The Goozex Report

Classic Games: They’re Better Remembered than Replayed

Blackcoyote — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:10:00 GMT

Troy Benedict Says I have been playing computer and video games for most of my 32 years. Some of my earliest gaming memories are of getting dropkicked by Princess Mariko at the end of Karateka, and playing boatloads of Infocom and Eamon text-based adventure games. I recall flying my pixilated snowspeeder at the seemly infinite hordes of AT-AT walkers in the Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back for the Atari 2600, looking for their weakness - a single flashing pixel. I remember the first time I saw a friend’s Nintendo Entertainment System, and immediately fell in love with The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Super Mario Bros, and Contra.

There have been so many great games that I’ve played during my lifelong “career” as a gaming enthusiast. I could probably write endless, sappy articles about all of my favorite games and moments throughout my life, but I will spare you those details.

While I look back upon hundreds of cherished games with fond memories, absolutely none of the games are as enjoyable as they were during their prime.

I’ve read a lot of blogs and posts on message boards from gaming enthusiasts claiming that replaying a classic game was “just as good as I remember it!”

I immediately think to myself, either that person is so caught up in the excitement of nostalgia that they’re delusional, OR they’re outright lying. There is NO way that any classic game lives up to its original glory, and I’ll tell you why.

Let me clarify what I mean by “classic games” before I get to far ahead of myself, as this term can be very subjective depending on when you started playing video games. When I talk about classic games, I’m referring to the games of the 80s and early-to-mid 90s, when the PC and video game industry was still in its infancy.

I remember how absolutely amazed I was when I took my first steps as B.J. Blazkowicz in Wolfenstein 3-D or the thrill of being genuinely frightened while playing Doom, when a maze-like corridor in the Mars facility went dark and the sound of an approaching Pinky Demon could be heard in the distance. I play these games today, and am bored after a couple of levels.

I find it difficult to sit down and play a classic game like Dragon Warrior or Phantasy Star II, as I can immediately see how even the smallest changes over the decades have made for some of the genre’s biggest improvements. You weren’t always able to “try” out a new weapon or piece of equipment to see how it affected your stats. Sometimes you weren’t even notified if the item you were purchasing could be equipped by the character for which you were buying it. Even random battle encounters are becoming a thing of the past. I find these random encounters to insanely frustrating today, maybe even more so now I did in the past, especially when all you want to do is get to a checkpoint, and you run into that one enemy group that kills you. Game over! The controller is thrown – nerd rage achievement unlocked! It reminds me of that scene from Office Space when all that Peter wants to do is get out of the office and avoid Lumberg, and just as he’s finally logging off the network and making his escape – BAM – Lumberg pops up and asks him to come in on Saturday… oh, and Sunday, as well. I digress…

I have downloaded a lot of classic Genesis, NES, and SNES games through the Wii’s Virtual Console, and I’ll admit, I’ve probably played each game once or twice, at the most. It’s good for a brief trip down memory lane, but I can’t help but feel a little underwhelmed paying even $5 for a game that I absolutely loved during its prime, and only honestly enjoy it for a very short amount of time.

It might be a bit pessimistic to think this way, but when I go back and revisit a classic game that I grew up playing, part of me expects the game not to deliver like it did back during its prime. In fact, I expect it to be less than impressive. I’ll explain what I mean by that in a moment.
I’m not knocking what many consider to be the forefathers of the gaming industry. If games like Super Mario Bros, Doom, The Legend of Zelda, Kings Quest, Final Fantasy, never existed, the current gaming industry might be a whole lot different! These greatest games of their time should also be the inspiration for newer better games.

If the pinnacle of gaming stops with a single classic game, then the gaming industry has failed! If there has never been a better side-scrolling action-platformer since Contra’s release over 20 years ago, then we all might as well hang up our controllers and find a new hobby.

Like all industries, what makes the computer and video game industries so great and exciting is that they’re constantly evolving and innovating. Evolution and innovation in the industry is a necessity! Evolution and innovation is the difference between something average and predictable, and something fresh, exciting, and great!

Take the evolution of the First-Person Shooter genre, for example. Wolfenstein 3-D was one of the first games to gather popular and mainstream attention to the FPS genre. It was Doom that incorporated that idea and functionality of Wolf 3D, built upon it, and added multiplayer. Duke Nukem 3-D and Quake added completely new technology – better, more complex level design, smarter A.I., the ability to jump and look around, as well as stronger, more efficient network code for larger multiplayer games. Half-Life built upon those and other popular FPS games before its time, by getting the player to really feel like they were in the game. Valve used techniques in Half-Life, like scripted events and one of the best game openings to an FPS game, to really immerse the player. While Half-Life was still ultimately about shooting things, it also introduced the idea of a more complex story to help carry the game along. Half-Life wasn’t broken into levels either, the progression from area to area in the game was smooth and rarely did the player see a loading screen.

Today, the FPS genre is so completely different than it was in the early 90s. Players now expect a certain level of gradual innovation between game releases, or they’ll complain. And rightfully so! Nobody wants to play the same game over and over, especially with so much technology in our consoles and computers. More modern FPS, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and Killzone 2, almost play like role playing games, where players are rewarded for playing more and being more effective on the battlefield. The in-game character is no longer created equally. There are more sophisticated level progression – the more experienced a gamer becomes, the more deadly and effective his character becomes in the game. There are new weapons made available, better weapons upgrades, perks and skills, as well as different classes of characters. Multiplayer games are more team-based today, instead of the massive royal rumbles of yesteryear. Gamers are working together to win, rather than simply being the lone wolf with the highest kill count.

Halo 3 introduced one of the most impressive stat tracking systems to ever grace a first person genre. Not only could players see how effective they are over the course of the game, but they could save, share, and replay online battles – watching the multiplayer session from practically any angle, analyzing where they went wrong, as if they were a football team studying the strategies of other teams by watching replays of the game.

Frankly, the leaps and bounds in technology is amazing, especially in the FPS genre, and it’s still getting better. Sony’s MAG (Massive Action Game), which comes out in early 2010, is pushing for multiplayer games of up to 256 players. Modern Warfare 2 promises to deliver an even better experience than the already fantastic COD4.

Hopefully, you can see that when somebody says to me, “Wow! Doom is still as good as the day I remember playing it!” I can’t help but feel sorry for them. Either they’re just caught up in the comforting glow of nostalgia (which will wear off, I promise) or they really haven’t played and enjoyed any of the more current games.

You might be thinking, you’re an idiot, Troy! There are so many classic games that are still fun to play. Yes, this is true, I am an idiot, and there are still some classics that hold up over the many years. These games have the feeling of being “future-proofed”, to borrow a tech term. They hold up because they have elements and features that are still popular in today’s games. They were innovative for their time, and their innovation is still recognized and respected even today. A game like Super Mario World is one that I can go back and play over and over again, and still get a lot of enjoyment. Perhaps, we can thank the Game Boy and Nintendo DS for helping to keep a more simplified, 16-bit style of gaming popular, even today. Super Mario World offered a lot of depth, especially for completionists who could go back and try to collect all of the hidden coins.

If a classic game is to survive and get the attention of today’s gamers I feel that they have to meet two necessary requirements: 1) the game has to be updated or re-tweeked with today’s industry standards in mind and, 2) it has to somehow contain the spirit of the original game without horribly mutating it into a completely unrecognizable mess. This is very hard to do, and few have succeeded.

Pac-Man Championship Edition is an example of a classic arcade game that was able to update its look and feel, and still feel genuinely like Pac-Man.

I also really enjoyed the new Space Invader’s Extreme -- although it’s backwards E’s were a little to “XTREME!” for me – because it felt and played like a mix of the original Space Invaders, with some of the more modern arcade-style games Geometry Wars and Lumines. The audio and visual flair, along with a very familiar gameplay style, made for a very faithful modern update to a classic game.

More recently, I really enjoyed revisiting my all-time favorite PC game, The Secret of Monkey Island. A lot of time and effort went into completely overhauling the original for the Special Edition release. High-definition graphics, an improved musical score, a slightly different interface, and full voiceovers for all of the game’s dialog. There is even an option to immediately transition from the new Special Edition version of the game to the classic 256-color version to see just how things looked back in the very early 90s.

I hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts as to why I believe that classic games aren’t as good as we remember them being. It’s still safe to admire those classics for being the forefathers of the great games we have today, as well as thinking back fondly of playing them. But I personally, can’t enjoy a classic game the same way I did during its prime. Like I said before, innovation and evolution are necessary in order for an industry to grow, and if people are still enjoying a classic game like Doom over a modern game like Call of Duty 4, then something is very wrong.
Great games should exist as inspirational stepping stones for the brilliant minds behind new games: future games designers, programmers, and video game visionaries. Great games, classic or otherwise, should not be expected to stand the test of time.

