Mega CD RPG on iPhone

I don't know how I managed to miss this for so long but last December a new entry to iPhone snuck in there which was an instant no brainer for me to buy. $5.99 will get you a complete port of an old Mega CD RPG called Vay. Now back in the day I was one of the few loyal hardcore Sega fans that raced out and bought the bulky add on. I sold my Teac player at the time to help fund it! LOL But games were few and far between. Sega did a rubbish job of distributing titles and once again it was up to my contacts at the time to help me out with grey importing. One title that escaped me all this time was Vay. If I had of known of it's existance I would have snapped it up immmediately.

Vay is your typical Japanese RPG. I say that in a nice way as this form of gaming is my bread and butter. The game starts off with a video manga intro (not the best animation by far) showing a prince marrying his mysterious bride. But the whole shebang is interrupted the land is under attack and you lose your bride to be and your parents. Bummer eh?

So we start by trying to work out the controls. The original game was brought out by a little known company called SIMs. But this re-release has been modified immensely to bolt onto the iPhone. Controls are now achieved by tapping to where you wish to move to on the screen. Sounds clunky but it works surprisingly well. All text is retained from the original game but is now displayed in the iPhone font. You tap the message to scroll through dialogue. Also all menu screens, such as weapons, inventories, etc, are displayed via iPhone menu screens. Kinda strange at first and yes you do lose that 90's retro feeling when you see the iPhones crisp text. The in game screens are all the original Mega CD screens but the battle screens (turn based btw) are totally reworked by SoMaGa (the company doing this port).

Check out Youtube and type in Vay, iPhone and I'm sure you'll find a review or two there.

Personally I am wrapped that a company has taken on such a project with some attention to detail. It's a shame thay they didn't revamp the graphics in any way but the music from the CD, which was always Mega CD games biggest drawcard, has been faithfully brought over to the iPhone experience which is a real treat. All the video animation sequences play out via the iPhones video capabilities. You get to quickly get out of the game (say if a call comes in) and you can pick up where you left off with no hassles. HOORAY! Save points have always been a gripe of mine with RPG's. But you still need to save often as you'll only be able to return to your last save point if you should die in battle.

I hope Sega take a look at this game and get motivated to re-release some old Mega CD titles. Also I hope Lunar (which I have!) gets the iPhone treatment and Lunar 2.

Top points to SoMaGa for bringing back the old skool!

Games I'd Like to See in A Ultimate Mega Drive Collection Sequel

My pre-ordered Mega Drive Collection game arrived the other day for the Xbox 360 and I'm chuffed with it. The amount of feel good coming from this title is amazing. BUT... it's not EXACTLY the Ultimate as the name suggests. So... if having 40 titles is a standard number for an "ultimate" Collection. Then here's my 40 for the sequel:

1. Sonic CD (Mega CD) - it's pretty obvious that's a winner
2. Snatcher (Mega CD) - Most underrated title of the 90's
3. Speedball 2 (Mega Drive)
4. Sensible Soccer (Mega Drive)
5. Eternal Champions (Mega CD) - The CD version just had a little more to offer
6. Mortal Kombat (Mega CD) - Only because it had THE soundtrack sampled from the arcade... oh and the gory bits! LOL
7. Cool Spot (Mega Drive)
8. Wonderboy (SMS)
9. Wonderboy in Monsterland (ARCADE)
10. Wonderboy III (SMS) - One of my all time favs!
11. Wonderboy in Monsterworld (Mega Drive)
12. Micro Machines (Mega Drive)
13. Micro Machines 2 (Mega Drive) - Weirdo Four Player J-Cart which I have the original in my collection!
14. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (Mega Drive) - Surprisingly good one on one beat 'em up
15. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Hyperstone Heist (Mega Drive)
16. Virtua Racing (Mega Drive) - Most Expensive game in my catalogue!
17. Desert Strike - Return to the Gulf (Mega Drive)
18. Jungle Strike (Mega Drive)
19. Final Fight CD (Mega CD) - This was an awesome port from the arcade version
20. Earthworm Jim (Mega CD) - This version had many extra features which most of us missed
21. Keio Flying Squadron (Mega CD) - Obscure, zany shoot 'em up. Just think Samurai Pizza Cats with guns
22. Shining Force CD (Mega CD) - Ultra Rare RPG
23. Midnight Resistance (Mega Drive)
24. Revenge of Shinobi (Mega Drive) - Just sort out the copyright issues will ya!
25. Thunderforce 2 (Mega Drive)
26. Thunderforce 3 (Mega Drive)
27. Thunderforce 4 (Mega Drive)
28. Landstalker (Mega Drive)
29. Gunstar Heroes (Mega Drive)
30. Mickey Mouse in the Casles of Illusion (Mega Drive)
31. Shadow Dancer (Mega Drive)
32. Toejam and Earl (Mega Drive)
33. Toejam and Earl 2 (Mega Drive)
34. Outrun (ARCADE)
35. Choplifter (ARCADE)
36. Ghostbusters (Mega Drive)
37. Bio-Hazard Battle (Mega Drive) - Pretty cool shooter
38. Musha Aleste (Mega Drive) - Bloody cool shooter with best Mega Drive music
39. Twin Cobra (Mega Drive) - Great arcade port shooter
40. Sword of Vermillion

Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection - My Vinyl Has Arrived!

Today I recieved the first mail order game I have bought in ages. Well... it takes ages to be this good. To be this good takes Sega. Or at least it use to. But here is a game featuring a whole swag of titles that do rock. Personally I am here for the juicy RPG's that I know so many of you will just skip or play for the achievements. But I am even interested in Fatal Labyrinth. Warning... you can die from over eating in that game! LOL

As for the collection. Well in my previous entry I laboured to list them all but seeing them in a list and actually sitting down to play through them is entirely different. I must first say that I am really chuffed to see ALL the Phantasy Stars sitting there in that list and the Shining series didn't go un-noticed. But, I am a little sad to see Wonderboy V, Afterburner, Outrun, Toejam and Earl, Crackdown, Wrestleball and a few others didn't get a showing. Can I smell a sequel coming soon? While we are at it... where the heck is Sonic CD? That game didn't reach the audience that it deserved to.

Games in the list that may annoy some but I found fun were Flicky (I actually had the old old old SC-3000 Sega computer version) and Congo Bongo (known as Tip Top here for some odd reason and yes... another SC-3000 classic). Also Gain Ground was a favourite in my household with it's cool music and simply yet addictive nature.

Overall the game is well presented with a virtual Mega Drive type main screen, some quirky old school gaming generic music and tons of hidden extras to keep you plowing even through the less desirable titles (wise frum yor gwave!). The interviews will put you to sleep but seeing the creators of Sonic, Phantasy Star and all the old school Japanese classics give their (much glossed over) views on the past is interesting. Watch the one featuring the creator of Phantasy Star III and I challenge you not to throw something at the screen!

I am so loving this title and especially the vinyl album that came with my limited edition version. Now... where can I find a turn table to play it? LOL

Today I Went Nolstaga GAGA

I have been getting so hooked up with NHL 09 lately that I almost neglected all my other games in my collection. All I have been focusing on is #74 and his NHL career! But an announcement got my attention recently that stopped all that in its tracks... almost. Sega's new trip down memory lane with the SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection being released on dual platforms (PS3 & 360). Going down the list made me go a bit teary eyed. It reads like this:

Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle
Alien Storm
Altered Beast
Beyond Oasis
Bonanza Bros.
Columns
Comix Zone
Decap Attack starring Chuck D. Head
Dr. Robotnik's MBM
Dynamite Headdy
Ecco the Dolphin
Ecco II: The Tides of Time
E-SWAT
Fatal Labyrinth
Flicky
Gain Ground
Golden Axe I
Golden Axe II
Golden Axe III
Kid Chameleon
Phantasy Star II
Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom
Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium
Ristar
Shining in the Darkness
Shining Force
Shining Force 2
Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
Sonic 3D Blast
Sonic and Knuckles
Sonic Spinball
Sonic The Hedgehog
Sonic The Hedgehog 2
Sonic The Hedgehog 3
Streets of Rage
Streets of Rage 2
Streets of Rage 3
Super Thunder Blade
Vectorman
Vectorman 2

Now I know they can't all be gold. I cringe at the thought of playing one or two of these games ever again (WISE FRUM YOR GWWAVE!!!!) especially in hi-def. But I can't help but feel excited at the chance of having another crack at some of those RPG's! Plus having Vectorman (both of 'em no doubt) and also all the interviews, insights plus secret unlock-able games. Already Shinobi (ARCADE), Altered Beast (ARCADE), Congo Bongo (ARCADE) (it's an ancient title that I use to play on Sega's first computer/ console) and Fantasy Zone to name but a few. This is Sega's chance to really fly it's flag at today's iGen kids and show what made them big... and bust.

