here i write.....stuff.....and you can comment

• 21Jan 09

  The ZimpanX 2008 Game Awards, Part 1/2

  Well hello there. I was originally going to sum the past year like I did last time with one of lists of 10. But I noticed like every year, most of the big gaming sites are handing out there awards so I thought I might as well experiment a little and try it myself.
  I will be using the same type of awards as the Gamespot crew if that's ok? Though I will using far from all of them, as I simply have not played enough games to fill each category. So if you guys would wanna help me out with the awards I missed that would be great, or you simply just want to disagree you're free to that as well.
  
  Well then off we go!
  
  
  Best Story
  
  Lost Odyssey
  Grand Theft Auto IV
  Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
  Dead Space
  Valkyria Chronicles
  
  And the winner is...
  

  ***SPOILER***

  
  Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
  
  I think this was actually a no brainer for me, sure the scipt is not flawless and the story perhaps takes center stage a bit too much. But Hideo Kojima somehow managed to tie all up all the loose ends from the past games and did it in such a way that you could not often help yourself but to sit there with controller in hand, eager to find out what's going to happen next.
  

  
  
  Best Graphics, Technical
  
  GRID
  Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
  Crysis Warhead
  Dead Space
  Gears of War 2
  
  And the winner is...
  

  ***SPOILER***

  
  Crysis Warhead
  
  All of the nominations may be highly impressive game to look at, but when it comes to technical graphics there is nothing that even threatens Warhead when being played on the higher settings except the original Crysis. The arts tyle improved too, but that is unimportant, this is technical graphics and here Crysis Warhead is king.
  

  
  
  Best Graphics, Artistic
  
  Fable II
  Little Big Planet
  Valkyria Chronicles
  Mirror's Edge
  Prince of Persia
  
  And the winner is...
  

  ***SPOILER***

  
  Mirror's Edge
  
  While all of of the nominations are beautiful games, I have often seen the graphical s tyle many of them use before in some way or form. Mirror's Edge on the other hand that uses white and colors that are so vibrant they are just on the edge of being too much makes the game look like something different, something rarely seen. And on top of it all it looks great while doing it.
  
  

  
  
  Best Atmosphere
  
  Grand Theft Auto IV
  Dead Space
  Fable II
  Fallout 3
  Left 4 Dead
  
  And the winner is...
  

  ***SPOILER***

  
  Fallout 3
  
  It was a tough call for me between Dead Space and Fallout 3 on this one. But in the end I chose to go with Fallout 3 since it actually succeeds at making you feel you're walking around a post-apocalyptic Washington D.C.
  If that's not a sign of a truly great atmosphere I don't know what is.
  
  

  
  
  Best Original Music
  
  Lost Odyssey
  Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
  Fable II
  Mirror's Edge
  Prince of Persia
  
  And the winner is...
  

  ***SPOILER***

  
  Lost Odyssey
  
  Metal Gears Solid 4 has an awesome soundtrack don't get me wrong, but some of the tracks are some I've been listening to for years while Lost Odyssey had a soundtrack that was just as rockin' and it was all new, even though it remided me of Final Fintasy (Gee I wonder why). Those who claim Nobuo Uematsu has lost his touch have no idea what they're talking about and have likely not played Lost Odyssey. Because this is the best sountrack he has composed in years.
  
  

  
  
  Best Sound Design
  
  Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
  Battlefield: Bad Company
  Dead Space
  Fallout 3
  Left 4 Dead
  
  And the winner is...
  

  ***SPOILER***

  
  Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
  
  Dead Space manged to put up a really good fight here. But Guns of the Patriots wins this category for me because everything in this game sounds like it should, the music, the voices, the effects, everything. The sound in this game is uncompressed from what I understand and it definitely shows. I would not be suprised if more than half of the Blu-Ray disc is dedicated to the sound because it simply sounds that good.
  Want to know what your surround system is capable of? Then simply boot up MGS4 because it's not only the technically best sounding game of 2008, or this generation but perhaps ever.
  
  

  
  
  Best Voice Acting
  
  No More Heroes
  Grand Theft Auto IV
  Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
  Dead Space
  Fable II
  
  And the winner is...
  

  ***SPOILER***

  
  Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
  
  With so many actors playing thier role and doing so well as in Metal Gear Solid 4, there is no doubt for me that this game has the best voice acting. Sure there are some wierd moments, but what game doesn't have those? And David Hayter may sometimes sound like he needs to visit the bathroom when doing the voice of Solid Snake but this is just nickpicking that gets completely thrown out the window when each and everyone f the actors help to make you feel that their emotions are actually believable along with the action that is happening on screen, just like in the best of movies.
  
  

  
  
  Best Cooperative Multiplayer
  
  NHL 09
  Little Big Planet
  Resistance 2
  Gears of War 2
  Left 4 Dead
  
  And the winner is...
  

  ***SPOILER***

  
  Left 4 Dead
  
  Both Gears of War 2 and Resistance 2 has some really good co-op modes but none of them manages to nail cooperation as well as Left 4 Dead does. Cooperations is simply key in this game especially when taking on a zombie Tank on the higher difficulties or you'll likely be dead within seconds before you know what hit ya. Once you start giving out commands and aid eachother even in panic making you all scream like little girls you will eventually succeed and feel the satisfaction and joy you'll want to do it over and over again and thanks to the AI director you will never know what's going to happen either.
  