I encourage everybody to give me their thoughts on this article, as well as your thoughts on classic games vs. modern titles. Do they hold up for you? In your mind, are they better left remember, than replayed?

Original post on The Goozex Report

Celebrate the Dreamcast’s 10-Year Anniversary

Blackcoyote — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:09:00 GMT

Mike Marks Says It's hard to believe that 10 years ago this very instant, I was at my parents house, pouring over page after page of the Sega Dreamcast magazine I had picked up. It wasn't my first game console, but it was my first console purchase, which was an even bigger deal to me. I had worked as a lifeguard all summer, and I honestly still remember walking into Best Buy and seeing the Sonic Adventure demo running, and racing back home to figure out if I could afford it. As my luck would have it, I could, and on 9/9/1999 I walked out of there one happy guy. The best part is, with 9/9/2009 quickly coming up, I'm still just as happy with that purchase.

You can find a Dreamcast at many used game stores now, and they're usually pretty cheap. So with the big 10-year anniversary on the horizon, I figured some of you might want to see what you missed out on and may need a little help. Most people are aware of Shenmue, Space Channel 5 and the Sonic Adventure games already, so I've decided to list the ones that you might have missed when looking for the classics. Here's some of the more random titles that still have a spot on my bookshelf.

Blue Stinger--Currently: 100 points
Blue Stinger is an odd choice, I'll totally admit that. And because I have to be honest, I'll also admit that I actually own a Blue Stinger poster, and my band name in Rock Band is, in fact, Blue Stinger. This game somehow burrowed deep within my brain, and has lived there since I snagged it around Christmas time, 1999. It's a third person, survival horror/action title, and it's got more flaws than I'd care to admit. The cut scenes look wooden, the voice acting is awful and you run way too slowly. But, even with all that said, it's an absolute blast. It's a campy, sci-fi adventure set on an island, called "Dinosaur Island," that is enclosed in a blue bubble. Using a bunch of weapons found on the island, Eliot G. Bilade (that's you!) and Dogs Bower (that's also you!), will have to find out the mystery of Dinosaur Island, and help out some of the folks they meet along the way. The plot and acting (or lack thereof) is just so out there, you just can't stop playing. Every enemy you kill starts showering you in golden coins, which you can use at the vending machines to buy food and weapons.

And did I mention there's a part where you have to fight the monsters while dressed in a Santa suit? Because that's also there. So is the totally random, and unnecessary, tie-in with the mega obscure "Pen Pen Tricelon" Dreamcast game. And karate! You can karate chop, but only after you put on karate clothes! At 100 points, you owe it to yourself to give the game a shot. It's by no means perfect, but few games out there capture that same feeling as watching a "good" B-Movie, and this one (even if it wasn't trying to...) just nails it.

Cannon Spike--Currently: 550 points

Add it to your queues, folks, because you'll want to have a spot in line if and when this game comes up. The Dreamcast was home to the world's most notorious shooter, Ikaruga, but before that there was Cannon Spike. It's a 3-D, top down shooter, using a random collection of Capcom characters. Pop the game in, and quickly select who you'd like to play as. Arthur from Ghosts 'n Goblins, B.B. Hood from Darkstalkers, Cammy or Charlie from Street Fighter, Mega Man, Shiba Shintaro from Three Wonders, or newcomer Simone. Then you’re thrust into a random level. The game cycles through four levels and eventually you'll battle your way through all of them. Many of them use a different Capcom game as the theme, and almost all of them mash multiple Capcom classics together. Fight off "Evil Balrog" (known as Vega in the U.S.) on the Resident Evil themed level, for instance. There's 10 different difficulty levels, so replay value is through the roof (I still have never beaten difficulty 7), and your sessions with the game are short and sweet. Each level is all about the boss fights, which range from mutant gorillas to giant mechs, and are usually done and over with in under 5 minutes.

Cannon Spike supports two players, and is just as fun with a friend. At first glance, it's your standard shooter, where you're dodging huge sprays of bullets. But the addition of special moves and melee combat adds more depth to it, as well as gives you added incentive to play through as everyone, so you can see who does what. It's a hard game to find because of it's late release in the life cycle of the Dreamcast, but it's the type of game Goozex was made for. Get your name on that list, because at some point, someone will have a Dreamcast die, and they'll decide to part with this gem instead of replacing the system.

Jet Grind Radio--Currently: 200 points

While it is more than likely Jet Grind Radio is something you've already heard of, I needed to make sure I put this on my list. This is my favorite game for the system. On 9/9/09, I'll make sure to pop this in and take a long trip around Shibuya-cho. This game excels on every level. The soundtrack is phenomenal, the graphics are cutting edge (and still look great) and the gameplay has that unique style Sega used to be known for. Starting out as Beat, a member of the gang the GG's, you go around town, spraying your gang tag over the tag of rival gangs. Tagging is done by using the analog stick to match some cues on the screen, a much more fun and intuitive way of doing things, when compared to it's X-Box sequel, "Jet Set Radio Future." On top of that, you can design the tags yourself. There is an editor in the game that allows you to create your own artwork for the different sizes of tags available. I put hours into this thing, and I still think it's awesome when I load it up now. Shibuya-cho is covered in art that I actually created.

The game deserves a lot of credit for the innovation it brought with it at the time, and it's a shame JSRF didn't do too much to continue innovating. That's why I gave it a spot on this list. While I'm sure a lot of you have heard of the series, and almost anyone who bought an original Xbox had JSRF thrown at them, I need to stress how much better I feel this game is than it's successor. The simple ability to create your own tags, and to actually do the spray painting with the analog stick, just adds an unbelievable amount of charm to the title. If you played JSRF, and liked it, but haven't tried this--add it to your queue now.

MDK2--Currently: 100 points
This is a game for those of you who want to be driven insane. One of the hardest games I've ever played in my entire life, MDK2 manages to be both controller-smashing frustrating and an amazingly hilarious experience all at once. You play as three characters, alternating levels as you progress. As space aliens threaten life in Canada, you'll first take on the role of Kurt Hectic. He's a janitor, who has been forced to fight the aliens, and is given a 'ribbon suit,' which allows him to glide around platforms, and gives him a gun for an arm. The gun can be a machine gun from distances, but when using Kurt's sniper mode, is a pretty awesome sniper rifle. His levels are more about platforming, and using the sniper rifle to hit switches that open doors. Rounding out his arsenal are a whole slew of awesome gadgets to help you destroy and distract your foes. Next up, you'll play as Max, a robotic, cigar smoking dog with six legs. Remember what a big deal it was when Halo introduced dual wielding weapons? Psh, Max was quadruple wielding years earlier. Running on two legs, that left Max four that could carry uzi's, pistols, shotguns and anything else he could get his paws on. He has a jet-pack, which gets a little tedious at times when you're running out of fuel, but overall was a blast. Max's levels were straightforward and his firepower was heavy and fun. Finally, you'd get Doc Hawkins, the scientist behind all of this. His levels are pretty funny, and involve him collecting objects. The objects can then be combined to create weapons, and a wide variety of other things the Doc will need to get to his goal. It's much more puzzle oriented and slower paced, but just as entertaining.

MDK2 was unique because it was three games in one. There's 10 levels, each with 3 sub-levels involving the above mentioned characters. The stories mesh together very well, and it seemed everytime I was finishing a Kurt level, I vowed to never play another Kurt level again...only to crave his sniper scope right around the time a Doc level was almost done, making me really excited to continue. The only downsides to this game were it's extreme difficulty (I think I still have a save somewhere around level 9-B, a level I haven't even come close to in recent years...), and the weird control scheme. Moving is done using the buttons (Y is forwards, X and B are strafing, and A is backwards), and that frees up the analog stick to aim and move the camera. As unconventional and awkward as it sounds, it really isn't too bad once you get a handle on it.

So there you have it, my picks for some great games you could pop in to celebrate 10 years of the Dreamcast. I hope you've enjoyed my first column for The Goozex Report, and don't hesitate to let me know what you thought of it. Are these horrible picks? Think you deserve an apology for actually trying Blue Stinger? Wondering what I'd do if I could make an MDK3? Mad I didn't include "Fur Fighters," the one game on the brink of making this list I had to cut? Contact me at mikexmarks@gmail.com, and let me know what you'd like to see in the future.

Original post on The Goozex Report

Batman: Arkham Asylum: First Impressions

Blackcoyote — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:06:00 GMT

Shawn Lebert Says Among all the mediocre titles the Batman has mustered this past decade, he still remains as one of the most, if not the best, iconic superheroes to be written into comic book history. We still love him no matter all the lackadaisical arrivals on the past three-odd generation consoles. Thinking back, the last suitable and satisfying Batman game experience was perhaps Batman Returns for the Super Nintendo. It was indeed side-scrolling madness, a relatively fun beat-em-up, quite similar to the formula that Super Teenage Mutant Turtles was so fond of using. And for a movie-related gaming title, it was enjoyable.

