Mass Effect 2 Review

Mass Effect 2 Review [500 words]  – CallsignHUSKER

.                    Let’s face it: video games are sometimes a shallow form of entertainment, lacking imagination, depth, or artistic merit. Even good games may only improve slightly upon their predecessors. But every once in awhile a game is released that redefines its genre, sets a higher standard for future games and even moves video games forward as a medium. This is exactly what Mass Effect 2 accomplishes.

.                    ME2 picks up wherever you left off in Mass Effect. You play as either John or Jane Shepard, hell bent on saving human- and alien-kind from extermination.  Your decisions, relationships and experience from the first game can follow you via your saved game. This serves to further personalize a game that is already one of the most personal games ever created.

.                    Divergent plot lines present themselves often and your decisions have far-reaching consequences. These crossroads define who Shepard is for you. The freedom you have with Shepard’s actions and dialogue is not a gimmick. Two people playing ME2 can have very different experiences. From who you choose to recruit to your crew to the places you explore, you get what you put in.

.                    The star-studded cast of voice actors draws on exemplary talent from Battlestar Galactica’s Tricia Helfer and Michael Hogan, Star Trek’s Michael Dorn and Marina Sirtis, The Matrix’s Carrie-Anne Moss, Martin Sheen, Seth Green and many others. The sheer variety of personalities you can meet and environments you can explore conveys a relentless impression that the world of ME2 is alive and complex.

.                    ME2 improves upon its predecessor in every way. The combat in ME2 is greatly improved. Squad commands are streamlined as is inventory management. Cover mechanics are more fluid. Level design encourages improvisation and a variety of tactics.

.                    If you neglect the side quests in this game you will miss out on hours of some of the best character development and action in the game. You can learn much more about your companions who all turn out to have quite compelling stories of their own. The universe is just more full in this sequel. There is more to explore and more to do.

.                    The art design in ME2 is fantastic. ME2 is the kind of game where you see things and go places that are visually stunning, so much so that you may find yourself stopping simply to look around.

.                    Additional downloadable content is already available for ME2 with more on the way. Flexibility of narrative and numerous decisions also bolster replay value.

.                    ME2 is as epic in its scale as it is nuanced in its design. Masterful storytelling combine with finely tuned gameplay mechanics to create a truly immersive experience.

.                    Mass Effect 2 is a landmark storytelling achievement in the video game medium with over 90 voice actors portraying 546 distinct characters that speak, grunt and digitize more than 31,000 lines of dialogue. Even if you’ve never played a role-playing game or you prefer other genres, you should still check out this mind-blowing accomplishment.

Immersive – 10 – ME2 is absorbing and moving and it will leave you wanting more.

Technical – 10 – Graphics and gameplay have improved in every way from the original.

Value – 10 – The production values of Bioware’s ME2 make other developers look like swindlers.

Average = 10/10

[Via http://callsignhusker.wordpress.com]

In search of colour and sound

Some screens from a level in developement, using the Unreal Development Kit.

Hut model and the hut base texture by Hayden Zammit the rest by myself

[Via http://dnitza.wordpress.com]

GAME DENIES BEING THE FATHER OF TILA TEQUILA'S CHILD

The Game has answered allegations made from celebrity Tila Tequila that he is the father of her unborn child.

Yesterday (January 29), Tequila posted dozens of Tweets on her Twitter page (twitter.com/officialTila) detailing the situation. Earlier in the day, both parties were speaking cordially with Tequila announcing she would be going to Game’s  Dr. Dre studio session later that night.

Initially, the reality TV star/model flip-flopped of the rumors of Game’s paternity, denying it herself but posting conflicting information from other sources.

“Why do y’all think that @ihateGame is the father of my child??? I NEVER said anything about him! Why do ya’ll say that??? Lol,” she Tweeted before reposting a Game tweet stating “To My Unborn child (2Pac’s voice).”

The Game himself did a short interview on TMZ clarifying Tequila’s quotes, after additional statements from her detailed she was going to Game’s studio and his promise to take her shopping for baby clothes.

“I was actually in the studio thinking about the song Tupac made about his unborn child. My son’s mother is pregnant, so I’m in that lane,” Game explained. “I guess she took it and ran with it…Recently she was in the studio to mess with my boy Avante Rose. I didn’t see her, I was there with Dre. I wouldn’t use 50’s stick [to sleep with her]…I never seen her. But you know [the wrestler] Hunter Hearst Helmsley also goes by the Game, maybe she’s talking about him”

Following the video clip, Tequila was furious and Twitter-blasted Game as a deadbeat father and liar.

“Game not only lied to the world, to you guys, to me, but he also lied to his other baby mama which I didn’t know he had! So he fucked himself,” she chastised. “I was there all last night too and pictures on TMZ even show me leaving his studio at 6am!!! That’s a punk b***h there. COWARD. GAME=DEADBEAT DAD. Just wait. 9 months from now I’m gonna take the paternity test to PROVE IT. Game just fucked himself. SMH…”

Furthermore, Tequila boasted of making Game “relevant” again, and alleged he was calling her attempting to apologize.

At press time, Tequila is scheduled to appear on TMZ this Monday (February 1) to give her side of the situation.

[Via http://lifepulseblog.com]

Prisoner Denied D&D

Image via Wikipedia

In a rather odd story, a prisoner in Wisconsin has lost his appeal to keep his D&D material (that is Dungeons & Dragons).

This is the result of an anonymous letter sent in 2004 alleging that the prisoner, Singer, was forming a gang around the D&D game. Of course, anyone familiar with D&D will know that while D&D players seem a bit gang like (strange lingo, obsession with loot, and so on) they are rather far from the sort of gangs that people need to worry about.

