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  • flickds
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  • Member since: May 23, 2002
  • Last online: 11/27/09 5:49 pm PT
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My Recent Ratings

Title Score
Tourist Trophy 9.0
Armored Core: Nine Breaker 9.0
Phantom Dust 9.0
Tekken 5 9.7

Splendid.....Absolutely Smashing

"In my perambulations of Brooklyn of late, I have noticed several parties of youngsters playing base, a certain game of ball...."

  • 6Aug 08

    My princess is in another castle

    Anyone that reads this and owns an Xbox 360 owes to themselves to download and buy Braid for XBL arcade. This game is simultaneously hilarious, melancholy, charming, and fun, and the music is awesome. The artistic direction in this game is brilliant -- sort of like playing mario brothers as if it were transformed into an animated portrait in the National Gallery. It's a thinking man's (or woman's) 2D platformer, and any dude who's experienced heartbreak can relate to the surprisingly captivating story. Play this.
    • Posted Aug 6, 2008 10:28 pm PT
    • Category: Games
    • 5 Comments
  • 3Aug 08

    Finally...a story about deadly box art

    I decided to cave-up for a weekend and edit the Game COPS episode 3 footage. The boys and I filmed this nearly two years ago, so it's about time. I hope someone out there enjoys it.

    [EDIT] Syncing issues fixed.

    On a personal note, I have one more year left in law school, and I need to seriously begin the job hunt. I haven't had a lot of time for video games lately, but I did manage to pick up Metal Gear Solid 4. I was so impressed by this game, that it inspired me to go back and complete all of the other MGS games leading up to it -- a feat that I have not previously ventured to accomplish. While the gameplay in MGS 4 is far superior to the others, at least the story in the old games is timelessly stellar.

    • Posted Aug 3, 2008 4:38 pm PT
    • Category: N/A
    • 7 Comments
  • 22Aug 07

    Shouldn't Have to Hack

    Nvidia released a bunch of updated beta drivers for its chipsets in the wake of the Bioshock release. Boy, does Bioshock run much more smoothly (and look much better) on my PC as a result. Unfortunately, I have a laptop with a GeForce Go 7900 GS and none of the official Nvidia Vista drivers support mobile hardware. Fortunately, some website that I googled hacked the new driver .inf files such that they would work with the mobile chipsets. What sucks is that figuring that out resulted in one less hour of free time to play it.
  • 14Aug 07

    Finally, a Madden Game Worth Playing

    There was actually a midnight release spectacular for Madden 08 at the Hoover Best Buy location in Birmingham, Alabama (we don't usually get a lot of VIP gaming treatment in sweet home Alabama). Not having to work today or anything better to do circa midnight, I drove on over after reading some Madden reviews and picked it up for the PS3 (see previously blog entry for reason why I didn't buy it for the 360).

    I'm not much of a football fan, but the thing that I like most about watching and playing football is the tackling and the breaking of tackles. This year, EA finally decided to add a much more realistic tackling system (something that Visual Concepts has been doing well for almost a decade with the 2K series) and it really makes the video game of football fun. In fact, I would say that the tackling in Madden 08 is better executed than in All Pro Football.

    I will bet that you can bet your bottom dollar that with all the praise that this entry of Madden is receiving, the incremental update next year will be a little short of short. I'm going to go ahead and predict for next year's entry that EA will add a few small features here and there, update the rosters, and maybe -- if they have time after revelling in the Madden 08 revenues -- get the PS3 version to run at 60fps.

    However, I am quite impressed with this year's Madden, and because I will not be playing the 360 for another 5-7 weeks (if that, because who knows once school starts) I will probably trade my copy of All Pro Football 2K8 for Shin Megami Tensai: Persona 3 (provided that it's not delayed every week that it's supposed to be released as it has been since mid-July).

