Cheap Ass Gamer - Blogs - KillerRamen http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php A current listing of cheap video games, video game sales and video game deals: CAG en Sat, 25 May 2013 08:33:02 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/images/misc/rss.jpg Cheap Ass Gamer - Blogs - KillerRamen http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php Nike+ Kinect Training: Weeks 5 and 6 http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=25358 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 21:34:11 GMT *Hard Times...* Image: http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_meonw7cNvi1r1q61b.jpg The past two...
Hard Times...



The past two weeks have been all abut the ups and downs... I haven't been able to work out as much, but I did take people's advice and started calorie counting. I started using myfitnesspal.com and it's worked out pretty well for me. It's been really easy for me to find what I ate and to find out all of the information about that food.

I've been doing it everyday since and I think it's been to my benefit. I've also used the app on my Windows Phone and it seems to work just as well there too. It's helped me plan out my day for what I eat and it's gotten me to drink less soda than I normally drink. (I love the stuff, so there's no way I'm getting rid of it completely) Strangely enough, it says I used up all of my daily sugar with one can, but I've been keeping in the green in other areas. I've also used it to determine what I should eat at restaurants based on where I am at any given day.

So all in all, the dieting thing is going well, but the exercise thing isn't going too well. That's mainly because I've had two big interviews these past two weeks. I felt really good about both of them, but I didn't get hired for either of them which really sucks.

Ah well... Hopefully this week will be better.

Week 4
Week 3
Week 2
Week 1 ]]> KillerRamen http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=25358 Nike+ Kinect Training: Week 4 http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=25299 Mon, 04 Mar 2013 20:58:56 GMT *Program Complete!* Image: http://b.vimeocdn.com/ts/405/356/405356977_640.jpg After 4 weeks,...
Program Complete!



After 4 weeks, I have finally completed my first program. It's gone fairly well, but I can't help be a little discouraged. I haven't really lost any weight even though I am feeling better and I greatly increased my fitness and athleticism scores.

The entire program took between 12 and 13 hours to complete. It's kind of hard to say exactly because the program has crashed on me a couple of times right at the end of my exercise, but before my score has been recorded.

While it has helped me get in better shape, it has yet to really payed off on the scale. I guess I am getting older, so I might need to try to change my diet more and see if that helps. Although, it is pretty discouraging to work out every day and only lose 2 pounds. Ah well...

Week 4 on my Blog
Week 3
Week 2
Week 1 ]]> KillerRamen http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=25299 Nike+ Kinect Training: Week 3 http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=25279 Wed, 27 Feb 2013 17:11:21 GMT *Over Nine Hours of Sweating With the Kinect! * Image:...
Over Nine Hours of Sweating With the Kinect!



So it's been three weeks and over 9 hours of "training" with the Nike+ Kinect Training game. It's been an interesting run so far and it's also got me seeing all of the limitations with the Kinect device. The Kinect is too limited in its line of sight and sometimes it makes parts of my body disappear without reason. It also has some precision issues which make scoring a bit anomalous at times. There are some exercises that don't seem to score correctly at all and some that just don't seem to really work.

However, even with all of the inherit problems with the Kinect device, the game has proven to be quite useful. For what it is and for how little it cost me as compared to many other workout options, I think this game has so far proven itself to be quite good at what it does well even with all of its flaws.

The game has helped keep me on schedule and in a routine. My doctor suggested that I try to exercise everyday, so that's what I decided to put into the game. So far, I've kept every appointment even if I've often had to do it right before bed and even if it doesn't show one of the days due to a calender error.

I'm into Week 4 and the final week of the program. At the end of the program, I'll be reassessed and given a new Nike Athleticism and Nike Fitness score. The first time I took it I was well below average, so hopefully I'll be able to up it quite a bit. After the assessment, I'll go into my next program.

Week 3 on my Blog
Week 2
Week 1 ]]> KillerRamen http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=25279 Nike+ Kinect Training: Week 2 http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=25248 Tue, 19 Feb 2013 18:03:55 GMT *Two Weeks With to Nike+ Kinect Training* Image:...
Two Weeks With to Nike+ Kinect Training


After two weeks with Nike+ Kinect Training I think I can safely say that it does an ok job for what it is. It helps give me a good setup to keep me doing my routine, it keeps track of my progress and it helps correct my mistakes. It's also only $50 and I can use it for as long as I like.

