Bishop's Gaming World

Review: Quarrel (XBLA)

2012-01-28T14:17:00.003-06:00

The popular iOS game, Quarrel, is now available via Xbox LIVE Arcade. It was due to release on XBLA a while back, but it's now here. You can check out my review of the game by going to the link below.

http://www.xblafans.com/quarrel-review-xbla-37537.html

Review: NFL Blitz (XBLA)

2012-01-09T19:03:00.000-06:00

My newest review for XBLAFans is now live, and this time, it is for the NFL Blitz. One of the best video game franchises is back and you can check out what I think of it by clicking on the link below.

http://www.xblafans.com/nfl-blitz-review-xbla-35742.html#more-35742

NBA 2K12: Top 3-Point Shooters

2012-01-04T12:46:00.005-06:00

My work for Operation Sports continues, this time with an article detailing some of the top 3-point shooters in the game. You can check out the article by clicking on the link below.

http://www.operationsports.com/strategyguides/945/top-3-point-shooters-in-nba-2k12/

Bishop's Gaming World Awards (2011)

2011-12-29T14:36:00.003-06:00

Wow, what a year. 2011 is now almost over, and we had some great games to play over the past year. From laying the smackdown in WWE All-Stars, to shooting pig snouts in Alice Madness Returns, variety being the spice of life has never been a more true statement. Now that all of the games in 2011 have been released, it's time for the first annual "Bishop's Gaming World Awards". These awards will not only feature my personal top 10 games of 2011, but will also feature some other categories. Without too much more explaining, let's kick it off with my top 10 games of the last year.

My top games of 2011 will definitely differ from others. I didn't play Portal 2, Skyrim, Dark Souls, Assassin's Creed: Revelations, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, and others. Those are great games in their own rights, but they don't cater to my tastes. So none of those games will be on my list.

10a). BulletStorm

Most people purchased BulletStorm on the Xbox 360 for the Gears of War 3 beta, but the game is insanely fun, and gory, to play. The amount of variety you could use when killing an enemy made the game unique. The story might have been lacking, but the overall gameplay was so enjoyable. Add in online co-op to these unique skillshots, and you have some of the best time with friends you can have.

10b). WWE All-Stars

Far different from the Smackdown vs Raw series, WWE All-Stars is some of the most fun you'll ever have with a wrestling game. It made me remember how much fun wrestling games were on the Nintendo 64, PlayStation 1 and PlayStation 2. All Stars was made by a majority of the people that made TNA iMPACT! a few years ago. That game had promise, but it failed to capitalize on the crazy world that is TNA. With All Stars they went all out: with over the top character models, some of the best Paul Bearer cut scenes in a video game ever, and some of the best gameplay to ever be in a WWE wrestling game. If you're just a fan of wrestling games in general, and not the Smackdown vs Raw series, I can't recommend this game enough.

9). DiRT 3

DiRT 2 is one of my favorite racing games of all-time, and DiRT 3 is now up there as well. There are two games I purchased every piece of DLC for, and DiRT 3 is one of those games (the other one is later in this list). The online modes are some of the best you'll play in an online racing game, and the career, although a bit mundane at times, was quite good overall. Although it's not a big of a jump as DiRT 2 was from the original, DiRT 3 is still a gorgeous game to look at and an insanely fun game to play.

8). Warhammer 40k: Space Marine

HEY SPACE MARINE!!! You hear that a lot in this game, and although that does get annoying, the game does not. Space Marine gets a lot of comparisons to Gears of War 3 without the cover system. And although that's a true statement, Space Marine is its own game, and a great one at that. I'll admit, I have never played a Warhammer game before, and my introduction into the franchise makes me want to play more of them, even though they are mainly RTS games. There might not be a wide variety of enemies to kill in Space Marine, but the gameplay was not only satisfying to play, but it made me wanting more.

7). Driver: San Francisco

I'll be honest, just like Space Marine above, I have never played a Driver game before. They definitely appeal to me, but I never got around to playing them. Man, do I regret that. Driver: San Francisco, although with its INSANE story, is incredibly fun to play, both offline and online. The transitions from cut scenes to gameplay is some of the best in 2011. The overall handling of the cars is superb, and the ability to switch to any car at any time was just amazing to do over and over again.

6). Alice: Madness Returns

The story of Alice in Wonderland has been told several dozen times, but American McGee definitely has the best, and most explicit, retelling. Madness Returns put Alice in a dark, twisted world, similar to the original Alice that released a decade ago. Story-wise, Madness Returns tells a dark, twisted version of Alice in Wonderland. Platforming, brawling with an umbrella, and even some shooting with pepper, Madness Returns basically has it all. Yes, there are some aggravating sequences and some of the enemies can be a pain. But that just makes the game all the more enjoyable; it's challenging. It's a real shame so many people missed out on this stellar game.

5). Dead Space 2

A sequel to one of the best survival horror games out there? Yeah, I'll take it. Most people have forgotten about Dead Space 2 due to its January release. That's a real shame, because the game was so much improved over the original. The overall story, minus the horrible end-game boss, is one of the best stories I've ever played in a survival horror game. The original Dead Space might have been an overall scarier game, but Dead Space 2 was simply more fun to play.

4). Gears of War 3

The end to a trilogy, and man, what a way to end it. Gears of War 3 easily had you on an emotional roller coaster, and it by far has the best campaign in the series. Add in an updated horde mode, an all-new beast mode, some of the best multiplayer a third-person shooter can have, and really, what more could you ask for? Gears of War 3 improves on some of the best co-op in the industry, with some of the best campaign co-op you can play with friends. The horde mode, now with fortifications (decoys, barriers, sentry guns, etc.), makes that mode even more fun to play than in Gears of War 2. To say Epic Games ended with a winner is understating what they actually did with Gears of War 3. It's a game almost every Xbox 360 owner should experience, it's just that simple.

3). Bastion

Just like last year, only one Xbox Live Arcade game made my top 10. Bastion is a game by SuperGiant Games that really made me remember why I love video games. The unique art-style, combined with dynamic narration, easily put Bastion in my top three. When I play through a video game twice, that means it's a pretty damn good game, and that's exactly what I did with Bastion. If I had a list of my top favorite video game soundtracks of 2011, Bastion would easily win that. The soundtrack is on my Windows Phone, and I make sure to listen to at least one song off the soundtrack a week.

