Reviews and More

I’m not very happy with my current Internet provider, so I’ve been looking to make a switch. I’m just tired of all the services glitches such as intermittent connections or spotty phone service. I can’t even tell you the number of times my home phone line has been out of order because of problems with our cable Internet.

Anyway, I was checking around today, and saw an awesome offer from Charter. Beginning on March 12, they’re going to hold an auction in which the top bidder will receive Charter High-Speed® Internet service for life! Bidding begins at just $10 with no upper limit, so it will be interesting to see how much this prize ultimately sells for.

In addition, Charter is currently holding a sweepstakes for a brand-new Nintendo Wii bundle, which includes a complete Wii gaming system as well as Wii Sports. I have this exact same system, and it’s definitely a lot of fun! Wii Sports includes Tennis, Baseball, Bowling, Golf, and Boxing, so there’s something for everyone in the family.

You have to live in an area serviced by Charter in order to enter the sweepstakes, so if you do, then Click Here for a Chance to Win a Nintendo® Wii™!

Unfortunately, Charter isn’t in the Bloomingdale area, so I can’t participate in the Wii sweepstakes or the auction, but hopefully one of you can. Take a look today, and let me know if you end up winning the Wii or the high-speed service!

I was finally able to get my hands on a Nintendo Wii this weekend. I’ve been looking for one of these systems ever since they came out, but was unwilling to pay more than retail price for it, which meant no auctions or anything like that. At any rate, I found the last one in a local shop and snapped it up immediately. I also bought the Wii Sports software (which isn’t bundled with the system in Japan) and am here to tell you what I think of these games.

Wii Sports consists of five different games designed to work with the special Wii-mote: Tennis, Baseball, Bowling, Golf, and Boxing. In each of these games, you play by imitating the motions that you would go through if you were playing for real. So in baseball, you make a throwing motion to pitch; in golf, you swing the Wii-mote like a golf club; in boxing, you make punching motions. This has its good and bad points. On the good side, it makes all the games very easy to pick up and play in just a few minutes. On the bad side, it’s hard to make precise movements this way.

I’ve played all the games several times, and thus far I’d have to say that Bowling is my favorite. As an avid bowler in real life, I loved how realistic the ball movement and pin action are in this game. Funnily enough, the scores I get in the game are very similar to the ones I get IRL (about a 175 average). For some reason, I definitely thought I’d get higher scores in the game, but I guess that will come later. The only thing I don’t like about Wii Bowling is that players seem to get an unusually high number of splits. Other than that, I love it!

My next favorite game out of the bunch is Tennis. You always play doubles matches (even if you’re playing by yourself against the AI) and you can choose to play a single game, a best -of-3 set, or a best-of-5 set. The gameplay in Tennis is not nearly as realistic as it could be, but the game is still fun.

The biggest problem I have with Tennis is that I can’t control shot placement at all. I don’t know if this is even possible in the game (I haven’t checked the manual yet), but I think it should be. As things stand now, all my shots pretty much go straight. It would be a much better game if I could place them.

I rarely play the other three games at all. Golf is the most difficult of the bunch for me, and there’s only one course to play on, so I got bored quicky. Baseball is fun to a point, but because the AI handles all the fielding, wins and losses come down to plain old luck. Boxing isn’t as cool as it could be. Half of my punches don’t connect with my opponent even though I know I’m aiming accurately. That got too frustrating, so I gave up.

Overall, I think Wii Sports is a great starter pack for new Nintendo Wii owners. The games are easy to play and fun enough, but I can see getting bored with all of them after a few weeks. I give Wii Sports 8.0 stars out of 10, and recommend that you buy it if it wasn’t bundled with your system.

In the past couple of weeks, I’ve started playing my Nintendo DS a lot more than my PSP. I forgot how simple and fun the games for DS are. They’re really for the whole family, and now that I’ve got a young son, I am definitely more attuned to family-friendly products. I saw Mario Kart DS at the store the other day, remember how much fun I had playing it on Super Nintendo many years ago, and decided to buy this latest version. Here’s what I think of it.