Hold on tight, as we soar a whopping 17-some years later. Seventeen. We are finally graced with a title that speaks independent from all other Batman titles. Batman: Arkham Asylum for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360 arrives, reinventing and capturing the Batman universe. Quite noticeably, Arkham Asylum roots from the comic source material with crafted inspiration by Tim Sale and Jeph Loeb – real fine artistic style and visual homage to classic Batman graphic novels such as THE LONG HALLOWEEN – as this new title sets stone in a pre-existing, well-developed universe, but performs naturally.

The production value for the title right off feels deep and priceless, given that there was a specific tone that needed to be established and well done for it to be acceptable. Even though it’s a Teen rated game, Arkham Asylum manages to capture mature audiences. Its dark and spooky dimension fits perfectly within the established mythos of the Caped Crusader and becomes an instant attention-grabber moments into the introduction.

The graphics speak for itself, reminiscent of near Gears of War 2 finesse without everything having to blow up. The world feels right at home in the Batman world as the Batmobile screeches to life and roars through the macabre city streets. As the graphics are intense, we’re able to sense the emotion on the characters faces, as their animations are intensely written on their brows; it’s quite amazing. Even Batman looks creepy sometimes when he has to deal with his arch-nemesis.

The gameplay is simple and fun so far. Navigating through the big corridors of Arkham Asylum is intriguing, given the level of detail on its surroundings. The lighting of the game is an important aspect and creates a dynamic interior. As you venture from place to place, you do feel claustrophobic in its chilling atmosphere, and soon enough you have to deal with psychotic inmates who have conveniently broken out.

The combat is actually addicting. You man-handle all of your opponents with your bare fists, and since Batman takes care of the mess non-lethally, you tend to have a ton of men sprawled all over. The animations in the fights are pretty exciting and the intertwining of counter-attacks makes the fighting sequences smooth and real, just like being the master martial artist himself. There’s a little icon telling you when a certain opponent is about to send Batman a punch or two, and if you’re attentive to your surroundings while performing a combo on someone, you can dodge and counter on someone else right away. The last hit is quite devastating as time goes into slow-mo to reveal that final smash into an enemy, sending him into a nice long nap on the steel flooring.

A new feature for the game is Detective Mode, as you become the master of investigating, in order to dig for clues on where you should travel next or simply hunting for the hidden goods. The area goes to a monotone palette of color, making locations transparent. Unsure of what’s around the corner? Switch on Detective Mode. This isn’t just for investigation, of course, Batman has a wide arsenal, as he too is a science genius. Man, this guy knows everything. Use this mode to seek out temperatures within the area or even detect an individual’s heart rate or their emotional state. It’s incredible how detailed the Detective Mode is because they’ve added more elements than you even need, but the developers kept them in there because Batman is just a badass at needing to know the details.

The voice acting steals from Batman: The Animated Series from the 90s, which comprises of Kevin Conroy as Batman and Mark Hamill as the infamous Joker. Just like the series, the voice acting is thrilling and totally natural – it’s as if these guys have been in the biz for years .. oh wait. They are the perfect voices for these characters and will forever be remembered and loved, as you all believe that already. (BTAS 4 Life)

So far, Batman Arkham Asylum is a top-notch A+ title that everyone should play, whether or not you’re a hardcore Bat geek. If you love games, don’t miss out on this. If you’re neither, I don’t know why you’re reading this. Stay tuned for the full review in the coming week, only at The Goozex Report. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some riddles I need to solve.

Original post on The Goozex Report

Retrogaming with Goozex

Blackcoyote — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 16:11:00 GMT

Dale Culp Says Have you hugged your Dreamcast, lately? I have. A few months back, a Goozer by the name of mzipper sent me a sealed copy of NFL Blitz 2000. It's not exactly a classic in the “games you must play” sense of the word, but with the series going into its 8th year, I wanted to see where the series stood long before Blitz: The League II came out in October 2008. In terms of seeing where the series was and where it is today, it was a fascinating history lesson. Then, you have classics that are completely in the “games you must play” sense--games such as Shenmue, Sonic Adventure, Soulcalibur, Phantasy Star Online and Jet Grind Radio. There were quite a few great games on the Dreamcast--and plenty of them are available on Goozex--but you won't find any of them at GameStop. That's the trouble with brick-and-mortar shopping; it's just too limited.

I love retrogaming. I especially love when I come across an old game that was ahead of its time. I love seeing the crazy ideas that were fresh and unique, yet so prolific today that we take them for granted. I love the feeling of nostalgia I get when I pop in an old favorite and relive the old days. There's no better cure for a rainy day than a couple of friends and a few rounds of Contra, as far as I'm concerned. Unfortunately, Goozex doesn't go back quite as far as the Nintendo Entertainment System, but it does cover the PlayStation--a system well over 10-years old. From there, it's only a hop, skip and a jump to the Dreamcast, Xbox, Gamecube and PlayStation 2. So many classics, so little time.

Goozex, for me, isn't about getting the better deal or getting the game before anyone else; it's about choice. It's about searching through the breadth of games that I might have missed in a quick, convenient way, where I can be sure I'm getting what I actually wanted. It's about finding those games that retail shops won't even touch because of their age. Long after the bargain bins have been picked dry and even eBay can't save you, there's a chance some Goozer probably has what you've been looking for. Thanks to them, retrogaming is alive and well on Goozex.

Original post on The Goozex Report

Meatball Pizza

Blackcoyote — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 16:10:00 GMT

JimmyJames70 Says I'm on Twitter quite a bit and the other day I tweeted that I was making meatball pizza for dinner. Well, one of my fellow Tweet Peeps said he wanted the recipe for how to make meatball pizza. He then went on to say he thought it would make a great blog entry on The Goozex Report, cause you know, gamers have to eat too.

How many times have you been in a gaming session that's lasted more than a few hours only to realize you haven't eaten yet? It's happened to me more than once. Sure, you can always raid the fridge and come away with some string cheese or grab a bag of chips from the pantry. But sometimes, when you're really starving, that just ain't gonna cut it. Another option is to call for take out, but that can take a really long time, can be expensive--and this might just be my opinion--but the quality of delivery pizza is going straight down hill. Still yet another option is digging a frozen pizza out of the freezer, and I have to admit, a DiGiornio pizza beats delivery every time. But every once in awhile I want a homemade pizza, so that I can control the quality of the ingredients and the toppings on the pizza.

This meatball pizza recipe is super easy, pretty quick, and tastes damn good.

Ingredients:

Pizza dough - I don't have the time or the patience to make my own dough so I buy Pillsbury pizza dough or Trader Joe's whole wheat dough
Pizza sauce - Any pizza sauce will do but I prefer Ragu
Cheese - I use a blend of cheeses, including parmesan, mozzarella, and cheddar
Oregano - dried will do just fine
Basil - I use fresh basil that I grow on the deck, but dried from the store will work just fine
Pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Meatballs - I do make my own meatballs, but not for this pizza. I recommend Aidell's meatballs, they come in several flavors, so choose your favorite. I happen to use sweet teriyaki, but I bet the chipotle meatballs would taste great as well.

I think that's it.

First, preheat your oven according to the package. I think it's 400 or 450 degrees.

Then, spray your oven pan with some kind of non-stick spray like Pam.

Roll your pizza dough out on the pan and stretch it to the corners without tearing it. This takes some practice, but n00bs shouldn't get discouraged if it rips.

At this point, I like to drizzle the Extra Virgin Olive Oil onto the dough and spread it around. Then I add the sauce and spread that around. On top of that comes the grated parmesan cheese (save the mozzarella and the cheddar for later), pepper, oregano, and basil.

Pop that into the oven for about 10 minutes.

While that's cooking, slice the meatballs into thin pieces. You don't want them too thick or they won't heat all the way through.

After 10 minutes, take the pizza out, arrange your meatballs on the partially cooked crust, and then layer the cheese. Don’t go overboard with the cheese as tempting as that might be, just put enough on for one layer.

Put that bad boy back in the oven for seven minutes and you got yourself a meatball pizza that rivals any delivery.

You can thank me for this recipe in the comments.

Original post on The Goozex Report

Is Selling DVDs Worthwhile on Goozex?

Blackcoyote — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 16:08:00 GMT

JimmyJames70 Says I figured it's about time I looked into the DVD trading feature of Goozex, since after all, it's a new feature and I've got several old DVDs laying around collecting dust.

Before I made them ready and active to sell, I did some math to make sure selling these old movies would make sense. Here's a breakdown of what I'm offering and what they are currently worth on Goozex:

150 points for From Hell, Directors' Limited Edition

100 points for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2-Disc Set, Special Edition)

100 points for Gangs of New York

100 points for Austin Powers in Goldmember

Adding it up, that's 450 points for 4 movies.

For sake of comparison, you can purchase 400 points for $20.

