I ran across this on the Cambridge Kijiji site and it made me laugh. This guy might possibly be interested in maybe discussing the possibility of selling his Xbox 360. Seems a rather indecisive, and a somewhat douchy way with which to post a listing. Xbox 360 listings on Kijiji are practically a dime a dozen. Thinking that someone is actually going to give him a fair offer on this Xbox 360 he may or may not be selling is probably a stretch. Kijiji is full of lowballers that are constantly looking to save a few bucks. And for some reason he is willing to ship it, which most normal people who deal on Kijiji deal face to face and would be willing to drive to pick it up instead of chancing sending a $300 console through the mail for no good reason. But then again he may not be willing to part with it, we just don’t know.

This is a whole lot of 8-bit lego awesome

The last couple of nights I’ve been checking out the Canadian beta for 1 vs 100 on Xbox Live. The premise behind the game is similar to the popular game show of the same name. You have “The One” facing off against “The Mob” of 100 other players. The twist to it is that it’s all playable online over Xbox Live, so pretty much anyone with a Gold XBL account can play and be picked to play. Those who aren’t picked to be the one or the mob gets to play as part of the crowd. The live version of the game has a real host and the whole thing is presented like an authentic game show.

1 vs 100 the one

So far I’ve played the extended play version of the game, which is simply a half hour, 37 question quiz, open to everyone. By playing it you can improve your chances of being picked to the mob or as the one. The Canadian beta features exclusively questions pertaining to Canada, which is quite cool. I have to say of all the stuff on Xbox Live this is what I’ve enjoyed the most. I’m not a hardcore gamer myself, so I find that playing a game that requires smarts instead of dual analog dexterity appeals to me.

After playing it a couple nights my only beef with the game is how it won’t actually tell you where you rank in the scoring hierarchy. I know from what I can glean from the limited stats they offer that I’m in the top 10-15% of players, but since I don’t rank outside the top 10 there is no info on how well I’m doing in the game. There have been over 7000 other people playing when I’ve been on, so it would be nice to know how I’m stacking up.

I’m totally giving props to Microsoft for this whole thing. It really is an innovative idea and great use of the Xbox Live service. It just feels like this could be the next wave of entertainment. Game shows onto themselves are very universal, so giving people the opportunity to get in on the action at home just feels natural. If you have a Gold account on XBL this game is definitely worth checking out. The beta is running until May 24th, so you still have a couple days to get in on the fun.

I’ve had Guitar Hero World Tour for the Wii since Sunday when it came out. I opted for the guitar/game combo, so I don’t have the drums and mike to try out the whole experience. Overall I would say from what I’ve seen so far is that the product is pretty lacklustre and seems pretty slapped together. The character creation that I previously wanted is there, but it still pales in comparison to the stuff from the Tiger Woods games. And I’m not even talking new games either, I’m talking about like Tiger Woods 04. The gig structure definitely seems like a half assed implementation of what the original Rock Band had going on. The overall presentation and graphics is pretty sad. I know every developer feels that graphics are unimportant when it comes to the Wii port of multiplatform releases, but honestly we deserve better then this, especially given that there is no PS2 version to drag things down this go around. Activision should be producing better games considering this is now the 3rd Guitar Hero outing on the Wii.

The sad thing about this is that even though I think it’s generally a poor package, I still quite enjoy the game. In reality all this game needed for me to consider buying it was to feature a strong playlist of new songs and downloadable content, which it achieved on both fronts. I find that while in reality the window dressing is a bonus, the meat and potatoes of these rhythm based games is and will always be based on having fun songs to play. The fact that us Wii owners can now get downloadable content definitely makes me happy, even if I do have to rejigger some things to free up some storage. The first track I downloaded was No Rain by Blind Melon, which is quite a lot of fun to play. I’m looking forward to November 6th when the Oasis download pack comes out, that should be pretty sweet.

A year ago at this time of year I wrote a blog post about how there were no NHL games available for the Wii. Now, 1 year later we finally have our first hockey game make it’s way onto the Wii in the form of NHL 2K9. This is actually the 2K series first hockey foray onto a Nintendo console period, as they entirely skipped us Gamecube owners over. I would say better late then never, but I couldn’t even stand behind that statement.

To be direct and to the point, this game is awful. This is the type of game you might wish upon your worst enemy. It just so bad. I waited to give my impressions of the game until after I gave it a second try, as my first impressions were rather scathing. A second shot didn’t really change anything. 2K Sports essentially ported the PS2 version of the game directly over to the Wii, poorly implemented some motion controls then shoved it out the door and onto an unsuspecting public. I have NHL 2K7 for the original Xbox and it’s a much more polished version of the game then it is for the Wii.

