Sept 29th the day Xbox Live went Dead

This coming Monday Xbox Live will be off line for 24 hours in order for Microsoft to preform maintenance on their servers so they are ready for the new Xbox Live Experience when it is released some time this fall. What are you going to do with no XBL?

Something new to waste my time on

He's back. Today Duke Nukem 3D drop's in the Xbox Live Market Place and since I have finished The Force Unleashed (even though I still need to get through Metal Gear Solid 4 and waiting for the patch to fix Castle Crashers Online) this will give me something to pass the time and re-live some of my childhood. So with this great accomplishment 3D Realms maybe you can finally finish the new Duke Nukem game you have been working on for like 13 years....yea that would be great because paying off 64 bit strippers can get old fast.

Heroes Season 3

Thank you making my Monday that much better, however I do have some bones to pick with you Heroes Season 3. First really didn't need that pre-show special because it didn't tell me anything new or that I could have found out in the special features of the DVD's.

Besides that the 2 hour premier was very good and left me wondering what is going to happen like the end of every episode should. Just please don't turn this into a Soup Opera. With that said here are a few things I could do with out:
1: The whole Peter from the Future story line. From what we have gathered from the past 2 seasons and 3 Back To The Future movies we know that messing with the past always changes the future.
2: Is Mohinder turning into The Abomination?
3: I really don't need Maya and her creepy eyes anymore.
4: This doesn't have to the show, but COME ON Nick Maya over Elle are your insane?

Other then that can I PLEASE have DC Universe Online now? Because Heroes just makes me want to be a super hero even more now.

Star Wars: The Forced Unleashed review

First and for most I must applaud Lucas Arts for what they have done. Combining three graphic engines into one game is pretty amazing and can be seen through out the game.

Now to the game itself. The controls are pretty easy to learn and once you have them down pat you will be using the force to basically do whatever you want. One thing Lucas Arts could have done was have made the targeting system a little more accurate and user friendly. All through out the game I was trying to pick something up or use my force lighting on some imperial trooper but starkiller was locked on an object. Also it's a pain in the ass the bring down that star destroyer. There were a few times when I had everything lined up as the game wanted, but the action wouldn't turn green. However I was still able to fulfill a childhood dream of mine.

Graphics I will give two cheers and a high five. The detail of some of the planets is remarkable and breath taking. However when breaking through some of the glass and doors they could have been a little better instead they just like fell. The cut scenes were amazing and gave some understanding of what happens in between episodes 3 & 4. However I was felt going WTF at the end of the game.

Story again gave some understanding of what happens in between episodes 3 & 4. However I was felt going WTF at the end of the game.

As it been reported there are a few glitch's in the game and when they happen it can be VERY annoying. An example of some of the ones I ran into are: If you get knocked down surrounded by enemies you wont be able to get back up, when battling the second Jedi he got stuck on the outside and I wasn't allowed to execute the finishing move, while in the first part of the Death Star level I jumped up and saber slammed an AT-ST and wound up in space walking around until I feel, and when battling the Emperor he got stuck in a lighting shield and caught in the forced field around the battle ground. O and this really isn't a glitch, but the boss battle cam isn't great and can be annoying when you two are at different ends of the map.

All in all this game is a rental if you want to try something new and a buy if your a star wars fan.

3.5 out 5 is my rating.

Mega Man 9

Yes! Mega Man 9 is dropping:
WiiWare - September 22
Playstation Network - September 25
Xbox Live Arcade - October 1

Capcom has brought everyone's favorite 8 bit power glove wielding hero back. The newest addition to the series brings the game back to original form and looks to be quit challenging. Check out X-Play's preview of the game.

DJ Hero?

Could Activision be in the works for a DJ Hero? Internetz say they might be. With the release of Guitar Hero: World Tour coming soon Activision now will be able to compete with MTV Games and Rock Band. So with that done they need to get a jump on the next big thing and DJ Hero might be it.

Are you ready to hit the digital ones and twos?

Google looking to buy Valve?

Rumor going around the net is that Google might be looking into buying Valve (you know the people responsible for Half Life, Counter-strike, and Left 4 Dead). So does this mean we can be seeing Counter-Strike on XBLA soon because they will have the funds to convert it (please please please with sugar and love on top?).

Happy Forced Unleashed Day

This game is intense.

Duke Nukem 3D coming Sept 24th to XBLA?

Rumor has it that the Xbox Live Arcade version of the classic PC FPS Duke Nukem 3D will be releasing on September 24th.

