Video Games
The Teen Review: Madden NFL 11 (Xbox 360)
Aug 17th
Ah good ‘ol Madden. Every year you bring along so many things– the start of football season, a diversion from school, and one of the most exciting video games of the year. As with years past, EA Sports has kept on making improvements to make the game feel more and more like a true NFL game (I mean, they need to have more than just some roster updates to make you want to go out and buy another copy every year right?)– and this year is no exception. With much improved graphics, gameplay and even a better intro, Madden NFL 11 looks to have the makings of yet another winner in this classic franchise. So, how does it do and better yet– for those on the fence about getting it, is this year’s version worth the $60? Read on for our full review!
Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock to Have Story Centric Quest Mode
Jul 29th
Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, the next generation of the hit series coming out in September, is going to be the most story centric Guitar Hero to date according to lead game designer Brian Bright. Warriors of Rock will have a Quest mode narrated by KISS bassist Gene Simmons that will have you fighting “The Machine” throughout the game. “The Machine” will represent all that is anti rock such as pop music, and will be your villain throughout the game. In the final battle with The Machine, you will choose your band from the 8 characters and, using their special abilities, defeat The Machine in an epic guitar battle. You will have 8 characters that all have special abilities and can turn into their respective warrior alter ego. For example, Johnny Napalm, a character that has been in every Guitar Hero game since the beginning, turns into a blue metal mutant and has a power called “Speed Freak”, which never allows you to go below a 2x multiplier.
Johnny Napalm's Warrior Alter Ego
Along with the revamped Story Mode, Activision is putting a lot of work into creating incredible backdrops for epic guitar battles. The visuals in the story mode will be unprecedented for a Guitar Hero game. Think of the incredible backdrops of Brutal Legend, just custom made for each unique character in the game. During the final battle with “The Machine” you will be fighting in an epic wasteland with a fiery backdrop filled with volcanoes.
So is a beefed up story m0de enticing enough to spend more money on Guitar Hero? Or will you wait instead for the next Rock Band as your music video game of choice?
Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock is set for release September 28, 2010 for the Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii with for $59.99 for the game itself, $99.99 for the game and guitar, or $179.99 for the whole bundle, which includes the game, a guitar, drums and keyboard.
The full set list of tunes is after the break. More >
Microsoft Finally Reveals Kinect’s Price– $150 When it Launches November 4th
Jul 20th
Back at E3 Microsoft made a lot of big waves– a whole bunch of new games, a new Xbox 360, and a whole bunch of info on Kinect, including the revealing of its true name, some demos of launch games, and even a November 4th release date. One thing that everyone was waiting for, the price, wasn’t announced at E3. Don’t worry though Xbox 360 owners, that wait is now finally over as Microsoft has today announced that Kinect will cost $150 and ship with Kinect Adventures when it launches on November 4th.
Yes, unfortunately that’s a lot more than the $84 rumor we heard last year (and yes, the Kinect price is now almost the same price as a new Wii)– and that is just for Kinect, you still need to have an Xbox 360 to plug it into (something that will cost anyone without an Xbox 360– and again, Kinect will work with all 360′s both new and old — at least $199 for the Arcade version). Speaking of the Xbox 360 Arcade… Microsoft also announced today that an updated version of the 360 Arcade (now called the Xbox 360 4 GB, and brings along all the new Xbox 360 features like that new sleek design, WiFi N, and that Kinect port along with 4 GB of built-in storage) will be coming on August 3rd for the same $199 that the old Arcade cost. Oh, and if you can wait until November 4th, you can pick up a new 4 GB Xbox 360 with Kinect and Kinect Adventures for $299 (or the price of the 250 GB 360 sans Kinect).
Microsoft also has put the Kinect up for pre-order starting today, and you can head over to their site here for all the info.
So, do you plan to buy Kinect now that we know the price is $150?
Review: Slim Xbox 360
Jun 23rd
Last week at E3, Microsoft announced the all new sleek, stylish and Kinect-friendly Xbox 360. Offering things like built in WiFi wireless N (the first Xbox to offer built-in WiFi and the first game console to offer support for the latest, fastest and greatest WiFi wireless N), a 250 GB hard drive and that oh so nice new black design it seemed like a great update to usher in the next generation of the Xbox 360.