    • Posted Aug 14, 2007 12:33 pm PT
    • Category: N/A
    • 8 Comments
  • 12Aug 07

    Let's Vent About Defective Products

    Two 360s down and X to go... So as of this weekend I have a week between my law clerk job and going back to school; a seemingly perfect time to enjoy, among other things, some worry-free late night gaming. But as an opportunity of the same magnitude was rendered naught by my first 360 going the way of a bloatware laden e-machines PC after the humidity level reaches anything above a normal reading, so has this opportunity been spoiled as a result of my replacement xbox 360 (that was manufactured in NOVEMBER 2006 and sent to me less than 2 months ago) going "all blue screen" on me -- despite having the 360 enshrined between two fans in a well-air-conditioned room beyond the reach of anything that might remotely be considered a heat source. If the 360 was under the curse of the PS3 right now (i.e., by having a dearth of quality games available), then I probably wouldn't be this angry. Thus, my opinion of Microsoft's "next-gen" console can be summarized in three words: piece of crap...a piece of crap that happens to provide a fun gaming experience when the stars align every 13th fortnight so as to color the moon azure blue when a grain of sand in the middle east is ionized by the force of a thousand suns; that is to say, whenever I get the opportunity to game on the 360 for any decent length of time.

    Contrast this product with my Powerbook G4 laptop which still works like a dream after nearly 4 years despite: (1) having coffee spilled on it (twice); (2) having orange juice spilled on it (once); (3) being toted around in a backpack (everyday); (4) being dropped (on several occasions)...or with any other console I have ever owned for many years ... you get the picture.

    • Posted Aug 12, 2007 10:21 am PT
    • Category: Editorial
    • 12 Comments
  • 29Jul 07

    5 Minutes of Awesome

    Although LiK might disagree with with this statement, I'm going to throw it out there anyway; the Heavenly Sword demo is wicked awesome. Despite the unspectacular framerate and v-sync issues, the scale and detail of the demo are amazing. You start out on some cliffs with the main character's (Nariko's) sister (if it were possible for Smeagol and the Copper Kid from Silverhawks to have a child, you would have the main character's sister) looking down upon vast waterfalls and an imminent user-controlled beat-down.

    Besides the coolness of sending enemies flying all over the place in a semi-bullet-time fashion, there are three different manifestations of the main weapon, and consequently three different fighting techniques to use. By default, the main weapon is used as two short swords, and the fighting unfolds as you would imagine it would when an able-bodied red-haired ninja chick from the UK would wield such weapons. The second fighting technique is activited by holding down the L1 button while performing combos and is decidedly similar to Kratos' blades-attached-to-chains from God of War. The third fighting technique involves holding down the R1 button while performing combos and is much akin to controlling Siegfried from Soul Blade -- Basically a two-handed claymore that Nariko drags around until the unleashing of crazy momentum driven blows of fury.

    The right analog stick functions as a dodge move almost identical to Ninja Gaiden's roll away/dodge maneuver, which is certainly derivative, but still very cool. There are various wooden tables and barrels lying around the bottom level of the demo that can be smashed up in a manner that Sir Isaac Newton would certainly smile upon were he still alive.

    Needless to say, I am really excited about this game. It seems to be the perfect blend of God of War and Ninja Gaiden dashed with the scale and imaginitive landscapes of Shadow of the Colossus.

  • 30Jun 07

    To Kill a Darkness

    Talk about random; if you want to watch a great movie based on an even better book, watch the TV in Jenny's apartment in The Darkness. There appears to be a full version of To Kill a Mockingbird playing on it. Although I've seen this movie many times, I watched it for about 15 minutes until I realized I needed to keep playing the game (because the game is awesome). Also, if you're a Sonny Chiba fan, The Streetfighter is also playing on a few of the TVs in the game. Craziness!
  • 23Jun 07

    If All Racing Games Had...

    rad cockpit views and hardcore damage modeling, I don't know if I'd play any other genre. However, if some dude sitting next to me in a car ever said, "Smooth and steady. I'm mister smooth, you're mister steady," I probably wouldn't be his friend.
    • Posted Jun 23, 2007 2:27 pm PT
    • Category: N/A
    • 7 Comments
  • 27May 07

    Game COPS: Episode 3 Trailer

    Follow the Game COPS on one of their earlier adventures in Episode 3: "Death Takes a Holiday."  Adept now at keeping the streets clean from bad video games, the Game COPS were not always so well equipped.  Thanks to their predecessors, the Game COPS are what they are today.....a force to be reckoned with. 

