III Greek's Corner III: The Morning Wood

The Morning Wood: VF5 and Sega Rally

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 16:17:06 GMT

Good morning everyone, drinking some joe waking up and drooling over someone playing the Guitar Hero3 demo on my friends list. I decided to download the Virtua Fighter 5 Demo I used to love both Sega Rally and VF series but what happened?

In the Dreamcast days and even in the Saturn days I was a fanboy for both series but now after playing Dirt and DOA4 the Virtua Fighter 5 Demo was fun but boring.

When Sega turned to publishing and developing after the Dreamcast went under the Virtua Fighter series came back strong on the PS2. Toned down and more realistic with multiple fighting styles and stances it was for a while all the rage once again.

After seeing the PS3 version of VF5 come out eariler I once again had high hopes. I know this is just a demo but for one the character movement is toned down and not as abbreviated as say the DOA characters are with fighting movements. Also why do the fighters look like action figures?

Such a shame, sure the VF frachise is not ruined but after playing the DOA series on Xbox and 360 what's the big deal about VF5? In my playtime with the demo I couldn't knock anyone of my opponent's through any object. It's so toned down it's boring! I passed on the PS2 versions and when I heard of a new version and enhanced with online play coming to the 360 I was stoked but now just like with the mediocre Sega Rally I'll pass.

Sega please stop releasing mediocre games of your great franchises. Sonic sucked and has moved to the Wii for a filler character role in certain games, VF5 sure it now has online after screwing PS3 owners but it's boring. Sega Rally used to be the one and only rally racer but has now become a former shadow of itself.

Sega Rally another game on the could have been should have been list. I refuse to buy both games just for the simple fact that I don't see them in the same light as I used to. PGR4 while great is another game that IMO doesn't surpass the predecessor. Overuse of Rain and the ability for riders to stay on their bikes after being pushed into the wall multiple times is mediocre.

Sure all these games are beautiful but if the game mechanics aren't as good as the previous games then why buy the game just for graphics and nostalgia sake? Another game coming for the Wii fits this mold perfectly Nights. Hell I loved Nights but the sonic team now days may have another bastardization on their hands with this game. Now I have not played it but from I have seen it looks to fall into the same category.

I'm going to play some Puzzle Quest now over the next couple days I'll look at the PSP component cables and this week's game purchases.

Greek-

The Morning Wood: Puzzle Quest and this weeks purchases

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 14:23:15 GMT

I can't sleep so what is there to do?

Download Puzzle Quest of course, released in March 07 for DS and PSP Puzzle Quest as we all know is a unique game. I decided to download the Xbox Live version cause the PSP has a huge bug and the DS also has it's glitches.

Which is pretty disappointing considering this game is highly addictive and could be an excellent portable game. Mixing puzzle and RPG elements is what Puzzle Quest does best. Let's not forget achievements as well, but I wonder why only 200 points total for this game?

The game's achievement system could have easily been expanded and taken advantage of, I see that as a missed opportunity but I guess you can't have everything.

I would recommend the game to anyone even if they are not hardcore into RPG's like myself. The game is unique enough and will make your XBLA experience 10 fold I do believe the game is that good. Sure it's not game of the year per say as it does have it quirks. Namely the AI being a little to challenging at certain spots.

All though I can't gripe about this just yet because well I've only been playing a couple hours. If your not sure you can always download the trial game, one of the greatest functions of XBOX LIVE, yeah SONY WTF!?

Various enemies such as Skeleton's and Wolf Spiders and other characters you come across will challenge you to a degree. I have come across a couple games that I have barely won. I mean down to the last hit point, honestly if the PSP version did have the companion ability bug (Puzzle Quest PSP glitch). Plus given the fact that the game does have a tendency to sputter during spell casting and has the potential to lockup the PSP buyer beware. Which is a shame....

Now onto what to buy this week, well honestly the only game's I will be getting are most likely Killzone Liberation for PSP and Everyday Shooter for PS3. You may ask why?

Next week is when the meat of the month's game releases hit hard starting with Eye Of Judgment for PS3, Rondo of Blood: Dracula X, and finally Guitar Hero 3. All game's I will be playing like a mad man.

I may get the Simpson's game I'm not entirely sure, but I forgot one game Rachet and Clank and after I played the demo this weekend I'm sold! The next few week's will be interesting for sure and prob the best month of gaming ever! Okay maybe not quite but one thing's for sure it'll be very good.

Greek-

The Morning Wood: Enter the Portal

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 16:03:04 GMT

Ah I'm a little tired this morning I stayed up last night playing Portal with my cousins husband and he was hooked.

Right now I'm on level 16 in the first chapter of the game and the difficulty is ramping up. Portal is such a mind freak it's not even funny. But once you get the ability to use both portals things get interesting.

In the first chapter there are 19 levels in all that you must complete. With various puzzles on the way such as using portals to open up other parts of the puzzle. I mean you really have to play this game for yourself. It is unique and honestly I have not played anything like it before.

I don't know really how to classify this game, it is a 3d puzzle game but the way the game executes this is truly amazing. Another aspect is using the portal gun so that these energy balls can go from point A to point B and unlock doors so you can move along. It's really weird and the game does throw other obstacles at you like laser turrets and a liquid acid type substance that if you fall into you die.

It doesn't stop there either, the game makes you think and in certain rooms you cant use portals but in certain places bringing the puzzle aspect to forefront. There are also signs scattered in the room in certain places that hint at what you need to do. Like shoot a blue portal on a ceiling then shoot an orange portal below you to drop into another aspect of the level.

Like I have said you have to play the game to get what I'm talking about. I mean opening up a portal and seeing yourself through the other end is a trip. We seen portal type technology used in Prey but IMO that was nothing compared to the real deal. I mean I don't know if you could even really say that was using true portal technology.

I can honestly see this game lasting me a long long time, for some reason I'm enjoying the Orange Box more then BioShock and Halo3. Which those games are awesome minus the ending in Halo3. Maybe it is because the Orange Box has unique games packaged in with it I can't put my finger on it.

But I can say that the Orange Box is worth every penny so far. I have yet to play Team Fortress2 as I'm saving this for the weekend so I can sit down and really get into the game. I'm not to good at multiplayer games which sucks but eventually if I start playing them enough I'll get better over time.

Now I'm not horrid at games online but I'm not some uber player of all time. Probably somewhere in the middle, anyhow if you got the money pick up the Orange Box. No I'm not a salesman for Valve I just believe in products that give you your money's worth. Portal alone I think has about 14 chapters if my memory serves me right. That alone is hours of game play, honestly Valve could have released this game just on XBLA.

Hell Half Life episodic content could have just been released over XBLA too and Valve could have just released Half Life 2 by itself at 59.99. By releasing everything in one box I believe they did all of is a favor.

