360° of Awesome

For me next to the Sega Mega Drive the XBOX 360 had the biggest impact on my life.  Not only was it because my wife bought me this console which was not only really sweet but proved once again how awesome she is but also because graphically & gameplay wise everything became bigger & better.

To keep a little continuity with the rest of the blog so far I will select three games that really stood out to me.  It should be noted these are not necessarily my favorite games but they are titles that had a great impact on me.

The first time I saw this game was on day one the XBOX 360 was launched, I was visiting my brother in law & he had just bought it.  I was blown away from the first moment I laid eyes on it for so many reasons & any chance I got to steal the controller away from him & walk around the world I did.

The story starts with you trapped in a prison confined to a small dank cell that just feels grim even by prison standards. The Emperor visits you, I say visit I mean he is more fleeing for his life along with his body guards & your cell just happens to have a hidden escape route built into it.  Spoiler alert you go along with him into the sewers & it does not work out great.  The emperor knowing he is screwed gives you the Amulet of Kings & commands you to take it to Jauffre. I am not going to spoil anything else but that is the start of the main story which is really good.

Being honest I really like the main story but I really love all the different guild story lines. It is hard for me to even pick my favorite but gun to my head probably the Assassins Guild, I don't want to give anything away but it's a good one.

The music in the game helps create a fantastic, living, breathing world. For example when I am walking around in the city on a nice day it feels almost peaceful & like you don't have a care in the world.  When you are outside the city you feel exposed like at any moment you may be attacked & killed & your thankful for every moment you are still alive.

Graphically the game is stunning with rich environments & varied climates, the inside of buildings look just as good & are populated with many items & a crazy amount of readable books.  The only thing that lets the game down visually are the more human faces in the game that look really ugly & harsh especially compared with the other races.

I loved the combat; especially when using a sword & shield, fighting an enemy really feels like a battle. Timing your attacks & blocks is key to success when taking on enemies. Then you have magic which could be quiet good but I felt there were sometimes too many spells & a few that were just not very useful.

The game as a whole is fantastic & while there are flaws in it they are negligible beside all the greatness the game has to offer.  I have pumped 100's of hours into Oblivion & I know I will put in many more hours.  The world is so big I did not even touch on a fraction of what it has to offer, I can't recommend you play Oblivion enough.

This is a game that I only played in the last two years even though it came out in 2011. I can't believe I missed it because it is a really fantastic game.  I sunk a lot of hours into it & found it & found it hard to put down - even now I am thinking about going down stairs turning on my 360 & playing it.

You play as Nier, a father desperately searching for a cure to a disease called the Black Scrawl to help you daughter Yonah.  On your quest to find a cure you come across a talking book, you might say he is an audio book....what? That's funny. Your new friend, Grimoire Weiss suggests working together to help find a cure to save your daughter.  The story starts simple but branches out into something amazing & imaginative.

The music balances between being very peaceful & relaxed to epic & fast paced.  This works really well in the game & helps put more emphasis on tough battles & boss fights, it also reminds you to relax when you can.  I ran around for hours listening to the same tracks play over & over again & never got bored of them.

While graphically it is not as sharp as other games out at the same time it looks amazing all the same. I really like the character designs especially all the details in their outfits & weapons.  I love the rural & sometimes beaten up looking areas that really help create a beautiful world.

The gameplay itself is really fun but at the start can feel a little tough as you are quite weak & your magic is not very strong.  As the game progresses you get stronger & really feel the difference when facing enemies.  For me some of the most fun I had was completing side missions especially the fishing ones, in the beginning it can my a little fiddly but later on you just really want to catch every type of fish there is.

Overall an excellent game, with a memorable sounds track & many great characters - well worth your time.

I really enjoyed the original but for me Gears of War 2 surpassed the first in every way.  Better cover system, graphics, gameplay & story.  For me it did everything a good sequel should do & more, one of favorite additions was Horde Mode.  My wife & I spent so many nights killing legions of Locusts & trying not to get cornered by one of those little exploding guys - which was almost an instant death if you did not kill him quick enough.