Shipping 4 DVDs would cost approximately $14, given that each shipment would cost around $3.50 (of course, that doesn't include the cost of the bubble envelope and the time it takes to print a mailing label and dropping it off in the mail box). If you wanted to get really technical, then it might cost you around $16 to $17 to mail the DVDs. Even with that factored in, you're still getting more than $20 worth of points while spending less than $18.

Doing the math that way, yeah, you're saving money by selling old DVDs instead of purchasing new points. And plus, your clearing your shelf of DVDs you no longer watch.

If you think 100 points is too cheap to sell your movies for, you could always hold out and see if supply-and-demand kicks in and raises the value of the DVD. However, that's probably unlikely for older titles. It looks like the majority of DVDs, that aren't complete collections of a series, will probably stay at the 100 point value. Of course, that's pure speculation on my part. I could be wrong. But then again, I don't foresee a huge spike in demand for Goldmember anytime soon.

Original post on The Goozex Report

Wolfenstein: First Impressions

Blackcoyote — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Erik Kubik Says A new Wolfenstein game!!?? I first heard of this about two months ago. For fans of the series, it’s been awhile. Eight years is a long time to wait. The last game in the series, 2001’s Return to Castle Wolfenstein, thundered onto the Xbox and the PC. I fondly remember the game, with its big boss fights, crazy weapons, zombies, endless Nazi killing fun, and a great multiplayer mode.

Just like the original game back in the early 1990s, I would expect the new Wolfenstein game to garner a whole new set of FPS expectations. However, being “new” and “different” these days is more difficult because of the overly saturated FPS market. My initial impressions of the Playstation 3 version are good. The game opens by thrusting you into the action. The difficulty settings made me chuckle, straight from likes of DOOM, gamers are presented with several difficulty options including “Don’t hurt me daddy” and “Can I Play?”

Here are two things I like so far: the over-copious amounts of gore and the big explosions that send enemies and their limbs flying. There are new mystical powers, and as in previous games, the *** are trying to acquire some sort of ancient technology. In the beginning, the powers feel cheap and gimmicky. Slow down time, done! Use powers to look for secrets, done! Nothing screams OMFG: I am a God; well at least not yet.

I’m a little confused on the storyline and how everything ties together. The Intel, journal entries, and character interaction attempts to clarify some things but so far it's failing me.

So far there’s not a whole lot of new things for this aging IP. But the fast paced action and gorgeous graphics make me want to come back for more. As the game progresses, I’m hoping for these things: a large mini-gun, a BFG, and some zombies.

Original post on The Goozex Report

PlayStation 3 Slim: Will Less Be More for Sony?

Blackcoyote — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 18:28:00 GMT

Troy Benedict Says A new, slimmer PlayStation 3 was officially announced this week. On August 18, 2009, during the Sony press conference at this year’s Gamescom, a trade fair for interactive games and entertainment held in Germany, the new PlayStation 3 Slim was unveiled. The new system is scheduled to be released on September 1, 2009 to North American retailers with the price tag of $299. The PlayStation 3 Slim features a 120GB hard drive, is 33% smaller, 36% lighter, and consumes 34% less power than current models. Additionally, a 250GB version of the Slim model was also filed with the FCC, but no official statement was made regarding it.

A thinner version of the PlayStation 3 has been rumored for quite some time, thanks in part to the release of some digital photographs claiming to show the packaging of a smaller PlayStation 3. Prior to Sony’s official announcement on Tuesday, listings for a PlayStation 3 Slim began surfacing on some online retail sites, which created a buzz throughout the online gaming community that an announcement was eminent.

It’s no secret that sales for the PlayStation 3 have been underwhelming since its release in November 2007. The biggest problem was the outrageous price tag. Early production costs for the original PlayStation 3 models exceeded $800, with the first two systems released to the North American market at $499 (20GB) and $599 (60GB)! Sony was losing at least $300 on every PlayStation 3 system that was sold!

Earlier this month during a meeting with investors, Sony’s CEO Nobuyuki Oneda stated that the PlayStation 3 was now 70% cheaper to build. This announcement of cheaper productions costs also created rumors that a more-competitive price drop for the system was forthcoming.
The PlayStation 3 Slim may very well be the catalyst that helps spur better sales of Sony’s struggling system. In a market where smaller and thinner is better (just see Apple Computers and their line of products), the PlayStation 3 Slim couldn’t have come at a better time. Not only will it be more competitively priced, it’s also “greener.” It will take up one-third less vertical space in the cabinets of your entertainment center, is one-third lighter, and consumes one-third less power than previous models. The new design also appears to be 100% less finger-print prone than its older brethren (but don’t quote me on that)!

It’s obvious that when something is made smaller, a few things need to be discarded. So, what is missing from the PlayStation 3 Slim that was included with the more-recent full-sized models? Surprisingly, the answer is “not a whole lot!”

Most noticeably missing from the Slim is the ability to install a third-party operating system, such as Linux, on the machine. This feature never really garnered a lot of mainstream attention, but I have to admit that I’m a bit baffled why this software-related feature was removed. Perhaps allowing for an alternate Operating System is due, in part, to a possible incompatibility with the redesigned cooling system and updated Cell processor?

Still included are the two USB ports on the front of the system, as well as the standard power, network, and audio/video ports in the back.

Unfortunately, high-definition cables will not be included. This is not a surprise, though. No PlayStation 3 system has ever been sold with HD cables in the box. Then again, the new packaging of the Xbox 360 Elite apparently will no longer include HD component cables, either.

As a personal aside, I think it’s much more forgivable for Microsoft NOT to include HD cables with the Xbox 360, than Sony with the PlayStation 3, specifically because of the inclusion of Blu-ray player on all PlayStation 3 models.

Tech geeks can breathe a sigh of relieve as the PlayStation 3 Slim hard drive can still be upgraded, as long as you have a little bit of computer know-how.

But even with the new slimmer model and a more competitive price tag, will this be enough to help boost sales for the PlayStation 3?

Last week, the video game sales figures for July 2009 were released by NPD Group, which showed an industry-wide decline for the fifth month in a row. The NPD Group also stated that hardware sales have slowed considerably for nearly all platforms, with the Xbox 360 being the only system showing a unit sales increase year-to-date.

If the competitor’s systems aren’t selling as many copies at price points of $199 (for Microsoft’s budget-priced Xbox 360 Arcade) and $250 (for Nintendo’s Wii), is $299 for a PlayStation 3 Slim still going to be a bit expensive?

If Nintendo’s model of releasing redesigned hardware, to spur interest and sales, especially with its line of DS systems, says anything then, yes, Sony may very well see a surge spike in sales that they so desperately need. It is one thing to release the same system with a bigger hard drive, but it’s another thing to release a completely redesigned system with a bigger hard drive. I’ve already seen a lot of interest with some gaming enthusiasts (including press) who have stated that they are considering purchasing the PlayStation 3 Slim, even though they already own a PlayStation 3.

What are my thoughts? Will I purchase one? The answer to that is: no. While I admire the redesign, and I wish Sony all the best with this new system, my current PlayStation 3 works fine. I am, however, hoping to reap the rewards in the next several years of the benefits that boosted sales figures might bring with the Slim. More PlayStation 3 sales equal more people owning PlayStation 3 systems, and more people using the system, make the PlayStation 3 attractive to developers and publishers. Perhaps we’ll see better, more exclusive games over the next couple years.

What are your thoughts about the PlayStation 3 Slim? If you don’t already own one, will this new hardware release help encourage you to buy it? If you already own a PlayStation 3, are you considering buying a Slim, as well?

Original post on The Goozex Report

Video Game $pecial Editions: Why They Suck (Your Wallet Dry)

Blackcoyote — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 18:25:00 GMT

Shawn Lebert Says Today is a very good day, because a game you have waited months for has just hit store shelves. As the anticipation grows, you already had decided to dish over the extra dollars for the limited, ultra, mega-rare, six-disc collector’s set that’s only available at a specific store. You can’t wait to unwrap its mighty exterior as your fingers feverishly grip at the cardboard ends. Boy, this thing sure feels heavy. Not only did you reserve the $80 game, but it came with a ninja action figure of the main character – which does karate chop action, and the hero says five different lines from the video game! You decide to place him on an empty portion of your wooden shelf. The game’s disc is hastily fed into the tray as you prepare for the game’s main credits.

Whoa, whoa .. you just spent $80 on a video game, and for $20 extra, you spent it on an exclusive, silly action figure that apparently are “limited” in production? “Oh c’mon, it came with some sweet art booklet too!” Yeah, and you’re going to look at that, maybe, once? I suppose if you were one to have purchased such a legendary package, you care for the strong sentiments of a product, too, after the completion of the game. That’s understandable, if you knew the game was a masterpiece before purchasing it, and sadly, no one knows that.

Whatever your reason for purchasing such a thing, The Goozex Report is going to break down why special editions for video games exist and why they suck…your wallet dry.