The reason given by officials is that  D&D “promotes fantasy role playing, competitive hostility, violence, addictive escape behaviors, and possible gambling.”

The first part of the charge is obviously true. D&D is all about fantasy role playing. Saying that it promotes this is like saying that track promotes running.

The other claims are far more debatable. They are also, as Socrates might say, the old charges that have been trotted out against gaming for decades-despite the complete lack of adequate evidence for such claims. My own experience has been that while gaming does tend to attract people with a desire to escape reality, gamers seem to be no more prone to violence or gambling than non-gamers. These matters are, of course, subject to empirical testing but the burden of proof rests on those who claim that gaming has these effects.

As I see it, it would actually be a good thing to have prisoners playing D&D.  After all, time spent playing D&D would be time in which they are not doing things like using drugs, raping each other, engaging in real violence, or engaging in other activities that create real harms.

D&D also tends to encourage reading, an interest in numbers, as well as the development of the imagination. It can also help people develop social and cooperative skills. True, players can elect to be evil and do evil things to one another, but that usually teaches the lesson that being evil does not work very well.

A more reasonable justification for not allowing prisoners to play D&D is that prison is supposed to be punishment. Therefore, the officials argued, prisoners should be denied what they enjoy.  This, of course, assumes that keeping prisoners bored is a form of punishment and that this has desirable consequences.



Related articles by Zemanta

• You Can’t Play Dungeons & Dragons In Prison (Anymore) [D&d] (kotaku.com)
• Dungeons & Dragons Prison Band Upheld (huffingtonpost.com)

[Via http://aphilosopher.wordpress.com]

Remember To Grab That Pichu!

Hi guys and gals!

I know I’ve already posted about this, but this is still pretty important! Be sure to head over to Gamestop starting tomorrow (January 30th) to pick up a free shiny Pichu in your Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum games. Remember, this Pichu can be traded over to HeartGold and SoulSilver and, when traded, will unlock a new in-game event where you can receive a free Spiky-eared Pichu! Be sure to forward this article onto your friends and grab those Pichus before they’re gone!

You can check out the full article on our site with details here.

[Via http://pokefanswebconnect.wordpress.com]

GAME: matibeku.com

I am playing internet Riddle.

Just open http://www.matibeku.com, my friend tell me about that at lunch.  First, I am not interesting about that. But after that, I started play level 0. Yeah very easy… until level -6, I found hard question.

Now, I will give you the answer per level.

• Level -1= “Ini adalah Level 0. Saya ucapkan, selamat ****** di MatiBeku.com. Cukup isi bintang di samping untuk lanjut ke level selanjutnya.”… Yeah I think all of Indonesian people know the answer.
• Level -2 = See from header until the number. In the header, the web wrote “minus2″ and the number “-1″.

• Level -3 =Perhatikan bahwa Anda dapat melihat source code dari suatu halaman. Bagaimana caranya?.. Just clic View > Source Code…
• Level -4 = Back to home. And you can find the answer.
• Level -5 = Same as number 4… You can find in the home.
• Level -6 = Di internet, setiap warna dapat diekspresikan menjadi kode heksadesimal 6 karakter. Warna apakah 13287134? If you see the source code, they tell you to use calculator. But I just think about that number. That is Decimal. And you can convert them into Hexadesimal. And the result is “CABEDE”. You can try to create html document by open notepad then type:
• 
  
  

  We set the background…

  
  
  TES BACKGROUND COLOUR
  
  then save as to test.html and open the file! CABEDE is hex colour code for test.html background colour.
• Level -7 = Siapakah aku ? View > Source Code and see at image file.
• Level -8 = Ada yang hilang ??? Wkwkwkwkwkwkwkwk…. that is silly question. Average people won’t find this answer. I bet that. You can see level -7 to get the clue.
• Level -9 = View the source code : Pierre de ****** ???. See in google.com. And the hint = “Kadang-kadang, jawaban level tertentu tidak selalu berakhiran html. Apa lagi ya?” See the header, Untitled Document just for word program.
• Level -10 = Diktator dari Kamboja… Ask to uncle Google
• Level -11 = Blacker than a moonless night, hotter and more bitter than Hell itself… That is coffee…. Search in google and the answer is *****. And dont forget to change the extension back.
• Level -12 = Niao Chao is national stadium in China. What sport ? Think by yourself
• Level -13 = The last page for stage 1. Matikan lampu ? Yeah… See your monitor slowly… Turn “OFF”. Hehehehe… Please see “OFF” carefully !!!
• Level -14 = Long article… See the title and search in google.

sumber: http://computer4life.wordpress.com/ (with additional text based on my own experience)

[Via http://raggne.wordpress.com]

The Game

Current mood:  impatient
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes

    I’m on the court….
My brand new nikes tied tight enough that my feet are starting to really sorta kinda understand what the term “pressure busts pipes” Means…as i lol to myself in side my head… my competition is looking a lil different… I mean im sorta used to the “omg” feeling in the pit of my stomach while I self-consciously  tell my self that there is no COMPETITION…BUT TODAY….. IN THIS GAME….I have a sorta calm feeling  that is very unusual and might I say  foreign …(good thing my thoughts don’t need a spell check) but its still….feels….Right, in a wierd kinda way.
See I’m used to always using that ME against the WORLD SLOGAN…..you know that “everybody wants me to lose” CRAP, and its been very helpful but its Odd…Its like im supposed to win now…I’ve put the work in…i’ve spent many MANY hours working on my game and working on BEING the master at what i do…( EVEN THO IM NOT QUITE A MASTER AT THIS GAME YET I’m getting there)  I’ve even played this game before and I have had my share of LOSES….I CAN  FEEL A VICTORY COMING……..
TIME TO GO GET IT!
 
