Gamenikki

Some random musings:

1) OOTP is a terrific game. If you like text sims, there is NO excuse for you not to purchase this game.

2) Puzzle Quest is the best PSP game ever released.

3) MLB: The Show is a solid game for the PS3. Outside of a few minor issues with the RTTS mode, it plays a pretty darned good game of baseball.

4) Paper Super Mario just can't hold my interest. It's a good game, but it's just not something I'm having a blast with at the moment.

5) The Oblivion expansion pack is a terrific effort. I wish i had more time to finish it. With the bevy of titles coming out for the Xbox 360, it may be September or October before I finish.

All three game companies are having issues now. Nintendo is strong, but they need more titles out for the Wii and they need them quick. Sony continues to be in some fantasy land thinking they'll somehow turn things around and start dominating the console market again by just wishing it to happen. Microsoft has a ton of good titles coming out, but they made a gigantic marketing error when they made the Elite unit price point too high. They had a chance to step on the throat of Sony and instead made some critical errors.

The A-list titles over the next few months belong to Microsoft. Forza, Shadowrun and Mass Effect are all due out by the end of June. That's a heavy hitting lineup that the other two companies can't match. Microsoft needs to build up as much momentum as they can ahead of Halo 3. The Wii is going to win this round of consoles, but the 360 has a great shot to finish second if they have a monster holiday season.

Til next time. . .

Troy

If you own a PSP and have not checked out the game Puzzle Quest, do yourself a favor and give it a look. It does a spectacular job of combining a puzzle game and an RPG. I know it sound ridiculous, but this game pulls it off in a very enjoyable way.

I've finished Resistence: Fall of Man on my new PS3 and am now wondering what in the world I'm going to play next. with the Oblivion expansion pack, Super Paper Mario and Puzzle Quest out I think the answer is nothing.

I can only hope MLB: The Show will be as good as advertised for it. I'm looking forward to doing some reviews for games on the system. If I can find a diamond in the rough, it may hold me over until some solid games start coming out for it.

I haven't had a chance to play Paper Super Mario yet. I will give some first impressions later in the week on that title. It looks like Nintendo may have another hit on their hands. As if they needed any help in wiping out the big boys at the moment.

Until next time. . .

Some questions on a Sunday evening:

1) Why can't more game developers follow the God of War model? The engaging story, the unbelievable graphics, the terrific puzzles, the smooth controls? Some people may throw a fit about the violence, but this is one game series that gets it right. Period.

2) Why can't OOTP be released RIGHT NOW? After spending time with the demo and listening to the beta team, I want this game and I want it now. By next week at this time I will have it and will post impressions. Text based nirvana, here we come.

3) Why do people keep defending Sony? The launch has been a disaster, yet people are spinning this like Sony planned it. Here is a news flash. . . they didn't. They expected the PS3 to be flying off shelves now and Nintendo and Microsoft to be licking their wounds. Instead it's Sony who has to pull the rabbit out of their hat. Having said that, this is GREAT from a gamer perspective. Sony needs to salvage this somehow and will likely pull out all the stops to catch up. Competition is good . It's always good.

4) Why haven't I posted the Crackdown review yet? Because I'm an idiot. The review will be posted tomorrow night. I beat the game this weekend. This is one game I'll replay again. Find out why Tuesday morning.

Til next time. . .

I’m still working on the Crackdown review. The game is exceptional. There are a lot of people who will spend fifteen minutes with the game, think it’s garbage and move on. These people are all making a major error.

I’ve had a chance to play OOTP Baseball in between sessions of Crackdown. This is the game with the P word. It always has so much potential and always finds a way to let you down. I think this may be the year it lives up to a lot of that potential. The preview has shifted the game from a “maybe” to a “buy on first day.” Don’t take that as a green light for you to buy. I’m always getting suckered by the game and how good it can be. It wasn’t going to take a lot for me to throw down some money on it. I’m just hoping this is the year.