Kudos to Valve for once us gamer's got the good end of the stick

Greek-

The Morning Wood: The weekend and this week

Mon, 08 Oct 2007 16:09:14 GMT

Where to start, first it was an awesome weekend I got over my fear of riding roller coaster's. I went to Six Flags for about 5 hours Saturday, I rode all of the coaster's there.

The mind eraser, the half pips, the boomerang, side winder, and the twister were all insane and there was even one where you lay down like your flying it was fun and intense.

The feeling of going upside down and riding a loop is insane. The Mind eraser you go up pretty high and can see all of Denver, but you strapped in with a harness and your feet is dangling so basically it's like your sitting in a chair. That ride is insane, the G-force really get's you and it's just crazy.

After all that I was ready to call it quits, riding roller coaster's for more then five hours is fun but it has it's limits and is pretty exhausting. We did get to go to Brutal Planet the haunted house they have every year but it's cool. They are charging 15.00 for one person for a VIP pass to get in front of the line... lame!

Anyway I went to pick yet another PSP game to add to my collection, this one is a never ending RPG with more then 200 hours of game play. I have heard and read this game will be one of the hardest and most in depth games that you can play ever.

It's also a game that I just started and I'm having a blast at and well worth the money since I got 10.00 off the game at game crazy. It was money I had left on my account that I had to use up from the Collector's Edition Stranglehold for PS3.

Since we all know how that game ended up with yet another delay and since I already have it for the 360. Hell why not, the game also garner's a lot of love and hate among the masses. I tend to stay away from game's like this cause it's just to daunting to make up your mind and whether or not the game is for you.

The game is Monster Hunter Freedom2, so far I'm in the very beginning stages of hunting school. Yes that's is the name of it and I know this is a Japanese style RPG and I know I don't complete the majority of RPG's like this. My gamerscore for Oblivion is 80 point's. I know lame but this time I'm going to make myself learn the in's and out's and open my mind up to the RPG experience.

I know I most likely picked a very difficult game to start back into the RPG genre, the game that I did want was Blue Dragon for the 360. I mentioned many times in the past that I would get the game. But after everything Blue Dragon is not the game I was hoping for. Eternal Sonata is another good RPG but since it is hitting the PS3 next year with two more playable characters why not just wait.

Mass Effect is the 360 RPG game for me this year, but back to Monster Hunter.

The series is well known and sells like hot cakes in Japan and has a strong fan base, I've been wanting to play this game for a long long time before it hit American shores. Something about hunting and scavenging the wild and looking for bigger then life monster's to me sounds appealing and like a great adventure.

The game is more like an action RPG and not the traditional turn based Final Fantasy style RPG. Which is not what I'm really into but I will say that when Crisis Core hit's the PSP next year for us Yanks that I will be buying this game. I did play and finish FF 7 the only FF I ever completed to this day. So Crisis Core I hope will give me the same experience. Also playing these type of game's on a handheld system would be more to my liking.

Really no way not to play this game cause it will be with me at all times. I think one reason I lost interest in Oblivion is because I had so many other 360 games to play at the time and also there were some technical merits of the game that I did not like. Such as Vampirism, the hiccup when you go into another area and the layout of the main mission and side quests. There is literally perhaps to much to do and get lost and off the main mission in the game. Monster Hunter is very detailed as well but I have a few objectives or things I can do.

I can hunt, fish, and all this other stuff but at my time and my leisure, I know I not comparing this to Oblivion in any way as they are different games. I just think the way everything is setup maybe be a tad better. Also in Oblivion I hated going to jail I mean shit every little thing you get caught at is jail time. Maybe cause I sucked at the game probably but Oblivion wasn't my type of game.

I have found two guides to help get me started in this game one can be found here at this link: Monster Hunter Freedom2 beginner tips

The other one I found off the Playstation forums The Hunter's Bible, two very good guides IMO and should help me in getting my feet wet with this game. I guess stay tuned for more on my Monster Hunting adventures.

Also this morning I did play Conan and the Simpson's game. First Conan impressions and this could really be it's own post but I don't have much to say about it. First the health and power up system is very God of War and I like that game. This game however so far from the demo is so-so.

The final retail game could be awesome but I'm playing Heavenly Sword still and God of War 2 so it's like I don't know. I cannot see this game getting high review scores so I'm thinking it will be mediocre at best. I mean like the it has the context buttons you hit at times in battle to perform special moves. But seems like they are two slow to be interesting or I've done cooler moves in the two games I just mentioned above. The facial movements of the chic in the beginning of the demo look funny.

Not exactly Heavenly sword good but the facial movements are okay plus it's a cut scene. I do like that you can hit the RB button to break off arrows when you get hit that is a nice little touch and the guys with the giant sword's put up a good fight. Also I'm not exactly sure if the level choice was the best for showing off the demo and lighting in the beginning was horrid.

This game may appeal to gamers that have not touched Heavenly Sword and or God of War but I have to think that some will pass it up due to the heavy game releases this month and next month.

Next we have the Simpson's game and I could have downloaded this off the PSN store last week but was to lazy so I woke up at 6am my time and downloaded both demos and shut off the 360 background downloading is nice and something the PS3 could improve on.

I may just get this game, Bart Man and Robo Bart power ups are awesome and the big giant doughnut eating mascot you must take out in the demo is wicked. The little Krusty Klowns that come after you is a nice touch and I also notice a Madden spoof poster in the game.

Again I do not know WTF is wrong with Rockstar but whatever their loss, If were EA I'd put that in the game anyway. It's EA for sakes, I mean they have the money and they should not fear anyone. But I guess it's smart not to mess with Rockstar not they could really do anything about it anyway.

Enough of that, the Simpson's game is fun and even though there will be no Grand Theft Scratchy I'll still buy it. This game could really turn out to be one of the biggest games of the year.

However this week it is all about the Orange Box honestly I can't wait. I purchased HLF2 for the xbox when it came out. A technical merit IMO at the time, but the graininess of the game was a turn off. I could helped but think how great it would be on the 360. So this game has been a long time coming to the 360, for us HLF fans it's been way to long. Sure I know the game is an older game and the other games as much fun as they are maybe just filler to justify the 59.99 price tag.

Unless you pre-ordered the game then it's 54.99. But really who cares, in two days I will once again be in Gordon Freeman's shoes.

Greek-

The Morning Wood: Halo3 quick impressions and launch night

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 13:53:21 GMT

Let the game's begin, got my copy of Halo3 and around 10pm last night when at work I started to get the panicky feeling a person get's when something big is about to happen.

I came home at 11pm to handle some business grabbed a jacket and headed out to my EB's midnight launch at around 11:30pm. With receipt in hand I was instructed to go inside and have my receipt marked with a number then go wait outside in the hall outside the store.

The way my EB is setup is in a little shopping mall called Thornton Town Center, it has outdoor shops and a main hall with a movie theater inside and a couple other smaller shops. Anyway my receipt was marked with 36, that was my number in line and considering id say almost 100 people showed up last night I was somewhat lucky.