  

  
  
  Best Competitive Multiplayer
  
  Burnout Paradise
  Sins of a Solar Empire
  Grand Theft Auto IV
  Resistance 2
  Gears of War 2
  
  And the winner is...
  

  ***SPOILER***

  
  Resistance 2
  
  60 player online matches...do I really need to say more? Something that has been previously unheard of on a console. Sure it may be really hectic at times but boy is it fun.
  
  

  
  
  Most Improved Sequel
  
  Saints Row 2
  Fable II
  Fallout 3
  Resistance 2
  Gears of War 2
  
  And the winner is...
  

  ***SPOILER***

  
  Resistance 2
  
  To be honest I didn't really like Resistance: Fall of Man all that much, sure it was by no means a bad game but I felt the pacing was off, the enemy AI leaved a lot to be desired among other things. Resistance 2 fixes many of these issues and thank to this I actually would like to call it a great game and now I think I want to see more from this franchise which is something I didn't feel just a few months ago.
  
  

  
  
  Best Original IP
  
  No More Heroes
  Lost Odyssey
  Dead Space
  Valkyria Chronicles
  Left 4 Dead
  
  And the winner is...
  

  ***SPOILER***

  
  Dead Space
  
  I did not see this comming, I basically thought it was going to be a generic Resident Evil 4 ripp-off set in space, boy was I wrong!
  Dead Space is simply amazing, and what surprises me even more is that it's developed by EA, a company that usually just puts out these sports and racing games every year and what not that are generally the same with slightly updated graphics, rosters and some new gimmick.
  So it's really refreshing seeing a product like this from them and that it's so full of great qualities. Sure it may borrow elements from the already mentioned Resident Evil 4, Doom 3 and others, but it does it really well and puts it togheter in an excellent package that should not be missed.
  

  
  
  I will post part 2 by the end of the week were I discuss a few disappointments of mine and also hand out the bigger awards.
  And I aplogize before hand of possible grammar issues, I'm posting this right before I'm going to sleep lol.
  //ZimpanX
  

  • Posted Jan 21, 2009 3:15 pm PT
  • Category: Editorial
  • 60 Comments

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• 20Nov 08

  NXE Impressions

  So I've been playing around with the so called New Xbox Experience for a while as I bet many of you have too, for me it's ends up feeling kind of like a mixed bag.
  
  The look
  
  The dashboard now sports a simpler and more cleaner look which is always welcome of course, the only downside to this is that it's looks a lot like say Windows Media Center and the Apple TV interface and doesn't really do much to set it self apart.
  At least with the blades the dashboard had a a slight touch of identity and that the blades had different colors was also a nice touch so you could instantly tell where you were on the dasboard.
  Also there is this grey area on the lower part of the screen that cuts of your old aka "non premium" themes, and option to remove it would certainly be welcome.
  Overall though the actual look of the new dashboard is still an improvement over the last one and probably easier for a lot of people to understand.
  
  
  Functionality
  
  With the new dashboard also comes with a few new functions, like the new and improved guide menu, live party and the ability to install your games on to the harddrive.
  
  I'm really fond of the new guide button as it's pretty much a mini version of the old dashboard. Now you can instantly jump to the marketplace, redeem codes, change your systems settings etc. Even in game, though some action will unfortunately force you to quit your gaming session. You can now also finally delete all your arcade trials from your gamercard trough the Achievements section which I know many have been waiting on doing for quite some time. You can't change your theme via the guide button anymore though, hmm.
  
  Live Party is another great addition as it let's your group together with up 7 other people and chat and interact with them and none of you don't even have to be playing the same game. Awesome! 
  
  And then there is the option to install games on to your harddrive. You still need the disc to play your game though so many of you may wonder "But hey! then what's the point?". Well you still need the disc of course to prove your ownership otherwise you could just be renting games and install them like a madman.
  Anyways the benefit of installing is to cut down load times and make the console itself less noisy when playing.
  I recommend you to do some research first though to see what games are actually worth the install.
  I installed Ninja Gaiden II and it made wonders for that game. Before it took around 2 minutes to boot the game and load your saved game before you could play, now the same thing doesn't take much longer than 30 seconds, also mid level loads seems to have been completely eliminated.
  Keep in mind though each install takes up around 6 Gigabytes of space off your harddrive, so 20gb owners... don't expect to have more than one game installed at a time.
  
  So overall the new functions is probably the best part about the NXE. Hurray!
  
  
  Avatars
  
  I don't really know what to say about the avatars, it feels very much like a Mii ripp-off unfortunately just with less facial options but more clothing options, there are even "Wii-like" sound effects in the Avatar Editor. :/
  Also there isn't really a proper use for them, I've heard there will be a bunch of so called "Community games" later on that will put them to good use, but why not simply wait with these avatars until these games are actually available?
  Also the avatars clutters up your friends list to I tend to use the guide button to more quickly see who is online.
  