The birth of special editions for video games sort of just started coming out of nowhere, most notably this generation. The most memorable ones being Halo 3 and Bioshock in its early stages. Who didn’t want to get their sweaty palms on a legendary edition of Halo 3? Came with a Spartan helmet nearly big enough for your own head. The design was wonderful and it was nearly lifelike. It was at least big enough for a cat’s head and we all know the turmoil that ensued on the Internet with countless cats from all over being abused and forced to wear the famous green helmet. The entire legendary package sold for a whopping, gargantuan of a price at $130. That’s 70 more dollars. More than the actual game is worth and people purchased them. They were selling like hotcakes, like massive Spartan helmet hotcakes.

Considering how much alone the Halo franchise has made over the years, making a humungous limited edition for it was inevitable and quite genius. Not only were millions of people purchasing the game alone, but also probably more than half of those were even picking up some sort of extra content for it, which adds more bucks to the power for Bungie in the long run, sending one big, proud hike upwards on that business chart. It was a goldmine to even suggest creating special editions for products.

Let’s not forget another legendary ultra limited edition pack that rivals with Halo 3’s price: Dead Space. Remember? There were only 1000 made at the price of $150. That comes with the game (don’t forget the game is only $60), special packaging, bonus content, the “Downfall” animated film, lithograph artwork, an art book, graphic novel, aaaand an Ishimura crew patch. Yikes. But not many were committed into putting down that much for a game that fell under the radar, unfortunately. Dead Space was great, but didn’t receive as much praise as it should have received initially. However, it’s come around and it’s made millions. The only unfortunate thing is that this ultra limited edition of Dead Space, I’m sure people would have, without a blink, spent on it, knowing it would be so good. Dead Space did have hype, but a lot of companies don’t invest in developing special editions until they know their franchise sells well. It’s a business and the game was a new invention, so putting a limited edition was somewhat of a risk. However, since there were only 1000 made, it didn’t create much of a crater in sales one way or another.

A lot of the creativity that took place into making special editions was quite unique for this generation, but the ideas for developing them did come from a different distributive area. Much of the moneymaking has to do with the notable distribution of movies on DVD. While special editions for hot games surfaced mostly this generation, special editions for movies have been around for years. Loosely inspired from the birth of such DVD special editions, came the same evolution into gaming. Countless number of DVD distributing companies hit the milk spot with limited editions, director cuts, etc. If you have a favorite movie that you keep investing dollars in, don’t be surprised when the next version comes out next year. The process is forever. And even recently with the arrival of Blu-Ray on the market, films are transferred to high definition the minute you read this. That won’t be the end of it either, as codenamed “ultra high definition” will be arriving in years. I’m pretty sure we’ve hit the double digits for Star Wars being milked.
The difference in gaming is that you won’t be receiving new special editions for year old games (there are a few exceptions for those Game of the Year Editions). By the time you open the package, you’ve made the company more than double the amount for each buyer, making a behemoth of sales. We’re not just talking about double either. If paying attention to the accurate sale prices up above that were stated, you’re doing nearly 225% for them.

Modern Warfare 2 has quite possibly the craziest special edition “Prestige” package, and it’ll be hitting the $150 mark, as well. The game comes in its hardened edition, which is in its steel casing and the bonus content, but get this, it comes with night-vision goggles. Real actual night-vision; we’re talking about quality here that you’d probably see out in the battlefield. Consider yourself part of the military now, friend. Has the special edition packaging gone too far? Apparently not, as the prestige edition is actually selling out.

So what makes going too far, going too far? Well, it’s up to the consumer. We create a bar, and if we exceed that bar, the price goes up on special editions. If we do not, perhaps that’s telling the business, “Hey, we’re in an economic struggle here!” But according to sales, that quote isn’t a reality.

According to some, developers are insisting that special editions are developed solely for the purpose of experimentation. Sure, they love the extra dough in sales, and I don’t doubt that, but it’s also a means to find how the consumer ticks and to see just how far someone is willing to buy something. When you think about it: Modern Warfare 2’s prestige edition doesn’t seem to odd considering all the other special game editions out there. One game’s ultimate edition is nearly the entire cost of one set of Rock Band game and instruments. Rock Band has the ability to play with an entire band, and up to four people, but some of these games still to this day do not utilize cooperative play and yet we still cough up a few hundred for a single player campaign.

Don’t disregard Rock Band and Guitar Hero sales, as those are huge sellers. What was once a simple music rhythm game has caused a gaming and musical revolution. This franchise of madness will forever remain as one of the most successful wonders in the biz, sprouting sequels left and right, creating an alternate universe for people who have hidden that inner rocker, and those who have been inspired so much, that they started a real musical instrument.

Special Editions are really just guilty pleasures. We don’t mind blowing an incredible amount of money on editions here and there, given that we have the conscious understanding that it’ll be valuable down the line. Maybe not in monetary value, but the personal value we feel after completion. At heart, we end up spending extra on the special editions simply because we’re geeks who need something physical in order to be reminded of the memories we gather through such an inspirational moment in our lives. Sure, we really don’t need them, but we want them. Who doesn’t want to have a souvenir for their purchase? Perhaps it is silly from time to time, but anyone who doesn’t focus too much on the dollar usually focuses a lot more on the value of collectibles, and how one grows attached to one thing and it inspires.

We love these special things and such special editions are here to stay for good. They could be outrageous in idea – Punch-Out!! comes with a boxing glove!? – to the memorable idea – Master Chief’s head on a mantle, sweet – but no matter what, these editions are around so that gamers like us can have something to remember by.

Original post on The Goozex Report

Grundy The Man's Current Top Five Wish List

Blackcoyote — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 18:37:00 GMT

Several triple-A titles are no longer scheduled for release in the fourth quarter of this year, and the 2009 Holiday season is beginning to look more bare than any year in recent memory. That said, there are still a great number of worthwhile titles that are on my wish list, including some games that have already been released and some that are coming out next month. Here is a list of five games that I do not want to live without:

1. Left 4 Dead 2 – After the tremendous success of the original Left 4 Dead on both the Xbox 360 and PC, it seemed obvious that there would be a sequel on the way. To the surprise of many, Microsoft announced that the sequel would be coming on November 17th, 2009. This is less than one year after the release of the first game, so it is likely that the game will be overflowing with new content, in order to rebuff the ire of frothy fanboys everywhere.

2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 – Infinity Ward is back at it again, with another soon to be classic installment for both the Call of Duty and Modern Warfare franchises. As much confusion as there has been about the name of the game, in the end it won’t really matter, because this will sell like gangbusters on every platform it is released on. There is no doubt in my mind that with the developer's pedigree, this has the potential to be a legitimate game of the year contender.

3. Halo 3: ODST – Any wish list would seem empty without an appearance from Bungie’s Spartan busting juggernaut. With ODST being the first Halo shooter that doesn’t star Master Chief, there is bound to be some backlash, and I do not expect the game to sell as many units as Halo 3 did; however, the game will most likely not have the same marketing push either. Regardless, look for this to be a big seller.

4. Assassins Creed 2 - Back and better than ever, Ubisoft is looking to throw all of their marketing might behind Ezio’s newest quest into the Renaissance period of Italy. After seeing how well the first game sold, it would not be beyond the realm of possibility to see a repeat of the success. Oddly enough, the publisher decided to release the game side-by-side with Left 4 Dead 2. I am sure both games will do tremendously well, but it will be interesting to see who wins the head-to-head showdown.

5. Wii Sports Resort – This might be at the bottom of my list, but I still want it. Nintendo can do no wrong on the first-party software front, and with the inclusion of the Wii Motion Plus peripheral, there will undoubtedly be droves of housewives that are clambering to get their hands on it; and I'm getting in line right behind them.

So, what's on your wish list?

Original post on The Goozex Report

DVD Trading Goes Live on Goozex

Blackcoyote — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 18:36:00 GMT

Goozex, the game trading service we all know and love, is about to become even better. A major, new extension of the site will allow movie lovers to enjoy the same, great features that gamers already enjoy. If you've always wanted to trade movies as easily as you trade games, now you can! As the site undergoes its startling metamorphosis, I took the opportunity to get caught up to speed on this fantastic new service with Goozex founder and COO Jonathan Dugan.

One of things I wanted to know was how the back-end of the service was going to work with regards to adding movies to the site. Would they simply open the floodgates and allow every movie ever known, or would there be a limited selection, at first? “Our content provider in the past has been Muze and they continue to provide us with information on a weekly and daily basis. They provided the same information they give us for games but for movies. Some of the information they have provided us has allowed us to boil down the difference between certain special and regular editions of titles whether on Blu-Ray or DVD so that you'll know exactly which edition you'll get – the 3, the 5 disc, or whatever it may be. There's a huge amount of movies you're going to be able to find – some movies go way back. You'll have Spartacus, you'll have Citizen Kane, you'll have a ton of classics that you're going to have access to – some that you'll probably have never found or have heard of. Just like with games, you'll have the opportunity discover movies you might have never heard about or ever played. So, hopefully, you'll have the same experience with the movie section.”