Police dispatched about 2 cruiser's an SUV incase someone has to be hauled off and 1 K-9 unit. Why the K-9 unit? No idea, I guess in case a riot broke out! In fact when I was walking to my car after I got my copy that damn mutt would not shut up. I love dogs but sometimes they can be a pain in the behind.

So after my receipt was tagged and marked with my number in line, it was about 11:50pm. I walked out into the hall, before that was told to listen to my number being called and if I miss my number I loose my chance at my copy for the night!

I ask EB games is this the right way to pull off a launch? In fact two people did miss their chance number's 10 and 12 went out to grab a puff of the old cancer stick and well they were SOL. Then you have the naive mom their that went to go pick the game up for her kid or husband and she went straight to the line bypassing the store's numbering system and also lost out.

I was also told by my local EB clerk that if I lost the receipt I would be out of luck in getting a copy of HALO3. I'm pretty sure this will be my last pre order and dealings with this EB perhaps. Honestly everyone hates them cause their employee's lack the skill we call common sense and being able to communicate thoroughly with a consumer.

Telling someone if they lost their chance on a game even their money, while just 10 minutes prior you marked their store pre order receipt is Fucked! I understand and all cause a lot may try to be sly. But when you have two employee's at the register, one manager and another at the front ushering people in like a bouncer, then two other's in the hall calling your number off, someone has to be more diligent in being aware of the surroundings.

I got out of dodge at around 12:20am, like I mentioned before in past updates I snubbed the Legendary edition. For one the LE (limited edition) is bundled in and with all the rumblings about scratched disc's (see Halo3 scratched disc's rumors) popping up more and more. This is due to the disc holder plastic piece is loose and well inexcusable IMO. I can see more and more complaints as the weeks go on and this could be a potential problem for MS.

Secondly the helmet stand bottom is cheap plastic on the bottom, I don't know about you but I can see this plastic cracking and if you think I'm full of it check the IGN un boxing video out.

Last but not least if this is a Legendary where is my duffle bag, or a limited edition action figure. Sure the there is a figure with the controller's but those are meh and cool McFarlane toys one's are not even out until next year. Id rate this pack a 7/10. Does anyone not think that the content in the DVD's won't show up on you tube? Eventually it will cause everyone posts everything on that site, the way of the Internet as we know it.

Some people did however buy the Legendary edition suckers! I'll save my other 60.00 plus change for PGR4 next week. Way to many games this year and I got 12 to buy next month. Will I actually buy 12 games? Well I'm going to give it my all and I'm not sure if it will happen but never know!

I didn't even buy the LE cause of the scratch scares and IMO unless an LE comes with a rare item these editions are only created to sell extra content you will never ever watch unless your just that hardcore or secondly you want a shiny tin case! Game companies have to get better with producing quality content on these extra DVD's. Epic I'm calling you out on the crap that was Gears Of War content, the really short making of and seeing kids running around on a low budget spoof! Don't even get me started!

Alright let's end this with quick impressions cause I want to go play some more Co-op. There are 9-10 chapters, the first one in a forest like setting is the shiznit! I challenge anyone to tell me that this game does not have beautiful graphics. One there a graphics whore if they think Halo3 has okay graphics. Two they can't tell a polygon from a matted background and three ignorance is bliss again sorry PS3 fanboy's. Master Chief looks as detailed as ever, you can't compare this game with Gears Of War. Don't even try it, two completely different games and I think the real graphical powerhouse this year could be COD4 or Mass Effect.

Graphics however are like most hot women and sometimes are only skin deep, not saying there aren't any smart hotties out there cause there are. But just like a game what's the first thing being looked at? Exactly....Halo3 sure it will not win any awards for uber graphics of all time but the game does run without a hitch. The game is fluid and smooth from the first level I have played and the game drew me in, Bungie did a fantastic job of making sure this game was ready, the polish is there.

Environments and lighting are also very good in the first level, the light shining down through trees is a site to behold and again is done very well. Character models look good, the Spartan Armor is detailed and one word on enemies they are plentiful. Another thing also reviews don't trust them please, cause I read several saying Legendary is easy. Um maybe for the kid that drinks Halo, sleeps Halo and pisses Halo! But for the average gamer Legendary will own two people in co-op. Enemies take more damage and are able to give out more damage as well. Even the the weakest covenant class will bombard your ass with an overwhelming amount of plasma grenades.

We knocked the difficulty down to normal and still got owned from time to time but was manageable and still gave us plenty to chew on. Co-op is flawless via Bungie's legendary lobby system, for consoles it's a basic road map on how to do the job done right on a console. Sure the PC for multiplayer is the king but if there were a console contender the Halo series is the definitive answer. Infinity Ward sure COD4 maybe just as good as Halo, however we will see if you can pull off the Halo like lobby and matchmaking system.

Co-op is simple, create the room send an invite to a friend and then player one is assigned the MC and player two the Arbiter and away we go! Sony sorry I like my PS3 but for the love of god just copy MS in the way chat and invites are handled and stop trying to re invent the wheel. Xbox Live is quick and most of all it's functional! Sony you puzzle me more and more with each passing day, and sixaxsis is no Wii mote my friends just a word on that!

Lastly if you own a 360, or even just like the Halo series you owe it to yourself to buy the game. Surely it's arcade in nature, but the last time I checked Halo was never intended to be a Rainbow Six tactical shooter. While that may be some piss in your morning cereal. Gaming is about fun and not always about which game is better then the other.

I'm sure this game will get Game Of The Year and whether its deserved or not just on technical merit alone will be debated for years. But one thing this game has that no other Clancy or Infinity Ward shooter has is the rabid fan base and just like the Madden nation the Halo nation is a king for a day!

Greek-

The Morning Wood: PSP, Heavenly Sword, and High Stakes Poker

Fri, 14 Sep 2007 15:47:53 GMT

Alright lets get this out of the way and first thing's first I bought Heavenly Sword.

Yeah it turns out that I can't say no to a beautiful game, and I admit I may have been kidding myself this week when I was trying to say no. So I was hypocritical in that regard but damn can you honestly blame me.

In looking back at this week it was constant inner struggle on what to buy between Skate, NHL, and Heavenly Sword. So I did a complete about face and picked up the game and also a Silver PSP Slim with Daxter and two other games.

I'm already stuck at Heavenly Sword in regards to the Sixaxsis, I admit this new type of control is one that I am just not accustomed to and it will take me a while to get this down pat like I am with the analog sticks. Heavenly Sword uses a lot of Sixaxsis when it comes to guiding projectiles into things. Just as with Lair, in which I am seriously considering picking that up in a couple weeks, Sixaxsis is dependant a lot of the users skill and ability to use it properly.

I can see why this is getting dogged by the mainstream gaming sites and why they hate it for certain type of game play. This whole thing goes back to Lair which is another debate I cant get into right now, but do I think the game got the shaft for trying something new and innovative?

One word. YES!