2). Batman: Arkham City

We all know how bad comic book video games can be. In 2009, Batman: Arkham Asylum changed that with an exceptional story, environment, and it was just an overall fun game to play. The sequel, Arkham City, improved on what was already considered the best comic book video game ever made. I'll admit, I thought Rocksteady making Arkham City an open world game was a bad idea. I must apologize for every having even a glimmer of doubt. With new villains, gadgets, etc., and one of the best stories a video game can have, Arkham City is one of the best experiences I had with a video game all year.

1). L.A. Noire

To most people, L.A. Noire had superb animations and graphics, but was repetitive to play. I highly disagree with that. L.A. Noire, and its many DLC's, kept me both entertained and happy for many, many hours. L.A. Noire is the only game released this year that I actually purchased a "season pass" for. The motion capture technology Team Bondi used is simply astounding to look at, but they also replicated 1940's and 1950's Los Angeles perfectly. Gameplay in L.A. Noire has been compared to past CSI games. Well, I never got bored with L.A. Noire. I guess a good story and better gameplay mechanics will do that to a game.

Honorable Mentions: Fight Night Champion, Forza Motorsport 4, Mortal Kombat, NASCAR The Game 2011, NBA 2K12, WWE 12

I said my list would differ from others, and I was not lying. Although most people will disagree with my choices, they are exactly that, my choices. Some of you might have overlooked the games on my list. If you did, you should definitely check them out.

The awards below are some awards I felt should be known. These are, much like my personal top 10 above, chosen by me and only me. You may disagree with some of my choices, but that's okay.

Biggest Disappointment:

Need for Speed: The Run

Hot Pursuit in 2010 was one of my favorite games of that year. So I was immensely ready for what the The Run would try and achieve. Even though Black Box was developing this one, everything I read and played up until the release was great. (I was one of the ones who didn't mind the on-foot quick time events.) I even posted my thoughts on the demo, praising some of the moments included. Then, I played the final version of the game, and was sorely disappointed. The much hyped "Run Mode" was only a 2-hour mode. The weak, and lacking depth challenge mode was abysmal. Add in a pretty mediocre online mode, something Hot Pursuit did 10x better last year, and you have a game that most NFS fans were disappointed with.

Favorite DLC:

Every DLC for You Don't Know Jack

You Don't Know Jack is a classic franchise, and one that I hold close to my heart. To say that I enjoyed the DLC for the game would be undervaluing them. YDKJ came out with a total of four DLC packs, all featuring 10 new episodes and 100 new questions, as well as new voice over work. The most fun I've had with a video game in 2011, hands down, goes to YDKJ. But add in all of the post launch DLC, and you have a game that almost anybody can enjoy playing.

Favorite Trailer:

The build up to Gears of War 3 was simply astounding. The game is in my personal top five games of 2011 for a reason. The above trailer not only got me even more ready to play the game, it also had me wondering what would happen to our fellow COG's in the chapter of this epic trilogy.

Best Soundtrack:

Bastion

As the only downloadable game in my personal top 10 games of 2011, I obviously think Bastion is great at numerous things. One of those things is the soundtrack. The music in Bastion was done so perfectly, that it's hard to put it into words. The musical number that plays at the end of the last level literally gave me chills. Let's put it this way, it's one of the few soundtracks for a video game that I've actually purchased on Zune. It was that damn good!

Favorite Windows Phone Games:

10). Fable: Coin Golf

9). Breeze

8). Fight Game: Rivals

7). Orbital

6). Kinectimals

5). Beards and Beaks

4). Full House Poker

3). Parachute Panic

2). Hydro Thunder GO

1). Pac-Man Championship Edition DX

__________________________________________________

That's it. That will conclude the 2011 Bishop's Gaming World Awards. Not as many awards handed out as major sites, but I felt like these were the categories I felt the best choosing winners for. Congrats to those who won their category, and I hope to see more from these studios/publishers in the coming years. As I did last year, a huge thanks to all of my readers. I truly appreciate every single one of you. I'll see you all in 2012, as it looks to be an even bigger year than 2011 was.

NBA 2K12: Top Rookies

2011-12-22T23:15:00.001-06:00

My latest article for Operation Sports has now gone live. This time around it was all about the rookies, who were just recently added to the game. You can check out the article by going to the link below.

http://www.operationsports.com/features/1405/nba-2k12-top-rookies/

There are Windows Phone 7 Achievement Lists everywhere

2011-11-16T11:52:00.001-06:00

Most people know that I love my Windows Phone 7. It's one of the best purchases I've ever made, and I will continue to support it. One of the key features WP7 has is Xbox Live games. Giving you the ability to earn achievements and gamerscore to add to your Xbox Live profile, these games provide a more relaxing experience from their console counterparts. Well, today we have eight brand new achievement lists for some upcoming WP7 games. Let's Golf 2 released just this week, but the other games don't have release dates at this time. It's safe to say, though, that they will be released within the next few months -- hopefully.

Most of the games below are ports from other mobile platforms, but there are a few that are unique to WP7. I'm fine with Windows Phone 7 devices getting ports, but we're almost to the point to where that will no longer be acceptable. The platform needs more exclusive titles, and we have started to see more in the last few months, but we're far away from iPhone or even Android. Still, I like where the service is going, and I'm positive that it will keep getting better and better. Anyway, check out the achievement lists for eight upcoming Windows Phone 7 games below.

Battlewagon Achievement List
Breeze Achievement List
Chickens Can't Fly Achievement List
Doodle God Achievement List
Farm Frenzy 2 Achievement List
Let's Golf 2 Achievement List
Shuffle Party Achievement List
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction Achievement List

Review: NASCAR Unleashed (Xbox 360)

2011-11-09T19:46:00.000-06:00

My first review for Operation Sports is now live and is for Activision's/Firebrand Games arcade racing game, NASCAR Unleashed. You can check out the full review by clicking on the link below.

http://www.operationsports.com/reviews/633/nascar-unleashed/

Interviews, NBA 2K12, NFS, and Keflings Rule my Life (Recap)

2011-10-28T17:17:00.005-05:00

This last few weeks have been both hard and fun for me (yes, that's what she said). I started my first real writing job that pays over at Operation Sports, and I've been sure to keep the fun going strong right here on Bishop's Gaming World. Turning this writing gig into an actual full-time job is still far away, but I'm inching ever so close to that goal. I by no means think I'm one of the best writers out there, but I think I can hold my own, and I also think I've gotten better since starting this site in March 2009.