The game will feature the singleplayer campaign with enhanced features like a replay mode, the popular "Dukematch" multiplayer, and serve as an introduction to the character of Duke for many young gamers.

The Get Up Kids getting back together?

Holy Sh!t the internetz is telling me The Get Up Kids might get back together!

"On August 28, 2008 James announced there will be a reunion tour in 2009."

Hopefully James Dewees will spill something on this tonight when I see Reggie And The Full Effect.

Public Beta

Trying to get myself into the Public Online Beta test's for both LittleBigPlanet and Resistance 2.

Christmas Movies Already WTF!?

Last night I was going browsing through the channel listings I get and lo and behold I discover this beauty being played on HBO. I mean seriously Christmas Vacation already it's not even half way through September. Where are all the horror movies like the Friday The 13th's, Nightmare On Elm Street, Night of the Living Dead & all other zombie movies, Hellraiser, even the 40 million Saw movies.

All Christmas movies should not be allowed to play until a week into November.

Now if you excuse me I have to go and watch my Christmas movie marathon because apparently they isn't going to be a Horror movie one.

A Static Lullaby - Rattlesnake!

Holy F*cking Sh!t A Static Lullaby have stepped their game up. Rattlesnake! is their fourth studio album and basically a quick kick right in the face. Honestly I think they have found their sound and prove they are still a force to to recon with. 2006's Self-titled album showed ASL going back to their sound on ...Don't Forget To Breathe and 2005's Faso Latido was a departure for them, but still a good album by ASL.

Rattlesnake! is hard hitting, quick, and an ray of lyrics that leave you wanting more yet feeling like a Rattlesnake just bit you on yo ass. You can definitely tell that deciding to stay a four-piece was the best decision for them and creativity they are on they are on fire.

This is their second release on Fearless Records and you can tell that being free from Colombia Records (Sorry MP I know you tried but the world wasn't ready for ASL) and you can tell giving them the freedom to create what they want pays off.

Rattlesnake! might have slithered it's way into my favorite album of 2008.

5/5. It's hard for a band to continue with a sound and flow through out their entire record and ASL kept it going on Rattlesnake!

Will Smith as Captain America?

This morning I woke up to the news that Marvel had "offered" the role of The First Avenger Captain America to Will Smith. Now after clicking my way through the internet aintitcool.com gave us this wonderful piece of information.

The Academy Is... - Fast Times at Barrington High

The Academy Is... almost back here, but not quite there yet. After giving the CD two good listens I am liking it more and more. The album starts off strong and kind of dies down toward the end.

Honestly I think I need to give it another once over to gain a full prospective of it and how I feel.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

So this weekend I went out and treated myself to a Playstation 3 and a little game entitled Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. All I have to say this has been a pretty good investment thus far (more so then Turok, NHL 09, & Rainbow Six Vegas 2).

Visually this game is flawless. I mean during some of the cut scenes (which there is a reported 90 hours of) you can't believe your eyes. My only problem is with the TV Channels in the beginning of the game and the scenes with the eggs. Why did I need those?

The controls are pretty basic and just like all the other MGS games.

Story wise I am only on the second act so I really can't comment about it so far.

My only real problem with it is the save points. Why must I wait until the end of a "chapter" to save huh Konami? Why can't I save at one of the MILLION cut scenes you have through out the game? I may be a video game nerd, but I do have a life and maybe I want to be somewhat green and turn my system off when I'm not playing it (yes it is a "vampire" system though).

Also to get the some of the emblem's one must:

Big Boss: Successfully complete the game on the Boss Extreme difficulty without dying, instigating no alerts, killing no enemies (including Bosses), using no life recovery items, using no stealth suit or bandanna special items (can possess, but not activate), and with a completion time of less than 5 hours.

Fox: Successfully complete the game on the Naked Normal or higher difficulty without dying, instigating no more than five alerts, killing no enemies (including Bosses), using no life recovery items, using no stealth suit or bandanna special items (can possess, but not activate), and with a completion time of less than 6 hours.

Fox Hound: Successfully complete the game on the Big Boss Hard or higher difficulty without dying, instigating no more than three alerts, killing no enemies (including Bosses), using no life recovery items, using no stealth suit or bandanna special items (can possess, but not activate), and with a completion time less than 5 hours and 30 minutes.

Come on really?

Why Harold Ramis Why????

I just ran across this on my internetz adventures today.

