http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php A current listing of cheap video games, video game sales and video game deals: CAG en Sat, 18 May 2013 22:27:24 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/images/misc/rss.jpg http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=5369 Thu, 01 Jan 2009 19:34:35 GMT This is the big one, of all the consoles this year, I paid the most attention to my 360. It could... This is the big one, of all the consoles this year, I paid the most attention to my 360. It could be because it’s the eldest of my modern generation machines, or it could be that it had the array of titles I was seeking, or it could be the seamless experience that it provides with online play, marketplace, and networking, making it a key component of my home entertainment center.

Moto GP ’07- I got the follow up to Moto GP ’06 expecting something more, but I was very disappointed. It pretty much falls into a facelift of 06 with it being just as difficult.

Project Silpheed – This is a title I got for the nostalgia factor, remembering the original from the Sega CD days, however, the opportunity to play it never presented itself.

Tony Hawk Proving Ground – The most current of the THPS franchise, this was much more of an exciting game than EA’s skate, but it also felt like THUG, with the career elements, rather than arcade style play. Of the modern generation, it’s my least favorite of the three (American Wasteland, Project 8, and Proving Ground), and doesn’t live up to THPS3, which is what I consider to be tops. I do need to compliment the music licensing team which made the experience enjoyable, as well as the ad team, where the in-game ads were fairly seamless.

Rez HD – What can be said about Rez HD that hasn’t been said about the Dreamcast or PS2 incarnations? This is just a really enjoyable experience, brought into 16 x 9.

Undertow – This was Microsoft’s attempt at saying they were sorry for the Live problems of Holiday ’07. I still haven’t played it.

Eragon – I picked this up really cheap, thinking that I would sit through a weekend and pick up the 1,000 achievement points. Life got in the way of that plan, and I never saw a weekend I could do that.

Rock Band – This was one of the games that was in heaviest rotation of games that I got this year. It combines, for the most part, great music with a social atmosphere. Almost anyone can play, and it’s great for gatherings. Also, there was quite a bit of great add on content that was released during, but I’m still holding out for a complete Blue Album.

Project Gotham Racing 4 – I’ve never been too fond of the PGR series as it leans more towards Euro supercars than rally styled cars, but I decided to give it a crack. The selection of cars and motorcycles in the game was overwhelming, since I was left without many of my favourites (or with my favourites well underpowered). The track selections were excellent and well designed, but even better were the weather effects. Also of note was a great licensed soundtrack, across several genres.

Star Trek Legacy – I picked this up on a clearance sale for a friend, who ended up getting it on their own. So I have a sealed copy sitting on my shelf.

WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2008 – Whenever I pick up a WWE game, it always sounds like a good idea at the time. Then on the initial pop in of the game, I realize that I don’t know who the cast of characters is anymore since it has been the better part of the decade since I’ve watched WWE TV. Also, it seems that the games get more and more complex each year, alienating the casual player.

Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 – There was a sale when Target had XBLA games buy 1 get one free, so I decided to bite on it. UMK3 was a game that I played during my college years and I gave it a crack. I forgot how much the game was about not only timing, but remembering what all of the combos were. The presentation is completely faithful to the arcade counterpart, but I’ve found difficulties in the matchmaking on live.

Worms – This was the second part of the B1G1 sale. The quirkiness of the Worms nostalgia isn’t as playable as MK is. I’d be willing to bet that taking away the PC interface that surrounds my memories of it has a lot to do why I found it boring on 360.

Dance Dance Revolution Universe 2 – Even though I can’t use my metal pad on my 360, DDR is fun, and the mix and backgrounds were a great evolution of the game.

Call Of Duty 4 – I picked this up since co-workers were playing online, and kept mentioning how great it was. I however wasn’t impressed. Technologically and artistically, the game is wonderful; however the content doesn’t keep my attention.

Call Of Duty 3 – This was included free when I bought CoD4, and with how much I didn’t enjoy the experience of CoD4, I didn’t even bother opening this.

Blue Dragon – This one popped out at me one weekend while I was doing some non-game shopping, at a price I couldn’t refuse. Comments on how it was made me grab it, however, the chance to give it a spin still hasn’t arose.