The game is set a few months after the Lightmass Bomb was detonated under ground & killed a ton of the locusts. However in the wake of this the liquid imulsion was vaporised & caused a new fun disease named Rustlung.  With resources tight & the humans running out of options they decide to invade the locust stronghold & destroy them.  Spoiler alert, it turns out it won't be that easy!

I love the music in the game, it moves from grim despair to feeling like you are just about to be chain sawed into bloody chunks. Because of this the game never really lets you relax or have a breather which helps create some intense gameplay.

Graphically it looks amazing & has more varied locations than the original.  One of my favorite areas is when you are driving over a frozen lake being attacked & trying not to fall into holes being opened up by the enemy.  I am not going to spoil it by saying any more, I will simply say it is awesome!

The gameplay is fast, furious & never really lets up on you.  The constant pressure makes the game addictive & even when you get killed it just makes you thirsty for more. I love the improved cover system & this time if you get knocked down your AI allies will try to pick you up rather than leaving you on the ground bleeding out. Dom, Baird & Cole really feel like part of your team & when they get dropped you always want to rush over & help them. The enemies are varied; some of them are like bullet sponges & others can be kicked or chain sawed - personally the lancer chainsaw is my favorite weapon to kill enemies.

How can I sum this game up? It's a fun violent fueled game filled with guns, guts & a lot of heart.  If you like tough battles, chain saws & team work this game is for you.

It's over again & was far too short, as mentioned at the start of the post I could almost give over an entire blog just to talk about the awesomeness that is this console. As I always do I leave you with a list of suggested titles that are well worth checking out:

Asura's Wrath
Bioshock Infinite
Borderlands
Catherine
Crysis 2
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Far Cry 3
Halo 4
Mass Effect 2
Saint's Row 3
Sonic Sega All Star Racing
Spec Ops the Line
Walking Dead by Tell Tale Games


Next time I will be looking at the Wii, see you then!

Two Screens Are Better Than One

While I have played many handheld consoles over the years this one really sticks out in my mind. It features; dual screens - one of which is a touch screen, microphone & a brilliant button layout. There is a slew of great games available & has to be one of the most successful handheld consoles.

I was working in HMV when the console was released & remember selling so many of them to parents. Kids would come up talking about all the cool games they could play on it & the parents would say things like "is this good for them?". This is what I honestly said to them:

"It helps with hand eye coordination, there are games such as; Dr Kawashima's Brain training which helps improve memory, games that help improve math skills.  If your child is looking for a pet but your not convinced they are ready then there are games for that too.  There is so much available for this console & is great for all ages."

Where possible I showed them how it worked & let them play with it, that was really all I needed to do to convince them to buy it.

This first time I played Mario Kart was on a NES emulator on PC a few years before hand.  What sold me was the characters designs, colourfulness & the gameplay itself. So when this came out on the DS I just had to have it.

The game is comprised of three main modes; single player, multiplayer & Nintendo WFC mode - this allowed you to play with people in close proximity to you. There were the four main cups (Mushroom, Flower, Star & Special) which could be played at 50cc, 100cc, 150cc or mirror 150cc.
On top of this there was the retro cups (Shell, Banana, Leaf & Lightning). There was also Balloon Battle, Shine Runners & a mission based mode.

The music for the most part was fun & light-hearted, apart from when you had a back fire at the starting line or the dreaded blue shell was launched & you prayed you could out run it & knew you were screwed.  The race tracks were well designed, some of them were new to the DS version others were from the previous games. As a whole the game looked great graphically & even looks well now.

I loved the racing part of the game & got quite big into the multiplayer side of things. For me though I felt the mission mode felt out of place, I like the idea of different game modes but this one did not do it for me.  It generally felt like a well balanced game in terms of difficulty, powers up & the karts themselves.

I have very few complaints about this game & thoroughly enjoyed playing it. If you own a DS & for some reason don't own this game I highly recommend you pick up a a copy. Do it now!!

This is hands down my favorite Zelda game of all time! Everything about this game is great; the story the characters & the fact Nintendo said lets not be lazy, lets use everything this console has to offer & make an exciting game.

