Holiday Gaming Marathon

Well, "marathon" by my standards, anyway…

Here are some incongruous thoughts on the games I've played during my sporadic time off over the Christmas/New Year's season. I still have a four day chunk of time left later this week, too, so I hope to add to this in the near future.

NCAA 2K8
I absolutely LOVE the player controls. There's so much you can do with the stick, triggers, and the "B" and "Y" buttons, some of it based on your skills, and some if it based on the player attributes. Plus, there's a tutorial and a gaming mode that has challenges specific to using these controls, so it's a fun way to learn to play the game. The ability to throw different kinds of passes really adds to the realism, as you can make the same kind of passes that you would on a real court, especially in transition.

The atmosphere is outstanding! Although the courts aren't 100% accurate for all 300+ teams, the venues seem realistic based on the schools involved. I also like the flow of the game, because at times, your team can just go bone dry on offense, while your opponent takes the momentum. It feels just like watching a real college basketball game, and most teams don’t have a player that can just take over, so you really need to work to stem the tide and get back in the game. I still have to work on some settings to get the stats and fouls where I want them, but I'm pretty close.

I'm a bit overwhelmed by the dynasty mode so far. Man, there are just tons of players to recruit. It seems deeper than NCAA 08, which means it will take some work for me to feel comfortable with it. I've spent most of my time just playing exhibition games, but once I get comfortable playing on and off the floor, I think this game has the potential to be among my all-time favorites.

NBA 2K8
The game looks great, and it's especially deep in the "Association" mode. You can schedule specific items for your team to work on during practice, and also try to improve player attributes by participating in skill-specific drills with a specific player. You have to reach a certain score to get the bonus. I don't know if the adjustments are permanent, and fortunately, you're very limited in how much you can do this, so you won't have a roster of "99's." The player roles are also a refreshing addition. You can basically set the playing time and role that each player plays. If you deviate, it could hurt team morale.

On the floor, I don't like the controls as much as I do in NCAA 2K8. You don't feel as "in control" with the isomotion moves. Plus, there's not tutorial detailing how to execute them, and there's nothing in the manual. I realize many are player-specific or attribute-specific, but I'd like to at least have some control over the animations I'm triggering. Previous versions of this game seemed to have much more information on player control, so I might have to look at some old FAQ's, or something. That said, the game play is very smooth, and seemingly realistic. I do like how the play diagrams show up on the court when you're on offense. It's much easier than memorizing plays, and it's really not intrusive at all. The animations are excellent, as are the arenas and crowds. It just feels like NBA basketball, which is a high compliment.

I'm playing using nine minute quarters, and I've adjusted most of the foul sliders upwards. I'm happy with the statistical results so far. I'm especially happy with the frequency of fouls called when you drive to the basket. I allow the AI to make substitutions for me, using the roles I've established, and I also let it call time outs. Nine minute quarters take a awhile to play out, especially with the increased fouls, so this speeds it up a bit for me.

I even got a bite when I put Larry Hughes and his anchor of a contract on the trading block. I was pleased that the offer was a player with a longer contract, slightly less in value, but with a similar rating. There apparently won't be any fleecing of my fellow AI GM's.

All-in-all, I'm impressed so far, and I haven't had this much fun with an NBA game since NBA Inside Drive 2004.

FIFA 08
The last few versions of FIFA have had an excellent Manager mode ("dynasty" mode), and this year's version seems to have the quality on the pitch to match. Honestly, playing on the field with FIFA 08 reminds me of how I felt the first time I played Winning Eleven. The graphics and animations are excellent, the pace of the match is spot-on, and I feel like I'm in control of the action. The ball doesn't feel chained to the players, and it seems like the canned animations are shorter in length, and far less invasive. Right now, I'm playing at the "Amateur" level, just so I can compete!