If you are looking for a baseball game of the graphical variety, I’d suggest you pick up MLB: The Show for the PSP. I’ve heard the PS2 version has some bugs, but the PSP version delivers a solid game of baseball. The Road to the Show portion of the game is superbly done.

Then we get to the game that I’m eagerly anticipating. God of War II will be out next week. If I had to come up with a console top five, the first version of the game would easily be in it. Incredible controls, terrific graphics, great puzzles, and an engaging story. If number two is even in the same ballpark as the first, it will be a must have game. It will also cement Eric Williams as one of the premier game developers in the world.

I'll be writing a full review of Crackdown in a few days. I can tell you it is a game I suggest you get right now. The game is a lot deeper than some other gaming sites may have you believe. Losing five or six hours of your day is something that will happen a lot to you when you play the game.After my first few sessions of playing the game, I was hooked and worried at the same time. It really seemed like the game would get old after awhile.

I'm approaching the 18 hour mark now and I'm still having a blast. I probably have another 10-15 hours to beat the main storyline. If I can get 30 hours of playtime out of a game, it's going to stay in my collection for a long, long time. Look for the review of Crackdown sometime this weekend.

I purchased MLB2K7 this week and am having a decent time with the game. It's a solid effort and if I wasn't so addicted to Crackdown at the moment I'd play it mroe. I really like the pacing of the game. The graphics are solid and there are levels and sliders galore so you can set the game to your level. I'm a little iffy on the swing stick, but I like the pitcher/batter battles quite a bit. Fielding is awkward. Not sure how I can put it any better. I'm going to need a lot of time to get used to it.

I like some of the little touches they added to the game. You can view a scorecard with the click of a button for example. I played as the Rockies and a fan screamed out, "Hit it to Aspen!!!" I also had a broken bat bloop single and the AI robbed me of a HR with a leaping catch over the wall.

MLB2K7 is NOT the dream game we have been looking for. You'll have to settle for it being superior to last years disaster. Xbox360 baseball fans have no other choices available to them. This game will give them a quality title to play. I hope next year is the year they can really nail it and give us the baseball game equal to NBA2K7.

1) Congrats to the Wii, the best console system on the market and the likely winner of this generation of gaming. It's easy to over analyze what makes the Wii a great gaming system. The controller is terrific. Nintendo came out with a smart price point. It has the best TWO initial release games of any of the console systems. Zelda and Wii Sports are both terrific gaming titles. I'm not going to over analyze the situation. It's pretty simple. The Wii is FUN. I still love my Xbox 360, but the Wii is a sensational system.

2) For the text based gaming fans out there, it's getting close to nervana time. DDS: Basketball has just been released and is a fairly solid effort. Front Office Football continues to eat up a good chunk of my time as well. Then you have the game that always causes us to dream about what could be. Out of the Park Baseball is ready for a second release under the Sports Interactive banner. There is a great preview of the game on this site. Dreamers unite, we can only hope this is the year.

3) On the horizon we have Crackdown for the 360, MLB: The Show '07 for the PSP and PS2, and SSX: Blur for the Wii on the way in the next week. All thre look like terrific games, but the one to watch just might be the SSX title for the Wii. If the control scheme is done well, it has the potential to be a terrific game. Electronic Arts struck gold with Madden 07 for the Wii. The control scheme was flawless. If the control scheme is hit out of th epark on this one, it could be a spectacular game. God of War II is coming out in a few weeks for the PS2. That'll likely be the best game of the bunch.

The question above is for other games.

The first real game release season of the year is upon us. With titles like MLB: The Show, Galactic Civilizations II, and Top Spin hitting the market, this is one of the best seasons to be a gamer.

Yet everyone I've talked to is getting sucked into one single title: Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. The game has issues that tick some people off. The leveling system is something you either really like or really hate. The one hour opening sequence has to be the worst opening hour for such a great title ever. The women are UGLY in this thing. I guess they figure it'll keep you wanting more quests and not worrying about a love interest because the women in this game are pretty sad.