A couple of things come to mind with this compilation. Firstly... the omission of some titles. Revenge of Shinobi for starters. Man that game rocked with music that simply caned your butt whilst playing it thanks to the kicking bass thrown in. Herzog Zwei is another title that needed to be there. It was arguably the first console real time strategy game... but more importantly it rocked. I use to play this against my brother and we'd just like the fact it was all in real time, split screen and unforgiving. Building a mass army of boats to go bomb your opponents base in one big rush was awesome fun! Gunstar Heroes is another. Yes I know it's by Treasure and not Sega but surely... why split hairs? It had amazing visuals that were suppose to be not capable on the Sega console. It must have made some hardened Nintendo fanboys take note at the time.

Seeing this list has made me drag out my Gameboy Advance Micro and hit Phantasy Star again. That retro feeling is back and I'm enjoying it. Sometimes the newer titles, with all their realism and intricate plots... just don't get it. Gaming is meant to be fun. We don't want to know why we are suppose to plow through a platoon of soldiers and blow up their base... point is it'll be fun just doing it. I love new 7th generation console games and marvel at the technical accomplishments they set out to achieve and nail. But sometimes just watching your character's abilities raise and gaining a new, more powerful weapon or armour is more fun!

Eternal Sonata (360) - SHort Review

I had been curious about this title for sometime. Actually it was on Gamespot that I first spotted it. But to find it on a bargain bin (JB HiFi for all you Australian gamers) for only $29 was a treat!

 

You play the part of a group of adventurers in a world that has been dreamed up by Chopin who is on his deathbed at a tragically young age. From the very get go you'll be in love with the amazingly lush detail that has been pumped into this title. This kind of game seems to be only possible by Japanese game designers it plays more like a cartoon with lenghty cut scenes (my controller timed out on one of them!) and gourgeous landscapes that carry the story line from start to end.

 

It's only downfall are the documentary like interludes that give you an insight into Chopin's tragic short life that break up the pace of the game. It's fuelled by lushes visuals, an engaging combat system that utilises light and shadow to give the player more to think about during battles. Plus it's voice acting won't leave you wanting to hit the mute button. My only critisism is that the game is very much linear. But this may appeal to the more casual gamer. It still has enough to amuse the more harden RPG'er considering the lack of turn based RPG's on the market today.

What's Your Rep?

Just curious to know if you have looked at your own Xbox Live rep yet? You should! It's a great insight into what people think of you! At the moment... I am apparently a potty mouthed git who can't stand losing. Well... it doesn't state that in so many words but here's my report:

 

Negative Feedback

Bad Language: 40%

Unsportman Conduct: 60%

 

Well so what! If I don't like F*&%ing like losing and I make sure they know it.. I'm only proving that I am in fact human! LOL

 

Top Ten Xbox 360 Titles

Here are my top 10 games played on my Xbox 360 according to www.360voice.com which has been tracking my gaming habits since almost day one of owning the Microsoft console:

 

1) Halo 3 (77 days)

2) NHL 07 (32 days)

3) Pinball FX (30 days)

4) PGR 3 (27 days)

5) Bejewelled 2 (22 days)

6) UNO (21 days)

7) Puzzle Quest (21 days)

8) Blue Dragon (20 days)

9) Bankshot Billiards (18 days)

10) Dead or Alive 4 (17 days)

 

There's no surprise at Halo 3 being at the top. Heck my old Xbox was also known as the Halo console. But one of the big surprises is that half of the games in that list are Xbox Live Arcade titles. Downloads. Paid downloads I may add. But it shows the success of Microsoft's Live Arcade platform. But lately the titles being released on the XLA platform have been crud. But some decen, higher quality stuff is on the horizon. Especially with Capcom launching some re-polished arcade titles. Is anyone else in the games industry taking notes?

