Geek Monday: Lackluster

Monday night was another Geeks On XBox Live night, but in contrast to last week's frag-fest, this one was mostly a wash.

The game was Rainbow Six: Vegas, and I was late. But I was able to get some gaming in with Will (Mulder United) and Chris (Roc Gaude) until we called it a night. Aaron (aka m0riarty) popped in but didn't last a single game due to connection issues.

It was my first time playing R6V, and it showed. I didn't do too well on our missions, dying far too early for my tastes. Also, we never finished a mission. The one time we nearly completed the mission, we ran out of time.

I am eager to play through the single player game once I complete Lego Star Wars II and this damn Old Spice Challenge.

Oh, and I've played a bit more of Worms, going through the first few challenges. Game play has not changed appreciably from the old PC game, and I am very glad.

More of the Same

In the past week, I've only played Worms and Lego Star Wars II. Most of my progress has been in LSW2, and I have passed the 60% point as well as completing the LEGO City section.

I'm nearly at 2000 points - should be very soon now!

Back in (Old) School

I've downloaded the new XBox Live Arcade version of Worms and played through the training tutorials. It seems quite faithful to the original 2D series, and that's a very good thing.

Unfortunately, many of the weapons that I knew and loved are missing, but it's still an engaging game.

This experience has highlighted for me the change in gaming over the years. The pace in Worms is quite slow in comparison to most modern games, so it will be interesting to see how it is received by the players in general.

More data as it emerges.

Geeks... ON!

I've participated in my first online play (XBL) with various members of the Geeks On community. It was a rousing game of Gears of War marred by sporadic connection issues and a short playing time. The short playing time was partially due to the East Coast/Left Coast division among the participants, but truthfully the time was nearly perfect for me. I am on the East Coast (in Atlanta), so start time for me was 10pm.

Members trickled in until we had a full contingent of 8 players, serving to illustrate just how damn bloody this game really is.

Not having played all that much of GoW (I've not even finished the first act), I struggled at times with the controls and environment, getting throughly pasted many times. However, I felt that I redeemed myself in a later match against 3 opponents, scoring all 3 kills with the chainsaw.

I look forward to the next match, assuming my library matches the group's gaming choice. If not, I suppose that would be my clue to expand my library.

Lego Star Wars II

I've picked up Lego Star Wars II, ostensibly for my son, but I quite enjoy the game myself. I've just finished Story Mode for all episodes and am just over 40% complete.

I've also bought RockStar Table Tennis based on OrpheusSail's recommendation. I have only had time to go through the training; hopefully I can report more in detail later.

Gamerscore sits at 1845, so less than 600 points to go on the Old Spice Challenge.

Half a weekend of gaming

I don't think I did too badly this weekend. Between Friday and Saturday, I gained over 500 points, to put me at 1550, which is 870 short of the amount needed to complete the Old Spice Challenge.

While it gained me no points, I had a pretty good time with ISupergeek as we co-op'd via XBox Live on Act 1 of Gears of War. I'm having a rough time of it, getting used to the controls and all. The story and cutscenes are quite good, though, and it is quite enjoyable.

1400 to go

No huge deal, but I managed to knock out 100 GamerPoints in about an hour with Fuzion Frenzy 2. Only 1400 more to go on the Old Spice Challenge (XBox Rewards).

My XBox 360 has its own blog

As odd as this idea may sound, my XBox 360 has its very own blog. This unique idea comes from folks who apparently think that it's not enough that everyone in the world (and their pets) has their own blog, but inanimate objects should as well.

Every day, my XBox writes a bit about what games I've been playing, etc. Typically, though, it writes a content-free entry that lets the world know that I have been neglecting it.

I feel so ashamed.

Xbox Rewards

Finally Microsoft is giving us something to do with our XBox Live GamerScore...

The current challenge is to boost your GamerScore by 1500 points before the end of the day April 12th, 2007.

This should not be too challenging for most, and I think it is a good move by Microsoft to boost game sales, especially those with easy achievements.

I may have to move my focus away from DOAX2 during this contest, as the achievements are very daunting. If I finish off Kameo, that should take me most of the way there.

Good luck signing up - the XBox Rewards site is slammed.

Valentine's Update

A little early spring refresher for the blog. Changed the colors and style up a bit.

I've also added my GamerCard over on the right. This should be current and display what I've been up to lately, updated live.

Lately I've been playing around with quite a few games, all quite fun.

I was late to the party on Kameo, but it is a fun one. I've been playing quite a bit of the XBox Live Arcade, especially Mutant Storm Reloaded. I tried out Heavy Weapon, but didn't care for it too well.

I paid full price for Fuzion Frenzy 2, and was rather disappointed with it. My 7-year-old son as well, commented (without prompting) that the first one was better. I'm proud that he can see through all the glitz and 3D flim-flammery and see that it's the game play that matters.

I picked up Rumble Roses XX on the cheap, looking for some correspondingly cheap thrills. I haven't quite figured it out...

Cue Orchestral Music

Finally, finally, finally, my television has been upgraded! I'd had the old 37" Zenith CRT for about 8 years, and enough was enough.

The game room is now blessed with a 56" 1080p JVC DLP system, and it's a world of difference. The image is sharp beyond sharp, and I can actually see all of the picture (The Zenith had a clipping issue)!

This has lead me to play more; updates forthcoming.