  Bugs
  
  As many times before, with new software updates come new bugs and NXE is unfortunately no exepction. Here's a few bugs I've managed to run into so far
  
  Friendslist is shorter
  For some reason the new update deleted some of my friends so it's not me just randomly starting hating everybody, so if you are one of those that used to be friends with me on Live but you suddenly can't find me on your friendslist anymore, just send me a request and I will accept ASAP. Gamertag is Mezziaz.
  
  New game library won't list my full games
  Yup, everyone time I go in to my game library I can't find any of my full Xbox 360 games, except the game I have in the tray...I hope they fix this soon.
  
  New friendslist often freezing
  This has happened close to 5 times already, I guess another reason to use the other friends list via the guide button instead.
  
  Overall
  Even with bugs and what not the NXE is still an improvement over the previous dashboard and some features have been worth the wait. It's just that all the changes made are necessarily not for the better as I had hoped. But it's still a thumbs up nontheless.
  
  

  • Posted Nov 20, 2008 7:41 am PT
  • Category: Opinion
  • 4 Comments

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• 13Aug 08

  Going away next week, but where?

  ***SPOILER***

  
  That's right...Disneyland
  

  
  
  I've been there before though but that was 8 years ago and this time it will only be me and 3 friends. It's gonna be a blast!

  • Posted Aug 13, 2008 6:37 pm PT
  • Category: Travel
  • 12 Comments

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• 11Aug 08

  Just turned 21

  And I don't feel like aging anymore.

  • Posted Aug 11, 2008 3:41 pm PT
  • Category: N/A
  • 19 Comments

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• 31Jul 08

  I'm in this

  Right here
  
  @ 0.20-0.21, 0.26-0.28 and 0.52-0.54
  
  Most credit goes to my friend Zekalizer who filmed, edited and uploaded. But you other guys did a great job too, I hope we'll win.

  • Posted Jul 31, 2008 8:30 am PT
  • Category: Movies
  • 9 Comments

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• 21Jul 08

  Signed up to blow up some bombs!

  Giantbomb.com account, don't worry though I won't be going anywhere.

  • Posted Jul 21, 2008 7:58 am PT
  • Category: News
  • 20 Comments

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• 30Jun 08

  Games of the Generation (so far)

  (The following is based on my personal opinion, and mine alone)

  As pretty much half of this generation of gaming has now passed before our very eyes I have decided to stop for a moment and reflect and share with you what games has made the deepest impact on me so far. I plan to make another one of these when this generation draws to a close to see how much my opinion has changed and which games that stood against the coming combatants and which ones that didn't.
  
  But now on to the games that I have found to be the most impressive ones for me personally since the end of 2005 back when this current generation kicked off, and they are all ranked in the order that they were released.
  
  Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter
  Ubisoft Paris
  Released March 2006
  Platforms: Xbox 360
  
  GRAW for the Xbox 360 which is a very different affair from the others versions sharing the same name was the first real "next-gen experience" for me personally and it's thrilling moments, tactical control over the battlefield and its sound and visuals still holds up surprisingly well today. The sequel released the year after was great aswell but did not quite meet up to all my personal expectations. I'm hoping the third installment will be as good as the first one if not better.
  
  
  
  Gears of War
  Epic Games
  Released November 2006
  Platforms: PC, Xbox 360
  
  I did not expect much from Gears of War at first, All i knew was that it sported some really impressive visuals and Microsoft was going to publish it. But I never expected it to be so badass and play so darn well with its fluid control scheme and be so fun to play with others. Especially when playing trough the campaign with a buddy sitting right next to you. I have probably played trough this game at least 10 times by now. No I'm not joking.
  
  
  
  World in Conflict
  Massive Entertainment
  Released September 2007
  Platforms: PC
  
  One of the most innovatie strategy games in years. The tide of battle can change at any given second no matter how tough things get, especially if one player has been secretly saving up for a tactical nuke. It's also one of the most enjoyable multiplayer games I've played in years, on any platform.
  
  
  
  Halo 3
  Bungie Software
  Released September 2007
  Platforms: Xbox 360
  
  Ever since 2004 when the ending scene of Halo 2 made me mad, leaving me wanting more I had been eagerly anticipating this game. And it when it arrived it was awesome, not very different which is often the case with sequels but it managed to take most of what made the prior games so awesome and bump it up to eleven. Sure the campaign dropped noticably in quality towards the end and many players online can be very difficult to deal with. But for the most part it is the great sequel to Combat Evolved (the game that once brought me back to gaming) that I always wanted and hoped it to be.
  
  
  
  The Orange Box
  Valve Software
  Released October 2007
  Platforms: PC, Xbox 360, Playstation 3
  
  Not only does this package contain one of the most best shooters do date, Half-Life 2 and its two expansions. But also the innovative puzzle game Portal and the highly enjoyable multiplayer game Team Fortress 2 all for the price of one. That is reason enough why this very impressive package is mentioned here and is one of the best bangs for your buck out there.
  
  
  
  Super Mario Galaxy
  Nintendo
  Released November 2007
  Platforms: Wii
  
  Finally over 10 years since Super Mario 64 this red dressed plumber is back on top with Super Mario Galaxy for the Nintendo Wii. Not only did this game play extremely well and was fun for all ages. It also proved that the Wii sports some technical muscle after all.
  
