What have Donna and Chelle been up to in the last year? It’s been quite the roller coaster for them both. Is Chelle still into indie games? Does she still have plans to move to England? Does she still have an affinity for young boys? What about Donna? Is she still a fan of shooters? Is she still in contact with the Frag Dolls? You’ll find out everything you’d like to know – and probably more – in the reunion show!

Digital High Episode 7

Digital High Episode 6

Digital High Episode 5

Digital High

Digital High Episode 3

Yes, I’m very behind with posting the Digital High episodes. Here is episode 2 for your listening pleasure:

“Digital High Episode 2

Digital High

Vince introduces Andie and Donna to their current audience, and the gang gets right into talking about gaming news and their favorite shooters of 2010. There’s also a prize giveaway, so be sure to listen to win!!

We hope you enjoy the podcast, everyone. Thanks for all your support!

Donna plays ‘Who Would You Do’ with Craig. The top 10 Facebook apps for the previous week. Donna reviews several of the Video Game Award winners from Spike TV. Time Magazine reveals their Man of the Year as well as the top 10 video games for 2010. Craig goes on a rant regarding parents and a McDonald’s lawsuit over Happy Meals.

Interview with Dave Hughes of radio and TV blog DCRTV.COM regarding the Howard Stern contract talks with Sirius XM Radio. We talk about new hacker hardware that allows people to steal your credit card information electronically through your pants and your wallet as you walk down the street. We talk about Angry Birds Seasons for Android. Plus all the latest gaming news, college shoutouts, the latest XBOX download content and much more.

If you’re looking for something geeky you can take out into the real
world, then look no further than the awesome range of tees and hoodies
created by the guys over at Insert Coin (www.insertcoinclothing.com /
@insertcointees). Made by designers who love games, they take some of
your favorite titles and put them straight into your wardrobe.
Stylish, geeky and very, very cool – make sure one of their tees or
hoodies makes it onto your Christmas list…

Tees – 20
Hoodies – 30

Unfortunately, that is the only premise to this game from Imagination and THQ. You are treated to being told this game has a “Unique Lie Detection System” measuring the tone of your voice. You calibrate the system by answering three questions truthfully, and then three questions with a deliberate lie. Regrettably, the “Lie detection” system is completely broken. Either that, or I am such a good liar, that I can convince the game into thinking “Fidel Castro is a sensitive man who has been misjudged” is the most truthful answer I could ever give. I kid you not; this answer gave me the full 1000 points for a truthful answer. I admitted to murder (which I haven’t done, should my lawyers be reading this) and again, was given a truthful answer. In fact, it seemed no matter what I did, I couldn’t lie. So when I put on a high pitched voice and got “Lie”, I attempted to recreate this with the same words and the same pitch – And I got a “Truth”.

The idea of the game, in theory, is a good one. Get a few people around a microphone (A USB mic is needed, an Xbox Live Headset will not work), have a few drinks and answer questions. In practice, it fails due to the detection system being absolutely broken. Furthermore, even setting the questions to “Adult” doesn’t pose any risqué questions. You can skip a question if you don’t want to answer, but none of them are incriminating enough for you to actually care.

Are you telling the truth? Who cares?

There is a Hot Seat option, whereby you ask somebody a question, and then the answer it into the microphone to detect if it’s a lie or a truth. But after 10 minutes of actually playing this game, the question arises “Why don’t we just play Truth or Dare?”

The only plus side I can get for this game is the achievement list is pretty simple. I would not recommend buying this; I can barely recommend renting the game. If you want to play a game like this, grab a few friends and actually just play Truth or Dare. It’ll be more fun, and there are no loading screens.

Summary
I commend the developers for trying something new, for trying to give a completely different type of game and for attempting to give us something completely refreshing. Unfortunately, the entire system the game is built upon is broken. I will deviate from my usual breakdown scoring and instead give this an overall score.

Overall Score
3/10

I know it’s been a while since there’s been activity here but I was on vacation and then came home just in time to celebrate Thanksgiving with family. It’ll start picking up now.

In case you all didn’t know, I decided to get my very first tattoo! It took me a long time to decide what I wanted, and I finally decided to go with a really cool Ratchet & Clank picture I found online. Here are a couple of pictures taken of it just after it was done. One is with flash, one without:

Artist: Brandon Phillips, Stain Tattoo, Reno, NV

Artist: Brandon Phillips, Stain Tattoo, Reno, NV

I got it on my right shoulder. It took three hours to do and it hardly even hurt!