With all of that said, how can you attempt to close a gate and NOT be sucked into this one? How can you wander through the forests and clear out dungeons without wanting to play for just another hour or two. No matter what die-hard RPG fans think of the leveling system or the flaws, this game is exactly what the RPG market needed. In the worst way.

This is a game accessible to noobs and experienced users alike. It's a game which will be mod'd to death to create the RPG fans dreams. It is truly a classic game and one worthy of a place in ANY gamer's collection. All other games for me are lost as of now. I want to play them but I can't. Oblivion is a title not to be missed. Its success will ensure the single player RPG lives on. I have more to say on the subject, but it's time to find that shopkeepers daughter.

Happy Gaming.

Some new games are starting to hit the shelves. I've picked up a few of them and have some quick thoughts:

NCAA 2K6

Simply put, 2K Sports knows how to make video basketball games. The game is everything their NBA game was and more. Read my review of NBA2K6 drop the graphics by a half notch and move the gameplay up a half notch and you have this gem. This is a MUST get game if you are a serious college basketball fan.

MLB06: The Show

Don't worry baseball fans, we haven't forgotten about you. The PS2 has this little beauty ready for you to play. I've only played a handful of game, but I believe this is the best baseball game released since High Heat Baseball.

Ghost Recon

The game looks terrific. I've only had a chance to play through the training mission so far. I think this one will be a winner. Check this space for more thoughts about the game later in the week.

In addition to those games I've got back into F.E.A.R. What a terrific first person shooter. If you have the system to play it, it's quite a game.

God of War hit the budget rack for $20. If you haven't grabbed this one, I highly recommend it. It's a steal at $20.

I also downloaded some trailers on the 360 this weekend:

Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - Ummmm, I want this game NOW.

The Outfit - This looks like it could be a fun game. I'm anxious to see how good it ends up being.

Dead Rising - The game looks great, but I'm worried about it. I love zombie movies and I love the premise of the game. That said, is this just all over again? You have to be concerned about repetitive play in a game like this. I hope I'm wrong because the game looks like it could be a lot of fun. I just hope that fun lasts for more than the first twenty minutes.

A few months ago I'm on this board talking about the great age in video games. Exciting titles were being released left and right from all genres. Civilization IV was a turn based strategy players dream. Xbox360 owners were treated to a solid opening day lineup which featured some fantastic titles. F.E.A.R. gave the FPS on the PC a fresh jolt. Text based players had Football Manager 2006 to waste away their days with.

With all of those great games coming out, it wasn't shocking to hit a lull. It's actually been great to catch up on a lot of games I've needed to finish. I've zipped through Call of Duty 2, am nearing the completion of F.E.A.R. and have been able to put some quality time into both NBA2K6 and Football Manager.

I really would like for some new 360 titles to hit the shelves soon, but I can't complain with being allowed to catch up a little on all of the great titles that came out in the fall.

For any of you text based players, a new game has been released that is very enjoyable to play. Total College Basketball is a terrific game that I think every text based game fan should own. The 2D display is fantastic. I highly suggest you take a look at it if you like that genre. Visit www.greydogsoftware.com for more information on this title.

In the next few weeks we will see some of the new 360 titles arrive. Fight Night 3 looks like a solid game from the demo. Full Auto also looks like it will be a pretty good game. NCAA 2K6 should be out by the end of February as well and for fans of NBA2K6 this will be a must purchase game.(you can look for early impressions of the game from me on the blog).

Thankfull there has been calm in the storm. Great games have stopped being released for awhile giving me a chance to finish some of the game I've wanted to play, start on some reviews I've wanted to get done and have more time with some of the great titles I've played in the last couple of months.

I beat Need For Speed: Most Wanted after many frustrating moments and an intense desire to use the CD as a dog toy. I'm finishing up F.E.A.R. and getting some quality Civ IV time in as well. I'm hoping to start a long career of NBA2K6 as well.