The basic premise of Mario Kart hasn’t changed over the years. You get to choose from one of eight Mario-related characters, including Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Yoshi, and Donkey Kong, and then race around different tracks in go carts. This would be fun enough as a driving game, but that’s not all there is to Mario Kart. The best part of the game (in my opinion) is the way you can collect “items” while you’re racing. The items can then be used to attack your opponents to give yourself a bit of an advantage. For example, you can throw turtle shells at the carts in front of you to knock them over or you can drop a banana peel behind you to cause carts to spin out.

There are three different cart sizes to choose from (50cc, 100cc, and 150cc) and approximately 32 (?) different tracks to race on. Some of these are available right from the beginning, but others have to be “unlocked” by winning races. As you move up from the smaller carts to the bigger ones, your opponents become faster and more aggressive, so winning becomes increasingly difficult.

Unlike other driving games, controlling the cart in Mario Kart DS is easy enough that anyone (including my 4-year-old) can pick it up and start playing within minutes. Even so, there are advanced techniques that will take more time to master and thus give you something to shoot for.

Other features of the game include head-to-head as well as online play, and various “missions” that you can go on while in single player mode. I haven’t tried any of these extras yet because I’m still having a blast with regular gameplay.

Overall, I think Mario Kart DS is an awesome game for people of all ages and skill levels. I give it 9.0 stars out of 10 and highly recommend that you buy it!

I haven’t been doing much with my PSP lately, and I hate to see an expensive little device like that just gathering dust in my desk drawer. So I went out and tried to find a new game title that sounded interesting. After browsing through Electronic Boutique for a bit, I settled on Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07.

I’d heard that this game got some good reviews, so I was eager to check it out. I haven’t played Tiger Woods in a long time and there have been so many changes over the years that I was basically starting from scratch. Here’s what I think thus far.

Pros:

• The graphics are fantastic! This game looks very good on the PSP screen.
• Tour mode is both challenging and fun. I’m still slogging through and it’s good to know that the game is neither too easy nor too difficult to play.
• The power meter allows you to gauge your shots perfectly.
• The Game Face customization feature is neat. You can create your own character and customize his/her looks.
• Nice variety of courses to choose from. The different weather elements add an additional degree of difficulty.
• Pretty easy to learn how to play. I went through the tutorial in a few minutes and was playing full rounds shortly thereafter.
• I like how the galleries follow players around from hole to hole.

Cons:

• I don’t like having to use the joystick to control my swing. It’s very difficult for me to be accurate with that thing.
• The putting looks pretty cheesy to me. I don’t know why, but it always looks like the player has mis-hit the ball.
• The announcers get very annoying after a while.
• There are only two minigames included with this title, and neither are that great.

Overall, I don’t like Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 as much as I like Hot Shots Golf, but they both have different strengths and weaknesses. I think the Tiger Woods game is entertaining enough and should offer hours of fun to anyone who likes playing golf games. I give it 7.0 stars out of 10.

Are you a video game whiz? Are you one of those people that can pick up any game and master it within minutes? If so, then I’m sure you’ll be interested in this contest that I just heard about. It’s being run over at ArcadeCow.com and the rules are very simple. All you have to do is head over to the site and play free arcade games between now and April 14, 2007. If you achieve one of the five highest scores on a game called “The Milkman” before the contest deadline, you can win an iPod Shuffle, iTunes gift cards, and even cash!

You might be thinking there’s probably a catch, right? Well, there is: You have to sign up for a FREE membership in order to play because that’s the only way that your game scores can be saved and recorded for the contest. That’s it! I don’t know about you, but I think this sounds like a pretty sweet deal. Plus, don’t forget that once you register at ArcadeCow.com, you can play more than 2500 different flash games — all for free.