Take it how you will, but everyone has a different skill level and Sixaxsis is a control scheme that will show this. Call me crazy, but I have used it in Warhawk and now Heavenly Sword and yes they are two totally different type's of scenarios but the latter is much more difficult to pull off.

I figure at this rate Heavenly Sword may just fill me for about 8 hrs or more of game time. Plus in certain levels you have a lot more un lockable content then just what was released on the PSN store, again I was way off. I guess this is what I deserve multiple sites and not finding out for myself.

As in regards with Stranglehold I'm also finding the game ramps up difficulty as you progress just as in the Mega Restaurant level. Heavenly Sword I would imagine does the same thing.

Which brings me to a question how is this game length determined?

Since when did reviewers dictate to us on game length, I'd like to know. I cant tell you I don't play games every waking hour of my life. I don't play games in easy difficulty settings either, for one that sucks and two anyone can get through any game on easy in one sitting!

I'm glad I bit the bullet and bought Heavenly Sword as the multiple and numerous content to unlock will keep my playing, plus the beautiful Nariko is sexy as hell. Plus IMO this is a game that any PS3 owner can be proud to have in the collection.

I'd dare to say this game boasts graphics on any gaming platform to date, well take into consideration on a game called Bioshock, which I got to say does have excellent graphics in it's own right but Heavenly Sword wowed me more when first laying my eyes upon it.

Now onto my PSP purchase and it's been two days later so how is going? Hell I love the new PSP slim and it did last me all through out the night. I did have to USB charge it one time last night two hrs before work ended. But you know what I have to do this with my ipod as well no biggie. Kudos to Sony for the new lighter feel as it is quite of lighter as I have compared it with my co-workers PSP fat.

Actually two people I work with have the original PSP and I will say the slim while not revolutionary it is an improvement and does boast some things that I like better then my ipod. For one the web browser, does have quirks like the memory filling up fast and you do have to what the cache and cookie's when browsing, but on the flip side pictures, video as long as it is MP4 format which is meh, can be downloaded straight to the memory card over a wireless connection.

For a gamer Imo this could be a true alternative to say a more expensive ipod video or touch, but for the average person and non gamer the ipod is of course king.

However RSS on the PSP IMO is sweet, and I can download all of my podcast wireless over RSS straight to the PSP, and the funny thing is it's faster then itunes on my PC. Go figure, another thing is I can delete podcasts or music right away off the handheld and I don't have to wait to sync up to itunes the next day or when I get home at night.

That is one thing I can't stand about ipods, once its all the device its one the device, Plus the wide screen effect is awesome on the PSP, the slim is easier to fit in my back pocket. Yes I do have a screen protector for it as well. Sony sells a branded one and its already got scratches on the film, I cant imagine if those scratches were on the actual PSP screen itself and thank the gaming gods for the screen protector.

Advice and PSP needs to have a screen protector, and that goes for ipods too. If the screen cracks like my last PSP did I have a one year warranty on it so I'm covered.

Now I'm going to go blindly download High Stakes Poker and I hope its good, what can go wrong it's poker right? Okay it could turn out to be shit and I hope it's not.

It's looks like it maybe a worthy addition to my PS3 collection, so more on that this weekend.

Have a great gaming weekend where ever you are and stay tuned for updates!

Greek-

The Morning Wood: Sex on ICE Baby!

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 16:43:34 GMT

Oh good morning everyone, despite all the "rave" reviews Heavenly Sword is getting by various outlets like Wired: Heavenly Sword Review.

Sure graphically the game is awesome but for 59.99 6-7 hours it can wait. I want Heavenly Sword as well. But If Gamespot says I can finish this game in a weekend setting that screams rental to me. I don't like to listen to reviews but sometimes you have to take heed on stuff like this.

Far to many time have I blown my load with an uber short game only to have it end way to soon and the enjoyment is gone. So meh I can wait for the price to drop in six months or if I cannot I'll rent.

Skate would have been awesome but I want to wait and see what Tony Hawk can provide me. Two totally different experiences I understand but for one I'm not hardcore into this genre. So WTF was I going to buy?

I could have saved my money, I suppose that is the responsible thing to do. But when your talking about the gamer breed in general those two things really don't go hand in hand. I can't remember a time like this week where I've been so torn on what to buy.

This week's game's are good but not great and there is the problem. I want something new to play but something that fits the bill and is worthy of the money. Not a sweet 6 hour game, not a good Skate Boarding game that is new and unproven, and NHL 08 would have been sweet and that could have been a real possibility I don't want allot of sports games in my collection.

I already have Madden 08 for 360 and All Pro 2k8 still for PS3. Lame excuses maybe but I did what I did and there is no going back.

What I decided to purchase this week was the PSP 2000 foo! The Daxter bundle with and Family Guy Freakin Sweet Collection. It simply does not get any better then this.

I know I dropped 291 and change and enough for a Wii but hell I want portable power you see. The Wii has my attention but I'm turned off by the machine and how it screams Alpha Mom.

Its like a Alpha Mom alter, a place of worship and its nice that gaming is coming more into the main stream but is it really that cool after all? I mean this is our escape and now its being invaded by mom's and the dumb asses that dissed gaming all those years before. I could go on and on about this subject but I'll save it.

Yea two hundred and ninety one dollars, I also purchased Tomb Raider Anniversary and Metal Gear Portable Ops as well. I used to have a fat PSP but the screen cracked and I fucked it up even more by trying one of those face plate kits that are an absolute rip off. Sony as nice as they are really doesn't want anyone to mod this thing in any way. Hence the the screws that are nearly impossible to take out in the battery bay.

So I also got a 1 year warranty with it that covers all that shit this time in case it breaks some how I am covered. Only things that I don't like about the bundle are no USB cable and also it doesn't even come with that sweet ass cable so you can watch UMD's on your TV. Kind of pisses me off that Sony touted this feature at E3 this year and one of the best features of the portable but you cant use it cause it does not come with the cable!

Sony start bundling cable's with your consoles, it hardly costs you folks to make this shit so buck up and provide us with the correct cable to take advantage of the hardware.

On the flip side the ICE Sliver, or PSP 2000 is well made and has a glossy type finish all the way around the machine. The older PSP had a glossy front but the back was a different type black. The UMD tray does feel allot cheaper then the previous model however. But to me that's not a huge deal cause the UMD discs still fit snug into the PSP.

I have yet to try Remote Play though and I may try that with a Lair rental this weekend if I can snag a copy at my local Block Buster store. Remote Play is a very interesting concept that I want to delve into deeper, interconnecting the PSP and PS3 is like having a one/two punch and I cant wait until there is a great game to take full advantage of this feature.

The newer PSP does also feel a ton lighter then the original, I played this at work for a good two hours with Daxter as the game of choice and I have to say that it makes a difference. I don't know how Sony done it but I give them props on this front and design as they pulled this off.