Viva Piñata: Party Animals – I can admit that I enjoyed the first Viva Piñata, and to a lesser extent the cartoon. I gave a whirl to this mini-game fest, and it was apparent, it followed the cartoon heavily, and was a cash in, with flat mini games, ala Fusion Frenzy.

The Simpsons Game – As a fan of the show, I felt it necessary to pick this one up, and the easiest achievement ever sweetened the deal. However the cameras and the semi-open worldness made it more of a chore to play rather than a fun romp in Springfield.

NASCAR 08 – Go fast, turn left. However the Red Bull rookies were severely underpowered in this simulation, making it not fun to always end the race below 35th place.

Karaoke Revolution : American Idol Encore - A great set list, Paula showing up for the recording session, online play, make for a fun karaoke romp. A great game for gatherings.

Cars Mater-National – Even though the game is meant for little boys that enjoyed the Disney/Pixar film of the same title, I liked the original game, as it was one of the best pure arcade racers out this generation. Mater-National gave more of the same experience, and met expectations.

Tetris Evolution – Tetris has appeared on pretty much anything that can play a game, and Tetris Evolution was the full-fledged 360 version. Unlike Splash, evolution plays smoother, and has several game mode options. A complete HD Tetris package.

Madden 08 – I’ll admit that I’m not that big of an American Football fan, but when the price is right, I’ll pick up a Madden. It fits the bill as the monopolistic franchise for the sport, nothing ground breaking, just roster updates from the last time I played. And a couple hundred easy achievement points.

The Darkness – I won’t look a free game in the mouth. This freebie, however just sits up on the shelf.

NCAA March Madness 2007 – I picked this up as a filler item from Amazon. Since I haven’t played a NCAA Basketball game from EA since ’03, I gave it a try. Nothing really to write home about, but a small handful of easy achievement points.

Sega Rally Revo – I’ve always been a fan of the Sega Rally series, since the inception as an arcade game to the great version on the Dreamcast. This game lives up to the exciting pick up and play arcade rally experience. Unlike rally games like the Richard Burns and Colin McRae franchise based games, this is one that is about quick and accessible play. Not to mention its absolutely gorgeous to look at, and the terrain deformation is just an added bonus.

Battlestations Midway – This one was staring at me with an absolutely low price tag, and I thought I would give it a shot. However the time to give it a shot hasn’t come around yet.

NCAA Football 2008 – After picking up the same title for PS3, I was able to grab this for 360. Unlike the PS3 incarnation, the 360 was a little less glitchy with lighting issues, and a more solid all around experience. Still the lack of 1-AA schools is very disappointing as I would have enjoyed playing as Princeton. As a whole, it is a solid American football game, with a fairly easy 500 achievement points.

NCAA Football 2007 – I made the statement that before we came back to the office from Labor Day, I would break the 10,000 achievement point barrier. A quick pick up of this was fuel to get it done, grabbing 235 points in 2 games.

Winning Eleven 2007 – This was the final year that Arsenal was a licensed team in the Winning Eleven/Pro Evolution series. The FA licensing is an issue I’ll continue to have with the game, as it may play very nicely, but if I can’t play as Arsenal at the Emirates, the overall experience is severely hurt.

NBA 2K6 – So this goes along with the 10K by Labor Day. I picked this up for 1,000 points in under an hour. The game itself is completely underwhelming compared to modern standards.

Pro Evolution 2008 – Even with rosters that go along with their respective teams, I’m not keen on playing as Cesc Fabregas, in a stadium with fans fenced off, with flares, for a team that isn’t Arsenal. The play and visuals are nice, but the true feel of Premier League Football is absent.

GRID – I’ve always enjoyed Codemasters racing games, as the European perspective gives a total different feel than American and Asian developed titles. The navigation interface is where this is seen the most, as its very sleek and modern. The vast array of race types and cars make it a very robust game, and serves both pick up and play and dedicated play models.

Scene It : Lights, Camera, Action – I’ve had the board game for quite a while, and the issue with the board game is the pacing of the game play. For the most part, the pacing issues are solved by taking the control away from those playing the game, and placing it with the game. The content is very similar to the board version, and keeps track of what has been seen. The included controllers make it easy for non-gamers to pick up and play. As a complete package, it’s a great party game.

