There's An App For That!

This week's app is....  NinJump Deluxe

This is an app for people who have a little time on their hands and want to play a short and easy game. Its about playing a ninja where you climb up walls and when you tap on the screen you jump to the other side. Taking out enemies as you go to reach the highest possible point.

Minecraft: 360 Edition

 By: B-Rad G From Malibu

Have you ever seen yourself excited or anxious to get off of a long day of working hard, only to go home and dig up some dirt to build a house or suspension bridge? Me neither. But with Minecraft: 360 edition, you'll never be more stoked to do just that!

Minecraft 360 is part of the XBLA “Next” series. At 1600 MSP ($20 USD) it's defiantly one of the higher priced games on XBLA, but if your a fan of Minecraft or just burnt out on FPS's then a great way to spend a hard earned twenty bucks.

This game only released with the 1.6.6 version of the game but updates are promised soon. This version does have a few bugs in it but most are minor. For example, the sugar canes are solid when you should be able to walk through them. A few with the tall grass in the game like spiders being immovable when hit in tall grass or mobs taking no damage in tall grass. Minor problems with the bucket not actually placing water when you empty it (this happens with Lava, too). But the glitches are few and far between with fixes being worked on now.

They have simplified the crafting in this game over the computer version. Now instead of having to know where to place your raw materials in the crafting table, all you have to do is just pick what you want to make and it adds everything into the crafting table, in the correct location, for you. This is a much better and quicker system over the computer version. Allowing for more time for actually building an amazing world instead of researching how to build single building blocks.

They did limit the size of the maps from the PC version. Giving you only the area that's the size of the map that you carry around. But even on this condensed map size, the playing area is still pretty huge. Giving you more than enough room to build a great sized castle or even a decent sized city.

They did add a lot of very cool features when it comes to Minecraft 360. You can have up to 8 players online in one game. Hopefully this will go up to something like 16 or even 32 players as game updates come out for it in the future. But for now, 8 is a nice number of players, especially cause the maps are huge yet. They have also added 4-player split-screen. This is a very nice thing over PC because chances are that your friends or girlfriends aren't going to want to sit around the tiny computer screen to watch you move around blocks. But, in general, when your buddys come over, you all gather around the tube and play some games. This is a fun way to have everyone get involed in the game but you should never turn down free labor when building your empire! Please note that if you do not have an HDTV you will not be able to play split-screen. This is currently nothing in the works to fix this problem and probably never will be. If you bought this game for this feature in the first week or so of release, Microsoft is offering a full refund of the game if you only have a SDTV.

All-in-all, I really enjoyed this game. I had never played Minecraft before it come out on XBLA, and with everyone telling me it was a game where you dug out a block then put that block somewhere else, I was seriously considering getting new friends because they kept saying the were addicted to this game. After playing the demo for half an hour, I spent the 1600 MSP and was immediately addicted! I promise that you will enjoy this game if you are a gamer.

I'm giving Minecraft 360 a 9.5 out of 10.

Come check out my world or let us check out yours,

Add me on XBL: WelcomParadise

No More Heroes

By: Thegreenback

 

 

 

You play the game as Travis Touchdown going to be the number one ranked assassin. Trying to make some money since you are broke. You hear about a job where you can kill someone for some quick cash. Then you are some how put into a ranked fight with a group called the United Assassins Association. While working with a girl called Sylvia Christel. Where they have some of the best assassins around as you try to battle your way up to reach the top.

The game is a cell shade cartoon type game. As light and darkness play a lot with how things look. Also making it into a last generation graphics game that is blocky on some stuff and melds together with some colors. Some with not many things to look at as you travel either down a hall. Or even out in the main world to get what you need for your next mission. Riding around on your bike or just running looking to see what you can find in dumpsters to be either money or some of your cloths that you can change into. Giving you options to get different gear and look style if bored. 

 

The combat is far the best part of the game as you use your beam katana to slash and cut down anything in your path. While having to stop and charge up the battery you do a very suggestive motion to do so. As you move your wii remote up and down to do either a high attack or a low attack. Some enemies can block your attack so you have to be able to switch when you want to damage them. You can also charge up your attack for a none block hit but leaves you vulnerable and you loose a lot of charge to your katana. When you get them either in a near death of major damage you can do a killing blow. Where you have to swing your remote in the direction on the screen or it fails. Some time you swing your sword and hit an enemy’s weapon at the same time making you do a battle for control if you will then its right to a killing blow. After killing them you get money to upgrade your katana in the middle of ranked missions is optional but wanted.

