360 general game topic

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

I've never played a franchise mode in a sports game. What is it? Do you actually play games? Is it too managerly?

From a football game's point of view: It's basically connected season modes that don't end after your last game. Playing the games during the season, doing the off-season stuff like signing free agents, drafting players, and signing those drafted players are in Franchise Mode. Some have it where you can hire new head coaches and assistants during the off-season too. Then you have some pre-season games then go to another season (some up to 30 seasons, other's are infinite). Also, during the season you have to do roster management in case of injury or a player just sucking and needs to be benched. The PS2/Xbox Madden games have it where you do ticket prices, vending prices, fan appreciation days and stuff too, but I think's that's owners mode. Everything that's in franchise is in there, but personally, I really don't care for it. It takes away from me getting back to playing the actual game. Baseball and basketball pretty much follow the same track for franchise mode, though I've never played a full season in a baseball game....ever. College games are different. In March Madness and NCAA Football, you recruit players during the season and off-season and you don't have to worry about signing free agents and stuff. I actually like college better, because it's a more level playing field with recruiting than shelling out money for free agents in Madden. The only bad thing I know about franchise modes is that there's very little injuries in the games I play. A game like NFL Head Coach is 100% managerial, I believe. I don't think you can play the actual football games at all, but you control every decision, I believe.

I hope I didn't leave anything out about franchise mode.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

About FPS: I always felt that unless the game needs to be played where headshots are almost necessary, the view shouldn't be first person only. Halo 1 & 2 are always first to come to mind in this. The way the battles play out, unless there's a sniper rifle or rocket launcher in my hands, I would enjoy the game more if it had both 1st and 3rd person views. I think character designs have something to do with it, too. WW II games like Call of Duty 2 and Medal of Honor can stay in FP-only views since the characters pretty much look the same. In games like Halo (again), Master Chief is a unique character and I would like to see him on my screen besides in cut-scenes and sitting in a Warthog. The Darkness is another one. From what I think that character looks like, I feel like it's a waste having it in FP-only view. Why not name these characters Generic 101 and put them in all black with no head (just a pair of hands) and call it a day, instead of making interesting characters I can't see?

This gen, I think I'm going to stay away from FP-only shooters as much as possible. If I get any, it could be Halo to see how the story ends. There's too many 3rd person shooters coming for me to settle for a FPS.

[Cuddly Knife]

How was Black?

I've been thinking about getting it. Which is a recent development for me. I've been super-addicted to RSV - as you could probably tell. And part of the reason, I realized, is because of the guns. All kinds. All a little bit different. And all a whole lot of fun. Well, Black is supposed to be all about the guns...

One of the big things that I don't like with some FPS's is that there's too much camera bounce. It's supposed to simulate footsteps... but what it does is make me motion-sick. Chronicles of Riddick, and FEAR are two such games. What's Black like, in this regard?

Another thing I hate with FPS's is that too many of them have it where you can hold too many guns at one time (and yet hardly any bullets for them ), and then they have it to where you have to cycle thru all of them everytime. It's so stupid. How did Criterion do with the weapon switching?

And then there's games like Doom 3 and Prey... jolly good games, but the framerate was sometimes lame. How's Black's?

Well, I can't really comment on the guns, because I used the standard assault rifle/sniper/rpg action for this game pretty much all the way through, but I know that the guns I did use really pack a punch. A lot of recoil for the machine guns. A lot of sh!t gets blown up in this game. A lot. That way my favorite part of the game. The destruction. Oohs and aahs all over the place.

I also hate camera bounce. Makes me sick, literally. Black doesn't have it. You can't adjust your aim sensitivity in Black either. Kind of a bummer, because I would've liked it to be a little faster. It's not Lost Planet slow, but still...

You can only hold 2 gunz at once. Plus 'nades. D-pad left and right control the weapon switch. Up is rate of fire, down is use a health pack.

I popped this one in today to remind myself that it was a good game, and maybe I spoke wrongly of the graphics before(it might've been because I mainly played the game on my XBOX on a crappy tube). They are sweet on my puter monitor. Solid framerate also. Maybe a dip or two when chaos is at its peak, but I can't really remember any, so it must not be there. Cut-scenes are also done with live actors, and they are unskippable.

[Cuddly Knife]

This gen, I think I'm going to stay away from FP-only shooters as much as possible. If I get any, it could be Halo to see how the story ends. There's too many 3rd person shooters coming for me to settle for a FPS.
I also said that, but these days I want to play more of them(the genre is fairly new to me), and I have a feeling this gen will be more saturated with FPS than last gen. Hell, I plan on picking up RFoM when I get me a PS3, just because the game looks cool.

I just want my shmups back.

[Glockstar]

Well, I can't really comment on the guns, because I used the standard assault rifle/sniper/rpg action for this game pretty much all the way through, but I know that the guns I did use really pack a punch. A lot of recoil for the machine guns. A lot of sh!t gets blown up in this game. A lot. That way my favorite part of the game. The destruction. Oohs and aahs all over the place.

I also hate camera bounce. Makes me sick, literally. Black doesn't have it. You can't adjust your aim sensitivity in Black either. Kind of a bummer, because I would've liked it to be a little faster. It's not Lost Planet slow, but still...

You can only hold 2 gunz at once. Plus 'nades. D-pad left and right control the weapon switch. Up is rate of fire, down is use a health pack.

I popped this one in today to remind myself that it was a good game, and maybe I spoke wrongly of the graphics before(it might've been because I mainly played the game on my XBOX on a crappy tube). They are sweet on my puter monitor. Solid framerate also. Maybe a dip or two when chaos is at its peak, but I can't really remember any, so it must not be there. Cut-scenes are also done with live actors, and they are unskippable.

Nice. Ring it up.

You da man, CK.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

I also said that, but these days I want to play more of them(the genre is fairly new to me), and I have a feeling this gen will be more saturated with FPS than last gen. Hell, I plan on picking up RFoM when I get me a PS3, just because the game looks cool.

I just want my shmups back.

Shmups?

I don't know if this gen will have more FPS than last gen....wait a minute, you're right. There will be more. Last gen, the PC devs had to go back and tone down stuff for the PS2 and (not so much) for the Xbox. Now, these FPS are being developed side by side, so there will be more of them on the shelves I'll have to avoid.

At least I'll have 3rd person shooters like Kane & Lynch, Army of Two, Mercs 2, Rogue Warrior (they ripped off my name) along with something else I'm forgetting that will keep me happy, especially if all of these come out this year.

I don't ever remember running out of ammo in Black.Being able to spray an area instead of having to take one precise shot after another was enjoyable, even if just for a little bit. a sequel would make for some good co-op.

[DrunkenThumbmaster]

About Black I loved it at first but playing it again. Uhh. There is no A.I. What so ever. The enemies all have pattern routines like a action/platformer. Literally they will run back in forth in the same spots until you kill them.

The challenge in the game comes from the long ass level that you can't save in. You have to finish each level and the long ass checkpoints in the levels about 1 or 2. The game gets pretty hectic during gun battles and sometimes it's tough to see where you are gettin shot from. But go slow take your time. You'll be okay. For a game that focus a lot on guns it's a shame that you really only need two. Whatever rifle a shotgun and grenades.

The game is a visceral experience and at the time it came out it may have been the most viscieral shooter on the market. But with games like Rainbow Six Vegas and Graw and Gears playing black now just seems meh.

[Cuddly Knife]

SHoot-eM-UPS

Mainly referring to 2-D shooters, but these days, it's spread into FPS and 3PS.

[joquito]

Black came across as a tech demo rushed into a full game. The idea of it is great and the sound is easily the best of the XBox/PS2 shooters. One of the few games that will get you fined if you live in an apartment. It should have given you an arsenal of guns to pick from before each level, so you can stealth it or Rambo it up. Unfortunately, there is no stealth and only Rambo...literally with the chain of ammo laying across the free arm. I just picked it up a few weeks ago. I would buy a next gen sequel.

[Glockstar]

I bought Black already. All I really needed to know, personally, was how it played. I'd read, and remembered, all the previews and reviews. It didn't sound like a $40 game... but $20 might be a good price. It was just a matter of time. And of getting some specific questions answered.

Btw, I picked up Black, Brothers In Arms: Earned In Blood, and Metal Dungeon, used, all for $29.98. Blockbuster has a sale on their used games (excluding next-gen games): Buy 2, Get 1 Free. (And all three are in mint. :cool: )

I also saw a few 360 games there on the cheap. Full Auto, Rumble Roses XX, and FarCry Instincts Predator were each marked $19.99.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

Blockbuster has the same sale in my area. Unfortunately, the last time I was considering getting a used game there, it had a big ole scratch on the disc.

Also about Blockbuster, at least for the one in my area: They stopped doing pre-orders. I find it very funny, to be honest.

Black would have sucked if it had a stealth option. First person + Stealth = RBH no play.

[joquito]

Blockbuster has the same sale in my area. Unfortunately, the last time I was considering getting a used game there, it had a big ole scratch on the disc.

Also about Blockbuster, at least for the one in my area: They stopped doing pre-orders. I find it very funny, to be honest.

Black would have sucked if it had a stealth option. First person + Stealth = RBH no play.


I understand your point, but I never understood why the game even gives the player a silencer. You can only cap the first 3-4 guys, then the game turns into Metal Slug in First Person for the rest of the level.

[Cuddly Knife]

I must have really sucked at Black, because I had to take my time and such or I got murdered in a hurry, even with all the health packs. Played on Normal.

[Cuddly Knife]

I just submitted my deal for the Gamerpoints Challenge. I won a free Gamerpic from Old Spice and Contra for Live Arcade. I could've gotten the points in 4 days if Life hadn't been stupid and ruin my chances. I would've had Fuzion Frenzy 2 easy, but no dice.

[Fivespot]

That's better than nothing. And look at it on the bright side, at least your 360 didn't die the same day you got signed up for this program :(

[Glockstar]

To Glock and Cuddly,

You guys laughed at me for only beating 9 total games last year, but the last laugh will be mine. HA! I already beat a game this year (though it wasn't a 360 game I still want to gloat), so I'm on pace to beat......6 games? ...

I've beaten 7 games already this year.

Tho' only 4 titles. I beat SCDA for 360; SCDA for Xbox twice; Rainbow Six Vegas three times; and Chronicles/Riddick. I'm on pace to beat RSV 18 times this year. :p

[Cuddly Knife]

Vegas is fvcking amazing. Lately all I've been playing is 4-player co-op T-Hunt, trying to get the achieves for Realistic difficulty. I've become fond of the shield, like a noob, but it does get the job done sometimes. Realistic is hard. I think the reason I'm enjoying it so much iis the 3rd-person cover.I'm starting to like it more than Gears of War cover.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

I've beaten 7 games already this year.