So you & your friend Tetra are sailing on the great sea & see a Ghost Ship, naturally you have to investigate - great idea (it's not a great idea). Tetra runs inside the ship, you hear her scream & instead of rescuing her you fall off the boat like the klutz you are. Naturally enough when you awaken you need to go find the Ghost Ship & rescue Tetra. You have three people to help you; Oshus a nice friendly old man, Captain Linebeck a swindler & con artist & of course Ciela a super helpful & not annoying character (she might be a little anoying).

The music in the game is atmospheric & suits the situations you are in, I especially feel this way when you are at sea or in one of the dungeons. The character designs & how they are animated are perfect & suit the console well.  I really love that even when you are in a dungeon there is bright colours which makes you feel safe & it is then when you feel safe a bat kills you as you were to distracted by the background. I am not a kid....oh wait shiny thing.

The gameplay is what makes this game so special for me; you find yourself in a dungeon & you need to make note of location use the stylus to mark it on the map on your screen, you have a seal & you need move a seal from one screen to the other - what do you do? Close the DS & open it again & there it is on the other screen. The dungeons were great & I enjoyed the puzzle element & being out on the sea was always a lot of fun.

Overall an excellent game, great characters & really for me is the best Zelda game to date. My own advice - buy it & play it!

It does not happen too often but I am disappointed in myself, do you know why? I missed out on this game for ages because i judged it based on its name. That to me is one my biggest gaming crimes I have committed & after playing this game & realising how awesome it was I have tried not to repeat that mistake.

The plot is straight forward, see a girl fall in love & try to prove yourself to her. Naturally you have a nemesis. Of course you have to impress her by getting gold fish out of guys stomach, save her from 100 stampeding bulls & many other challenges. Lucky enough you have your friends the rub rabbits egging you on.

Music during the challenges are fast paced & have urgency to them - faster, quicker don't lose! The mini games are usually made up of multiple rounds & half way through you get a break, the music is slightly more relaxed but not too much so. Then when you finish a mini game you get a nice positive relaxing sound & are able to breath a sigh of relief. The graphics are simplistic the characters are in a silhouette style & there are lot of bright colours, the contrast works really well.

Wow! That is what I can think of the gameplay. I don't want to spoil or under sell the mini games but they are so much fun, some of them can be quite challenging but this just adds to the fun. I like that fact that sometimes its necessary to use the microphone on the device, this is really great if you are on a bus blowing into your DS - you get a few weird looks.

While the game has a bad name that is all that is bad about it, an easily missed game but well worth your time.

So once again we come to the close of another post. It is worth noting I own not only the DS but also DS Lite & DSi XL as I loved it that much. There are so many great games on this console it is hard to keep the list small but I will try:

Ghost Trick
Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney
Rub Rabbits
Wario Master of Disguise
Kirby Mass Attack
42 All Time Classics



Next time I will be looking at the XBOX 360!

Advancing Boy!

I have always enjoyed handheld gaming, it's more than just the convenience of being able to play games anywhere.  For me its the awe & admiration I feel towards developers when playing a great portable game.  When creating a game for a handheld device there can be a big limitation on what can be achieved.  There is less power in these devices which means lesser graphics need to be replaced with greater stories & gameplay.  Many developers  are unable to step up to the plate & we become awash with mediocre or bad games. However there are some willing to rise to the challenge & push the console to its limits & provide us with the great games we crave. With this in mind I am going to spend at least the next two posts discussing handheld consoles & their games.

Before playing Zero Mission I had never played a Metroid game, as I was a Sega Kid it was an easily missed series.  While I realize for the most part that Zero Mission is basically a suped-up colour version of the original game I really loved it & thought it added to the original (which I later played).

The plot in some way reminds me of Aliens, a group messing with a dangerous species they hope to control. Samus (Ripley) being one of the only sane people decides to take care of business & ensure the universe doesn't get any more screwed up than it already is.

One of the first things that grabbed me was the music, sometimes eerie & other times really action packed. It could make you feel alone & isolated or pumped up & ready to kick ass. The game could be both colourful & dark. Some areas on planet Zebes felt dark but was always balanced by Samus's bright suit.