 
 
 
OFF THE COURT….
Time to hit the gym, today I’m going to do like 3 hour of cardio, and hit the dead weights just for about one hour…Because since ive been on this new 7-day-a-week work out plan for about a year I really sorta been tired……………………. But no time too feel tired…just time to work hard on something…..rather its my cardio or my strength I just really want to improve my game cuz I feel that every second i waste doing nothing is a second that somebody somewhere is getting better than I am….and i can’t have that….NAW I CANT HAVE THAT!!
So as I count my push up I simultaneously think of every time that I ..’ve been told no or that a door has slammed shut in my face, I add another 5 and every time I think about those lying as AGENTS or the TEAMS THAT SAID THEY “REALLY THINK I GOT WHAT IT TAKES” just to get me to sign on that DOTTED LINE, and when i decline they show they true colors…and even go as far as to PAY other teams to NOT SIGN ME….I ADD ANOTHER 10… EVEN IF THAT IF THAT IS A MYTH….ITS AWAYS BETTER TO PREPARE FOR THE WORST…CUZ YA REALLY NEVER KNOW…but you always wanna be ready for WHAT EVA!! so I’m  going to prepare for this game and EVERY GAME…
THATS ALL I KNOW.

[Via http://314ag.wordpress.com]

Free MYSTERY gifts... love them

So we get those free yocoins gifts, they should give yocoins cash or rare, but I got like 16 of them only with yocoins ( no surprise there) the same like with mystery boxes they always contain something we can buy… so look in the gifts where you get them and you will get few people sending you this

yes it shows what you can get even on the picture…. and press ACCEPT… when you accept it it will show in your INVENTORY, so when you go to CHANGE ROOM you can putthose as decorations they look really cute or open them. To open it put in the room and there you can click on it it will open, and it will show the price…

or you can go directly to INVENTORY press it

when you find it press it the free gift not the one in USE… it will come like this

press OPEN…  and it will show you what you got most of the time it will be this LOL

the amount of coins might be 10,15,20,25 this is what I have seen and of course the 5 you see it here…with all the so small amounts and no RARE nor CASH I must say it is the best idea I have seen from ZYNGA… because no FREE GIFT is better than this one )))))))))) so applause for them.

[Via http://yovillanm.wordpress.com]

The remake of monkey island

I have always loved games like “Monkey Island“ and “day of the tentacle”. In these kind of games you actually have to use your brain to solve puzzles; they entertain also. Both games were originally created by LucasArts. The monkey island remake is faithfull to it’s followers and true to the original story. It is a fresh breath and even more capturing than the original. It is a great game to put on the tv in the livingroom and spend the entire saturday playing the game and eating pizza with friends.

Growing up in the era of amiga500 I love these kind of games. I am still waiting for the remake of “Battlechess” and “Defender of the crown”. Chess is generally not very entertaining, but when the pieces shed blood and fight viciously, my bloodthirst kicks in and I really want to win the battle.

[Via http://simden.wordpress.com]

DS: Phoenix Wright Series

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Wow, I had such a productive day today but even though I finished so much stuff, I am still behind on my work. Sigh. Anyway, I am going to review the Phoenix Wright games briefly today for the Nintendo DS. For those of you who don’t know about it, it is based on court cases and is fully driven by a great story.

With that said, the story of Phoenix Wright is about a defense lawyer who has to defend his clients from being convicted of (usually murder) crime. Although it seems simple, the game has many great twists and turns and many of the characters have amazing personalities. I have to admit, I got attached to the main cast quite fast that I don’t feel comfortable playing the new games without them. Since this is an adventure game, it is the story that holds everything together or the game will fall apart.

Gameplay wise, it is nothing revolutionary. It is basically a point and click game that many of you may be familiar with in your childhood games. There’s also the microphone and a few stylus features but this game can be mostly played without many buttons. You have two different settings in the game: one is being the court and the other is roaming around designated spots in towns and collecting evidence. The court portion puts you into a heated battle with many interesting prosecutors and allows you to piece together (quite brilliantly) the scene of the crime. But as for the roaming portion, you have the choice to inspect every little detail in the environment and talk to people for more information. Both of these sections require a quite of bit of logic and when you do figure it out, you’ll feel a sense of achievement. As for me, I like to use guides when I get stuck =). Haha.

As for the presentation, the sound is pleasant and the sound effects really help emphasize certain things that the developers want you to notice such as a suspicious line or whatnot. Graphically, the game is mostly 2-dimensional covered with anime characters and drawings. These graphics works well on the DS because to me, 3-D graphics looks cheesy besides being on classic games like Mario 64.

With that said, the only problem that I have with the game is the game over screen, where you have to go through the same sequence again in order to proceed correctly this time. That is why it is important to save often and use a guide if you’re truly stuck. The pacing of the game may be a bit slow at the beginning for all the series but I promise you that it gets better. So far, there is 3 games for Phoenix Wright on the DS with the 4th focusing on a new character in the same universe. I won’t spoil anything but the 4th one is either a love or hate kinda thing.

All in all, the Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright series is a great addition to anyone who loves interesting stories. Some are very heartfelt while others are hilarious. If you have a DS and need a great game to try on (and you are not a hardcore action gamer), then I recommend you to pick up this game.

Rating: 9/10

J.Z.

