Does anyone even post here anymore? I forgot this page existed.

Battle: Los Angeles Xbox 360 Review

Last night I logged onto my XBox Live with the intent to download Torchlight. Upon visiting the XBox Live Marketplace I discovered they added a game from Konami based off the new movie "Battle: Los Angeles". Wow, I never saw this one coming I thought. So after checking out a few pics of it, I thought it looked decent and downloaded it for 800 points. Now im sure some of you might be asking why, because movie based games always suck. To those of you who say this, I would say to you that I disagree. In my nearly 30 years of gaming, I have played numerous good movie based games. From Raiders of the Lost Ark on the 2600, to Golden Eye on the N64, and EAs Lord of the Rings titles, I have had lots of great experience with games based off movies. Heck, I even liked Iron Man on 360 and PS3. While it wasn't the best game, I found a lot of fun in it once I adjusted to the controls. Anyway, back to this game....

After about 30 minutes my game finished downloading. It was only around 1GB, so I wasn't expecting some massive game with flashy graphics. When I first booted it up I watched a poorly done intro set up in a comic book style. While the art wasn't bad, I found it boring, and the style very unfitting to the actual game. Needless to say, I found myself skipping all these throughout the game. All I needed to know about the story was that aliens were invading LA, and that I had to kill them. When the game started up, I thought that it wasn't that bad for what it was, but not that good either. That thought lasted for about 45 minutes when the end credits rolled. Yup, it was only 45 minutes long. It felt like it was over before it started. Ok, so its a very very short game, but what does it have to offer? Lets see...

Lets start off with the weapons and what this game gives you. First off you have your standard assault rifle which has good range, shoots fast, but it a little weak. Second you've got a sniper rifle which is very strong. Finally there is the rocket launcher which does just what the name implies. Yup, thats it, the game has just 3 main weapons. No pistols, no alien weapons. For sub weapons you get only hand grenades. Using these pretty much sucks though. No matter how many I threw, I rarely was able to get the right angle. Other then the weapons mentioned, you can also hop on a gun turret in about 2 or 3 sections. I usually like turret type missions, but these were boring.

What about the aliens you fight? Well those seem even more limited then your methods of attack. First off you have your typical grunt types that attack in waves. These things seem brain dead and usually stand there and let you shoot them. The second type of alien you fight is one on a gun turret type vehicle. These are fairly rare and don't pose much of a threat. Finally you fight some small assault type ships. Its best to use a rocket launcher, or gun turret on these.

Graphically the game is pretty average. Nothing too bad, but nothing too good either. The worst thing about the graphics is the lack of variety in everything. I understand the game is set in a city, but a little change of environment would be nice. I also should comment on the grenade throw animation. Lets just say that it is laughable at best.

Sounds are pretty typical. Nothing too bad, but nothing that really stands out too much either. Some of the voice acting is decent, but that is about it.

Like I stated, the game is only about 45 minutes long. I beat it through on normal without even dying once, so the game is also easy as well. I haven't tried it on hard yet, but I might do a thrid play-through once im done beating it on easy. Yes, im doing a second play-through on easy since when I beat it on normal it didn't give me the achievement for beating it on easy. Was this the developers way of trying to artificially increase the games length? If so its a little lame.

Now I would like to talk about the games multiplayer.....wait a minute, there is no multiplayer. What an insult...the least they could have done was tacked on a multiplayer mode with 3 or 4 maps.

In the end I would advise you to stay away from this game. Its too short, its boring, and is nothing more then an attempt to make a quick buck by Konami. The only people who should be wasting $10 on this game are those who must get achievements. There's only 200, but their easy to get, and you should be able to get them all in under 3 hours.

My New Toy

My new Street Fighter Tournament Edition joystick. Beautiful isn't it?

My DSI Review

First things first, I've been gaming since 1981 and in all my years I have never been a huge fan of hand-held gaming. Although I loved the old Atari Lynx, and Sega Game Gear. After those, I sorta lost all interest. Yes, I admit I was a little interested in the Game Boy Advance, but I never bought one even though I knew it was a great portable system from all the times I played it in stores, and at a friends. Flash forward a few years and we have both the PSP, and Nintendo DS. Again, I was curious about both, and played both through friends, but never had any real interest in buying one. Then last summer something came over me. It was that little inner gamer voice telling me to buy a DSI, so after a little thought, I decided to take the dive and order one with about 15 or so games off Walmart's website. Yes I said 15 or so. A few I got as part of an ultra cheap package deal off the site, and the others were mostly part of the 2 for $20 deal they have running. Anyway onto the system...

Upon getting my blue DSI in a few days later, I opened it up and did the usual putting your info in, registering and so on. The process was pretty simple. You can even link your DSI account up to your Club Nintendo account. This way you can earn coins there for taking surveys on downloaded games and so on.