Tho' only 4 titles. I beat SCDA for 360; SCDA for Xbox twice; Rainbow Six Vegas three times; and Chronicles/Riddick. I'm on pace to beat RSV 18 times this year. :p

Which version of Double Agent did you like the most?

I've never beaten Buffy. It's time to put that in my rotation and finish that game.

[Glockstar]

The 360 version by far. BY FAR. I'm not even sure if I like the Xbox version. Contrarily, the 360 version is a Top 10 All-Time Fave. You read that correctly, it's in my Top 10 All-Time. A post/thread addressing this issue is forthcoming. :wink5:

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

A Top 10 All-Time Fav list, huh? Gee, I can't even think about what would go in my all-time fav list. That's something I would have to ponder over while at the boredom called the job. It would make a good topic, though.

I'm goig to hold off on starting/beating Buffy. I need to finally finish Marvel:UA so I can try and up my beaten list.

[Glockstar]

A Top 10 All-Time Fav list, huh? Gee, I can't even think about what would go in my all-time fav list. That's something I would have to ponder over while at the boredom called the job. It would make a good topic, though.

I'm goig to hold off on starting/beating Buffy. I need to finally finish Marvel:UA so I can try and up my beaten list.

Speaking of which... I forgot one. I also beat SC: Chaos Theory (for a second time) this year. So that makes it 8 and 5. :wink5:


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Vegas is fvcking amazing. Lately all I've been playing is 4-player co-op T-Hunt, trying to get the achieves for Realistic difficulty. I've become fond of the shield, like a noob, but it does get the job done sometimes. Realistic is hard. I think the reason I'm enjoying it so much iis the 3rd-person cover.I'm starting to like it more than Gears of War cover.

You #@$%ing #@$%@&#. You got some nerve saying these things to me. Knowing how much I loved RSV; knowing that I'm sitting here without my 360... And I told you you'd love the T-Hunts. Why don't you go and play 'em without me... yeah. You bastich. :mad:

[Cuddly Knife]

LOL Don't worry, cuz, there will be plenty more terrorists when you get back. You,
HAV0K and I will tear em a new AI. 'sides, I'm currently terrorizing the fine citizens
of Pacific City in Crackdown.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

'sides, I'm currently terrorizing the fine citizens
of Pacific City in Crackdown.

I just reached the 3rd Island, but I forgot what name was given to it. I think I'm about orbed out (as far as looking for anymore), and will now just focus on finding the rest of the lieutenants and the final Kingpin.

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I saw some more faceplates for about $10 at K-Mart. They looked like the same ones I mentioned were at Toys R Us.

Also, , I don't know if it's a kind of clearance or if they are just getting rid of older games, but at my local K-Mart, they had about 9 small baskets full of games. Some were regular price ($19.99) but some were either 1/2 or more off. I saw Psychonauts for $14.99 Xbox (not sure if that game is b/c), Half Life 2 for $10 (Sure most who want it will wait for 360 version) and Jade Empire for $10 (Jackpot. Someone queue up the Price is Right music). They had a couple of 360 games (Outfit, Rumble Roses XX, Ridge Racer 6), some PS2 games, DS, PSP, and GC games as well. I ended up picking up Jade along with a $14 Soul Calibur 3.

[Cuddly Knife]

I've collected 450 Agility orbs so far, and that's mainly by finding them while browsing around the city looking for achievements and ways to get them(I finally found the R-launcher that allows for the Juggler achieve). I've only found about 60 of the blue orbs. Killinmg off all of the bosses was my first priority when I started the game. Beat it on my 3rd day(cross another off the list). Now I'm just boosting all of my stats and looking for achievements. BTW, where is the Observatory?

Dude, you should buy all of the copies of Psychonauts and sell them for triple the cost! I know I've been looking for that game in my area for months and no dice.

I wish I had a cool store nearby.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

I want to say the Psychonauts game was $14.99. I had a feeling K-Mart would have some old inventory when looking for Jade, and I wasn't disappointed.

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I just finished Crackdown. I collected 439 Agility Orbs, around 90 Hidden Orbs and maxed out my strength. I don't think I'll play the game again, though. Like Lost Planet, I have a hollow feeling about the game afterwards, unlike GTA where I was just glad the frustration was over.

I think the observatory is on the 2nd Island, right near the mountains (with the crater with the buildings in the middle) where that big woman was hiding. The cops are patrolling that area, and one way to get there is when you get to the area where big woman was hiding, it's on the left side if you're facing north, if I remember right. There's also a grass road in front of the mountain/crater that will take you around to the other side. There's a gate with a patrol chick walking around. Inside is the place where the observatory globe is located. I couldn't get it up the mountain to use against enemies.

[Cuddly Knife]

There's a new GRAW multi-player demo on Marketplace, as well as a new MLB2K7 demo that I'm DLing right now. I'll play the sh!t out of them today, and give impressions later. :)

[TPoD]

Does this mean that you did not really like Crackdown? I am loving the hell outta that game, but then again, that opinion is based on the fact that I really don't game as much as I used to. If I beat the game in three sittings I guess that I would be pissed, but with my gaming habits I will get much better mileage out of the game.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

There's a new GRAW multi-player demo on Marketplace, as well as a new MLB2K7 demo that I'm DLing right now. I'll play the sh!t out of them today, and give impressions later.

Thanks. I bet 2K had to scramble to get the MLB demo out since the game is supposed to be shipping today.

Does this mean that you did not really like Crackdown? I am loving the hell outta that game, but then again, that opinion is based on the fact that I really don't game as much as I used to. If I beat the game in three sittings I guess that I would be pissed, but with my gaming habits I will get much better mileage out of the game.

I liked Crackdown, but after a while it became too repetitive. I found almost all of the lieutenants in the game by simply orb searching. I'm shocked I finished the game so quick. At the beginning, the game feels like it has some longevity to it, but once I got to the 3rd island after a couple of days, I knew it was going to be a quickie. I will say this, Crackdown is the best cel-shading game I've seen. At times, I forgot it was even cel-shaded until I started driving a pedestrial vehicle or found myself near some citizens.

I'm sure there were a lot of gamers who beat the game in a couple of sittings or even in a day.

[Fivespot]

So MLB 2K7 ships a week earlier than originally planned. I'm assuming that decision is also screwing up a few other plans. For example, there are no reviews of the game up yet when normally reviews are up the first day a title is available and in some cases even earlier (except for smaller titles of course).

Now, and I admit that this is a pessimistic viewpoint, could they have released this title a week early to prevent folks like us from reading the reviews prior to it being available hence increasing impulse buys? I sure hope not!

I was disappointed by the game last year and frankly had nothing else to play in it's place (baseball title wise). Sure I could have played some other baseball title on lesser systems (XBOX, PS2, etc..) but I really wanted a NEXT GEN baseball game espeically one on XBOX Live so my friends and I could play. I'm hoping this year changes things a bit.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

You got a point, Five. I hope the fact that 2K Games shipped the game early is why the reviews are popping up later than they should. Usually, IGN and sometimes TeamXbox will have a review a few days before the game comes out, but Gamespot is usually slow and tries to wait until shipping day at the earliest. So far, IGN and TeamXbox have reviews up.

I'm a bit cautious about getting MLB due to last year's problem. At the earliest, I'll get it this weekend, so there will be enough time to read the reviews (and shockingly, a few reading reviews though I rarely trust these things) to check up on any game stopping bugs. I hope there aren't any, because I'm even more cautious about MLB 07: The Show, and like you, I want a Next-Gen baseball game so EA's title is not an option.

[Fivespot]

I read the IGN review and it's not too favorable. Sure they give the game a decent score (in the high 7 range) but they mention quite a few bugs as well. When it comes to sports games, gameplay is key even over graphics so it's disappointing when the gameplay is lacking which unfortunately sounds like it's the case again this year.

I'll wait for a few more reviews and may even give the demo a shot before making any further decisions.

[Cuddly Knife]

It could be me, but have baseball games not changed at all since the PS1 era? There are a few cool new things, well, maybe it's just that baseball as a sport is just baseball.

And Five, you should let me know if you do play the demo, so you can say if it would be worth it to get this game or 2K6? I want some kind of baseball game, and if the older version supports roster updates(how does that even work?), or if the newer one just doesn't seem worth it, I'd like to get it maybe.

[Fivespot]

I agree CK. The best baseball game I've played in recent memory goes back to my N64 days (same era as PS1). Ken Griffey baseball for the N64 was my last favorite baseball game. I liked it because it was fairly simple to play, intuitive in it's gameplay/button presses, and had good graphics for the time (each stadium was accurately rendered, players had unique stances - not compared to todays standards however, etc..).

It seems like baseball games have gotten too complicated for their own good. Maybe I'm alone but I don't think we need Madden style complication for a game like baseball. Either that or make an arcade style version for the more casual fans of the sport to play.

Don't pick up 2K6, it's more annoying than fun mainly due to the gameplay mechanics (running basebaths is not realistic due to the turbo button, easy pop ups and groundballs are sometimes difficult to get to, and so on...)

Sounds like 2K7 may have different issues but once again could hamper the overall experience and that ultimately is what I'm waiting to find out.

IGN's review mentions quite a few game hampering bugs while Game Informer doesn't. Need some more input! What did you guys think of the demo? Anyone play it?

[Fivespot]

Strike that - I also enjoyed the first MVP baseball game from EA for the XBOX. It was the first game to introduce the analog swing mechanic from what I recall and overall provided some fun gaming.

Of course they lost the rights to MLB however and now EA is only making MVP titles for the lesser gen systems (unless something has changed that I'm unaware of) and is using college teams rather than MLB teams.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

If EA had made a next-gen MVP NCAA baseball game, I would consider getting it. The problem I have with EA's baseball games lately is you can't change the amount of games to play in a season. It was bad with 162 for the MLB MVP games, yet the 80+ games for College Baseball isn't any better.

My favorite baseball games are La Russa 95 (Genesis) and World Series Baseball (Saturn). The La Russa game was the first I played to have the pitcher's view. It was great, even back then. I remember throwing a no-hitter with a pitcher, and on his next start, he gave up over 10 hits. For WSB, there was something about the ease of using the "guess the location" of the pitch that games today just can't touch. It was great hitting a 3 run shot against a friend in the bottom of the 9th with 1 out to win the game. It was even better when the camera panned behind the batter to show him slow trotting around the bases while admiring his shot going over the fence.

I almost jumped on the PS3 version of MLB 2K7, so I could have a sports game for the system, but wanted to hold off. One thing I really don't want to do in the game is manage ticket prices and food prices, and stuff that really dones't have to do with playing 9 innings of ball. I need to read the reviews and do a comparison between the two systems.

Speaking of comparisons, it's more than likely I'll get Mercs 2 for 360.