  • 3Jan 07

    A blog manifesting itself in video

    Sorry about the video compression.  I recently purchased a camcorder, which resulted in a much more data packed video file.  I'm working out the technical kinks in this video blog in preparation for the next Game Cops video.  By the way, I hope you guys have a Dick Clark's rockin' new year.

  • 24Oct 06

    This Just In: More Burger King Games!

    As many of you have probably heard on The HotSpot, or have read in Brendan Sinclair's fine news article, Burger King has officially announced that it will be releasing video games compatable on both the Xbox and Xbox 360 for $3.99 alongside its value meals. Among these games are: 1) PocketBike Racer, a winning racing formula, featuring widely known Burger King mascots; 2) Big Bumpin', again, featuring everyone's favorite Burger King mascots, but this time, in a bumper car style free-for-all; and last, but certainly not least 3) Sneak King, a stealth action game in which Burger King enthusiasts will play as the King himself, benevolently delivering delicious Burger King menu items to various unsuspecting every-day joes going about their daily tasks.

    But that's not all! During preliminary market testing of the above games, Burger King discovered that it's rascally mascot, The Subservient Chicken, and its stealth action game, Sneak King, were runaway hits among consumer test populations. This turned out to be a stroke of providence for Burger King, as it was previously struggling to find a way to unveil its new Peking Chicken Sandwich; a succulent recipe of deep-fried peking chicken smothered between two lightly toasted sesame seed buns. Not surprisingly, out of this serendipitous series of marketing and product development arose the concept of a new Burger King game; one that is predicted to trump the already tremendous allure and fun-factor of its yet-to-be-released games, and that will consequently carry a slightly higher price tag of $5.99.

    This game is slated to be called Peek King Chicken. In it, Burger King fans will get to play as their second favorite Burger King mascot, the aforementioned Subservient Chicken.

    Here's the premise:
    Everyone's favorite dutiful chicken, the Subservient Chicken, has been tasked with determining how wildly popular Burger King's all new Peking Chicken Sandwich actually is among consumers. However, there's a twist: he is given only six "Burger King" hours to do it. If Subservient Chicken does not come back with conclusive results within these six Burger King hours, he will be made part of the next batch of Peking Chicken Sandwiches. At this desperate stage, the game will begin at 8:00pm in "Burger King" time, at which point the Subservient Chicken will frightfully begin wandering suburban communities in order to "peek" through windows to see how many people are actually enjoying Burger King's new Peking Chicken Sandwich. The designers have dubbed this game as the world's first "peeping tom" simulator. Regardless, from the player's perspective, the points and risks will increase as the "Burger King" hours progress into the late night. While the Subservient Chicken will certainly encounter many dwellers feasting on Peking Chicken Sandwiches (which will trigger "good" market data and, of course, achievement points), he will also encounter occupants engaging in various "other" activities. The challenge in this game will be to avoid motion senstive lights attached to houses that will automatically summon The Fuzz to the Subservient Chicken's location. Likewise, cautious dwellers who happen to be looking outside when Subservient Chicken peeks in will also alert the Five-0s. If the Subservient Chicken is caught, not only will be become a Peking Chicken Sandwich, but he will also be briefly imprisoned.

    So there it is. Peek King Chicken, rated M, will likely be arriving for the Xbox and Xbox 360 alongside the new Peking Chicken Sandwich combo meal in the second quarter of 2007 for $5.99. You heard it here first (J/K of course).
    • Posted Oct 24, 2006 11:20 pm PT
    • Category: Editorial
    • 22 Comments
  • 23Sep 06

    V-Bloggin' Ed Wood Style

    If I were to do a one-take video blog in which I would have no idea what I would talk about before the camera starts rolling, this is what it would look like.....Proceed with caution.
  • 22Sep 06

    Shirokishi Trailer

    Did anyone else watch the Shirokishi PS3 trailer? Frikin' Awesome!
    • Posted Sep 22, 2006 10:54 am PT
    • Category: N/A
    • 7 Comments
  • 18Sep 06