I loved the gameplay! There is something about coming against an unpassable area & then later getting an upgrade & you think to yourself, now I can get through that part. One of my favorite upgrades is the roll - simple but effective.

The game in itself made me want more & although it got some negative feed back due to its length I walked away satisfied & happy (that's what she said).  There is a saying I feel rings true here "always leave them wanting more", there are number of games that can feel overly long especially if the story is weak - this is not one of those games.

This game series was another first for me. I was aware of Zelda series but had never played any of them. I am not embarrassed to say it but I found the game tough.  It was a style of gameplay I was relatively unfamiliar with & combined action with puzzles.

You play as Link a pint size green menace who swings his sword round & smashes pots, his excuse for doing this? Saving the Kingdom of Hyrule & the Princess - being honest it's a good excuse. Your mission is to restore an ancient blade called the Four Sword, to do this you need to find the Picori people.  Your main tools are a sword, shield, a thirst for destruction & of course Ezlo a talking green cap.

The music always gave me the feeling of urgency, whether I was in a field or in a dungeon. The game always feels bright even when you are in a darkened area, this is probably due to Link's appearance. His crazy green hat, pointy ears & blonde hair help keep a certain lightness to a game which can be very dark.

The game play is quite fun & as you work your way through the game you obtain more weapons to help you over come obstacles.  Each dungeon you enter usually has a new weapon & a key item.  The boss at the end of the dungeon usually offers the main challenge, forcing you to consider every move you make & pick the right tools to defeat them.

While this game is not my favorite in the series it was a great introduction to it. If for some reason you have not had the chance to play a Zelda game this might be the place to start. Being honest though my favorite is the Phantom Hour Glass, more on this later.

While I have mixed feelings on this game I feel it is worth mentioning. The appeal for some is the gameplay, for others it was the story & for me it was probably the look of the game. I also want to give a shout to a friend of mine Max who introduced me to this game & the previous two games mentioned.

The story for me was not too exciting. Andy a Commander of the Orange Star Army is seemingly attacking other countries for no reason. You get take on the role of one of the Commanders & fight your way through various enemies.

The music was fun & up beat which is one of things I liked about it. For me though one of things that let it down was that the maps, they felt dull & lifeless.  On the plus side the animations when attacking enemies looked great.

I have never been big in to turned based games especially war games.  While I can appreciate the benefit of turned based gameplay in a war style game its feels out of place.  Some would argue that it is better as it gives you time to plan your moves & act more strategically.  For me I feel real time strategy is the way to go; reacting,counter attacking & planning on the go.

It may seem I have done nothing put the game down & to degree that is true. I do feel some of the map designs could be improved along with the game mechanics.  On the other hand I feel the game can be very fun; great animations & the commanders you can play as each have their own quirky personalities & abilities. Bottom line, if you like turn based combat, fun animations & characters this one is for you.

So its time to come to the close of another post but before I go here are some other titles that are worth checking out (it's a short list because I got caught up in my next handheld device):

Pokemon Emerald
R-Type 3
Mario Golf Advance Tour


See you next time!

Xbox One...The First One

The original Xbox was a console I did not own, however my flat mate at the time did.  I only played three games on the console.  The Xbox looked clunky, the design of the controller felt like it was made for the hulk & was not comfortable to hold. If you don't like this console why are you talking about? Well I'll tell you.  While the console for me felt very underwhelming it did help set the foundation for the Xbox 360 & Xbox One. I think it is important to remember what came before so you can truly appreciate what came after.

This was officially the first game I played on the Xbox. Worms has always been a fun series but I feel it only works if you play with friends.  I think its the thrill of using Holy Bomb or the Sheep to kill your friends in a funny way.  While the 3D element brought a new lease of life to the series I feel some how the original magic of worms was lost by moving away from 2D.  In terms of controls they worked fine but lacked a little something that I just could not put my finger on.  For me I would say save your money on this game unless your house mate happens to own it & you can play it for free.