There are a few problems, though. I don't like my lethargic back line. It seems like I can't count on them to step up and stop the dribbler as regularly as they should, so I have to try to take control and switch too often to keep the offense out of my penalty area. Also, the set pieces aren't as user-friendly as they should be. It just seems to hard to figure out where to place the ball, and I can't see enough of the pitch to know where my guys are making their runs. Lastly, where are the fouls? There just aren't enough called over the course of a match for my liking. Routinely, I get less than five fouls a game, using ten minute halves. It should be double that, at least. Those complaints are relatively minor, though, compared to some of the problems that have haunted the FIFA series historically.

Off the pitch, FIFA continues to deliver, with the sponsorships, transfers, retirements, scouting, cumulative fatigue, team chemistry, pressure from the club owner, and so forth. It's by far one of the most "polished" dynasty modes in any series. With what I'm hearing about the next 360 version of WE, I may be skipping it, which would've been unthinkable just a year ago for me.

Call of Duty 4
This was an unexpected purchase for me. I stumbled across it for $38 at Best Buy, and since I'd heard so many favorable things about it, I picked it up. And I'm glad I did.

The first thing that struck me was how easy it was to control my soldier. I don't have to manage a squad (which I like), and only a couple of the buttons are context-sensitive. In a game based upon quick reflexes, it's nice to be able to play without thinking "which button does this now?" Plus, the first mission is basically a tutorial, and it does a great job of introducing you to the action.

That said, in a lot of ways, once you've played one quality military shooter, you've played them all. The only differentiation is truly the story and the environments. So far, COD4 has delivered! It is linear, like most shooters, and you basically have to stay with your squad to survive and advance, but the second mission was a white-knuckling action movie-esque thrill ride! I absolutely loved trying to get off of the listing ship before it sank, and jumping into the helicopter just as it was taking off! Yes, I got "left behind" a couple of times, but the checkpoint system didn't send me back very far at all.

My only complaint so far is that they've adopted Halo's healing system, where you can seemingly recover from bullet wounds just by resting behind some cover. I know that makes the game more playable, but I prefer the much more realistic death that games like Ghost Recon deliver.

And, I haven't even touched multiplayer, which is the mode that is getting all the raves in the forums I visit. Of course, I couldn't over the last few days, since Xbox Live has been spotty at best.

Elder Scrolls: Oblivion GOTY Edition
This is the anti-linear game. Everything about it is customizable. The character creation combinations are seemingly infinite, although those choices definitely have consequences. But, it's nice to be able to tackle the challenges with basically any type of character you'd like. And, it's nice to be able to play the game any way you'd like. You can follow the main quest, pick up side quests, or just wander around the incredibly expansive world doing whatever strikes your fancy.

Although I've just begun, there are literally hundreds of hours worth of things to do. I honestly could see myself starting the game several different times with different kinds of characters, and using a different approach, just to see what it's like. I really like how life seems to go on around you, no matter what you do, and that your actions or others' actions have an impact on that environment. It just seems much deeper and more realistic than coming upon the goblin who's doing his AI pacing routine. The NPC's and other AI beasties really seem to be living, not just follow a script.

The story is rich, and the environments are just gorgeous. This may be the most immersive game world I've ever been in. The best measure of a good game, in my opinion, is that the hours fly by when you play it. It feels like you've just started, yet three hours have passed on the clock. Oblivion is this kind of game.

I like it so much that I bought the 450-page strategy guide. I don't want to miss a thing, although I know I'll probably never ever come close to seeing all of it!

Fight Night Round 3
I'm a little late to the party on this title, but man, I've been having fun with it. The graphics are jaw-dropping. And, the boxing action is as good as I've played. It moves a little slowly for me, but I think that's to allow defense and counter-punching to play a big role in the fights, as opposed to just button-mashing. I love how parrying a punch kind of freezes your opponent for a second, allowing you to counter. With my aggressive style, I've been the victim of a few of those myself!