"yes, columbia is developing a script for GB3 with my year one writing partners, gene stupnitsky and lee eisenberg. judd apatow is co-producing year one and has made several other films for sony, so of course the studio is hoping to tap into some of the same acting talent. aykroyd, ivan reitman and i are consulting at this point, and according to dan, bill murray is willing to be involved on some level. he did record his dialogue for the new ghostbusters video game, as did danny and i, and ernie hudson. the concept is that the old ghostbusters would appear in the film in some mentor capacity. not much else to say at this point. everyone is confident a decent script can be written and i guess we'll take it from there."

Come on if it isn't the original Ghostbusters I don't want to see it. Bill Murray has it right when he said this is a bad idea and wouldn't do it.

Gym Class Heroes - The Quilt

Take the sound of For The Kids & The Papercut Chronicles and mix those two together and you have The Quilt. The latest from Geneva, New York's indie hip hop quartet delivers everything you would expect form GCH with a more mainstream hip hop feel. From start to finish this is a solid record and a little off the beaten path for them.

Lyricist Travis McCoy covers a wide range of personal topics including battling his demons (addiction), his love for woman, and teaming with one half of his idols Hall & Oats (Daryl Hall appears on the track Live Forever (Fly With Me)). McCoy is never one to be coy with his lyrics and can bring up old school/pop culture/geek references like no one.

Guitarist Disashi Lumumba-Kasongo continues to melt our ears and faces with his ability and even wrote one of the songs for the album. Some people might under write his ability, but after seeing them live or even listening to his ability on the last two CD's they will surely be mistaken.

Bassist Eric Roberts might have had to bow down to more computer sounds in the studio, but I feel that he will be able to show them who is boss live.

Same goes for drummer Matt McGinley. Drum machines can not replicate what he brings to the table for GCH and voiced his opinion during mixing getting more natural sounds put in.

This CD may not be what everyone was expecting McCoy and crew to produce, but hey F them because this is what Gym Class Heroes do best...Surprise and treat you to something that is audio bliss (well to me at least). I have a feeling if you were a fan of them before As Cruel As School Children then you will thoroughly enough this CD. If not it may take a few listens to gain appreciation for it.

I give it a 4.5 because of not using the band to their full potential, however I understand where they were going and what they were doing.

Favorite track(s) - Peace sign up/ index down, Cookie Jar, and Live Forever (Fly With Me).

No Sleep

Love not being able to fall asleep when I have to be at work in 6 hours.

Hello videogame geek.

So today I went out and bought a Playstation 3. All I have to say right now is F*ck you Metal Gear Solid 4 and your super long save points!!!

Highlights from The Ultimate Geek Must Buy List

I want to thank Lt Dan at nerdiestkids.com for sharing this list. Here are some the highlights on it for me.

Games

Left 4 Dead



Gears of War 2



Street Fighter 4



Star Wars: The Force Unleashed



Ghostbusters



Resident Evil 5



Fable 2



Now here is where we differ seeing as how I already got an Xbox 360 Elite. So instead I need to pick myself up a Playstation 3 so I can play DC Universe Online seeing as how I own a MAC and it's not getting made for that.

Spore

Today one of most highly anticipated games for the PC and Mac came out. From the guy (Will Wright) who brought you The Sims comes Spore: Creature Creator.

Spore allows you to create a new species and control it from a single celled organism as it evolves into a complex species and then take it into space where it can interact with aliens.

From what I have seen the graphics look amazing and there are endless possibilities of ways to make your creature look.



The game is based on single player play however you can upload your creature into a database where it will then be rated by other players who then have the option of downloading to their world just like you can do with the mii's for wii.

The buzz around this game has been ever growing since it was announced. I can see this game becoming very addicting as you try to get your species to evolve. Also seeing as how the Sim games were very popular I'm sure Spore will follow suit.

Castle Crashers

This past weekend I stumbled upon a little game on the Xbox Live Arcade called Castle Crashers. For the small price of 1,200 (about 15 bucks in real life) marketplace place you can download this little title and begin going medieval on some CPU ass.

Before you start your quest you have the choice of four different characters each with a different magic power: The Green Knight who shots what looks like toxic sludge, Red Knight whose power is lighting, Blue Knight who is basically Sub-Zero, and the Orange Knight with the ability to shot fire.

The game starts off pretty funny with your character rocking out before getting interrupted. Now from what I can gather your mission is to go and get back the Princess’s that we taken and this giant crystal that was taken by a guy that looks like (draws a blank).