After two weeks I do notice a change in my body. Even though I have only lost a couple of pounds, people have commented that I look slimmer and I generally feel better than I have been. My body doesn't hurt all the time and I'm sleeping better. Even when I get less sleep, I seem to be more alert and rested. My pants are also feel a little looser, so I guess that good too.


Something that's interesting that you start to get messages from athletes You get them when you get an achievement or when you keep up with your schedule and get so many days in a row. (3 days in a row seem to be a very popular time for these messages to pop up) They pretty much just say you're going a good job and to keep it up. None of the athletes are like big names from the NFL or anything, but I think it's a nice touch.

I have mentioned previously that space can be an issue with this game. You need quite a bit of room so if you're thinking about this game you might want to try the demo first to see how it works with your living room. You might also want to get rid of that coffee table because it's just going to get in the way and be sure to watch out for pets when you're jumping around.

So after two weeks, I think it's going pretty good.

Week 1 ]]> KillerRamen http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=25248 Nike+ Kinect Training: Week 1 http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=25216 Fri, 08 Feb 2013 18:10:30 GMT *Can a Kinect Game Help Me Get Back Into Shape?* Image:...
Can a Kinect Game Help Me Get Back Into Shape?


At one time I had a 32 inch waist, I would ride my bike everyday for hours, I would do triathlons multiple times every year and I lived a fairly health lifestyle. Nowadays, I'm not all that healthy and my pants size has exploded to a 42. A little more than a week ago, I went to my doctor and she told me that I now weigh 288 pounds and that I should get some blood work done. She mentioned something about possibly getting diabetes and urged me to try start exercising anywhere from 3 times a week to every day.

It was pretty clear to me that my depression and the bar exam had really started to take a huge toll. It's also been really hard for me to find a permanent job after getting my license and there would be days where I would do nothing but play World of Warcraft all day. Something clearly had to be done.

It's winter now and St Louis can be really freaking cold. Although, we have had some weird stretches where it's fairly warm. Then a day later it snows, so I really didn't think I could get into a good routine with outdoor exercises. I was also getting to a size where I wasn't really comfortable going to the gym. I decided I wanted to do something at home, so I started looking in to the Nike+ Kinect Training game.

I downloaded the demo off of Xbox Live, then a few days later I tried it out. The sample exercise really got my heart pumping, so I decided to give the full version a try.

First things first, Nike+ Kinect Training requires quite a bit of room to work properly. They say 8 feet on the box and it needs that and more to pick up all of the moves you're doing. Although, if it can't track you it will go into a mode where it will let you complete the exercise with tracking off. (Which is helpful for some exercises which require you to be on the ground)

To see if the game will work with your space, I would highly recommend downloading the demo. I have to move my TV to make it work properly, but at least it's also gotten me to do a better job with cable management so I can easily slide my TV into position when I'm ready to play.

The game starts up by taking your vital information. For me it was Age: 28, Height: 6'2" and Weight: 288 pounds. You then set your goal, to get lean, get strong or get toned. You also get to pick either a male or female trainer and then it's onto your assessment. You also have to set a schedule for your new routine. Since my doctor said she wanted me to workout everyday, that's just what I put down.

The game has three different types of workouts and they are also comprised of a bunch of different exercises. The game also puts a big focus on warm up exercises and cool down exercises (something which I've never focused much attention to even though you're really supposed to). After your warm up, you go through one or two different training sessions and you are given the option to do an additional one or be done for the day.

What really shocked me about the game is how hard it worked me. I've worked with real personal trainers before and they have a tendency to sometimes cut you a little slack. This game, it doesn't care. You have a set amount of time to do your exercise, a set amount of time to take a breather and then it's right back to work. The game also gives you a horrifyingly accurate representation of your body. I honestly didn't realize exactly how bad I had gotten until I saw it in a big orange blob. (It also shows your fat when it bounces up and down)

I really do appreciate the game's honesty. The first day on my assessment I really got a good look at how bad I have gotten, but by the end of week one I have started to feel a little better doing the exercises It still kicks my butt on a daily basis, but it's much more manageable.