December Gaming

I have recently been playing Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 (DOAX2) and Viva Piñata. My 10-year-old daughter has discovered the Piñata game and enjoys it quite well. She loves the cute animals.

I'm enjoying the cuteness in DOAX2, but it is, of course, a completely different sort of cuteness.



The achievements in DOAX2 are quite daunting, and I find it slow going, particularly due to my limited playing time. I made very good progress while the casino cheat was available, although I'm getting quite good at the Wave Race minigame now, and the money is not too bad.

Short Update

Well, it's been nearly 2 years, and I have a great deal to say about the interim. Alas, it must wait for now.

I have an XBox 360, am still playing World of Warcraft, and am still using my original modded XBox.

Details to follow.

Cenarion Circle

I've now been completely sidetracked into World of Warcraft, so I have started a blog to cover events as they unfold. Don't worry, I will be returning to XBox Land eventually.

In the mean time, come visit Cenarion Circle.

Sidetracked by the PC!

I've barely turned on the XBox lately, as I have been pulled into World of Warcraft. I won't submit my opinions on that here, as this is an XBox blog, but I'm sure you can piece together the clues.

My 5-year-old son tried Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 and was quickly frustrated. I believe it is a bit above his level for now.

My son & daughter each played with Sonic Heroes with a bit more success.

I played some old-school emulated games with DaftApeth the other day; nothing to write home about, but quite the nostalgic trip.

First Impressions: KotOR 2

It took me somewhere in the neighborhood of 45 to 50 hours to finish the first Knights of the Old Republic, so it is with a bit of trepediation that I have embarked on a return journey into the same world, in the form of Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords. I'm sure that some will snicker at my KotOR playing time, so let me state now that I am a leisurely player. I like to explore the nooks and crannies, seeking ways to improve my character and uncover the secrets and surprises left by the developer.

I am now about five hours into KotOR 2, and in a position to deliver to you my first impressions.

First off, it is not surprising that the preponderance of the game interface is more or less intact. There are a few minor enhancements, but as this is a follow-on to Bioware's smash hit, developed by another party (Obsidian), I was not expecting any major changes. Sith Lords is basically an expansion pack.

And this is a good thing. The UI for KotOR was very functional for an RPG, and easy to use.

The first difference that I have noticed is that there are frame rate issues. These may have existed in KotOR, but I did not notice them then. These issues are especially obvious in area where there are force fields.

The audio is definately not as good as the first game. Some times the critical dialog volume is much lower than it should be. The voice acting is, at times, subpar. Some passages of dialog within the same conversation were obviously recorded at a different time as other passages, and the effect is a bit jarring if you pay attention to such things. Each of these issues serves to remove the player from the submersion into the game.

This last item can be viewed as either a good or bad thing, depending on your outlook. My thought is that it is more good than bad.

Whereas the plot in KotOR was very adept at pulling you along to the next stage, each section was pretty much distinct. In Sith Lords, the plot progression is very smooth, and there is less distinction betweek sections. This leads to a pronounced "Just One More" (JOM) effect, causing me to stay up far later than I really should.

The JOM Effect was one that I first noticed as such in the original SimCity and has been present in the Civilization games and every Sid Meier game that I have played. The effect is that I get pulled further into the game, minute-by-minute, until it's suddenly 4am and the next day is wrecked.

Although it appears that there is a lot of bitching here, I am enjoying the game and look forward to many more hours of whacking things with a sword of light.

More from the Ghost

After hearing a large number of favorable comments about Ghost Recon 2, particularly the online play, I have purchased a copy. I will be playing through some of the Single Player missions before going online.

In other news-worthy items, my wife has taken the LSAT, so the pressure is off for now in the picking-up-the-slack department. We'll see how that factors into the whole free-time issue.

More soon.

Really.

Can't Stop the Golf

As nuts as this sounds, and after waiting in line to buy Halo 2 at midnight last week, I have only played a little.

I could blame this on the fact that I am studying for my MCP test, or that my wife is studying for the LSAT and I have to cook and take care of the kids (both true), but the honest fact is that I am mired in Outlaw Golf 2.

It is a challenging game, and a rather addictive one at that, and I just find that it is easier to try to get past the next 9-hole challenge rather than go through the hassles of trying to find a Halo 2 game on XBL.

I'm sure the phase will pass quickly, especially after I finish the game (OG2, that is).

The New Halo

Of course, it rocks, and rocks hard.

I played a couple of games online and got my ass handed to me, as expected.
I'm not really what you'd call serious competition.

I'm better at team play rather than full-on fragfests.
I'm not really a twitch gamer.

But!
I was able to get on at about 1:00am (one hour after release) and create a clan, snagging the name that I wanted (Justice).

Gotta go - Earth Needs Me.

First Impressions: Outlaw Golf 2

I picked up Outlaw Golf 2 the other day, and I have to say that it is quite a bargain. For $20, I have the best golf game I have played in the XBox.

OK, it's the ONLY Golf game I have played on the XBox, but it's still quite fun.

It is rather challenging, but entertaining and motivating. There are many, MANY unlockables, possibly too many. For example, there are 15 challenges on the practice range, and only 2 of them are initially available. Of the 10 playable characters, only 4 are playable before unlocking others.

Still, there is a lot to this game, numerous modes and much challenging golf to be had. I am actually surprised at the price of this title, but I guess that's a decision the distributors made. It is rated Mature, so I don't think you'll be playing this one with the tots.

I am eager to try out the multiplayer modes, both single-box and via XBox Live!