Ok, in case you're clueless about the difference between DSI, the regular model, the DS Lite, or DSI XL, then let me clue you in. First off, the system has vertical duel screens. The lower screen is a touch screen which can be operated by either your finger, on an included stylus that can slide in the back of the system. The unit itself is a bit bigger then the DS Lite as well. Im not sure how it compares to the original model though, but im guessing its around the same size. The DSI also includes duel cameras as well. One is located on the outside of the system, and one on the inside. The original DS, and DS Lite models do not have this feature. Sadly, the quality of the images from the camera are pretty poor. Still, you can have some fun with it, as the system includes software which allows you to mess around with the pics you take in various ways. You can even upload them and publish them to your Facebook account with the click of a button. Other new features on the DSI model include multiple applications that you can download that range from useless digital clocks, to games, and an internet browser. The internet browser itself is a little slow, and doesn't allow for stuff like You Tube videos, but I think its pretty good for what it is. The DSI still has all 4 action buttons on its face, the same trigger buttons, and the same d-pad as previous models. One improvement in the design was how they moved the power button. On the older DS models, the power button was located on the side of the system where you could accidentally shut it off with your right hand. Nintendo smartly moved this button to the face just under the d-pad. And oh yeah, the system still has that cool built in mic on it as well.

Now for battery life. This is actually one of the few features that is not as good as the DS Lite. Im not sure on the exact time you'll get out of it, but the DSI definitely has a shorter battery life. Im guessing I would get maybe 5-6 hours of play time out of my DSI. I cannot comment on the DS Lite, since I just bought one of those 2 days ago and haven't had too much time to sink my teeth into it. However from what I read on the net, the battery life of the DS Lite is around double. Don't worry about constantly buying new batteries though. Both systems have rechargeable batteries built into them, and include a charging pack. Their removable too, so if they should ever die out, then their easily replaced.

One of the best features of the original DS, and DS Lite, was the Game Boy Advance cartridge slot. Having never owned a GBA, this was a feature that I really wanted. For some stupid reason, Nintendo decided that the DSI (as well as DSI XL) no longer needed that slot. Lame Nintendo, Lame.

Finally, how is the DSI different from the newer DSI XL model? Well, I just got a DSI XL in today, and from what I gather, there isn't much difference. The biggest difference is the size of the system. That XL isn't in the name for nothing. Other then that, the systems come in different colors, and the DSI XL has some DSI Ware downloadable games built in. I also hear the XL has a slightly longer battery life too.

So what about system specs? Im not going to bore you with those since specs mean nothing to me. Im a hardcore gamer, and as one gaming has always been about the fun. In all my years of gaming I have learned that flashy graphics, do not make a game. Solid, and fun gameplay make a game. This is why ancient games such as Pac-Man, and Galaga are still a blast to play after all these years. I will say this though. The system does have really good graphics for a hand held. Not quite as flashy as the PSP, but still very nice. Most people compare the DS graphics to the old N64, and I would have to agree about half way. You see, unlike the N64, the graphics on the DS are not blurry. However, there is a little pixelization with the textures in 3D games, but that honestly doesn't register with me after playing a fun game on it. It almost reminds me of a a graphic mix between a PS1, and N64. Not quite as blurry as an N64, but not as pixelated as PS1. The games seem to run at a much higher frame rate then most games on those systems too. Its most noticeable on racing games though. Im also a little surprised at the video quality of the system too. And when I say video, I mean full-motion video. Most DS games don't feature any, but the few i've seen that do left me impressed at what these little game cards can pack.

Sound wise, this on the DS are all good. Yeah it may not sound as crisp as a disk based game, but again these little DS cards don't fail to impress with impressive music, and crisp voices.

So, what about the games? Im happy to say the DS is loaded with tons of great games. From platformers like Mario, to RPGs like Dragon Quest, and Final Fantasy, the DS does not let down. It pretty much has all gaming genres covered with quality software too. The systems touch screen also offers loads of possibilities that can't be offered on other systems as well. Some games allow you to control your character from it, while others simply use it as means to make an easier inventory system, with display maps and so on. It almost makes up for the lack of an analog stick on the system. Still, the touch screen does upon up new gameplay possibilities, so I guess saying it "almost" makes up for it is a little harsh. The built in mic on the system also isn't just for show either. Many games actually utilize it to enhance the gameplay. For instance in the DS version of Ninja Gaiden, there is this one scene where you need to wake a character up to progress in the game. To do so, you must blow into the mic. The coolest use of this mic is for a downloadable game called "Dark Void Zero". The whole game is designed to look like an 8-bit NES game. When you first boot it up, it shows you a pic of a NES Dark Void Zero cart. In order to progress past this screen you must blow into the mic. While this might seem stupid to some, if you grew up playing a NES then you will get it. You see, the NES used to have a tough time with carts getting dirty and not working. The simple remedy that would fix this most of the time was blowing into the cart. Cool eh?

Apart from games, and the other features mentioned, the DSI has even more to offer. You can buy various other software programs such are language coaches, learning software, and a Korg Synthesizer. Nintendo is even releasing a DS card which contains 100 classic books for $20. Im not much of a reader, but that is something even im interested in.

In the end, I would highly recommend the DSI to anyone. Even if you're not a gamer, then I would suggest you check one out. There's a good chance you'll love it as much as I do. This is truly one of my favorite gaming platforms of all time. There's just so much good to say about it. Nintendo has made a truly great product with their DS line of systems.