I can’t wait to get another one.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010: Top 10 games that should be on your holiday list. Donna reveals the size of actor James Garner’s ‘junk’. Craig rants about iPads, 720p TVs, and Black Friday shoppers. Donna gets a new tattoo. 15 big games moved to 2011 release including Gears of War 3. and much more.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010: The Top 10 Commandments for Facebook status updates. Initial review of the Microsoft Kinect. Our college shout-out email this week is from Patrick at the University of Alabama. We update you on the status of our McDonalds Happy Meal experiment after one month. We… talk about two new apps for the iPhone and much much more.

Upon seeing the press release below, a new wave of excitement washed over me. I love Tim Schafer, I love Arcade games, and a humorous puzzle game with a quirky plot sounds absolutely wonderful to me. There are a few elements from the press release which stand out, such as multiple ways to complete challenges, and of course the storyline itself. Scehduled for release early 2011, this is one XBLA title I will be paying close attention to.

Press Release Courtesy of THQ
In Stacking, a family of Russian stacking dolls has been separated by tough economic times. The youngest doll, Charlie Blackmore, begins a heroic effort to bring his family back together. But he’s one size smaller than any other doll in the world. Game players will help Charlie, who is all too accustomed to being overlooked and dismissed – too small to be of any real consequence – discover that his size can be his greatest strength.

So Blood Bowl Legendary Edition is a turn based sports game based on the world of Warhammer. The game itself is loosely based on American football, but it requires much more thought. Each match is composed of two halves with eight turns for each player.

As a complete newb to the series I have to say the learning curve is quite steep for this game. Every turn you get the chance to move all of your players, that is unless a player fails an action, in which case it immediately changes to the other players turn. Should most likely perform the riskiest actions last then. Should point out an action is successful based on the roll of a dice, you need to roll higher than the amount required to succeed. Actions you can perform involve running with the ball, passing and making tackles. If you run or make a pass near the other teams players you risk getting tackled or losing possession of the ball. Of course the object of the game is to score a touchdown and get a higher score than your opponent. To top this all off your players all have various different abilities, which augment how likely successful some actions will be, for example the sure hands ability means that player will more than likely always catch the ball.

Right that just about covers the basic rules for the game, there is of course a tutorial course on the game which explains this all a bit better than me, but that should help you understand it all.

So I jumped into the campaign mode after a few warm up matches, of course I had to take charge of the Vikings. You can draft in players (I got some giant blue monster thing) and train them, you can also hire cheerleaders (yes they help increase certain stats) and pick sponsors. It’s actually quite in depth and provides a good challenge taking part in a full season. The game also includes a story mode, which aims to explain the origins of blood bowl. In this mode you take over as a coach in some predetermined match ups. It’s an interesting mode that you can go into and not worry so much about team management, while each challenge becomes more and more difficult.

To summarise this a challenging and addictive game. It might not be for everyone, but give it a go, you might be surprised.

Blood Bowl Legendary Edition
Gameplay: 8/10 – Something a bit different for these days, you can relax and think about things at your own pace with this game, may not appeal to everyone, but is addictive and satisfying.
Presentation: 7/10 – Colourful graphics and a humerous commentary team, nothing particularly ground breaking in this department but it does the job well.
Accessibility: 4/10 – The game suffers here, this isn’t just a pick up and play game, you’ll need to spend some time learning the rules and practicing before you can hope to win a match. (Patience very much required)
Replayability: 8/10 – Once you get into this there is tons of things you can do, the campaign mode is particularly satisfying, pick a team, draft in players and climb the ranks. Or jump into a league online, if you’re good enough.

Overall: 7/10 In a world full a twitch fps’s this is a bit of a refreshing change, absolutely understand it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but give it a go, you might find yourself getting stuck into it for a good few hours.

We go through all 17 Microsoft Kinect titles and tell you our Top 3 that are worth buying and which ones to avoid. We give a review of Rock Band 3 from Harmonix and MTV. The news and comment segment with Donna as well as some Twitter fun with MoviesInMyPants. All this and more.

I’m not always a dick
It’s true, sometimes I can be quite friendly, but I often find it fun to have a bit of a laugh with people. So for example, recently I may have found a group of Spanish people, screamed “Me el queso!” at them while performing a heroic pose. And of course there are always random people dancing in very odd places. Of course you should show some respect for the people you meet online, and generally the people on there are very friendly, all willing to chat.