Top 5 Video Gaming Moments

You know it's been a while now. A while of me playing video games. From my earliest memories of snaking free games out of the milk bar owner by simply hanging around the shop long enough. Also accidentally knocking out the power plug when some kids much much older than me were playing. To learning what "tea bagging" a mate online in Halo and getting a visit by a stripper while playing Uno! I got to thinking... what are my best memories of playing games all these (25 odd) years? So... here I go:

 

1) Halo LAN Party - This to me was the pinnacle of gaming. 4 Xbox's, 4 players with headsets in different rooms killing each other and letting the other guys know it! Firsit started out with Halo 1 and we figured "it can't be that hard to connect these babies up can it?". So we strung 2 together and what we started... we still haven't finished to this date!

 

2) Get Ready! - Actual speech in a video game! The year was 1990 and we were all hearing about how big Sega's Mega Drive was going to be. But to actually have the Mega Drive in our house (before the official release) and have Space Harrier's beautiful sound blaring out the speakers was a treat. But hearing that voice ring out "GET READY!" in crisp 6 channel stereo... man. Hard to explain to a kid now how big a deal that was. Guess you just had to be there!

 

3) Tiger Upper Cut! - Super Nintendo killed it when they brought real arcade gaming to the house hold. In fact the whole Street Fighter thing in itself was just so god damn big. Never before and never again did we see one singular title dominate an arcade hall. I'm talking about a whole string of SF2 machines lining the Timezone wall. Spining Bird Kick!

 

4) Play by Play! Sega attempted to pull this off. But they failed miserably. I'm talking about Joe Montana's Sports Talk Football. But years later EA achieved what Sega dreamed of. Commentating in a sports game. I honestly didn't think it could be done so well. Especially in a Hockey game as the game flows so so quickly! But when we bought NHL 98 (PSX) we were in for a surprise! "Wow a truck hit him!" "He shoots he scores". The players names and teams all got commentated on. It was freaking amazing technology and one still in use today. Well done EA!

 

5) Revenge of Shinobi - I include this title for one reason only. Presentation. This was the first title to get it right! The music was from none other than Yuzo Koshiro and it was stinking hot! That guy knew how to milk a 16 bit sound processor for all it was worth! But it wasn't just the music. It was the whole package. When you fired up that game it was no ordinary title sequence. From the moment you saw that ninja pop up and deflect all those ninja stars... you knew that this was going to be a special game! Was one of the big reasons why I wanted a Sega Mega Drive at the time!

 

If you have a list of your own top 5 moments or even just one special moment... leave a comment!

SirBargeArse Goes Off on Xbox 360

I was on such a roll yesterday on the Xbox that I over achieved! What I mean is that I broke my record for most individual achievements (11) in one day (according to http://www.360voice.com/blog-view.asp?id=29379645)

 

"SirBargeArse seemed really excited to play yesterday. Our current gamerscore is 4,212 . That is a boost of 260 points over last time! We have now entered the 4,000 GS club! He opened up Marvel Ult. Alliance adding 4 achievements, Hexic HD, Rockstar Table Tennis finishing 1 achievement, Bankshot Billiards 2, Hexic 2, Kameo picking up 2 achievements, Full Auto adding 4 achievements, Streets of Rage 2, and did it while drooling over my awesome graphics and sound. "

 

Now the score moves up to 4212. Gristlefat should start to look over his shoulder soon me thinks...

Crickeys! Tilt! Crocodile Hunter Pinball Machine!

I'm itching to buy a pinball machine. So while scrounging around the net I saw this little baby! Seems as though the Crocodile Hunter Pinball machine will be out soon. Shame no one carrys pinny machines anymore. I'd really want a crack at this table!

Click Here --> Steve Irwin Pinball Machine

Pinball FX (360) - Review

Photo grabbed from http://www.flickr.com/photos/rhoran/291278554/ 

 

"Pinball FX fills the gap currently in the 360 lineup with a good solid graphics engine. Live Cam support is a plus!"

 

Well this was a surprise. I dove into the Xbox Live menu and with no previous announcements the word Pinball lit up. Well I just had to give that a try. With a couple of plays I was hooked and just new I had to part with the hard earnt (800pts) to get this!

First off the presentation to the game is pretty standard stuff with all the Arcade releases so far. You get the choice of three tables:

SPEED MACHINE: A full auto themed table with ramps being the main feature. A fast paced table with in game missions such as dB challenge (you have to crank your sub woofers) and Tune Up. The most popular table of the three on offer. You'll spend most of your time here!

EXTREME: I'm a little lost on the exact theme but it seems to be mostly eXtreme sports. The most disappointing of the three tables. The layout is too cramped with it's split level design restricting the action to two half layouts. The music is a real lamo Prodigy wannabe. Not much fun here.