I also love how the fighters espouse a variety of different styles. I've seen maulers, counter-punchers, boxers, etc. in my brief career. My only complaints are that it's just a bit easy so far, and that the accuracy of the punches is about twice what it should be (although the number of punches thrown seems about right). The training games are fun, but I usually max out the results, making me significantly better than my opponents, unfortunately. I could skip them, but I like playing them! When I start a second career, I look to play it a little more "realistically," I think. I have 11 KO's in 12 fights. I did hit the canvas once myself, and I've been cut a few times (darn counter-punchers!).

Where this game lacks is the career mode. Why oh why am I fighting Oscar de la Hoya, Jermaine Taylor, and Bernard Hopkins in my first ten fights? Why don't they have their real records and realistic attributes? These guys should be at the top of the mountain, not on the way up! Plus, where are the rankings? What do I rank? Where do my opponents rank? I really want to climb the ladder, but you get no sense of that part of the boxing world in FN's career mode. That said, it's still a blast to play, but man, this game would be the dog's balls if it actually mimicked the real fighting game.

Dare I say that I hope Don King's boxing game will deliver? Knowing Don, probably not, so the quest for a great boxing game that puts it all together continues…

I also have Forza Motorsport 2 that I really haven't spent much time with, but I watched my son play it for a while, and it looks great. Hopefully, I'll get some time in the next few days to play it. Plus, I'm slogging my way through my NCAA Football dynasty, and I want to get a Madden franchise up and running, too. So much gaming to do, so little time! Isn't that always the story?

Happy New Year, and most of all, be safe tonight!!

Prozac, Poison and a Freudian Slip!

So, about this new gig o’ mine…it’s always interesting. Like a good book, it’s filled with characters – some believable, some not so much.

One person I work with very often is a little “high strung.” I believe the medical term is “bipolar.” He tends to go from one extreme to another. (Example: Monday: “Hey Kel, let’s make this really simple for them to understand.” Tuesday: “Hey Kel, let’s throw everything at them so they realize the complexities and feel a bit overwhelmed.”)

Hey, I have an idea! Let’s pretend this Kel person can keep up!

I get e-mails from him at 4 AM on Saturday; he has trouble focusing on many things but rather centers in on one and doesn’t let it go until it’s done (or dead). Finally, one very long day, when I was struggling to keep up I flat out said to him, “You know, if we are going to continue to work together successfully, one of us is going to need Prozac and, I think it’s you.” He laughed. We’re working on it.

One of the administrative assistants was making a fresh pot of coffee. She jokingly said she would make it strong because the person I was working with that day, (the one described throughout this missive) likes it that way. I looked at her and said, “He doesn’t need more caffeine. He needs Prozac!” We laughed. She knows how he is. They all know how he is.

INTENSE.

Yes – that’s the word I’m looking for.

A little too subservient for my liking, she actually BRINGS him a cup of coffee (suck up) and I’m sitting in his office as this occurs. She said, “I put some poison in there per Kel’s request.” I went into (Sybil) recovery mode. I very calmly said, “No. I did not ask for poison, I asked for Prozac. I believe that was a Freudian slip on your part.” She was embarrassed. He wasn’t sure what just happened. Everyone laughed. Thankfully… and uncomfortably.

And kudos to onelook.com - the best site to find a definition quickly and accurately. Here’s their description for a Freudian Slip (not that you need an explanation but she did!)

“A slip-up that (according to Sigmund Freud) results from the operation of unconscious wishes or conflicts and can reveal unconscious processes in normal healthy individuals.”

I’m not sure there’s any such thing as normal, but I can definitely hope for healthy and wish all of you a Happy, Healthy New Year!

Cool quote I found this week:

"Perhaps strength doesn't reside in having never been broken
but in the courage required to grow strong in the broken places."

And Finally, in the wonderful words of Mr. Adam Duritz, and dedicated by me to my friend JMC:

“A Long December and there’s reason to believe maybe this year will be better than the last.”

Root for the Home Team

What happened to the concept of rooting for the "home team?" According to my DNA, you don't choose which sports teams you support, you're born into it. I've never understood why Ohio-born-and-bred folks root for Michigan, or Pittsburgh, or whatever flavor of the month. To me, it's akin to rooting for another country in the Olympics! How come you never see these maze-and-blue attired traitors wearing a basketball shirt from the Chinese Olympic basketball team?

