I've been playing a lot of Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters for the PSP lately.  I've always been an R&C fan, because it's a fun series.  Size Matters is a great game.  Short, mind you, but still great, with a fair amount of replay value.  Look for a review soon.

In the same vein with that, EGM gave an exclusive first look at the next-gen R&C game, which I think will be called, in the end, "Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction".  They'll probably drop "Future" from the title sometime in its development cycle.  Still, I'm stoked.  When my family gets a PS3(which will probably be a few years down the road), that'll be one of the first games I play.

And, as you would expect, I've been playing the living hell out of the 360.  As I said I would, I purchased Novadrome and the recently-released Bonus Pack.  I also purchased Small Arms, which is an amazing XBLA game that should not be missed.  It's very much in the same vein as Super Smash Bros. Melee...just with mutants and guns and explosions and that kind of thing.  Novadrome is also very overlooked.  It's made by some of the same dudes who did Carmageddon, as I've already told you.  It's a very good game, rather challenging, actually.  What pisses me off the most about that game, though, is the AI.  They can be really cheap sometimes.  But, hey, that may be just me.

More Halo stuff...beta should be starting within the next few months.  I don't really care about being in the beta, but I will be getting the new, 360-exclusive Halo 2 maps that are released around that time.  Hey, if I can't be in the beta, might as well get the next best thing.

Other games I've been playing on the 360 are Gears of War, which I beat on Casual and am already halfway through on Hardcore; Burnout Revenge, which is SO much better on 360; Need for Speed Carbon, which I have beaten already and purchased several bits of DLC on; and, as usual, I've been playing Halo 2.

I also played a little bit of Burnout Dominator on both the PSP and PS2.  It's very good, and the level of danger you can drive in that game can be truly insane at some parts.  It's something worth trying.

That's it for now.  Wrestlemania 23 is in one week, and it is going to be insanely good.  I won't be watching it, but I know someone who will, and I'll probably look up the results the day after it's all over.  But I just know it's gonna be good.  Until next text blog, which is essentially whenever the hell I feel like it, later!

Well, after months upon months of wondering when it was gonna happen, the stars aligned Friday and I was finally welcomed into the next generation of gaming.

Ladies and gents, my family and I have finally purchased an Xbox 360!!


Yep.  Finally freakin' got one.  It was a great deal, too - here's what was included:

- Xbox 360 Pro System
- Extra controller
- Play and Charge Kit
- and a copy of Gears of War

So, today, I finally decided to see what all the fuss was about Gears of War was and popped the disc into the 360.  I haven't touched on the multiplayer aspect of it yet, but I do plan to this week.

No wonder everyone's saying this is the Game of the Year for 2006.  This is an awesome game.  The instant I began the campaign, I was hooked.  This is a thinkin' man's shooter.  I've already completed Act 1 and I've scored 50 points towards my Gamerscore already.  I don't remotely give a damn about my Gamerscore, but I like to check on the acheivements to see what I've gotten and what I can realistically get.  Not only that, but I'm playing this on a standard-def TV, and this game is damn beautiful.

The family is getting Saints Row and Need for Speed Carbon through Gamefly soon, and Project Gotham Racing 3 will probably follow up afterwards.  I'm looking forward to PGR3 and Carbon, and I'll be playing the hell out of those for some time, if Gears of War doesn't become my latest gaming addiction beforehand - and I'm not guaranteeing anything!

Look forward to a Gears of War review once I give the multiplayer a spin.

After I get a Marketplace Points card, I'll also begin playing a game I've been looking forward to trying for quite some time, Novadrome.  For those who don't know what Novadrome is, it's a futuristic Twisted Metal clone...well, not even.  But the guys who made this game are the same dudes who brought us Carmageddon.  I'll play a trial game first before I go and get the real thing, but I can sense that this will be good.  I'll also get some content for Carbon and PGR3, once that all falls through.

So, yeah, I'm gonna be busy as hell with gaming, but I always find time to get on Gamespot, so don't worry - I ain't goin' nowhere fast.  Catch up with you guys later.  Peace!

EDIT: Well, I guess it's time to tell you.  My gamertag is StormPhoenix2

Feel free to add me if you care.

You've seen the videos.  You've seen the screens.  But what does all this crap stand for?  Well, let's see what we know and what we think is true about Halo 3 thus far.

The return of the Warthog and the Ghost
It's been a staple in the Halo universe since its inception, so who'd have thunk it, eh?  Warthogs are way too reliable(and that's a good thing) in the "Haloverse".  A return was all but confirmed.  Ghosts are also returning, by the looks of it.

Some of the weapons that are in
If the Brute video documentary taught us anything, it's that shotguns and energy swords are in, as well as plasma grenades.  But...well, you'll see the rumors section if you want to find out what else there is!  Other weapons that are in include an assault rifle-style weapon, plasma pistols, battle rifles, stick grenades(new to the Halo universe), frag grenades, and plasma rifles.