As you progress through the game your character level’s up allowing you to add points to increase their strength, magic, agility, and defense. You are also taught new combos, pick up different weapons that can affects any of your abilities, and have little animal orbs follow you each have their own way of helping you. Any time you want to change weapons or animals all you have to do it head back to the blacksmith and take what you want.

Now as stated before I really haven’t played my heart out because it was Labor Day weekend and my liver needed to be punished. However the map is very Super Mario World 2/3ish and very easy to navigate. Along the way you can stop off at stores to buy new weapons, animal orbs, bombs, and health potion/pb&j sandwich’s that help you grow stronger. Also if you want to try your hand in a arena battle they have they in just about each “world,” but keep in mind they will make you mad and if you win then hey a new hidden character!

The enemies get stronger as you progress through each world and that will help you decide which animal orb (rammy or batty can be helpful) to take along. Bosses aren’t going to cause you to play for 24 straight hours to beat them and if they do then you may want to hang up your controller right now.

My only real problem with the game is that it freeze’s when you try to play on Xbox Live or has a problem finding games. Microsoft and the developers are working on a patch right now to fix said problems and I hope they get out soon because playing this by yourself can get a little boring.

All and all this is a must buy for anyone who needs something new to play until The Force Unleashed comes out (12 days) or enjoys some pretty sweet and funny graphics.

Graphics – 4/5
Controls – 4/5
Fun Factor – 4/5

The Game Show

You can check out The Game Show Live every Tuesday at 1am EST/10pm PST on Stream TV. You will fall in love with the host's, share a few laughs, and maybe win some cool prizes. Plus G4's Alison Haislip joins them every so often to lend her beauty, charm, and smarts (Nikola 'think that;s how you spell her name but stupid web filters at work' has plenty of that to go around).

Some reasons to buy a PS3

O and apparently the Blue Ray player in it has the ability to upgrade itself and the Blue Ray format changes which means regular Blue Ray players won't work with new Blue Ray technology when it comes out. Plus a Blue Ray player, those games, help with the Stanford HOME project, and an entertainment system for $400 bucks not to shabby (I think I like you a tad bit more PS3 and may go and buy you now).

Ghostbusters: The Video Game in video game Limbo

One of the most anticipated games of the year (not only by yours truly) has joined the looked of the new Duke Nukem Game in video game limbo. However unlike everyone's favorite pig cop killing, catchy one liner spitting, and stripper fondling Bad Ass this game hasn't been in the works for about half my life.

According to recent (not really) news:
"On July 28, 2008 Activision Blizzard (the publisher of Vivendi's and Sierra's titles) announced that only five franchises would be released through Activision. Ghostbusters was not one of them and was put in developmental limbo following the announcement. The Sierra PR team later confirmed that the game was not and would not be cancelled. The game is still listed on the Activision website with a release date of the October 31, 2008. On July 30, 2008, it was reported that the game may be delayed until 2009, with Sony Pictures stating "this has presented [Sony Pictures Consumer Products] with an opportunity to reevaluate the game release marketing strategy to potentially coincide with the 25th anniversary of the original film in '09." Activision and Sony Pictures are looking for another publisher."

All I have to say is WHYYYYYYYYYYYYY?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! Why must the entertainment industry mess with all the good things from my childhood. I swear if the G.I. Joe isn't even close to being what it should be, this game doesn't come out, and Michael Bay f*ck's up Soundwave in the new Transformers movie I will no longer have anything left to remember from my childhood because they have all been distorted by Hollywood and their games (well hopefully the new TMNT movie can bring some of it back if it doesn't suck).

New Live Action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movie coming!!!!!

This is the best news I have heard today and I feel like I am 5 years old again. Hopefully they will make up for the disaster (in my opinion) of that animated TMNT movie that came out like two years ago. Plus even though most people will disagree the third movie was pretty great.

Imagi and Warners I BEG YOU do not SCREW UP this "re-invention" because I will never forgive you. You were able to bring Batman back to what it should be so work the same magic with this.

Also if your looking for someone to play Master Splinter I know the perfect person.

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

This weekend I watched Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog and all I have to say is Buy it, Rent, Download it, do whatever you need to in order to see this.

You follow Dr. Horrible (Neil Patrick Harris) as he try's to get into the Evil League of Evil. Each of the three Act's start off with Dr. Horrible vblogging about his feelings and what he has planned. You learn about his crush on penny and his arc nemesis Captain Hammer. I really don't want to give anything away so I am just going to say that the songs are both heart-felt and funny with a bit of touching mixed in. Even though each of the three act's are about 14 minutes each you are left wanting more and attached to each of the characters.