  
  
  Crysis
  Crytek
  Released November 2007
  Platforms: PC
  
  Best looking game ever made from a technical standpoint...but all of you know that already. Crysis is actually also surprisingly fun to play with it's sanbox-like gameplay that lets you tackle pretty much every situation in any way you want no matter how you prefer to play. It packs a lot of variety, it's thrilling and will spawn many sequels, spin-offs or maybe even a movie. Only thing that could complain about is that this exciting adventure has an end and it requires a beast of a rig to play smootlhy at high settings. I hope the comming expansion will be even more optimized and pack the same dynamic gameplay that made this game so darn amazing.
  
  
  
  Mass Effect
  Bioware
  Released November 2007
  Platforms: PC, Xbox 360
  
  Knights of the Old Republic on steoroids is quick and fairly accurate way to sum this game up. It looks surprisingly well for a RPG, it has a great story, music and the voicework is absolutely terrific. There are so many places to explore and all the choices you make will have an impact on how the game progress, both big and small. Only a few technical issues hurts what is one of the most impressive roleplaying games made by a western developer for years.
  
  
  
  Grand Theft Auto IV
  Rockstar North
  Released April 2008
  Platforms: Xbox 360, Playstation 3
  
  Rockstar didn't do much different with GTAIV, and they didn't have to either. There is always something to do in Liberty City and thanks to some very interesting characters the story was very enjoyable to follow as well. There is also tons of stuff to to online with various different game modes even with the entire city open. And it renders everything at a surprisingly high quality. This is a game you can play for months, years even.
  
  
  
  Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
  Kojima Productions
  Released June 2008
  Platforms: Playstation 3
  
  I had my fair share of worries regarding MGS4. I did not see how it was gonna live up to Snake Eater wich sported a very impressive setting and set of characters like The Boss. And could not imagine how game designer and producer Hideo Kojima was going to tie up all the loose ends. But he actually succeeded and this adventure is often just as exciting as Snake Eater was and it plays better than ever before and the production values goes trough the roof. The visual design is also near flawless and sports some very impressive tech for a Japanese developed title, making it not only one of the best looking Playstation 3 games but also one of the best looking games this generation on any platform. But not to forget, I've never experienced a game with such well executed sound mixing and the sound track is just terrific to listen to. There is no other game out there that sounds as good as Guns of The Patriots, period. PS3 owners finally got something to brag about, and with right.
  
  
  Some other titles worth mentioning are...

  Dead or Alive 4 (360)
  The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (PC, 360, PS3)
  Company of Heroes (PC)
  Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii)
  The Witcher (PC)
  Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (PC, 360, PS3)
  
  Along with many others as you may know. Can't wait to see what the comming 2-3 years has in store for us and how these games I talked about here today will fair then.
  
  Now what have you enjoyed the most this generation so far? Comment bellow
  
  //ZimpanX
  
  Note: There are some key titles that I haven't played yet or enough of like SSB: Brawl (was released here 4 days ago give me a break), No More Heroes (need to find an uncensored copy), Age of Conan, Crisis Core: FFVII, The World Ends With You among others.

  • Posted Jun 30, 2008 6:45 pm PT
  • Category: Editorial
  • 141 Comments

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• 7Jun 08

  Brutally Fun!

  Ninja Gaiden II review is up!

  Enjoy.

  • Posted Jun 7, 2008 8:54 pm PT
  • Category: Games
  • 7 Comments

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• 2Jun 08

  First PS3 review of a fairly familiar title

  Ninja Gaiden Sigma review
  
  Had to get it out before NGII arrives.
  
  Hope you will like it and that perhaps it will come of good use.
  
  PS: Goodbye Itagaki
  

  • Posted Jun 2, 2008 8:26 pm PT
  • Category: Games
  • 5 Comments

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• 1Jun 08

  Ninja Gaiden II Demo impressions.

  So I was lucky and fast enough to get my hands on the Ninja Gaiden II demo that was available for a short time on the Japanese Xbox Live Marketplace and after have played it for a couple of days I'm now ready to give you my impressions.
  
  The Combat
  The main strong point of previous installments and this game seems to be no different especially since it seems to be better than ever as it feels a lot faster and a lot more brutal than ever before. And thanks to the new obliberation techniques you can now finish your foe off almost instantly by slicing off a couple of limbs and it's very impressive to look at too.

  The Camera
  Feels pretty much the same as before meaning it certainly isn't perfect but it's not horrible either, but if you didn't like it before you won't like it now either.
  
  The Weapons
  You will get to try out 4 weapons in the demo. You start out with the trusty ol' Dragon Sword but also the Falcon's Talons which are Wolverine like claws you wield on both hands and feet and the Eclipse Scythe which is like a mix between the Warhammer and the Dabilarho from the last game but only faster and a lot more brutal to fit with the improved combat, and later in the demo you'll also find the Lunar Staff. All the weapons are incredibly fun to use and feel very balanced and there are also plently more combos you can pull off now than ever before.

