My Corner of the Interweb

Happy New Year!

Mood: A bit tired...and a sore right hand.
Music: None
Game: World of Warcraft, COD2, DOA4, Amped 3
Book: The Complete Robot, Isaac Asimov.
Weather: No idea. Didn't go out today...but probably rainy.

Happy New Year everyone. Hope this year is kick ass for you. I expect mine to be.

Spent New Years Eve going food shopping, making dinner for Chelsea, playing games, and generally giggling and doing nothing...which is exactly how I prefer my New Years Eves.

Today, I played a LOT of Amped 3, some DOA 4, and did some light reading. I also hung a few pictures that Chelsea wanted on the wall...which didn't take a whole lot of time, as you might imagine. Chelsea cleaned the whole apartment...except the office, which looks predictably like a bomb hit it...and not a small bomb either. The apartment is largely set up. All the boxes are unpacked, save for the ones to go into storage, and while there's some dense stuff going on, the place looks pretty damned good.

Tomorrow, my big plans are to take out the garbage and recycling, pay the rent, and put Chelsea's license plate on her new car. I will also, believe it or not, finish my resume and start applying for jobs. My goal is to have a job by Feb 1. I think I can do it if I apply for at least a job a day. I will look every day, and send out at least one resume a day. When I start getting interviews, I'll probably stop sending out resumes...but I'll keep looking...something might pop out at me.

And now, the 2-minute reviews of each game I've played on the 360:

DVD Games:

DOA4 - Must have. Fantastic fighting game...even over Live. The hooks are deep, my friends. The store for buying things for your avatars and such with the dollars you earn fighting online is inspired.

Amped 3 - Unfortunately not Live enabled...but that's the ONLY thing wrong with this game. Deep, lots of hidden stuff, and absolutely hysterical design and writing. I laughed out loud several times while playing. The cutscenes are way fun. Worth buying if you like snowboarding games at all...if you don't know if you like those kinds of games, I'd say buy it.

COD 2 - Here's the problem: I HATE FPSs on consoles...and what's even worse, I HAVE this game for the PC (and love it, for that matter.) For me, no chance. I've played it...and naturally, I get frustrated with the controls. The graphics and sound, however, are marvelous. If you're an FPS person on the consoles, get it. If you don't already have it for the PC.

GUN - Played it for 30 minutes. I'm not overly impressed. Call it Grand Theft Horse: Old West. Plays like GTA, runs like GTA, diverse "missions" and thumbs up for trying the Old West thing...not enough games in this time period...but I hate GTA. For me, a pass.

Perfect Dark Zero - If I liked FPSs on the console, I know I'd like this one. Game is fun, nicely designed, and I like the use of cover and such...but again...I don't LIKE FPSs on the console. This is a skip for me.

Need for Speed:Most Wanted - Should have called it "Least Wanted." Wow, do I dislike this game. Bad design (you can't drive the cars from INSIDE? What kind of stupid is that?), slow paced, and crappy AI. All adds up to junk. Big pass.

Project Gotham Racing 3 - Now THIS is a racing game to own. Lovely selection of cars, great design of the tracks (I lived in NY...and know those neighborhoods like the back of my hand (how do I NOT know Chinatown?), and they're DEAD on.) The single player gets a bit repetitive, but it's still mighty fun. If only you could paint your cars like Forza....

Kameo - Game starts slow...but boy does it pick up. VERY fun platformer/puzzle game. Requires some thinking...and there's help when you get stuck. The design is gorgeous, and the solutions to the puzzles are clever. The character design is great...and diverse. I strongly recommend it.

Condemned - Not a bad gothic thriller type game...but if you've played Resident Evil once....great design, mighty scary, good use of light and sound...but I could do without it. In fact, I AM doing without it. Glad I rented it.

Downloaded Games (Yes, you can download games directly to your 360...it's my addiction. I love it. What's better? You can demo them before you buy!)

Zuma - Fun puzzle game from Pop Cap...who make the catchiest games around. Think Puzzle Bobble...on a track...with a frog...and, oh, just get it.

Gauntlet, Joust, Smash TV, Robotron - I grouped all these together...because if you're an old school gamer (like me) you want these. I spent hours in Gauntlet...and it's playable over Live! OH JOY!

Hexic - Comes with the system...which is good, because I'd have bought it anyway. Another one of those "Match the colored gems together and they disappear and you score points." Way fun.

Bejeweled - Talk about addictive. I love this game. Another one of those matching games...but has multiple modes, such as puzzle and timed. I really like this.

Hearts, Spades, Backgammon - They're fun if you like these games. The computer AI cheats a bit in the card games (they gang up on you...fuckers) but it's a good representation of these games. And you can play them on Live! So if you have a bunch of friends who want to play these games, I'd say go for it...if not, you can skip 'em.

Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved - A VERY sexy looking Asteroids...frantic and fun. GREAT graphics and effects. If you're not an Asteroids person, forget it. I like it.

Mutant Storm Reloaded - I dunno...abstract shooter type game? Great graphics, and probably a real showstopper if you're on acid, but the gameplay was just fair. Not for me.

Outpost Kaloki X - I haven't played this enough...but it seems fun. Manage resources, make money...think Sim Space Station...with odd weirdness happening. Like...why would you need a lemonade stand on a space station? But you do in this game. It's kinda amusing. Let you know how it is as I play it more.

Wik:Fable of Souls - Now THIS is kinda fun. You're a ... thingie. With a long sticky tongue. You can jump...you can stick (shoot?) out your tongue to stick to things and get pulled up. You can't run. Your goal? To collect the worms and get them to your beastie-carrier thingie before he leaves the screen. How do you do this? By slurping them up with your tongue and spitting them in front of your buddy. You also need to get rid iof flying insects and other nasties...by slurping them up and spitting them out, or by slurping up acorns or other bugs, and spitting them at the other bugs. Sounds nasty, it's actually fun, well designed, and very pretty. I recommend it.

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Those are the games I've played in a nutshell. To be fair, there aren't a whole lot of games on the 360 I HAVEN'T played, save for sports games...which I can do without.

The system itself is fabulous...now if they'd just release some more games for it.....

Posted by Glenn at January 2, 2006 12:52 AM