One other question that continues to come up on the forums is the question of “adult” films and how they will be handled. Dugan says that, “You could say there's going to be a filtering process – the filtering process right now is that the adult films have been removed. It's a tricky subject, it's one that we try to avoid. We think it's better to have the physical media for adult content off the site. We don't see adult content and DVDs as being our core.”

I could tell I was hitting a tender subject and my next question was just as poignant, especially when considering that there does exist a strong difference between what makes a Mature game versus what makes an R-rated movie. Certain explicit themes and topics show up in a wide variety of films that just don't exist in gaming. I wanted to know how Goozex was planning to make sure these movies didn't fall into the hands of the wrong people – i.e., minors. “Obviously, you either have to be 18 and over or have a parent or legal guardian sign up for you. What we assume is that anyone on our site either has consent or is 18 or older, meaning they already are permitted to trade or see rated R films. Essentially, if there is someone younger that is trading on the Goozex system, according to our terms of service, they are giving consent that they are 18.”
In other words, currently, there is no realistic way for Goozex to prevent minors from trading mature content. Ultimately, it's up to parents and legal guardians to make sure their kids aren't gaining access to movies and games they, otherwise, shouldn't be seeing.

As for the question of point values and how they get assigned to movies, “It's going to be tricky,” says Dugan. “Hopefully our pricing model works out where a limited edition Terminator is worth more than a standard edition. Whether it's 50 points, 100 points, we haven't really tested it yet. It's something that we're trying to iron out the kinks right now in our beta.” Dugan explains that the beta will be ongoing for the next few months, even once it goes to the public and the real stress test begins. “The system, hopefully, will be able to assign value to each movie pertaining to their edition. Now, we're also going to, hopefully, be able to assign consistent and solid value to box sets – you know, like a season of Futurama, a full season of Battlestar Galactica – and hopefully we're going to have the right point allocation to each box set used. I think, over time, the system based on supply and demand and other metrics, I think a point system should work itself out. As of right now, the movies will likely be a good amount cheaper because, normally, a game is more expensive than a movie, so, from the get-go, movies, most likely will be around the hundred and 400 point range with some box sets going above the 1,000 point mark. Entire box sets of James Bond, for example.”

You might be wondering why a game trading site would be interested in trading movies. As Dugan explains it, “Well, Goozex stands for goods exchange, and originally, the idea was to have a platform that would allow anyone to trade any product. We kinda figured when we first started Goozex that we'd be stretching ourselves thin if we tried to be in every market. Movies, books, music, games – any type of product that you could trade and assign a point value to. We figured that we really wanted to get the trading system down pat and understand how it works, and what we really wanted to do was make sure that it worked really well before we worried about multiple products. So, that's why we started with games. We felt that the most logical product extension for people who play games would have been movies because we assume that a majority gamers, if not all, are interested in watching film.”

If the game trading service works well enough, as Dugan believes it will, there's a huge potential for Goozex to become more popular than ever. Even in the age of rampant movie piracy, Dugan says that the market exists for people who want movies on physical media. “People are losing money, out there,” as he explains, and Goozex is all about saving people money.

The service went live today, August 17, and has already seen trades occurring. According to a tweet from the official Goozex Twitter account, Smallville (blu-ray), Training Day (HD-DVD) and Batman Gotham Knight (blu-ray) were the first three movies traded.

Original post on The Goozex Report

First Impressions on Madden NFL 10

Blackcoyote — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 15:48:00 GMT

Jimmy James 70 Says If you’re anything like me, and you haven’t played Madden ’09 since last December, then I do not suggest picking Madden ’10 up and re-learning how to play while downing a pitcher of margaritas. The end results are not pretty and you might see some lopsided losses with final scores of 65 to 10; or some such thing. At the same time though, you’ll have lots of fun, and you’ll be itching to get back on the field to recoup your losses sooner rather than later.

Let’s start this review with the soundtrack, which is not for the faint of heart. The menu music, that noise you hear between games, includes an all-star line up of Iron Maiden, Korn, Nirvana, Cypress Hill, Rage Against the Machine and a bunch of others that the younger kids have probably heard of. I was happy to hear Black Sabbath and the Beastie Boys. Cause I'm old school like that. Oh. I forgot to mention Alice In Chains. Rock on. Now, the question is, are you ready for some football?

Madden ’10 has some new stuff and some old stuff; as to be expected. The controls are pretty much the same from last year except you can fight for fumbles by smashing buttons on the controller. I have yet to win a fumble recovery, but then again, I’m not anticipating when the button smashing might take place. This, I’m guessing, will take some practice.

My first impression, after about four hours of gameplay, is the incredibly enhanced graphics. The game runs much smoother over last year with extra animations before the game and between plays, there are more inclusive updates on injured players, the refs get their close ups when using the chains to measure yardage and to discuss a close play, and of course, how can anyone be disappointed in seeing the coaches go off on the players on the sidelines. All of it adds to the game immensely and immerses the gamer into the action. The animations that take place between plays are not gratuitous or unnecessary, and they do not interrupt the flow of the game. Really, they play in the background as you choose your next play. It’s all really very well done.

Madden ’10 comes complete with the Virtual Trainer, the Madden IQ Test, Mini games, Play Now and, of course, the Franchise mode and Superstar players. The mini games were fun to play through once but I’m not sure I’ll go back for second helpings. They provided some practice on refreshing my skills with the controls, but for long-term play, I doubt the mini games have longevity.

Use the Virtual Trainer if you're really having trouble with the controls. It will teach you and remind you some basics of football, such as, use your blockers and don't always sprint as a running back, stay in the pocket when you're the QB and let your defensive linemen protect you. The question is, will this virtual training help you during an actual game? And the answer is: No, it will not help you. Not at all.

As awful as I am playing the game, after taking the Madden IQ, my skills measured at the All-Pro level. After a few games, I'm sure this will drop. There's a big difference between the Virtual Trainer, the IQ test and an actual game. After running through all the training simulators I was ready to get on the field.

I was born and raised in Minnesota, so I have purple blood running through my veins. Naturally, I chose the Vikings as my favorite team. And guess what? My first Play Now match was against the Packers. How cool is that, or was it pure coincidence, that my first Play Now game was against a division rival? I was ready to let the blood run red on the frozen tundra.

Of course, the game did not take place on a frozen tundra, but rather the comfy confines of a dome. And yep, by half time I was losing 40 to 3 (playing with 15 minute quarters). Yikes. I was taking a beating. During that beating though I noticed the play calling is more advanced and streamlined. I really should have stuck to the more basic call playing difficulty level, but I chose the Advanced level and found myself heavily relying on Ask Madden and his opinion of running a Double Z or a Two Man Under... Just give me the option of running the blitz and I'll choose it every time. I think I'm secretly jonesing for the Madden arcade football game that I've heard rumored about on the Internets.

The sports commentators are pretty legendary in EA games to be redundant, and after awhile, downright nauseatingly annoying with their inane comments (or is that just sports commentators in general?). During the half time analysis I was told the Vikings held a slight edge in the game, despite the score being 40 to 3, I had to completely try and tune them out otherwise I'd run the risk of my head exploding. Too bad you can’t simply turn off the commentators…

So, I lost that first game 65 to 10. Ouch. My Madden IQ was at 500 and stayed at the All-pro level. How it did not drop drastically, I have no idea...

The second game I did not fair much better. I continued playing on My Skill level, except this time against the Lions, who basically blow donkey chunks. Anyway, I still lost, but not by nearly as much. What I can't understand is how my IQ raised to 522 and my skills went up on rushing, pass defense, and rush defense, even though I still haven't won a game yet. My passing skill did drop from 9 to 10, but I think that has more to do with the fact that the Vikings have a pro bowl running back on the team and are in desperate need of a good quarterback; but I digress.

For the next game, I'm picking the best team versus the worst team and I'm playing on the Rookie level. I'm really looking for that first win. Oh yeah, I'll probably go back to Advanced play calling. Intermediate was just too basic and did not provide enough options.

As for the Achievements, they are extremely specific down to such details on player, time left on the clock, and if the play happened in the end zone or if it was a gang tackle. This is not a game for easy achievement whoring, no, not at all.

I must get back to playing more football for Madden 2010 is addictive, competitive fun. I'm suggesting you pick it up sooner rather than later.

Original post on The Goozex Report

Game Cube Games That Still Hit the Spot

Blackcoyote — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:35:00 GMT

Erik Kubik Says Even as the Wii and the DS have become Nintendo’s focus, there are still plenty of good and cheap GameCube games worth picking up. The focus of this article is on 100-200 point games that are exclusive to the GameCube.