[Via http://jz1010.wordpress.com]

Postal 2 Multiplayer Patch 1409X

In addition to an enhanced single player mode featuring two new levels, Share the Pain offers four multiplayer types: Snatch (capture the flag) : featuring the Postal Babes! Snatch the enemys babe and score; Grab: 10 bags, each makes you stronger than the last; Deathmatch: Choose from 25 characters including the Gimp and Gary Coleman; and Team Deathmatch: You can pick out a team and start playing. The upgrade features 14 new levels including multiplayer enhanced variations on landmarks, customizable game settings and a full-fledged level editor.Check out the newest Postal 2 Multiplayer Patch.
Download

[Via http://thecastex2.wordpress.com]

Cheap PSP Games

Cheap PSP Games – Way To Get Cheap PSP Games For Less Than $0.01 Per Game | ArticlesBase.com
This article will show you a place where you can download as many cheap psp games as you want with no restriction.

Read Full Article Here: http://www.articlesbase.com/video-games-articles/cheap-psp-games-way-to-get-cheap-psp-games-for-less-than-001-per-game-1757985.html
click here to read more

[Via http://dumpnewsspot.wordpress.com]

Unofficial Guide To Zsnes VPN

For the uninitiated, or inane, ZSNES is a supernintendo emulator; capable of playing supernintendo roms (games) on your favorite window’s operating system.

It is widely considered the best supernintendo emulator available at present time.

I will show you how to use zsnes to play multiplayer snes roms over the internet so that you and a distant buddy can enjoy endless hours of 2 player goodness.

1. Download ZSNES version 1.42

The software version must be 1.42 or older, any future or subsequent version will result in an epic failure on your part!

this is the link to the web-page of ZSNES’s authors.

http://www.zsnes.com/index.php?page=files

2. Download Super Nintendo (SNES) Roms.

I use www.emuparadise.org

3. Go to this site and download hamachi free version:

https://secure.logmein.com/US/products/hamachi2/

A Foreword:
Hamachi is a software VPN that simulate’s LAN over the internet in a live online environment.
It has many applications to include remote pc, conference, filesharing, and gaming.
However, for the purposes of this guide we will be focusing on preparing
hamachi , and all other associated software used with it, for “gaming”…
More specifically, our goal is to utilize Hamachi to  facilitate an online play experience with “ZSNES”; an ever popular means of super nintendo emulation on PC’s everywhere!

If you pay attention to this guide and my provided Skype  counsel(miliefisathand) then you should not have any problems enjoying our first match of mario kart together.

However, if for some reason, the whole VPN process confuses you; a handy dandy PDF file is available for download on “hamachi’s” support page.

Note: Hamachi is compatable with any game out there that is capable of LAN play.
speed, however, is entirely dependent on the internet latency of any user involved.
4. Follow this youtube URL link and watch the goddanm video!

The video is pretty self explanitory; either you know how to use youtube and/or comprehend simple english or you do not.

Closing:

If you have failed any of the above two steps it is pertinent that you send your PC/notebook to 31942 Oak Ridge Pkwy,Bulverde, TX for…um…. repairs.
That way I can get your machine up to shape at no cost to you and we can all have an opportunity to relish an old-school-8-bit gaming experience online. (even nooblets!)
Feel free to post this wherever on the internet(forums, attached to torrents, blogs, whatever..)

[Via http://miliefisathand.wordpress.com]

Burnout Paradise Review

This was a review I wrote for gamefly for Burnout Paradise a while back.

First off, let me tell you that this game is great, and can be easily enjoyed by anyone. Its simple enough to just jump right in, but has more than enough content to keep fans going for hours on end. Now onto the details.

First the good: To start this game simply looks amazing, the car physics are awesome, great lighting effects, good textures on the cars, just everything about it looks great. The presentation of the game is also outstanding, once you navigate through the opening menus where you can read up on the latest burnout news, pick your car, purchase content, and more, you can play for hours with no loading screens unless you want to restart your race. The way the game is setup is that you have free roam of the entire city at all times, this offers multiple path choices where you can avoid traffic, take shortcuts, or avoid sharp corners. The game also rewards you for exploring, for example, once you smash through all 400 of the games hidden gates, you get an awesome new car to play with. The game also supports multiple play styles, offering; stunt, speed, and aggression car types. These different cars are better suited for different race types, speed is good for simple races, stunt is good for stunt runs, and aggression is good for marked man, and road rage. All of these multiple modes play out exactly as you imagine, for example in road rage, you smash apart rival cars until you reach a preset number of take downs. Burnout is also being constantly updated, having bugs removed, content added, tweaks made, etc. One big add on was the free addition of bikes to ride.

The Bad: The soundtrack to this game is pretty awful, you can pick what songs you want to play, and what ones you want turned off, but chances are you’re only going to like maybe 3-5 of the songs. Also, when you crash the camera takes control of the game and shows your car being destroyed, while this looks good, sometimes its a bit annoying.

Overall: Burnout is just plain fun. 9/10.

Future Reviews will be better, I just wanted to get something out here.

[Via http://chankins94.wordpress.com]

About traits, any ideas?

Traits are an important part of the gameplay in Cry of the Fox, to read a more detailed description of them you can click the read more button.
But I need ideas, Oscarvarium and I have thought about many traitideas and written several down. But we could use more, so if you have any ideas please comment on this post, and who knows it might end up in the game. People who’s traits are used ingame will be credited.

Traits are probably the biggest addition to the gameplay. A character can have up to 4
different traits influencing both in and outside battle happenings. Here’s a limited list on traits:

-Nimble: Increased Evasion Rate
-Conservation: Cut’s skillpoint cost in half.
-Quick Fingers: Increases Item Drop Rate, Enables Stealing in Shops.
-Hunter: Enables to enter Hunting Area.