FIFA Street 3 – I’ve always been a little leery of the FIFA Street series, as I enjoy club football much more than I do international. However, taking the French lineup, Street 3, makes for a familiar, fun, arcade style football game. Contrary to most of the reviews of this, the game is actually fun, and is meant to be fast and high scoring, as that is what street football is.

FIFA Road To The World Cup 2006 – I missed this one, and thought that it was going to be an easy 1,000 achievement points. I was absolutely wrong on this one, as it’s hard to step down from playing modern iterations of the FIFA/UEFA series and stepping back into the past.

Flatout : Ultimate Carnage – For $10 shipped, I decided I would give the Flatout series another go, however since I grabbed this title late in the year, I haven’t had a chance to give it a go.

Guitar Hero World Tour – I had expectations of this being a Rock Band clone, and I was absolutely right. The new guitar hardware is the key piece of the game with the lower fret touch pad, which while it works well on held notes, it tends to be a little too responsive. When a button is held down without a strum, there’s no penalty, when a lower fret is touched out of turn, the player is penalized. Not to user friendly in my opinion. I only picked up the guitar bundle, so I can’t speak for the drums. The set list is quite possibly the best of the franchise, with it being well rounded, and not overly modern, so I am familiar with many of the songs. Also the incredible difficulty of GH3 seems like it was toned down, making the title more accessible.

Frontlines : Fuel of War – If I didn’t know several folks that worked on this title, I probably wouldn’t have picked it up.

Top Spin 3 – As far a tennis games go, I was a little underwhelmed when compared with Virtua Tennis 3. I can’t really make out what the feel of this is meant to be, and fun really doesn’t enter the equation.

Thrillville : Off The Rails – I saw this in a clearance bin, and with fond memories of playing Rollercoaster Tycoon, I decided to give it a go. While the game is definitely a fun-based experience, there is a bit of tedium of managing the park, and forced to play unimaginative mini-games to complete tasks. The coaster creation is the high point of the game, but can only take it so far.

Dash of Destruction – This free advergame sets a new standard for Live Arcade Advergames. The elements of smashing through buildings to get Doritos, or driving like a wild man to avoid T-Rexes to deliver Doritos, made the game much more enjoyable than the attempt that was made for Yaris.

Facebreaker – Beating Kim Karsashian to a pulp is enough reason for anyone to own this arcade brawler. However those looking for a boxing game are going to be disappointed with this. If you look at it as a cartoony arcade fighting game, expectations are met. If you’re looking for Fight Night 4, this isn’t it.

Lost Planet – I grabbed this on New Years Eve day, and didn’t get to give it a whirl. The price and reviews were at a point that made it a need to purchase, and hopefully, I’ll get a chance to check it out.

TNA Impact! – This was another that I grabbed on New Years Eve day. I was mildly interested in seeing what could be done with the Unreal Engine as a brawler, and it finally dipped to a price where my curiosity could be quenched. ]]> BigDirty http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=5369 http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=5341 Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:41:47 GMT So this was the year that I finally got around to picking up my PS3. And it was at the very start... So this was the year that I finally got around to picking up my PS3. And it was at the very start of the year to boot, on January 2nd. So this is the second biggest entry, covering solely my year in PS3.

NCAA College Hoops 2K7 – After dropping quite a bit on the system, I had only a little budget left for games, and this was one that I was able to grab for a little. The game itself was nothing that I haven’t seen before, but just served as proof that the Dual Shock 3 was really a necessity out of the box.

Motostorm – While out on a venture in Chinatown, I passed by J and L and saw an imported copy for far less than a domestic was going for. On the recommendation of a co-worker I picked this up, and I was severely disappointed with the balance of the game, and that the clock ticked in real-time when there was the slow motion replay of the crash. I just hope that society as a whole never finds this entertaining; all it consists of is dirt and crashing and loud “butt” rock.

Def Jam Icon – This also falls into the budget being short for PS3 games, but I’ve always held a spot for EA Vancouver fighters. The presentation of lack of meters I felt to be very jarring, and the controls still felt very raw. A flat out disappointing experience.

