Archive for the 'Video Games' Category

15JulDJ Hero 2 Artists List

DJ Hero is hands down one of my favourite games of the last few years, it’s also the best of the music generation, so when DJ Hero 2 was confirmed 100% a few months ago I was delighted. Today however has seen the set list of artists taking part. All I can say is, ‘Wow’.

* 2Pac
* 50 Cent
* Adamski
* Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force
* Armand Van Helden
* A-Trak
* B.o.B.
* Basement Jaxx
* BlakRoc
* Bobby Womack
* Bruno Mars
* Busta Rhymes
* Calvin Harris
* Chamillionaire
* Chic
* Chris Willis
* Clinton Sparks
* Colby O’Donis
* Daft Punk
* Damian Marley
* David Guetta
* Deadmau5
* Deee-Lite
* Dillinja
* Diplo
* Dizzee Rascal
* DJ Shadow
* Donna Summer
* Dr. Dre
* Drake
* Edwin Starr
* Eminem
* Estelle
* Flo Rida
* Gorillaz
* Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
* Harold Faltermeyer
* House Of Pain
* Iyaz
* Jackson 5
* Janet Jackson
* Justice
* Kanye West
* Kaskade
* Kelis
* Keri Hilson
* Kid Cudi
* Kool & The Gang
* Lady Gaga
* Lil Jon
* Lil Wayne
* LL Cool J
* M.I.A.
* M|A|R|R|S
* Major Lazer
* Malcolm McLaren
* Mase
* Melle Mel & Duke Bootee
* Metallica
* Missy Elliott
* Mos Def
* MSTRKRFT
* N.O.R.E.
* Nas
* Nate Dogg
* Naughty By Nature
* Nelly
* New Boyz
* New Order
* Newcleus
* Nightcrawlers
* Orbital
* Pharoahe Monch
* Pirate Soundsystem
* Pitbull
* Puff Daddy
* Pussycat Dolls
* Rihanna
* Robin S.
* RZA
* Salt N Pepa
* Sam Cooke
* Sam Sparro
* Sean Paul
* Skibadee
* Sneaky Sound System
* Snoop Dogg
* Snow
* Soulja Boy Tell Em
* Sparfunk & D-Code
* Static Major
* Stevie Wonder
* Talib Kweli
* The Chemical Brothers
* The Crystal Method
* The Egg
* The Notorious B.I.G.
* The Prodigy
* Tiësto
* Tiga
* Timbaland
* Tweet
* Walter Murphy
* Warren G
* Wayne Smith
* Will.I.Am
* Yeah Yeah Yeahs
* Young Jeezy

05JulWant to play?

One major gaming change I’ve made in the last 12 months is how I’ve begun enjoying social gaming. I believe this is because I’ve found a new home of friends from the UGN on Twitter who aren’t as, for lack of a better term, nasty, like so many I experienced back in the gaming section on Overclockers (although I have taken many good friends from there too.)

If anyone ever fancies playing a game then feel free to let me know, it’s quite rare that I will ever get rid of a game, and I do intend to keep the ‘My Games’ section updated, and have just done so again. I’ve also added a link to the official game page on that systems format next to each title, represented by a [+], click that and you will be taken to the site.

You can get to the My Games page by clicking the link at the top of the page, or alternately:

Click here to go to My Games.

26JanMass Effect

I have a confession to make. I’ve never completed Mass Effect. I do own it, in fact, I have owned the Limited Edition of it since its day of release and did play it, and loved it, a lot until in my infinite wisdom, when my friend Lee bought his Xbox360, offered to lend him “any game you like, any at all”, to which he promptly picked Mass Effect, thus ruining my momentum in playing it. He actually took it and in fairness, played it, completed it, and loved it, for over 3 months, so it is a little hard to be overly annoyed because he did love it and it welcomed him into the wonderful world of Xbox360.

I always intended to go back to it, I even bought the ‘Bringing Down the Sky’ downloadable content as soon as it was released and continued to feature it in my most recommended 360 games lists over the last couple of years. I have decided to go back to it because of Mass Effect 2.
I’m not blind, I knew Mass Effect 2 was coming, hell, my friend Neil left a job at Bizarre Creations, moved to Canada to work for BioWare on Mass Effect 2. It’s not even that I’ve not had enough time to fit it in over the last couple of years, despite other fantastic games such as BioShock, Fallout 3, Gears of War 2, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, etc… It’s just that… well, I don’t know, I’m stupid I guess.

All throughout this period of time, right down to the impending release of its sequel, I’ve had one thought in my head, do I continue from where I am, quite progressed, certainly character developed the way I wanted to be, and possibly forget about all the wonderful nuances  that the game offered when I originally played it, or do I take one huge leap backwards, start from scratch and take it all in?
To give full quality to the continuation of the story line in the second game, released this Friday in the UK, I decided that I really, really should be starting from the beginning because my knowledge of the story can only lend to the quality of story from the second game, so that’s what I’ve done, Commander Shepard circa February 2008 is no more, instead he has been re-built, although not quite better, stronger or faster… yet.