There several ways to gain Traits:
-Trait Cards:
Certain Items when used upon a character will enable that user to equip the Trait. These items are mostly found on maps in treasure chests or can be rewards for defeating a boss.
-Equipment:
Certain Equipment also give the user a Trait. This Trait is only available when the weapon or piece of equipment is equiped. The moment it is unequiped, the trait dissapears.
-Level up:
Traits can also be simply learned by levelling up.
-Events:
During the game’s progression you will have the chance to learn new traits.
-Trait Shops:
In bigger cities you will be able to buy traits from a vender and learn them to your characters.

[Via http://cryofthefox.wordpress.com]

Seasonal Food in UK - January

I know it is a little late to cover British seasonal foods for January but next month I will try and be a bit more on time.
Seasonal eating food means that it is at is best. January is the month for game soups, green vegetables to accompany casseroles and stews which work so well in a thermal cooker.
This is the last month for a while that we will find fresh mackerel and the pilchard will not be seen again until September.

FRUIT

• Apples (Bramley Seedling)
• Apples (Cox)
• Apples (Egremont Russet)
• Apples (Gala)
• Pears
• Rhubarb (forced)

VEGETABLES

• Beetroot
• Broccoli (Purple sprouting)
• Brussel Sprouts
• Cabbage (Red)
• Cabbage (Savoy)
• Cabbage (Spring Greens)
• Cabbage (Winter White)
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Celeriac
• Kale
• Leeks
• Onions
• Parsnips
• Potatoes (Maincrop)
• Squash
• Swede
• Turnips

SALAD

• Lettuce (Cos)
• Lettuce (Round)
• Radish

MEAT, GAME & POULTRY

• Beef
• Duck
• Goose
• Grouse
• Guinea Fowl
• Hare
• Lamb
• Mallard
• Partridge
• Pork
• Rabbit
• Turkey
• Venison
• Wood Pigeon

Fish & Seafood

• Crab
• Haddock
• Herring
• Mackerel
• Mussels
• Oysters
• Pilchard
• Pollack
• Scallops

Key: IN SEASON - AVAILABLE - IN STORE (food is harvested when in season then stored) 

[Via http://thethermalcook.wordpress.com]

Raging Thunder 2 - The Sequel to the first 3D racing game for iDevices

via iPod touch Fans

Raging Thunder was seen as the first real 3D racing epic on the AppStore when it first launched, until more and more filtered in.

In fact, it was so old that it was available even before the AppStore. That’s right, before the AppStore launched, Raging Thunder was developed and made only available to jailbroken users, who could download it via a special installer.

Luckily, the AppStore gave them a chance to let it loose to thousands more users, and earn a bunch of cash. Now, hoping to continue that success, Polarbit has released a brand new trailer showing off some gameplay to the second installment.

The trailer shows off quite a bit of content, but not enough. They’ve said that Raging Thunder 2 is in it’s final development stages, and should release on the AppStore sometime in the coming months.

Looks like a combo of Mario Cart and Real Racing to me…

[Via http://ijailbreakdiy.wordpress.com]

CLUE Classic: Determine who killed Mr. Boddy in this classic whodunit!

CLUE Classic (21 MB download)
Solve the mystery that’s kept everyone guessing for more than 50 years! Col. Mustard, Prof. Plum, Miss Scarlet and the rest of the usual suspects have gathered together in stately Tudor Mansion to determine who killed Mr. Boddy, where the murder was committed, and how it was done. A family favorite for generations of gamers, CLUE Classic is a whodunit you’ll want to solve again and again!

[Via http://newcasualgames.wordpress.com]

Star Trek Open Beta is here !

Recall, when I had written a small tid bit on Star Trek back on November 6th of 2009 ? If not, the original post can be read here if you would like to know more about the game, etc…

It is a little surprizing they would do another beta so close to launch ( set for Feb, 2010 ) However, being an open beta is a little less shocking. My guess is that it is open to garner more attention, and perhaps fish out a few more would be subscribers when the game goes live.

The open beta is set to run for two weeks – the 12th through the 26th, and as you can guess, Massively is right out there on the front lines giving out  StarTrek Online beta keys ( what awesome guys ) .

There  still seems to plenty of beta keys to go around, however this all just started today, so hurry and get yours while they are still around.  All you have to do is visit Massively, and they will give you your beta key.

[Via http://xzions.wordpress.com]

Day 12 - Write a draft of a board game

I was pondering throughout the day, what would make a good board game – what was i into at the moment which i could excel at?

Well XOXO… Gossip Girl was on tonight – now that is something i know pretty well…

I had “The Babysitters Club” board game in my head from the early 90’s – that was fun to play and made us feel a little bit like a teenager, however we were only ten.

So, perhaps the sexy and deceptive Gossip Girl is the innocent and sweet Babysitters club from 15 years ago – who knows, but i think it could be a success (the game probably already exists).

So, the game…

Get from the Start to the Elite Status by going through Brooklyn and the Upper East Side… get through the lessons in style, the deception and then grab the wealth and you may survive. If you are too innocent, you won’t reach the end. So hold onto your head bands and strap on your heels – this one may get nasty.

I think this would actually be a bit of fun to play, but unfortunately only with those who have also watched the first couple of seasons.

I think my brother would say this is lame. My sister has probably not heard of Gossip Girl and my partner would shamefully probably be ok at it as he has watched a few episodes with me.

So, signing off…

XOXO

Gossip Girl.