  The Graphics
  It certainly doesn't push the 360 to it's limits like the original did and it's looks very much like Sigma for the Playstation 3...at first glance. When you actually start playing you'll notice a few enhancements most notiecable are the effects whenever you cut off an enemy limb, do a charged up ultimate attack or ninpo ( ninja magic ). The edges are smoother, the weapons and water surfaces look a lot more detailed and this game also features some of the best animations in the business. The draw distance seems to have been improved as well.
  I have barely experienced any framerate issues and loading issues like mentioned in some reviews, only part where it slows down are when there is a lot of enemies or body parts on screen and the mid-game loading only appears when you backtrack trough the level and that loading takes about 1-3 seconds. What you will notice though if you choose to backtrack is that all the bodies you have left are still there lying on the ground which is very impressive.
  What seems as a step backwards though compared to the original and Sigma is the artistic design, it seems unfortunately that they have focused to make everything look as bad-ass as possible rather than beautiful and eye pleasing.
  The lighting is also a step backwards compared to Sigma on the PS3. Here it looks kinda flat while in Sigma the lightning model made everything look a bit more dynamic and realistic, at least when it didn't overdose on bloom effects.
  
  The Difficulty
  The demo can only be played on the easy setting dubbed Path of the Acolyte and the demo section certainly felt easier than a lot of of the levels in previous installments. Then again your weapons are all upgraded to level 3 but you seem to take a lot less damage from enemy attacks. Your charged up ultimate attacks can no longer be interrupted by weaker enemy attacks and the rebounding health meter along with more frequent save points that fully replenish your health definitely helps to ease some frustration off as well.
  
  To sum it all up I think fans of the series will definitely love this game and others who also looking for an challenging action game to play during the summer should give this game a go as well. Others should probably stay away unless you think you're up for the challenge that awaits.
  
  

  • Posted Jun 1, 2008 12:21 pm PT
  • Category: Games
  • 5 Comments

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• 1Jun 08

  Level 50!

  Now who has a higher level?

  • Posted Jun 1, 2008 6:03 am PT
  • Category: N/A
  • 12 Comments

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• 30Mar 08

  Augh! They got me...5 things you may not know about me

  So apparently!...splinter_girl88 decided to hop onto MSN to say hi and...to tag me. ( Good lord no!! Please have mercy! I'm way too young for this! )

  Then again when I think about it I guess it's not THAT bad. I just thought a saw a light in the far distance telling me everything would be alright and I would simply go by unnoticed. But since that is not the case obviously I guess I should simply get on with it, so here we go.

  1. Both of my front teeth are actually made of this plastic/porslinlike mixed material since I kinda managed to smash them out. No not in a fight or anything like that, it was actually just an accident and I guess I was pretty clumsy, hehe.

  2. When I was very young I used to dress up as Zorro and then go downtown to impress everyone I met with my awesome cape and blade skillz! Yeah, suck on that.

  3. I have never gotten really drunk. And by that I mean really, really drunk to the point where you can no longer stand on your own two feet and end up staring at your breakfast you had earlier that day. Many have tried, no one has succeeded. I've only been feeling a bit dizzy, funny and even superior, lol. And I actually very rarely drink alcohol. ( About 1-3 times a year since my 18th birthday and I never buy it myself. )

  4. There was a time around the very beginning of this millennia where I didn't play any video game at all for a full year I believe. Yes a sad time indeed, and it was pretty much Halo: Combat Evolved that brought me back to this passion I hold so dear.

  5. When I was young I used to be very sick, even to the point where they thought I wouldn't survive. I could barerly stay awake and you could pretty much see every bone in my whole body. Then when I had turned 9 years old the doctors put a tube down my throat, pushing it down to my stomach and took a sample.
  Then they finally discovered that I was suffering from celiac disease even though earlier tests had shown otherwise and my symptoms where different from what they should be. I was happy they had finally found out to but at the same time chocked and sad since it meant I could not longer eat anything that contained wheat flour. Meaning stuff like regular bread, pasta, cakes etc.
  It was very hard at first since I knew and still know what everything tastes like but eventually there came products that worked for me aswell, and today there are lots of them and they pretty much taste the same as the regular stuff. It still is about twice as expensive though so it still hurts a bit and not being able to go to a Pizza place with my friends to order what I really want. But I have accepted it so I'm pretty much fine so no worries.

  So I guess this means I have to tag 5 people eh? hmmm...

  Then I'm tagging the following

  -LEXY-, Nellynoway and halo2paul

  Damn it was hard to find people as it seems pretty much everyone has done this already. If you haven't though and you want to do this then let me know and I will gladly tag you aswell . To the ones chosen I say...goodluck

  Ciao!

  //ZimpanX

  • Posted Mar 30, 2008 5:32 pm PT
  • Category: General
  • 19 Comments

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• 8Mar 08

  An Army of reviews, or more like a review about Two

  Yes I'm alive don't worry I've just been busy and very tired lately as I have been working you could say for a company in another town for the past 6 weeks, I don't wanna talk about it though as it was pretty boring and it felt like a wast of time to be honest.
  
  Anyways how are you all doing? Has something special happend in your life or maybe met someone new? or even perhaps bought a new amazing game? (This is Gamespot afterall )

  A bought a game a few days ago, the game is Army of Two and I played it with a friend for 7 hours straight and it was a blast, you'll find my very recent review here. There are many other games I wish to review like Resistance, the new Ratchet & Clank, Ninja Gaiden Sigma and others but I'll do that if I get some time over I mean it's not my job or anything

  Anyways I will get back to too all soon again, and now I have the time I need to so you'll see me more often don't worry, though mostly in the forums and your beloved blogs (aka the main reasons I'm still here )

  Laterz all!

