Super Smash Bros. Brawl Hands On Look On G4's XPlay

Sadly, I have totally abandoned watching G4's XPlay ever since they changed their format, yet again. I just want reviews, no filler and no gaming tips. So, thanks to the show's revamp, I frequent their website, A LOT. And on today's visit I was able to snag this footage of XPlay hosts Adam and Morgan playing around with with Super Smash Bros. Morgan playing old school while Adam tries to manage with the Wii controller.

Check out the gameplay below:

Guitar Hero III Woes

Lucky me, I thought as I popped my Guitar Hero III disc into my Xbox 360 and connected my Rock Band Guitar controller expecting to rock out but what did I get instead: annoyed! The Rock Band Controller does not work at all with GHIII. Not totally my fault, I know. The box clearly says that the game could only be played with an "official Guitar Hero Controller." My bad Activision, I just thought that since Harmonix created Guitar Hero that their next generation game controller would work. It's common sense. But now I have a game I can't play because every store is sold out of the separate guitars and can't guarantee that a third party guitar would work with the game. What's a gamer to do??

I'll just dry my tears and set up my drum kit and play Rock Band. Most of the GHIII songs are on there anyways...

Crappy XBox Live Service over the Holidays = Free XBox Live Arcade Game!

If you happened to hop on your XBox 360 this past holiday season, maybe even anytime this week, you might have noticed a few hiccups in the service. Absolutely frustrating but apparently Microsoft wasn't ready for the increased volume created by new XBox 360 owners hopping online for the very first time. They say that the increased volume caused problems for anyone trying to create or access their XBox Live account. However, if you check out XBox's support page, you'll see that the problem hasn't been corrected.

So what does Microsoft say?

In an open letter written to all XBox Live Members, Marc Whitten promises a free XBox Live Arcade game to everyone! Check out the letter below:

An Open Letter from Marc Whitten about Xbox LIVE this Holiday

Published January 3, 2008

Dear Xbox LIVE Members:


During this past holiday season you helped us break a number of Xbox LIVE records.  This included our largest sign-up of new members to Xbox LIVE in our 5 year history and just yesterday you broke the record for the single biggest day of concurrent members ever on the service. 


As a result of this massive increase in usage we know that some of you experienced intermittent Xbox LIVE issues over the holiday break.  While the service was not completely offline at any given time, we are disappointed in our performance.  I would like to take this moment to thank each and every one of you for your patience and understanding as our team has worked around the clock to return the service to a stable state. 


At the same time we would like to offer a token of our appreciation to all of you in celebration of record success for the service.  And as a thank you for your loyalty during this holiday period, we will be offering all of our Xbox LIVE members around the world access to a full Xbox LIVE Arcade game that will be available to download free of charge.  In the coming weeks we will be sharing the specific details of this offer with you. 


Thank you again for helping make Xbox LIVE everything that it is today! 


Sincerely,

Marc Whitten
General Manager, Xbox LIVE



Now the only questions remaining is when will the problem be fixed and when will we get our free game download.

Did somebody say "Gimme, Gimme"?

First Impressions on Guitar Hero III

Guitar Hero III

DigitalLife has finally hit NYC and with it came the game I've been waiting to get my grubby little hands on all year: Guitar Hero III. With two successful sequels under their belt, Red Octane hopes to rock every wannable rockers socks off and I think they might be able to pull it off yet again.

Even though the playlist is small and co-op was available, Red Octane was able to deliver the same addictive gameplay and rocking tracks that made I and II memoriable. The only thing I can gripe about is the graphics. While the 360 is able to render the graphics flawlessly, the characters were extremely unappealing. The women look like trannys and the men are buried beneath mounds of hair and what appeared to be dirt. Totally unappealing. I really hope they tweak that a bit. No, maybe a lot!

So, if you're NYC this weekend; I'd recommend heading over to the Javitz Center and head over to the Red Octane booth and rock out with all your fellow wannable rockers. Don't forget to check out the real Gibson guitars they are showcasting. They are pretty SWEET!