AGENTS: 007 rip off with a perhaps more modern edge feel to it then James himself. But the famous licenced to kill agent need not worry. This is a mediocre table with loads of wide open space allowing a fast paced game. Features some great flash light effects that add to that "I'm playing this at the milkbar" atmosphere!

A couple of interesting non traditional features are included with Pinball FX. Firstly there's the interaction of the Live Cam. Not only do you get to see other players on their cam's in the Multiplayer option (I'll touch on that in a moment) but you can choose to play the game with the camera in a Eye Toy style game of pinball. To be honest I failed to get any real joy out of that style of play as the nature of pinball is sharp reflex reactions to be in the game. The camera (despite much fine tuning with the in game options) failed to deliver. Although there were some scores online that made me wonder just how the heck they managed!

The main pulling feature I've found lies in the multiplayer online play. Here you can either set up a game or join a lobby. The main aim of multiplayer is a "first across the line" style of game where you pick a finish line score and a penalty (either 0%, 10%, 25%, 50% or Take Everything) for a loss of ball. This is where Pinball FX shows it's reason to download. You get to see the players up top with the camera feeds displayed and a line marking out live score progress. It's great to see the opponents marker slide down after a lost ball. But if they trigger off a special feature of the game then it could be Game Over real quick!

A couple things I didn't like were some of the table designs are a bit wonky. One of the ramps in Speed Machine tend to just chuck the ball down the side chute every time. Hardly the reward you'd want to get for making the ramp! Also the multplayer would need a better ranking system.

But for a measly 800pts this is one download that is worth the effort. The overall feel of the game just works. The rumble motions mimic the actions of a real table. A big plus here is the promise of new tables to come. Here's to hoping for a Halo themed table! Give Pinball FX a try!

Lots of Xbox Stuff Coming Soon

I'm very pleased to see MS and Bungie announcing all this stuff over the last week or so. This makes me one very happy game head. For a while there I figured maybe this whole PS3 thing would take over the spot light too much and us Xbox 360 owners were forgotten about. But some real promising announcements have been revealed this week:

 

Xbox Live will now join the Windows Live network.

This means you could be playing a game or watching a DVD and all your Messenger buddies can now see what game your playing and send you a message. If you don't want to be disturbed (as the most common reaction to this has been "I don't wan't people nagging me while I'm watching a movie") you will be able to switch it off or there maybe a DND mode.

A new Joypad keyboard coming soon

The photo's of this puppy make it look like one really smick peice of hardware. It sits neatly in the under part of your controller and is so slick looking it'll have even Apple thinking "that's neat". I also just found out that any USB keyboard works in the 360. Something I previously didn't know. So where's the X360 browser Bill? I'll be picking one of these babies up.

Halo 2 Maps Launched Next Week

Some re-worked Halo 1 maps to be launched via the Extra Contents menu screen (not the Xbox Marketplace) for about the price of a coffee (to quote a stupid TV commercial shown here in Sydney).  My only gripe is that they didn't release the original Ice map. That map went off and is sorely missed. In fact why not just re-work all the original maps? Shame.

Regardless... I'll be downloading this down ASAP and so will my online Xbox mates.

Halo 3 Beta

In May the Beta is sent WIDE OPEN. But for a LIMITED TIME ONLY. So as soon as this is made available you should hop onto it as it's gonna be closed in June sometime and you'll have to wait for the finished product to play anymore. The Halo 3 preview video released this week looks wicked and has us all pumped up waiting to frag once again.

Dashboard Update

Next month also sees a big reworking of the dashboard. Well... little things but nice touches. Such as seeing what game is sitting in your CD tray without having to play it. Seeing how many Achievement Points you just earnt without needing to pause the game and a re-working of the Market Place. It will have it's own blade now. Sweet.

So that's about it. I'll be fanging out for H3 but till then... I've gotta drag out and play all these games I already own. Oh... and that's in between study time and everything else. Sheesh. Wish I was a kid again!

 

I Finally Scored a Threesome...

OK. So I'm only joking. But you know it's every guy's dream but being married means shelving the possibility! LOL But I can still pretend! Plus I've got the graphic to prove it! This 360 Achievement graphic can also be yours if you head on over to:

http://achievements.schrankmonster.de/

Have fun with it!