Read the official Reality Knights press release right here and then get on over to ArcadeCow.com to start playing.

Reality Knights and www.ArcadeCow.com, a free flash games site with over 2500 free online games available to members and non-members, will be running a high score contest for Arcade Cow members from March 13th, 2007 to April 14th, 2007. Prizes will include an iPod shuffle and iTunes gift card for the players with the top five highest scores. The top player will receive an additional $30 cash prize.

While Arcade Cow offers a free online gaming experience to both members and non-members, a free membership is required in order for gamers to participate in the high score contest, because membership allows for saved game scores. The contest will revolve around a game called The Milkman, and there is no cost to register, participate in the high score contest, or play any of Arcade Cow’s free online games.

Arcade Cow’s free online game high score contest will have members competing for a high score while playing “The Milkman.” Players will earn points by virtually shooting a milkman as he pops up in various areas of the playing screen, which is a photo of a barn. Shooting the milkman earns various point levels, whereas misfiring costs points and will eventually end the player’s game or “life.”

Users interested in registering to participate in the free online gaming high score contest to win an iPod shuffle or cash prizes, can do so through a simple registration form at www.ArcadeCow.com.

About ArcadeCow.com ArcadeCow.com is a free online flash game site, launched in 2006 by Reality Knights, LLC. In its short life, the site already boasts over 700 registered users (despite the fact that free registrations aren’t required to play free online games), more than 480,000 online game plays, and over 2500 free flash games. Games are available from a variety of genres, as well as classic video game emulations.

For additional information about ArcadeCow.com or the high score contest, please visit http://www.arcadecow.com/contest.html

That’s all there is to the contest, so check out “The Milkman” right now!

I know that many kids cartoons, shows, and games that are popular in the U.S. actually have their origins in Japan, but since I didn’t have children of my own until recently, I never paid much attention to those things. For instance, I had heard of the Power Rangers, of course, but had no idea that the series and characters were based on the Boukenger series in Japan. Now that my son is four, however, I’m getting more and more involved with these types of shows.

My son is a huge fan of the Boukenger series, and watches whenever he gets a chance. So for Christmas this year my husband and I decided to get him a video game called Bouken Driver, which is based on the show. It’s an interactive DVD game. In other words, you pop a DVD into the player and the game’s storyline unfolds from there. The DVD consists of both live action scenes and animated/video game scenes along the lines of what you would expect in this type of game.

There are several different story sequences that the player can go through, depending on which Boukenger (Red, Blue, Pink, Yellow, or Black) they choose to be. The stories involve completing various tasks and fighting enemies — much like what happens on the TV show.

The box states that the game is intended for children aged 3 and up. That’s because the actions associated with gameplay are very basic. The player needs only turn the steering wheel left or right depending on the arrow that flashes on the screen. There are also occasions when the player might need to push a button or work one of two levers. My four-year-old could handle these without any problems, and really loves the game. However, I can’t see a child over 5 enjoying Bouken Driver.

Overall, this is a fun little game for small children. It was purchased by relatives in Japan, so I don’t know if there’s an equivalent in the U.S. If there is, I would say that the game is worth the money and will surely please any young Power Rangers/Boukenger fan.

I bought a PSP a couple months ago and only have three games for it thus far. Two of those are sports games, including Gretzky NHL. I had played Gretzky NHL on the PS2, and loved it, so I figured it would be a no-brainer to get the PSP version as well. Not so.

Unfortunately, it seems that 989 Sports, the creators of the game, took out all of the aspects that made the game so fun on the PS2. For example, there are two major problems with the PSP version, in my opinon. First, it’s too hard to score. Just like in real hockey games, I think it’s much more interesting to watch a 6-5 game than a 1-0 game. The goalies in Gretzky NHL are all like Patrick Roy at the height of his career… just try scoring on any of them! The second problem is that it’s too hard to control the players. I can’t get the hang of the game because it’s virtually impossible for me to move my guys to where I want them to be on the ice. Again, this just takes all the fun out of the game.