  //ZimpanX

  • Posted Mar 8, 2008 3:29 pm PT
  • Category: News
  • 11 Comments

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• 31Jan 08

  Got my 360 back!...

  ...Problem is it's the very same 360 as I sent in and it's just as boiling hot and loud like it was just before it broke so I'm pretty much waiting for it to happen again :/

  • Posted Jan 31, 2008 12:15 pm PT
  • Category: N/A
  • 16 Comments

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• 29Jan 08

  My Desk 2.0

  Yeah I need to clean it, but what do you think?

  

  • Posted Jan 29, 2008 12:46 pm PT
  • Category: N/A
  • 13 Comments

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• 27Jan 08

  Ok, this is what I've got

  I didn't think I would go and get one anytime soon, but yet I did and it is......

  .

  .

  .

  .

  .

  .

  .

  a PS3!

  

  As you may notice it's the 80gb version, and I got these games with it

  Resistance: Fall of Man
  

  Motorstorm
  

  Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
  

  My favorite game is defiantly Ratchet & Clank, that game is brilliant! If it weren't for the return of the red plumber it would definalty been the best platformer last year. Motorstorm is fun too but it lacks options. And Resistance....I actually think it's kinda boring but at least it's better when playing coop with a friend.

  As for the actual system I'm very happy with it. It's surprisingly quiet, movies looks absolutely great, graphics are about the same level as the 360 but it squashes it when it comes to sound, everything simply comes out very clean and with a lot of "umph".
  You can really tell this machine has been put togheter by pure quality hardware products. My only problems with it are more software related as game demos needs be installed before you can play them which irritates a bit and loading times can be kind of a pain other than that though there is nothing to complain about really.
  Sure the online isn't as fleshed out as Xbox Live, but it works and you get what you pay for.

  I'll post more about it later, maybe a review or two if I get the time.

  Oh and here's my PS3 ID
  

  Add me if you want , but now I need some sleep, going to work early in the morning so...laterz!

  PS: Also Uncharted is on the way so no need to recommend that, I've also played a bunch of it at friends and already know it kicks ass lol

  //ZimpanX

  • Posted Jan 27, 2008 2:17 pm PT
  • Category: News
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• 26Jan 08

  I've got something...

  But what?

  

  Take a guess

  • Posted Jan 26, 2008 10:27 am PT
  • Category: N/A
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• 8Jan 08

  Red Ring of Death

  R.I.P. My launch 360

  

  It survived for 749 days and it's the first console that I've ever had in my possession to brake down on me. I did manage to get it running again but it's now alot louder than before (as if it wasn't loud enough to begin with) and also boiling hot to the touch and it's bound o happen again so might aswell send it in before the warranty runs out. UPS are picking it up tomorrow.

  Oh well on the plus side I now have some more time to spend with my Wii and I have not collected all the 120 stars in Mario Galaxy yet so at least there is something for me to do while I wait. And no real high profile games are released this time of year so I'm pretty cool with it to be honest, just hope the next one doesn't suffer the same fate.

  • Posted Jan 8, 2008 1:36 pm PT
  • Category: Relationships
  • 24 Comments

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• 15Dec 07

  10 best games of 2007

  Well I felt it was time for another blog and since GOTY awards have started to be handed out and since I've pretty much everything this year has to offer I felt like doing a spi-off to my normal top 10 blogs and instead tell you what games that I liked the most in the year of 2007. I'm still not sure even now when I write this if this is the correct order as there have maybe been too many great games that have come out this year. Though I'm pretty certain that these following 10 games are defiantly the ones that made the most impact on me this year. As always this list is based on my personal opinion and only my own. There is simply no other way to do it from what I can see. But now...let's kick it off!

  10.) Assassin's Creed (PS3/360, Ubisoft Montreal)

  The creators that brought us Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, one of my absolute favorite action/adventure games ever returns to bring us Assassin's Creed for next-gen platforms. So what could go wrong? Well to be honest when I first started to play this game I got a bit worried as the introduction felt kinda wierd and certain thing surrounding the plot felt almost out of place, well at first. Once you learn to look past that and the somewhat repetitive mission design and start to focus and appreciate what good things this game brings to the stage such as great controls, beautiful graphics, interesting story and great animations and music. You may just as I did realize this is probably one of the most unique and rememberable gaming experiences that have come out for quite sometime.

  

  9.) Call of Duty 4 (PC/PS3/360, Infinity Ward)

  Infinity Ward returns once again only too once again to truly show how a war game is made with their Call of Duty franchise. Even though the singleplayer campaign was short, surprisingly short even. A lot of heavy stuff goes down during those few hours, some of it even jaw dropping and it's just as fun to play trough again and again just like previous games in the series. It's in the multiplayer this game truly shines though. Witch excellent leveling system, even being able to create your own c l a s s and to battle it out on a variety of different modes and maps, what more can you ask for really? So if you feel the urge for some online fraggin' then this is the game for you.