Let’s go shopping
So the original store area for PS home was massive, it was two floors and was just basically a huge mall. Thankfully they’ve simplified it now into a square similar to the home square, a few stores which still have anything you could possibly want. The only downside to home is that, while you do get quite a few items and clothes, most things you will have to pay for, I think the cheapest items are around 79p at the moment. There is also quite a lot of stuff in the store for free, worth a look for sure.

The social network
Well honestly this is the point of home, to meet up with people. There are plenty of little games dotted around to break the ice when meeting people as well, I’ve had a few games of pool or chess with random people, while talking about silly things really. I think what’s great about home is that there is such a massive variety of people who are wandering around, of course as soon as there’s a girl around the guys just swarm in like vultures, kind of like real life then.

Your place or mine?
I love having my own little space on home, yes so I only have the basic apartment at the port (that you’re given) and I’ve also got a bat cave filled with sofa’s (bit random I know). Some of these spaces can actually be quite breath-taking and you can easily customise, well anything.

So that’s it really, for me home is just somewhere I can go to chill out, have a bit of fun meeting people and maybe catch some of the latest trailers (anyone seen the machete trailer? What a cast) I may not be on there all the time, but I’m glad it’s available, and for free. I’m also very curious what will be coming in the future, I’d like to be able to interact with other characters, like shake their hand, play rock paper scissors, or just a button bashing thumb war. Maybe they’ll let me have a jukebox in my own space, maybe let me put my own music on it? Who knows?

Do you sign into PlayStation home regularly, if at all? And what is the main appeal for you?

We open the show with a random Facebook call to Ghana and learn more about their fine beaches. Donna reads her Facebook messages from guys trying to hit on her. We talk about a website that lists the bands that will turn your kids gay if they listen to them. Wy would anyone want to use JAGTAGs. Donna has the news headlines and more.

Episode 1 of my new podcast is now available at The Podcast with Craig and Donna

I hope you all enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed recording it. Craig and I would LOVE you all to leave us a voicemail for the next show at 202-559-ROCK (7625).

The show will be available on iTunes soon, I’ll keep you posted on when it’s available.

Again, without the support of you all I couldn’t have done this. Much love to you!

First on my list was one I’ve been meaning to try for a long time, I MAED A GAME3 W1TH Z0MB1ES 1NIT!!!1. The title speaks for itself, and this is a simple Twin Stick shooter in the mould of Geometry Wars, but with weapon and health pickups akin to Smash TV. 2 hours later, I realised I was still playing this game, and I’d already got my money’s worth from this game.

Next on my list was the simply amazing Apple Jack. If you’ve ever played an old platform/puzzle game such as Dizzy you will feel right at home here. Subtle humour, some great puzzles and challenging gameplay. Again, only 80MSP. But I’m not here to waffle about how great these games are, they’re cheap enough for you guys and girls to try for yourself, I am here however, to help remind the avid gamer (Especially the younger ones) that this is how games used to be.

Simple, effective and time destroying games with no achievements. That last part will probably make the “typical” gamer of today shudder or scrunch their face up and think “Well what’s the point of that game then?”. Playing games such as Apple Jack made me remember fondly the hours I lost to gaming growing up. Rewinding a cassette tape on my C64 after 20 minutes because it crashed for no reason; making 11 floppy disk changes just to boot up a game. But back then, the “big” games had one emphasis; fun.

Unfortunately, we’ve got to the stage where a game’s review score can be put up or down based on the achievements or trophies it has. Some people will even go as far as to say a game such as, oh I don’t know, Halo: Reach, is a poor game on the basis some achievements won’t unlock. I’m not saying it isn’t frustrating when an achievement doesn’t unlock,it is, but it doesn’t determine how good or bad a game is. Nor am I bashing anybody who likes to achievement hunt, if you’d rather get a pointless number next to your online handle than enjoy a game, that’s your perogative, and certain achievements can be fun to go after. But those people who feel the need to constantly boost achievements by getting a friend to help them get the elusive 1000GS or Platinum Trophy, and then never touch the game again? Please, for your sake, for my sake and for the sake of future games being developed – Go back to the game and try playing it as a game, and not as something to boost a number. Better yet, try one of the three Indie Games I’ve mentioned (Surely at least one of them will appeal to every reader) and maybe, just maybe, we can go back to enjoying games for being games.

If you find my sadness an overreaction, you don’t understand how much the S4G guys have influenced me as an amateur broadcaster.

