awakes from centuries of dormancy.

The Marine’s story is an incredible fight against the odds, and the horrors lurking in the dark. Beset on all sides yet armed to the teeth, the Colonial Marine represents humanity’s last stand with the firepower to fight back.

As the Alien, players will discover what it’s like to be the most murderous and lethal creature in the universe, with the ability to traverse any surface with awesome agility in order to get close enough to unleash its deadly teeth and claws.

A master of the hunt, the Predator grants the player a suite of exotic weaponry and equipment with which to stalk its unknowing prey. Earn the greatest honour by ambushing prey up-close and butchering them for a gory trophy kill.

Jason Kingsley, CEO and Creative Director at Rebellion:

The original Aliens vs. Predator game was a landmark title for Rebellion, and we are both proud and excited to be revisiting the license with SEGA and Fox L&M.

Our new technology will enable us to produce a truly terrifying and visceral experience.

Also speaking about the franchise, Gary Rosenfeld, Senior Vice President, New Media for Fox Licensing:

Aliens vs. Predator is a powerful franchise for Fox and provides endless possibilities in the interactive space.

SEGA and Rebellion have created an excellent gaming experience that will help this legacy live on.

Here’s the announcement trailer you’ve been waiting for:

Expect to see more info at E3, hopefully lots of in game action too!

Alien Vs. Predator is scheduled for release on Xbox 360, Playstation3 and PC in early 2010.

let the battle of the species begin!

Tony Hawk RIDE, 360 Exclusive in UK -UPDATE-

Whats going on with Exclusives these days?

Activision just announced that Tony Hawk RIDE is to be an Xbox 360 exclusive in the UK.

The details are hardly spoken about, so we don’t yet know if its a timed exclusive, or an actual EXCLUSIVE. Als don’t know how much Microsoft have paid for it, or it could even be that Activision wont have made enough boards to cover all versions at launch and will slowly release the other versions.

I’m sure all will be revealed soon.

Its only for the UK, so Europe and the rest of the world are going to get all versions for now.

-UPDATE-: Activision have just replied that its still scheduled for all formats, whilst an exclusivity deal with Microsoft is currently in the works, the contract has not yet been finalised.

So its still for all formats until (if) they make the right contract with Microsoft for their 2009 Line Up.

Tony Hawks RIDE was announced last week to contain a new skateboard peripheral, and its going to be released this Fall.

Exclusive or not Exclusive?…That is the question!