Want to Impress PSP Onlookers on the train? Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai Makes Being Flashy Easy

Love fighting games but hate to fill your brain with useless button combos? Well, Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai is the game for you. Shin Budokai has cut down the number of buttons needed for a combo to an all-time low: just two buttons! Yes, two buttons are all you need to set off your 32 hit combo and leave that onlooker in awe of your skill. They will be amazed at the dazzling blue background and flashy lights that take over your screen as you prepare for your damaging combo to wail on you opponent.

All joking aside, while Shin Budokai control system is a little simplistic, don't let that fool you. The game's AI tends to trick you into thinking you're doing pretty well before it starts getting jealous. The game itself starts performing un dodgeable moves you never thought were possible. And the AI is definitely guilty of performing "one-move wonders". It has a knack for finding that one critical move and using it over and over again.

Additionally, you have the impressive reward system, where you're rewarded with money you can use in the in-game store to purchase stamps. Excited? Well, you should be. These stamps come in all shapes and sizes! And what do you do with the stamps? Well...You create a tradeable poster. Cool, huh?

The overall gameplay falls short, clocking at about 3 hours. And the story's not at all thrilling either but if you're a fan of the budokai series then you might pick this up to complete your collection. And if you're not a fan then I still suggest you take a peek at this title simply for the ga-factor, people on the subway can watch you do your flashy two button combos, over and over again..

What could be more frustrating? Another PS2 port making it's way to the PSP: Me and My Katamari

With all the PSP games out there, it seems that developers for the PSP only thought that what people wanted for their pricey PSP is a portable version of their favorite PS2 games. But it looks like they haven't realized that some ports wouldn't work as efficiently as it's predecessor. The latest offender: Me and My Katamari.

If you're unfamiliar with the Katamari series, allow me to give you a brief overview. You play as the loveable midget, Prince. Prince scampers around various islands encountering tons of "fans" who are seeking his help with various life-altering issues like memory-loss, aging, and diabetes. Ok, maybe I'm making the last one up but nonetheless the "fans" requests are ridiculously odd. Once you've accepted to fulfill a fan's request, the flamboyant King of all Comos appears to add an ever more stranger element to the task. His odd remarks only add an awkward element to the game which I suggest to skip over whenever possible because his speeches seem to drag on for several minutes.

With all that said, let move on to the game play. To start your task, the King transports of to a far away land that is most suitable to accomplishing your fan's request. This is where to begin your journey to build an appropriately sized Katamari ball containing as many items as you can possibly find but here lies the problem. From the moment you start a task, you have a hard time trying to find items to help build your katamari mostly because the controls are not intuitive. To compensate for the lack of two analog buttons, Me and my Katamari's control use the directional pad in conjunction with the action buttons. This is where the main flaw for Me and My Katamari lies.

You'll find yourself trying to master the controls but once you've had a handle on them, you have to also keep in mind that a "fan's" request is two-fold. Not only will have to worry about creating the right sized Katamari, you also have to keep in mind what type of items they want in their ball. If you fail to include as many appropriate items in your ball, you'll have to face the fury of the king.

This installment of Katamari is the most annoying game I have EVER laid my hands on. Only fan boys of the series will see any real value in this game. I suggest you save the 40 bucks and spend it on something of value: like food or maybe some manga.

Microsoft Developing an Ipod Killer?

According to G4's Attack of the Show this may well be fact. With the recent unveiling of the origami a few days ago, this portable handheld maybe on the horizon. But would there be a device that could possibly out perform the PSP? Gasp! Let's see how far the rumors will go.

PS3 Delayed till November

Alas, gaming magazines and blog around the world are all reporting the devastating news that we're all going to have to wait till November for the PS3. Some are even saying that we might not even get it then, that Playstation might make another announcement to delay the launch again. Wwwhy!!!

Read more about it on Kotaku.

PSP Video Made Easy

From time to time, I occasionally surf the net for a few simple tutorials. This time around I tried to find anything that would help me get some videos onto my PSP. So, here's what I learned:

First, everything you need to know about just getting videos onto your PSP can be seen, yes seen, here.

