Mashing buttons since 1984
Yesterday I received a smoker from my family, and we spent the evening playing Boom Blox. I “cured” the smoker late last night, and then got up at 6AM this morning to fire it up. Five hours later, it’s amazing what hickory will do to country style ribs. (I’d have some pics, but, alas, it was like vultures circling overhead.)
If this was my last meal, I would die a very happy man.
I love my kids.
Pony up? Did any other fathers out there score some sweetness?
First of all, did you know Wal-Mart had a Blog? Not just a blog, but a rather large, multi-authored blog? I sure didn’t.
Anyway, I’ve railed for a long time that EA should offer regional covers for their sports games, but more specifically, for the NCAA 0X series. I don’t mind buying a college football game with Reggie Bush or Jared Zabransky on the cover, but as a Buckeye fan, I’d be much more inclined to get one with Troy Smith or Vernon Gholston on my cover.
Well, this year for NCAA 09, you can do just that. You can “customize” your NCAA cover to fit your fandom. But, it’s exclusively available at Sam’s Club:
Sam’s Club will be the ONLY retailer to offer OFFICIAL EA alternative cover images. What does this mean to you? Well, if you are like me and NOT a Razorback fan (almost illegal here in Arkansas, I still will not to that “wooooo pig” thing), you can put an image from a selection of images on YOUR box front at no additional charge.
It’s a very cool idea, but it looks like it’s being executed poorly. First of all, the example posted at the Check Out blog, with the Lucky Charm Leprechaun, looks like a character model from the game. If they use mascots from the game engine as the cover pictures, that is pretty lame. If they’re not using actual photographs, this is a bad idea. And I know there are licensing agreements and NFL player associations to deal with, but it would be really cool if they worked it out to have a few fan favorites from each team available for covers. That would make it an instant buy.
And for those wondering, here’s my dream cover:
(And by “dream cover,” I mean that literally. I dream about buying NCAA 09 with Mount Vernon on the cover. Nightly)
[Cross posted at my other blog, for obvious reasons]Are a simplistic physics engine, simplistic controls, and impressive visuals enough to make a great game?
Yes, yes, and yes. Read on.
DO: You control a bike rider in a straight line in a warehouse full of ramps, jumps, and other obstacles. The catch: the way you lean forward and back on the bike. There are timed modes and stunt modes. Uses a keyboard or gamepad.
TYPE: Casual (that can be played for hours or as little as 30 seconds)
PLATFORM: Digital download online or via Steam
PRICE: $9.99, FREE Demo
PERKS: Leaderboards; achievements (Steam); team play; download-able content; video editor; price +
VERDICT: Buy. Own it on Steam.
I am feeling generous, and to celebrate our first 2 Minute Review I’ll be gifting one copy of this game via Steam. All you have to do is post your Steam ID in the comments and leave us some feedback on the review (like the idea? thoughts?). Drawing closes a week from posting.
I’m getting sick and tired of online reviews and magazine reviews of games. I feel that if you’ve read one, you’ve read them all. Also, have you ever noticed that the reviews are getting longer? Every little nitpicking detail is gone over. I usually end up just reading the summarizing statements and the scanning the scores anyway—oh, man, the scores—don’t get me started.
I want to try something new: a 2 minute review—a review you can read quickly and get a (hopefully) good overview of what it’s about and if it’s worth the price to play.
I did a count and I have just under twenty new games that I can cover over the course of the summer. My requirements are this: that I play the game for 5 hours and then summarize (1) if I should keep playing and (2) is it good (+) or bad (-).
Maybe then I bring myself back to a little more sanity and you can hop along for the ride.
Tycho at Penny Arcade has hit the nail on the head. He’s usually got his finger on how things work. He has never more been right on than with today’s news post:
I sometimes wonder why I buy every MGS game that comes out when I profess to hate them, and also authentically do hate them, but I know the answer. It is because I actively want to be wrong. I want to see the game people keep talking about. I want to be forced by its exacting auteur to apologize for everything I’ve ever written. I’m ready to have my ego obliterated and to truly learn something about the nature of liberty. And, like most Playstation owners, I’m hungry to use the machine for something other than Planet Earth.
Wow. That sums up everything I know about Metal Gear Solid as a game series and most PS3 owners I know. It the same way I feel about both items.
If you’ve been gaming as long as I have (nerd!) then you’ve been disappointed more than once by video game advertisements. Super ripped mega-heroes with babe-a-licious damsels in distress draped over your shoulder, fighting off hordes of demon spawn from the fiery pits of hell itself. This game is going to be awesome. Not so fast, my friend.
Here are 50 advertisements that may have gotten your hopes up, only to dash them against the brutal reality coral reef of 8-bit graphics.
Not sure if this is old or not, but it’s new to me. If you use Google Reader (presumably, you’re reading this right now from GR) there’s a nice little easter egg hidden in the keyboard shortcuts of Google Reader, aka the Konami Code.
You know the drill: U, U, D, D, L, R, L, R, B, A. Voila!
(from googlediscovery.com)
[Yes, I’m bored]So family from out-of-town was visiting this past week, so we decided to head to Mrs. Buttonmasher’s parents’ house to hang out with the fam. Therefore I have been away and unplugged for the better part of a week. It’s been nice to be away from “the stuff” but I have been missing my travels with Niko in Liberty City. It’s nice to be back.
And just like clockwork, it’s strawberry season as well, which means the missus will be helping out at the family strawberry patch with the kids while I return to go back to work. That means some quality time with the blog, the 360 (the Wii went with the kids so they could play with the cousins), and all those places to eat that I can’t take the kids. Should be fun. I’m planning on working through GTA IV and a bunch of other games.
Let the extravaganza begin!
Our family bought a vehicle—a van, we’re now an official “family”—this last week so I was not going to get anything outside of my two budgeted games of Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift (can I have an AMEN!) and Lego Indiana Jones.. Blast Works may be an exception.
… as usual:
Liberty City Police Face Allegations Of Incompetence, Brutality. A little taste:
“I was shot 14 times on my way to work today, including twice by police,” said one Algonquin-area resident. “That is unacceptable.”
Muchos LOLs.