[Via http://firachamo.wordpress.com]

Build It Miami Beach Resort: Build a wonderful art-deco beach resort on a big scrollable map and develop the same city over 60 years!

Build It Miami Beach Resort (82 MB download)
Design and construct your own beach resort in the next edition of the popular simulation strategy game, Build It! Miami Beach Resort. The game begins in the 1920’s and time passes with each level as you develop the same city over a 60 year period! Witness the creation of art-deco hotels, the invention of the cinema, the first fast-food diner and the development of giant beachfront hotels. Design everything as you like it using huge scrollable map while completing challenging tasks on each level.

[Via http://newcasualgames.wordpress.com]

Irregular Magazine Issue 3

The cold weather is here, and what better to read whilst you keep yourself warm, than the latest issue of Irregular Magazine – Issue 3 / Winter ‘10?

This bumper-packed issue is over 100 pages long, and includes a free campaign supplement for planning your own Zombie Apocalypse game.
Download your copy now from: http://irregularmagazine.com

Other contents include:
* Interview with Victoria Lamb
* Speed painting skeletons tutorial
* Tuk Tuk – brand new comic
* Nigel Carman’s award-winning Duelling Giants
* Urban basing tutorial
* Creepy short story
* Miniature reviews
* Mustering the dead of Middle Earth
* ..and lots more great articles

Plus – a chance to win prizes from Mantic Games by entering the Undead Painting Competition.

Irregular Magazine is a free quarterly on-line hobby magazine, created by gamers and painters, for gamers and painters.
Get involved at: http://irregularmagazine.com

[Via http://musketswordpaint.wordpress.com]

The games that never aged

Remember that arcade-like game ‘Doom’, which was the ancestor of First Person Shooter? It exist in 1993. That was like 17 years ago and people still play it today. Although, the game engine is enhanced but it still has the classic feelings. The engine developer had come up with many advance feature which was unavailable in the original game engine such as mouse look, external wad, key binding, and so on. One of my favorite doom engine, a.k.a. Source port, is GZDoom. It uses OpenGL as the default rendering.

The original Doom

Enhanced gameplay with GZDoom

Total annihilation is also a classic game. Released in 1997, this Real Time Strategy (RTS) is 13 years old and people still play it today. Like Doom, developers enhanced the game to make it even better. One community has develop a new engine to play the game in 3D. It’s called TA3D

The original Total Annihilation

TA : Escalation mod

TAUniverse, a place you can modify your Total Annihilation. It provides a resource of units, maps, and mods

[Via http://cyanfiction.wordpress.com]

Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe's Murders in the Rue Morgue

A dreadful murder and kidnapping has occurred in the Rue Morgue and only you can solve the dark crime! You will have to follow the clues to find the killer and the missing family. Become the apprentice of the famed C. Auguste Dupin and solve the devious puzzles to find the hidden clues that will lead you to the monstrous murderer. Based on Edgar Allan Poe’s most acclaimed murder mystery, Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe’s Murder in the Rue Morgue is a fantastic Hidden Object game full of suspense and excitement.NOTE: This is a downloader for the game. Once run, the application will automatically download and install the game on your computer.To buy the product you need to register with Big Fish. The registration is free and the account will let you earn free games, play community games or participate in game forums, write reviews as well as offer you significant discounts.Solve the murder mystery in this awesome hidden object game
Download

[Via http://thecastex1.wordpress.com]

Cookin' Soul x Jay-Z x Game - The RED Album [Mixtape]

Cookin’ Soul always comes correct with their mixtape projects, and the RED Album follows in step with the rest.  CS’s ability to re-create tracks using the original samples for the tune and other pieces of inspiration is astounding.  The quality and thought behind each remix makes me dream of them actually producing a full length album.  These guys crate dig like NO ONE ELSE!

DOWNLOAD:  Cookin’ Soul x Jay-Z x Game – The RED Album [Mixtape]

[Via http://moneyhoesandclothes.wordpress.com]

Lance Bass: Future Astronaut or Wannabe Astro-Naught?

You’ve got to hand it to Sir Richard Branson. He’s not just a billionaire, he’s fun. He’s not stodgy or creepy or any of that sort. As the leader of the Virgin group of companies, Branson has taken risks time and again to give people something special.

This time, Virgin is about to do something out of this world — literally. He has established Virgin Galactic, a new company dedicated to the exploration of suborbital space flight with an eye toward opening the doors for private flights. The group has done several tests on spacecraft prototypes and the progress being made has been cited as encouraging. It has been projected that “space tourism,” once a buzz word for an industry that never fully materialized, may finally become a reality at last.

What makes this story interesting is that it opens the door for people who may never really cut the grade at NASA to get out there and explore the cosmos. After all, flying into outer space is a dream a lot of us have and no high-profile celebrity has been in pursuit of that dream like former N’SYNC member, Lance Bass.

Bass, like some of the other members of defunct boy band N’SYNC, has been busy leading a largely private life after the singing group disbanded. One of his major endeavors penciled in as early as 2002 was to take part in a documentary of a celebrity going out into space. He was chosen due to his affinity for space travel, as it has been his lifelong dream to fly into space.

What happened next, however, was no less than a dashing of dreams, as sponsors started backing out of the project. Bass had already gone through the paces of preparation, such as moving to Star City, Russia, having corrective heart surgery for his cardiac arrhythmia and learning to speak Russian as part of the job. Yet, for fear of possible accidents and the media backlash that would occur if something went wrong with Bass’s maiden space voyage, the proposed documentary fell through.