I Broke Down And Got A PSP

Yup I finally bought a PSP Gran Turismo pack. I didn't plan on it, but I broke down and bought one along with Castlevania, and SF Alpha Max. The other games are games I had already bought, but I included them in the shot anyway. Shortly after trying the system out, I discovered that there was an annoying faint boarder around the screen. Almost like burn that formed a frame. So I googled this and it seems that others had the same issue. So I hurried back to Best Buy asap to exchange it for the last Gran Turismo PSP set they had. Thankfully this new system is trouble free so far.

As far as my impressions of the system go, I really like it, but so far it fails to wow me like the DS the first day I got it. Yeah it looks prettier then the DS in motion, but it just seems to lack that certain magic the DS has. On the plus side, I love the fact that I can transfer my downloaded PS1 titles from my PS3, to it. So far i've only transfered Gex, and SF Alpha 2, but I plan on trying a few more out tonight. Finally, why couldn't Gran Turismo come in an actual PSP case? Instead it comes in a shitty cardboard case that won't do very much to protect it.

Next up are some games i've gotten over the past week and a half. No spectactular deals hear, but Tekken 6 was $50, GOW Collection $40, and Stormrise $20. And yes I already got Tekken on PS3 the day it hit, but for some reason I had the itch to buy it on 360 as well. In fact, this is the version I should have got from the start. Not only are the graphics slightly cleaner, but the load times are better, and the 360 pad just feels much better then the PS3 pad. Funny since the reason I got the PS3 version to begin with was because I felt its pad would offer better control to Tekken. Anyway, I may have forgotten to add a new game or 2 to the pic that i've gotten since my last blog, but for the life of me I cant remember. Oh well, I do remember some Wii VC games I downloaded though. Those games include Contra Rebirth, Final Fight 2, Blaster Master, Pulse Man, and Zombies Ate My Neighbors. Out of all these, I have to say Final Fight 2 did not age very well. Heck even when it was released it felt like a step back from the original. A shame that Capcom kinda screwed this series up so much after the first, while Sega took its similar Streets of Rage series, and kept improving upon it. I did like Final Fight Streetwise on Xbox though. Yeah it was flawed, but it was still a lot of fun.

Street Fighter Alpha 2 SNES

Why do people always attack the SNES version of Street Fighter Alpha 2? Nearly every time I hear about it I hear people cry how much it sucks, and how its not arcade perfect like the other Street Fighter games on the console. My friggen word people. First of all the arcade machine the game was originally done on was a lot more powerful then the then aging SNES. It was also more powerful hardware then the original SF2 games, which gave the game far better animation, and sound. Could the SNES version have been done a little more accurate to the arcade? Im sure it could have, but not by much. Seriously people, if all you had was a SNES at the time it came out and you wanted an Alpha 2 fix at home, but couldn't afford a Saturn, or PS1, then this game was amazing. But yeah, this is just my opinion.

Riot Zone for Wii Virtual Console

If you're familiar with the old Turbo Duo console, then chances are you may have heard of Riot Zone. If not, then let me fill you in. Back in the late 80s, and early 90s the side-scrolling beat-em-up genre was all the rage. The gameplay of this genre basically consisted of the player (or players) scrolling from left to right while fighting various badies on there way to the end of the level. Unlike some action games, player movement was not limited to left, and right, but you could move up, down, and diagonal as well. In many games of the genre, weapons, and other powerups like life, and extra points could be picked up as we. Double Dragon was perhaps the game most responsible for getting the genre kicked off, but with its popularity came imitators. Some were really good like Final Fight, and Streets of Rage, but others were bad like Riot Zone.

So, why did Riot Zone suck while others like Streets of Rage were so good? Well first and foremost it is very boring. You get your choice of 2 different characters, with one being the fast, but weak guy and the other being the strong and slow one. The fast one who is called Hawk is your typical cookie cutter hero with the blond hair, white t-shirt, and jeans, and the strong one it a generic punk rocker type with a mohawk. This could be forgiven if they had some interesting moves to play with, but they don't. Both have a very small amount of moves to use against the bad guys, and to add insult to injury you can't even pick up weapons. Things don't get much better with the enemies either and you'll quickly find yourself getting bored fighting the same few enemies over and over again through the entire game.

The graphics are just as bland as the gameplay. Not only does it have some very bland animation, but everything just looks so flat. This game could use some major parallax in the backgrounds to give it a little more depth. It seems the developers at Westone just didn't care though. And yes I said Westone, and yes this is the same people responsible for the great Wonderboy series. Sad eh?

If you think things are gonna get better for the sound since its on CD, then your sadly mistaken there as well since the generic rock tunes are just as boring as the rest of the game. The sad part is, the music is probably the highest point of the game.



If you're looking for a good side-scrolling beat-em-up then look elsewhere because you wont find one here. Im not sure how much the going rate is for an original copy of the game, but I can tell you now that its not worth it unless you're a serious collector. Other then that save your $8 on something better and skip the Wii download. Better yet, google "Beats of Rage" and download that or any of its mods for the PC, or Dreamcast. Not only is it free and legal, but its far better then the crap that is Riot Zone.