Why, on one level, do these people totally commit to the idea of supporting our American athletes in an international competition, yet can't support their state or local sports teams in their respective competitions? I guess I just don't understand people… Like the guy at work sporting the New England Patriots t-shirt today. This is probably the same guy who had a Colts t-shirt on last year, all for the sole purpose of pretending that "his team" won, like that's of any value. Thankfully, I don't validate myself based upon the success of certain sports teams.

It's also in my DNA that this bugs me, for some reason. Rant over.

Merry Christmas

As a Christian, I just want to say how thankful I am for our many blessings. We have a good home, great kids, good jobs, and everything we could ever need. Most of all, we're thankful that God sent his only son to die for our sins, so that we could have eternal life in heaven. That is the reason for the season.

The big ticket item this year was a Wii for the kids. We also got them Mario Party 8, Paper Mario, Wii Play, Zack and Wiki, and Spy Games Elevator Missions. They spent most of the day taking turns, or playing together, while occasionally playing with their other toys. I must say, it's a cute piece of hardware, and it offers tons of entertainment. We'll have some family Wii Sports fun tomorrow...

I got NBA 2K8 for the 360, so I can try to get my virtual Cavs to have better success than their real-life counterparts, although the Cavs did look decent today. I played it, along with Fight Nights Round 3, earlier today, and I plan on playing some more Oblivion tonight. Oblivion's one of those games where the time just flies by when you play - which means it's a great game. There's no single better measure of greatness for a game, in my opinion. When you look up and realize it's been much longer than it seems it has, you know you have a quality diversion...

I wish you and yours the best of holiday seasons!

Restoring My Faith in Pro Sports

I still have faith in pro sports… I have faith that there are players of integrity and character, that hold the same feelings about the purity of competition that I do. Thinking that they're the "silent majority" helps me stomach the stories, allegations, and scandals that regularly populate the newswires.

Click here to read an incredibly well-written article by former major-leaguer Doug Glanville. My hope is that there are many more like him, and less like Bonds, Clemens, Canseco, and all the rest.

Plus, Glanville is a reputed Strat-o-Matic player. He's a gamer in the truest sense of the word.

Diamond Mind Online Review is up

Click here for the details...

I'll be penning my Godzilla Unleashed review for the PS2 over the next couple of days. Here's the short of it: save your money. It's not as bad as the DS review, but this game is ugly, with a very short story mode, and it requires too many points to unlock the good stuff.

I spent an hour or so tonight with College Hoops 2K8 on the 360 today. It looks gorgeous, and the players moved very fluidly. I spent most of my time in the tutorials and the All America Challenge. One thing I didn't like is that you almost have to stop before you can execute a spin move or a behind-the-back dribble. In "real life," it happens much more on the move. Also, for some reason, I couldn't change the camera angle in the AA Challenge. It worked once, but then wouldn't change from the default from that point forward. Oh well, it wouldn't be a 2K sports game if it wasn't quirky. That said, it looks really promising, and I'm eager to dive in to it.

Fluke

I hate to say this, but I think the Cleveland Cavaliers run to the Eastern Conference Championship last year was a fluke. I wanted to believe they were a team on the rise, and a team capable of dominating the East for years to come. After all, it was finally our turn, right? Well, after watching most of their games this year, I'd have to say "wrong."

The good news is LeBron is showing up to play every night. Man, he is putting on a show. His absence was a big factor in their 5-game losing streak, no doubt, but what that streak really revealed is how little help there is around him. The rest of the squad is made up of role players. He has no one else that can take over the game.

Z, Gooden, and Gibson play their roles well. Hughes, with that ridiculous salary, terrible judgment with the ball, and poor shot, is an absolute albatross. Either Pavlovic was a fluke last year, or his holdout really set him back. Varejao is back and contributing, at least. I give credit to guys like Newble and the two Browns, because they at least put forth the effort when called upon. The bottom line is that this roster sucks, and they don't have the salary cap flexibility to improve it. The only way they could is to get rid of Hughes, but at 13 million for the next two years, that ain't going to happen.