This game peaked my interest as I am a fan of the series.  It brought me back to my time playing Zwei & Saga. It had beautiful scenery & it was great flying on a dragoon again but there was one problem, the controls.  I can forgive a game if the graphics are not great but I cannot forgive bad controls.  The aiming was bad & the lock on lasers were not always great at hitting their target & the camera angles were a real pain.  While the game is better than the original it is a far cry from Zwei which is a shame as I hoped it would be a worthy successor.

It is unlikely at this point that there is any one out there who has not heard of Halo.  There are lot of mixed thoughts & feelings on the series. Some of the games are considered ground breaking & others simply brought the franchise backwards.  For me Halo 2 was not a bad game if not a little long - what does he mean long? Surely that is a good thing? While it is true there are far too many first person shooters that have short campaigns this one just ran a little long.  Some levels were overly dark in terms of lighting & it felt like maybe it was a cost saving measure that got out out of control. The overall gameplay was fun & the story built on the original game.  As a whole the game made me long to play the original & look forward to the sequel. Turned out Halo 3 rocked!

Well that is all for this time folks & don't worry I will be a bit more positive with the next console!

A Playstation Made For 2

I was first introduced to the Playstation 2 by my girlfriend who just happen to now be my awesome wife!  I arrived at her parents house to find her playing Final Fantasy X, up to this point I had only seen brief gameplay of the Final Fantasy series & never played any of them.  She was at Lake Maclania fighting an Al Bhed machine called the Crawler.  I remember really liking the combat style & the design of not only the characters but also the world itself.  After that brief introduction I decided this needed to be the first thing we got once we moved in together.

Three month later & we had both left Mayo & moved to Galway. I was working in a music shop at the time & decided to buy the PS2 from there.  I wished I had not as I did not even get a discount which sucked ass but what are you going to do?  There was no bundle deal but I picked up two games that were in the 2 for €50 offer; Final Fantasy X & another game that I just can't remember what it was. If it comes to me I will update this post.

Final Fantasy X is set in the beautiful & dangerous world of Spira.  You take on the role of Tidus; star player of the Zanarkand Abes.  Through some strange turn of events you get dragged into protecting a summoner on her pilgrimage.  What is the pilgrimage for? Well she is gathering powerful beings call Aeons & needs them to summon the Final Aeon. But why?  Well according to elders of Yevon (the world religion) we are sinners & need to be punished & that punishment is called Sin. A huge ass creature which destroys everything in its path.  Summoners are the only ones that get defeat Sin & bring about peace.

Your party is made of a number of memorable & lovable characters. There is:

Wakka; easy going, full of heart & struggling blitzball Captain
Auron; he has a kick ass sword & is the most bad ass guy ever
Lulu; cold but caring & can kill you just by looking at you
Kimahri; protector of Yuna since she was a child, great with a lance & a little grumpy
Rikku; a little silly but full of heart & cousin to Yuna
Yuna; a young summoner that just wants to save everyone & never thinks of herself


There is a lot to see & many battles to fight. One of my favorite things to do in Final Fantasy X is play blitzball.  A sport played in spherical arena made of water.  The best way to describe it would be; it is a cross between football, rugby & hockey. I sank many hours into it & was a great way to unlock abilities for Wakka & win rare items. In fact the big reason I bought the remastered version on the PS Vita was so I could play blitzball any time any where.

While RPGs are not my go to genre I truly feel if you don't play this game you have missed out.  Between the gameplay, story & characters there is so much depth in this game.  If you have a PS Vita or a Playstation 2or 3 pick up a copy of this game. This is one fantasy you just have to play.

What the hell is Super Monkey Ball? Is exactly what I said when my brother in law brought this into my life.  Hands down this is one of the most fun games I ever played. Naturally you are a monkey in a ball & need to save another monkey (your wife) also in a ball from Dr Bad Boon.  Of course the best way to do this is; traverse crazy courses, collect bananas & cross the finish line.  Outside of the main story mode is party mode. You can play with up to four friends or play with yourself. The party games are:

Monkey Shot
Monkey Soccer
Monkey Billiards
Monkey Bowling
Monkey Golf
Monkey Tennis
Monkey Baseball
Monkey Dogfight
Monkey Target
Monkey Race


That's a lot of Monkeys & a lot of Balls!  One of my favorite mini games was Monkey Billiards.  The big reason for this is that one of the level designs is an old western style saloon, the monkeys in the background are wearing cowboy hats & drinking pitchers of milk. All these little details I really feel add a lot to the game & make it a really fun experience.