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Also, at my local Blockbuster (may be the same sale at your local BBs), they were having a Clearance on some new games. PS2, 360 (SC Double Agent, Eragon, Enchanted Arms, Lego Star Wars II, Marvel Ultimate Alliance), Xbox, PSP games. It was 50% off, but I didn't grab anything.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

Achievements update:

Total Games Played: 47

Achievements: 300

Score: 6965/34760


Yeah. I tend to leave a lot of points laying around. Most have to do with online play, but some are for things that I have no interest in doing. Like anything in Lost Planet that didn't have to do with finishing the game and getting rid of it. I still have some obtainable points in:

Saints Row
Tomb Raider (Need to finish game on hard mode)
Test Drive (I don't like this game as much as my other racers. It doesn't have good steering controls)
Burnout Revenge (If I wasn't playing M-Storm, this would be in rotation. Pretty fun game, a lot better than the overrated Burnout 3: Takedown)
Fight Night (I have 0 for FN)
Rumble Roses (Pain to get any points)
Oblivion (Will not get these. Has to do with Dark Bro-hood.)
NCAA Football 07 (Picked up for $20 new)
March Madness (Haven't hit a buzzer beater or got a triple double yet)
MLB 2K7(Should be a lot to get just by playing thru my franchise)
Call of Duty 2 (Only about 1/3 thru. Dislike for FPS makes this one hard to play consistently)
Marvel Ultimate Alliance (Just need to finish this game)
Bullet Witch (Close to finishing the game. Should rack up a few more poiints)

[Cuddly Knife]

16465/33470 GP

Out of all those points, there are about 5-7000 points that were never attainable for reasons like the game not working or me just not liking it enoug to play it through. THP8, PGR3, PDZ, Sonic, Madden, Hitman, Table Tennis are games that I'll probably never play again. Well, I would like to get PGR3 again.

RBH, You know in Oblivion you can make another save game, get those points, and then delete the copied save, as if it were all just a dream... you're original character is never the wiser.

_____________________________

In other news, I read a bit of the new OXM at the store, and they mention the top 5 games "the man" doesn't want you to know are coming to the 360. I can't remember all of them, but KOTOR3 was mentioned. Damn, I can't remember the others.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

HellGate: Londom
Crimson Skies 2
Duke Nukem Forever
World of Warcraft: Azeroth Adventures

If KOTOR 3 is developed by Bioware, I'm in 100%. If Obsidian does it (though it says they are doing Alien RPGs for SEGA), I'm also in. If Lucas Arts is doing the game, then I may not get it.

HellGate is supposed to be an action-rpg, but I wonder if it will be first-person only since it will be on PC as well. I hope not, but if so, I'll pass.

I have no interest in MMOs or Duke Nukem. As far as Crimson Skies 2, I dunno.

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PZ0, TH Project 8, PGR 3, DOA 4, SC: Double Agent, and X-Men the Movie Game (I got it free but it still wasn't worth playing) are a few of the games I played but barely got any achievements from. I plan on getting DOA 4 again, but the rest will not see the inside of my 360 again.

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As far as Oblivion, I can't do it. I'm still killing characters in cold, polygon blood. Damn Fable and KOTOR games have given me a gaming conscious.

-

I'm guessing you didn't renew your OXM. So I have to deal with the Halo lovers all by myself on this forum?

[Cuddly Knife]

I just renewed the other day, and got my ish in today, but it didn't come with the demo, so I gots to go to Wallys and mob me one. Have you played the new OXM universe deal, or whatever it is?

Are there any dogfighting games on the 360? Crimson Skies would be sick.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

This month's demos:

GRAW 2
GRAW, Chapter 2 (must have GRAW 1)
Crackdown (Great for non-livers to try out, but would be nice if it was in last month's)
Midway: Battlestations (LIVE Only....dogfight flying game??)
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (old ass game)
New Rally-X (ditto)
Armored Core 4 movie
Galleries of: Age of Conan, Frontlines, and GRAW 2 Gamer Pics

Not sure if Battlestations is a flying game or not, but Blazing Angels is a WWII flying game. I was going to get this on PS3 because it was 1/2 off, but the store was out.

For some reason, the last couple of month's disc best contents have been movies. This month it is AC 4. One other time it was Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom.

About the OXM Universe: I barely got 800 points to unlock the bonus stuff for the disc. You have to use the monthly gamer points to "play" the universe. I use the word "play" very loosely, because I just bought some researchers for something, and there was a timer count down going on before something was to happen. It was 3 hours and so many minutes Saturday. I may fool around with that thing only if I put the disc in to look at the AC 4 video again before I decide if I want the game or not.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

Add another one to the list. Bullet Witch. That makes game #4. Not a bad game. Good character (definitely deserves to be on my VG character list) and solid controls. I actually want a sequel.

No new 360 releases for me until May/June when Two Worlds and Mass Effect are hopefully released.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

Has anyone picked up anything new lately, or is considering picking up anything new?

I'm thinking about the game Slade mentioned a few months ago, Earth Defense Force. I ignored it for a bit, but it kind of caught my attention ($39.99 price will do that when it's a 3rd person shooter), so I might check that out if my local EBGames has anymore in stock.

Speaking of EB, here's a difference between that store and my local Gamestop. I call Gamestop and ask them will they have the game (Earth Defense) in, and the guy says "never heard of that game. If I did, it would be on my list". Well thanks, that's why they were, are and in the future will be on the bottom of the game store totem pole. Possibly forever. EB? Well, not only did the guy check and tell me it's coming out, he also tells me that since it wasn't reserved, they may only get a couple in at the most. Call in on release day to see if there are some in, or to come and reserve a copy, even on the shipping day. Talk about some good customer service.

[Cuddly Knife]

The new games I've gotten are GRAW2, GoW2, and FFXII. Tommorrow, I plan on getting SotN for LA. I also want EDF.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

I picked up EDF. It sucked. The animations made the game unplayable for me, just like Just Cause. I quickly got rid of it, though. Funny thing, I told a friend I would rather play a FPS than EDF, and since the trade credit is at the store and I mostly like need to use it (due to my dislike of the store in general), I may have to keep my word and get a FPS (since the friend is a chick, otherwise I wouldn't care about keeping my word).

Is FEAR any good?

-

Latest RBH Game store Totem Pole:

Best Buy
Circuit City
Target
TRU
K-Mart
------------------------------------------------------- <-- The "average" line
EBGames
GameRush/Blockbuster
------------------------------------------------------- <-- "Bottom of the Barrel" line
Gamestop

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

Switch Gamestop and GameRush on my totem pole.

Also, DOA4 is now a Platinum Hit ($29.99).

[Cuddly Knife]

I seem to remember someone(or ones) mentioning that they had interest in VR, and I'm pumped for Sylpheed.

Microsoft Brings Two for Summer
Aliens, vampires, and lots of guns...what more could you ask for?
by Micah Seff

April 2, 2007 - Xbox 360 owners may have found a way to avoid the summer doldrums, as Microsoft announced today that it would be releasing two previously Japan-only games, Project Sylpheed and Vampire Rain, in North America.

Project Sylpheed is a 3D, next-gen recreation of the mid-80s top-scrolling shooter, Silpheed. Players step into the boots of pilot Katana Faraway, and embark on a journey to defend earth from the invading ADAN star fleet. The game features more than 50 minutes of anime-inspired CG sequences littered between space combat missions. Project Sylpheed was developed by Games Arts and Seta Corporation for Square Enix.

Vampire Rain lives up to its title, offering up plenty of rainy, vampire-filled action sequences. Players must lead a black-ops unit into a dreary, rain-drenched city on a mission to hunt down the supernatural forces of the Nightwalkers. Players must combine stealth with high-tech weaponry, and strategize to hunt down their impossibly nimble foes. Developed by Artoon, Vampire Rain can be played alone or with friends over Xbox Live.

Project Sylpheed and Vampire Rain will retail for the suggested prices of $39.99 and $59.99 respectively.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

Vampire Rain. I saw a screenshot for this one (one of those small ones in GI when they don't write an entire preview), and I believe I remember seeing a vampire chick in black. My interest in the game will depend on the answer to this question. Is it a FPS?

-

In other news, I found MOTOGP 06 used. Though I usually don't buy used games anymore, I'm itching for some motorcycle racing, but something that's not in the dirt and mud this time around. If anyone has played it, is it as frustrating as the first MOTOGP for Xbox?

[Cuddly Knife]

If it's the game that I saw on my Japanese account, then it's a 3PS in the vein of Splinter Cell.

I tried to post some pics, but they didn't work, but the game is exactly like SC in looks.

http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2006/262/931221_20060920_thumb001.jpg

[Cuddly Knife]

And I wish this game was coming to the U.S.:

Senko no Ronde Next Month
Japanese shoot-'em-up gets a UK release date and price.
by Rob Burman, IGN UK

UK, April 3, 2007 - Shoot-'em-ups may be a dying breed but the genre is to be given a fresh breath of life by Ubisoft, who has revealed the much-anticipated blaster Wartech Senko no Ronde is coming to Europe in May.

The game was a surprise addition to Ubisoft's latest release schedule and, for those who haven't been closely following the Japanese shooter scene - how dare you - it's a bit like a beat-'em-up, with two spaceships dueling it out. Obviously they fire streams of bullets rather than throwing punches and instead of scrolling through levels, you must face massive screen-filling titans and take them out with a range of lethal weaponry.

Senko no Ronde was released in Japan last August and at the time developer G-Rev said it would like to bring the game to the West, so now it looks like the dream has finally come true.

Ubisoft's release schedule has the game listed for May 24 for a gross price £34.03, which is likely to translate to an RRP of £39.99 (59 EUR). We'll bring you a proper hands-on in the near future.
http://www.kotaku.com/assets/resources/2006/08/senko_no_ronder_360_video.jpg[img]

[img]http://images.xboxyde.com/gallery/public/3923/952_0010.jpg

http://images.xboxyde.com/gallery/public/3923/952_0013.jpg

http://images.xboxyde.com/gallery/public/3923/952_0009.jpg

[Cuddly Knife]

Oops about the first image.
http://www.kotaku.com/assets/resources/2006/08/senko_no_ronder_360_video.jpg

And I also just found this:
This one's for the shmup-lovers in the audience. If you don't know what the Raiden series is, get yourself learned. It's been known for a while now that Raiden III was heading to the never-to-die PlayStation 2 soon, but a recent episode of the Team Fremont Live podcast has uncovered that, along with the PS2 title, shooter fans have a shiny new next-gen port of the Japanese arcade-only Raiden IV to look forward to.

As part of their "Shmupreciation Month" celebrations, the hardcore gaming/hardcore drinking podcast interviewed UFO Interactive product manager Chong Ahn -- check at about 24:05 for the interview. Most of the talk focused on Raiden III, but near the end Ahn revealed that an American version of Raiden IV is in the works for the Xbox 360. Ahn said it was their intention to cater to the shooter fan market while also trying to increase the popularity of the genre and use all the power the Xbox 360 has to offer. "Just the graphical power of the Xbox 360... you've seen the potential of what the 360 can do."