1. Super Smash Bros Melee: The original defined multiplayer on the N64. The same trend continues with the sequel. If the 25 playable characters spanning several decades, coming from all sorts of Nintendo games and the immense amount of items and levels doesn’t make a gamer drool, then the 4 player multiplayer and in-depth story mode should. This game helped me waste many hours of my life in college. The game stands at 200 Goozex points; a cheap GameCube game with several copies available.

2. F-Zero GX: To some gamers the original was nothing more than a generic racing game with hovercrafts. A few years after the release and gamers had yet to see a sequel. Instead, the game skipped a console or two, and a few of its awkward ports/sequels made it to handhelds. As a result, gamers were hungry for something new. We received a buffet know as F-Zero GX. The visuals in the game were enough to satisfy a 10-year olds craving. F-Zero GX features 20 tracks, 29 pilots, Captain Falcon, and speed combined with challenging game modes. Even today I am still wowed by what Nintendo created with this game. At 150 points, this is one cheap GameCube game that is a must have for any racing fan.

3. Donkey Kong Jungle Beat: At 100 points with or without the Bongas. But honestly, what’s the point of getting a game like this without its well known accessories!? Drumming on Bongas is a blast even if it quickly annoys others in the room. Donky Konga Jungle Beat was one of those innovative games that came out later in the GameCube’s life. Gamers used the Bongas, tapping one or the other or both to guide Donkey Kong through the levels jumping, unleashing combos, and collecting bananas. The faster you pound the faster he moves! In retrospect, pounding the bongos is exhausting and should not be done for more than an hour by gamers over 30. Lucky for most gamers the Bongas were a well-rounded accessory that can be used in several of the other Donkey Kong rhythm games.

4. Resident Evil Zero: The only non-first party release to make my list. There were other cheap GameCube games but none of them stood out like this one. Originally slated for release on the N64, this oddity in the Resident Evil series was pushed back to the GameCube. An oddity? Well, most of the Resident Evil games up to now featured characters that have been in at least two other games in the series. Gamers have the opportunity to play with Rebecca Chambers and Billy Coen. Highlights of the game include two playable characters who travel together much like Resident Evil 4. Gamers could switch to either one on the fly, controlling one while the computer handled the other. Rebecca had less health and was good at mixing herbs. Bill could take damage and dish out damage. That’s an easy choice, I’ll play as Billy. There was also the ability to drop items anywhere in the game, which made back tracking an overused redundancy. If nothing else, think of the game as the prequel to the adventure in the Mansion and since it’s a Resident Evil game it has to be good. 200 points is a steal for a GameCube treasure like this.

5. Pikmin: This is an odd game. It’s a real time strategy game featuring little plant like sprouts that live in houses that look like Onions. Olimar, the central character, has to enlist the Pikmin to help him collect the parts he needs, and to repair his ship. The game does have a time restraint that might frustrate gamers who, like myself, enjoyed doing all sorts of cruel and un-natural things to the Pikmin. The Pikmin come in blue, yellow, and red. Each of the Pikmin has their own strengths and weaknesses. The game itself isn’t overly difficult due to the “E” rating but it is fun. The game was received very well by critics and spawned a sequel and a remake on the Wii. Pikmin is one of those unique games like DK: Jungle Beat that showed what the GameCube is capable of. At 150 Goozex points, at least give it a try.

The original post on The Goozex Report

NCAA Football 10 - Review

Blackcoyote — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:32:00 GMT

Blake Grundman Says: In many ways, the College Football 10 franchise has been viewed as the redheaded stepchild of the sports gaming world. It is unknown where this impression was first derived, but it is a common knowledge that each year’s college football game is based off of the Madden engine from the year prior. Fortunately, Madden 09 was by far the strongest installment ever to be released, and that has trickled down to their amateur counterparts.

Virtually anything that makes College Football great makes an appearance in the 2010 entry. Everything from the deafening roar of the crowd, to the late game chaos of the huddle, is recreated with the greatest care, resulting in the most comprehensive and authentic experience possible.

There is nothing that is more awesome than running into the end zone, only to hear the deafening blare of your school’s fight song invade your eardrums. Over the course of every game, the ebb and flow of the crowd has a direct influence over the action on the field. As the crowd builds with excitement, the home team can gain in confidence, building on their turbo abilities, while the visitors will have their plays scrambled in the frantic bedlam taking place. The manic energy of the fans is really what makes this game stand out above all others.

Another new addition to the game is the “Road to Glory” mode. Much like the “Road to the Show” mode in MLB 09: The Show, College Football 10 allows you to create your own scholar athlete and guide them from the High School State Championships, all the way through their senior year in college. Over the course of a career you get to plan practice sessions, choose how to spend free time on campus, and plot your climb to the top of the Heisman heap. This can be both entertaining and immersive, as long as you can deal with losing often, early in your career. Either way, this is an outstanding new take on a familiar concept, that brings several new ideas to the table.

If you are looking for a fast paced football game that will be bound to keep both the action and excitement high, give College Football 10 a try. You might be pleasantly surprised at what you find.

Original post on The Goozex Report

Top 5 Horror Games That Should Be Movies

Blackcoyote — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 02:52:00 GMT

Shawn Lebert Says: It’s not every year that so many wonderful video games become major motion pictures. Isn’t it great to wake up one morning to read about how your favorite video game got the greenlight to become a movie? The Goozex Report breaks down the top five most anticipated game to movie adaptations.

Here is the list of the top five video games that merit a big screen appearance.

5. Nocturne (1999)
Nocturne had a surprising arrival on Halloween of 1999. It was developed by Terminal Reality and, indeed, was a survival horror game that took place in the 1920’s and 30’s, revolving around “Stranger,” the protagonist of this game, who is an operative working under an American Government secret organization known as “Spookhouse.” This organization was created by President Theodore Roosevelt to fight and protect citizens from monsters.
Nocturne was set up in different campaigns, but allowed the player to choose which campaign they wanted to dive in first, second, and so on. Each campaign had a mission briefing, which took place in the secret location of “Spookhouse.” Its dark tone included some clever, subtle comedy that was intertwined in Stranger’s smart-ass dialog, which fit in with the quirky labyrinth-like locale Stranger had to explore to find the “latest” 1920’s film projector to give samples of who or what you’d be up against.

Since each campaign was separate, so were also the enemies. One campaign that I fondly remember is being sent to an undisclosed location where you must hunt down vampires and seek and destroy the father of these bloodsucking beasts.

It was ideal survival horror at its peak. Stranger was sent to places like London to accomplish his goal. The game had pre-rendered backgrounds as you crept from one camera angle to another. Think the original Resident Evil and you get the feel for Nocturne. However, at the time, if you had a seriously beefed up computer, this game had top-notch graphics. The lighting effects were dynamic as you sent Stranger lurking through the dank exterior of a downtown London street only to find a dead end and upon turning the flashlight to shine in another direction, a slight gesture of creepy piano chords played for scripted musical fright; but, then once turning fully around, a ghastly lovechild between a physical bat and a vampire swooped down to grab you. The campaign was extreme as it went from gloomy nighttime streets and upon smart exploration, you’d find yourself yards underneath the earth’s surface to discover a cave with a myriad of brain testing puzzles reminiscent of Indiana Jones-like traps.

Other campaigns included enemies such as werewolves and the undead. And yes, since this was the 1920’s, you could even go up against crazed mobsters from derelict sections of the city. I fondly remember them having an infinite amount of throwing dynamite . . . gurr.

The game was built strongly around its narrative, which really pushed this game to a new height in story. It was big on cut-scenes and character interactions, so even before the mission debriefing, you could talk to everyone in Spookhouse before doing your mission, which always made things interesting, dark and hilarious in a . . Sam Raimi sort of way.

4. Thief: The Dark Project (1998)
The Thief series is something in itself. And anyone that grew up in the 90’s and loved PC gaming should have had this game on their mantle. And if you DID grow up in the 90’s and were a PC gamer and never played this series, it’s a shame because this game could possibly be the one of the fathers of the stealth genre.

Metal Gear Solid is legendary for its stealth action. Thief catapulted the stealth action to a greater level. Your items consisted of a standard broadsword, bow and arrow, a blackjack for nonlethal means, and different kinds of arrows, which included water and moss arrows. Water arrows torched those flaming torches, ironically, and created new shadows for you to creep in past guards to avoid detection. Moss arrows were used upon floors that would create sound upon stepping on them, so shooting moss on the ground would make you soundless upon approaching from an echoing tight corridor. The puzzles were here and there, but the greatest puzzle of them all was the entire way through a supposed impenetrable fortress and you are there to foil them, and take whatever it was that the King so loved and placed on his wall for safe keeping.

Set in the Middle Ages, the protagonist of this series was named Garrett, a young boy who didn’t understand right from wrong. He only understood what it was to survive. And upon being caught stealing from a master thief in broad daylight, he catches boy Garrett and essentially trains him to become a master thief in return, and this is how the story begins.