To get a year long membership to Gold's Gym it costs $399, which ends up being $33.25 a month. If you already have an Xbox 360 with Kinect, the game retails for $49.99, but you can get it for less on Amazon. If you don't have an Xbox 360, there's also a $299 Nike+ Kinect Bundle (which is $100 less than a membership to Gold's Gym).

I do think it's a pretty good value for what it is. A workout routine is only as good as what you put into it, so results will vary. After the first week I am very happy with my purchase and I will be posting updates with how I'm doing.

My Blog ]]> KillerRamen http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=25216 Thoughts on the Amazon Kindle eBooks Settlement... http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=24737 Sat, 13 Oct 2012 17:42:54 GMT I got the following message from Amazon today regarding the settlement: Dear Kindle Customer, ... I got the following message from Amazon today regarding the settlement:
Dear Kindle Customer,

We have good news. You are entitled to a credit for some of your past e-book purchases as a result of legal settlements between several major e-book publishers and the Attorneys General of most U.S. states and territories, including yours. You do not need to do anything to receive this credit. We will contact you when the credit is applied to your Amazon.com account if the Court approves the settlements in February 2013.

Hachette, Harper Collins, and Simon & Schuster have settled an antitrust lawsuit about e-book prices. Under the proposed settlements, the publishers will provide funds for a credit that will be applied directly to your Amazon.com account. If the Court approves the settlements, the account credit will appear automatically and can be used to purchase Kindle books or print books. While we will not know the amount of your credit until the Court approves the settlements, the Attorneys General estimate that it will range from $0.30 to $1.32 for every eligible Kindle book that you purchased between April 2010 and May 2012. Alternatively, you may request a check in the amount of your credit by following the instructions included in the formal notice of the settlements, set forth below. You can learn more about the settlements here:

www.amazon.com/help/agencyebooksettlements

In addition to the account credit, the settlements impose limitations on the publishers’ ability to set e-book prices. We think these settlements are a big win for customers and look forward to lowering prices on more Kindle books in the future.

Thank you for being a Kindle customer.
The Amazon Kindle Team
================================================== ========
(c) 2012 Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
Amazon.com, 410 Terry Avenue N., Seattle, WA 98109-5210.
Reference: XXXX

Please note that this message was sent to the following e-mail address: XXXX
================================================== ========
Benefits from an Attorney General E-books Settlement Fund

Para una notificación en Español, llamar o visitar nuestro website.

Records indicate that you are eligible for a payment from Settlements reached by the State Attorneys General with E-book publishers Hachette, HarperCollins, and Simon & Schuster. The Settlements resolve an antitrust lawsuit about the price of electronic books (“E-books”). Amazon.com has not been sued in this case. It is providing this notice as a service to its customers.

What the Settlements Provide

The Settlements create a $69 million fund for payments to consumers who purchased qualifying E-books from April 1, 2010 through May 21, 2012. If the Court approves the Settlements, eligible consumers like you will receive automatic credits to your E-reader accounts. The credit can be used on any purchases of E-books or print books. The amount of your payment has been determined based on the qualifying E-book purchases identified by Amazon.com in your E-reader account.

How to Receive your Benefit

Because you are pre-qualified, you do not need to do anything to receive your credit. It will be applied to your account by Amazon.com automatically, and you will receive another email letting you know when it’s available. (If you bought E-books from more than one retailer, you may receive notices with different instructions about whether you will receive a credit or need to file a Claim Form for that retailer. You will have a separate claim for each retailer and you should follow the specific instructions from each one.)
You also have the option to receive a check instead of your credit. You can request a check by calling 1-866-621-4153, or going to the Settlement website listed below, and clicking on the Check Request Option link. Be sure to reference the Settlement ID number found at the bottom of this email. The Settlement website is: www.EBookAGSettlements.com

Your Other Rights

You can choose to exclude yourself from the Settlements and keep your right to sue on your own. If you exclude yourself, you can’t receive any benefits from the Settlements. If you don’t exclude yourself, you can submit objections about the Settlements.
Your written Exclusion Form or objections must be postmarked by December 12, 2012. Please visit the Settlement website for detailed information on how to submit a valid Exclusion Form or objection.