Still, with these facts, most of Halo 3 is nothing more than mere rumors.  Here are a few:

Dual-wielded energy swords?
For a brief moment in the Brute viDoc, you see a Covenant Elite with - GASP! - two energy swords.  And he's using both.  At once.  Does this mean that every Halo fan's dream is gonna come true - the ability to wield two energy swords at once?  Possibly.

Pelican confirmed for use in MP?
One of the newer screens of Halo 3 show a fight breaking out in multiplayer.  Look to the left of the screen, and you should see what appears to be a Pelican.  Is it one that is usable, or is it merely scenery?
UPDATE: We can now officially say that the Pelican we saw is no more than scenery.  It's on the map Valhalla, and the peeps at Bungie have said themselves that the Pelican we saw was a downed Pelican.

Laser cannon as new weapon?
Some of the screenshots of Halo 3 show a new weapon being used by the Spartans.  It looks like a rocket launcher, but it fires a laser instead of a solid projectile.  Have the humans developed a portable laser cannon?
UPDATE: Turns out they did.  The newest update, though focusing on the new Mongoose ATV, mentioned that the "Spartan laser" will be the ATV's biggest crippler.  We've also learned that it has a 3-second charge time, much longer than to charge a plasma pistol, but its rumored to take down an ATV in a single, fully-charged shot.  Freakin' sweet.


Alright, I've shot my mouth off enough.  Remember this, though - hardly any of this stuff is official, with the exception of the vehicles and some of the weapons.  Other than that, treat every damn thing you see above you as "unofficial".  The stuff that we know?  Highly possible.  The rumors?  Just that.

Well, that's it for now.  Later!

UPDATED AND EDITED ON JAN. 13, 2007

Well, 2006 is almost over, so I'm gonna look back at some of the best games of '06.

Need for Speed Carbon
This game blew me away.  The new, revamped Drift races are a blast, the game looks amazing, even on the Xbox and other consoles of that generation.  The new Autosculpt is awesome and really allows even more depth when it comes to customization, and a plethora of different vehicles, along with 3 classes - Tuner, Muscle, and Exotic - means that there is something for everyone.  For sheer, pick-up-and-play racing thrills, this game didn't disappoint, and for those who want in for the long run, it didn't disappoint in that respect, either.

LocoRoco
Damn, not enough people played this game - why?  Is it the cutesy charm that turns guy gamers off?  Is it the simplistic controls, or is it merely the fact that it's on the PSP?  Honestly, I played it just for the hell of it all, and I ended up thoroughly enjoying the game.  There's plenty of game to entertain you, and it isn't as easy as it appears - it does provide quite a challenge for casual gamers and 100% completists alike.  Way underappreciated.

Star Wars: Empire At War and Forces of Corruption Expansion Pack
This RTS went unattended to after the release of Company of Heroes, and this is actually a very fun, challenging game with tons of replay value, further added by the addition of a "rogue" side in the expansion pack "Forces of Corruption".  This game is more than just Star Wars universe fan service - this is one hell of an RTS that shouldn't be missed by Star Wars and overall RTS fans alike.

Daxter
What can be said?  This is the game that really defines what the PSP can do.  Daxter, everyone's favorite loud-mouthed, arrogant ottsel, got his own game.  Although the storyline is strange at best, don't let that be a misnomer - this is a very complete platforming experience, containing all of the great platforming elements from the Jak and Daxter series while still maintaining the series trademark humor through cutscenes, dialogue, and "dream sequence" mini-games that spoof movies such as Braveheart, Lord of the Rings, The Matrix, and more.  Along with great graphics, this was the definitive portable gaming experience of the year.

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
Made by the same people who create the X-Men Legends games - which, mind you, are great games, especially in the multiplayer aspect - Ultimate Alliance gives you control of about 30 some-odd different heroes from the Marvel universe.  The controls are tight, the graphics are great, but the multiplayer, as always with a game coming from the X-Men Legends team, is what truly shines.  Not only that, but it's online-enabled, and it works almost perfectly.  Without a doubt one of the great online multiplayer experiences that doesn't contain the words "Halo" or "Gears of War" in it.



That's all I'll touch base on for now.  See you some other time.

This, quite frankly, is too much.  Some gamers out there really need to shut their mouths.

If you aren't aware yet, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for the Wii got an 8.8 out of 10 in it's review.  The reviewer?  Jeff G., a guy who's ALWAYS honest to himself in his reviews.  It's a perfectly respectable score, and one that's worthy of a Zelda game.

Red Steel, surprisingly, got a 5.5, after it was listed as one of the biggest launch titles for the Wii.  Greg Kasavin reviewed it, and his review, again, showed evidence behind the low score.