But enough about that, let's get to the content I've done in the last few weeks. Two articles focusing on NBA 2K12 is now up over at Operation Sports - one focusing onthe top player at each position and the other one is me giving my thoughts on the top five unknown superstars in the game. Right here on Bishop's Gaming World, I had the chance to interview Activision's social media guru, OneOfSwords. I also had a chance to give my impressions of the Need for Speed: The Run demo, currently available to download on your Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. I also posted up another An Achievement List for Everyone, my monthly article that notifies you of the newest Xbox 360 achievement lists. Over at XBLAFans, I reviewed the newest DLC for A World of Keflings, "It Came From Outer Space". An absolutely amazing piece of downloadable content for a wonderful game.

A big thank you to all that read, commented on, and shared these articles on social networking sites. I've said this numerous times, and I truly mean it, I appreciate all of you for supporting me and continuing to read my work. More content is coming in November, so expect even more recap posts like this in the coming weeks/months. And that's it, that's what I've been up to during the last two weeks or so. I've also placed all of the work I've done in the last few weeks below for convenience.

Bishop's Gaming World Content:

An Achievement List for Everyone (10/27/11)
Need for Speed: The Run Demo Impressions
The Man Behind the Sword: An Interview with Activision's OneOfSwords

Operation Sports Content:

NBA 2K12: Top Five Players by Position
NBA 2K12: Top Five Unknown Superstars

XBLAFans Content:

A World of Keflings: It Came from Outer Space review (XBLA DLC)

An Achievement List For Everyone (10/27/11)

2011-10-27T13:33:00.061-05:00

NBA 2K12: Top Five Unknown Superstars

2011-10-26T15:02:00.000-05:00

The other day I posted about my first article for Operation Sports. Well now, my second article is now up and this time it focuses on the top five unknown superstars in NBA 2K12. You can check out the article by visiting the link below.

http://www.operationsports.com/features/1368/top-five-unknown-superstars-in-nba-2k12/

NBA 2K12: Top Five Players by Position

2011-10-24T16:25:00.000-05:00

My first article for OperationSports is now up and ready to be viewed. It focuses on the top player at each position in NBA 2K12. Be sure to check it out by going to the link below.

http://www.operationsports.com/features/1365/nba-2k12-top-five-players-by-position/

Grand Slam® Tennis 2 - Roster Reveal Trailer

2011-10-24T15:02:00.002-05:00

Today EA Sports released the roster for their upcoming Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 game, Grand Slam Tennis 2. All the tennis stars and legends featured in the video are all listed below. Also mentioned in the trailer, Grand Slam Tennis 2 will feature "more than 20 of the greatest players of all-time". You can check out the trailer and the complete roster featured in the trailer below.

Roger Federer
Rafael Nadal
Andy Roddick
Andy Murray
Novak Djokovic
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
Serena Williams
Maria Sharapova
Bjorn Borg
John McEnroe
Michael Stich
Boris Becker
Lindsay Davenport
Lleyton Hewitt
Venus Williams
Chris Evert
Justine Henin
Pat Cash
Kei Nishikori
Stefan Edberg
Pete Sampras
Ana Ivanovic
Martina Navratilova

Grand Slam Tennis 2 will be released in 2012 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Need for Speed: The Run demo impressions

2011-10-19T16:02:00.001-05:00

Tuesday saw the release of the demo for Need for Speed: The Run, the next iteration in the long running arcade racing series. Featuring a unique story, on-foot sequences, and the Frostbite 2 engine, NFS: The Run looks to further reinvent the franchise - something Hot Pursuit did very well last year.

The controls definitely feel tighter than the controls featured in Hot Pursuit last year. That will be good news to some, and bad news to others. With the two cars, Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 and Porsche Carrera S, being such high-powered cars, the tighter controls really feel noticeable, but in a good way. The overall handling of the cars still feel great, even if we only get to test drive two of the them in the demo. Both the Lamborghini and Porsche handle great going into and out of corners, but we'll have to wait and see how the lower-class cars will handle in the full game.

Death Valley National Park, California and Independence Pass, Colorado is where you'll be doing your driving in the demo, with the latter being some of the most intense racing you'll see. The California track is a desert setting, providing both asphalt and sand gameplay. It was a nice track, but nothing compared to what Colorado brings to the table. The Colorado track has you trying to survive an avalanche, all while you're trying to win a race against a rival. Snow, rocks and explosions all try to slow you down, and it really provides for some great cinematic racing moments.

Utilizing the Frostbite 2 engine that will be seen in Battlefield 3, NFS: The Run is a gorgeous game to look at. The backdrops, in which there are two in the game, mentioned earlier, are done extremely well. Going through tunnels, and driving into shadows, the lighting in the demo is absolutely superb. Frame rate is also done surprisingly well. Even with all of the chaos going down in the Colorado race, the frame rate stays at a steady pace. The only downside to the visuals are the crashes. They look good, but not as good as last years game, Hot Pursuit.

Rubberbanding A.I. seemed to pop up a few times, especially in the Colorado race, but it wasn't too noticeable. That was a big issue in NFS: Hot Pursuit last year, and has been a common annoyance in the Need for Speed franchise over the years. Much like other racing games, rewinds will be in NFS: The Run. They allow you to rewind the race if you make a mistake. If you wreck, the game will also perform a rewind automatically. The amount of rewinds you have varies depending on what difficulty you're playing on. You get five if you're playing on normal, but only one if you're playing on extreme difficulty.

The full game, which releases on November 15th, will feature on-foot, quick time segments. Those were debated a lot when they were shown off at E3 this year. But these are confirmed to only be about 10% of the actual game, but it would have been nice to see and play one in the demo. You do catch a glimpse of Jack, but nothing that would give you any indication on how the on-foot segments will play out.

If you haven't had the chance to download the NFS: The Run demo, I highly suggest you do. The only bad thing about the demo was the fact that it was far too short of an experience. Still, it's worthy of your time, and it might even convince you to get the full game when it releases on November 15.

