Endangered Gamer

as Spanny noticed, i spent a hour with Sneak King, that shitty promo game Burger King pimped out earlier this year. i was doing some cleaning, getting rid of old-ass demo disks and bootleg movies, when i came across Sneak King, unopened. hey, it's 200 points, right?? gamerscore whore that i am, i figured i needed about an hour to unlock everything and get the sweet, sweet achievement points. after about 80 minutes, i gave up. that fucking game is hard, hard like a petrified coconut. the horrible camera angles definitely don't help. anyways, i did it for the gamerpoints. don't give me any shit. it's all about the score.......

Microsoft's been promoting Halo 3 in Korea by putting a life size Master Chief in front of various movie theaters. I guess they got bored and decided to mess around with the mall shoppers. marginally funny stuff, and in no way a excuse for playing too much Call of Duty 4 and Metroid Prime: Corruption and not posting on this blog....

Today marks the launch day for Metroid Prime: Corruption, and the beginning of the late summer/fall/winter release marathon. in the next few months there will be a shitload of games releasing across all platforms with GOTY potential. excluding GTA 4, which was pushed back till next year. (actually, it might have started with Bioshock, but that game was under the radar for much of the year, so to speak) anyways, Metroid Prime's release has got the reviewers on the major sites all atwitter , with high 9's across the board. (so far) I expect at least a average of 9.5 from most first party Nintendo games, and i'll be getting Prime no matter what the score is. i just hope that the control scheme lives up to the hype. all of the hands-on impressions i've read state that the control is awesome, so we'll see......

It's been a few days since getting into this beta, but with the shitty weather in chicago killing my power for the last few days, i didn't get a chance to really sink my teeth into this until yesterday and today. Having maxed out the level cap today, i can honestly say this is the first COD game who's multiplayer is fully realized. COD 2 and COD 3's multiplayer was limited to choosing a class with different loadouts and...that's about it. sure, the game modes like headquarters were fun, but having generic classes when other games like Rainbow Six: Vegas were pushing persistent online characters with fully customizable weapons and abilities buried those games. Infintiy Ward will begin passing out tokens starting today (Monday) at 12 noon CST. mosey on over and register to get in on the action. well, how things have changed... COD 4 uses a system of ranking up similar to RS:V but way more detailed. actually, it reminded me of Bioshock's gene tonic and Plasm...

Angry Videogame Nerd shines his holy light on a shadowy corner of videogame history, the Adults Only genre. on the Atari 2600. pixelated shenanigans ensue. ( and i'm not kidding, this is really NOT SAFE FOR WORK OR SCHOOL.)

a 3-d mario Lego...thing.

forensite45 sent me a few shots from Halo 3 that haven't been seen yet, i think. the flamethrower in action, the mobile Elephant base on Sandtrap, and some weird things on High Ground. also, that fuel rod cannon. some of the shots are from the Forge level editor in action. (thanks forensite45!!)

sorry for the lack of posts, but i got into a bad car accident yesterday, and was caught in one of the most hellacious storms to hit chicago in a few decades. Leaked Halo 3 pics and COD 4 beta impressions incoming.....

just got the email that i've been accepted to the call of duty 4 beta test!!!!!

from that wacky german convention.....geez, sandtrap is HUGE!!!! and some single player gameplay

I know the game just came out yesterday, but shit, Gameranking .com has Bioshock #2 over all in console releases. #2!!!!! i hope it has the chops to justify that ranking, because to be #2 overall is something, indeed. i mean, look at the games it outranks.....here's the full top 10 list.

Cyborgface is the new blog from my pal Gil , who ran the Archer Bus until it was assasinated a few months ago . swing on over and say hi. and be nice.

Cookie Mountain level. does anyone else out there think this looks too much like Super Mario 64?? maybe it's the shitty video, but the almost 45 degree angle reminds me of SM64.

this here video is strange, it starts off being a demo tape for a pair of kids for jenny jones and other similar shitty talk shows, but slowly turns (and i mean TURNS) into a ultra-creepy.....i don't even know what to call it. just watch.