To this effect, he promised a lot more promotion and advertising for the 360 incarnation of the classic series. Also heavily hinted at, though not confirmed, was online co-op play over Xbox Live, which would only make sense given the co-op pedigree of the series. As for the question of whether the game will be available from retail or Live Arcade. "I think we're going to do a retail release first to test the waters and see how it does," he says. He suggested that they wouldn't mind doing a subsequent Live Arcade release, which would certainly be a first for the 360.

Ikaruga, Raiden IV, and more on the horizon. It's getting to be a good time to be a shmup fan if you own a 360.
Ikaruga with Live Leaderboards!

[Glockstar]

I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask for a link to that 1UP article, Mr. Knife. "Shmup"... did they really use the term "shmup"? Or did you do some editing?

[Cuddly Knife]

I did nothing of the sort, but unfortunately I can't provide a link because i got it from another forum. But I have heard the term thrown around IGN and Gamespot and such, if you're thinking that maybe it's just me.

[Glockstar]

Yeah, I thought it was all you. And just you. If anything I was going to accuse 1UP of plagiarism. :p

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

Milestone Alert...Milestone Alert

I played my 50th 360 game. I thought it was going to be Forza 2, but it turned out to be Chromehounds, a game that came to my attention after still wanting a decent mech game (Armored Core will never change :( ). I only played the training mode so far, but the game feels like it could be solid. It definitely looks great. I hope the rest of the game is solid, but if not, then I guess I'll never find a good mech game (unless there's a next-gen Mech Assault in the works).

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

One more thing that's actually a shocker. I've decided to give FPS one more shot. Just one more. It wasn't because of any revelation or the fact that I have Call of Duty 2 and I don't play but maybe I should. It's because when I got rid of something today, I realize there was nothing that caught my eye on 360 (even less so on PS3), until I saw FEAR on the shelf. I remember the OXM demo, and though I recall enjoying it when there were a lot of enemies to "off" onscreen, I figured what the hell? There's nothing else remotely interesting on the shelf (It was at Gamerush, home of the "lack of restocking"). Who knows? If this game can keep me interested and is decent, I may give FPS another chance. Not a big chance, more of a sitting on the sidelines in case a couple of other must-have titles get delayed and I want something new and interesting to play. The Darkness and Halo 3 just may have a shot in RBH's (I'm going 3rd person here) collection. A long shot.

[Glockstar]

...I guess I'll never find a good mech game (unless there's a next-gen Mech Assault in the works.

You're playing it. Chromehounds is MechAssault. MechAssault 1 that is. MA2 it is not.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

It really does feel like MechAssault 1 so far, which is a good thing. It's far better than Armored Core 4, to the point where I think From Software should make Chromehounds a franchise and forget developing anymore AC games.

Is Mech Assault 2 b/c on the 360?

[Cuddly Knife]

Mechassault 2 is b/c.

Anyone got the new GOW maps? I want to get them now for 800MP, but I feel that I can also wait 6 months till they're free.

And there's a new GRAW2 map pack. It is 800MP and has 7 maps from GRAW1 re-made. I always did want to play the first GRAW, and I still might get it because an OXM has the free Chapter 2.

[Fivespot]

No, I'm going to wait for the maps to be free on GOW.

Re: GRAW2 maps, not sure yet. But that raises another question I've been pondering and I'd appreciate your guys input.

I'm looking to get back playing some online multiplayer and are debating between what to play; GRAW2 or Rainbow Six Vegas. Which would more than likely be something you guys are also going to be investing some time in online?

Another title that may fit is Splinter Cell DA but I'm not sure if the multiplayer in that game would be better than GRAW2 or Rainbow Six Vegas.

Thoughts?

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

As of now, I have neither. More than likely, Rainbow Six would be the one I would want to play if I had it, though, if I didn't get sleepy before 11pm :D

:( Also, my free month of Gold runs out next week, so this will be my last known weekend on Live. I still have two of those 48 hour things (3 if Forza 2 has one), so I can still have access to Live Gold. I doubt I'll pay for any Live, since I probably wouldn't be on that much during the week (and with the NBA playoffs and MLB, I don't know when I would be on for the weekends).

[Glockstar]

As of now, I have neither. More than likely, Rainbow Six would be the one I would want to play if I had it, though, if I didn't get sleepy before 11pm


Doubt it! Have you forgotten? RSV is a first-person shooter.


-


I'm looking to get back playing some online multiplayer and are debating between what to play; GRAW2 or Rainbow Six Vegas. Which would more than likely be something you guys are also going to be investing some time in online?

Another title that may fit is Splinter Cell DA but I'm not sure if the multiplayer in that game would be better than GRAW2 or Rainbow Six Vegas.

Thoughts?

Of all my 360 games, I miss RSV the most. :( One of these days I'm going to have to face the facts and acknowledge that this really is one of my all-time favorite games. I'll be back playing RSV within minutes of getting back online!

I reckon I'm still about 4 weeks away from that happening tho'. :(

I'm also going to want to get into SCDA. That's way beyond overdue. I was hoping that I'd get you or TMG to be my co-op partner... If you can wait, I'll be your huckleberry. :wink5:

I'm skipping GRAW2 entirely.

[Fivespot]

RSV it is then. CK also seems to like it.

On a side note- Guitar Hero 2 gives me motion sickness and is the first video game that I can remember doing that to me. It might be my new TV contributing as well since I had it GH1 on the PS2 and don't remember having issues back then.

I really want to get all the achievements and such but can only play 2-3 songs at a crack so it's starting to get a little annoying.

It's the scrolling screen of notes that are doing it to me. I have friends who can't play FPS games as they get motion sickness and I never really understood that. Until now.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

Doubt it! Have you forgotten? RSV is a first-person shooter.

It's not 100% FPS. :p

I played the demo fo RSV and actually got farther than I ever have. It was pretty fun, to the point where if I get rid of MLB 2K7 (can't have two b-ball games if I get The Show) at GameRush, then I will need to get something in-store. RSV could be a choice, especially since there's nothing else out there right now.

Question about RSV? How are the levels like in single player? Are they pretty much laid out the same way as the demo level? Ubisoft has a way of making a demo fun, but the rest of the game can end up being a disappointment (see Double Agent & GRAW).

[Cuddly Knife]

Remember the Old Spice Challenge? Well, it turns out that I did win Fuzion Frenzy 2, after all. I just gopt it in the mail today. Yay.

And we're gonna race BR soon, RBH. Running your mouth so. I'll teach you some trick or two.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

If you could teach me how to not wreck 24 times in each race, I would appreciate it.

[Cuddly Knife]

The trick is to avoid the traffic. I mean all traffic. Don't go for traffic checking. You'll get more boost from near-misses, and you won't have to worry about your own check hitting you and causing you to wipe out. Other than that, it's about not hitting the millions of edges and pillars that stick out everywhere.

HEy, check out our Gamerpoints. Separated by an even 10,000. Killer.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

The first time I was able to get a game going in BR, I came in 2nd place overall. Would have been 1st, but the last race was on a level that I've never been on. Every race after that, I've been teetering near the bottom of the list due to levels that I'm unfamiliar with.

That difference will only get bigger. There aren't a lot of games that I have with gamerpoints just waiting to be unlocked easily. Shivering Isles, RSV (yeah, I actually picked it up), Fight Night, Call of Duty, Marvel:UA are probably the only ones that have achievements which are unlockable by just playing the game. Games like Burnout, DOA4 and Rumble Roses seem to have unachiveable achievements unless I actually try to do something specific to get those.

[Cuddly Knife]

What levels are you good at? My faves are White Mountain, Motor City long, and Eternal City long. Foward or back, it doesn't matter.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

I can't even remember the names of them. They are all within the first two or three parts that are unlocked in the game. I never got far in the game, which is one reason why I barely have any achievements.

From playing online, I am starting to get used to the level that you can drive off the side of the mountain if you aren't careful. I'm thinking that's in the early part of the game.

[Cuddly Knife]

One thing that helped me was playing the whole offline game. You learn the tracks, and the shortcuts. The only things that are different online are the traffic patterns and the driving skills of your opponents. There is more traffic offline.

You also want to try and make your lines as straight as possible, until you have to do a hard turn. This game doesn't have that many really long stretches of straightaway road to do this really effectively, but still, it helps to keep it tight.

Boost is also key. Boost start, boost drift, and boost jumping are what make you a champ. That, and playing for 200+ hours.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

200 hours? Man, I don't think I've put in a solid 8 total in the game, and that's not including to wait for someone to finally get a game started online.

As far as offline, I probably won't get on it as much, especially when Forza 2 comes out. I am looking forward to Paradise, but I hope the cars have a better feel to them than in BR.

[Cuddly Knife]

What do you think about Spider-Man 3, RBH? Reminds me insanely like 2, only much, much, much nicer-looking. I don't mind that at all.

[Cuddly Knife]

I thought about putting this somewhere else, but since it was originally an Xbox game, it seems fitting to stick it in here.

Chronicles of Riddick redux confirmed
Assault on Dark Athena for PS3, 360 will contain visually reworked Escape from Butcher Bay plus new content.
By , GameSpot
Posted May 21, 2007 2:02 pm PT


Next-gen consoles are getting a double-shot of Riddick.

This weekend, SpikeTV's GameHead program confirmed rumors that a Chronicles of Riddick game is coming to next-gen consoles. Speaking with host Geoff Keighley, Sierra Entertainment executive producer Pete Wanat confirmed that The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena is being developed for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Assault on Dark Athena will contain all the content from The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, which was a critical and commercial hit on the PC and original Xbox. It will also add new material which takes place after the previous game's titular jailbreak and feature reworked graphics.

"This isn't a case when we took the old-gen game and up-rezed it," said Wanat. "All the textures are being redone so it truly looks like a next-gen game." The producer also confirmed that developer Starbreeze, Universal Pictures, and Tigon Studios--Vin Diesel's game company--are all collaborating on the new game. Diesel himself is also doing new voice work for the expanded storyline.

Wanat also confirmed that the PS3 version of the game will take advantage of the console's motion-sensing Sixaxis controller. He called the controller "totally perfect" for the game's shiv-based prison combat, but did not elaborate. Wanat also dodged questions about whether or not Assault on Dark Athena would have a multiplayer component, saying only "it would be beneficial if it did in the era of Xbox Live."

Assault on Dark Athena currently has no official release date, although British site Computer & Video Games claims to have learned it will arrive before the end of the year. Reps for Vivendi Games, Sierra's parent company, had not responded on requests for comment as of press time.
I'm pumped. I loved the original EfBB, and now knowing that it'll be redone what with the power of current systems, plus added story, well, that's stinkin great news. I've wanted to get this game again for the longest time, but now I'll wait for the re-make+. And I'll get it on the 360, that way I won't have to worry about shoddy Six-Axis controls.