NFL Blitz reboot officially confirmed

2011-10-18T16:40:00.004-05:00

NFL Blitz is back, ladies and gentlemen. The beloved, cherished arcade classic is elbow dropping back on home consoles next year. EGM Now featured the game today, detailing what exactly we can expect in the new reincarnation. Being developed by EA Tiburon, the same group behind Madden NFL, the new NFL Blitz will offer "some gameplay upgrades, like the collision system and each team getting their own individualized special play on offense in the universal playbook". Tim Kitzrow is also making a return to Blitz, with his over-the-top, zany commentary.

Blitz Bucks will be the form of currency this time around. You earn "Blitz Bucks via playing online or in Blitz Gauntlet mode (more on that in a bit), you can buy packs of football cards that feature cheerleader loading screens, cheats for classic features like Big Head mode, power-ups for online versus (again, more on that shortly), or actual players." Upon unlocking a card, you can them add that card to a customized roster. That customized roster will carry over to every mode in the game. So if you wanted Tim Tebow to play for the New England Patriots - why you would want that I don't know - you can make that happen.

One of the new modes is "Blitz Gauntlet", in which you take on several of the teams in the game in a row. You earn Blitz Bucks for this mode as well, with the farther you go, the more you earn. To unlock special teams, such as the Zombies, Hot Dogs, Spartans, Bigfoot and more, you'll need to play through "Blitz Gauntlet".

But that's not the only new mode. Online versus play is coming to NFL Blitz via Xbox Live and PlayStation Network. You can play one-on-one against a friend, "or, if you’d prefer, you can join a regional league broken down by state. The leagues offer various competency tiers as well, so you can advance or regress in different divisions based on your skill level." Also in the versus mode are power-ups. These power-ups will come in card packs, "and you can play several at a time if you wish or stockpile them for those really high-ranking opponents." You can also bet cards you currently own online. Win, and you keep your cards and the ones your opponent put up. Lose, and expect cry in anguish as you accidentally gave away one of your best cards.

More will be revealed for the new NFL Blitz tomorrow and in the coming weeks. You can get exclusive news by following @EANFLBlitz on Twitter and by "liking" them on Facebook. You can check out the trailer and more screens below.

UPDATE: We have received more information. Straight from @EANFLBlitz on Twitter, the new iteration of NFL Blitz will be available THIS January as a digital download on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network for 1200MSP or $14.99.

Reveal Trailer:

Interview:

More Screens:

The new NFL Blitz is updated with HD visuals.

Get ready to pummel Antonio Gates for celebrating, just like in the classic NFL Blitz.

Classic teams like the Zombies will be featured in the new version.

Cheerleader loading screens make a return.

Source: EGM Now

The Man Behind the Sword: An Interview with Activision's OneOfSwords

2011-10-13T13:10:00.002-05:00

I had the privilege of being able to interview Dan Amrich, Activision's Social Media Guy. Dan has been around the block or two in the gaming industry, spending his time with some major publications - OXM, GamesRadar, World of Warcraft: The Official Magazine, among others. The purpose of this interview was to ask some questions about his job at Activision, but to also get to know him on a more personal level. So without any further explanation, enjoy the interview.

Hey Dan, first off let everyone know who you are and what you do.

Well, I'm the social media manager for Activision, but that really boils down to "blogger guy." You know Major Nelson at Microsoft? I'm like that but for Activision -- I try to create a dialogue between the people who make the games and the people who play them. Before that I was an editor at a bunch of different game magazines and websites. I also sing, play guitar, and juggle fire, but not at the same time.

You have been at Activision for awhile now, what is the one moment that stands out from all the rest?

I am tempted to say Call of Duty XP or going to Liverpool for a Blur event, but the thing that stands out more was actually getting to sit down with Bobby Kotick and talk to him for a little off-the-record interview. It was both scary and wonderful. He has this reputation as a cartoon villain...and yet I sat down and he's just a guy from New York who played a lot of Defender and Zork growing up. I got to ask him some good questions and he gave me straight answers.

Call of Duty Elite looks to revolutionize the way people check their game stats. What is your opinion on the service, and what‘s your favorite part of the service?

I think Elite is smart on a lot of levels. Even when I interviewed for my job two years ago, I was asked then "We have all these Call of Duty players and we want to find a way to bring them together and interact with them. What are your ideas?" Elite is better than anything I came up with, because it's so much more than stats. I am personally motivated by checking on my performance -- I don't expect to be awesome but I do want to be better, and I want to see some improvement, you know? But then they've layered in groups of friends and competitive elements and all these other things that make me want to come back over and over. I think about how Microsoft has positioned Live -- because really, are you playing your 360 as a device, or do you look forward to playing games with your friends on Live? That social experience -- that community bond, of trying to top someone else's Pinball FX 2 score even when we are not playing together at the same time -- is what I really find myself connecting with. So Elite, I think, taps into that same community experience, and it gives people a reward for all the time and energy they have invested in the Call of Duty games...and obviously encourages them to keep doing that.

I like some of the more mundane elements of Elite, to be honest. I like that it's easier to see what the next Challenge reward is, for instance -- I'll check the site and ask "Which killstreak will pay off next? Should I be running spy planes because I'm close to an XP reward for using so many of them? Or should I be shooting more of them down?" I like browsing my history, taking some notes, and focusing on those little goals. You can do that in the game, but the layout of Elite makes it easier and more enjoyable for me.

Call of Duty XP just occurred a month ago. What do you think this kind of event does for the ever growing Call of Duty community?

Well, we all know and feel bonds with our teammates, but it's easy to reduce your opponents to the worst stereotype imaginable. You go to Call of Duty XP and you look around -- it's all people like you, and the people who are not like you are not so different that you can't understand and appreciate them. I would hope that the effect would be not only a sign from Activision that the support of the fans is important and appreciated, but also that the player base will be more likely to see all those unknown gamertags as real, live, human beings with a common interest. I hope it leads to more polite headshots, I guess.

Of course, working for Activison has its perks. You get to go to some big gaming conventions over the course of a year. What is the highlight of going to one of those events, and which one is your favorite?