The LCD screen to me looks brighter but I do not know that for sure since it has been forever since I played the PSP. But the screen does look pretty damn good and bright. Daxter just looks amazing on the PSP, very colorful and bright and most of all FUN!

Sony picked a great bundle game with this handheld, next games could include Syphon Filter but I know for sure come OCT 23rd that Dracula X will be in my hands bar none!

All in all for 199.99 for a slimmer and sleeker PSP I have to say it was worthy as a purchase. Sure it wont replace my IPOD video as the PSP come with only a 1GB memory stick. But it will provide me with hours of great portable gaming and that is something the IPOD cannot simply do.

Sorry Heavenly Sword you are a temptress and but for 59.99 plus tax I need to see it all then just some skin.

I need substance over flash!

Greek--

The Morning Wood: This Week Of Heavenly Sword to buy or Rent?

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 16:36:48 GMT

This month IMO has been a bunch of great disappointments as far as games are concerned. Maybe Bioshock spoiled me, but Stranglehold while its a cool game I expected more.

I'm nowhere near the ending and there is still plenty of achievements for me to gain. Obviously to me and others though Midway could have done more IMO as long as the game was in development it should have been near Bioshock's level in terms of quality. That was an exaggeration but anyway you cut it Stranglehold's quality should have been way higher then what we got in terms of final product IMO anyway.

Podcasts, everywhere were talking about this game but the general consensus from a gamer perspective was to rent. Maybe that is because where in the month of Halo3? I cant say for sure and I cant say whether this game would have been better with a another delay. Overall this is one to wait for when a drought hits, I'm still glad I bought the game however but for those on a budget there is no need to go out and buy this one right away.

Which brings me to my point of this post, is Heavenly Sword worth the price of admission considering the game length, no multi player and very lean on unlocking extra content?

For me the question still remains, buy this (Heavenly Sword) or Skate for the 360?

Funny how my little commitment to not buying any EA game has failed me! After the God Father game and EA literally scamming gamers IMO with consumables and even MS allowed all this to go down, I was so pissed I would swear off EA games.

Which I did do for a while but I fucked up and bought Madden '08, things change I guess and now with Skate my rebuilt 360 collection could see another EA title in it.

Let's face it most multi console owners would say to get Skate or hell just wait for Halo3 and wait. Most PS3 owners would say the hell with Skate and get Heavenly Sword, so no matter what perspective you look at it everyone would say just about something different.

Honesty I would be the first one to tell you unless a game grabs me in and consumes me I don't play through my games right away, having work and taking a break from games is alright ! Nothing like having different hobbies and doing different things so you don't get gamers burnout. Been there and done that!

The fact that a game like Heavenly Sword and Skate will last me well into the next year is fine. I will get my moneys worth out of either game trust me, however the thing that scares me about Heavenly Sword when its finished is what's next?

Does it go back for a trade in discount, or does it just stay in my collection for all eternity and well collect dust? On the other hand Skate as good as it maybe there is always the Tony Hawk factor?

What if, Tony Hawk pulls the greatest game ever out of the series since the EA boys are pushing them this year and they pull off a greater then Skate game? I'm not into the skating game scene its been forever since I touched this kind of game. I'm willing to go back though and play again since both games are looking sweet.

With Team Xbox reporting the TH demo will hit Xbox Live today I'm very curious to see if this game is going to be the ish or just another Tony Hawk game. Frankly with so many games coming out next month and into November there is no need for two skating games in my collection, no matter how different they are.

My collections for 360 and PS3 should be diverse enough to represent all types of games, variety is the spice of life as they say. What I do not want is a bunch of subpar games that will not last the test of time.

Plus buying everything under the sun is well not only wasteful money wise but if there is to much to play most of those games sooner or later will see a trade in. Yes there is such a thing as having to much of something and video games do fit into this category.

I love the action genre on the other hand God Of War games are not the longest in game length either so are we being to harsh on Heavenly Sword when games like I just mentioned have the same issues. Hell I will point out Stranglehold again the game has only 7 levels, which equals again to short playtime length.

October for my PS3 will be different Folkglore and Rachet and Clank hits this month so you can bet your asses those games will be in my collection. Which will be a good change and it will give me a chance to match my 360 collection, also on the 360 side PGR3 hits and oh yeah baby that's looking sweet too!

If I do buy Heavenly Sword and not Skate don't be surprised and you'll see posts and impressions about either game. But for this month at least and before Halo3 there can be only one game for my money!

Greek-

The Morning Wood: The Real RROD fix, Skate review thoughts

Sat, 08 Sep 2007 15:15:37 GMT

Good Saturday morning everyone, just read the IGN review of Skate (Skate review) and honestly I think I might just pass on Heavenly Sword for this.

Now I know it's one review I just read and I have not played a skateboard game since TonyHawk2, but what attracts me to this game is that for me it's something new and different. I understand it maybe a little frustrating but no game is perfect.

What pisses me off about Heavenly Sword is not the 6 hour romp, it's what in the hell am I going to do after the 6hrs is over and done with. The difference between Stranglehold and this is that the latter has XBOX LIVE and multiplayer achievements to make the game last a little while longer.

Also another thing is the unlockable extra content in HS, all those short anime movies I have been downloading off the PSN store for the last several weeks, well you guess it that's the extra not so hidden content in the game. These 10 min movies combined with concept art is what I get after kicking ass in the game. C

Very very disappointing to say the least, more and more the PS3's biggest hurdle is not the price point but things we like to call GAMES are missing, or they come out weeks later and are worse then the 360 versions.

Sony I don't give a shit less about 10GB of music on the fucking Blu-Ray disc I want gameplay content. Why is the 360 selling so well even though it has the worst console reliability in the history of video games?

Cause the machine has GAMES, WOW a novel concept isn't it?

As a PS3 owner I'm finding life on the Sony front rough and reminds me of my Gamecube days, good games but to far and few in between. I calls 'em as I see 'em

Back to the 360, I'm not waiting anymore for the Falcon's and I will not send in my 360 the next time it red rings! I know this little act will void my warranty but honestly I could care less.

The next time it happens and it will, my theory is that most 360's will fail at some point or another until the issue is a part of history as we know it. I came across this on n4g and IGN which links to this site DIY RROD fix!.

While I do not recommend this if you don't have experience with opening a PC or familiar with building a PC, I would say that I can and I will be sending in my order this week in preparation for the next bout of the RROD.

Interestingly enough my console has a manufactured of 07-08-2007 which means I believe it is a new machine. Not a refurbished unit and may not be one that is fixed with an extra heat sink.

But after reading about this fix what causes the RROD is not an extra heat sink but an extra metal piece that reset between the GPU and the motherboard and when the mother board flexes due to heat this thing metal piece bends and gets all fucked up.

Everyone is making such a huge issue over the 65nm chips and the Falcon board but if you know how to fix an existing 360 why wait the time MS takes to send a unit back?

Understand this wont be for everyone but for peeps like myself it's finally something other then having your dick in a noose waiting for MS to get off it's asses to fix this issue.