While it would be easy to say this is just another party game it is so much more. I implore you buy a copy of the game & invite some friends round to play, you won't be disappointed.

The first time I played Resident Evil was on the Sega Saturn, I remember my dad renting it from Blockbuster for me.  I really enjoyed the look & feel of the game & remember how challenging it could be. The first thing thing that springs to mind when I am thinking about the series is the title screen of the original game. When you pressed the start button the voice would say "Resident Evil" in a really evil & malevolent way, it still sends shivers down my spine.

Resident Evil 4 is probably my favorite of the series & is one of my favorite horror games. This games follows the story of Leon Kennedy who is sent on a mission to rescue the US President's daughter Ashley. She has been kidnapped by a one of those peaceful cults & all is well with the world & Leon can just relax -  of course this is a lie. Leon must defeat monster & psycho villagers who due to a down turn in the economy & being unable to knit very well wear cloth bags on their heads to keep warm.

I loved the gameplay because they use the over the shoulder view which gave a great level of control when playing.  In this game there are a number of quick time events which really works well & keeps you constantly vigilant.

There are two very memorable characters for me in the game. The first is a dog which you can rescue in the first few minutes of the game.  You have a choice not to save him but unless you have ice in your veins there is only one logical choice.  He disappears after you save him & returns later when your in trouble.  While his time in the game is short I really enjoyed his presence & I also like dogs.  The second character is The Merchant.  It is not just the entrance he makes or his outfit but what he says to you; "What are you buying stranger?", "What are you selling?".  While it does not sound that exciting it is & any one who has played the game will know what I mean.

Graphically at the time it looked quite well but I would love them to do a remastered version of the game.  I can't recommend this title enough, if you have a Playstation 2, (or Wii, Gamecube,  Playstation 3, XBOX 360) then pick up or download this game.

Before moving onto my next console I want to mention a some games that are must haves on the Playstation 2:

Black
GTA 3
GTA Vice City
Lego Star Wars (this was made before there was a Lego version of everything)
Time Crisis 2 (especially if you buy the arcade gun!)
Prince of Persia Warrior Within
Ratchet & Clank
Shadow Of The Colossus


Catch you next post!

The Age Of PC Gaming

I have been playing PC games for a long time now & while it may not be my go to platform it offers something many consoles do not.  One of the most important things PC games have over console games is the price.  While the original set up can be expensive once you have a good PC many of the games can be quiet inexpensive. Some of the older games did not even require you have the disc once the initial install was completed.  You could borrow the game to your friend worry free if they lost or damaged the disc (obviously if they did that they would be dead to me).

Another big plus of PC gaming is that you have a trusty mouse & keyboard.  I just feel there is a level of control you get from them that just isn't there with a normal console controller. For me if I want to play an real time strategy game I will always go for the PC version over console.  I love being able to map keys to what works best for me & the game I am playing. The mouse allows great speed & control which in an RTS can be very important.  Anyway lets get on with the show & talk about some games.

For me I feel the Command & Conquer series really got me into PC games.  I loved building up my base, creating a ton of units & then moving in & crushing the enemy. One of the most notable things about the series were the stories & actors used. Some of my favorites actors were; Joseph D. Kucan, James Earl Jones, Michael Biehn, Nicholas Worth, Udo Kier & Micheal Ironside.

While the series has a few turkeys in it like; Renegade & Tiberium Twilight as whole the series is very solid. My favorites titles being; Red Alert 2 & 3, Tiberium Sun & Generals.  If you like real time strategy games I strongly recommend playing one or all of them - except for the crappy ones.