  

  8.) The Witcher (PC, CD Projekt Red)

  Ah, The Witcher. Probably the sleeper hit for me personally this year. It truly caught me by surprise therefor I thank you people who made me open my eyes for this gem. Superb and I mean superb storytelling, interesting combat system, great artistic graphics and the music, ah the music. The guy who composed it is a pure genius...and maybe even a mad man? Anyways if it weren't for the music and all the other aspects that makes this games so superb I would not ever be able to put out with the very, very long loading times that unfortunally have infected this great piece of software, then again maybe that makes me appreciate the music even more as they play trough 'em. The game also sports with a fair dose of racism, sex and alcohol if that might be of interest. Something very few games dares to confront and discuss these days.

  

  7.) God of War II (PS2, SCEA)

  2 years after his debut Kratos returns in God of War II. It takes almost everything that made the original so great and makes it all better, especially the boss fights which is probably the most interesting aspect of the entire game. With perhaps the very best graphics on the system, brutal and fast paced combat, some nudity and a superb soundtrack this is the ultimate way to give your PS2 a hell of a bloody goodbye.

  

  6.) The Orange Box (PC/360, Valve Software)

  This box is by far the best bang for your buck this year without question. You do not only game one game but 5, yes 5 friggin' games! One of them being one of the best shooters of all time Half-Life 2 and both of its expansions. For your multiplayer needs you get Team Fortress 2, I can already see this as a hit at LAN parties. And lastly as a little bonus you get Portal, my personal favorite in this package. Not only do you go trough some exciting and mind-bending puzzles it also contains a lot of excellent black humor and the ending sequence is just plain awesome not to mention the song that plays once the credits roll. This is a package everyone should pick up, especially those that have only heard of Half-Life 2 and wondering what the buzz is all about.

  

  5.) World in Conflict (PC, Massive Entertainment)

  I knew all along this game would be good, but never to be actually this good...man! I was starting to get the feel that the RTS genre was going a bit stale until I downloaded the demo of this game and I was instantly sold and just had to buy it. No need of resource gathering or even to establish a base it's just pure action right from the start and the tides of battle could change at any given moment. "It's not over until it's over" is defiantly true in this game. The setting itself is also very interesting as here the Cold War never ended and the Russians are invading the US and therefor the campaign is worth playing trough for that reason alone. Just a shame you cannot play the campaign as the Russians. This is where the multiplayer of World in Conflict comes in as here you can play as any faction you want and turn your opponents lovely cities to sand and dust with one of those tactical nukes. An amount of up to 16 people can take part of each match and join in at any time just like s shooter, the camera control in this game is also not too far from playing a shooter. Oh and it looks great too especially for a RTS game. This game is defiantly something for the war fanatics out there.

  

  4.) Mass Effect (360, Bioware)

  As Knights of the Old Republic and Jade Empire are some personal favorites this game was pretty much a no brainer for me. And this game delivers on almost all it's promises. The best looking RPG I've ever layed eyes on, deep character customization, great realtime combat system, many tough choices to make, top-notch voice acting from pretty much every character in the whole game, superb music along with superb story telling, perhaps even better than the one found in The Witcher which was mentioned earlier. There are a few annoyances though such as framerate issues which is something Bioware has struggled with in the past, the equipment menus are a bit too complex and features that was seen from the X06 footage like being able to interrupt other characters mid-conversation and direct control your squadmates are nowhere to be found the rest of it though aside from a few minor and not too common technical issues this game is pure perfection I's just annoys when a game comes so close from being prime. Simply put this is a must play for anyone that is into science fiction and roleplaying games or even just like shooting stuff as you can do plenty of that aswell if you want to, the choice is yours.

  

  3.) Halo 3 (360, Bungie Software)

  This was my most anticipated game ever since I saw that cliffhanger ending in Halo 2 back in 2004 leaving me wanting so much more. Thankfully that wait was well worth it as Halo 3 was basicly everything I hoped it would be after being fairly disappointed with the second games' singleplayer campaign. Halo 3 did not share the same issues and brought me a campaign almost as entertaining and memorable as the one found in the first game Halo: Combat Evolved which is one of my absolute favorite games ever. And you could play trough that campaign with up to 3 of your friends via System Link or Xbox Live which is something I though I would only experience in my dreams. Halo 2 was all about the multiplayer and Halo 3 takes all that and ad alot more to it such as deeper customization to your characther, the modes and even the maps using the Halo Forge. You could also see clips and take pictures from what you have done both in the campaign and online to share with your friends making for a great social experience. Only thing that bugs me is that the 2 last levels in the campaign didn't feel fleshed out enough and it wasn't the graphical beast I hoped it would be. Other than that though it felt like Bungie had sent me a personal love letter by letting me play and experince their vision of the final fight.

  

  2.) Super Mario Galaxy (Wii, Nintendo)

  Platformers was starting to feel like a dying breed but then all the sudden Nintendo switches to top gear and puts out Super Mario Galaxy for their Nintendo Wii. This is without doubt the best 3D platformer to come out since Super Mario 64 that arrived more than 10 years ago. It uses the Wii to it's fullest potential by proving it has some graphical muscle after all, combined with a great art design, catchy music and great use of the Wii-mote. It does not matter how old you are or if you're a boy to girl, most of you out there are bound to find something to absolutely love in this game thanks to it's undeniable charm, hey you don't even need to be a Mario fan to begin with to truly enjoy this game. If I had to complain about something is that the game sometimes feels too easy but also at other times needlessly frustrating due to some camera issues and using the Wii-mote during those water races doesn't feel precise enough. Most of you will probably be able to look past that and fully appreciate this fine piece of art and one the best games or at least one of the very best platformers to ever come out on the market.