 

As you go to your ranked fight you get waves of enemies going through the areas looking for the main boss. They get annoying in some area's but you make money and get better practice and hone your skills to take down what’s coming. As you kill them the blood runs everywhere and you say things that can be funny about their deaths. With each death you get a chance to go into dark side mode. Where you have five different types of special attacks for a very short time. Entering it makes you almost unstoppable showing no mercy to anyone. While looking for some spare cash lying around or card to go on your wall. Even wrestling techniques to help in your next battles to take down anyone to stand in front of you.

 

The boss battles are very memorable each having their own unique fighting style. You have to learn quickly how to take them down and when to attack. As they give you a run for your money trying to kill you. Each battle you do gets harder and some more twisted than the last, showing super natural powers to just plain skill. Making you want to do the next ranked battle right away to just see your next opponent. 

 

The overall is that is a violent game with a lot of adult humor. With epic boss battles that make you want to keep going to take on the next one. While killing minions can be fun but gets a bit repetitive. Making you do a lot of side missions to make money that seem taxing after a while. As the cell shade is cool it just feel bland after a while going around the city. And the story isn’t much there just get to rank one and be the best.

So I give the game a 6.9 out of 10

 

~Thegreenback~

Trials Evolution

By: B-Rad G From Malibu

 

You close your eyes and suddenly your falling... The breeze in your face, the wind in your hair, the sheer feeling of total amazement. Then, you open your eyes and realize that your patio door is open and your sitting on your couch playing Trails Evolution. Yeah, it's that good!

This is an XBLA title that is a sequel to a great game, Trials HD. Like it's predecessor, this is a puzzle typed driving game. It has tens of dozens of levels ramping up from beginner to extreme. This game will set you back 1200 Microsoft points. ($15) But you won't find a better or more challenging game that you'll want to spend your points on.

Trails Evo has 1-up'd the graphics. Setting the whole game outside, instead of in a huge warehouse. Giving great scene's ranging from desolate oil fields to a live bomb range complete with an exploding bunker killing your hero after beating it. They have taken this game to a whole new level as far as just the enjoyment that you'll get out of it.

There are very few minor tweaks to the physic's engine, so anyone that has played to first game is going to pick up and go with this game very easily. But even if your new to Trials then it is a very simple control setup. You have gas and brake, and you lean forward or backward to control whether or not you land on your head or wheels.

This game also features a multi-player option that I thought was going to be butched. But I was very happy with it on the release. It's as fun as I hoped it would be. You race side-by-side, 4-deep, on all the tracks that you've raced on and beat in single player. It's a very entertaining way to get a few friends online and really show them how to beat them with a double backflip to endo finish.

Evo also features a slew of mini-games. They have brought back the classics like riding on a death ball. But have also spiced it up a bit by adding brand new mini-games like best ramp or furthest kamikaze launch. Definitely a very addicting time waster. Overall, I was very satisfied with this game, with the addition of online and a broader outlook on single player. I loved it.

I'm giving this game a 8.5 out of 10.

 Game with me! XBL: WelcomParadise

There's An App For That!

This weeks app is... Break.com

This is a great app for anyone with a sense of humor! It features thousands of videos, funny pictures and gallery's that are filled with some of the craziest and funnest stuff on the web. And all of this is at your figure tips... on the go!

Dragon Age: Origins

By: Thegreenback

Dragon Age is a epic save the world from destruction game. As a range of monsters called the "Blight" lead by the Arch-demon goes to kill everyone in their way.

You start by making your character giving you a list of different races to choose from. From being a normal human, elf and dwarf. Each race has a different abilities boost to their stats. Humans are a all around character as much of the world is also human you see how people react to you. Elves are a more magical intoned and a lot of people look down on them thinking they are inferior race. While the dwarves though small are sharp with their tongue and are know for making some of the best weapons around.