I'm hoping the lull in game releases continues for about another month. Just ONE more month and I'll be happy.

Hate to cut the blog short tonight, but I have a review to finish up. Til next time. . .

Don't you hate it when these things get in the way of the video gaming experience? I had a nice time away to recharge my batteries and then ended up spending the next week trying to catch up on all of the work I missed.

I have had a chance to play a few video games in the meantime. Here are some quick hits:

PC:

Civilization IV - Incredible game. I'm horrible at it and still keep playing. If that isn't the sign of a classic, I have no idea what is.

F.E.A.R. - The one game in my arsenal I'd really love to play more. A very good FPS. I WILL set aside time to finish the game in the next few weeks.

Football Manager 2006 - Great game. Best text based sim of all time. No questions asked.

Bowl Bound College Football - A solid text based college football sim that just can't keep my interest. I just can't get into the game. The interface is nice. The game plays well. Football is my favorite sport. I'm putting it aside for awhile and will get back to it in a month or two to see if I can find the spark.

Xbox 360

NBA2K6 - Best basketball game ever. Nothing even close.

Need For Speed: Most Wanted - Great game. Love the cars and the graphics. Has taken over as my favorite racer for the system. That said, some of the "bounty" requirements in career mode are not enjoyable at all. I'm still playing it and working my way up the blacklist. Up to number five. I will keep playing until I hit #1. Have yet to test the online capabiites.

Call of Duty 2 - Great single player game. Horrbile for multiplayer. Horrific servers. Dissapointing in that aspect.

PSP

GTA: Liberty Stories - Love the game, but the controls are an issue. Some of the missions are very difficult because of the camera angles. It's also time for a change in the storyline. As much as it pains me to say it, I won't buy GTA if it's the same game on the next gen systems. It's time for a facelift for this great series. That said, it's the most fun I've had on a portable system ever.

I hope everyone had a great holiday season and has had a great start to their new year. Til next time. . .

I am still loving the Xbox 360. I am rotating between a handful of titles and am having a blast with Xbox Live and solo player in all of hte games I've purchased.

The cream of the crop for me is NBA2K6. Look for a review on the game shortly. If you are an NBA fan and own the 360, you have no excuse not to get this game.

The overwheliming amount of quality titles has been a blessing and a curse. At any other time I could have seen myself getting addicted to Civilization IV, F.E.A.R., Football Manager 2006, Call of Duty 2, Project Gotham Racing 3, or Perfect Dark Zero.

All of these are sensational games. Two of them are vying for a spot in my all time top five. (Civ IV and NBA2K6). The others are all games I WILL finish at some point. Having to many games to choose from is a nice problem to have. A text based college football game, Bowl Bound College Football has been released today and is yet another game I'll have to take a look at.

I'm not even counting the PSP titles I havne't been able to work on a lot lately. The 360 titles are at a crawl now and probably won't pick up serious steam until February or March. Maybe this will give me the time to finish this series of games.

I hope everyone has a great weekend. Time to play against the Bad Boys in Detroit and see if I can somehow come out of there with a win. Til next time. . .

I asked the question a couple of weeks ago: Would the Xbox 360 live up to the hype?

Some people will view things differently, but I'm thrilled with what I've seen thus far. The first generation games play and look terrific. (some thoughts about a handful of games in a minute) Xbox Live for the 360 has been very enjoyable for me. I'm not an online player for the most part. As I don't have a ton of extra time, I enjoy playing games with great single player AI and enjoyable campaigns.

