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Guitar Hero III Rocks

Guitar Hero III imageI’ve unlocked Slash and 2/3 of the 42 tracks immediately available on “easy” in Guitar Hero III for the Wii.

The Wii remote couples with the new guitar quite nicely. There is a rubber socket that it slips nicely in from the back. The cords are tucked neatly and comfortably into the compartment as well.

The guitar feels more substantial than previous guitars (maybe partly due to the Wiimote being tucked inside) and the response from the wireless guitar is very good.

The song list isn’t everything I’ve ever wanted in a Guitar hero game but the download feature may provide a great way to get just the songs you want in the future.

Favorite tracks so far:

  • Black Magic Woman
  • Rock You Like a Hurricane
  • Sweet Child O Mine
  • Barracuda

Apparently there are no spare guitars yet available for the Wii version. Maybe after T-Day. I hope someone else I know buys it soon so we can try out the battle mode with someone other than a computer character. Let me know if you do!

My Rating (out of 5):

  • Playability (Fun Factor): 4 (Still great!)
  • Improvements from Last Version: 3 (Battle Mode/Buying Power/Guitar Design/Song list not all that I would’ve wanted/expected)
  • Graphics: 3 (Not that important, IMO)
  • Learning Curve: 5 (Easy to pick up!)

Overall:

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3 and 3/4 WiiMotes!

Posted by on November 20, 2007 at 11:15 am
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Posted under: Consoles & Handhelds, New Games

Go Granny Go!

A friend of mine at work Wii-bowled last weekend with his wife and her Grandmother! She is 90-years-old and was an avid bowler. Since it is difficult for her to bowl these days they thought she might enjoy trying WiiSports Bowling out for size. First they got her to try out arm-chair bowling and by day two she was up and doing a full step through.

Very cool.

Also I found this article that is kind of fun to read. About a nursing home that bought a Wii for its residents.

Posted by on June 18, 2007 at 8:57 am
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Posted under: Consoles & Handhelds, New Games

BF1942 Northern Strike

bf2142.jpg

A month ago I had the opportunity to play Battelfield 2142 at a LAN party for the first time. In case you’re living under a rock this is the wikipedia description for the game:

Battlefield 2142 is a first-person shooter computer game designed by Digital Illusions CE and is the fourth game in the Battlefield series. It is set in the 22nd century, during a new ice age. Currently, there have been over one million rounds played since its release.

In January, EA announced the release of Northern Strike–a booster pack for BF2142. It was released last month shortly after the LAN Party I attended. Northern Strike takes place in Europe in abandoned streets and towns due to advancing ice sheets. It contains three new maps, two new vehicles, and a new game mode: Assault Lines.

Instead of being available from a retail store, the booster pack is available via the EA Link for $10.00. As of earlier this month, Northern Strike is available for download from their site.

Posted by on April 20, 2007 at 7:42 am
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Posted under: Computers & MAME, New Games

Beyond the Red Line

btrl.jpg

For about a year now, 2J and I have been tracking a PC game that has promised to be one of the most fun Space Simulators of all time. Beyond the Red Line is based on Battlestar Galactica and uses the FreeSpace2 engine.

A couple of weeks ago they released the first demo. It was immediately posted on the SciFi forums and pinned to the front page of FilePlanet. I downloaded the game (via torrent at 400K/sec) and after some configuration woes was able to finally play it with my Thrustmaster Top Gun Fox 2 Pro.

I have to say for a game as old as FreeSpace 2 the folks at BTRL got it right. The viper flies just as you see it in the show–a tribute to choosing the right engine and programming the ship controls accordingly. The textures and ships are amazing. They look exactly like you would expect them too. So far there is a Cylon drone, Cylon Raider, Mining Ship, A Viper Mark VII and the fan favorite: The Viper Mark II. All are beautifully detailed with cockpit lights and everything. It is a demo (and probably considered somewhat in beta still) so there are little glitches here and there with the UI that I suppose they’ll iron out. For a free game (so far) it certainly is a lot of fun. The first campaign puts you in the Scar scenario based on the episode of the same name.

The voice acting is pretty good… long winded at times–sometimes the actor doesn’t put the right emphasis on certain works but overall they aren’t bad for a video game. But they do a great job with the special effects when you’re in the cockpit. They used the right filters to make it seem like they’re talking to you on the ‘wireless’.

I would highly recommend checking out this Space Sim. It makes you feel like a viper pilot.

Posted by on April 12, 2007 at 6:46 pm
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Posted under: Computers & MAME, New Games
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W!! Got Our Wii

Yesterday Game Crazy called and said my Wii had come in. I decided I would take my lunch and go pick it up. When I got home around 5:30 I ran to the basement like a 13-Year-Old kid and quickly began unboxing the Wii. Within minutes I had it set up with the sensor bar on top of our 50″ DLP TV. I also purchased Elebits but never made it passed WiiSports. Although I’ve played the WiiSports at MicroCenter and POI’s house, I really enjoyed playing it in the comfort of my own home. So maybe I’ll get to Elebits later this week.

The Wii is fantastic! (As many of you who have them already know) I had a lot of fun creating my own Mii. When I finally coaxed Heather down to play the Wii she also enjoyed setting up her own Mii. Miis are the characters you use when you play different games. They are also portable. You can transfer your Mii to the WiiMote and take them to friend’s houses to play your character at their home.

Wii Bowled!

I can’t wait until Wii Play comes out on the 12th. It comes with an extra WiiMote and several new sports type games including Pool, Ping Pong and Duck Hunt.

*UPDATE: I pre-ordered WiiPlay.

Posted by on January 31, 2007 at 10:45 am
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Posted under: Consoles & Handhelds, New Games
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