There's a chance that they could come around, when Pavlovic gets his legs, and Hughes finds a productive role, but since some other teams in the East (namely, the Celtics) improved, and he Cavs stood pat, making the playoffs will be a struggle.

Well, at least I'm back in my comfort zone...

Housekeeping

I just did some minor housekeeping and updated some links on the right-hand side of the blog. Make sure you check them out! Dubious Quality, particularly, is a great read every day. And, if you're looking for some cool, mature, Xbox 360 gamers, visit the Sports Gaming Nation gang.

(Kellie - if you have any links you want to add, let me know, and I'll put up a "Kellie's Favorites" section...)

Christmas with my family was this past weekend. I got some cash, plus College Hoops 2K8 for the 360. Once the holidays settle in, I'm hoping to blow out some regular content updates on the games I'm playing on my Xbox 360. It's such a cool machine, with so much to do beyond gaming. My son asked me the other day what my all-time favorite console is, and I didn't have to think very long. Gaming has come so far since I started on the Atari 2600 (which I still have, by the way). The 360 is an awesome gaming achievement.

Back to Reclining

I'm a rocking recliner kind of guy. When visiting family over the holidays, I'll seek one out and plant myself in it for the obligatory holiday conversations over football. Oftentimes, I'll put my feet up, and within 20 minutes, I'm out cold. They're that comfortable to me. I could rock and recline all day while watching the tube. Yep, I'm a real go-getter.

Anyway, a couple of years ago, we got rid of my rocker/recliner to make room for a 4-in-1 game table for the kids. No sacrifice is too great for my kids. With the changes in furniture and arrangement in our front room, however, it became apparent that we needed something to "fill a hole" in our layout. Lo and behold, as a Christmas present, my wife bought me a new rocker/recliner.

Ah... I've missed these days... Now I can be lazy in much more comfort! Thanks, honey!

Guys' Day Out

Melissa took Brittany and the rest of the Girl Scout troop to the Nutcracker today, so Darrin and I did some "man" things together.

First, we got our hair done. Well, that doesn't sound too manly, but we did get it cut at SportClips - which is for "guys only." They have TV's at every chair showing ESPN, so it's a fairly "manly" way to get a cut. My prima donna son, however, always gets the shampoo and the hot towel. I draw the line at the shoulder massage, however!

Next, we did some shopping. I bought Melissa (my wife) an iPod Nano. I can safely post this because I know she never reads what I write. Heck, she doesn't even know what I do half the time down here in my "man cave." We also bought a couple more games for my nieces and nephews, who we're having Christmas with next weekend, since we bought them clothes earlier. Lastly, I picked up a winter coat for a family that Darrin's class in school is sponsoring for Christmas, and I got some gift cards for my mom and dad.

Lunch was at La Fogata, a local yocal Mexican restaurant. Lunch was good at a good price. And, since I ate a half a plate of refried beans, the conversation mostly centered around how those beans would impact me while we were out together. That's riveting conversation for my 11-year-old son. And, honestly, for me too!

Melissa and Brittany got back in the evening, and I played a couple of games of Clue Mysteries with the kids before bed. I also played some Godzilla: Unleashed on the PS2, and I rented the Hatton - Mayweather fight (another thing my wife doesn't know about down here in my "cave," but hey, I pay the cable bill, so no harm no foul).

All in all, it's been a great day...

Dragonball Z 3 Review is up

Click here for the details... Fans of the show will love the game. I didn't have a lot of background knowledge of Dragonball Z, but the fighting model, characters, story, and environments were definitely intriguing.

Next up is Godzilla: Unleashed. The DS version was slammed at Gameshark. My initial impressions regarding the PS2 version are that it's not THAT bad. It sounds like the game mechanics didn't work well for the DS platform. Maybe the PS2 is a little more fighter-friendly? I don't have a DS, so I can't really compare.

