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I am in the process of developing a new blog/podast/website tiny media experience.

This blog will remain for archival purposes. All of my future endeaveurs will take place at -

Gamer Win Hands Down

See ya there!

Kelley

When Heavens Divide

Rumour has it that MGS: Peace Walker for the PS3 with all new bells and whistles, such as trophies, 3D and Move support. Very cool stuff indeed! I'm sure we will find out more in the next few weeks.

I also have to report that this blog will be shut down very soon, this site will remain as an archive. However, I will be launching a whole new blog and web site in the near future!

Stay Tuned...

3DS Late Impressions

What can I say? The 3D is amazing. There are a few decent games out for it. The majority of time I spend with it, is playing regular old DS games on it.

There's nothing to watch. The online store is not up, thus no games or apps to download. The web browser is non-functional.

I make the joke that, "The handheld plays itself more than I play it". Referring to the system's unique street pass functionality.

Sadly, the $250 toy gathers dust.

Roger Rabbit 2 Test Footage

Posted bellow is test footage from an unproduced Roger Rabbit prequel in 1998. It is a horror story of epic proportions why the flick wasn't made. I ain't even going to get into it. Hunt the 411 online homies. For now here ya, discovered and posted by Cartoon Brew.

3DS Reviews Are Streamin' In

In the first of big North American Nintendo 3DS reviews, IGN.COM fires off on the latest handheld. Their wrap up -

"The 3DS is truly a remarkable device and a compelling expansion to Nintendo's handheld gaming platform, but it is far from perfect. Though the 3D experience has its moments of absolute brilliance, it can be short-lived due to the imprecise nature of glasses-free 3D technology, with distortion, ghosting, and user discomfort. The 3D also takes its toll on the device's battery life, which limits total gameplay time to anywhere between two to five hours. But despite its technical shortcomings, Nintendo's innovative software is what truly makes the 3DS a compelling device. Though the launch lineup is devoid of any landmark titles and many larger games like Kid Icarus and Zelda won't release until later this year, there is plenty of fun to be had between the pre-installed AR applications and games like Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition and PilotWings Resort. There is also the issue of price. The Nintendo 3DS has an MSRP of $249.99 – no small sum – and many may find it hard to justify given the currently limited 3DS software lineup, poor battery performance, and the certainty of future hardware revisions, but for purists, it's a small price to pay for getting into Nintendo's glasses-free 3D gaming revolution at the ground level."

Wow! That about sums up and confirms my love and fear of the device. I'm excited for it, yet at the same time I have a concern about it's shape. I've never been a fan from the original DS to the DSi of their overall design, there is something that is just so damn uncomfortable in my hands. How the edges of the system just dig into your palm, providing discomfort. I was hoping the 3DS would have been a total re-design, to fix this issue and provide a fresh new start.

Nope.

As for games, I know I am definitely picking up Madden and Ridge Racer. I'm not sure about other titles. I love Dead or Alive, but we'll see. I ain't getting Street Fighter IV. Hell No! Too bad for me, it's the killer app for the launch. Capcom did it. Not even Nintendo is coming out with a killer app for their hardware this time. Street Fighter is friggin' button mashin' fighter, the last thing I wanna be is absolutely pissed off playing a handheld game. No way. Not on launch.

Pac-Man Animated Series DVD Is MIA

A little while ago, it was reported that the 1980's Hanna-Barbera Pac-Man cartoon was finally going to hit DVD in 2011. Now, it's MIA. The latest info has been found out, thanks to tvshowsondvd.com. The long but not forgotten animated show, featured 2 seasons of adventures alongside a Christmas Special. The show is available to purchase as individual episodes for the X-Box 360, via X-Box Live. Sadly, this is only so in the U.S.A.

I was looking forward to a full DVD with restoration and perhaps some interviews plus, historical retrospectives to make a handsome package. *sigh* As a child of the 80's and a huge Pac-Man fan since his initial arcade release, the animated series on DVD is something I've been wishing for, for a long, long, long, long time. I'm surprised that the WB and Hanna-Barbera didn't jump out with a DVD set, especially with Pac-Man's 30th Anniversary last year. Ms. Pac-Man turns 30 this year, so who knows? Maybe there is still some hope.

Thus, the foreseeable future, it looks like YouTube and other video hosting sites is the only way this piece of video game history can be seen worldwide.