I have been to every E3 since they started -- sometimes only for a day, sometimes paying my own way, but I have been to all of them since 1995. But aside from CA Extreme which is an arcade collector's show in the Bay Area, I love PAX. I did not think I would, because...well, I've seen how people in the PA community go after people and things they don't like. The whole community is built around a sarcastic webcomic, so I was really afraid that I would show up and all the cool kids would laugh at me. Instead, I found the most supportive, most life-affirming group of people. Everybody is there for the same exact reason: they love games. There is such an amazing vibe at both PAX East and PAX Prime, so much common ground and earnest enthusiasm, that I look forward to it every year in both locations. Since I see a lot of negativity online in my daily job, PAX restores my faith in gaming. It reminds me that there are more lovers than haters.

Most people probably think you’re job is easy as pie, but what is the hardest thing about your job at Activision?

Not going on a murderous rampage every day. I get very frustrated by the trolls who apparently have more fun being upset about games than they do playing games, regardless of who publishes them. People with legitimate complaints or concerns, I can usually help, but for instance, when I say something about Activision Game A, and someone comes in with "Yeah, but what about completely unrelated thing about Activision Game B from two years ago?" I just want to punch the internet. They are holding grudges about things that are not only out of my control but often unrelated if not completely dead issues. I don't know, maybe they think taking it out on me will make it go away, or maybe they think they can force me into an apology they feel they are owed. But picking fights really does not help them or me. I try to talk sense, but it often doesn't work. Those constant waves of negativity from people with narrow perspectives really do make the job very difficult, personally and professionally. I am still a human being and I have a temper, so learning to let things go -- but still listen and consider what their true point might be -- is often very, very hard.

Outside of games developed or published by Activision, what game are you most looking forward to for the rest of 2011?

I preordered Dance Central 2, Rocksmith, and Twisted Metal. TM got bumped to 2012 which is okay with me, because, well, I'm going to be busy with those other two. :) I also bought Gears of War 3 but haven't gotten out of Act I, just because I have not had the time. I figure I might get time over the holidays.

You obviously grew up with video games, what was the one game that got you thinking, “hey, I think I can make a career out of this video game thing?”

It's funny, I didn't really sit down with one game and think "I can take this apart and explain what works." I had been reviewing mostly music during and right after college, but I also reviewed film here and there, and had actually taken stabs at reviewing theater and books and art as part of a class exercise. I simply applied what I learned from reviewing albums to games, and already had the gaming knowledge and vocabulary to dig into their specific elements. The first major opportunity came when I was writing music reviews for an AOL area called Critics Choice (which morphed into a really nice movie review site critics.com and no longer has any of my writing up there) and the editor said "Hey, out of curiosity, do you like videogames?" I wound up writing over 300 reviews for that site over the next three years, and I was not paid until the last few months, outside of being able to keep the games, which was payment enough for doing something I loved. The landlord, however, disagreed, so when I had the chance to do it full-time, I took it.

To add on to that question, what was your favorite video game to play growing up as a kid?

Looking back at my Atari 2600 collection -- which is here in a Rubbermaid container -- my tastes were all over the place. Arcade ports, Pitfall!, Swordquest Earthworld, some terrible action game called Gopher...I was not a genre specialist at that time. I grew up in the days of arcades, where there were certainly tons of space shooters and cutesy games, but every coin-op could be a completely different experience. As a result, I sort of approached everything with the same "What is this one?" attitude and often came away liking it. Later on I burned out on genres or found I just didn't have the patience or attention for certain types. I still feel very strongly about Tempest and Robotron 2084 -- twitch shooters that moved very fast and always had a sense of impending danger, if not panic.

You have written for OXM, GamePro, World of Warcraft: Official Magazine, GamesRadar, etc over the years. What did you learn from your time at those companies that helps you in your day-to-day job at Activision?

I spent a lot of time at OXM and GamePro as a forum admin, by choice. I also answered the reader mail at both places -- not just wrote the letter column, but actually wrote back to people. That got me used to answering questions that were often angry or rude in how they were phrased, and I got practice breaking them down and finding out what the core of the issue was. I learned that when people write an angry letter, they care enough to write. It bothers them that much that they take the time to spew vitriol. I would write back and say "I wish you hadn't been so angry when you wrote, but I think what you are actually asking about is this." And more often than you might think, I would get a follow-up saying "Wow, I never thought you would write back, I'm sorry for that, thank you for answering." So learning how to respond to irrationally upset gamers was a core skill that I use every day...even if I still lose my temper sometimes.

You’ve interviewed quite a few people over the years. What has been your favorite and most enjoyable person to interview?

That's tough; I can't really pick just one. I've been fortunate to interview Ed Boon several times over the years -- first in 1995 for MK3, and then later for other games. He's always been gracious and honest with me. I actually found the audio recording from the 1995 interview and send him a copy, and we both sort of marveled at how much had changed since then. Dave Cobb was another amazing interview -- not a household name, but he designs dark rides and theme park attractions. I went to see the Men In Black Alien Attack ride/game that he built at Universal while it was still in development, and when we got to talking, it was like we'd known each other for years -- we could not stop talking about our geek lives long enough for me to get the story. When I think of creative people who do something incredibly rare and special, I think of Dave. We are still friends and have reconnected over the years. Amazingly enough, we have run into each other at nerdy events when we did not know the other person was going to be there.

Denis Dyack and Cliff Bleszinski both gave me very honest interviews at OXM after they had both been painted in a negative light by the press. There was a huge amount of trust on their part that I was not going to make things worse for them. The Cliff interview was specifically about his public image and why people loved to call him names. I said up front, "This will not be about Gears, and I am not digging for info on whatever your next game is; this is about your gaming celebrity and how you handle it." I actually asked him "Are you a douchebag?" and at first he sort of just shrugged it off with a joke, but I dove a little deeper and he gave me a really good answer. I genuinely like Cliff and respect the hell out of what he does.

You have been working on a book. Can you describe what it is, and what you would like to accomplish with it?

I actually don't want to get into this just yet. I am currently doing a round of edits on it and I need to approach publishers, so I think I should keep it quiet until I figure out what I should and should not say about an unpublished project. But I've been working on it sporadically since 2003 and I can tell you that it's non fiction. I just finished the first full draft about a month ago, which was a major milestone for me. So...stay tuned. I will want to make a big noise when the time is right because I'm very proud of it. I'll self-publish if nothing else, but I'd like to make a run at getting a proper publisher first.