[DrunkenThumbmaster]

It's coming out in the Holiday though. This game is destined to get overlooked again. I would have rather waited for a true sequeal myself. I wonder If they could have gotten Vin Disel for the sequeal I think he added a great deal to the game.

For that matter will he do the extra content in this game?

[Cuddly Knife]

Yes he is.

Diesel himself is also doing new voice work for the expanded storyline.

[DrunkenThumbmaster]

Doh! it was right there in the announcement! Man too many games.

[DrunkenThumbmaster]

D'OH it was right there in the announcement. Too many damn games! I still want HL2 orange box as my "new old game" Wonder if it will be better than the Darkness I'll have to support Starbreeze and pick up at least one of these games.

[Cuddly Knife]

The Darkness looks niiiice. I'll also be picking up Orange Box, but mainly for Portal. Yeah, I'll try and play through HL2 again. Hopefully it'll be better than the trash of a game that was on the Xbox. If it has a quarter of the loading than the Xbox version, then I'll be alright, because ultimately that's what killed it for me. Plus there's also TF2.

[Cuddly Knife]

Hmmm, maybe I shoulda put this in Live Arcade, but oh well.

Exit Set for Xbox 360
PSP hit coming to Xbox Live Arcade.
by IGN Staff

May 23, 2007 - A PSP favorite is making its way to the big screen via Xbox 360. First revealed in the latest issue of Famitsu is an Xbox Live Arcade version of Exit, Taito's side-scrolling puzzle/platform game that had PSP fans talking last year.

Similar to the PSP version, you take control of sly Mr. ESC in an attempt to help people escape from danger. Once saved, people lend various forms of assistance as you attempt to save others and clear the stage. Taito is adding new stages exclusively for Xbox 360 owners.

The 360 version of Exit retains the 2D perspective and art style of the PSP version. We can't wait to see what it looks like running in high definition.

This rare Japanese-born Xbox Live Arcade title is set for Japanese release this summer at a cost of 800 Microsoft Points. Pricing and release information for international versions have yet to be announced.

Man, you definitely can't blame MS for not trying this round. Along with an updated Katamari and others, they're really trying to get a few more games outside their usual box.

[Glockstar]

"Favorite"? "Had fans talking"? Pfffft. What the the hey is IGN talking about? That game was one of the most ignored PSP games that I can think of. It didn't take it long to become budget priced or get discontinued.

And yeah MS gets an A for an effort.

And yeah you should've posted this in XLA. :p

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

I'm trying to use a MP3 player to stream some music for Forza 2, but the thing is only playing the first 6 seconds of each song. The MP3 player works great by itself, but for some reason I can't get a full song to play.

Has anyone else had this problem?

[Fivespot]

No, I haven't. Since you're using your mp3 player and since your mp3 player connects to your PC and since both your PC and 360 are online more than likely using a router, have you considered just streaming your music from the PC?

May alleviate your problem.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

I don't have a router. I figured since I was going to use the cpu more for broadband than the 360, I decided against it. I thought about just putting the music on the HDD, but I'm real close to deleting every piece of music from my harddrive as it is.

I'll figure out something, but thanks for the help.

If the cpu + 360 + TV didn't drink a lot of juice, I would consider streaming from the PC.

-

Way off subject, but how do you like The Show compared to MKB 2K7?

[Fivespot]

That isn't off topic, this is the 360 general game forum. :)

I like MLB 2K7 better mainly due to the graphical edge. They are both great games and each have their strengths but 2K7 gets pushed a hair in favor due to it being more next-gen looking.

There are some things about MLB 07 that I prefer however. Fielding is easier for one and feels more intuitive.

I plan to keep both titles and play them equally. I enjoy baseball games enough to do so.

I wish the Milwaukee Brewers weren't struggling so bad though. And that's officially off topic.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

I thought the Brewers were in 1st Place? I know Fielder, Hall, Hardy, and someone else are having "a career year" so far. Everyone else in your division (Reds, Cubs, Cards, Astros) suck, so I hope the Brew crew can get in the playoffs.

My Twins finally got above .500. I think we're a 2nd half team, so if we stay around .500 until then, we should be ok.

-

Overall, I'm going to give the edge to The Show. For 2K7, I like the fact that I don't have to control the hitter's zone with the analog stick and can just time my swings. I also like how I could change the way I pitched: The cursor would either be where the pitch would break or where it would end up. The graphics in 2K7 are top notch. That was the first game where I could immediately tell the difference in playing on a SDTV and a HDTV. The Show has more that I'm looking for, especially the pitcher's cam for hitting and the easier fielding (pitcher's cam for hitting makes up for a lot of small annoying things). I also like the view when someone hits one out of the park, and they know it's gone. Unfortunately, that happened to me back-to-back in my last game vs Seattle. I'm so-so about simulating some of my season (since the franchise is 162 games only), but who really wants to waste time playing the Royals and Devil Rays?

[Cuddly Knife]

Have you guys seen the new trailer on Marketplace for Burnout Paradise? It's really short and shows nothing but a few cars cruising and a little view of the city, but WOO-HOO!! It means we're getting close.

I also read or heard that this game was supposed to have 12 racers online at once. That may be overkill for this type of game, seeing how much chaos went down on Revenge with just 6 racers.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

Is Paradise going to be laid out the same way that as Test Drive? I haven't seen any concrete info on the game from EA.

[Fivespot]

I thought the Brewers were in 1st Place? I know Fielder, Hall, Hardy, and someone else are having "a career year" so far. Everyone else in your division (Reds, Cubs, Cards, Astros) suck, so I hope the Brew crew can get in the playoffs.

They are.

It's just that they started so strong and then laid an egg in May bringing their record much lower than it could have been had they continued their April trend. I'm cautiously optimistic about the rest of the season but I'm with you - I so hope they can make the playoffs. It's been forever or so it feels that way. Strike that, it's been forever.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

The way things are looking, the Brew crew can go .500 the rest of the season and should be able to win the Central (?). The rest of the teams just stink out loud, even my #3 baseball team the Reds who are DFL (Dead Freakin' Last).

Speaking of baseball, I'm going to have to jump back and do a season instead of franchise on The Show. After simulating so many games, it doesn't feel like it's my team anymore since all the stats are actually improved. I'll probably grab those Reds and do a 30 or 40 game season with them.

[Cuddly Knife]

For those who enjoyed the game, do you think this one will kick ass just like it did when the original Riddick came out, or is the game too outdated? If I remember correctly, this game kicked ass from beginning to end. Now there is some multi-player, plus an extended storyline.

[DrunkenThumbmaster]

I think the gameplay mechanics in Riddick will still hold up. But to be honest a big part of Riddicks appeal was that at the time of release it was easily one of if not thee best looking game on a console.

As far as the gameplay though it was solid. Short and sweet with 0 annoying parts. Well maybe when you had to climb through all those vents.

[Glockstar]

I think the gameplay mechanics in Riddick will still hold up. But to be honest a big part of Riddicks appeal was that at the time of release it was easily one of if not thee best looking game on a console.

As far as the gameplay though it was solid. Short and sweet with 0 annoying parts. Well maybe when you had to climb through all those vents.

"0 annoying parts"? The whole thing was annoying. Because Starbreeze wanted to simulate footsteps my boy moved like he was a fracking drunkard.

Other than that though, fine game. I think it's biggest achievement was it's cinematic scope and feel. It felt like an epic motion-picture.


-


re: the Brewers...

I can't believe they took the series with us (Detroit). :eek: Still, how do you like Justin Verlander, Five. :wink5:

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

A Tigers fan. Should have know. That's alright, because we (the Twins) are creeping up on you guys. I'll give Verlander his props. No hitters seem like a rare feat nowadays.
-

I never played Riddick. Vin Diesel + FP-whatever (shooter, action-adventure) doesn't really mix well with me.

[Fivespot]

Real nice. I never even heard of Verlander until the other day when he beat us for a no hitter. At least we won the next 2 and ultimately the series. Now if we could only string more wins together and break out of this damn slump.

[Cuddly Knife]

Preview of AC6 from IGN:

Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation
We take to the skies and fly the highway to the danger zone.
by Nate Ahearn

June 15, 2007 - Seeing a series migrate from one system to another always raises a few eyebrows. Why did the developers make the switch? Was it the superior hardware of one console over another? Maybe it was a dispute with the bigwigs at a given company? Or maybe it was some feature that one console had over another. In the case of Ace Combat's migration to greener, Xbox 360 pastures it was the latter. Xbox Live was what coerced the folks at Namco-Bandai to bring their perennial Playstation powerhouse over to Microsoft's console.

Online play is a big part of what differentiates Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation from past titles, and the Xbox 360's solution was simply a better fit for the gameplay that Namco was trying to bring to the game. We got a brief chance to fly through the skies of Ace Combat 6 at a recent Namco preview event, and while there were no multiplayer modes on display, we do know that the game will feature deathmatch, team deathmatch, and co-op play. A developer on-hand said that they've currently got the game running with 16 players online, but they're hoping to bump that number up to 32 to make the skies nice and crowded with enemy planes.

What we were able to get our hands on was a demo level that gamers will get to check out for themselves once E3 rolls around. The level began with a gorgeous real-time cinematic that showed pilots scrambling to get to their jets and get into the air. Apparently an attack had just been launched by a foreign country. Roadways, bridges, and buildings were shown being pummeled with missile and machine gun fire. While the locales are fictional in the game - the main setting being the Anean Continent - the necessity for a counterattack was made very clear.

Ace Combat 6 has what's being called the "Dynamic Operations System" which allows for up to six persistent battles to be going on around you. You can play a role in them or not, but the outcome of each incursion is up in the air and happening in real time. As I flew my F-15 around the sky I saw a group of what looked like paratroopers, but as it turned out they were actually enemy pilots who had been shot down and were trying to parachute down to safety. They didn't make it.

What's even cooler about the Dynamic Operations System is that they aren't all air battles. You could see two squads of ground troops on a collision course and decide to help one of them out with some air support, or maybe a naval battle is about to break so you decide to send off a few missiles on a collision course with the hull of an enemy aircraft carrier.

The actual aerial combat looks fantastic in the game. The model of your jet looks just as it did in Top Gun, which is to say it looks awesome. You can use the right analog stick to swivel your head around the cockpit, just like Goose did for Maverick. The standard machine gun and missile combination is your main offensive tool, but you'll also have the ability to call in support from naval ships, other pilots, and ground troops provided you help them out when asked. And yes, the missile cam that debuted in Ace Combat 4 is back and as cool as ever.

The story of the game centers around seven pilots, yourself included. No real specifics were given other than that the Republic of Emmeria, Kingdom of Nordennavic and the Federal Republic of Estovakia are the new countries being added to the action. Also, the Ulysses Asteroid will be featured within the storyline. In what capacity, we have no idea.