Next Generation Portable Preview

IGN.COM has a wonderful little video, which I have embed bellow, where the boys discuss and give impressions about the system. I have to say, the system looks beautiful. I can't wait to get one, hopefully at the end of this year. I'm predicting a November launch with a $299 price point. The preview, done at GDC, calmed the crew down there plenty, when they where informed that the Uncharted title demonstrated was only a demo. Thankfully it was for them. I'm tired of hearing them being pissed/concerned about the damn controls. I thought they looked pretty slick, with touch and track pad controls. When the final game launches, I have a strange feeling one will be able to play with "updated NGP" controls or with the "classic" scheme.

More IGN Videos

Pac-Man Update 2011

Toru Iwatani was at GDC last week and discussed the creation and legacy of his legendary Pac-Man arcade game. That game alone was my childhood. From Pac-Man to Ms. Pac-Man to Super Pac-Man, I loved them all. Then came the 80's cartoon series, the toys, breakfeast cereal, ect. It was the first multimedia, video game iconic event. Awesome stuff. His GDC presentation is embed bellow.

Wendy's has Pac-Man toys for the kids. So if you're a Wendy's or Pac-Man fan, you might wanna check'em out.

Finally, it is Ms. Pac-Man's 30th Anniversary this year. Hopefully, Namco has something to celebrate about her. Even though she was an unofficial, Midway hack of the original Pac-Man arcade game. Hopefully, the Japanese game developer understands the successful arcade history of the title, especially it's huge success in North America.

The Next Generation Portable Exists

"On the rear of the portable, there is a touchpad that is the same size as the screen. In the game demo I played of upcoming NGP title Little Deviants, players use the rear touchpad to manipulate cute balls around a lush cartoon landscape. But by pressing on the rear touchpad, it appears as though players' fingers stick up underneath the terrain, altering the landscape." - Kotaku

The PSP2 has just rocked the Earth at Sony's Japanese press conference. It features front touch OLED screen, rear track pad, dual analogue sticks, Six-axis motion control, trophy support, Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity. Demonstrations of a new Uncharted title, Metal Gear Solid 4 and Yakuza 4 were shown.

"This game used the model data and environments from PS3, and it was exported directly to NGP," Kojima said, adding "On NGP, we can enjoy the same quality as the PS3." - Kotaku

Holy crap!

Also demonstrated was the latest Monster Hunter game for the original PlayStation Portable to show off backwards compatibility. No there is no UMD drive, it will be compatible with your existing PlayStation Network Store PSP purchases. Games for the new portable will be delivered on the PSN and on flash cards for retail stores.

Tech info copy and pasted from the PlayStation Blog, because I'm lazy like that ;) -

Key NGP features:

* Multi-touch 5-inch organic light emitting display (OLED) as the front display
* Multi-touch pad on the rear of the device
* Dual analog sticks
* Two cameras (front and rear)
* Software titles on small, dedicated flash memory-based cards
* Three motion sensors, gyroscope, accelerometer and electronic compass
* Wi-Fi and 3G network connectivity
* PlayStation Network access, including ““LiveArea™”, “Near” and “Activity” log features Trophy Support
* NGP will be able to play PSP titles, minis, PS one classics, video and comics from the PlayStation Store.

Now, the technical specs:
CPU - ARM® Cortex™-A9 core (4 core)
GPU - SGX543MP4+
External Dimensions - Approx. 182.0 x 18.6 x 83.5mm (width x height x depth) (tentative, excludes largest projection)
Screen
(Touch screen) -5 inches (16:9), 960 x 544, Approx. 16 million colors, OLED
Multi touch screen (capacitive type)
Rear touch pad -Multi touch pad (capacitive type)
Cameras - Front camera, Rear camera
Sound - Built-in stereo speakers
Built-in microphone
Sensors - Six-axis motion sensing system (three-axis gyroscope, three-axis accelerometer), Three-axis electronic compass
Location - Built-in GPS
Wi-Fi location service support
Keys / Switches - PS button
Power button
Directional buttons (Up/Down/Right/Left)
Action buttons (Triangle, Circle, Cross, Square)
Shoulder buttons (Right/Left)
Right stick, Left stick
START button, SELECT button
Volume buttons (+/-)
Wireless communications Mobile network connectivity (3G)
IEEE 802.11b/g/n (n = 1×1) (Wi-Fi) (Infrastructure mode/Ad-hoc mode)
Bluetooth® 2.1+EDR （A2DP/AVRCP/HSP）

Dead Space 2 - Twice The Fun On PS3!!!!

EA is on fire. They ripped the "survival horror" genre right outta Capcom. Where Resident Evil 5 was slow and repetitive, Dead Space felt fast and exciting. The best way to describe Dead Space to the uneducated, it's the feature films "Alien" and "Event Horizon" slammed into a blender, resulting in a fresh take on the aging video game genre.