What’s your gaming setup at home? Anything that would make people jealous?

Probably not; the couch is from Ikea and the TV is from Costco! My PC is three years old and I splurged on a new video card this year (NVidia GTX 570). For console, I have two setups at home, one in the living room (40" Sony Bravia with my wife Kat's Xbox 360 and the Wii) and one in my home office/gaming lair (23" Dell monitor, currently hosting a 360 and a PS3). Kat uses the big TV when we play Black Ops, and I play from my office. Both have 5.1 speaker setups on them, but they are either old or small or cheap or all three. They work fine so I am not complaining or upgrading, but drool-inducing they are not. I am pampered in that I have an Astro Gaming headset/MixAmp system on each rig, plus a third at work -- I actually have been using that more often than the open-air speakers lately -- and, um, I kind of have an NBA Jam machine in my house, so I think that's probably jealousy material. But other than that, there are folks out there who have much bigger TVs with much fancier sound systems than I do. They probably don't own more plastic guitar controllers, though.

Most people also know you’re in a band called Palette-Swap Ninja. What was the idea behind the band, and how did it come to fruition?

Jude Kelley and I met when we both auditioned for a Bay Area 80s cover band called Fast Times. They lost a lot of members all at the same time, so they had a few rounds of auditions for multiple roles. They ultimately hired all geeks -- Tim the bassist worked for ILM as a visual effects guy; Jude got the keytar slot and played with us in-between working as an honest-to-god rocket scientist for labs in Livermore; and I took over on male vocals when I wasn't reviewing videogames. Jude and I lived close to each other, so we started carpooling, and I found out he repaired coin-ops in his spare time. One ride home I remember telling him about this new game called Viva Pinata I had seen at work, and it was cute but also driving me crazy because I kept singing "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)" in my head every time someone said the title. We both laughed and we are both fans of Weird Al, so we said "Yeah, we should do that." And we didn't because we were so busy with band gigs and rehearsals and reviewing games and rocket science. But we did kick around band names for who would record that, and we both felt it would be a term that would only mean something to gamers -- the way just understanding the term "Minibosses" makes you instantly in on the joke and you know they are a band of gamers. We both feel our first gaming love is arcade gaming, so we kicked around phrases until Palette-Swap Ninja came up, from the Mortal Kombat games. That made us laugh and we didn't think anybody else was using it, so we just sort of made that a half-serious, half-joking "someday project." Jude ultimately got a teaching gig in Boston -- he's a chemistry professor there now -- and I bowed out of the band after a good five-year run. A few months later I realized I did not miss hauling gear and sacrificing my weekends for four-hour gigs at clubs and casinos, but I did miss making music with Jude. So we got "serious" about Palette-Swap Ninja, which I suppose is not all that serious if you're talking making jokey songs about videogames. But we did release three songs in our first year, so that's pretty good. The rest, as they say, is hysterical.

“Halo ((All I Play-Oh))” has over 343k hits on YouTube. When the band first got together, did you imagine of having a hit song about Halo?

It's not that we imagined it, but we knew that if we did something about a big game, our potential audience would be larger. We generally know when a song has a little more potential than others -- either it's a big hit game or a big hit song or both -- but even if there is built-in recognition, we never really know what will resonate with people, or how many. I was so focused on Xbox when i was at OXM that it was hard to write about anything else for the first few songs -- there's Viva Pinata, the red ring of death, a song about Gamerscore whore...and we both felt like a song about Halo would be great, but we didn't want to force it. The way it usually works is we hear a song and that lyric pops into your head, like Viva Pinata did, and then you go "Ooooh, maybe there's something there." It wasn't until I heard that Red Hot Chili Peppers song several times before it really clicked, and "this is all I play-oh" suggested itself. Then I thought, okay, we have a story developing. We had a character who played Halo to the exclusion of all other games; what is the rest of his story?

Stick with me here because I'm going to go a little deeper than you might actually want, but I hope it will be relevant to anybody who actually wonders how and why we do things the way we do in Palette-Swap Ninja. Story and characterization are hallmarks of good pop music -- think about how many pop songs tell a story about a person or a character -- "Lovely Rita," "Life During Wartime," "The Boys are Back in Town," "Copacabana." The ones that aren't are commentaries about the human condition, usually love, sometimes loneliness or injustice or what have you. So we feel strongly that it's not enough to just come up with an instance where the gaming words fit over an existing melody and you get some some ha-ha-I-see-what-you-did-there jokes; we want to say something that gamers will identify and connect with. Do you have a friend who takes too much pride in their Gamerscore? Have you found yourself feeling guilty by thinking Viva Pinata was actually kind of fun? Do you hate it when you see people act superior in a flame war, then misspell their own argument? Or the guy who verbally nukes a Call of Duty lobby because he's such a sore loser? These are all people or situations that we know in real life; that's what makes it funny when you hear someone else articulate them. You nod and smile and go "I know that guy" or sometimes, "Yep, that's me." (Jude can personally say "Yep, that's me" about "Arcade Gaming Shrine" because, no joke, that is pure autobiography. We wrote that about him.) In that regard, we really do try to make songs that people will care about and feel a little ownership when they hear them. We want the songs to matter, even though they are just gaming jokes.

So...I can't say we imagined a song about Halo would get that many hits on YouTube, but we figured if anything had a shot at being a "hit," it was a story about the biggest game on Xbox being played by an overconfident douchebag who gets his comeuppance. We figured that would have familiarity and resonance. I really sweat the details in the lyrics so that uberfans would feel represented -- I did not know what a Carney Hole was until I was deep in research on Halo terms, levels, and culture, and I made sure that the level I was namechecking did not, in fact, have any Carney Holes in it. Bungie also sent out a link to its fan community, so that certainly helped it get known, and that soft endorsement was a huge compliment.

And honestly, we only get partial credit -- we made the song, but usethefork made that video as a total surprise, and we were super impressed and honored that he would go to that kind of trouble. We didn't know about it until it was done and we thanked him so much. He printed out box art for the games we mentioned in the song, just so he could make it match what we were namechecking in the song. I never want to miss giving him his due.

That is it for the questions, Dan. I would like to thank you for your time and for doing this interview. Any final comments for the readers out there?