A separate lawsuit against two other publishers and Apple, Inc. continues and is set for a trial in 2013. Your rights in the separate suit are not affected by any action you take in regards to these Settlements.

The Court will hold a hearing on February 8, 2013, at 10:00 a.m. to consider whether to approve the Settlements. You or your own lawyer may ask to appear and speak at the hearing.

For more detailed information:

Call 1-866-621-4153 or visit www.EBookAGSettlements.com

Thoughts


So sometime in 2013 I'm going to get some Amazon credits to spend on more Kindle Books. I mean, that's nice and all, but I don't really feel like I've been done wrong by Amazon in any way, matter or form. This is going to create a $69 million dollar fund for people who bought eBooks from Amazon, but it's also going to give the lawyers who filed this lawsuit a great deal of money as well. If I had to guess, they'll probably make close to $70 million dollars themselves.

It also means Amazon is going to incur all of those costs and they also had to pay for high priced lawyers themselves. I know the purpose of these lawsuits is to protect consumers, but in this case it seems like it's going to hurt the consumer.

I knew exactly what I was getting when I decided to buy my eBook devices and I knew exactly how much it was going to cost when I bought each of my eBooks. I thought the prices were fair and the time and I still do today. I also like that Amazon gives away the classics for free even though it costs them money to format those books and bandwidth isn't free either.

So while I may get a couple of bucks for buying books sometime next year, I fear that as a consumer I may have to pay the cost to make up for Amazon's losses. I wish that lawyers wouldn't keep trying to find reasons to sue people to make money when it's clear that the consumer is not being hurt. In fact, I think the consumer has been well served by their entrance into the eBook market by bringing serious competition to Sony which also encourage other competitors to get involved as well.

In conclusion, I think this lawsuit is stupid and what's even worse is that while Amazon has settled there are other companies that continue the fight.

Now if you excuse me, I'm going to go read some books on my Kindle.

http://8bitjerel.blogspot.com/ ]]> KillerRamen http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=24737 Of Kindles, of Cheetahmens and Jaguar CDs... http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=24597 Fri, 07 Sep 2012 02:32:09 GMT I was meaning to make this a normal blog post, but I kind of ended up turning them into separate... I was meaning to make this a normal blog post, but I kind of ended up turning them into separate articles so please bear with me.

Kindles

So my first eBook was a Sony Reader which was released a few years prior to the original Kindle. I've loved eBooks ever since I got my first one and I've really been facinated by their developments. The sub-$99 eBook has already become a reality, but they keep getting cheaper with The $69 Kindle. There's also some things I like about the new Kindle Paperwhite like the new screen, but I think my Kindle 3 still has a superior interface.

I've always been interested in tablets too ever since I saw the first Windows Tablet PCs in the early 2000's. However, they've always had the same problems. They're too expensive, they're under powered and they can't do what a computer of a similar price point can do. I think the new Kindle Fire HDs are a step in the right direction, but they're still not there yet for me to take the plunge. Full Post

Cheetahmens

It's official... The Cheetahmen II: The Lost Levels Kickstarter has been funded and it is going to be released on 12/12/12. There has been a great deal of controversy regarding this project, but I really don't see it the same way as the detractors. My Thoughts on Cheetahmen II: The Lost Levels

Jaguar CD

I haven't been able to spend a whole lot more time with this project because I still can't figure out what the heck is wrong with it. I did find someone who may be able to help me out, so we'll see if I can finally figure out what's wrong and what I have to do to fix it. ]]> KillerRamen http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=24597 Playing with the Jag CD, starting a blog, waiting for insurance and stuff... http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=24540 Mon, 27 Aug 2012 15:48:40 GMT

So I was able to take apart the Jaguar CD this week. When you get right down to it, it's kind of a strange beast. I'm not sure why they did some of the things they did, but I dunno... Maybe that's why it seems most of them don't work anymore.

I'm not entirely sure what's wrong with it yet, but I don't think it's getting power. It doesn't have an LED indicator on the CD unit itself, so it's hard to test it without a volt meter. I guess I could try to use my finger, but I have a thing against being electrocuted (maybe it's just me).