Stuntman Ignition – Even though the original Stuntman had a difficulty curve like a 10-story brick wall, I was willing to give this a chance. Except now the 10-story brick wall had a couple more floors built on it, and the lack of rumble cues detracted from the experience.

Tiger Woods 07 – If this game wasn’t staring at me for $5, I probably wouldn’t have grabbed it. For the past several iterations, I’ve loved the game until you got onto the green, and putting has been nightmarish compared to the rest of the game play. It stays the same with this version, where shots before the green are smooth and fluid, but on the green, I putt better in real life.

Virtua Fighter V (JPN Import) – I’ve always liked the VF series, it’s always played better than DOA, and the characters and environments haven’t had the wild changes like Tekken. I was torn between this version at a rock bottom price or the 360 version with online play, and since I doubt I would play much, or very well online, this was the way to go, and it was a great evolution in the franchise.

Jericho – This was a cheapie that I picked up after remembering the Zero Punctuation review of the game. The price was right to check it out, however, life gets in the way, and I never checked it out on my own.

NHL 2K8 – Since I haven’t gotten an NHL game since 2006, and really haven’t followed the sport too much since the lockout, I took a chance on this, and found that the control evolution of using the 2 sticks and the shoulders to control a little off putting.

Formula 1 – Even though this was a launch title, and fairly old by the time I grabbed it, it’s still a racing game that I had great interest in. As a simulation of F1 it does it very well, however, as a game, it isn’t a pick-up and play game. It’s a little too complex to dedicate any type of time other than the occasional online race.

The Orange Box – Of all that’s included in the Orange Box, all I wanted was Portal, so I hung back until I could pick it up for a desirable price. Portal was everything that could be asked for in a game, innovative, fun, engrossing, and could really be put down at any time. As far as the rest of the Orange Box goes, I played a little Team Fortress 2, and wasn’t impressed, and never touched the Half Life games.

NCAA Football 2008 – I haven’t picked up a NCAA American Football game since the 2005 incarnation for Xbox, and haven’t really played one intently since the 2003 iteration. While the core game played very nicely, there were some glaring lighting and commentary glitches. I wasn’t happy to hear that the LA Coliseum was relocated to Pasadena!

Madden 2007 – I was in a retailer and the title was well on the discount rack. I gave it a shot, and without the achievement base that older 360 sports games have built in, there wasn’t really a good reason to play much.

MLB 2007 – I’ve slacked off on baseball games the past couple of years, so with this one on the discount rack, I decided give it a whirl. The content and presentation are great, and the selection of classic or modern gameplay make for a great balance. However the lack of a Home Run Derby is a slight ding against the game.

skate – This is not Tony Hawk. You can’t rail slide from DC to Philly, defying gravity is impossible, and there aren’t ramps and rails everywhere in the environment. With all of this, it didn’t really tickle my fancy, as I’m probably one of the last people that still enjoy THPS games. Alongside the real world elements, it’s missing a memorable soundtrack with songs that make me want to play, and there is a disconnect between the skaters featured and those that I am familiar with. While the game isn’t a dud, it doesn’t resonate skate culture from the time I was connected with it.

Unreal Tournament III – Even though I already had this for PC, the difficulties of installation and memory issues, I decided to grab it for the PS3, since there is some cross compatibility with the add-ons. The added cut scenes add much to the single player campaign, and the control feels natural, even without the mouse and keyboard.

Eye Of Judgment – It would be a lie if I said I bought this game for anything other than the camera. It was $10 less than buying the camera solo, so I went ahead and grabbed it. The one time I tried to play, I found the game to be overly complex, convoluted, and unresponsive. The lack of availability of booster packs and $15 charges to use the 2 new series decks don’t help the game at all. Couple all of this with a 1 hour update that was required to play, it makes EoJ something to sit on the shelf.

Wipeout HD – This was the reason to own a PS3. It’s really is just a prettied up greatest hits from the franchise, but it’s all that is really needed. Playing some of the Pulse and Pure tracks the way they are meant to be played. The soundtrack is one of the best, only bettered by wip3out, and wipeoutXL. It’s visually stunning, and an overall great package.