To this day, Bass maintains that he would love to try and travel that proverbial final frontier sometime in his life. That was years ago. Now, with Virgin Galactic, the technology may be the key to making Lance Bass’s hopes of space flight real.

Or will it? We asked the Predicto Mobile community and 64% say yes, Bass will visit outer space soon thanks to Virgin Galactic.

What about you? Visit Predicto.com and vote today!

[Via http://blog.predicto.com]

Department 42: The Mystery of the Nine: Solve puzzles and protect the world from black magic!

Department 42: The Mystery of the Nine (114 MB download)
Join Department 42, a secret organization devoted to protecting the world from black magic. As your first assignment, you have to track down nine malevolent artifacts that disappeared during a mysterious fire at Grimstone Mansion! Explore strange locations and solve clever puzzles to protect mankind from a new nightmare and restore order before the sun rises on a dark new age!

[Via http://mysterygames.wordpress.com]

Build-a-lot 3: Travel through Europe restoring houses for big profits!

Build-a-lot 3 (97 MB download)
Build-a-lot 3 is your passport to fun! Travel all over Europe as you restore rundown houses, develop friendly services and beautify neighborhoods with picturesque landmarks. The changing needs of the neighborhood will sure keep you busy—you may need to brave the rain and snow, deal with noisy neighbors, or even put out a small fire to get the job done on time! Pack your bags and let the fun take flight in this exciting sequel to the hit strategy game!

[Via http://newfungames.wordpress.com]

sun,sand,sky

I know it is just bitterly cold in northern Europe and Germany these days and continuing to write about

Wintersports like i did last time wont get anybody in a better mood who isn´t into
the cold season and enjoys Winterholidays .
So i thought i might can lift your spirits and get a few of you a little bit into a summer feeling
by writing about , in my opinion , one of the best and sports at the beach !

Beach-Volleyball !

Beach-Volleyball is obviously a sport everybody knows and has played already sometime in his
or her life .
Whether it was with friends and family at vacations or or with just a single teammate ,like Competitive Beach-Volleyball is played with two teams consisting each of two players .
The game itself was originated in Southern California even though the first beach volleyball games
took place on the beaches of Waikiki in Honolulu, Hawai’i .
Especially over the last couple of decades the sport became more and more popular
and due to this rise in attention the FIVB created the first World Beach Volleyball Championships,
played in Rio de Janiero, Brazil in 1987.
Beach-Volleyball tournaments nowadays are played worldwide,even in countries without traditional beaches like Switzerland and even cities like New York , Singapore or Berlin and the sport even had its Olympic debut in 1996.
At the time there is also a very successful German Team on the Tour,with Jonas Reckermann and Julius Brinck
who became World champions in 2009.

http://www.spox.com/de/sport/mehrsport/beachvolleyball/0906/Bilder/julius-brink-jonas-reckermann-514.jpg

The Rules are actually quite common to the ones in indoor Volleyball but there are differences especially concerning
blocking because we just have 2 players on the field instead of 6.
And this is also why Beach-Volleyball players use a technique a lot of people might always wonder what it is about
These weird finger signs their use behind the back !
But i think this video definitely describes it better than me !

[Via http://robertwellmer.wordpress.com]

Celebrity Big Brother Starts 9pm January Sunday 3rd 2010

Former Baywatch star Pamela Anderson and ex-footie hardman    Vinnie Jones are among those rumoured to be taking part.

Model Katie Price’s on-off boyfriend, cage fighter Alex Reid, and her ex, singer Dane Bowers, are also reported to be among the Celebrity Big Brother cast.

The two are said to have already come to blows before going in.

The theme of the series is “hell lies in others”, which has proved the case many times in previous programmes.

Executive producer Shirley Jones said the famous line from Dante’s Inferno “Abandon hope all ye who enter here” had inspired much of the house’s makeover.

Celebrity Big Brother chair will provide a few squeals

The Diary Room chair

The property – which is fitted with nearly 50 surveillance cameras and 25 microphones – is opulent but oppressive with plush velvet sofas, boudoir lighting, fake fur pelts and antique animal skulls.

The kitchen is designed to look like an “autopsy room” with clinical stainless steel fittings, Damien Hirst-style pickling jars, and walls painted in hospital scrubs green.

But the biggest shock for contestants could come in the Diary Room where the chair is modelled on a waltzer ride and sits in the middle of the fairground-themed room.

And for once the celebrities will be able to bring in an unlimited amount of luggage.

Celebrity Big Brother, which will raise money for Comic Relief, begins tonight at 9pm.

[Via http://icedrainbow.wordpress.com]

What You Should Know About PlayStation 3

Author: Jada Slover
Source: articlesbase.com

How do you define entertainment in the 21st century? Gone are the days when operas, theatrical plays, and circus events were the most popular forms of entertainment. With the evolution and rapid development of technology nowadays, entertainment is now on its interactive form.

Children and adults find themselves enjoying the benefits of technology, especially in the entertainment industry. Animated and digital films as high-tech gadgets replace traditional forms of entertainment. The impact of technology to the entertainment industry is clearly such that it produced one of the most popular machines of all time, especially to the younger generations of our society, "the video game console.

Almost every ordinary American household owns at least one video game console . Since the Magnavox Odyssey era, video game consoles are worth as one of the most popular forms of entertainment, especially to the younger generations of our society. The interesting story behind each game and the animation features are regarded as one of the factors contributing to the success of the console in the entertainment industry.

This is not surprising that the game the seventh generation, which began in the last quarter of 2005 with the release of Microsoft Corporation's Xbox 360 consoles reached. The Big 3 of video gaming industry (Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo), video game consoles are evolving quickly, with the production of advanced and powerful video game consoles.

