ZeroAnd09

Limbo is the first entry in Xbox Live's Summer of Arcade.  It's a 2D platformer/ puzzle game with a simple design and premise.  Don't be deceived though, Limbo will test your abilities to the fullest. Limbo follows a boy in his adventure to find someone.  There's no written story, no cinematic or interactions that reveal anything about our protagonist's motivation.  Limbo is a monochromatic world where you must continually move forward. The design is simple with the boy and most objects being blacked out.  The background is filled with shadows and brilliant points of light.  It is enchanting and haunting at the same time.  The only sounds heard are the boy's foot steps and ambient noises based on his environment. The game starts off as a platformer and then ramps up into a puzzle game.  The transition comes about an hour into the game.  The difficulty of the puzzles increases exponentially.  This can lead to some incredibly frustr...

I'd like all of you to meet my best friend, Ryan.  Ryan plays Call of Duty.  A lot.  He also draws comics.  Comics that I'm going to put up here.

From the official Gears site. "The fate of Carmine lies in your hands! For the first time in franchise history, Epic Games and Microsoft are giving fans the chance to decide the fate of a character in Gears of War 3. By purchasing avatar gear on Xbox LIVE Marketplace, fans and gaming communities around the globe will decide the destiny of the newest Carmine brother set to appear in Gears of War 3, with all the proceeds going to the Child’s Play Charity. Keeping with the series’ tradition, Clayton Carmine will be introduced in the trilogy’s final chapter, and like Anthony and Ben, the newest rookie brother runs the high risk of meeting an early death. However, unlike in the previous games, the Xbox community will choose whether Carmine lives or dies by purchasing special Gears of War 3 avatar gear on Xbox LIVE Marketplace. Starting July 29, two new avatar t-shirts will be available on the Avatar Marketplace on Xbox LIVE—one shirt reads “Save Carmine,” and the other reads “Carmi...

Finally!  Clayton Carmine has been revealed for Gears of War 3!  My multiplayer experience will be complete! 

What happens to games when they become popular?  They become filled with scammers and douchebags.  When playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, I receive multiple messages from scammers (both text and mumbled voice), promising instant levels through the use of the mysterious 10th prestige lobby. What is the 10th prestige lobby?  A fabled place where those who have leveled up to 70 ten times over can host a game where they set the rules.  Rules like, a single kill will net you a level.  The idea is that you pay 1200-1600 Microsoft Points ($15-$20) for a match and you'll snag some easy levels.  What boggles the mind is that you don't unlock new weapons or skills.  All you get is a title and emblem.  Something that can be earned with time and dedication. That's assuming the seller is on the up and up.  More often than not, you'll pay the price and then never hear from the seller again.  I can't say I feel bad for those that fal...

July 21 - Limbo July 28 - Hydro Thunder Hurricane August 4 - Castlevania: Harmony of Despair August 11 - Monday Night Combat August 18 - Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light Buy all five and get 1200 free Microsoft Points.  Buy three and get 400 points.

Bob over at Insert Token  posted this question.  I typed up a rather long opinion.  What is yours? From an outsider's perspective, it can be intimidating. The Xbox 360 controller has 11 buttons, plus two analog sticks and a d pad. But everything is intimidating if you lack knowledge. Think of your first day on any job and how scared you were of messing something up. The same thing applies to controllers. Because of this, just like training a new employee, I start with easier games to initiate those unfamiliar with the controller. As they grow more comfortable with the controller, I increase the complexity of the games played and soon enough they can use the controller without difficulty. I'm of the opinion that if a chimp can learn sign language, you can learn how to use a controller. You just have to get rid of the mindset "There's too many buttons, I'll never learn to use it." You are awesome, you can do anything, including kicking your kid's butt ...

Today is a sad day for everyone on Xbox Live.  Microsoft has announced that they will no longer continue 1 vs 100.  This is an absolute shame.  For the past two seasons, Kim and I would log in almost every night to play.  It was fun and different.  It made for an excellent break from sawing the Locust Horde in two. For the announcement, click here.