Talking about 1000 Xbox 360 Achievement Points in 6 hours

Those of you out there who are fortunate to own an Xbox 360 might wanna check this link out. If you're an Achievement hunter like me... you'll be wanting to know how to grab a quick, easy 1000 pts in a 4 hour sitting. Curious? You should be! 

Quote

1000 Xbox 360 Achievement Points in 6 hours

Did I Mention I Like Halo... a-bloody-lot!

At the risk of hearing a collective groan from readers thinking "oh no not another Halo fan boy" I have to state that besides Street Fighter 2 and... maybe Doom I can't think of a game that captivated folks in a genre previously looked over. Halo 1 first captured me in it's detail. First game I played to fully utilise the 5.1 surround system I invested so much time and money into at the time. So diverse in weapons and vehicles that mismatches were not usually a problem. It was the game that encouraged most of my mates to get an Xbox so we could indulge in LAN parties for the first time. But the real clincher was to come in the form of it's sequel. The solo story is pretty lame. To date I am embarrassed to say I am yet to finish it! This is because my same said mates have all now gotten hooked on Xbox Live! I'm talking about guys who use to write video gaming off as nerdy. These same guys are now pre-occupied with headsets and flaming each other verbally in real time online. One guy even got an internet connection JUST for the Xbox (still is yet to invest in a PC!).

It's not to say that Bungie haven't got faults with the games. Heck there's a ton of stuff wrong with Halo 1 & 2. It's just that the games in their current form are so damn painfully fun to play that you just are forced to forgive Bungie on the lame complaints we have on the titles!

Can't wait for H3 and hope that:

a) The achievements are decent enough to not simply walk through

b) That the Live Camera is used to wreak havoc in the after game wrap ups!

My First 24 Hours with My Xbox 360

After handing out the hard earnt and then parting off from the shop with my newly prized 360 my first impression was "damn this beeyach is heavy!" as it broke the plastic bag it came in! After carting it home I got to the task of unpacking it. Gotta say it's the biggest console packaging I've seen since I bought a Mega CD back in the day. I was impressed with the fact that Microsoft have included most items needed to get play underway. Remote, wireless controller, one big mutha of a power pack and plenty of other gizmos. The fact that they include Energizer battery's instead of some hack Taiwan bootleg power cells didn't go unnoticed.

Being able to plug the optic 5.1 straight into the 360 via the AV plug was something of a bonus that was a sore point with me last time round. Xbox was always advertised as a 5.1 unit and to find you needed to outlay a further $60 was a slap in the nether region when all you wanted was out of the box in your face action. But it seems enough of us complained to make M$ get it right this time. So after having all the jacks in place I power up. No more bang bang bang start up screen. A nice simple bing and I'm faced with setting screens. I had to fiddle about with my wireless adapter (DWL-G820) but a simple power cycle sniped that problem in the butt.

So I'm now up and running and connecting to Xbox Live, my favourite single most thing about the whole Xbox eXperience. Getting my profile ported over was a sinch. Rather than the dicky Credit Card verification method I simply needed to use my Windows Live sign in. Cool. Since I use that often I knew the password's etc off by heart. Once I signed in everything fell into place.

I then hooked in my webcam which I purchased as a headset came with it (but not with the 360 itself tsk tsk). Once I plugged that in the dashboard changed ever so slightly. My image was in a watery mess in the background as a nice touch. Well done R & D. Subtle but slick utilisation of the cam. After sorting that I now wanted to get online with Halo 2 (afterall we did refer to the Xbox as "that Halo machine"!). Downloading the maps was gonna be a bother so I remembered I bought the Map Pack DVD and got that installed. Got into my first game and found that the voice with the 360 headset was a little more rough on my end but other users stated I sounded clearer. Strange indeed. I also had probs with the forementioned wireless adapeter. Seems the 360 is a little more greedier with data traffic so I had to stop and re-config to speed the DWL-G820 up in "Turbo G" mode.

Right so that's the Live side sorted out. Lets play Kameo. Yawn. Eject. Maybe I gotta give it time but it seemed like a chore to play this right now. So I leave it for another day. I then hop back in to see what this new console of mine can do. I head to market place. Buy some M points or whatever they're called and buy Bejewelled 2. Yeah I know Streetfighter 2 was there but I'm hooked on this puzzle thing! Played that but didn't earn any gamer points.