Just like that, almost as if it were the trigger to a loaded gun, the Wii boards went absolutely insane.  Over the past day, the Wii boards have about half as many posts as the Xbox 360.  Think about that.  The Wii gets released tomorrow from the day I'm writing this.  The Xbox 360 has been out for over a year.  It gives you an idea of how freakin' crazy it's gotten.  Apparently, there's even a petition out there to get BOTH reviews off of Gamespot!

Now, my good friend NeoJedi has a similar opinion.  He thinks that the reviews are honest, as well.  What Gamespot says doesn't always go.

So, my advice?  Simple: If you don't like the review a game got, play the game anyway and make a review for yourself - a legitimate, honest, professional review.  Otherwise, do the gaming community a favor and shut the hell up.

Now, if you don't excuse me, I need to listen to some metal on iTunes.  Later.

Yep, I finished Need for Speed Carbon's Career mode and unlocked the Audi Le Mans Quattro.  Now, I'm gonna work on the Reward Cards and unlocking all of the stuff that comes with that and the Challenge Series.

I am considering doing a Final Fantasy XII review when I play it...probably Thursday, if I haven't hooked myself on Need for Speed Carbon yet.

Speaking of which, I'm almost done with Career mode, and I've only played it four times, three hours each - so the Career mode is only gonna take 12-13 hours for me.  There's a bunch of stuff I could do after that, including the Challenge Series.  I've completed all Bronze missions, about half of the Silver missions, and a few of the Gold Missions.  I've pretty much gotten all Tier 3 cars, including my personal favorite, the Nissan Skyline.  Yeah, I got one, and that car is freakin' BEASTLY.  Handles like a dream, and it's fast as hell.  And don't get me started on how it does in the canyons.  I might even post a strategy guide on GameFAQs...nah, that might be overkill.  But I'll definitely consider it.

Also, SonicSpot has a new RPG that's completely different from, and yet at the same time similar to, the main SonicSpot RPG.  It's under the alias "Chronic Chaos", and that's what I'll refer it to.

That's all for now.  I'll probably post another blog either tomorrow or Wednesday.  Peace!

I've posted a Need for Speed Carbon review, original Xbox version.  Check it out if you want to.

Since I got nothing better to talk about, I'll give you a list of most of the stuff I've gotten off of the wondrous program that is iTunes.  Strangest thing is, I have iTunes, but no iPod.  Weird, eh?  Well, for Christmas, I hope that changes.  However, until then, here are most of the songs on my untitled-as-of-now playlist:

Breaking Benjamin - Blow Me Away
They Might Be Giants - Experimental Film
Linkin Park - High Voltage
Linkin Park - My December
Fear Factory - Invisible Wounds(Dark Bodies)
Styles of Beyond - Nine Thou(Grant Mohrman "Superstars" Remix)
Hoobastank - Crawling in the Dark
Drowning Pool - Bodies
Korn - Eaten Up Inside
Static-X - The Only
Ra - Violator
Ra - Do You Call My Name
Acceptance - In Too Far
Powerman 5000 - Free
3 Doors Down - Kryptonite
Thrice - Stare At the Sun
Paul Oakenfold - Ready, Steady, Go
Crossfade - So Far Away

Since I'm on a time limit, that's all I'll say today.  See you some other time.

Next-gen Sonic the Hedgehog has finally gotten some freakin' gameplay updates.  I've been pretty sick and tired of all the gameplay movies and screenshots coming out of the woodwork, but we finally got a damn gameplay update.  Not only that, but an XBL demo was released for the game, showcasing Sonic's style of gameplay.  Silver and Shadow were nowhere to be found in the demo.  As I don't have an Xbox 360 yet (yeah, I said it, whoop-dee-do), I can't give you my opinion on it.  However, from what I've heard, it's pretty good.

Check the SmackDown! results for yourself on WWE's website.  I thought it was a good show, one of those you had to see to truly enjoy.  My favorite match was probably the main event, which was John Cena, Batista, and Bobby Lashley against King Booker, Sir William Regal, and Finlay.

Now, onto the GAMES, peeps.  This is what it's truly all about, right?  Right.

Right now, I'm still playing a bit of Halo 2, but I've also been playing MX vs. ATV Unleashed in preparation for what I hope will be a good game in ATV Offroad Fury 4.  I played AOF3 and I was disappointed.  I'll probably revisit it, though, see if my thoughts on it change.

And, as I had promised a few months ago, my thoughts on the Need for Speed Carbon soundtrack.  Lots of underground stuff, so I'll have to listen to it myself to give you my true thoughts on it.

On to music now, as I have nothing better to talk about.  I've been listening to a lot of Fuel and Three Days Grace lately.  That's all I really have to say about that.


Well, that's all for now.  See y'all later!