Now, I know that the above link is good and all but I also know that what you really wanna to do is convert a few of those Tivo or anime episodes and even movies. What you'll need is this lovely lil' japanese app called 3GP Converter. I've made it available to download here.

Simply unzip and run the Setup.exe file. You'll be greeted with a bunch of japanese characters that really shouldn't make sense to you. To make them go away, just select English in the only drop-down menu you understand.

Now that you're able to understand what's on the screen, select Model: MP4, for PSP (Direct, renamed) in the menu above the Description box and hit Apply.

Here's where the fun begins! Before continuing, remember to change your output directory to something you can easily access and remember. Then select your preferred output settings from the drop-down menu. I found that selecting QVGA/15fps/384kbps Stereo/96kbps creates a descent file and is cuts the file size dramatically. This is important if you've got a small memory card.

Once you're ready, simply drag the video file you want to convert and viola, 3GP Converter does all the rest. It even creates those THM files that your PSP uses to show a thumbnail of your movie. All that's left to do is to drag both converted files into your MP_ROOT folder and enjoy!

We Heart Katamari, Seriously

If you haven't jumped on the Katamari train, then what the hell is stopping you? Get with program people and start picking this one up! We heart Katamari is a fun and inventive game which has you rolling up common household stuff like tacks, books, flowers and people. Yes, I said people. You begin each level with a small ball called a Katamari which you make larger with every new object you roll it over. As levels progress, the size of your balls increase, leaving you with the prime objective to engulf the sun.

Yes, this game might be a bit bizarre but come on, aren't you the least bit tired of fragging? Ok, well maybe I am. But atleast I'm not alone. Just check out this bit of real-life katamari action or check out my gameplay link below.

Katamari Theater
Length: approx. 3 minutes

A Quickie but a Goodie

First of all, I'd like to thank all the people that showered me with birthday wishes. It was very much appreciated and always welcomed.

Now onto to the product tie in. The ImaginaryPaper blog now has an official store. There's shirts and tees for all sizes but for the time being, these designs are for girls only. Sorry guys! I'm still working on something for y'all but for the time being pick up a shirt or hoodie for your girlfriend. I bet she would really appreciate a thoughtful present. *wink, wink*

Now onto a quick review. I was reading through GameSpot the other night, and I came across the Ultimate Block Party and was deeply intrigued. It sells itself as an addictive tetris clone and while I'll have to argue with the Tetris clone part, this game is definitely addictive. There is honestly no story to the game while it tries to tell you that there is one, this title is frustrating fun pure and simple. If you're a big fan of Yahoo's Collapse Crunch then you already have somewhat of a handle on Ultimate Block Party gameplay.

Simply match colored blocks in groups of 3 or more to blast them off of your screen, and if you're playing multiplayer, use those blocks to pull off a number of odd combos. Yes, this game puts a twist on the multiplayer functionality. While in addition to filling your opponents screen with your discarded blocks, you can bring a player to their knees by switching the controls on them. Yes, you can reverse all the controls, leaving your opponents dazed and confused as you clear your way to victory.

However, it does have it's drawbacks. The instructional booklet could have warned a person about the various different combos you can inflict on an opponent instead of just letting you fall victim. Then there's the fact that the entire game is so cute and cuddly that I would want to pull my hair out! But in Katamari like fashion, cute does work but sometimes I was a little hypontized by my character's dancing. It was odd but I just couldn't look away. Then again that was around the same time that the computer decided to lay 30 boxes on my screen and switch my controls. All in all, this game is fun, addictive and worth a buy. In case anyone out there was looking for a PSP puzzle game.

And finally, fun with Windows Movie Maker! Yes, I think I will post up a video logs from time to time but I just wanted to test this out to see how big of a response I get. So, for your viewing pleasure: Watch as I kick Talim's ass with a big musical Ax. Enjoy!