Enjoy your weekend where ever you are, GAME ON!

Greek-

The Morning Wood: Lair the next cult hit?

Mon, 03 Sep 2007 15:27:01 GMT

Good Morning everyone it's labor day for us Americans, I guess that is dependant on who you would talk to.

Not all Americans are created equal in the social realm of the United food chain, my point being its a holiday if you don't work in retail and or can call off on your job!

What ever happened to corporations giving a true day off without pay for those who make 20k a year and under? Anyway I'll be grinding away at work like any other week. No big deal to me though as I will be figuring out what games to buy with the hard earned extra loot.

Sunday night I spent a good two hours reading various reader reviews on corporate sites like IGN, Gamespot, and reading posts on Gamefaqs. Frankly I'm not sure I want to get into this subject at this time right now but you know what fuck it let's do it!

The subject is Lair, concerning the reviews of crap just about all the gaming sites known to mankind opinions V.S. the gamer opinions and what the hell is going on?

I'd like to know if this game sucks or not, the game has all the makings of a DeathRow, Godhand, and Phantom Dust all rolled into one Sixaxsis fire breathing who's right or wrong debate that has sparked my curiosity! For a long time now I stay away from games like this as I frankly don't want to fuck with the headache of wasting money and then justifying the fuck up I just got myself into.

On the other hand more and more I'm seeing a wide margin of disagreement to large to ignore. I read the PSP to Lair remote play trick posted on Kotaku and this guy loves it! I admit its cool as hell, also let's not forget the fact that a analog controller whether it is a PC USB PS2 knock off or PS2 controller used with an adapter to use for analog control! Its true cause a friend of mine tested this sunday night with his logitech PC controller that has the Playstation button layout

! So why all the bitching concerning lack of analog control on the Playstation forums?

I know its a short sided deal Factor 5 should have not over looked, the fact remains it can be done? I wont argue if it should have been in from day one, hell we all know it should have. Its also a round about way of doing analog control but atleast it is a possibility.

Now if Sony totally fucks this discovery up and blocks the remote play then shame on them cause that benefits nobody in this situation. Secondly why is it that I read the motion sensing is fine while most everyone dogs it? I don't question the player skill in this case but the time taken to master the control to give a fair assessment may have been a little hampered here to me. I could be dead wrong and all that too, but with reader opinions this varying on the control issue I have to wonder.

My curiosity right now is getting the best of me so much so I may plunk down the money if not to buy and the very least a rental. I'm having a hard time figuring out if some of these site are understaffed or if they just don't get it or if the average gamer which would be you and whoever comes across this blog understand what a good game VS a bad one truly is!?

Its not that I want the game so bad, when I saw the initial scores I thought okay it sucks f* everyone and I did. I mean I bought Stranglehold and Tekken and Warhawk this week. After the first few days now I'm seeing all the makings of a cult game.

While this is nothing quite like the Godhand IGN scores it is something that is starting to make me wonder more and more on the merits of what a good game is these days? Anyone can call me crazy but so far I read more positive aspects about this game then the negative!

I know that opinion may trouble some of you out there but a game that gets panned by the critics and loved by the masses is something that maybe considered a cult origin of sorts depending on the point of view I guess. These are the types of debates that make the gaming industry great. Debates that you wont find to much coverage on in the main stream.

Sure the podcasts have already dogged Lair but this game already has its fans and not by what the all the websites say but by what they the gamer have played of the game so far.

The we have the fanboy aspect and this ties in with the people trying to justify their purchases at first glance or maybe first glimpse at any positive post in a forum. Truth is we don't know who and what these people do in life or what games they like or dislike. We just know for what ever reason they love this game for better or worse. Perhaps some games are like marriage until the trade in at the store for something better!

Could be that this also is Sixaxsis in its infancy and the makings of something better down the road after the mistakes are made and learned from, just like the new tech these consoles house so do the way these new games control.

Maybe 5 years from now Lair will be recognized as something great or good at least that gave birth to something awesome and spectacular. Doubtful I'm sure but its the question that has yet to be answered.

I look back to when surround sound first came out in Dolby Pro Logic and or anything new that was cool and at the time the thing to do, now days I look at it and think wow WTF was that how dumb was that junk!

Point is I guess whether or not it sucks sometimes games are at the discretion of the gamer and not really about what is good or bad, but if we like it or not. There is also an underlying or debate between joe gamer and the web sites we all read.

The most common and biggest excuse of anyone that disagrees with a review is either joe gamer has not played it or they are a fanboy. I ask this person why are they the ones to pass off the judgement by one post or opinion of disagreement?

What makes that person qualified to pass this judgement cause I guarantee you all they were pinned with the same judgement against them on a certain game! So i ask the question is this Rouge Squadron in Dragon skin or is this game good but misunderstood.

Hell I don't know and I maybe hard pressed to spend any money to find out but if the question and debate persist then this is something I will have to plunge into to find out for myself. Sooner or later this could be a real possibility, maybe its cause there is not to much to play on the PS3 I cant answer this. My gaming weekend pretty much consisted of playing Tekken 5 and Warhawk however so I'm sure it isn't that.

I do know for the most part I'm reading different things from everyday people then from people who get paid to review games. To be continued.....until the next game!

Greek-

The Morning Wood: COD4 Beta

Fri, 31 Aug 2007 15:39:23 GMT

As I sit here eating eggs and hash brown's and drink some coffee I think about what I'm going to write about this Beta so far.

I mean a Beta is just that a work in progress it's something that really cannot be judged IMO. Originally I wasn't going to sign up for it cause Activision was giving away tokens and the first wave went extremely fast.

Until they screwed up and gave away another batch of tokens in 8 minutes pissing allot of people off in the process. They revised it and everyone who know wanted to participate in the beta would eventually get in.

Anyway I signed up on Tues afternoon before leaving for work, at received my email containing my token at 12:05 am the day before yesterday. Upon my first games after downloading the beta I have to say the character models are simply COD. Good or bad but nothing's really changed in this dept.

I guess my point is they look stubby, textures look awesome on building's and ground work, but shrubs and cars, trucks look sharp but grainy. But like I said this is a beta run and the multiplayer graphics are always dumb down so the game will run smoother online.

Upon entering the beta on the first screen before you join a match you have to download game data, prob stats and rankings etc. Not sure why this is but whatever, weapons and packs are your standard fair with MP5's ala R6 and other modern weapons.

I did notice a cool little thing however was the ability to call in air strikes which is way cool, I have not seen one yet but I could hear the roar of the planes whisking by overhead. Another thing Infinity Ward put in online is the kill cam which is cool I'm not exactly what purpose it will server in the final build but for now when you die you see how and where you died from, the other person's perspective.

Then you have the modes which are tactical, death match and really are the standard issue multiplayer modes you will find in just about every game. However you can upgrade classes and check on clan tags, leader boards, and prestige mode, the the "Barracks" options menu. Prestige Mode is gained by unlocking Commander level 55. I'm not entirely sure if this can be done in the Beta but I would assume that it could.