Many of the things that I know are sometimes wrong with them didn't seem to be wrong. For example, since the CD spindle isn't standard some people would push down on the CD which would make it so the CD would no longer spin.

Anyway, some time next week I should be able to borrow my dad's volt meter and we'll see if my hunch is correct.

The reason why I think it's not getting power is because while the Jaguar power indicator light on the main system turns on with the Jaguar CD connected, it doesn't matter if the Jaguar CD is connected to a power supply or not.

My new blog

I've been trying to give myself more stuff to do, so I decided to start writing a blog as well. I dunno if I'm going to keep up with it, but it's been kind of fun setting it all up. I also used to write reviews, so I'm planning to write new ones. Here's a list of some of my old reviews.

I get an intellivision game!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uKWX...ayer_embedded#

I picked up a factory sealed Intellivision game for a buck at a Flea Market. It was kind of neat to see what's inside. I've never actually had one before. I also ordered a new gamebit on eBay (because I lost mine), but it's too fat to fit in NES carts. It works great for Super Nintendo and Genesis games, but not what I really needed. I guess that's what I get for trying to save a couple of bucks.

Insurance

Before I can officially open my doors, I need malpractice insurance. I don't think I can be sued for very much for fixing traffic tickets, but I'm not starting without it. I'm not really sure how long it's going to take, but the form I had to fill out was kind of excessive.

...and stuff.


So yeah... If all goes according to plan I guess I'll start up in like a week or two. I have plenty of stuff to do until then and hopefully I'll get back to working on my gaming kitchen table project this week. I still don't know what kind of a slip-ring I need and they don't sell them in normal hardware stores, so that's really been putting things on hold. ]]> KillerRamen http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=24540 KillerRamen gets an Atari Jaguar and Jaguar CD! Plus job update. http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=24520 Tue, 21 Aug 2012 21:59:32 GMT http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmY8CCrlHiE So I got an Atari Jaguar and an Atari Jaguar CD... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmY8CCrlHiE

So I got an Atari Jaguar and an Atari Jaguar CD yesterday through a CAG trade! I'm really excited because I've never owned one before.

Some of the games I got include Alien vs Preditor and Tempest 2000, which are both games I love. I also got Battlemorph, Cybermorph and Raiden. I love Rayman, but I have yet to find it at a decent price. I've also been thinking about picking up Attack of the Mutant Penguins because it's cheap and I love penguins. I also think it looks pretty cool.

The Jaguar CD doesn't work, but I'm going to try to fix it. I guess we'll see how that works out for me. :lol:

On the job front, I decided to take the plunge and go into solo practice. I registered my new law firm as an LLC last night. I also registered my domain name (yay CAG GoDaddy coupons) and started a facebook page.

Right now I'm working on getting malpractice insurance and I'm looking to join the local Chamber of Commerce. I'm still going to try to become a prosecutor, but right now I have to do something.

I guess we'll have to wait and see how this whole private practice thing work goes. ]]> KillerRamen http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=24520 Stupid economy always ruining my plans... http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=24500 Sat, 18 Aug 2012 18:15:04 GMT I graduated law school in January of this year, I took and passed the February bar exam, I got... I graduated law school in January of this year, I took and passed the February bar exam, I got licensed in late April, but I've yet to land a full-time job. I hoped to be an assistant prosecutor by now, but the closest I've been able to get to that is some interviews.

In the meantime, I'm working part-time for a political campaign. It's really fun. I like looking up data and putting together lists and stuff, but it doesn't really pay much of anything. It's probably good for me in the long-term since the candidate might be able to help me get a full-time job after November, but who knows.

I know it's hard for everyone right now, so I guess I can't really complain. I've started to do some basic legal work on the side to help pay the bills and I've been looking into going solo. My mom has some extra office space she says she's willing to lend me that has really good road frontage, so that's definitely an option.

I guess this really isn't how I imagined it would be after law school. I thought I'd have a stable job and I didn't think I'd have to worry about the potential of moving somewhere else if I got a job offer somewhere on the other side of the state. During the summer I like to do plays, but I had to decline since I really couldn't commit to anything. It's just a really weird feeling being in a state of limbo.