In a nod to flight-sim enthusiasts, Namco is releasing a flight stick called Ace Edge. It's a two piece set. One holds the throttle controls, and the other changes your pitch and yaw. We got a chance to put our hands with the flight stick - though we didn't actually play the game with it - and it feels very solid and conforms very nicely to your hand. There are a ton of buttons on the thing, though the controls weren't mapped out anywhere so there was no way to tell what did what. The whole package (game included) will retail for $149.99.

It's too bad that Sony lost one of its consistently solid franchises to Microsoft, but that's what you get when your online initiative sucks. Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation should deliver some great moments on Xbox Live, and the closer the developers can get to 32 players the better. The gameplay that we got a chance to check out felt like classic Ace Combat fare, but the build was still early, and it was tough pay attention to anything other than the awesome water effects from a few thousand feet up. We'll have more on Ace Combat 6 as soon as we can get a build into the office and check it out first-hand.

[Glockstar]

Just found this article over on Eurogamer: Hardware Test: Xbox 360 Elite (http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=78001&page=1). (Article date 6/20/07) Note: It's 7 pages.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

Random thoughts and/or questions

- Overlord started out great, but is now getting on my nerves.

- There's a chance I may get Halo 3 this year. I'll only get it from GameRush/Blockbuster if I get some really good trade in credit on a couple of games I may unload (see above). GameRush usually sucks when it comes to getting in games, but due to the fact they had a bunch of copies of Halo 2 on release and Gears of War, I think Halo 3 is a shoe-in to be at the store.

- When does the Toys R Us buy 2, get 1 free deal kick in? October, November? I'm asking now because I'm getting my list ready for whatever games I'm going to try and get, whether it's from a trade in deal, from walking into the store, or the ones I'm going to hold off on until they drop in price. All the systems' games should be in play this year, unlike last year. Can you mix and match games from different systems? I have always missed out on the TRU deal.

- I got rid of three games, which will disappoint all if I named them. Cud already knows the name of one of them, and the other two have an author's name in the game titles.

- Is this bloggish? I hope not.

[Cuddly Knife]

Diid you get rid of Vegas and GRAW2? I got rid of GRAW2 also, but I can't get rid of Vegas. With the addition of the 2 map packs, there is just too much here to play to drop completely.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

You are correct on both, Cuddly. I enjoyed playing them both when I had the interest and I didn't regret getting either of them, but I guess it was just time. Vegas was the easier of the two for me to get rid of. I stopped playing that as soon as I got GRAW 2. I played both online, and I thought Vegas was better. I started thinking about the 3rd person shooters that are coming out this Holiday season (Army of Two, Kane & Lynch, Mercs 2) and I didn't think Vegas and GRAW stood a chance when it comes to the fun factor. Less tactical = more fun for me, though K & L is supposed to have some tactical control over a "group" at various points in the game.

The deal I got was an extra $20 in trade credit when three 360 games are traded in, as long as they aren't certain sports titles or games that got $5 or less in trade-in value. The 3rd game was Burnout Revenge.

[Glockstar]

Diid you get rid of Vegas and GRAW2? I got rid of GRAW2 also, but I can't get rid of Vegas. With the addition of the 2 map packs, there is just too much here to play to drop completely.

You better not get rid of Vegas! Ever.

I'll be back online soon. You know I will.

[Cuddly Knife]

I'd still like to do the campaign co-op all the way through. I wonder if they've patched the problem about continuing on Realistic.

I'll never get rid of Revenge, and will play it as long as they keep up the servers. Same for Takedown. Maybe the same for Vegas. There are like more than 20 maps to do some T-hunt. That's a bunch. That'll get taken over by the next killer FPS that has a map editor though. Unreal 3? If only certain games in third person had a map editor, like Mercenaries 2. Does that game have any kind of multi-player other than co-op?

[Fivespot]

Doesn't appear as though any VGR members besides myself are playing Shadowrun but I wanted to share with you all the fact that this game is a blast. It may not have a single player campaign and may not be as pretty as Gears but it's some of the most fun I've had yet on my 360.

Multiplayer is incredibly balanced and has more depth than the average FPS game considering the addition of tech and magic.

There are four character classes each with their own unique set of strengths and weaknesses (dwarf, troll, elf & human). Achievements are well thought out and will take some time to learn and most encourage positive teamwork (like reviving a certain number of teammates for example).

If anyone feels like giving it a try, look me up. I plan to play this title for a while.

[Glockstar]

Not until the price drops to, like, $29.99, Five. (And of course not until I'm back online.) Doesn't sound like a $60 game. Half game, half price, you know?

[Fivespot]

I hope it goes on sale real soon!!!!

This is a prime example of a game not getting the credit it deserves due to low review scores. Then again it could be me and my quirky tastes.

[Glockstar]

I hope it goes on sale real soon!!!!

This is a prime example of a game not getting the credit it deserves due to low review scores. Then again it could be me and my quirky tastes.

And I think the price played a large part in those poor review scores. If the game were priced appropriately from the get go I think the reviewers would have been a lot more lenient. User reviews - reviews by real gamers who spent real money - are quite favorable; user scores are above the 80 percentile. You're not alone.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

If only certain games in third person had a map editor, like Mercenaries 2. Does that game have any kind of multi-player other than co-op?

I don't think so, and for good reason. I think death match, capture the flag, and modes like it would be a waste on Mercs 2 (see Saints Row for a good single player game with garbage online modes). Sure, Pandemic is a much better developer than Volition, but I wouldn't want them to take any time away from the great single player to work on multiplayer. I don't want the formula of the overall game tampered with.

Not trying to give you a hard time, Cud, especially since I know you like beating people on live (and dodging me when I had Burnout Revenge :) ). Playing on Live has given me a bad taste for all the games that have multiplayer in them just to have it. Call of Duty 2, Rainbow Six Vegas, even GRAW 2, yeah those multiplayer modes are fun. Saints Row, Gears of War, Motorstorm for PS3, those multiplayer modes are either horrible, not fun, or a waste of time (Saint's Row is all three). Even for Motorstorm, the single player is more enjoyable than multiplayer.

For Mercs 1, all I wanted was for the AI or someone to drive so I can do some shooting in some of those jeeps, or to have someone to help get some of the guys alive rather than dead. Storming a couple of bases, taking a lot of the attention while another player takes out a few guys and easily get a high level enemy (King, Queen, or Jack of Spade, Hearts, Club, or Diamond). Now, I'll be able to (granted I can stand sharing the spotlight) in Mercs 2. That's all I really want for the sequel, since they axed a couple of new, playable mercs and made then NPCs.

[Cuddly Knife]

So, you don't like co-op, RBH? The co-op in Crackdown is fun stuff. You could screw with your partner all kinds, like climb up a tall building, then tell them to check something out on the street, and when they look down, you kick their ass right off the roof!! I think I did that to Fiveski once. :D

And I never dodged in BR, yo. I don't really like to bug people in the middle of a game they're playing, so that's why I almost never send invites. Surely you saw me playing Revenge, you could've sent me one? Plus my internet was running like poo, so I would've peobably froze out or something lame and you would've called shennanagins. I'll take on anyone! F-U!!!

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

I like co-op, but the rest of the multiplayer modes in games now feel redundant and tired. I even got tired of Halo 2's multiplayer in less than a month, and haven't played it since 2005 (doesn't help that I got rid of the game too). Co-op is probably the only thing I can consistently play in games besides single player. I haven't played a multiplayer anything on Live in a few weeks, and I have a few 48-HR free trials left, thanks to Five.

As far as Burnout. Yeah, I'm going to invite you to beat me in your favorite game. :D
I think most of the time either you were in the middle of a race, or I was in the middle of a race. I probably got on that game a total of two weekends on my first 30 days of Live. There was only so many 5th place finishes I could take, and some of those were because the 6th place car was booted offline accidentally, keeping the car at the starting line.

[Fivespot]

Hell yeah, Crackdown coop is awesome!! Good call CK. And yes you did kick me off a tall roof but you may have also helped me get up there so it's all good. I was a midget at the time compared to your towering masculinity. Or in other words I was a low level agent. :blush2:

I'm up for some more coop any day especially after downloading all the new games, cars, and such. And when one player has it, we all have it as long as we play coop (unlike some games that require all players to have the paid downloads).

[Cuddly Knife]

:)

I remember playing some co-op with some random dude, and for the whole 2 hours we played, we battled with rockets. Rocket Tag, if you will, but we were playing that way before they even mentioned it for DLC. SOme of the funnest combat I've had in any game vs another human. He was pissed at first because I kept wrecking him, but when I kept it up, instead of quitting, he joined the fun and it was on like Donkey Kong. I still play that game, I can't seem to get bored of blowing sh!t all to hell.
-
-
-
Here's a question for you, RBH. You don't have Live? Because I can always see you playing when you're on. Does that mean we can see our friends on if they only have Silver?

And just for kicks, DiRT rapes Forza in fun. It's like a mix of PGR, Test Drive Off Road 2(PS1), and a Sunday cruise through the mountain. The track layouts are some of the best I've seen, with some killer graphics to boot. Pity about no real online multi-player...

[ThaMaskedGamer]

And just for kicks, DiRT rapes Forza in fun. It's like a mix of PGR, Test Drive Off Road 2(PS1), and a Sunday cruise through the mountain. The track layouts are some of the best I've seen, with some killer graphics to boot. Pity about no real online multi-player...

That's where the fun kicks in with Forza, online. Really the single player campaign is just a grind, it isn't really fun even when you win, because you know you are just racing a fancy drone following a line. Getting your car collection and going online is the fun and brilliant part.

I just took Forza2 online last week and caught up with an old racing buddy, it was a mixed bag, but flashes of the old Motogp and Forza1 days emerged. The main problem was that the guy controlling the room kept choosing powerful cars on short as hell tracks, which wouldn't be a problem if the guys in the room could drive straight. The 2nd problem is mostly everyone was using driving assists, which makes for worse racing. But still we had a few good nail biting races that just kick the sh*t outta racing the AI, a lot of laughs, the usual piss and smoke breaks. Another problem is he wasn't racing enough laps. Online you need to do at least 5 but probably 10 laps to get good races. With 3 laps no one is gonna care about wrecking, with 10 laps you can sit back and let the bad drivers slide off the track, and get up to the top with good lap times.

I can't wait to finish off the sp, so I can set up some real good rooms, Forza2 will provide loads of fun online until Forza3 comes out, forget PGR4 not even touching that now that Forza is here.

I want Dirt, but the last Colin game I got put me to sleep. It was all timed runs, because that is what true Rally racing is, there were a few rally cross elements. I suppose this is a bit different?

[Cuddly Knife]

No, DiRT is pretty much the same. Timed runs. The races where you are against other opponents are outnumbered by races where you're alone. The buggy races are kind of annoying because cars tires get stuck with each other, like it probably would be in real life, and the big truck races handle like jello.