The pace of the game play is fast however so you really have to be on your toes, I played a map called crash with a downed helicopter in a market square and the rubble from building's was everywhere. Infinity Ward has the skills of immersing the player this way all the COD games have a fantastic environment setting.

I will continue playing the beta and see if I can run into any issues while playing and so fourth. One thing is sure COD4 doesn't seem to reinvent the wheel here just perhaps improving what other games have already laid down ala Ghost Recon etc. While I did find disappointments such as no cover system like in Rainbow 6 Vegas. But neither did GRAW, in the end I'm stoked for the game and will be buying this game. I'm a sucker for tactical Military Shooters, I also can't wait to see the single player campaign mode.

Overall I'm not sure which version I will get, depends I have a choice of PS3 or 360.

Infinity Ward says this game will run in full AA at 60fps and I hope that they stick to this benchmark. I'm going to go read the Lair reviews...ugh **cringe**

Greek-

The Morning Wood: Warhawk finally something to play!

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 12:12:52 GMT

It is 5:34 am here in Colorado, currently I am downloading the WarHawk game for the PS3 as hopefully the game drought for this console is over.

I'm tired but damn it's worth it, I added 39.99 to my wallet on the PSN store, no tax on this BTW just a straight 39.99 on the check out. Warhawk is exciting for many reasons not just the review 1UP.com gave the game but also it's the first downloadable game for the PS3.

IMO this game is much more significant then Lair and or Heavenly Sword only because for one it's something the competition is not doing and two could this be the future of gaming say a few years down the road?

We all know digitally distributed games are becoming more and more popular and we see it all the time with services like Steam and Direct 2 Download.

Understandably though it would not cut out the traditional retail chains but it would provide an awesome on demand type service for gamer's alike. Sony is hopefully going down the right path and I for one am very excited as well. Socom I believe will be the next game you can download off PSN in the future

I decided to download the game cause I'm a sucker for not wanting to wait and also I don't need the headset right now. Plus retail chains aren't getting this game until wed. and shit I can't wait that long. Why would anyone wait this long for a headset and a case!

I know I was being a smart ass cause not every PS3 owner has a Blue Tooth headset. But now here's an excuse to get one, IMO I think that should be an essential PS3 purchase with console. To each their own, if I feel the need I will pick up a second Jambra BT125. For now though I'm set.

Secondly I guess the other reason I'm doing the download deed is because according to a story and day or so ago the IGN contest winner's were saying the the 798 MB file size would be cache on to the PS3's hard drive anyway!

My question is then what's with the Blu Ray disc space for then? Is the retail version of this game have something extra on the disc? I don't know or I have not read or heard.

Anyway my game stands at 50 percent now, which I have to say is impressive. Sure it's under a gig but hell at least it doesn't crash the store like some demos on XBOX LIVE!

Well I will try to get some sleep but we'll see it could be a long day!

Greek-

The Morning Wood: PS3 Madden 30 FPS!

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 15:52:39 GMT

Quick update on my 360 status it finally made it to the repair center in Mc Allen, TX. at 3:43 PM yesterday.

Hopefully that or I'm hoping that Microsoft can get a new one out to me soon!

But this Morning Wood edition is more about why can't developers like EA (hence the 1up review of Madden 08) make game's run faster or equal to the 360?

Is it that the 360 is that much easier to develop for or is it that developer's just don't understand or have the skillz as they say to optimize games for the PS3.

I no nothing about development cycle's, in house tool's used but why should the gamer's suffer for the lack there of or the inability to code the PS3 games properly?

Case in point Insomniac Games makers of Rachet and Clank, Resistance Fall Of Man, and a few other developers can get the PS3 to perform at it's peak. On their web site they even have research other's can take advantage of which is awesome (Insomniac games tech page).

Here other development houses can do research to optimize their games and this is all old news but how in depth is this page and how many other development house are taking advantage of the information?

So I pose the question to EA what make's the PS3 so much harder to develop for, Sony documentation, or lack there of? Should we as gamer's take this and pass it off, I mean isn't that what people in the gaming industry get paid to do, make games regardless of the technical hurdles?

Isn't that what any job has today some sort of hurdle we all have to pass or find a work around for? Just like the DLC that should be on the game disc from the start and other issues like this as a gamer I'm not so sure I buy the PS3 is hard to code for excuse anymore! We all know the development team has a manager or head designer that set's out goals for the game on each platform that the team has to meet with in a certain time frame so in the case of Madden 08 why was this not set in motion?

If your team knows the technical hurdles of the machine then why not spend the extra time to get the game optimized and running right before the game ships out? Surely EA was starting work on Madden 08 right after Madden 07!

In the end as a gamer I'm tired of the excuses, we pay top dollar for these games they should be running at top notch when they hit store shelves. I can almost guarantee as this debate continues across other games that every pod cast and gaming site will pass it off as the PS3 hard to develop for excuse and buy it as face value.

Instead of asking the hard question's and blaming the hardware as a whole the gaming community should ask and look to developer's as well. It's allot easier to blame hardware more then anything else these days.

I'll buy Madden 08 on the PS3 simply cause I'm an NFL junkie that need's his fix, and if it wasn't for MS making shoddy 360 hardware and flooding the market with it this post and question's i have would have never came about.

Madden Review from 1UP:PS3 Review from 1up

Happy Friday

Greek-

The Morning Wood: Get ready for some patches!

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 16:17:51 GMT

I was able to play RE4 on my PS3 last night it wasn't bad pretty awesome game to say the least. I guess Xbox Live has or had connection issues as well this morning nothing shocking there!

Anyway with Madden 08 just around the corner some new information is coming out good and bad. Good in the sense that this maybe the best Madden game ever, but bad in the sense that another patch will have to be released sometime down the road.

I bitched about developers rushing game's out just so they can patch them later on. Which I can see they have deadlines to meet etc, the gaming industry is a billion dollar business. But when does it start to becomes bothersome so much so that were paying full price for shoddy code work on the online portion of the game.

I complained about this when Saint's Row came out cause the online was so laggy at the time. It was fixed by Volition later on which they still get kudos for that, but in all honesty these games should be ready to go from the get go. Nobody should have to patch a game for performance issues that should not be there to start. I can see bug and glitch patching and maybe graphical glitches, but for lag fixes. Understand optimizing the network is key to enjoying the game online, but that time and cost surely has to take away from other aspect's of the game.

Here" is the article to check out: Online Madden 08 issues

I will be still getting the game since All Pro 2k8 doesn't have dynasty mode or anything else like Madden 08 does this year.

Now go download the Stranglehold demo!

Greek-

The Morning Wood: Jambra BT125

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 17:27:57 GMT

When I first purchased my PS3 last week I wasn't thinking about the Bluetooth headset. So in all of my excitement I rushed to the nearest Gamestop cause it was quick and convenient. I also though just about every Bluetooth headset's were created equally.