I finally played a good chunk of the original Dead Space. It's presentation is stellar. Controls and gameplay are polished. It feels so cool to wonder around the bowels of a tin can space ship, jumpin' around in zero gravity and blasting away monsters. You could probably hunt down a copy of this original treasure for 20 bucks.

Today, Dead Space 2 arrives on store shelves. I have a PlayStation 3 and luck be told, for the same price of either the X-Box 360 or PS3 editions, Sony's gathered all the riches. The Nintendo Wii "exclusive" Dead Space: Extraction comes bundled with the PS3 edition, complete with new goodies such as Move support, HD visuals and trophies. Hell, the game is literally the first real killer app for Sony's motion controller. I haven't played Dead Space 2 yet, I'm waiting until I finish the original. However, I have played Extraction, which serves as a prequel to the series. What can I say? Yeah, It's worth picking up the Move bundle to play this on-rails, space shooter. It's fun, fun stuff!

All this space horror is getting me all nostalgic for one title. EA's first venture into space survival horror. Heck, it literally was the original survival horror game, long before Resident Evil.

"IGN has called it the first "fully formed vision of survival horror as we know it today," citing its balance of action and adventure, limited ammunition, weak weaponry, vulnerable main character, feeling of isolation, storytelling through journals, graphic violence, and use of dynamically triggered music—all of which were characteristic elements of later games in the survival horror genre." - Wikipedia Entry

EA released Dynamix's Project Firestart, an explosive Commodore 64 exclusive title which is amazing. I played the hell out of it as a kid and it scarred the crap outta me! It's wonderful stuff and worth taking a look at through the wonder of emulation.

Happy hunting!

MotorStorm: Start Your Computations For Time Warp!

So I'm playing MotorStorm Arctic Edge on my couch. The PSP GO is firmly in my hands, with beautiful game visuals being displayed on my SONY HD television via component cable. Suddenly, I begin a new race and a funky dance, clubin' tune kicks in with William Shatner proclaiming a line from Star Trek IV, "Start your computations for time warp!"

Holy crap! This game just put me into the zone!

The song is "Timewarp" by Sub Focus. That little bit of Shatner dialogue is part of the song. I've never heard of the song, nor the group before. That's why I love playing video games, you have opportunities to see and hear things you never have before. MotorStorm's soundtracks are pretty sweet and definitely worth playing the game to listen to the great music alone. Luckily, the series is also fantastic playing.

I love playing Arctic Edge. It's a winter wonderland of off road vehicles. Plus, it reminds me of living in "The Great White North" in winter. Looking out my window, the land is all beautifully covered in snow. My favourite vehicle is the snowmobile. My dad and I love driving sleds in winter time and when I can't go ridin', I'll play my little portable MotorStorm game in it's place.

I love the MotorStorm series. It was the first game I played when I purchased a PlayStation 3. The original MotorStorm caught the industry by surprise, it was the best reviewed and selling title in the early days of the PlayStation 3's life. I received the game for free when I purchased my PS3 from Best Buy in the summer of 2007. Firing up MotorStorm for the first time was awesome. The graphics blew me away. Heck, the game still looks amazing even for a first gen title.

Today, we've had a PS3 sequel, a PSP title, and a 3D downloadable version on the PlayStation Network featuring several of the franchise's greatest tracks. In April, it continues again with MotorStorm Apocalypse on the PS3, fully in 3D! It looks awesome, I won't lie. The latest title goes post-apocalyptic, with huge wasteland environments and triggered, race affecting, cinematic flare. It officially launches on April 12th and I can't wait.

I just had to share my joy and to offer an option to Gran Turismo 5. I love both franchises for obvious, different reasons. For those who wanna go crazy and yet still rely on plenty of driving skills and techniques, then I offer you the selection of MotorStorm.

Time to hit the dirt!

The Sh*t Hits The SingStore Once Again!

What appears to be a monthly update for SingStar, the SingStore has been blasted with 65 new songs. More songs! More dance! More guitar! More song packs! It definitely is worth the wait. Hopefully, every monthly update will arrive with 60+ songs.

No Doubt arrives with classics and modern fare. A-ha arrives with fresh tracks and Lionel Richie classics galore. Awesome! Here is today's complete release, nicely copy and pasted for your enjoyment.