Singstar – If there is any reason to own the PSEye, this is it. This is SCEE’s great karaoke game, with videos and support for backwards compatibility for PS2 SingStar games make this a great package. The community features of uploading clips, pictures, and recordings just fill it out even more. The initial song selection is on the weaker side, but can be beefed up with purchases from the store, or add on discs.

MLB 2K8 – I decided to pick up a current baseball game, and was severely disappointed with the swing and pitch control of the game. The attempt to take it to the next level alienated those that want a pick up and play experience.

MLB 2008 : The Show – After coming back from the World Series, I was given an opportunity to pick this up at a cut rate, and coming off the disappointment that was MLB 2K8, and being pleased with MLB 2007, I bit on it. This was quite the pleasing baseball experience, directly in line with the previous year’s incarnation.

Ridge Racer 7 – This was another launch title that I’ve wanted, but never picked up because of high price for a game that is less than stellar. The franchise “jumped the shark” when it was featured on PSP as Ridge Racers with the introduction of nitrous and “expanded” gameplay. The game was picked up more for nostalgia rather than for anything groundbreaking. It’s an overall meh experience, with the gameplay being a little too “Fast and Furious” for my liking, and a soundtrack that has been lacking since R4.

Lumines Supernova – This is the 6th iteration of Lumines that I’ve picked up, and I can say for the most part, it’s a rehash of Lumines Live and Lumines PC. The gameplay is what is expected, however the skins, for the most part, are repeats from prior iterations, and Heavenly Star and Breeze are nowhere to be found. The addition of Dig Down mode is a welcome change, but the lack of online play, isn’t. ]]> BigDirty http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=5341 http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=5125 Mon, 22 Dec 2008 21:19:17 GMT This edition is going to wrap up the multi console posts in the year in games, with this one... This edition is going to wrap up the multi console posts in the year in games, with this one featuring the PSP and the Wii. It’s an awkward combination, but both tend to be the lesser counterparts of their current respective generations.

Starting out with the PSP

Wipeout Pulse – Wipeout has always been one of my favorite game franchises, the combination of intuitive controls, stunning visuals, excellent playability, and a great soundtrack have been its tenets. The prior incarnation on PSP while living up to the expectations, suffered from the play on PSP and the dissonance caused by having a lush 3D world, on a small screen, with the motion of the outside world being in the line of view. There’s no cure for this, and Pulse suffers as well. The only time that I really spend with the series is when I’m on a trans-continental, and the dissonance is kept at a minimal level. The other issue that I have with the game is that it’s designed so the player creates their own experience, and since this is what I do at work, I rarely want to do it when I’m trying to enjoy a game.

Crash Tag Team Racing – As a kart racer, its average at best. I grabbed this as a clearance title, and thought I’d check it out. I gave it a go, but the portable 3D dissonance adversely affected my play experience.

Gunpey – I had this for a while on DS, and I was unsure how it would translate without the touch interface that made it a great puzzler on the platform. It does take a little hit from not being able to instantaneously navigate, but the presentation is top notch, and what is expected from Q?. Also the multiple sizes of the grid played on make it a much varied experience.

Beavis and Butthead : The Mike Judge Collection Volumes 2 & 3 – So this really isn’t a game, but it does use the PSP. With the UMD being a nearly dead format, I was able to get these for a song, and the show travels well on flights and while doing laundry.

Sponge Bob Square Pants : The Yellow Avenger – I can’t really comment on this one yet as I bought it last week, and haven’t gotten around to giving it a spin, but it still falls into the 2008 calendar year.

Now it’s time to move on over to the Wii, which I must admit, it doesn’t get played anywhere near as much as other modern generation consoles.

Super Smash Brothers Brawl – I’ve always enjoyed the series, and usually consider them the reason to own a Nintendo console. As far as the beginning of the year went, this was a reason to own the console, but with difficulties with the online play connection, I never really got into playing it. While the story mode was a bit convoluted, and made little sense at best, (my guess is that there was minimal dialog so that localization would be a snap), it played well but couldn’t sustain interest. It soon got relegated with the other Wii games that are there only for when others are over.

Zack and Wiki – I was able to get this critically acclaimed game for next to nothing, so based on reviews and a co-worker’s comments I picked it up, however with how little my Wii is ever turned on, I haven’t opened it since a summer purchase.