The original Thief was all about first-person perspective. And you soon learned the ropes through training what a thief was all about, including sneaking in shadows, making sure not to make noises while creeping up on someone, and of course, sparring in case you were ever caught in the heat of something you were not supposed to be caught in!

Because it was set in the Middle Ages, you--as Garrett--were able to explore castles and dungeons in this big fantasy world, which gave you many alternate ways to sneak in and take out enemies. Of course, as a thief, there’s something very precious that the King has that you want, which happens to be a priceless scepter that belongs to him. The scepter is located in the center of the King’s chambers where he sits and mindlessly watches the guards patrol back and forth, which was about as smart as the A.I. ever got in 1998.

The game explores a variety of loot grabbing and progresses with the life of Master Thief Garrett, thick in narrative and such a compelling journey for the thief that it becomes a trilogy (with a fourth game along the way). It’s fun even to this day, so check it out if you ever have the craving for the PC retro box.

3. Half-Life (1998)
What a game Half-Life managed to become and to build such a huge community behind the series. By far one of my favorites, Half-Life stands out in many ways. While it is a first-person shooter, its value is definitely deeper than the surface of simply shooting a gun. Half-Life creates a dimension with a huge world that people just love exploring. If anything, Half-Life is from the first person perspective of a tragic accident gone wrong. Ever since the beginning from the Black Mesa Incident--and for those who don’t know anything about this game, dear god, why don’t you already--the story travels through the eyes of Gordon Freeman, the silent hero. A scientist by day, and a war hero by tomorrow, Gordon, goes through tragic events that no mere human could even withstand but somehow miraculously does it. The game itself, while somewhat linear from path A to B, sets itself up to become a puzzle in itself as you must find your way out of a catastrophe that’s happening right in front of you. Your reflexes must be quick. You must be agile and have endless stamina--luckily, you don’t have to train yourself to become in top shape in video games--in order to overcome all feats that a normal scientist, well, usually wouldn’t.
The beauty about this series is that it lacks cut scenes completely and creates a storyline from pieces of dialog that characters may manage to say. With the first game, for example, escaping from the destruction of Black Mesa was in itself a story that played out without telling much to the gamer. You just had to learn and you did. Later on, you get some interaction from the different characters, albeit briefly, about what could be taking place and how to get out. The thrill was the escape, which later becomes a phenomenon as Gordon Freeman becomes the face of the resistance, which becomes a full-fledged conspiracy along with lunacy over the mystery that is the so-called “G-man.”

However, let me tell you this, if Half-Life was to be made a film, all the things you naturally partake in within the game cannot be done in two hours, let alone justified within that time-span. So you have to think smartly and create something that may become, inevitably, a spin-off to the series, ala Blue Shift or Opposing Force. Something that is essentially about Gordon Freeman but isn’t about him.

You can’t justify having Gordon Freeman as the main character in a film because 1) he doesn’t talk in the games; 2) if he did talk, that would alienate Gordon as the model that he has become to so many people. No one would be content with the film with such a decision. And I do NOT think everyone would be seriously pissed if Uwe Boll lands the project and Ben Affleck becomes Freeman. No, sir. Not at all.

The film has to be 1) within the dimension of Half-Life. It’s a given fact. 2) Has to have familiar figures that we’ve seen from the games. 3) A cameo of Gordon would be appropriate. You know, like having him jump through some weird portal in the background, like we’re about to see him but he escapes our grasp. That would be greatly accepted and much, much more approachable if it was about someone else, or a troop of interesting Resistance characters during the war, perhaps, and we’re given brief snippets about Gordon. Let the director decide. Just not Uwe Boll.

2. Indigo Prophecy / Fahrenheit (2005)
Surprise! Yes, I’m one of the folks who adored Indigo Prophecy. I thought the storyline was one of the best developments in video game history. I mean, for a guy like David Cage, who came up with such a huge idea, why didn’t he just make a film out of it already? If The Matrix is the movie, Indigo Prophecy is the game.

The game itself is made to look like a film to begin with. After you pop that sucker in to play, the main menu doesn’t tell you to Start the Game. It tells you to Play The Movie. David Cage, the director and writer behind Indigo Prophecy, has created one of the most in-depth stories with dimensional characters that explores all levels of emotion that it is already infuriating to know that this hasn’t been made into a movie. If it’s already a movie, but driven to appear like a game, why make a movie, you may be asking. Well, I think this kind of story needs to be witnessed by the masses honestly. And if you have not played it yet, by all means, give it a whirl. If you didn’t enjoy it, guess it’s not your cup of tea. Could have been an issue here or there with gameplay, but let it be known that the story underneath this game could fuel a movie.

Indigo Prophecy is about a man named Lucas Kane, who beyond his own will, murders a man in a local bar one late, cold evening in New York City. Now, right away, you gotta think: most good people in movies are always innocent. Sure, but how the hell do you explain that you didn’t commit the murder consciously, but you yourself did it beyond such control? How do you explain that to any loved one? Any police officer? Any lawyer? Damn, it’s already too much. You must prove your innocence even though your own hands were used.

The game doesn’t just revolve around Lucas Kane, but two detectives who are assigned to Lucas Kane’s murder, as they dissect the truth behind this very mysterious, psychological thriller that turns into one big event that no one could have expected.

The game is strict with game-play elements because Indigo Prophecy is so strong with its narrative that the only elements you do decide on is choice making, such as what you should bring up in dialog with another character to reveal different areas of a conversation. Other game-play elements include, for example, controlling Lucas Kane where he must escape from a house. While the police pursue him, quick-time events might take place, which makes your escape easier and less noticeable. Not only quick-time events, but events that might include using your time efficiently could effectively render your character more emotionally stable; whereas, if you were careless with decision-making, could destroy him from the inside out.
If you liked it or not, at least you played it. True, there were some story elements that felt weak, but I’m sure a little adapting to film could create a really, tight, suspenseful action thriller that’s actually, well, smart.

1. Resident Evil (1996)
“What!? Resident Evil? But why Resident Evil? Damnit, Shawn, I was hoping for Metal Gear Solid or at LEAST Final Fantasy VII. Why!? Doesn’t it already have enough movies for it?? What the hell.”

Well, I’ll tell you why. I grew up with Resident Evil since I was 11 years old and I was scared out of my wits. It was the most horrifying game I ever played. This was not just some video game to me. This was me in Jill Valentine or Chris Redfield’s shoes, becoming part of S.T.A.R.S., and venturing through this creepy zombie infested mansion, I now am forced to commit to doing so, because if I don’t, I’m a dead man.

Resident Evil is about a service team called S.T.A.R.S. who were created by the Raccoon City Police Department to control and protect against highly dangerous situations. When the situation becomes deeper than what the police force can handle, these guys come into play. One evening, their Bravo team disappears into the northern Arklay Mountains and so the Alpha team goes to search for them. They uncover a mystery of unspeakable horrors. Not only do they discover the truth, but deep in the woods, a hidden decrepit mansion is revealed that inhabits every thing from monsters and zombies to ravenous dogs and man-pecking crows, and much more. The mansion was designed to be a labyrinth, and this game had massive amounts of puzzles mixed in with fighting enemies. Puzzles ranged from securing a key to a locked room, to bigger situations like lowering water levels in a vast aquarium filled with flesh hungry sharks. It presents stressful situations and the gamer had to do their best against the onslaught of terror of the night in the most nightmarish events captured in a video game for its time.

Resident Evil at its core isn’t about the zombies. It’s about the conspiracy behind it. It’s about the huge history embedded through the creation and development of the mansion that our S.T.A.R.S. Alpha and Bravo team unfortunately discovered. Resident Evil has value on all different levels. 1) It’s perfect for horror. A lot of films nowadays with the genre “horror” slapped on it are quick and cheap ways to make money in Hollywood. Resident Evil will freak out anyone. 2) It’s deep; conspiracy theorist fans will enjoy it also. What exactly is going on in this mansion? There’s so much to talk about and if you haven’t played it, well, that’s sad too. Not only for its own well-made story, but it helped the survival horror genre of video games progress. 3) It’s quite religious; considering all about the virus and the zombie infestation, someone clearly wanted too much power to develop something too extraordinary for living beings. Someone needs to be stopped, but who is responsible? It’s up to you to figure out who all is partaking in this evil act. 4) It’s historical; the mansion itself has a ton of history that could be valuable to explore too, and why it exists. 5) It’s contemporary; all the elements could still work in a film to this day and scare the crap out of everyone.

Forget what you know about the current Resident Evil movies. They need to make a movie based on the first game, to the tee. Seriously. Now’s the time to bring back horror to its finest with not knowing horror itself but a deep, conspiracy theory underneath all that which could make this film a truly smart, horror movie – and for once?

Original post on The Goozex Report