First off, i didn't post a demo impression post because i don't roll like that, most of the time. yeah, the Stranglehold demo kicked all kinds of ass, but I'm sure everyone with a gold account checks in once in a while to see what's new.... In Bioshock's case, the demo was really really good, but shockingly different from the retail version. not only did the graphics get a significant upgrade,(more water spray effects and way more audio in the environment ) but the progression is a bit slower. I've only just finished the Medical labs level, and am beginning the Neptune level. so far, the game is living up to the hype, with 3 sequences that made me freak out in the first level alone......and about that limited edition.....great statue, shitty documentary disk.

Over at destructoid they've introduced a new community feature , kinda like a gamercard for the site. it ranks you by posts, profile views and comments on your community blog. what better way to test out the new system than to spoil the (possibly) best game of the year, and see what happens??? It's not really a spoiler for anyone who's followed the game's development....ah what the hell, it WAS a spoiler, and a major one at that. I won't spoil my reader's enjoyment of this game by giving it out here, but rest assured, your enjoyment WILL be compromised by this knowledge. Anyway, i posted the spoiler as a title to a blog post, and the shit hit the fan. the readers flamed me like never before , and i'd be surprised if i wasn't banned by tomorrow. that sucks because i actually like destructoid. after thinking it over, it might have been a bad idea, but damn....at the end of the day, it's just a game, kids. seriously......

this Wednesday Space Giraffe makes it's way to XBLA. A psychedelic take on Tempest and other retro shooters, it's got a weirdo visual style that i find very tempting. apparently it's got the gameplay chops to back up the trippy visuals, as can attest at the official launch blog..... Space Giraffe is different. Very different and we should expect that to scare and baffle people that are unwilling to invest the time in discovering its beauty. One thing that is a struggle with SG is that it’s impossible to have a short game. You have to set aside at least an hour for a good single credit. The game balance is very generous in this favour. It coaxes the player, it gently introduces elements and style and then occasionally throbs in intensity of attack, and here’s the rub: when SG attacks, it attacks all the player’s senses. Feedback Monsters are a prime example of this, with behaviour so unique that they singly redefine what we thought capable in videogame weaponry. Space Giraff...

if you've bought a Xbox 360 in the last year, or bought a Xbox Live account in the last year, you're eligible for 3 free XBLA games from Micro$oft. get the scoop over at Joystiq, and register here!!!

in my previous life, i was a potsmoking movie obsessed nerd with a taste for really bizarre foreign films. I even sat through the 3 1/2 The Saragossa Manuscript twice in order to understand it ( i failed). anyway, early in my 20's i came across a film by Alejandro Jodorowsky called El Topo. it was a crazy psychadelic movie about a wandering assassin hunting down 4 gunmen who totally destroyed a town. it was great fun, with strange things happening everywhere without rhyme or reason. even though i really liked it, i never searched out his other films, being how it was hard as hell to get El Topo back then, (1990's) so today i ran across this trailer for another of Jodorowsky's weirdo movies, Holy Mountain. i'll let you decide what it's about, since i can't make heads or tails from it. Possibly NSFW (what the hell, it's Friday!!!)

wow, what a difference multiplayer makes. i got Mario Strikers: Charged for the Wii a few days ago, and was a little bit disappointed . being one of "those guys" who NEVER reads instruction manuals or goes through any tutorials (if they can be avoided), i really didn't "get" the way the game flows. it's really like a hybrid version of lacrosse rather than soccer, with classic Nintendo powerups and characters. but after 2 hours last night of non-stop multiplayer , I'm convinced that this is a waaaay better game playing against humans. me and my nephew Sean both learned how to play as we went along, and had a blast after we got the hang of the Multi Strike shots and the teammates. I've yet to play a online game, so i don't know how that is, but sometime this weekend I'm going to jump on, so if anyone out there has this game, send me your friend code. here's mine 1265 1246 4073 9222

check out metacritic, where Bioshock's reviews count 5 perfect 100's. i can't even remember what was the last game to get reviews like that. (Zelda? Halo? GTA?) it's a long way till tuesday........

this one is not moving. and this one is.

one is funny, and one is full of little kid pee.