Then you can choose your class of a warrior, mage and rouge. Warriors are strong and using stamina can be put with a shield to be made into a damage taking tank, or a great sword to deal major damage. You can also get them into archery abilities so they have a lot of hit points and can deal damage from a distance. As they can switch weapons even in the middle of the fight for changing how the battle is turning out to be. A mage class is about magic with lots of abilities either to do a huge amount of damage to the enemies with your mana abilities. Giving you a wide range of helpful character to destruction making it how you want to choose your way of fighting. The rouge is a sneak class as you can flank an enemy to get extra damage and hide from them as well. They also are the only ones to be able to unlock chest and disarm traps. Deciding to use two handed fighting style to do quick attacks or even archery for the switch to hit far enemies. It may not seem like a lot to choose from but each class has 3 specialization classes to choose from when they reach a certain level. Each one you decide to be gives you a bonus stats boost and skills to that class have varied abilities unique only to that specialization. To change how you want the battle to play out or have a better party to help you out.

After choosing what you want to be class, race and looks it decides what role of the first personal story from one out of six you will be playing. Some you can decide what you want to be. To be drafted into the Grey Wardens to stop the Blight and fight for the people.

Leveling up you’re your players you can pick passive abilities to help you see what’s coming to how you talk to people getting more of an option of how to play the game. As some will need you to keep adding points to get the higher, stronger abilities.

The fighting style can be one sided from having lots of mages to do big area attacks, but not being able to take hits. You can also have warriors dealing attacks but not being able to heal without potions. So trying to find the middle ground up to the player of how he wants the party to be having up to four members. Able to switch between them at any point picking the ability or spell you want at that time or wanting them to attack a certain opponent. You can also pick the tactics you want to your party to have when you are not in the middle of a fight. Giving them a personal fighting style when you are not using them or using one of the lists the game already has available. As it can be a bit of a challenge making sure you all live. The bosses in the game are a range from to a band of thieves that want what you have to epic dragon battles that test the limits of your party swatting you around like your flies bothering it.

The story is a semi open world letting you go to where you want to start a story to have people help you battle to stop the Blight. Giving you a lot of choices of dialog and decision making options gives it a lot of replay value. You have quests and side quests with multiple endings or how you hold your party. By what you choose or do affects how your party sees you and will like or dislike making some more willing to help with you’re fighting or others might just leave and never come back. Also picking how you want to be will affect how saving the world happens some could be good and could come back to haunt you.

Some of the game has small glitches from a few items disappearing or that you will die a little faster then normal cause the health bar didn’t work just right. But all and all not many glitches to be seen in the game. As for the look of graphics can go from very nice to a cluster to look at.

Playing the game is very fun making you want to have the best party you can make. Wanting you find epic gear to take down anything that stands in your way. Boss battle can be hard and make you want to figure out how to take them down. Wanting you to pick the best skills and abilities to fit you fighting style as you level up through the game. So it’s a good game with a lot of replay value to see how things turn out. With a 6 different starting stories to what you pick for you character.

So I give the game 8.4 out of 10

~Thegreenback~

There's An App For That!

This week's app is... Voxer!

Voxer is a great app that can be used not only through Apple's App Store but also available on almost every smart phone out right now. It is a app that uses a walkie-talkie function. Letting you connect to everyone using the app from your friends list on Facebook. Turning bland conversions using ":)" into hearing the other persons voice and actually :)!

Wii Fit

By: Thegreenback

   

The Wii fit is an odd kind of game. It tries to show you different positions of either yoga, fitness, balance or acrobatics to make your body move. You first start out choosing your age, height and weight to figure out how to make you get more active. Unlocking more activities and mini games with the more time you play.

You can also choose your trainer that will show you how to do the positions. Giving a demo if you need and will do the motions with you. As you stand on a flat white platform that keeps track of your weight movement to make sure you’re doing the right thing with-in the parameters. Allowing you to get to use your personal Wii characters and see them change with your body weight. Keeping your trainer doing the actions with you assuring you that you’re doing ok or need improvement. As the remote is mostly just used for picking the game that you want to do.

Yoga stretches you and shows how to balance with relaxation. Keeping up with your trainer while moving around. While the fitness gets to do more activities with either push-ups to jackknives keeping a much faster pace. The balance is more of short mini games that can get you moving or just an easier pace.

It’s a very easy jump on, jump off, game that almost any age can use. It does not leave to big of a selection to choose from. Most of the games to unlock take a long time so you have to put a bit of effort into it. It also has a hard time figuring out whether or not your standing on the mat sometimes. With the basic Wii graphics, it's not a stand out type of game.

It is a nice simple game with easy graphics. The Wii mat will lighten up your wallet which is a big throwback to this game. Leaving it to be a game of all ages. Kids and casual gamers will like this game more than the hardcore gamers will.

So I will give it a 4.6 out of 10

~Thegreenback~