25JanMy Top 5 Games of 2009

Below are my personal favourite 5 games of 2009, in order, for your viewing pleasure. Let me know whether you agree or disagree with any of them, I’m interested in hearing your opinions.

5. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune was, for me, the undoubted king of Playstation 3 games prior to the release of this years biggest PS3 exclusive, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.
Many people do regard this as the best game of 2009 and there are definitely elements that stand-out from the crowd, in particular the environments and graphics as well as the compelling cut-scenes which were so good that many animated movies pale in comparison. Sadly, the game as a whole didn’t maintain those standards in other areas…
The actual game play is nothing new, certainly nothing we’ve not seen from the two most obvious influences, Tomb Raider and Gears of War and Uncharted 2, for me didn’t match either, Tomb Raider for the platforming and Gears of War for the shooting. In fact, if any area were truly need of a complete re-write it would be the gun-play which feels so archaic it’s difficult to believe this comes 4 years into the once called “Next Gen” series of consoles, feeling more akin to a Playstation 2 game and is something I really struggled to overcome and when something is so far from pushing boundaries (at least in a forwards direction) I really couldn’t put it close to being my game of the year, in fact I feel almost unjustified in putting this ahead of other brilliant titles like Battlefield 1943, Flower, Trials HD and Batman: Arkham Asylum, but when the cut-scenes and comedy from the protagonist, Nathan Drake, are that good I struggled through the shooting sections (of which there were far, far, far too many) if only to see the story progress.
Brilliant around the edges but a little too flawed in its core to be my game of the year.

4. UFC 2009: Undisputed

Without doubt one of the hardest genre’s of game to make believable, Yukes managed to make what are essentially two complete opposites of game mesh into something that is not only in-depth, but almost impossible to master, a rock-solid stand-up fighting game as well as the most well composed grappling game I’ve ever played.
UFC 2009 Undisputed can be an unusually harsh game with its fast paced stand-up which can, with the right timing, result in punishing, instant knockouts which work both for and against you throughout your Single-Player in career as well as online in the rather fantastically implemented multiplayer.
This is one of those rare games that with a lot of practice (it took me around 16 hours to get the hang of both stand-up and grappling to the point I wouldn’t get bossed around too easily online) reaps rewards and quite often, memories, of which UFC 2009 Undisputed holds my gaming memory of the year, a 3-second online knockout against an opponent who only managed to get a “Hel..” on voice-comms before a rather comical bout of language so blue it makes a Smurf seem off-colour. Marvellous.

17JanI’ve only gone and ruddy done it!

Anyone who has played Trials HD and gotten to the latter stages of the game, the extreme tracks, will know that one track is so much harder than the others, insanely so, that track being Inferno II.

That track has caused more curse-words, temper tantrums and thrown items than any other in the entire game, and quite honestly it got to the point that I was certain I wouldn’t be able to stomach the completion of this game and notch up the ‘Demon on Wheels’ achievement for completing all the tracks.

It’s not often I’ll make a post for the completion of one single achievement, but this one I felt totally deserved its place. It took me well over 1000 attempts (more than likely 2 or 3x more than that).

All I can say is, ‘Wahooooooo!’

16Janz0mg Tekken moovee!

This is gonna be so awesomely bad. I want to see it.


Yoshimitsu!

15JanI have an addiction

I don’t have the most addicting nature, I don’t smoke, I’ve never had any interest in trying drugs, I do drink on occasions, but very seldom overall, I can live without chocolate and I’m happy not going out every week, so it does take something to get me really hooked on something, a good TV series, a cracking book series or a brilliant game, so it should come as no surprise that this post is about one of those.

It’s a game.

To anyone who has followed this blog over a duration of time may already have an idea of the game as I have quite a few posts about various versions. Football Manager is like crack cocaine (I assume), it’s probably the only game I’ll lose days to consistently with every release, and quite worryingly it’s a game where you can start early and the next time you check the time it’s dark outside, you’ve missed two full meals and if you think about it, you probably really need the toilet.

This years release of Football Manager 2010 is one of the largest updates in the series, offering a new and improved 3D engine, an overhauled interface, more player updates than ever before. I have reviewed this for another site, so you can check out my review of it there.

Over the last couple of days I’ve installed over 4gb of updates featuring team crests and tournament logos, face packs and new skins. It’s a very customizable game as well as amazingly addictive.

If you haven’t played it. Do so, it’s bloody brilliant. Sorry for the short update, I’m off to play some more Football Manager.


Twitter