Ten months ago Steve was kind enough to take the Pink and Deadly crew under his wing. He offered us priceless advice and became one of our largest supporters. Several people offered us support; however, Steve was willing to hold the hands of three ladies with no podcasting experience, whom he didn’t even know, as we went through an extremely hectic time. He never wavered as our pillar, and hasn’t to this day.

I wanted to emulate S4G with Pink and Deadly — a video gaming show that was a little vulgar, lots of fun, and had hosts with an effortless rapport that would be only upstaged by their raw talent. Chris has a side-splitting gift of comedic timing that takes Steve’s own brilliant, self-deprecating humor and runs with it.

There’s just a couple of podcasts out there that I listen to and think, “I want that. That’s what I aspire to be.” Sanctuary 4 Gamers has been one of them.

I’ve just finished listening. In it, Chris jokingly asked Steve, “Who would listen to US first?” Well, I did. I’d listen to their show before I’d listen to my own because I knew I’d get great insight into video games and a hell of a lot of laughs.

I’m not sure how to close this mush-fest. All I can say is: Steve and Chris, God damn it, I’m gonna miss you guys.

At first glance, Comic Jumper’s gameplay seems like your average side scroller akin to titles such as Streets Of Rage. Your first mission will have you destroying enemies with your fists and feet, before you get to wield machine guns with unlimited ammo. If you’ve played Shadow Complex, or even the original Bionic Commando, you’ll feel at home running from left to right, jumping and using the right stick to aim while continuously holding down the Right Trigger. You’re treated to a few Quick Time Events as well, which fit in perfectly.

The hero you control, Captain Smiley, isn’t the brightest star in the sky, and has constant verbal battles with Star (A wise cracking Star placed on Captain Smiley’s chest). Unfortunately for Captain Smiley, Star and the various evil-doers, their comic has been cancelled. Once this happens, the game takes a different turn from your average side scroller and turns into something extremely clever. You have a base of operations where you can walk around and talk to people, including your nemeses from your original comic, and this is where you find out the main portion of the game.

Captain Smiley needs to get his credibility back to get his comic back on the shelves. To do this you must jump into other people’s comics and make cameo appearances. You gain money from doing missions and for exploring levels, which you can use to upgrade Captain Smiley’s abilities.

Some of the humour is top notch, and shows just how great Twisted Pixel can be. In your base of operations there are two arcade machines which are “The Maw” and “’Splosion Man” – Twisted Pixel’s previous forays into XBLA. From here you can buy the games, which is a clever (if cheeky) touch, but hearing Star completely criticise The Maw (by saying “They released DLC which should’ve been in the original game, they’re rip off merchants”) is a brilliant playful jab at not only their first mistakes regarding an XBLA title, but also at the ‘marks’ on the Internet.

Visually, this game is a joy to behold, and you will find yourself laughing out loud or even grinning like an idiot during certain times, for instance, Brad’s Song. If you heard the “Everybody loves doughnuts” song from ‘Splosion Man, you’ll understand what I mean here.

If you have never played a Twisted Pixel game before, and you have a sense of humour, I highly suggest you check out at least one of their Arcade Titles – Comic Jumper would be a great start for a Twisted Pixel virgin.

Scoring
Gameplay 9/10 – Not staying linear is always a good idea, especially when the execution of each moment and boss battle is this good
Presentation 8.5/10 – Nothing graphically impressive, but the comic style along with the voice acting and constant banter is top notch
Audio 8.5/10 – Some brilliant songs when certain people appear and grade A voice acting
Accessibility 8/10 – A slight tutorial at the beginning helps, and the way it’s done is very clever
Replay Value 8/10 – There is a lot to go back to, and it is the game I would personally go back and play again from the beginning
Overall (Not An Average) – 9/10

(Comic Jumper is released 6^th October 2010 on Xbox Live Arcade and PSN)

Responsibility isn’t as fun as they make it out to be. Rent, insurance, work, planning social events months in advance…it becomes a bit complicated. At this point in my life I’m supposed to be engaged to some charming young man and considering names for the babies I may/may not already have. Oh and video games? Those things should have been sold in a garage sale when I went off to college.

Here’s the present day deal though. I’m nearly 24, and still playing video games. I think half of my annual income goes into them actually, if not more. For you young’ns out there, I’m a dinosaur. To some of my veteran sisters, I’m a baby. With the age of the average gamer climbing every year, why the hell does everyone think that this is something we’re supposed to “grow out of”?