...Anyway, I've also started on a few little projects and I think I'll try to occupy some of my time making a few youtube videos here and there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWSEEuq9iCg

I'm getting a Jaguar/Jaguar CD next week, so fixing the CD Unit is going to be fun. I've never actually seen a Jaguar CD before outside of its box at my local Babage's ages ago, so getting this thing to work is definitely doing to be an interesting challenge. Between me, my buddies and my dad's buddies I think I should be able to figure it out eventually.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VG_-RstEc20

I've been lurking on AtariAge for awhile now, so I think I have a good idea about some potential things that might be wrong with the system and what I might be able to do to fix it. If I run into trouble (which I'm expecting), hopefully someone there will be able to help me out or give me some advice/encouragement.

My other big project is a new kitchen table. I've always loved those Pac Man Cocktail tables and I really wanted to get one to be my kitchen table, but those things are really expensive. So I'm making my own kitchen table that's going to be like that in that it's going to play games, but it's going to be configured quite differently. I plan on posting an update on it when I get one of the more vital parts that's going to allow me to make the monitor spin around.

...So yeah, I'm kinda bored right now and I'm trying to give myself some stuff to do. Anyway, here's my two other unboxing videos that I filmed last night.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKmIwPeuFrM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eq032u2qhY8

I've also been thinking about making videos on how to clean game cartridges that get marked up with black permanent marker and have stickers all over them. I've also started to take all of my NES carts apart to clean them and polish the contacts.

I'm not sure if people really care to know about that kind of stuff or not. *shrugs* ]]> KillerRamen http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=24500 I Wish You a Merry Snowpocalypse and a Happy PSWii60 Day! http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=18634 Tue, 01 Feb 2011 02:40:31 GMT I've yet to see this two feet of snow that they're talking about, but there's one thing for sure... The weather man is going nuts and it's been a hell of a couple of days for the grocery stores. I tried to get an extra bag of salt today, but I had no luck. My 25 pound bag should be enough, but who knows... It's not like I'm going anywhere the next couple of days. SLU Law never closes, but we're closed until at least Wednesday. (Maybe longer if what they're saying is true...)

I've got a full refrigerator of food, plenty of Vault and a huge back log of video games to get to. I hope everyone in the Midwest and Eastern states are warm and safe during this time of impending thundersnows and ice storms.

What's everyone playing now that we're all about to be snowed in? I've been playing Enslaved on my Xbox 360 and watching random movies on Netflix. :bouncy: ]]> KillerRamen http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=18634 Dance Central/DanceMasters: An Interesting Start, a Promising Future http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=18390 Sat, 15 Jan 2011 05:03:55 GMT So I've been playing Dance Central for quite a while and I've come to the conclusion that it is the best game I've played on the Kinect and it is probably my favorite Xbox 360 game of 2010. It features a soundtrack of lots of fun pop songs, it incorporates real dance moves and it has a mode to learn the dance moves. The higher the level of difficulty, the harder the routine and the more variety/difficulty of the moves. While feeling a little incomplete, Dance Central is probably the best dance game I have ever played.



DanceMasters on the other hand couldn't be more different in its way of execution. It doesn't really feel like a game seeking to replicate dance routines in the normal sense. Instead, it really reminds me of show choir or cheer and it kind of makes me feel like they missed out on an opportunity. The characters on screen are singing and dancing to the routines and to me it seems like it would have been better if they could have tried to execute a singing/dancing game. It definitely feels suited for it with the kind of moves and songs that they choose. While Dance Central used more American songs, DanceMasters has a more Euro/ParaPara vibe.



However, the biggest problem with DanceMasters is that it seems to me that they just released an incomplete game. Instead of changing the routine with each new difficulty level, DanceMasters just makes it easier or harder to cheat. You see, instead of the game telling you what's next and judging your dance moves, the game tells you which poses or hand motions you'll be graded on. So in easy mode, there are few poses which are graded and on hard mode there are more poses and more hand motions which are graded.

