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After Christmas madness roundup

December 28, 2011 by

Annnnnd we’re back!  Hopefully everyone had a nice couple of days with family, friends, or solitude. I thought I would give you all a quick roundup post of what we’ve been doing to kick things off again on the blog.

We picked up a few games for Christmas that we’ve already begun to work through.

  • Saints Row 3 – crazier than the first two and lots of fun
  • Rayman Origins – so fast, so zany
  • Disney Universe – cute and puzzly
  • Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7 – graphically improved
  • Mario Kart 7 – Graev already had it, but I got it and love it!  We have a racing community that you’re welcome to join.  Leave a comment if you’re interested.

All of them are fantastic, and we’ll bring you more in-depth write-ups on them later.  The big one to note is Saints Row 3.  We’re going to play through the entire game together via online co-op (we each have a copy).  That’s not all, though.  We’re going to play through as Michael Weston and Sam Axe, the characters from Burn Notice.  Any opportunity we get, we’re going to act like them and of course our characters we made look like them.  It should be lots of fun.  Look for it on our gaming stream in a few days.

Star Wars: The Old Republic

We’re both level 30 now.  While we’re not leveling as fast as a lot of other people, we’re at least enjoying the story and can say that we’ve tried to do most every quest. SWTOR, in general, is enjoyable.  I think everyone playing can vouch for the obvious issues.  There are blatant bugs and a few mechanics really need to be retooled or polished.  For example, equipping mods and comparing gear is tedious and the whole PvP badge system is convoluted — a complete overhaul of PvP rewards is likely imminent if they’re at all aware of the problem.

My favorite planet has been Tatooine.  The first couple of planets were really restricting in terms of where you could go.  Everything in SWTOR feels linear, but having the big open desert in front of you instead of a path surrounded on both sides by mountains is comforting.  Tatooine is also the iconic Star Wars planet.  It draws upon a lot of nostalgia.

That’s all for now!  I’m going to start working on a few posts I’m making before the New Year.

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Nintendo 3DS Starter’s Guide

December 23, 2011 by

Nintendo 3DS Flame RedWe’ve been owners and fans of the Nintendo 3DS since it came out in March. As early adopters who have never once regretted our decision to buy a 3DS, we decided to create a quick Nintendo 3DS Starter’s Guide to highlight some of the great features on the system and point you towards some of the best, and our favorite, games for the system.

The Nintendo 3DS is extremely user friendly and reaches out to a wider audience than any previous Nintendo hand-held device.  The main menu system, as pictured in the image to the right, is extremely quick and easy to use.  Games are opened like apps, and you can go back to the Home screen at any time where you’ll be able to open a different application immediately.

The circle pad or slide pad on the left, is a new addition to Nintendo hand-helds and functions like a D-Pad but smoother and easier on the thumb.  It works so well that Nintendo is releasing an accessory which adds another circle pad and attaches to the right side of the 3DS.

Nintendo has made a quality product that, despite early criticism, is quickly coming into its own providing interesting, useful apps, and great games both old and new.

Read on to find out which games we recommend and learn about some neat features on the 3DS. Continue reading “Nintendo 3DS Starter’s Guide” »

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Mario Kart 7 Review

December 5, 2011 by

The hanglider feels natural and is a very welcome addition to the series!

My brother and I have always been really big Mario Kart fans. I doubt either of us can even calculate the many hours battling and racing against one another, friends, and family.  So it is fairly obvious that we would immediately pick up the latest iteration of the series, especially since its multiplayer functionality allows us to play over great distances.

Mario Kart 7 adds some great things to the series without having taken much away. Probably one of the biggest additions is the glider that karts can deploy. When you launch yourself over certain ramps your kart automatically deploys a glider, allowing you to pitch up or dive down, gliding over certain obstacles or making your way to specific shortcuts. The mechanic sounds kind of gimmicky, but it actually works out quite well. It is not overused and actually allows for some interesting options while racing. I was actually surprised by how much I liked it and I hope it makes its way into future entries in the series. The other new kart feature is its ability to drive underwater. A small propeller pops out the back and you can zoom across the ground underwater. Too be honest, I dont really find this to be that big of a deal. Some players are put off by it because you do move slower underwater and it slows down the pace of the game.

Along with the new kart abilities comes kart customization. By collecting  coins during races you can unlock additional kart parts that allow you to chance up how your ride functions. This allows you to do stuff like picking a larger body for better speed or a smaller one for better maneuverability and acceleration. Also you can choose several different wheel options like off-road wheels, which allow you to drive on unpaved surfaces without losing most of your speed. You can change your glider as well, but I am not entirely sure what the effect is as I have not really unlocked a new one yet.

You can also find three new items in Mario Kart 7: Fire Flower to shoot fireballs, Super Leaf to have a Tanooki tail swing around you, and Lucky 7 which gives you all sorts of items to use at once..

Mario Kart 7 has the standard 4 cup setup, with each cup having 4 courses. I actually really like the tracks in this game and I am really happy by the increased amount of shortcuts, which seemed to be really lacking in Mario Kart Wii. Also this incarnation of Rainbow Road is one of my favorites. In addition to the new courses are four cups containing retro courses from other Mario Kart games, so hopefully among them you can find an old favorite or two.

Above all, Keen and I love the battle mode, which in this version comes in coin battle and balloon battle. Coin battle has you collecting coins and stealing them from one another while balloon battle has you hurling weapons at each other, trying to knock balloons off your enemies. It seems to be pretty standard fare. I believe there are 6 arenas, three new and three old. Unfortunately I am not such a fan of the older stages and I only really like one or two of the new ones. Why they left out Block Fort is beyond me.

As for the 3D effect, I guess that really depends on who you ask. I think it adds a nice level of depth without shoving a lot of crap out at you.The 3D is not utilized in as good a way as it was in Mario 3D Land, but it gets the job done. Turn it off or keep it on, the game still looks fantastic. The game does not just use the 3D capabilities of the 3DS. If you choose, you can enter into a first-person kart mode and use the gyro controls to steer your kart. I was actually surprised by how well it worked after I got the hang out it. It is a fun way to drive from time to time, but I definitely feel I have more control when using the circle pad. Still, it is a nice addition.

So really if you love Mario Kart then you should get Mario Kart 7. It is just really good and probably one of the better versions. The game also features online multiplayer, which actually functions really well. You can play with 7 other players from around the world, battling and racing. You can even create specific communities to play with. I went ahead and made a K&G Community in case anyone is interested I can post the code. Now go buy the game and a 3DS if you dont have one, I have to go unlock more characters.

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