Dave Mirra’s BMX Challenge – I saw this on the shelf of a retailer, and I didn’t remember hearing much about it, but for the price, I was willing to grab it unseen since the Mirra games that were developed by Z-Axis were pretty enjoyable with solid gameplay and a pretty good soundtrack. Those were surgically removed from what really seems like a Wii shovelware title. It controlled lousily, a soundtrack that was forgettable if one existed, and tedious gameplay.

Battle of the Bands – I picked up this quirky music title before it disappeared from shelves. However, after purchasing it, I had some travelling to do, and it never made its way out of the packaging.

Mario Kart – I was very apprehensive about getting this because of the control scheme, but I finally got around to picking it up late in the year, and I was pleasantly surprised. The included wheel wasn’t as wonky and disconnected as I expected, and the package on whole was what really was expected from the franchise. Unlike, SSBB, the online play tended to be seamless and surprisingly fun, even with Nintendo’s kid protections active. To speak the volumes of the fun and online components, it ended up being on the Christmas Shopping list for my mom and nieces.

We Love Golf – I was expecting a fun Mario Golf style game from Camelot, and it was delivered. However, the biggest, and apparently ongoing, issue with Wii games is the controls, and We Love Golf disappointed as well. This isn’t a true swing to hit golf game, and is painful to play trying swing control with a meter.

AMF Pinbusters – This is another game that falls into when people I know make a game that isn’t all that it could have been, for whatever reason.

Samba De Amigo – I ordered this from Best Buy, but I haven’t gotten it yet. I ordered it since it came with Maracas, and the fond memories of the Dreamcast version.

And as a side note, there's been some commenters that ask why I buy a cheap game that I have no immediate plans of playing. To answer that, since I am a game designer, I like to have a nice library of all types of games, it's a way of just plopping in something, and maybe coming up with an idea, or seeing others techniques and how they succeeded or failed. ]]> BigDirty http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=5125 http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=5100 Sun, 21 Dec 2008 19:16:13 GMT So to continue the Been Buying/Playing, I’m going to use this edition to cover the consoles that... So to continue the Been Buying/Playing, I’m going to use this edition to cover the consoles that are no longer the modern generation. Just because they’re not the hip, new, cool console, it doesn’t mean that I don’t play them.

To start off, I’ll touch on the almost still modern, PS2, since games are still being made for the console.

Tourist Trophy – A combination of the buzz that the game got as being the Gran Turismo of motorcycles, and a game by Polyphony that wasn’t Gran Turismo, along with a retailer having a mass clearance of all PS2 titles, I grabbed it, but I haven’t opened it up since I bought it in February.

Boogie – A karaoke / dance game that included a microphone for less than $20, I was all over it, especially since I’m a mic killer and the Logitech USB mics are cross platform. The game had what appeared to be a great song list, with quite a few numbers that I’d like to belt out, but after hearing the versions of the song, I was immediately put off. It was like listening to a MIDI version of Daft Punk’s “One More Time”, and there’s plenty of other, better, karaoke experiences on any console.

Spyro : A Hero’s Tail – I got this as part of a holiday 2007 leftover bundle for quite cheap. However, I haven’t played a Spyro game since the first one for Playstation, and this one has sat unopened on my shelf since early spring.

Ultimate Board Games Collection – This was the other piece of that holiday bundle that Spyro was in. I got this as a reference piece to see how Mere Mortals took on traditional games. I haven’t had to use it as a reference piece yet, but may be needing it in the future.

Dancing With The Stars – This was an impulse purchase, I stopped in a Toys R Us after playing a round of golf, and I saw this on the shelf, with the dance pad for $8. Just having a metal DDR pad, I felt obligated to get a dancing game, which has still yet to be opened due to some space constraints in my apartment.

Final Fantasy XII – This was a title I have little interest in, but was less than the price of a rental due to a retailer clearing out their PS2 inventory. At some point I may check out the intro scenes, but it’s not a top priority to play.

Singstar 80s – As an absolute sucker for karaoke games, I picked this up. It lives up to the expectations that are set by Singstar, with a themed track list. It’s great for parties and getting non-game people to play games.