While DanceMasters seems to have a bit of difficulty with the scoring system and it really doesn't help you learn how to do the dances, I think that the interface of DanceMasters is a bit stronger than Dance Central. While Dance Central's interface is kinda clunky and requires lots of arm raising and flailing, DanceMasters has a simple slide interface with a simple raising of your right arm in order to confirm. I also think the augmented reality stuff is an interesting touch, but I don't think it was executed all that well.

As far as dancing is concerned, I think Dance Central pretty much nails it while DanceMasters was released before finding out what kind of a game it wanted to be.

Hopefully Konami can improve upon what works and fix what doesn't, but ultimately I don't think they should try to make a dance game in the traditional sense. Instead, I think they should go all out with DanceMaster's inherit goofiness and make it a singing and dancing game.



On the other hand, I think Harmonix has found a winning formula and a new platform to sell music in Dance Central. They need to improve the interface, add more challenges, more characters and they need to improve upon the graphics engine to make all of the movements a little more fluid. Other than that, I think Dance Central is a really great dancing game and I can't wait to see how they improve upon it in Dance Central 2.



The Kinect works really well with replacing the dance pad with a dance camera and I'm pretty excited to see how other developers use it in other dance and music games. While I really don't have much hope for Dance Paradise, I do think Michael Jackson: The Experience has the potential to be incredible if they get the dancing part right because the songs and choreography is already perfect. Child of Eden also looks like it's going to be good and I have high hopes that Sega will come to their senses and make a Space Channel 5: Part 3 for the Kinect.



While I really didn't expect much of anything out of the Kinect I do see myself enjoying it more and more. I can't wait to see what kind of music and dance games they make next! :bouncy: ]]> KillerRamen http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=18390 Seriously? http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=17518 Fri, 12 Nov 2010 04:07:32 GMT So previously on KillerRamen's Blog, some dude broke into my house and stole a lot of my stuff. http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=17448

I've been living with my parents since then and I've been starting to put back the pieces. I got a new laptop and a new bookbag which I really like. I've been gaming on my PSOne playing the Misadventures of Tron Bonne.

Today I went to the Microcenter and was looking at their PSOne games. Believe it or not, but they still sell PSOne games brand new. They had Chrono Cross, Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy Chronicles and something else. I ended up not buying one, but I suspect I'll need something to play down the road.

The Microsoft Store's super slow delivery service finally delievered me my Kinect. So now I have a Kinect, Kinect Adventures, Kinectimals, Dance Central and no Xbox. :lol: I guess it's better this way because it would have been gone too. :roll:

I've also been recreating all of the work I lost that was on my old laptop. My seminar professor is awesome and she seems like she's willing to work with me on a due date for my paper. I'm just trying to get a presentation together right now, so we'll see how that goes. Honestly, the hardest part is trying to recreate all the hours of research.

So, I got a call from the police today about my Hannah Montana PSP, but it's in Montana or Minnesota or something, so it's probably not the right one. So I went back to my place today to check the serial number on the box...

Guess what happened? They broke in again. AGAIN! Twice in one week, I mean, what the hell? The police came again and they got quite a few prints. The dude messed with my limited edition Final Fantasy XIII soundtrack and guess what? The super slick case picks up finger prints really well, so who knows. Maybe they'll find a match.

In terms of stuff, it doesn't look like they took anything else. They just randsacked the place looking for the couple hundred dollars in cash they dropped the last time they broke in. (I was saving for a TV... I guess next time I'll just buy Amazon giftcards and tie it to my account when I'm saving up for something special)

Honestly, I am just glad I wasn't there and all of the important things that didn't get stolen the first were already out of the house. I could tell the guy was messing with my cutlery and I found my butcher's knife in my living room for some reason. I'd rather not think about what would have happened if I was there... I don't know what's going to happen with school now. It's really hard to get my head back into the whole law school thing.

To the fucker who keeps breaking into my house, this one is for you...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KmSc34LQ50

So aside from the suck that's been going on, I've been thinking about getting a newer system. My PSOne is awesome, but it's kind of strange to go back after all this time. My PS3 is my favorite system (I love JRPGs/SRPGs), but I really want to play the new Kinect stuff and I have a lot of Microsoft Space Dollars. The Wii on the otherhand, while not my favorite console is super cheap ($199 + $50 rewards points this week at K-Mart) and would make it really easy to replace (it also has Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love... Which is my favorite game of this year). Finally while the PS2 is even cheaper with a great library, nothing new is coming out for it aside from some games I don't really care about.