Xbox Live has shifted my viewpoint. After a few early glitches, I've experienced no lag, no hiccups and very few "jerks." (For the guy who was up on me 42-14 in Madden and calling time outs and passing with thirty seconds left, you fall into that category)

I've streamed music from my PC to the Xbox, downloaded some great demos and have snagged a couple of nice themes as well. Here is a mini review of the games I have:

NBA2K6

This is a terrific game folks. Not sure what the people reviewing it are thinking. For people who love basketball and enjoy simulations, this is a must buy. The graphics are superb, the controls are tight and the game is very realistic. I'm still looking for the right set of sliders before I start my dynasty, but this is one of the most enjoyable sports games I have ever played. Look for a full review soon.

Madden '06

This is one of those games I have mixed feelings on. It's a VERY good football game. The graphics are solid, the gameplay is enjoyable, the online play is terrific. Why oh why did they take out so much of the game though? I mean, no mini camps, no alternate uniforms, no PRACTICE MODE, no fantasy draft. . . C'mon EA, help me out here, why?

The game itself, as I said above, is great. I love the new play calling screens. I love the graphics. I love the new animations and the game of football it plays. I just can't understand why so many features were left out.

Perfect Dark Zero

I've only played this game a few times. Most of my time has been sucked up by NBA2K6 and a game I'll talk about below. From the little I've played, I'm impressed. The online multiplayer is great (though I now realize how horrible I am at online first person shooters). The missions seem varied and again, the graphics are nice. I'm hoping to delve into this game more in the near future.

Project Gotham Racing 3

Ummm. Wow. Just Wow.

What a terrific game. From the graphics to the controls to the online play to the graphics and controls (oh, I mentioned those already?) this is a MUST game if you enjoy racing games at all. The cities are breathtaking. The courses are well done, but if you don't like em, you can create a a course through any city you so desire.

The multiplayer is terrific as well. I can't say enough good things about this game. Simply put, if you have an Xbox 360 and you don't have this game, I strongly advise you do so.

I'll post more thoughts as I play more games. I'm still trying to find time for Civ IV and Football Manager 2006 as well. This is a terrific time to be a gamer. Til next time. . .

The debut of the Xbox 360 is coming soon. Will it live up to the hype? Will the first generation games be worthwhile? Will the game system cause me to put down Civilization IV?

At first glance, the early games for the system look solid. Madden will be a must for the sports fans. 2K Sports is releasing their top titles, including their hockey and basketball series. Perfect Dark Zero and Call of Duty both look good. Project Gotham Racing 3 and Need For Speed should hold over the racing fans.

There is no doubt games coming out next Christmas are going to outshine the first year titles, but I still have to say this is one of the more well prepared launches we've seen in awhile. There are going to be titles that cause fans of all genres to at least take a look at the system early on. Time will tell if it can meet or exceed expectations.

Civilization IV is like a drug you can't get out of your system. One more turn, just one more turn. I must have said or thought those words a couple of hundred times in the last couple of week. I started a new game as I typed this post and within the first fifteen or so turns I find out I'm sharing a border with Napolean. I guess I'd better start researching those military techs. Til next time. . .

Civilization 4 continues to eat up a majority of my time. The more I play it, the more I like it. Barring a miracle from another title this will be my game of the year. It will edge out Half-Life 2 for the honors.

I've also played some more Grand Theft Auto on the PSP. It would eat up more of my time if I wasn't so busy trying to build my next wonder and defend myself against Montezuma. I'm looking into how much it would cost me to take a six month leave from my job so I can lock myself up in a room with nothing but Civilization IV and Red Bull.

I mentioned in my last blog entry about the incredible amount of solid games coming out right at the same time. I have friends telling me I MUST play about 10 different games now. The list:

1. Civilization IV - I have it and it's really, really good.
2. Football Manager 2006 - played the demo, it's going to be good. Download should be available within the week.
3. F.E.A.R - A very good FPS
4. Grand Theft Auto PSP - Again, a very good game.
5. Resident Evil 4 - Haven't tried it yet.
6. Shadow of Colossus - Haven't tried it yet.
7. Call of Duty 2 - Haven't tried it yet
8. Star Wars Battlefront 2 - Haven't tried it yet.
9. The Warriors - Haven't tried it yet.
10. SOCOM 3 - Haven't tried it yet.