For new Xbox 360 owners this of course seems like a great deal, but what about for those with the older, original Xbox 360′s from the launch days in 2005– is it worth it to spring for the new update? Read on because we’ve got all those answers and more after the break.
Nintendo At E3– The 3DS Becomes Real
Jun 16th
Nintendo didn’t disappoint at E3 yesterday, showing off not only the what looks to insanely cool 3DS (with a whole bunch really cool games to go with it), but also some little surprises that look to show Nintendo raising the bar on mobile gaming yet again. Read on for all the info.
Microsoft At E3– All the Info You Need to Know
Jun 14th
The new Xbox 360 and Kinect– Yeah, your going to want to read on.
Microsoft has kicked off E3 today with their pre-event keynote and wow is this insane. A whole bunch was announced including new info on games like Call Of Duty Black Ops, Halo Reach and of course Kinect (formerly Project Natal) PLUS a new design for the 360– so what you waiting for, hit the more link and get to it.
Slim Xbox 360 Announced!
Jun 14th
Kinect isn’t the only thing Microsoft has planned for E3– today they’ve taken the wraps off an all new, sleeker, quieter version of the Xbox 360. Not only does it pack a newer design, but also 250 GB of built in storage, and built in WiFi wireless N (FINALLY!!). Best part? It’s out now for $299 (same as the old Elite), and will be available in stores later this week. So, who else is loving this new design?
UPDATE: Alright so all the info has come out– not only is there the built in WiFi and the 250 GB hard drive, but also 5 USB ports with a special Kinect port (though don’t worry, Kinect will still work with all existing 360′s, just the use of this port means no need for a separate USB and power cable for Kinect), touch sensitive power and eject buttons, and HDMI. Check out our Microsoft E3 wrap up post for all the info on what’s new in the world of Xbox 360.
Pic from Engadget
E3 Is This Week, and We’ve Got Everything You Need To Know
Jun 14th
Wow is June off to a hot start for tech. First the EVO, then the iPhone 4, and now we got E3. For those that don’t know, E3 is the big video game event that takes place for a couple of days (this year it’s June 15-17) once a year in LA where all the newest and hottest things in the world of video games are announced. Last year for example, we saw our first peak at Microsoft’s new Project Natal for the Xbox 360, the PlayStation Move, PSP GO! and PS3 Slim, as well as the Wii MotionPlus. Not to mention info on new video games like the latest in Madden, Halo and Call Of Duty.
So what can possibly be on tap to top last years show? For one, we can expect more on Project Natal (including hopefully a true price and release date as well as what games will be available and a sneak peak at what they are like), the PlayStation Move (hopefully with more details as with Natal), and what exactly is Nintendo’s new 3DS that looks to offer portable 3D gaming WITHOUT those annoying glasses. Yeah, and this is all on top of those usual new game annoncements and details.
As in years past we’ll have everything from Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo’s big keynotes, as well as info on all the other cool games and other things we see at the conference. So make sure to check back all this week for the details!
Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock Announced– Get Ready to Shred
Jun 10th
Activision officially announced what we all knew was coming– Guitar Hero 6, or as Activision calls it Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock. Activision promises a more rock centric soundtrack, and with a rocking soundtrack you need a rocking new guitar. So Activision announced a new type of guitar specifically made for shredding. This guitar has the electronics in the neck instead of the body so you can swap your favorite guitar bodies instead of buying more plastic instruments. To see a picture of the new guitar or to see the new trailer, hit the more link.
More >
New Call of Duty: Black Ops Trailer
May 26th
Freaking Awesome.
That’s what I think of the new Call of Duty: Black Ops. In this trailer, we see soldiers rappelling down enemy buildings, enemy buildings blowing up, and a crossbow that shoots dynamite? Freaking awesome.
From what I can gather, this game will be built around quite a few clandestine missions. Think Metal Gear Solid strapped with 20 sticks of dynamite and machine guns and you get Call of Duty: Black Ops. Oh, you also get to blows things up in a Helicopter. November 9th can’t get here fast enough! See for yourself in the trailer below.