While it sound novel to be able to use the motion controls to wind up for a slapshot, it just makes the game more awkward to play. You also check using motion controls, which works poorly. I found I spent most of the game chasing the other team trying to deliver a check to knock the guy off the puck. Passing was a mess. Since shooting is tied to the motion controls, if you presspass and move your right hand at all it’ll fire the puck the length of the ice onto goal. I played 2 full games and 2 shootouts and managed to score a grand total of 2 goals. At no point was this game any fun. It’s more of a chore to play then anything else.

I know the Wii seems to be home of crappy shovelware games, but at this point, 2 years into things I kinda expect a little more then this garbage. I own Metroid Prime 3 and Super Mario Galaxy, I know the system is capable of a whole hell of a lot more then what some of these 3rd party developers are putting in. This is the first game I’ve ever bought that I am actually going to trade it back in after 3 days. If you are like me and had a jonsin’ to get some hockey action on the Wii, don’t do it. Save your money, buy an Xbox 360 and NHL 2K9 or NHL 09 for that system. It’ll save you $50 and a lot of aggravation.

I just read this article over at Canoe [Beer Pong Rating Criticized] and just wonder whether people have nothing better to do with their lives? Raising a stink over some D-level developers game for the Nintendo Wii that more then likely nobody even knew existed. Now the media has made something out of it and raised the profile of the game 100-fold. Here’s a video of the actual gameplay from the upcoming Wii Ware release.

After watching that I can’t see too many people that are itching to play a piece of crap like that. It just serves as an example of some of the horrible shovelware that gets released on the Wii at times. The issue that was being raised in this article was rating the game of the game was T for Teen, which enables gamers 13 and up to play. While I do see their point, when you see the breakdown of the ratings you would see they would have a tough time upping the rating to M for Mature given the game is simply trying to bounce a ping pong ball into some cups and some graphics involving beer. Kids see more suggestive things watching a PG-13 movie then they’ll see in this game. I’m sure if the lobbyists had their way the game wouldn’t be available for anyone under the age of 21 in the US.

I just wonder when people will realize that raising a big stink about things only serves to raise the profile of the thing they are ranting about. A game like this would have been a total dud in the marketplace without this coverage. Now I bet they will sell more downloads of this game then they ever would have before just because people now know it exists.

I bought a second Guitar Hero guitar the other day at Best Buy, the same visit where we had our dog encounter. This was the first time I had seen the 3rd party Nyko Guitar Hero controllers available for sale. I was instantly interested and the $49.99 price point seemed alright by me. Best Buy also had the 1st party controller from Activision, so I ended up opting for this option. I was willing to try out the Nyko version, but I hadn’t read any reviews of it and I kinda wanted to use the second faceplate I got when I shipped my GH3 game back to get the stereo version of the game, so I anted up the extra $10. And in doing so I think I put the final nail into the coffin in the idea of getting Rock Band for the Wii.

I had considered it, but since the controllers weren’t going to be cross-compatible it just didn’t make much sense to invest in an entirely seperate controller based product when Activision will be rolling out Guitar Hero 4 later this year. It will feature drums and vocals, just like Rock Band and downloadable content, which definitely leads me to believe Nintendo will finally open up their doors for external storage for the Wii. And it will be compatible with the 2 guitars I already own. I really thought EA screwed the pooch when they decided to put very little effort into releasing the Wii version of Rock Band, essentially giving us the PS2 version with 5 new songs. They really had the opportunity to stick it to Activision by doing downloadable content right on Wii, but they blew it. The sad part to all this is that companies still seem unwilling to put an effort into making quality Wii games. I think GH3 proved that the Wii can shift large amounts of units on cross-platform releases. Wii has now sold more then 8 million more consoles then their closest competition. It’s now over a year and a half on, I expect developers to start putting some actual effort into making games instead of giving us PS2 ports. I know a lot of developers feel it’s beneath them to make quality games for the Wii, since they can push the envelope in HD on PS3 and Xbox 360. But there are 27 million of us, make good games and we will give you our cash monies.

I managed to get a copy of Wii Fit pre-ordered just last week. I had heard it was going to be a hot item and had hummed and hawed about pre-ordering, since I find most big ticket games I’ve seen have a billion copies available at Future Shop the day it’s released, so I normally find the practice pointless. I got lucky with Microplay, as they are a place that isn’t nearly as popular as EB, so I was able to secure a pre-order under a week before launch.So after waiting anxiously all day, I picked it up after work, which I’m glad I did. Apparently as I walked in they were actually discussing me, as I was one of the last 2 names on the list who hadn’t picked up the game yet. I would have been mighty pissed if they sold my copy before I got there.So first impressions of Wii Fit. The balance board is sturdy as hell. Nintendo apparently reinforced the balance board for us fat North Americans, so instead of a weigh limit of 300 lbs like the Japanese version, we got one that was good to 330 lbs. Ouch. So as soon as I got my Mii picked out and ready to go, at which point Nintendo promptly labeled me fat, which didn’t come as much surprise, hence why I wanted to get Wii Fit in the first place. At least it wasn’t a shock to me like it was for this girl. The good thing at least with it was that it told me I’m about 10 pounds less fat then I thought I was. Not sure which is more accurate, the $60 Wii Fit board, or the $40 scale that we bought a couple months ago. According to a few people online the Wii is supposed to be pretty accurate, but I don’t know that for sure really. The game has 4 different modes, Yoga, Strength Training, Aerobics and Balance games. I haven’t touched the aerobics yet, but the other 3 modes are pretty cool. The balance games include heading soccer balls, slalom skiing, ski jumping and another that kinda reminds me of Super Monkey Ball, where you have to get a ball version of yourself into a hole. I unlocked another where you get to be a tightrope walker. I can see them all being pretty amusing with a group of friends. I did a few of the strength exercises as well. The part I was really looking forward to with Wii Fit was the yoga. It’s always been something that piqued my interest, but I’ve never actually gone out and done. I have such tight muscles at times that building additional flexibility always appealed to me.