To be honest, I probably won't have a lot of time for SOCOM 3. I'm sure it's a terrific game, but how am I ever going to have the time for a multiplayer shooter when I have so many other things to play? I'm looking forward to Resident Evil 4, Call of Duty 2 and The Warriors. I need to find out more about Shadow of the Colossus and Star Wars Battlefront 2.

This list doesn't include the pending Xbox 360 release of Quake 4. All of that said, I'll be surprised if in the foreseeable future I find myself looking to play any title without going back to Civ IV.

It's a wonderful time to be a gamer. It's also a frustrating time. How much money are you willing to spend on your hobby?

GTA, Civ 4 and Football Manager are going to cost me money as well as time. I can hold off on Call of Duty 2 as I expect to get it with the XBox 360. Add in Quake 4, Resident Evil 4, the new SSX, and Fear to the mix and there is no way the average gamer can keep up.

F.E.A.R. is a terrific game. Play it at night, with headphones, in the closet if you can. There are some moments that will make your hair stand on end. Civ 4 looks better than I ever imagined. I haven't played it enough to test the AI (as if my ability would give it much of a test anyway.) GTA: Liberty City Stories is a terrific game for the PSP. Just keep in mind it's the same formula all over again. The story of the guy coming home, starting on the bottom rung of the mafia/gang and working your way up. I love the games, but it's time Rockstar changed the formula.

For those of you who are Football Manager fans, the game will be available for download from sigames early next week. Out of all the games, I was looking forward to this one more than any of them. My early impressions of Civ4 are so good I may end up puttinhg a serious dynasty for FM on hold.

Til next time. . .

With this being the first post of my blog on gamenikki.com, I thought it'd be a good time to introduce myself. Like many of you, I've been gaming since the days of Pong and Atari. I'm a fan of pretty much all genres, with the exception of RTS games. I especially like sports simulations and FPS titles.

My current playlist includes FEAR, NBA2K6, and Far Cry: Instincts.

I expect to add Civ 4, Football Manager 2006 and GTA for the PSP to the list shortly.

I haven't delved deep into FEAR yet, but my early impressions are positive. (warning though, it is a system hog, making Doom 3 seem mild by comparison)

I'm excited to be on board and look forward to writing reviews and blog entries for the site.

Oblivion still has me hook, line and sinker. We should just end the game of the year debates in May. This thing is over.

The E3 winner (or winners) are just as obvious. Nintendo and Microsoft beat the living daylights out of Sony. The second the price point came down and people saw the games looked similar on the PS3 to what the 360 already has the race for the winners circle ended for this generation of consoles.

Nintendo will take care of the kids and their fanboys. They'll also pull in their fair share of hardcore gamers as well. The price point will be right, the games will be right and the timing will be right. Nintendo may actually win the console war this round in number of sales.

Microsoft will take a majority of the high end gamers. They had a boatload of solid titles. Even better, they executed how powerful Live really is. They released demos and trailers on the service all throughout the show. They also will get Grand Theft Auto 4 at the same time Sony does next year. I was one of many people who kept my the PS2 simply because I didn't want to wait six months to play the series.

As for Sony, they've just missed the boat. They keep repeating over and over about how cheap their Blue Ray player is going to be. I hate to break the news to them, but I'm a VIDEO GAME player. I don't care about anything with my console but games. I will make my purchasing choices with nothing else in mind.

I use many of the things Microsoft added to the 360, such as playing mp3's on my stereo system. I've even played a DVD in the system when mine went on the fritz. Did I spend $400 for those things? Hell no. I spent $400 so I could play games.

So what can Sony give me? What "exclusive" titles do I have to have? God of War 2 will be a tough one to not be able to play. I don't really care about Gran Turismo at all. I think Forza is a better game. What else?

The what else will determine if I purchase the PS3 at all.