    Pretty Fly for a GameFly

    I'm in school and can no longer afford to buy games at the tickle of my fancy. However, I can still stay in the loop. Recently I cancelled my WoW subscription, which I've been paying for up until last month, but haven't played since March 2005. Consequently I freed up $15 a month, and yesterday decided to create a GameFly account. GameFly notified me today that they shipped out Saints Row. Sweet! I've been wanting to play this game, but really can not afford to buy it. Next in line to be shipped (when I'm tired of Saints Row) is Lego Star Wars II, followed by Okami. Likewise, this bodes well for me and the next gen while I'm in school. If I decide to crack and buy a Wii, I theoretically will not have to buy any games for it until I have a job again. Ultimately the value of this service will hinge on whether or not I actually play these games that I'm renting. Deep down though I think the key is that I have the comfort of knowing that I can play a new game if I want to. If only GameFly rented PC games.....i.e. demo of Company of Heroes was awesome.
    • Posted Sep 18, 2006 7:17 pm PT
    • Category: Games
    • 14 Comments
  • 4Sep 06

    Guess what Movie I Got.....

    for $9.44 at Wal-Mart. Here's the clue: check out my banner image, and it's now available on DVD.  Contrary to what I once believed, this movie has not aged well since 1989.  Or maybe.....no.....this had to have been a good movie at one point in time.
  • 12Aug 06

    A Straight Up Blog


         

    Back by not so popular demand, here comes another straight up video blog.  Join me for a random rundown on a small mish-mash of topics, mostly gaming related.
  • 31Jul 06

    The Winds of Change


    Change is a-brewing. I'm packing up and moving to Tuscalooser, I mean Tuscaloosa, tomorrow morning. Why? Because the move-in date specified on my apartment lease happens to be tomorrow, and that's where the law school I will be attending is located. On Wednesday, I'll then be driving up to Luray, Virginia with my family to visit my grandmother who I haven't seen in over a year. Luray is a small and quiet town nestled atop the Blue Ridge mountains. Hopefully the relaxing environment of Luray will be a nice calm before the storm of law school.

    Unfortunately for me, this means a lot less time and money ($0 to be exact) for gaming. However, this is a situation that I chose, and am ready to accept since going to law school has been a passion of mine for a long time. Plus, first-year grades pretty much determine one's future in law, so I'm really going to have to crack down and get to it. Orientation (scattered with 3-hour class sessions) starts on August 11th, and we will supposedly be receiving our first assignments on August 7th -- which will be due on the first day of orientation.

    Today was my last day of work as a programmer/analyst for the marketing firm where I've been employed over the past year and seven months. I'll definitely miss everyone there along with the paychecks. We had bagels this morning at the office to celebrate my departure. After work, a fellow co-worker (known as Sedulous-Pleb here on GameSpot) along with my boss took me out for a final meal at Taco Casa. Imagine steaming hot, freshly wrapped, slightly-above-fast-food quality Mexican food, and you have Taco Casa. After that we went for some Key Lime Pie at J. Alexanders, followed by a ping pong tournament at Patrick's house.

    Back to moving -- My only real concern about moving is tranporting my 42" LCD Projection HDTV. I really don't want to damage it. HDTV + XBox 360 = veritable visual feasting.

    Finally, I'm also hoping to catch Talladega Nights which comes to theaters while
    I'm in Virginia. If you go and see it, look for Preston (Dejesus Gomez
    in Game COPS), Sam (Suspect in Game COPS), and me in the bar/concert
    scene. Looking out from the stage in this scene, we three are located towards the front of the crowd, on the right side. There's a scene going on behind us (with David Koechner -- he plays Todd Packer in The Office) and in front of us (Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly jamming out to a corny song with Chris Isaak on stage). I was wearing a camouflage Auburn University hat, and partying
    like it was 1999.

    Anyways, later, and over and out.

  • 25Jul 06

    Episode 2 is Here!



    The Game COPS crew may be a tough squad, but they each have a heart
    under that shell of bad-game-proof Kevlar. Episode 2 trails officer
    Brimhauer as he is crushed by witnessing a loved one playing a game of
    which we shall not speak.  Please, watch responsibly!
  • 25Jul 06

    Game COPS: Episode 2 (True Love is Never Forgotten)


    Coming this week to GameSpot user video space near you...
  • 10Jul 06

    Straight Up Blogging



    Hey, I just felt like blogging tonight.  In this blog, I talk about some games that have recently piqued my interest.  Also, to anyone who has played Chromehounds, please let know what you think.

    Thanks, and thanks for watching.

    daniel
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