Among the members of the seventh generation of video game consoles is Sony's PlayStation 3, which is scheduled to be released at different data in the main countries in the world. The first version was announced at November 11, 2006 in Japan, November 17 of that year in Canada and the United States, and in March 2007 in Australia and Europe.

The third member of Sony's PlayStation series, PS3 was officially unveiled to the public during the E3 conference on May 16, 2005. The release will cover the shipment of two configurations, as in the Sony press release. The premium version of the PS3 contains an internal 60 GB hard drive , multiple flash memory card reader, wireless internet connectivity, and a brighter cosmetic silver-colored trim.

On the other hand, the alternative configuration of the console comes with an internal 20 GB hard drive (which is upgradeable), but without wireless internet connectivity, playstation 3 console, and a memory card reader.

According to information published on the PS3 press release, the video game console will be a series of title launches for its game, which read as follows: Madden NFL 2007, Full Auto 2: Battlelines, Genji: Days of the Blade , College Hoops 2007, Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire, Need,

Since the Magnavox Odyssey era, video game consoles are worth as one of the most popular forms of entertainment, especially to the younger generations of our society. The interesting story behind each game and the animation features are regarded as one of the factors contributing to the success of the console in the entertainment industry.

It is therefore not surprising that the game the seventh generation, which began in the last quarter of 2005 with the release of Microsoft Corporation's Xbox 360 consoles reached. Thanks to Big 3 of video games industry (Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo), video

Visit the About Animals website to learn about gopher trap and gopher control.

[Via http://bestpriceplaystation3consolessale.wordpress.com]

Game pie

Still no sign of the little babe, who is due on Tuesday, just plenty of false alarm twinges, irritability and lack of sleep (not necessarily in that order). We seem to be living on a diet of baked potatoes and cold ham, turkey sandwiches, cheese and left over mince pies as most people probably are, but I’m starting to dread opening the fridge now. My husband has made a very good left-over sprouts soup. I’m trying to enjoy it.

In amongst all the turkey and ham I served up a game pie for my family this Christmas. The recipe comes from Sybil Kapoor’s ‘Simply British’ a beautifully written book divided into chapters by ingredients and filled with historical and literary references which make it a good read as well as a great recipe book. There are no pictures but don’t let this put you off. I’ve never been let down by her suggestions and she has a lightness of touch which means that even something like game pie, which could be just the sort of heavy stodge you don’t need at this time of year, is lightened by lemon zest, parsley and thyme. Wonderful. There are lots of traditional recipes in the book, such as potted brown shrimp and apple charlotte, but also exotic sounding ones like lavender pear ice cream or rabbit and cucumber fricassee.  So if you don’t know her do seek her out.

I had lots of partridge in my freezer so just used that and skipped the pheasant but I’ve included both here as normally I’d have some of each to use up at this time of year.  I served it with left over mash potato from Christmas and some much needed salad. The recipe is simplicity itself, just make sure you have a good pie dish and pie vent (looks like a little bird with its beak open wide) and you don’t roll the pastry too thin, which I think I did. You’ll feel like such a domestic goddess making this. If you don’t have game, there is also a wonderful recipe for chicken and leek pie in the book that I also loved.

Game pie

Serves 4

Prep: 25 mins Cooking: 1 hour

2 partridges, cleaned

4 skinned pheasant breasts

salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tbsp olive oil

10 thin slices back bacon

1 medium onion, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 inner sticks celery, finely sliced

2 carrots, cut into fine half moons

1 heaped tbsp plain flour

285ml/1/2 pint dry white wine

565ml/1 pint chicken stock

1 lemon, finely grated

1/4 tsp thyme leaves

3 sprigs parsley

225g/8oz chilled puff pastry

1/2 small egg beaten with 1 tbsp milk

Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/gas 7

Neatly remove the two breast fillets of each partridge by cutting along the breast bone and down the rib cage. Pull off any skin and cut into chunks. If you are confident about boning you can remove the legs and cut the meat away from the thigh bone, before skinning and dicing. The drumsticks are too small to worry about but can be use with the carcasses for a good game stock if you wish.

Cut the pheasant breasts into similar sized chunks, add to the partridge and season. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the cubes in batches until they are all lightly and evenly coloured. Remove and place in the pie dish.

Remove the fat from the bacon and cut into medium-sized dice. Fry briskly in the same oil until lightly coloured. Reduce the temperature, mix in the onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Saute gently until they begin to soften. Sprinkle with the flour, cook for a further minute, then stir in the wine. Boil vigorously until the liquid has been reduced by two-thirds. Stir in the stock, lemon zest and herbs. Continue to boil until the sauce has reduced down a little and thickened. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Pour over the diced game and mix thoroughly. If possible allow the mixture to cool before covering with pastry. [I stopped at this point and froze the pie filling then defrosted and did the pastry the day I used it].

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface in roughly the same shape as your pie dish only larger. Cut a ribbon from the edge of the dough and press it firmly on to the rim of the pie dish. Brush this with a mixture of beaten egg and milk and place a pie vent in the centre of the filling. Using a fork, firmly press around the rim so that the two pastries are glued together. Cut off the excess. Prick the lid with a knife, ensuring that the vent has a hole, and paint the crust with some more egg and milk. It can be chilled until needed at this stage.

Place in the centre of the preheated oven and bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until the pastry has puffed up and become golden. When you are serving, remember to fish out the parsley sprigs.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Simply-British-Sybil-Kapoor/dp/0140273190

[Via http://whatsfordinnerdarling.wordpress.com]