So sussed all that out but what about this streaming music thing? So I head to the Windows Media section... follow the prompts and although I don't have Windows Media Centre I still manage to send music from my Wi-Fi to my Hi-Fi thanks to my wireless router network I have in my house. Looks like that Logitech Music Anywhere bluetooth music streamer is out of a job! I couldn't believe how easy it was to get the music from my PC to the 360. The visualiser looks fantastic with the webcam throwing in a surprise or two with some creepy effects when I moved. But the lack of a shuffle or random feature is a bit of a concern unless I have plain missed it.

I also watched some video's streamed to my telly and it all looked good in widescreen. Photo's come up surprisingly clear as well! So overall they score highly for the media aspect of this machine which goes way beyond expectations in music management. Even simply displaying music titles despite not being online was a big surprise to me.

So after some Red vs Blue on Marketplace, getting my first accomplishment points and watching a DVD that wrapped up my first day with the 360. Overall I am keen to see what other surprises Microsoft have in stall for what promises to be a great console for years to come. I'm stoked.

Of course I'll be updating this blog with any new problems or good surprises that come my way so keep an eye out for that!

First Ever Killing Frenzy in Halo 2!

I can't wait to get stuck into my Xbox 360 when it arrives. Till then Halo 2, Fable, Project Gotham Racing 2 and Silent Hill 4: The Room are getting a working over. But mostly it's always Halo 2 that resides in the CD tray.

After complaining to a newly found mate on Xbox Live that I have only achieved 1 Killtacular ever and coming oh so close to doing it on MANY occasions I finally got my wish... and then some!

I achieved my first KILLING SPREE! 5 in a row... 4 seconds between. It was almost 6 in a row but... RAN OUT OF BULLETS! LOL

By the time I was reloading I had cheesed off enough of them and was pinned down... and tea bagged for my efforts!

Can't wait for the new maps. Hope they simply re-launch Halo 1 maps as well for use with Halo 2. That would simply ROCK to play the old tracks again. Countdown for Halo 3 begins! Sign me up!

Level 10! So now check out my Video Blogs!

Can't believe it's taken this long but FINALLY I'm on level 10 on my Gamespot blog site. So now I'm allowed to post video blogs. I've wasted little time and have got two up there so far. My first blog was simply more of a test than a blog. It's a quick fly by of my collection and not much more. But my latest v-blog shows ME! I decided to show 5 blasts from the past that I have in my collection. I loved these titles and still enjoy a quick hit out on them today.

For my next blog I may show off my NHL collection from EA. Best and worst of the series and how much they have wained away from the innovative side of things that made EA a household name.

Hope you enjoy the blog. It's a totally new experience for me!

More Stupid San Andreas Related News

In response to San Andreas Suits Advance

Although Rockstar stuffed it big time by having such content within the game has anyone forgotten the lengths needed to view the offending title. It's not like you can accidentally come across it during one of the missions. If it were an option within the open menu then yeah I could understand the legal cases occuring for sure. But were talking redundant data. We should all drag out Sonic 2 for the Mega Drive and play the lost level (which was only accesable using an Action Replay as Sega couldn't complete the game in time) looking for sexually suggestive content. OK... stupid comparison but you get the drift. People buying a game based on gang welfare selling drugs, shooting rival gangs and not to mention the language used within the game should hardly be offended with the hard to get to mini game which only hard core nerds could access to begin with. Furthers the call to have 18+ Rated games become readily acceptable.

Sony Suck - Game Over For Liksang.com

Strong call I know but if this mega giant gets any bigger there WILL be no competitors. Just ask Liksang.com. I have made some purchases online from this great website. My Dreamcast Sonic 10th Birthday tribute pack to name one of a few great grabs from them. But their website now displays a Out of Business due to Multiple Sony Lawsuits sign.

Game Over for Liksang. Who's next? Will we be forced to buy our games from only major retailers who kiss these corporate high flyers on their rosey red cheeks? Sorry but the majority of gamers will be happy buying the basic release. Your top 10 rubbish that sells really well. But some of us like to be able to track down that rare title or odd memorabilia. But if Sony keeps giving these grey importers law suits claiming dodgy arguments such as "protecting the rights of consumers" then we'll all be forced to buy $2000 PS4's with Xbox etc out of the race as Sony sign exclusive retail deals to corner the already bully boy like market