I have a lot of games.  Last count put me in the lower 200s.  I have a lot of games I need to review.  I have a lot of games that I need to beat so I can review them.  I feel kind of trendy typing this up on a laptop. Supposedly the folks at Penny Arcade have this same problem, only they don't do so many formal reviews.  They've put into place a white board with a gaming schedule on it.  While I like this idea, it frightens me that my collection has reached a point where I need to set a schedule to make sure I'll play every game I buy.  At the moment, the games I own but have yet to beat are: Alan Wake Devil May Cry 4 Divinity 2 Final Fantasy XIII Infinite Undiscovery Overlord 2 Prince of Persia Red Dead Redemption Star Ocean 4: The Last Hope Tales of Vesperia X Blades Mass Effect Dead Space: Extraction Monster Hunter Tri Trauma Center: Second Opinion Persona 4 Phantasy Star Potable Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria Haunting Ground Sc...

Epic games have been in the business of revolutionizing the gaming industry. They started with Quake and continued with Gears of War. It was released in November 2006. Gears of War follows the members of Delta Squad on the planet Sera. Players assume the role of Marcus Fenix as he fights the subterranean race of Locust Horde. The Locust are hell bent on wiping out the human population and it’s up to Delta to find a way to map their massive subterranean tunnels and deploy the Light Mass bomb and wipe them out. Where Gears is truly revolutionary is the gameplay. It is played from the third person perspective. It uses a cover system that has since been mimicked in nearly every shooter made since. The “A” button controls everything from sprinting to enter cover and taking evasive maneuvers. Popping out of cover is as simple as holding the left trigger to take aim and the seemingly never ending horde of enemies. To make things easier, players have access to an impressive lineup of w...

I bought Marvel Ultimate Alliance a while ago and then purchased the DLC.  My brother-in-law purchased it a few months after me and was unable to find the DLC.  Turns out it was a limited time offer.  Yet I never read anywhere that this was the case.  To compound the issue, players with the DLC couldn't play with those that did not have it.  The player base as effectively grouped into two, the haves and the have nots. Well, there has been a lot of complaining on that point.  Now the DLC has returned.  But once again, only for a limited time.  You only have until December 31, 2010 to purchase the DLC. Get it here For those not in the know, the two primary DLC are as follows: Juggernaut playable character Psylocke, Magneto, Cable, Black Panther, Carnage and four new simulation missions.

I have a love hate relationship with working on computers.  Generally, I love the technology and by relation, fixing said technology when something goes wrong.  But when people can't take simple precautions such as installing an anti virus program or not opening every email and clicking every link, it makes me want to do bad things.  I just spent six hours doing work like this.  While it is easy, my inner rage is rising.  The catch 22 is that if people took the time to learn how to do these little things, I'd lose 80% of my business.

Well, I'm back on the crack pony.  The editor and my good friend Bob Presswood of Insert Token paid me in WoW accounts for contributions to the July issue (order yours today!)  I thought it was fair.  But now I must manage my addiction to this game.  And I really need to get Dirtelf  some better gear.  It's been nearly a year since I've played.  So if you play on Mannoroth and are an Ally, drop me a message and we'll get something going.

July 5 Furry Legends  (Wii) July 6 Persona 3  (PSP) Despicable Me  (Wii, DS, PS2) Crackdown 2  (360) Tournament of Legends  (Wii) July 7 Monkey Island 2: Special Edition  (360, PS3, PC) ArmA 2  (PC) Blacklight: Tango Down  (360) July 9 Battlfield 1943  (PC) July 11 Dragon Quest IX  (DS) July 13 DeathSpank  (PS3) NCAA Football 11  (PS2, PS3, 360) Mytheon  (PC) July 14 DeathSpank  (360) July 16 Puzzle Quest 2  (DS) July 20 7 Wonders II  (DS) Trackmania  (Wii) Arc Rise Fantasia  (Wii) Need for Speed World  (PC) July 27 BlazBlue:Continuum Shift  (360,PS3) Starcraft 2  (PC) Clash of the Titans  (PS3, 360) Ace Combat: Joint Assault  (PSP) Guilty Party  (Wii) July 30 Commander: Conquest of the Americas  (PC)