If you have not played Half Life then you probably don't own a PC or have never played a first person shooter.  Outside of that you have no excuse not to have played this game.  My interest was peeked watching my friend playing it one day & I thought I must try this game for myself. After a brutal fight I stole his copy of Half Life & ran home as fast I could. Looking back I think using a crowbar to knock him out may have been excessive.

The story is set in a top secret research base.  They scientists are experimenting with other worldly forces, which funny enough does not work out to well.  A smallish tear is created that is large enough to let through a lot of crazy creatures.  Who will save the day?  A scientist called Gordon Freeman. He graduated MIT with a PhD in theoretical physics & later went on to be an ass kicker & savior of humanity. Hail the Freeman!

Two official add-ons were released where you got the chance to see the game from two other perspectives. The first was through the eyes of Corporal Adrian Sheppard part of the Black Mesa Black Ops clean up team. The second was through the eyes of Barney Calhoun a security guard. Don't let Barney fool you he is much more than a mere security guard.

Closing advice: play it. That is all.

When most people hear Warcraft they think two things: oh World of Warcraft, that MMORPG with way too many expansions & oh yeah isn't there a movie coming out about that? While I did spend nearly three solid months playing World of Warcraft the key driving force which led to me to playing the game in the first place was Warcraft 3 Reign of Chaos.

Warcraft 3 was the classic build your base up & complete objectives.  You could pick from four races; Humans (not bad), Orcs (Awesome!!), Night Elves (don't mess with them), Undead (creepy but crazy strong).  Each race had their own back story which intersected with the others.  The music & level designs always fill me with me excitement & pull me right into the action. The add-on; Frozen Throne added new units along with new story & the same great races.

Within all of this awesomeness was a little more awesome.There was a set of maps for something called Defense of the Ancients.  You play as a hero character completing missions & traversing the lands, you could play solo or with/against other players.  Originally I had thought this would what World of Warcraft would be - it really wasn't!

I loved & still love this game & when you consider how far the series came for the original to Warcraft 3 its amazing.  I look forward to Warcraft 4 especially if Blizzard make it an RTS. Once again all I can say is play it & play it hard.


Well its that time again where I say that's all folks & move on. Before I do that I want to mention some games that require your attention: Unreal Tournament (I don't care what people say the original is the best), Settlers 2, Sims, Plants vs Zombies, Commandos, Die Hard Trilogy 2 (I just really liked it).  All the best & I will see you next post!

There Can Only Be PS1 (& 2 & 3 & 4)

The original Playstation never really left much of a mark on me.  This is most likely because I never owned one myself although I did occasionally play with my brothers.  I was also a little distracted by the Saturn at the time.

The first game I played was Crash Bandicoot. It was a fun colourful platformer featuring a genetically enhanced animal who had escaped from a mad scientist & now just wanted to be left alone to chill out. Unfortunately Dr Neo Cortex is not contented to leave Crash alone & demands nothing less than his demise.  Crash decides to fight back stop the evil doctor & his plans for world domination.  While it was fun enough for me it was just a little close to another genetically enhanced animal trying to fight the evil scientist who created him from taking over the world.

The one thing that does shock me is that this is the same studio that later gave us Drakes Uncharted & The Last of Us - Naughty Dog has come a long way.

For me one the best games I played was Duke Nukem: Land of the Babes. The premise is classic Duke Nukem. In an alternate future all men have been killed by the evil Pigcops & they have taken all women as slaves.  There is a small resistance know as the Unified Babe Resistance & of course Duke offers to help them.It is a third person shooter which looked pretty good for the time & had some fun gameplay.

 If you have never played a Duke Nukem game & are easily offended don't play this - I myself love Duke & the Babes!

The only other stand out game was James Bond Tomorrow Never Dies.  Not the best bond game or even the best bond movie but it was good fun to play & okay to watch.  It's a third person shooter with you playing as James Bond. The object of the game was the same as the movie or any Bond movie - stop the evil villain from taking over the world.  You got to kill lots of bad guys before rescuing & going off with the girl. For a one night stand because you cant tie James Bond down unless your a bad guy with an evil plan & a laser.

That's all for now, see you next console!