  

  1.) Crysis (PC, Crytek)

  I had my doubts, I really had my doubts. Sure Far Cry had some really nice graphics when it came out and it was fun walking around shooting people on a nice tropical island but aside from that I didn't really enjoy it too much and I for a long time feared this game would end up feeling like a déjà vu. I was proven wrong right away even when I first tried out the demo as the nanosuit makes the gameplay so incredible dynamic as you can tackle any situations in any way you see fit. You wanna toss all your enemies down a high cliff or into the water? check. Wanna be the sneaky one, turn invisible and hide in bushes and take your targets out one by one, you can do it in Crysis. The list just goes on and on and as you can of course combine all these different powers as long you still have energy left in your suit. The AI was great, not perfect but defiantly good enough and better than most games out there. You can customize any weapon in the game too to fit your personal preferences, yes even put a sniper scope on your shotgun if you feel likeit is needed. The story while not exactly original is very exciting to follow all the way trough out this 15 hour adventure. Many moments in this game just totally blew my mind away, and no not because of it's graphics which is better than any game to date. With the game you also get a map editor that lets you play around with every single map in the game or even to create your own to spawn whatever you like such as aliens, sharks, tanks that shoot tactical nukes you name it. The game also sports an exciting multiplayer mode once you give yourself the time needed to get into it. Only quirks I have about this game is that that singeplayer story ends, and this is a game you defiantly don't want to end, and also the fact it's too hardware demanding for enough people out there to enjoy it. If you happen to sit on a killer rig then do yourself a favor and pick up this game. Super Mario Galaxy might be better as an actual game but it didn't smash me into the ground making it hard for me to even breathe. There is game only one game managed to do this to me this year and that game is no other than Crysis.

  

  Worthy Mentions

  Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars (PC)
  PGR4 (360)
  Unreal Tournament III (PC)
  Bioshock (PC/360)
  Pokémon Diamond/Pearl (DS)
  Forza Motorsport 2 (360)
  GRAW 2 (PS3/360)
  Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii)
  Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (PS3)
  Colin McRae: DiRT (PC/PS3/360)
  Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (PS3)
  Blue Dragon (360)

  Well there you have it! It sure wasn't easy, especially this year which is probably the best year in gaming in recent memory (based on the releases). So what do you think...agree? disagree? What do you think about the Time and Spike VGA selections? And what was your favorite games this year? All opinions are welcome. just keep it cool, ok?

  Well that's it for me, now I give the word to you. Laterz!

  //ZimpanX

  Side Notes: The reason why titles such as Rock Band, Persona 3 and Zack & Wiki are MIA is simply because none of them have been released here in Europe yet. I'm sure they are all great titles but I've just not had the opportunity to play them, and I'm sorry for that.

  • Posted Dec 15, 2007 2:16 pm PT
  • Category: Editorial
  • 170 Comments

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• 1Dec 07

  A dream shattered...

  I haven't been able to post earlier as I had to let all of this sink in first even though it probably hasn't yet but at least I'm now once again able to speak.

  There is no excuse for how the ones responisble has handled all of this and not have they only damaged themselves but also people around them that did with no absolute means deserve this fate. I'm of course talking about the wonderfull staff of this site and loyal users that have remained loyal till just recently when somebody decided to drop the sledgehammer on our very faces.

  Anger, confusion and desperation is what have filled our very minds for the past few days and rightfully so. And I respect those that still stands behind the staff after what has happend even though I fully understand those of you that are leaving never to return. A dream has been shattered for them, many that have inspired us to join this site or even apply for a job here are now gone though this recent department obviously hurts to most, digging into the very deepest core of our minds and hearts because of the circumstances of how it happened. The first time we're probably witnessing this kind of thing and hopefully the last.

  For me personally the dream was shattered aswell as most of those that brought me back to gaming are or were a part of this wonderfull site and acted as a huge inspiration to me and got me into writing my own blogs and reviews and stating and forming my own opinions and sharing them with others the best I could. Therefor my first thought was to leave this site and everything it stands for all behind, a closed chapter of my now 20 year old life.

  Then I realized something...I simply cannot leave this place just like that. I've met too many people here that have ment very much to me even in my personal life and that the fact there are very talented people in the staff that are still with us. And for that reason alone I will stay as user of this site, at least for the time being to see how things eventually develops. I've invested too much time into the place to simply loose all the hope I have left. Though my motivation to visit this site as often and to contribute as much as I did a while ago is now completely lost and I will struggle hard to find it once more.

  On a positive note the people that no longer a part of this staff still have their health and wellbeing left with them and we're bound to see more from all of them in the future and of course from our fellow staff members that still remains.

  The very sad part of it all though is that things will never be the same. An end of an era.

  Peace to all of you that are tracking me and to those that put so much effort into forming this site that have inspired so many, an act never to be forgotten.

  //ZimpanX

  • Posted Dec 1, 2007 4:37 pm PT
  • Category: Editorial
  • 19 Comments

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