Singstar 90s – Much like Singstar 80s, this was all about the song list. It was a little on the weak side as far as how I remember the 90s, but still lives up to the Singstar legacy.


While no new games are being made for the Xbox, I did grab a pair of titles for Microsoft’s previous console.

Star Wars Battlefront 2 – While browsing the aisles at a Target store, this seemed to spring up from nowhere with a $5 price tag. Being a casual Star Wars fan, I grabbed it and tossed it on my shelf, maybe playing it at some point in the future.

Advent Rising – This game got some critical acclaim when it came out in 2005. A few years later, after poor sales, there was a large cache of copies that ended up in the hands of a retail game website. With a ridiculously low price tag, I threw one in my cart, maybe taking a look at it in the future.

Then there is the Sega Genesis, which while a dead system for at least a decade, I managed to get some titles for it.

Shaq-Fu – I was giving a presentation at work, and needed a copy of this for reference. Other than that, there’s no real reason to own a copy of this hideous game.

Monopoly – When I went to get Shaq-Fu, I had the option of getting 5 games for $5, or paying $5 for Shaq-Fu. Monopoly was just a filler title, and I have no real plans on ever playing it.

To stay with the Way Back Machine, I did pick up a NES game this year!

Hogan’s Alley – This was part of the Shaq-Fu deal. This game is very nostalgic, but unfortunately I can’t find my Zapper to actually play this game.

Winding down the old folks home, I picked up a few N64 games over the past year.

NBA Hang Time – This is another very nostalgic game, that during my years in college, I played relentlessly in the arcades. I also found that the N64 version was the best recreation of the experience, in terms of 4 people playing, visuals, and load time. I’m also very surprised on how well this game has held up over time, while many games don’t age nicely, this is still a very playable experience.

California Speed – While NBA Hang Time has aged nicely, time has not been kind to California Speed. The modernizing of racing games, along with the awkwardness of the N64 controller for racing games leave this one unplayable.

Jet Force Gemini – I grabbed this at the flea market for 50 cents, and the novelty of that made it purchasable. I doubt that I’ll ever play it, but at that price I couldn’t turn it down.

Star Wars : Shadow of the Empire – This was also at the flea market for 50 cents, and a combination of the price and being that casual Star Wars fan, I couldn’t turn it down, and maybe some day, I may try to play it. ]]> BigDirty http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=5100 http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=5087 Sat, 20 Dec 2008 23:09:10 GMT It’s the time to look back on the year of 2008, and my year in games. This entry is going to cover... It’s the time to look back on the year of 2008, and my year in games. This entry is going to cover two platforms, the Nintendo DS and the PC.

Meteos : Disney Magic Edition – Being that I’m almost always impressed with Q Entertainment games, I had to pick this one up, regardless of the Disneyfication of it. Other than the absurdity of the imagery surrounding the title, I must compliment the title for being a very strong puzzler. It made the correction of being able to move blocks both vertically and horizontally, which makes a world of difference while playing the game.

SNK vs CAPCOM : Cardfighters’ Clash – I picked this peculiar title up on price point alone. The gameplay isn’t enthralling, it’s actually quite stale and the accompanying story does nothing to help me out. It seems as if it is geared towards those who play Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh with real cards, and slap on Ryu for a sales pitch. Not my can of Red Bull.

Boogie – Rhythm games always get me, so while not on my absolute must have list, this was one that I grabbed at a decent price. The play of dancing with the stylus was a little strained, especially after playing Elite Beat Agents, and the song selection and quality wasn’t the best. If there was a better set list, I may have thought slightly higher of it, but it quickly got shelved.

Harlem Globetrotters World Tour – I was sold on this because of price point, and the hopes that I would be able to recreate the Arch Rivals experience in my hands. Since I paid in US Currency, I paid too much for this painful 2 on 2 basketball game. The key issue is that a game is in 4 quarters of a couple minutes a quarter, leaving it way too long of a fast action game to be played on a handheld. Its more of a glorified GBA game rather than a full-fledged DS game.

Geometry Wars Galaxies – I got this as a freebie, and of course, it’s very rare that I would turn down a free game. It’s interesting to see something that seemed exclusively Microsoft appear on a Nintendo console, but with Bizarre a part of Activision, it happens. The game itself didn’t really grab my attention, but then none of the previous incarnations did either.