Man was I wrong!

I admit I really got an education on the difference between Bluetooth headset's this weekend. What I bought at first didn't turn out so good in the end and honestly I committed one of the very biggest no no's a gamer can. What's that you may ask?

Buying crappy third party accessories! Yes I know I bought the Mad Catz Bluetooth headset, for 49.99 at Gamestop at the time I looked at the package and thought It looks good. I mean how could I go wrong with a headset. Well the truth is buyer beware this headset sucks!

My trouble started when I had a hell of a time synching up the headset with the PS3 it took forever for my PS3 to find it. When it finally did I thought okay good to go right?

Wrong.

So I when I get into chat I can't even when I press the "k1" button. You hear two beeps and the headset is on. Frustrated I kept turning the headset off and on I could hear my buddy on my HDTV in the chat room but why not my headset?

After paring and re-synching the headset I was able to connect, day2 was horrible as the connection was off and on. The headset would literally work when it wanted to. I thought 49.99 WTF this should work no sweat, when you pair a Bluetooth device it stays paired no need to keep doing this madness.

A friend pointed out to me that the Warhawk is coming with a headset the Jambra BT125 for 59.99. The I used common sense as I was ready to slam the headset on the floor, I thought I give up I should have done it right the first time. I was going to Bestbuy.

That night I gave up on the Mad Catz unit it was literally my worst night in chat on any console ever! Not due to the PS3 it was all the doing of this crap headset. I vowed never to buy third party accessories again until I know for fact they are good and work as they are intended.

I received some links to Bestbuy from my buddy through MSN Messenger and looked at everyone on that page. I seen the Motorola for 39.99 on sale I also seen the Jambra and thought again WTF!

Sunday morning I headed back to Gamestop with my receipt in hand and ready to argue for my money back. We all know that the game stores hate to give you the gamer you hard earned money back. AKA their policies IMO suck sometimes, but luckily on accessories you can return it all with in 7days for a full refund or an exchange.

I head up to the counter and tell the guy I want my money back on this device. He ask's why? I proceed to tell him as his manager lady helps other customer at the next register that this is the most horrid headset ever. It pairs okay with the PS3 but the microphone just does not want to work. Even when you blow into the microphone on the PS3 there is a meter the lights up on the accessories menu. It would not work.

Then the guy proceeds to ask if want to exchange the product, thinking about why would I want to do this I say no, I'm going to Bestbuy to get a better headset. Then he proceed to give me my 54 plus change back. I head to Bestbuy and it was between the Motorola and the Jambra BT125, i thought this maybe helpful to people on the fence of what to do about Warhawk at the end of this month.

See there are two flavors of the game, one version has the actual Bluray Disc and the Jambra BT125. The other version is a 39.99 downloadable only PSN game.

Which I have no idea how long it will take to download. The Motorola look's nice and I never heard of Jambra. But I have read nothing but good thing's from various web sites about this headset. I took and chance and I will say when I got home it took me 1hr and 30minutes to charge. According to the book it takes about 2hrs, the only thing I'm crazy about is that it does not come with a USB cord to charge through the PS3 or the PC. But in the end it's not a big deal....

After the charge I went to the accessories menu and started to pair the headset. I thought it will take a while so I left to the kitchen to get something to drink but before I leave the room I noticed the BT125 was already listed on the screen.

Shocked and amazed I finished paring the headset and was done, I sent a chat invite to my buddy on the PS3. The headset instantly connected to the chat, so after all the messing around with my NAT in my router reading countless topics on the Mad Catz headset. I should have just done it right the first time.

Sound quality is pretty good on the Jambra, you can hear pretty much everything or close to it in the background. My buddy told me I sounded alot better and more clear he could hear my cousin talk in the background and all that. Maybe this thing work's a little to good sometimes!

The volume button are flush with the headset, which to me isn't a big deal. But maybe an issue to other's. If Jambra would have made the buttons a little easier to press when using this on your ear would have been nice. Honestly if you press a button and you can't tell if the volume is high or low you got issues and possibly are going deaf.

In closing the Jambra is worth it if you want a headset that is solid sound's great and don't want to break the bank with a 99 dollar plus tax headset. At 39.99 it's a steal I even wore thing thing for about 5-6 hours last night and it did not hut my earlobes or the inside of my ear. Very comfortable and rests easy on the ear, charge time doesn't take long. Also easy to tell when by beeps and tone when the headset is on and off and also by the flashing light on the outside of the unit.

I can easily recommend this headset for any PS3 owner or any cell phone owner looking for a solid headset. Warhawk owners including me will be very happy! It's not to often a product delivers in spades.

For more information on this headset head over the Jambra's web site:

Jambra BT125

Greek-

The Morning Wood: Heavenly Sword Demo Impressions

Fri, 03 Aug 2007 15:46:53 GMT

As I sit here this morning with coffee on my desk still waking up. This morning I decided to play one of the shortest but sweetest demo's ever on a console.

I downloaded the Heavenly Sword demo two days ago when I first setup my PS3.

Waiting and waiting I bit the bullet and said what the hell, I was going to play it but just wasn't in a hurry cause I've heard everything about the demo. What can I say that has not been said already?

Sure I've heard all of the Goddess Of War comparison's, but I ask why is this a bad thing? Or more so a been there done that type scenario that this game gets labled?

We all have yet to play this game in full detail, why all meh comparisons? One thing about being an educated gamer is knowing when to make a judgement call and knowing when something is good or not.

If were going to make these type first hand impressions without even playing the game's what good is it to come out with new IP's like this. Plus look at the First Person genre, it's loaded with IP's that copy off each other. Heavenly Sword may copy game play style as in God Of War but without playing the full game how can we know?

Maybe I don't know much, I don't have the access like the big timer's up at IGN and Joystiq. But I'm willing to wait and see before I critique something I haven't play for more then 30 minutes.

The Demo itself is sweet and shows the potential of the PS3 off graphically and is it sweet. The combo's are easy to pull off, and the enemies are plentiful. I think the one of the best thing's besides the button context animation's ala God Of War and Spider Man 3 was the counter's and combo's.

Graphically the demo looks sweet as you start off on a grassy cliff and in the distance you can see waterfalls, rocky cliffs and on an HDTV in 720P it looks awesome. The most disappointing part of the demo is not the game play or the graphics but the time. Which is way to short plus its the demo from E3. Im hearing that there is another unreleased demo out there that is longer, what the build or version is I have no idea. Character models and design's look really original and like nothing iv'e seen before. The main character is one hot lady, I'm looking forward to this come Sept. 4th.

With Liar, Stranglehold all due in Sept. Sony has one bad ass arsenal to take some of the sting away created by Halo 3 due Sept. 25th. While these games aren't as hyped as Halo3. What they will provide PS3 gamer's is some well deserved attention and TLC in the lacking PS3 library.

Greek-