[robocop] Stay out of trouble. [/robocop]

Be sure to follow Dan Amrich on Twitter at @OneOfSwords and visit his site, www.oneofswords.com.

An Achievement List for Everyone (9/22/11)

2011-09-22T16:38:00.001-05:00

The monthly post that keeps you updated on all the new Xbox achievement lists is back with the biggest post yet. Huge AAA games now have their official achievement lists, along with some of the biggest Kinect games of the 2011. Without spoiling too much more, take a look at which games got achievement lists in the last month.

* WARNING: Spoilers might be in some of the achievement lists.

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Achievement List
Adventures of TinTin Achievement List
Batman: Arkham City Achievement List
Bejeweled 3 Achievement List
Dance Central 2 (Kinect) Achievement List
Dark Souls Achievement List
Disney Universe Achievement List
F1 2011 Achievement List
FIFA 12 Achievement List
Forza Motorsport 4 Achievement List
Grease Dance (Kinect) Achievement List
Just Dance 3 (Kinect) Achievement List
Kinect Sports: Season Two (Kinect) Achievement List
Lord of the Rings: War in the North Achievement List
NASCAR Unleashed Achievement List
NBA 2K12 Achievement List
NBA Jam: On Fire Edition Achievement List
NCIS Achievement List
Orcs Must Die! Achievement List
Rocksmith Achievement List
SpongeBob Surf & Skate Roadtrip (Kinect) Achievement List
Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster (Kinect) Achievement List
Sims 3: Pets Achievement List
Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure Achievement List
Sonic Generations Achievement List
Spider-Man: Edge of Time Achievement List
Tropico 4 Achievement List
uDraw Studio: Instant Artist Achievement List
Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 Achievement List
X-Men: Destiny Achievement List
Wipeout 2 (Kinect) Achievement List
Worms Ultimate Mayhem Achievement List

The biggest game in the list is, of course, Batman: Arkham City. Arkham Asylum was one of the best games of 2009, and the sequel is sure to keep fans of the Caped Crusader and Akrham Asylum happy. You also have lists for Dance Central 2, Kinect Sports: Season Two, Just Dance 3, and Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster, four pretty huge Kinect games, all due out later this year. Let's not forget about some of the biggest sports games, NBA 2K12, NBA Jam: On Fire Edition, and FIFA 12, all getting achievement lists. Next months "An Achievement List for Everyone" post should be just as big as Septembers due to even more AAA games such as Battlefield 3, Modern Warfare 3, Goldeneye 007, Need for Speed: The Run, Assassin's Creed: Revelations, Skyrim and more not having their achievement lists revealed just yet. So come back this time next month for another "An Achievement List for Everyone" post.

Source: www.x360a.org

Two Madden NFL 12 Videos (Highlights)

2011-08-26T16:30:00.002-05:00

Today I played some Madden NFL 12, and I went ahead and grabbed some highlights from the two games I played. The videos are not "spectacular" by any means, and since the videos are on EA Sports' website, the quality is so-so at best. You can check the videos out below. The videos play immediately after clicking the links, so be prepared if you are at work.

82yd Touchdown pass to Mario Manningham

37yd rushing TD by Brandon Jacobs

An Achievement List for Everyone (8/26/11)

2011-08-26T12:39:00.070-05:00

Last month I made a post detailing which new games have been given official achievement lists. Well I have decided to make this a monthly thing I do. I'm a huge fan of achievements and gamerscore, as most of the people who read my blog know, so turning this into a monthly post just makes sense. With the holiday season right around the corner, expect some big AAA games to be in this list and upcoming lists. Without further ado, let's get right to the new achievement lists, and there are a lot of them.

BloodRayne: Betrayal Achievement List
Burn the Rope (WP7) Achievement List
Burnout CRASH! Achievement List
Cabela's Big Game Hunter 2012 Achievement List
Collapse (WP7) Achievement List
Dead Island Achievement List
Dead Rising 2: Off the Record Achievement List
DeathSpank: The Baconing Achievement List
Dungeon Defenders Achievement List
Family Feud 2012 Edition Achievement List
Fight Game: Rivals (WP7) Achievement List
Guardian Heroes Achievement List
The Gunstringer Achievement List
Jane's Advanced Strike Fighters Achievement List
Michael Phelps: Push the Limit Achievement List
NHL 12 Achievement List
Nicktoons MLB Achievement List
PES 2012 Achievement List
Rage Achievement List
Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour Achievement List
Rise of Nightmares Achievement List
Rock of Ages Achievement List
Rotastic Achievement List
Ugly Americans: Apocalypsegeddon Achievement List
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine Achievement List

Some big AAA titles now have an official achievement list; Rage, Dead Island, Michael Phelps: Push the...I mean, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine, and others. There are also some Xbox Live Arcade games that are highly anticipated, now with achievement lists; Burnout CRASH!, Rock of Ages, Guardian Heroes, and more. Stay tuned for the next "An Achievement List for Everyone" post next month, as I'm sure a lot of AAA games due for release in October and November will have an achievement list.

Source: www.x360a.org

SSX - Gamescom trailer

2011-08-20T12:06:00.000-05:00

EA released a new trailer for their upcoming snowboarding game SSX. The trailer does feature pre-alpha gameplay, but it still looks just as insane and fun as past SSX titles. The trailer really showcases the social aspect of SSX, and everything you can do against other players when the game launches in early 2012. Check out the trailer in full below, with its tagline, "defy reality, own the planet".

Need for Speed: The Run "Buried Alive" trailer

2011-08-16T15:08:00.000-05:00

A new trailer out of Gamescom has arrived, and this time it's for Need for Speed: The Run. The trailer sees the games protagonist in an orange BMW trying to outrun an avalanche (probably very hard), making for an intense trailer. Check out the full trailer below.

EA Sports unveils new FIFA Street game

2011-08-16T12:27:00.000-05:00

One of the most outrageous EA Sports franchises is making a return, and it's releasing next year. During their Gamescom press conference, EA revealed a new game in the franchise. Coming out for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 -- and being developed by EA Canada -- the new iteration will feature 35 locations and will be connected to the EA Sports Football Club, announced earlier this year at E3. If you're a EA Sports Season Ticket subscriber then you will also get first access to the game three days before its retail release. “FIFA Street will appeal to new fans that are looking for a unique, fun soccer experience, and long-time FIFA fans looking for an authentic street soccer experience with the level of quality that they know and love from the FIFA franchise.”