The only problem I’ve run into so far is that we only have 7 foot ceilings, so since I’m 6′ 2″ it’s a bit of a problem for me. Corina, who’s 5′ 2″ doesn’t have the same problem. Either way I quite enjoyed the yoga poses that I’ve done so far. It definitely seems like something that would appeal to me.

Last weekend Corina, her mom and I went garage saling in Ayr. It was pretty cool, the whole community had a garage sale, so pretty much every 3rd house was selling stuff. I could have bought so much stuff. I managed to score a water cooler for the office for $5, and a Nintendo Entertainment System for $20 with 3 games. Metroid and Super Mario Bros. both came in the original box with instructions. I was just guessing, but I figured Metroid with the box was probably worth $20 on its own, let alone with a functioning NES, 2 controllers and 2 other games. The NES seems to work pretty well too. I’m going to have to get back my old NES and games from Kevin sometime. I have loads of good games for the NES.It’s funny though. I have a modded Xbox with pretty much any NES game you could think of, yet I’m more drawn to playing the authentic original. Guess there’s something be said about that old grey, red and black authenticity. Though I have to say, NES games on an HDTV actually look pretty damn good. Obviously the graphics are ancient, but the colours look just awesome and sharp on an HD set.

I can finally say I finally understand what the hysteria about Guitar Hero is. Up until now I had only attempted to play the game in a Toys R Us awhile back and it didn’t go well, since I didn’t actually know how to control the game. I had always wanted to pick up a copy of the game, but since it had previously been available on systems I didn’t own I really didn’t have that option. Then the most recent iteration came out for the Wii. I had asked for it for Christmas, but unfortunately since the game was pretty much the hot game this year she wasn’t able to track down a copy. Well I finally tracked down a copy myself through the cursed Future Shop website. After a few days of anxious, impatient waiting a huge box finally arrived containing the game. The box seemed pretty ridiculously large to transport the game, but it is here and I only paid $1.99 for shipping, so I don’t really care.

I cracked open the box and got to assembling the guitar. It took me a bit to figure out the strap, then I was ready to rock. Or was I? Upon further rifling through the box I noticed a bunch of stickers included, which instantly gave me an idea. Screw having Guitar Hero III and G n’ R stickers when I could slap on an Oasis sticker. The sticker just barely fit and hung over the edges, so I took my handy pocket knife and trimmed the edges so there wouldn’t be any overlap. It was at this point that Corina scolded me about the fact I hadn’t even turned on the game yet to see if it actually works and I’ve already slapped a sticker on the guitar. Minor details.

So I finally get to playing the game after quickly going through the tutorials. After a few songs I feel I’m getting the hang of it and really rockin’ out. That’s the funny thing about this game. I’ve never played a game that just generally makes you feel awesome while playing. I’m not particularly good at the game, but it seems to ramp up the difficulty just enough with the songs that just about anyone can pick up the guitar and get to playing. I’ve played through maybe 2/3 of the easy level and found that it’s just bizarre how quickly I’ve picked up the game. I find I’m playing a song and my brain almost gets a little overwhelmed by the speed of the chords coming at me, yet somehow my fingers are still hitting the notes without missing. It’s kinda freaky and totally awesome at the same time. So far I’ve really enjoyed playing Knights Of Cydonia by Muse, 3′s and 7′s by Queens Of The Stone Age, She Bangs The Drum by Stone Roses and Cherub Rock by Smashing Pumpkins.

The one issue I’ve had with the game so far is the lack of a representation British rock. All the characters in the game I’ve seen so far pretty much look punk, 70′s glam rock or like Vince Neil. Those are all well and good, but I want to rock out with characters that wear faded jeans, cool shoes and zip up Adidas sweaters instead of tight pants and a mohawk. I don’t think this request is too unreasonable. Get on it Red Octane. Or better yet, I want Tiger Woods style character creation. Then I could make whatever I want without having to choose from a list of pre-made rock clichés.