So I'll pose this question for my blog, if you had all of your consoles stolen from you aside from your PSOne, which one would you replace first? Or would you just keep gaming on your PSOne until you get everything else straigthened out?

Update:

So apparently there was a Greatful Dead Concert (or the dudes that formed Greatful Dead) at SLU today.. It definitely made the night interesting in a good way. There were all sorts of interesting characters out around school when I was making my way home tonight. :lol:

In terms of something awesome that happened tonight, I got a free chicken dinner tonight at the Chick-fill-A on campus. They took like 25 minutes to make me my chicken nuggets and then the nugget pressure cooker got stuck. I ended up getting an orange soda, a chicken sandwhich, some fries and a 12 piece chicken nugget all for free! :whee: (The cows would be pleased) ]]> KillerRamen http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=17518 What a terrible day http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=17448 Mon, 08 Nov 2010 08:38:17 GMT What a terrible day… So I was robbed today. Someone broke into my house and stole a lot of my... What a terrible day…

So I was robbed today. Someone broke into my house and stole a lot of my stuff.

They got away with nearly my entire console collection; my Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, both of my Playstation 2s, my DSs, my Gameboys, a broken PSP 2000 [that that!] and my Hannah Montana PSP! I know my Hannah Montana PSP is awesome, but seriously?! I bet they were like, OMG LILAC PSP! Fuckers…

I also have a pretty big gaming collection and it seems that almost all of my games are safe. They did steal some games I didn’t really care for like Grand Theft Auto 4, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, God of War Collection and God of War 3. However, they also took my copy of Final Fantasy XII, Final Fantasy XIII, Project Diva, Valkyria Chronicles II and Kirby’s Epic Yarn (why Kirby?! WHY?!.. I love Kirby. :cry:)

My laptop was taken too. As a law student, my entire life [my outlines, seminar paper, ect] is on my laptop and now it’s gone with only two full weeks left of classes. I’m going to have a pretty fun discussion with my dean tomorrow (or today) about what I should do, but I suspect that I am going to have to at least drop my seminar (since my seminar paper, presentation, research and pretty much everything was on that thing). I’ll also be lucky if I pass my other classes… Ah well.

On the plus side, they didn’t mess with my Top Loader NES, Genesis, Dreamcast, complete GameCube or my PSOne with LCD Screen. If nothing else, I’ll be kicking back and playing some Mega Man Legends or Misadventures of Tron Bonne! (Yeah, they didn’t seem to be impressed with my classic game collection. I have a perfect copy of Lunar 2, Mega Man Legends 2, Mega Man X3, ect… They just didn’t seem to care.)

At the end of the day, I should really consider myself lucky. I wasn’t there when the break-in occurred, so that’s good. I thought my cat got out, but after an hour or so of searching I found him in a closet cowering in fear.
Those crazy bastards might have gotten away with my jar of pennies (seriously, it’s a jar entirely full of pennies), they dropped the cash I was saving up for a new TV on the floor and they didn’t even touch my Trek bike.

All in all, I would say that today kinda sucked. My consoles are gone, I can’t sleep and I lost all my game saves. The ones that hurt the most right now are Valkyria Chronicles II at 24 hours (40+ hour game), my Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love game save (It’s a 24 hour game and I never got all the endings. Including Ratchet!), Fable III (I beat it as a good girl while saving everyone… I still wanted to go back), Super Mario Galaxy 2 (World 5), New Super Mario Bros Wii (2nd to last world) and Super Meat Boy (I was 3 levels away from unlocking the final boss).

This is the second time that someone’s done something like this. The first time they failed and it looks like I won’t be living there anymore. I’m at my parent’s house now (which is really weird since I’ve been living on my own for the past 7 years or so) and I guess I’ll be moving to a new place very soon.

Ah well, tomorrow is a brand new day. It can’t suck as much as the last one and I hear they’re serving pie and punch. ]]> KillerRamen http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=17448