shit, i remember playing with my nephews like this when they were younger. i never kicked them in the head THAT hard, but i guess this guy loves his kids. right?.........RIGHT????? PT. 2

i spent some time with the Bioshock demo today, and let me tell ya, it's going to be one hell of a game. it's atmosphere is the game's greatest asset, it takes Gears of War's concept of destroyed beauty and runs with it. i was wondering how the control scheme would work, and was happy to find out that it doesn't get in the way at all, all the plasmids and weapon switching is....well, the game just "feels" right. i know it's a demo, but I'd rather have been thrown into a room with a Big Daddy to end the demo. that would have been awesome. i mean, a big daddy in Bioshock. not the other " big daddy ". *cough* anyways, it's a game to tide you over for the next month.....you haven't ' forgotten about that other game , have you???

it's up now on Xbox Live

clean vs. clutter, or app vs. gaming??

if for some reason you haven't invited your pals over for some Wiicreation , (i know, worst pun ever) Evite now has Wii -specific invites and tips on having a Wii party of your own. my #1 ingredient ?? beer. Lots and LOTS of beer. and if you get hurt, use the Wii for rehab, too!!! there's a pretty bad-ass contest over at Xbox .com for some Halo 3 swag. it's actually a shitload of Halo related stuff, including a limited edition console, wireless controllers, and a boatload of other stuff. so sign in and register, already.

what a coincidence, I got a game from Nintendo today, after fearing that the Wii Ambassador gravytrain was over. Tiger Woods 07 dropped in mah mitts, and it was the first time i've played my wii since being a chickenshit with Resident Evil 4. and lo and behold, as i was setting up the wii with my new tv , i stumbled onto the new wii update. here's the details on the enhancements, straight from Nintendo.... Feature additions on your Wii console when it is updated to version 3 from version 2: Wii Menu The weather forecast will now be displayed on the Forecast Channel icon in the Wii Menu. Headline news will now be displayed on the News Channel icon in the Wii Menu. The current time will now be displayed in the Wii Menu. The area around the Wii Message Board button will now flash when a message arrives. Wii Message Board You're now able to rearrange the order of your Wii Friends in the address book. You're now able to go into the Wii Friends registration...

another goofy ass song that is catchy enough to hum..... oh yeah, it's a commercial for the Wii version of Geometry Wars. the 2 player looks fun, and so does the campaign mode. just watch it. now. click play. now. NOW!!!!!!!

yay , i finally got a new tv !!!! full 1080p HD , and a shitload of HDMI and component video inputs, and a PC input to boot!!! I'm stoked about it, especially after seeing the new Resident Evil 5 trailer last night. it looks like i might finally start to consider a PS3, seeing how it's the cheapest Blu -ray player out there....and we can't let that 1080p go to waste........ and i played a bit of Marathon, only a bit since it made me a bit queasy..... I promise to update on everything soon, Lollaplaooza , Nintendo swag,and new TV pics are all incoming!!!!!! seriously !!!!

OMG is teh awEsom3!!!!!

this guy made a bad-ass painting of all the Super Smash Bros. Brawl characters.....at least the ones that we know about .....

boy,am i tired. even after sleeping 11 hours, the stiffness in my back and sore feets is killing me. if i can get around to it, I'll be heading off to Day 3 of Lollaplaooza, and hopefully be back to updating more consistantly. I got to play Lair, Heavenly Sword, and Drake's Fortune in the Playstation 3 tent, and was meh about all three. i did get some swag from Sony, so when i get around to posting the pics you'll see them..... there's a Guitar Hero 2 contest I'm entering, hopefully i don't get my ass kicked..... speaking of Guitar Hero, here's a track from Guitar Hero 3 that will melt your fingers off!!!! here's a Call of Duty 4 stealth kill video. the beta is starting up soon, so go to CharlieOscarDelta to sign up!!!

yeah, i've been a lazy bastard lately, but it's all for a good reason. i had to tie up a few loose ends to fully enjoy this weekend, and finally, i'm OFF to Lollapalooz a. i'd post the list of bands that we're going to see, but i have to go. Pics and details will be posted maybe on sunday. bye!!!!!!