Usually I love sports games, especially hockey games, but Gretzky NHL for the PSP just sucks. Don’t waste your time or you money on this.

My family and I have had our Xbox 360 for just a short time, so we don’t have very many games for it yet. One title that we recently purchased was Table Tennis from Rockstar Games. If you’re a gaming enthusiast, then I’m sure you recognize Rockstar as the creators of the highly successful — and always controversial — Grand Theft Auto series. So I wasn’t really sure what to expect of Table Tennis; maybe the players would get into fistfights if they lost!

Actually, the game is pretty fun. My husband was against buying Table Tennis at first because he thought it would be boring. But the gameplay is so realistic, the graphics are so clear, and the characters are so cool that even he was won over rather quickly.

The part I like best about the game is that it’s very easy to start playing. There aren’t any complicated maneuvers to try to pull off and you don’t have to do anything fancy with the controller. You just push a button to hit the ball and you move the joystick to move the player. Of course it could be a lot more complex than that if you wanted it to be, but for the most part average gamers will be able to pick this game up easily.

Another plus for me was the fact that there isn’t an annoying soundtrack to the game. Music plays in the background, but it’s really just a beat, and it intensifies along with the action. So there aren’t any of the usual heavy metal songs that seem to populate all video games these days. Thank goodness, because that type of noise just gives me headaches!

Overall, I think Table Tennis from Rockstar Games is a cool title that is suitable for the entire family. I give it 7 stars out of 10 and recommend that you give it a try.

I bought a Nintendo DS a few months ago specifically so that I could play the New Super Mario Bros. game. I was sure that I’d find other uses for the DS, so I wasn’t worried about wasting my money for a single game. Here’s what I think of the DS thus far.

I want to say that I also have a PSP, so comparisons with that system are inevitable. At first, it took me a little while to get used to the dual screen on the DS. I couldn’t figure out why it was necessary to have two screens like that, and I’ll admit that it bothered me. But once I got used to it, I actually started to like the layout.

The DS screen seems a lot smaller than the PSP screen. I don’t have actual measurements in front of me, so I can’t give you numbers, but the difference is noticeable, especially after playing exclusively on the PSP for so long. This is a negative, as far as I’m concerned because I like nice, big screens.

The graphics on the DS aren’t nearly as sharp as they are on the PSP (judging from the Mario Bros. game), so this is another area where the PSP has an edge.

Despite these shortcomings, I really like the DS because of the Mario Bros. game. It’s just so much fun to play! Plus, I like the fact that I can buy software other than games for the DS (cookbooks, dictionaries, etc.).

Overall, I’m very satisfied with my purchase. The Nintendo DS may not look as sleek and cool as the PlayStation Portable, but it’s still a fun little system!

I’m not exactly a video game fanatic, but I do enjoy sitting down and playing for a couple hours every now and then, especially when I find a fun game to play. And that’s exactly what MX vs. ATV Unleashed for PS2 is.

This game is produced by THQ/Rainbow Studios and has lots of great features. For example, you can totally customize your bike and rider with real MX brands and logos. So if you want your guy to ride a Pro Circuit Kawasaki in Thor gear with Alpinestars boots, you can. If you want him to be on a Suzuki in MSR gear, you can do that too. You get the picture.

In addition, pro riders have loaned their names to this game, so you can race against guys like Ivan Tedesco, Nathan Ramsey, James Stewart, Michael Byrne, and more.

There are several different modes, including practice, race, freestyle, and free ride modes. That makes the game fun for people of all ages. Even my four-year-old son likes playing in free ride mode, where he can just ride around the tracks without the pressure or constraints of a timed race.

The physics of the game are the best that I’ve seen thus far in a MX racing game. It feels very realistic, and the bike sounds are fantastic too.

Overall, MX vs. ATV Unleashed is a fun game that would be worth adding to your collection.