Donna, this is for you, and everyone like you. All those 30, 40, and 50 something women out there picking up controllers. All those grandmothers with DS machines nestled on the night stand. Thank you. It’s not just for the ladies either, the gentlemen are just as important in this demographic. Every person who isn’t afraid of the difference between FPS and RPG, MMO and RTS that wasn’t born with a controller in hand. Welcome, and make yourselves at home.

I was in class Monday afternoon discussing gender in media when my Professor used a series of curious examples: Halo, World of Warcraft, Guild Wars and Metroid. My Professor spoke fluent gamer. Her use of gaming as an educational example is another rant for another day, but the amazement on my face to see this scholarly woman, gray hair to her shoulders, discussing Master Chief…well I could barely contain myself.

Gaming is a very curious sort of world. Only while owning kids in Call of Duty can I talk to a 14 year old kid and not get arrested. Only online can someone openly call someone else a series of profanely offensive racial slurs and not get charged with a hate crime. If I wanted to be very creepy, I could threaten someone’s life and maybe get away with it (don’t try this at home kids). But with the scary comes the great and enlightening as well.

On the heels of my last post about the evils of cyberbullying in the game space, I wanted to give Pink and Deadly’s readers something a bit more hopeful and uplifting. When I was young, gaming was this shameful hobby you did in the basement, away from the world and snubbed by all social norms. Or maybe I was just a weird kid. But how many of you, especially the ladies, found solidarity in the gaming worlds in your younger years?

Back to the present, where there’s no less than 500,000 players (estimated) on Halo Reach at any given time, people who share your interest and passion for FPS games set in space where you play as super soldiers. And out of that demographic, I estimate anywhere between 50,000 and 300,000 are in your age group (depending of course on your group).

So I guess I just wanted to say thank you, to video game culture, as well as the gamers who make it so. For creating this world where millions of us can play without fear (in theory of course). Where age limits need not apply and you do not need to be ‘this tall’ to ride the ride.

Parents, grandparents – put down that TV Remote and pick up some controllers. Halo needs some players who have yet to hear the word “owned”.

I would like a little bit of audience participation this week, for the sake of my inner child’s curiosity. Tell me readers, what age did you start gaming and why? Do you think games were more accepted socially when you started than they are now? And if you started in the days of old like me, what was your most significant memory? If you started in the past decade, what about the latest tech drew you in and why?

Weigh in, I’ve love some feedback on what got you guys into this whole crazy mess.

And before I leave off…

As a closing note, I apologize for my lapse in posting. I do work gaming retail, and with a few notable releases this month (ahem Halo), things have been slightly hectic. Will strive to get things rolling at a better pace, but I appreciate the patience from both readers and Staff. You guys = awesome.

This may not come as much of a shock to a lot of you, but I love RPG’s. The first Mass Effect is possibly my favourite RPG of all time and I truly believe Bioware are masters of storytelling; I hate Star Wars, yet was hooked by Knights Of The Old Republic. Games that completely grab me, and let me go at my own pace, are the sort of games I adore. Recently, Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days has a reported Campaign time of around 2 and a half hours. You can complete that game in less time than it would take to watch the first Lord Of The Rings, or the same amount of time to watch Armageddon.

I understand the focus for Kane & Lynch 2 is on the multiplayer, but with such a short campaign is it really worth having? Both Modern Warfare single players were around 5-6 hours, and I don’t know how long Reach actually takes, but enough people have completed it already. Granted, these games are shooters with the focus heavily on Multiplayer, but can one really enjoy a campaign mode which doesn’t last particularly long? Or am I just being picky about games not lasting long enough? After all, Limbo is only a short game yet I raved about that. Maybe it’s because it didn’t cost me the full £40 a normal retail game does, with the same length of a campaign

I’m not trying to ‘bash’ shooters, if it does indeed seem I’m coming across this way, but maybe I’ve been spoiled too much by RPG’s. Perhaps I’m just longing for another breathtaking RPG to come out on my beloved Xbox 360 where I can throw away 20 hours of my life, yet come back for more and start another play through. Thankfully, I seldom get games on release as I have been hurt by the hefty entrance fee, only to be disappointed by a short story on more than one occasion.

Is there such a demand for shooters or games with a low hourly input, that they keep being churned out? Or is it simply a case of it being easier to make a FPS with a 5 hour story due to the engine already being easily available? Either way, they seem to sell by the bucket-load and I fear the majority of time stealing games, which normally belong to the RPG genre, are a dying breed in this day and age of the ADD riddled gamer.