You can check out the first trailer for the game, and the official press release below.

This is the first time our award-winning FIFA development team is creating a street soccer game, and we are going to deliver a level of authenticity never before seen in this genre, along with amazing gameplay,” said Matt Bilbey, Vice President and GM of Soccer, EA SPORTS. “FIFA Street will appeal to new fans that are looking for a unique, fun soccer experience, and long-time FIFA fans looking for an authentic street soccer experience with the level of quality that they know and love from the FIFA franchise."

Powered by the revolutionary FIFA Soccer gameplay engine, and introducing Street Ball Control, FIFA Street will deliver an arsenal of groundbreaking street dribbling styles and trick moves that ignite the one-on-one battles within matches. Whether performing one panna after another without breaking a sweat the way street soccer is played in Amsterdam, or a physical, fight-for-possession style the way players compete in London, fans will enjoy a superior fidelity of ball control and responsiveness than anything ever experienced in a soccer videogame. Plus, for the first time ever, utilize aerial skills to maneuver past opponents, an all-new sophisticated one-touch passing system for quick, precision passes, and over 50 never-before-experienced skill moves.

Play with and against the stars of the most popular clubs in the world—or real-life street players—and compete at more than 35 locations around the world. From one-on-one battles in parking lots and parks to prestigious 5v5 tournaments on the streets of the world’s biggest cities, FIFA Street will replicate the unique street soccer style. Plus, it will feature a host of modes and online features that will be revealed in the months ahead that will make the game a social, connected experience.

FIFA Street will be connected to EA SPORTS Football Club^, so from the first nutmeg on, gamers will be contributing to their Football Club identity. Fans who purchase EA SPORTS Season Ticket will also get, as a bonus offer, full-game digital access to FIFA Street three days in advance of launch."

Windows Phone 7 Roundup: Flowerz, ORB

2011-08-15T10:46:00.002-05:00

This week I took a look at the free Windows Phone 7 game Flowerz, and the indie game ORB. Click the link below to see what I think of the two games.

http://www.snackbar-games.com/wp7/wp7-roundup-roll-match-and-save-some-cash/

EA Sports Grand Slam Tennis 2 Volleying onto the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3

2011-08-11T09:11:00.003-05:00

Grand Slam Tennis, the Wii-exclusive tennis game, now has a sequel. That sequel will be making its way onto the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in 2012. Grand Slam Tennis 2 sees HD-visuals, an added control scheme titled - "Total Racquet Control" - which will have you control the racquet with the right analog stick, and support for PlayStation Move, no word on Kinect support yet. The game will also feature ESPN, furthering their partnership with EA Sports. Tennis pros such as Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, and over 20 others will be included in the game. The Australian Open, French Open, U.S. Open and "exclusive to EA SPORTS Grand Slam® Tennis franchise – Wimbledon" will all also be featured in the game.

"We are very excited to bring the EA SPORTS Grand Slam® Tennis franchise to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 platforms and leverage the graphical power of these high definition consoles,” said Line Producer Thomas Singleton. “Players will now get to experience the excitement and drama of serving it up on prestigious tennis venues such as Wimbledon’s famed Centre Court.”

“Players will now get to experience the excitement and drama of serving it up on prestigious tennis venues such as Wimbledon’s famed Centre Court.”

You can check out all the new modes and features in Grand Slam Tennis 2 below, as well as the announcement trailer. EA Sports Grand Slam Tennis 2 will be released on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in 2012.

Grand Slam® Tennis 2 will include a host of gameplay features including:

All-New Total Racquet Control: Control every shot with the right analog stick, smashing forehands, backhands, overheads and volleys with precision, accuracy and power. Utilize this innovative control system to take your game to the top! But if you prefer the old school button controls, those are still available!

Become a Champion: Become a true Grand Slam® tournament champion by capturing all four major championships in succession. The prestige of some of the most historic events in tennis come alive like never before, including the Australian Open, French Open, U.S. Open and exclusive to EA SPORTS Grand Slam® Tennis franchise – Wimbledon.

PlayStation Move Support: The motion control experience gets you on your feet and puts a racquet right in the palm of your hands. From casual players to tennis masters, you truly have the chance to swing your way to victory.

Legends of Now and Then: Play with or against more than 20 of the greatest players to ever grace the courts, including Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Bjorn Borg, Maria Sharapova, Serena and Venus Williams and exclusive to EA SPORTS Grand Slam® Tennis franchise, seventeen-time winner of a Grand Slam® tournament John McEnroe.

Professional, Realistic, Organic (P.R.O.). AI: The playing styles and behaviors of the sport’s greatest stars are captured right down to their signature swings and emotional reactions. Realistic tactics and strategies are your keys to success against each legend whether playing on hard court, clay or grass. The organic artificial intelligence adapts to your game so there’s never a dull moment!

ESPN Grand Slam® Tournament Classics: Relive some of the most memorable moments in tennis. From Borg versus McEnroe to Nadal versus Federer, play your way through history unlocking up to 25 amazing moments of Grand Slam® tournaments.

Deep Tennis Experience: Play countless hours of tennis in Grand Slam® Career mode – singles and doubles, through a 10-year career or battle online. A wide variety of online gameplay features, Photo Game Face and more keep your experience fresh and authentic.

For more information about Grand Slam Tennis 2, visit http://www.ea.com/grand-slam-tennis-2

Windows Phone 7 Roundup: Cro-Mag Rally, Beards & Beaks

2011-08-08T06:14:00.000-05:00

Two more games are being looked at in this week's Windows Phone 7 roundup post; Cro-Mag Rally and Beards & Beaks. You can see what I thought of both games by going to the link below.

http://www.snackbar-games.com/wp7/wp7-roundup-cro-mag-rally-beards-beaks/

Bastion soundtrack now available for purchase

2011-08-05T06:04:00.000-05:00

My favorite XBLA game of all-time, Bastion, also has one of the best soundtracks of 2011. Today, Supergiant games released the soundtrack for purchase. See how you can download the soundtrack by going to the link below.

http://www.xblafans.com/bastion-soundtrack-now-available-for-purchase-21215.html