True Swing Golf – This is an amazing handheld golf game, and I’m kind of sorry that I didn’t pick it up earlier. The trueness of the swing plays much better than Tiger Woods for DS, and the pace tended to be quick enough to be really enjoyable for a handheld experience. I would have loved to see some licensed golf gear, especially my beloved Top Flite D2 Straight and D2 Distance balls, but I’ll take superior gameplay over licenses in the golf department any day.

Backyard Football – If I called this abysmal, it should be taken as a compliment. As much as I liked Backyard Hockey for the GBA, I thought I would have fun playing this, and picked it up at a low price point. Football just doesn’t play out in the same as hockey does, and this package doesn’t live up to the standards that the Backyard franchise has set.

Touchmaster – This game has been described as being the DS equivalent to one of the Merit Industries bartop touch screen games. That description fits like a glove and makes for a great handheld experience. I find the Tri-Peaks Solitaire variant well done and fun to play. Some of the non-card games are however a little tedious of an experience.

Travel Games for Dummies – This is a little package of Solitaire, Sudoku, and Crossword Puzzles. Each category is very basic, however the Sudoku stands out head and shoulders above the other two. While the Sudoku isn’t as well presented as it is in the Brain Age series, there are enough puzzles and difficulty range to let it stand on its own. The Solitaire is the weak point as it’s visually soft, especially when compared to the Touchmaster card games.


PC Games – I got a handful of PC games this year, mainly those that I was able to secure at a decent price since it is very rare that I actually sit down at my PC to play games.

Rise Of Legends – This was purchased on a combination of price and the raves that Rise of Nations had. However, the only RTS game experiences that I enjoy are encompassed in the Command and Conquer universe. This proved that, if its an RTS outside C&C, it doesn’t do too much for me.

Timeshift – If I didn’t have a buddy that worked on this, I probably would have let it pass me by. The game is way to gimmicky for my liking with the time control features, and I really didn’t relate to the surroundings or story.

Unreal Tournament III – This is just proof that my machine that was a powerhouse in January of 2007, couldn’t stay up to par for a year and a half. The installation of the game took way too long, and additional RAM was needed to get this game to launch. The included tools also weren’t a great initial experience, however after dropping in more ram and a new video card, I will admit that the game was a fun Unreal romp, much like UT04 was.

Turning Point : Fall Of Liberty – The premise of Germany prevailing in WWII was an interesting story arc, however the game suffered from cookie-cutter FPS syndrome. It was a bit too easy and the story arc that grabbed my interest, wasn’t meaty enough to maintain my interest. ]]> BigDirty http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=5087 http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=4678 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 02:29:12 GMT 3660 So many of the olde timers here will realize that I really put the Target Clearance hunting...

So many of the olde timers here will realize that I really put the Target Clearance hunting on the map. So while I was doing a nice sweep of one of my local stores, I saw that there was still a cache of footballs (and yes I call them footballs, and not soccer balls) that has been sitting there since the summer. Since they were scanning at $3.74, and they've been there for at least 3 months, a combination of the Holiday and Humanitarian spirits grabbed a hold of me and told me to buy every last one. And of course that's what I did, thinking that with some MLS/Red Bull NY connections I have, it would be fairly easy to get these into the right hands.

However, this ended up to be a dead end, and I've got a large number of size 3, 4, and 5 footballs sitting in my apartment. So now it's time for me to try and find somewhere to donate these to, so that some kids will be happy and fit. The main concern I have is that I don't want to donate to Toys for Tots since the USMC is behind it, and they clash with my political stances. I'm a firm believer in that sport is what brings people together, and if the US and Iran can play a very clean, respectful game 1998 World Cup France or the civil war in the Ivory Coast is over because of qualification 2006 World Cup Germany, sport sets aside all differences.

So it's looking like the Boys and Girls club will be the recipient of these balls when they're handed over to members of the NY Giants (only because I want to make a quip about it being real football) - and maybe a ball will change the world for someone.

And yes, this commercial was playing in my head:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y88bokAdLso ]]> BigDirty http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=4678