The scenery is so nice though, it's better without opponents clogging up the place with their stinky exaust. Reminds me of the roads in my area of New Mexico. All that's missing is the cool mountain air in your face. Ahhhhhhhh. The framerate is steady 30, despite what the reviews have said, even with other cars on the road.

Something that I couldn't get around Forza was how I couldn't seem to grasp the layouts of the tracks. I never knew when to anticipate turns and such, and don't even get me started about gas and brakes without assists. But in DiRT, I can race like a champ. It's the same for PGR3. But Forza is just too hard. Too real? I thought I would have trouble with DIrt, but the driver-cam is so well-done.

_________________________________

Here's a big F-U to MS for charging us $60.00 for first-party games when it started out at $50.00. Plus extra for DLC. I'm kind of pissed about all that.

[ThaMaskedGamer]

No, DiRT is pretty much the same. Timed runs. The races where you are against other opponents are outnumbered by races where you're alone. Ah good thing I didn't get it. It is bad enough, for me, racing the AI in games, but racing the clock would put me to sleep. But I'm happy that Colin is staying authentic to true Rally racing and not arcading out! There aren't a lot of Rally fans but there are more in Europe than here and they are devoted to this series, so just like I wouldn't want Forza watered down I'm sure Colin fans don't give a hill of beans about my opinion and don't want their game watered down.


Something that I couldn't get around Forza was how I couldn't seem to grasp the layouts of the tracks. I never knew when to anticipate turns and such, and don't even get me started about gas and brakes without assists. I have seen these tracks for a good decade, going all the way back to PC racing games. I have seen these tracks in everything from Indy and F1 games to Motogp to Forza across the PC and XBOX. I can attest to one fact, if you don't know the tracks it is tough. I love them though, I just wish they had Donnington and LeMans and a few others, I couldn't believe they put Mugello in there. Far as gas and brake, u know the answer, get the Wheel. Even for Colin u gotta get the wheel.

_________________________________

Here's a big F-U to MS for charging us $60.00 for first-party games when it started out at $50.00. Plus extra for DLC. I'm kind of pissed about all that. My answer to that is to buy less games. I started out buying about the same number of games the first year, but this year thus far i've only bought Lost Planet and Forza2, in the fall I will probably buy 4 games, which will bring me to a total of maybe 6 games in '07. But that's cool cause i have far less time for gaming than I use to.

Oh by the way, I saw your score for Galaga....damn dude I cannot get past level 17 and I topped out at 120,000, u like doubled that! Did u do it on normal difficulty or easy? Its funny cause I went to the arcade and played Galaga there to compare it, and it is much easier in the arcade, the rate of fire is faster. Ms.Pacman is also harder on XBLA than in the arcade. Defender is WAY harder than in the arcade.

[Cuddly Knife]

My answer to that is to buy less games. I started out buying about the same number of games the first year, but this year thus far i've only bought Lost Planet and Forza2, in the fall I will probably buy 4 games, which will bring me to a total of maybe 6 games in '07. But that's cool cause i have far less time for gaming than I use to.I am starting to buy less games. Or maybe I should say that I plan on buying games when they drop in price, instead of getting them right when they come out. Certain games that will be coming out soon will have to be bought at release, just because, but others can wait. That'll be doubled when I score a PS3. At least when I get a PS3 there will be plenty of games for nice and cheap.

Oh by the way, I saw your score for Galaga....damn dude I cannot get past level 17 and I topped out at 120,000, u like doubled that! Did u do it on normal difficulty or easy? Its funny cause I went to the arcade and played Galaga there to compare it, and it is much easier in the arcade, the rate of fire is faster. Ms.Pacman is also harder on XBLA than in the arcade.
Once you get the two ship combo, the game becomes a walk in the park. I only played the game enough to get all of the achievements, so I bet I coulda gotten a higher score. Ms Pacman and even the new Pac demand to be played with an arcade stick. Is the MS Pacman on LA speedy, or regular? I used to get like 400 gees in the fast version, but couldn't even get to Banana on the slow one.

BTW, how are you doing on Jetpac Refuelled?

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

Here's a question for you, RBH. You don't have Live? Because I can always see you playing when you're on. Does that mean we can see our friends on if they only have Silver?

I have Live Silver. After my 30 days of Gold, I knew I wasn't going to play online enough to warrant a month or year purchase. I have those free 48 hour Gold things that Five gave me, which I'll probably use on the weekends if I'm not deep into some single player game.

Yeah, you can see friends on your list if they just have Silver. Should be able to send text, voice, and even instant messages too.

Anytime you want to play something on a weekend, I can always pop in a 48-HR code and instantly get to playing. I wouldn't mind playing some Call of Duty 2 one weekend, since that's one of the games I've enjoyed.

[ThaMaskedGamer]

Once you get the two ship combo, the game becomes a walk in the park. I only played the game enough to get all of the achievements, so I bet I coulda gotten a higher score. Ms Pacman and even the new Pac demand to be played with an arcade stick. Is the MS Pacman on LA speedy, or regular? I used to get like 400 gees in the fast version, but couldn't even get to Banana on the slow one.

BTW, how are you doing on Jetpac Refuelled?

Yeah I get the 2-ship combo and I rock with it, but can't keep it long enough, guess I gotta work on that. I'm playing the slow MS Pac..but I played the speedy one in the arcade and it was so easy.

In Jetpac I did pretty good. I didn't get all the achivements though. I think I got the million point achievement last time I played. I'm Jetpacked out though won't be playing for a while. I need to make dent in Alien Hominid.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

http://xbox.ign.com/articles/804/804447p1.html


E3 2007: Xbox 360 Backwards-compatibility List Updated
More Xbox classics made available on 360 during E3 mayhem.
by David Craddock
July 12, 2007 - Microsoft took some time to update the ever-expanding list of Xbox backwards-compatible games playable on the Xbox 360. Bringing the playable list to over 300, this latest update, presently available over Xbox Live, includes popular titles such as Silent Hill 2, Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil, and Morrowind. The complete list of titles can be found below.


America's Army
Auto Modellista
Bass Pro Shops Trophy Hunter 2007
Blinx 2
Bloodrayne 2
Burnout
Crash Bandicoot 4
Crash Bandicoot 5: Wrath of Cortex
Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil
Drive to Survive
Drive to Survive (EM)
ESPN College Hoops
ESPN NHL 2K5
Evil Dead Regeneration
Exaskeleton
FIFA Street 2
Full Spectrum Warrior: 10 Hammers
GUILTY GEAR XX #RELOAD
Harry Potter: And the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter: And the Prisoner of Azkaban
Hot Wheels: Stunt Track Challenge
Jet Set Radio Future
Justice League: Heroes
King Arthur
Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders
Magic: The Gathering: Battlegrounds
Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects
Marvel vs. Capcom 2
Mech Assault 2
MLB Slug Fest 2003
Morrowind
MotoGP2
Myst III: Exile
NBA Live 2002
NCAA Football 06
Nobunaga no Yabou Ranseiki
Outlaw Golf 9 More Holes of X-mas
Outlaw Volleyball: Red Hot
Outrun 2
Outrun 2006: Coast to Coast
Pac Man World 3
Panzer Elite Action: Fields of Glory
Pro Cast Sports Fishing
Project Gotham Racing
Project Gotham Racing 2
RoadKill
Rogue Ops
Sega GT 2002
Sega GT Online
Shadow Ops
Showdown: Legends of Wrestling
Silent Hill 2: Dreams
Sponge Bob Square Pants: Lights, Camera, Pants!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Melee
The DaVinci Code
The Sims 2
The Urbz: Sims in the City
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2X
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3
Transworld Surf
Trivial Pursuit Unhinged
Winning Eleven 8
Without Warning
WWF Raw
Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dawn of Destiny

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

There's an Iron Man gameplay video at 1up.com (really it's at gamevideos.com, but you can get there through 1up).

It took a total of 2 seconds for me to be sold on the game. It's my favorite Marvel character (followed by Psylocke), and I don't think old Starks has a good showing in games. He was good in the camera-flawed Marvel Ultimate Alliance, along with the Capcom fighting games and the old Captain American & The Avengers on Genesis. Unfortunately, he was also on crap like Iron Man/O-X Man of War on the Saturn, which was garbage. This new Iron Man game can be shallow, short, and ultimately suck, but I still have to get it. It's Iron Man.

Oh, yeah, I was sold again once they showed Iron Man on the ground running. I thought he would skate like Nancy Kerrigan, but fortunately, it didn't look like it. This is the first Sega published game I'm looking forward to since I had a Dreamcast. And even then, I think all of their games sucked on that system.

Has anyone been sold on a game almost instantly, from reading a preview on it, from seeing videos, or just from hearing about it being in development?

[Cuddly Knife]

Ninja Gaiden - The second I heard about it for the Xbox, I knew I would own an Xbox the day it came out.

Metroid Prime - The second I saw it being played at a demo station in Wal-Mart, I bought the system and that game.

Street Figher 2 for the SNES was the same deal. Just for the game though, not the system.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

There's also a trailer of Iron Man at Gametrailers.com. I was wrong about the skating. It does look like there's a little bit of Kerrigan, Kwan, and Yamaguchi in Iron Man. Hopefully, it will be smoothed out since it's still almost a year away. If not, I'm still sold on the game.

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/22853.html

-

Mercenaries was the last game I was sold on instantly, and I didn't even have any video to look at. It was around that time on the original Xbox when the only letters heard were FPS. It was refreshing to hear about a 3rd person shooter, which became my favorite game of last-gen.

[Ba Ba Blue]

WooHoo! A Little Off Topic, But Hey.

Just Got Sonic 2 On The MegaDrive, Again, For 55p! And With A £1.99 Postage Charge, I Think It's A Steal..

Oh, And I Got "The Punisher" On XBOX For £3.50...Another Steal

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

Tidbits from the mind of RBH....

1) Though it's an improvement, I've noticed that later editions of "The Bigs" now feature the reigning AL MVP Justin Morneau of the Minnesota Twins instead of Albert aka big a** whiner Pujols. I call him a whiner because of his quotes after Ryan Howard won the MVP last year. Howard deserved it, he had a great year last year and is a really good player.

2) Played Stranglehold demo. It was fun, but I don't think I would enjoy it in the long run. I felt like everything I did in the demo was pretty much everything that will be in the final version. There are three moves (Via d-pad) that I didn't have, but other than that, I think it would feel like a repetitive game after a while.

3) I still don't see what the deal is about Bioshock. Maybe since the game looks like it's more of an action/adventure type of FPS is the reason. I'm not a big fan of those, but....

4) ...games like Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4 are the type of FPS that I can enjoy, something I really couldn't say about FPS last year (I beat Halo 1 & 2, but didn't want to touch them afterwards). I don't think those two franchises will turn me into a FPS fan, but I know I can at least enjoy those titles.