Soul Calibur Theater
Length: approx. 30 secs

Quick Notes: XBox 360, Soul Calibur 3, and a Silent Hill Movie

The Xbox 360 is here and the verdict is....it's not that bad. Thanks to my local gaming spot, Anarchade, I've been able to get my hands on one of these babies. The graphics alone are amazing and something that the upcoming PS3 is going to have to contend with. Call of Duty 2 alone is one of the most fearest and visually stunning first person shooters I have seen. And while I can gush over the spectacular graphics for hours, the only draw back I found was the non-online multiplayer. Yes, you and your bud can go head to head but we found it very hard, annoying, and confusing that the only way you can track your opponent is by shooting into thin air. What's up with that? I guess, while you're at war you depend on your hearing the most but what about listening out for footsteps, huh? Tons of my kills were thanks to the fact that I couldn't see my opponent behind me. But in all honesty, the XBox 360 lives up to the hype and my kudos to Microsoft for living up to expectations. Now if I could get my hands on a PS3 soon, my life would be complete.

If I had to choose to be any video game character, it would be Talim. Hands down and no contest. Well, maybe I'd also be Aya Wong from Resident Evil. But when it comes to Soul Calibur 3, Talim's my girl. She's definitely a force to be reckoned with and while she looks sweet on the outside; with the right button mashing, she can bring you to your knees. Or kick you out of the ring, whichever comes first.

All in all, Soul Calibur 3 for the PS 2 is another one of my recommended picks. This game gives a vital update to the previous release and while it lacks online play, it does have a massive character creation element and an RPG story mode. If you're a prefectionist, you'll find yourself spending hours on end creating the ulimate character. For kicks, you can even trust your skills and create a character that looks just like you. Yes, that exactly what all gamers want, to start in the games that they spend their whole lives playing. Finally a game where I can finally kick some virtual ass!

The RPG like story mode is not that bad either. Here you can unlock different skills for your customized character to use when playing in verus mode. Only one warning here: The characters you encounter here are much harder than arcade mode. So, you might find yourself playing for hours trying to accomplish a single mission. Plus, the CPU knows your weakness and isn't afraid to exploit them.

And finally, I stumbled upon a teaser trailer for Silent Hill the movie, and while the game is definitely one of my favorites, the trailer looks just as creepy. The survivor horror junkie in me totally wants to see it but I hope that this movie isn't a disappointment like Alone in the Dark was. Keep the hope alive!

Pass the Antibotics, PLEASE!

Honestly, I'm a HUGE fan of anything zombie. I've played most of the Resident Evil games, so, when I found out that a zombified game was making it's way to my PSP; I was all for it. With anticipation I pick up Infected and settle in for some gameplay and what do I get? A big disappointment.

After watching the gruesome cinematic opening, I thought I was going to be able to do some massive damage on the undead but instead I got repeative gameplay and corny dialogue. The unlockables aren't even rewarding because the game literally hands them over to you. No skill involved. Every single stage is the same and gets awesomely boring.

Additionally, the character creation lacks imagination and doesn't allow creative types, like myself, to create a sufficient character. One that a gamer would be proud of. Instead you get a jagged looking, Matrix rip off.

Plus, if you plan on playing this game online and infecting a friend: good luck! According to the manual, you have to make sure that you and your bestest bud enter the infrastructure mode simulataneously in order to ensure that you will play against each other online. And even that way, it's not guaranteed.

So, if you were thinking about picking this one up for the PSP; I'd strongly advise against it. Stick to the Resident Evil franchise, especially RE4 which is now available for the PS2. Infected is definitely an illness you don't want to linger.

XBox 360 Launches, and the verdict is ...

Ok, so I didn't get my hands on a XBox and I'm still on the fence for getting one. But when G4 and MTV bombard a girl with a high-tech toy, all I can do is sit back and listen. Customizable faceplates, wireless gameplay, online communities, and luscious graphics. Hmmm...

But as I sit in front of the glaring TV screen, I sit and wonder; "God, we are once again bowing down before Microsoft. The very people any programmer casually pokes fun at office parties. Could they have found their niche in gaming." It all makes a girl wonder. Maybe Microsoft is evolving.

I'll sit and hold my breath.

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