Songs

* 3 Doors Down - Kryptonite
* a-ha - Foot Of The Mountain
* a-ha - Shadowside
* Alicia Bridges - I Love The Nightlife
* Aqua - Barbie Girl
* Billy Ray Cyrus - Achy Breaky Heart
* Blur - Beetlebum
* Boyz II Men - I'll Make Love To You
* Cher - If I Could Turn Back Time
* Dexy's Midnight Runners - Come On Eileen
* Edwin Starr - War
* Ellie Goulding - Guns & Horses
* Florence and the Machine - Kiss With A Fist
* Hinder - Lips Of An Angel
* Hoobastank - The Reason
* Jodeci - Freak N You
* Joe McElderry - Someone Wake Me Up
* Kaiser Chiefs - Ruby
* Keith Urban - Who Wouldn't Wanna Be Me
* La Roux - In For The Kill
* Lionel Richie - Hello
* Lionel Richie - All Night Long
* Lionel Richie - Angel
* LL Cool J - I Need Love
* Lloyd - Get It Shawty
* Maroon 5 - This Love
* Mika - Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)
* Morrissey - You Have Killed Me
* N-dubz Feat. Mr Hudson - Playing With Fire
* Ne-Yo - Because Of You
* No Doubt - Just A Girl
* No Doubt - Running
* No Doubt - Ex-Girlfriend
* No Doubt - Hella Good
* No Doubt - Don't Speak
* OneRepublic - Stop And Stare
* Orson - No Tomorrow
* Pearl Jam - Alive
* Pereza - Estrella Polar
* Pulp - Common People
* Queens of the Stone Age - Go With The Flow
* Razorlight - America
* Robert Palmer - Addicted To Love
* Robyn - Be Mine
* Rockwell - Somebody's Watching Me
* Scissor Sisters - Take Your Mama
* Sophie Ellis Bextor - Murder On The Dancefloor
* Squeeze - Tempted
* Sum 41 - Motivation
* Susan Boyle - Amazing Grace
* Talk Talk - It’s My Life
* Tears For Fears - Everybody Wants To Rule The World
* The Bravery - Believe
* The Christians - Harvest For The World
* The Clash - Rock The Casbah
* The Commodores - Easy
* The Commodores - Three Times A Lady
* The Foundations - Build Me Up Buttercup
* The Fratellis - Chelsea Dagger
* The Police - Don't Stand So Close To Me
* The Supremes - Stop In The Name Of Love
* The Velvet Underground - I'm Sticking With You
* The Wonder Stuff - A Wish Away
* The Wonder Stuff - Size Of A Cow
* will.i.am Feat Cheryl Cole - Heartbreaker
* Yeasayer - O.N.E

Add-ons
Guitar:

* Blur - Beetlebum
* Florence and the Machine - Kiss With A Fist
* Hoobastank - The Reason
* Kaiser Chiefs - Ruby
* Maroon 5 - This Love
* OneRepublic - Stop And Stare
* Orson - No Tomorrow
* Pulp - Common People
* Razorlight - America
* The Clash - Rock The Casbah
* The Fratellis - Chelsea Dagger
* The Police - Don't Stand So Close To Me


Dance:

* Aqua - Barbie Girl
* Billy Ray Cyrus - Achy Breaky Heart
* Britney Spears - Born To Make You Happy
* Dexy's Midnight Runners - Come On Eileen
* Lou Bega - Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit Of...)
* The Foundations - Build Me Up Buttercup
* will.i.am Feat Cheryl Cole - Heartbreaker

Song packs
a-ha

Island Records

Lionel Richie and The Commodores

No Doubt

Oklahoma!

Merry "Post" Christmas and Happy "Post" New Year's! :)

Ho! Ho! Ho! Yo! Yo! Yo!

I hope all of your holiday cheers were eventful, full of cheer, laughter and crunk!

Now with 2011, we have a new year to look forward to some exciting new tech. We can all look forward to the upcoming Apple iPad 2, plus their inevitable updates to their iPhone and iPod line.

Nintendo will be releasing the brand spanking new Nintendo 3DS. This I am personally very excited about. Hopefully I'll be able to purchase a 3D copy of Tron: Legacy for the device! ;)

Finally, it's happening. We are all excited. Sony's PSP phone will be out this year and the big one... the PSP 2! Expect the direction of the PSP 2 to take, a true portable HD experience in the palm of your hand with full backwards compatibility, dual analog nubs, touch screen and track pad built in. UMDs will go the way of the dinosaur and will be replaced with an SD card device storage solution. It will have built in, 32gb flash storage. Those are my predictions.

As for games I have acquired as gifts or New Year's shopping include -

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Sweet!
EyePet - So cute!
Gran Turismo 5 - Hell Yeah!
Red Dead Redemption - Amazing!
The Shoot - Tons of fun!

Did you like my quick, sound bite like comments? I did!

Here's to 2011! Let the excitement begin!