[ilnadmy]

I was looking at that backwards compatibility list, and I never realized there was a Da Vinci Code game. What the hell are these developers thinking? :confused:

[Gadfly2317]

E3 2007: Xbox 360 Backwards-compatibility List Updated
More Xbox classics made available on 360 during E3 mayhem.


I heard Panzer Dragoon finally made the cut. Did Stranger's Wrath? Those were two favorite Xbox games (followed by Ninja Gaiden).

Also, haven't really heard a discussion of this, and haven't tried the b/c yet. Since this is software emulation, how well does it work? Many hiccups? Is there any upscaling of Xbox games?

Just curious. B/c is less important for me with 360 than with Ps3 because of the # of titles, but the titles I loved on Xbox I REALLY loved.

[Cuddly Knife]

No SW, Gad. I still have hope though, since PDO did make it on. The emulation for most games is just like playing the regular Xbox, with the only hiccups me ever encountering are slight graphical errors or abnormalities, and they usually get fixed with updates. I say usually because they still haven't fixed my Silent Hill 4. I'm thinking about getting them all for the PS2 anyways since I have the b/c to play even the original from the PS1. You think PS2 games look good rezzed-up? Try PDO in high-def. Mmmmmmm. JSRF. Ninja Gaiden.

Mercenaries made it onto b/c for the 360. I picked it up again to re-introduce myself to the style for when M2 comes out.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

I was disappointed that it took Mercs so long just to get b/c.

[Glockstar]

The only b/c games I played on the 360 were Halo and Dreamfall: The Longest Journey. I played Dreamfall on the 360 instead of my Xbox only because I was lazy.

I played Halo just to compare it to the "natural" version and see if I could notice any differences. I did. Mostly little stuff, but as I'm sure you know, little things mean a lot. If the emulated version of Halo was the only version of the game I was privy to, Halo would not be my #1 favorite game of all-time. I do not like emulation.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

I've played Jade Empire, Buffy, and Fable on my 360. I haven't had any problems with them, but it's been a long time since I've played them. Actually, Buffy looks better on the 360 than the original Xbox.

I seriously doubt I'll dabble in anymore b/c games, unless I find a new Punisher on Xbox instead of PS2 like I want.

[Cuddly Knife]

Burnout Takedown gets some pretty good playtime still for me on the b/c side of things, as does(did) Ninja Gaiden Black and PDO. I even started up a new game of Doom 3 on my 360. That game looks much better in HD on my monitor compared to my old SD tube. Silent Hill 4 would get play if they would ever fix the graphical glitches.

And why don't you like emu, Glock? To me, the game plays exactly the same in almost all cases, and that's plenty good for me.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

I finally picked up a 360 remote. $19.99 at GameRush ($0 cost from the pocket for me, though :D ). Works well, especially when watching a lot of the E3 videos that I'm finally able to download (and delete. Boy, that E3 presentation is booooring). I like the fact that there's an eject button on the remote, which will keep me from putting wear and tear on the eject button on the actual console.

[Glockstar]

And why don't you like emu, Glock? To me, the game plays exactly the same in almost all cases, and that's plenty good for me.

Because to me they don't play exactly the same. It's been a year since I played it so I couldn't give you specifics anymore. But stuff like the AI, other behaviors, physics, and lots of other little stuff were off when I played it (Halo) on the 360. Eh, it's probably only stuff that I'd notice...

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

I've noticed something since I got another 360 in the mail...

Anything (themes, videos, probably downloadable content) that I put on my HDD with my original 360 doesn't seem to work on this new one. My Bullet Witch and Oblivion themes don't show up unless I'm logged on LIVE. My videos don't work unless I'm either on LIVE or have started viewing them while on LIVE, then quitting before they end so that there's a resume option available (for some reason, that allows for the entire video to play from the beginning if necessary). I haven't popped in Bullet Witch or Oblivion, the two games that I have downloaded the most content for, to see if the expansion packs (O) or outfits (BW) will work offline. I'm going to safely guess no, which will suck big time.

On a good note, I found a 12-Month LIVE subscription thing I got with Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow way back in 2003 (or 2004) when the game first came out (I almost threw it away a good while ago). Never used it, and couldn't find out if it has expired yet. Well, it hasn't. I typed in the code, and voila, 12-Months of Gold. Too bad I couldn't find out if it worked beforehand, because due to me not being a big time online fan, I would have given the code to Five, Cud, or Glock, since I know they are on LIVE more than me.

[Glockstar]

Yeah but you will be when the co-op games start rolling out. :wink5:

Hmmm, but that's too bad you're not into online gaming. They sent back a one-month Live Gold card with my 360 - that I don't need. I was thinking about giving it to you.

[ilnadmy]

Don't worry, once COD4 comes out you'll be fragging online for a long while to come.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

I got a one month of Live Gold card as well. That was nice of them. I thought about using it before I messed around with the 12-Month thing, but I don't think it expires until '09.

Co-op games. That reminds me. I've revisited my statement about getting all multiplatform games on PS3. I'll still get most, but some that will probably have downloadable content that's worth getting (like Mercs 2), or games with co-op that I wouldn't mind sharing a few (and only a few) minutes of the spotlight with (like Mercs 2), I think I'll get them for the 360. Other co-op games like Army of Two and Kane & Lynch, I'm still up in the air about which one for them.

I guess I just don't want to get a bunch of good games for just one system, and that system conks out on me (again) and I'm left with a lot of good games that I'm unable to play.

Will CoD 4 have co-op? I've played a little bit of CoD 2 online, and it wasn't too bad in short spurts.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

Kengo: Legend of the 9

From the trailers, it looks a whole lot better than that Tenchu game, and it's at an appropriate price too ($39.99). Not sure how good it will be (if at all), but at least it looks solid.

I like the fact that there will be 9 playable characters, but I wonder if each character's storyline is about an hour or two long. Last game that was that short was the craptacular Way of the Samurai for the PS2.(What a rip-off. Two hour game, and it deletes your save as soon as you load the game.)

There's a trailer on Marketplace for the game, which reminded me that it's coming out. I've been wanting a samurai game, so I'll keep my eye on this one.

[Glockstar]

Elite Beat Agents dev working on Xbox 360 project

by Ludwig Kietzmann Sep 14th 2007 4:39PM

No doubt communicating to Gamasutra via boisterous cartoon speech bubbles, Keiichi Yano of the annoyingly capitalized iNiS confirmed that his team is currently working on an unnamed Xbox 360 project. "Yeah. We are currently working on a title," he said when prodded about Microsoft's console during Seattle's GameFest event. "I can't really get into it more than, 'Yes, we're working on something!'"

With iNiS' past creations consisting of feel-good rhythm games such as Gitarooman, the Ouendan series and Elite Beat Agents, said something could easily involve catchy tunes, rhythmic button presses and unintentional gyration. We're certain the iNiS co-founder isn't pressed for ideas, but even if he was, he'd only need to holler for help. The strange men leaping out of his closet in response would probably share some sort of song about putting Gitarooman on Xbox Live Arcade ("it was the best decision ever made!").

http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/14/elite-beat-agents-dev-working-on-xbox-360-project/

[Cuddly Knife]

Oh yeah! Everything's turning up Milhouse!

Kengo got a 3.something from IGN. Lower score than Lair.:D

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

I played Kengo. Forget everything I said about it looking solid. Actually, it does look solid on the videos. Unfortunately, it plays like an early PS2 game. I played enough to be happy that I didn't buy it (someone else did).

It wasn't made by a big time developer, but this just re-establishes my thought that Japanese developers aren't as good as they used to be, and not as good as people still try to make them. So all of this Japanese support for the 360 doesn't mean anything if the game isn't good.

I still think Lair got a raw deal with their review score. Sony is messing up by not having a demo available for people to decide themselves.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

News that only I am interested in (I think), but will still post it...


http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/15167/Kingdom-Under-Fire-Circle-of-Doom-Goes-Gold/

Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom Goes Gold
By: César A. Berardini - "Cesar"
Nov. 26th, 2007 11:57 am

Microsoft announced today that Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom has gone gold. Below is the press release with the announcement:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Banish Evil From the Epoch of Light as Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom Goes Gold

Microsoft celebrates gone gold status of the Xbox 360 exclusive game; announces chance to create new fan sites

Microsoft and BLUESIDE Inc. today announced that “Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom,” the latest installment of the critically acclaimed franchise, has gone gold. To prepare for the journey, players can download a cool set of game assets from www.xbox.com/KUFCOD that can be used to create their own fan site. Players can also visit www.kufcod.com to find the news, features and updates on “KUF: CoD” from the team at BLUESIDE.

A departure from the action real-time strategy formula seen in previous “Kingdom Under Fire” games, “Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom” is an action-packed role playing game (RPG) that makes full use of the Xbox 360 processing power to create a revolutionary gaming experience. Players will explore vast and randomly generated maps while battling bloodthirsty monsters attacking from all directions. As the game progresses, the six heroes will find increasingly advanced and spectacular ways to defeat enemies using new weapons and abilities as they progress through six varied acts. Players will also be able to interact with one another with a full multiplayer experience and up to four-player co-op on Xbox LIVE Gold.

From the inspired minds at BLUESIDE Inc., “KUF: CoD” offers fans and new players alike an all new chapter to the “KUF” universe. For the latest revealed “KUF: CoD” characters including exclusive abilities, histories and more, go to http://edelmanadmin.psni.com/public/Kingdom%20Under%20Fire:%20Circle%20of%20Doom/. Please do not link directly to the URL, but feel free to download and republish these assets on your own site.

“KUF: CoD” will ship to retailers nationwide on Jan. 8 for an estimated retail price of $59.99.

This will be my first '08 title. I've been waiting for this news for some months now.

[Cuddly Knife]

Coolies, bro. I enjoyed the demos of the other two KUF games, but I never did buy the full games. This one might be more my style though, with the action/rpg style over the old action/rts of the last game.

I've yet to see a game where randomly generated maps were utilized well. This is next gen, though.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

I never played the first KUF, but had the 2nd one. I didn't like the RTS portions of the game at all, but it did have some good character design.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

Update on my game beat list:

I'm now up to 8 games. Whooo Hoooo. This doesn't include racing, sports, fighting, or previously beaten games, though. I've finished half of those earlier in the year, and the last half within the past two months. One of the recently finished titles:

Kane & Lynch - It was the PS3 version, but it's pretty much the same as the 360 version. The game has its good and bad.

Good - 3rd person shooting. Decent variety of ammo. The ability to swap weapons with other peopke in your group so they don't have weak ass weapons. Cover system is better than the dimwits who claimed it was bad in reviews. The squadmates don't get killed as much as I thought they would.

Bad - Squadmates (it's more than one sometimes) are dumber than Dom from GoW. They will shoot enemies, but they love to get right in front of your aim. They also don't follow orders. You tell them to go to a place and stay