MotoGP 2007 PS2 Review Published

Click here for the review... Using the simulation riding mode, it reminded me of the challenge of driving in NASCAR. It's hard to keep the bike steady and upright, and serious riders will really enjoy that challenge. It's a great title for MotoGP fans, but for racing fans or casual fans, there are better options. Unless you really love racing those motorcycles, you'll get bored after a little while. For casual driving fans like me, Stuntman: Ignition is a much better fit.

I've got two more reviews completed and submitted to Gameshark - Diamond Mind Baseball Online, and Dragonball Z 3. I'm working on Godzilla Unleashed for the PS2 right now. This might be my last title for the month, which would be nice, so I can actually play my games! Plus, there might be a few Christmas presents to keep me busy over the holidays...

Thy Name is "Veinity"

Actually it’s “thy name is vanity” but I can’t quite figure out how to do the play on words so that it appears “clever” as opposed to a typo.

I guess you could say I’m a little vain with little veins. It’s true. As for vanity, I won’t leave the house without a little makeup and, nine times out of ten, I spend way too much time on my frustratingly uncooperative hair.

The problem, however, isn’t my vanity but my “veinity.” The size of my veins, at least once a year, causes concern. Let me start at the beginning.

At my new gig (job), you are required to wait 60 days (actually, the 1st o f the month after your 60 days) to receive medical benefits. Fairly important to a single girl who recently lost her job (because she wouldn’t move to another state) and isn’t looking to take on COBRA.

After a meeting with my benefits specialist, I have to take yet another trek to the medical center to get my “wellness exam.” I roll in at 7:10 and I roll out at 8:04. (Apparently my veins “roll” too!) What transpired in between was pure torture - not your typical Monday morning torture either.

First, this place is laden with the degenerates of society, as well as those of us who lost our jobs, found new ones, and need to take a pre-employment drug test, or like me, need a “wellness exam” for benefits.

They have to draw blood. My blood. From my veins! This is no easy feat. It’s always multiple stabs until I bruise or they draw from a vein in my hand leaving a magnificent hue of purple, brown and yellow bruises.

Granted those that know me figure this shouldn’t be a big deal since that day I chose to let a man, who was not a doctor, inject me multiple times with a needle, filled with dye, so that I would have a permanent scar also known as, my tattoo. Forget that. A needle to veins, to draw blood for vials, freaks me out. (Say that ten times fast!) Sad but true.

So, girl nurse #1 decides it’s best to attempt to draw my blood, unsuccessfully, PRIOR to taking my BP. She got one shot. She failed. She’s done. I told her she could try again but she didn’t want to.

Boy nurse comes in. Crabby boy nurse with a shaved head, double pierced ears and well, albino-ish features. He says he’s having a bad day and he thinks I LOOK annoyed. It’s all true, so I immediately go into “nice girl mode.” (AKA Sybil-mode). It’s actually, “fearful girl mode” but hopefully he doesn’t know the difference. I get chatty, and I smile too much. I get confident and brave…it’s like I’m interviewing all over again and then I get the job and they wonder who that girl was they interviewed because it’s NOT THE SAME GIRL. I mean, she looks like the same girl but…I digress.

Boy Nurse gets nicer. Calmer. He ties me up (my arm, tight, trying to find a big fat vein) and tells me to make a fist. I figure I’ll just punch him if he jabs me more than three times. He finds a vein and goes for it. I feel the pinch. I start praying…

I ask him if “we’re good” and he says, “not yet…”

Then there’s silence.

Finally he yells, “We’re good now. DON’T MOVE!” (Like I’m going to?) I ask him very slowly if I can breath. He begs me to do so.

You realize that you go though all these difficult times and losses in your life and you survive them and they make you stronger. Then all it takes is a needle (or a silverfish) to bring you to your knees. Silly fears.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is afraid of spiders. THE ROCK! We all have our secret fears and phobias…

And this will (eventually) lead to another blog.

What do you fear?