Much like the PC and iPhone/iPad versions of this game, there are a multitude of mini-games to take part in, including but not limited to, a role reversal where you are the zombies. The humour is ramped up on high, from some of the noises made by the plants and zombies, to Crazy Dave’s random sayings (Everything will be A-O-Good is a personal favourite). The addition of the mini-games adds a lot of longevity to the game, along with modes such as survival (Keep going until the zombies win).

Added to the XBLA version, however is a Versus mode and co-op. Playing this game with another person was always going to be a fantastic idea, along with same console co-op in Adventure mode this is a fantastic addition. The game itself appeals to almost everybody, even my 30+ year old sister who has always hated games aside from Guitar Hero.

Is it worth the money?
A lot of Arcade titles are coming out at 1200MSP these days, so the biggest issue I have to address on an Arcade title is, is it worth the money? You can obviously download a trial and see if you like the game and it’s humour first, but I honestly feel this is well worth 1200MSP. I said the same with Limbo, which is a short game. Plants vs. Zombies isn’t a short game by any stretch of the imagination, and the replay value is immense. I fully believe this is a game worth the price tag, due to the sheer amount of fun you get, along with the time you will put into it.

Summary
What looks like a childish and simple game, is a typically addictive Popcap game. “Just ten more minutes” will turn into another hour or two.

Scoring
Gameplay 9/10 – A very addictive game with lots of game modes to keep your attention
Presentation 9/10 – Cute graphics, along with some funny animations give this a high score
Audio 7/10 – “Old school” music, along with some amusing lines and grunts from the Plants and Zombies
Accessibility 9/10 – Easy for everyone to get into, along with a very insightful tutorial.
Replay Value 8/10 – The mini games will be enough to bring you back time and again, along with an addictive Adventure mode and co-op values.
Overall (Not An Average) – 9/10

I wanted to take a moment to deal with some of the more interesting insults/situations I’ve encountered in my life, as a gamer, as a girl, and more directly as a combination of the two. After a vague introduction, I thought this might be a nice way for you to really see how my inner workings tick. Most of these issues are the direct result of exposure to online communities of the FPS nature, but as an effort to keep the loyal/rabid fans from rioting, I shan’t name names. But the balance of things a girl will endure, versus her male counterpart, is very interesting…

First off, when did one’s sexual orientation ever directly effect their gaming performance? I was unaware that my preference for men or women could entirely disorient my gaming reflexes. I’ve done a good deal of research on the topic, but I can find no connection. Maybe one of my less mature comrades can explain this in meticulous detail to me. I find this insults especially curious as it applies to both male and female gamers, whereas most of my other quips seem limited to those lacking a Y chromosome.

However talented I am at making sandwiches, given three years of Deli experience, what would possess me to make one for you, a complete stranger? And for free? For those of you who are curious, I have a standard minimum $5 sandwich fee, plus cost of overnight shipping. Oh, and tips. Anything less just results in a dangerous monstrosity at your doorstep instead of a tasty treat. So no thanks guys, I actually won’t be making you a sandwich, how about you make me something instead? I don’t know, a garden salad, a decent stew, hell I’ll take a cookie if it’s done right.

I know my shots are point perfect and my kill to death ratio is the reason being so high in the positive digits you’re so frustrated, so obviously, I must be fat. Being awesome and being fat go hand in hand, don’t you know. Again, I could not seem to locate the research to back this up, but it must be out there. It seems to be an irrefutable fact on XBox Live that girls who kick ass only do so because they spend so much time on theirs. I don’t see how larger fingers on the buttons would make my reflexes sharper, but so be it.

Now come the more serious issues. The threats of all manner and kind, I’m sure many of you know what I’m talking about. Ladies and gentlemen, I’m going to say this once, and only once. Let it be. Breathe in. Say it with me, calmly, slowly – It. Is. Just. A. Game. Breathe out. Feel better now? Life is too short, as are in game rounds, for such attacks. Not only do these comments carry real world consequences, but they are entirely unnecessary. Shooting your imaginary avatar with my imaginary gun from 3000 miles away is hardly anything worth threatening my life over. Anyone care to offer a theory why some people online are so verbally violent? I say “verbally violent” because the guy threatening to rape me digitally is the same one I’ll bump into at PAX looking for a hug and a handshake. With all my research, all my pondering, all I can come up with is that some folks are just plain crazypants.

Now, now fellas, I’m not saying the ladies get all the hate, but correct me if I’m wrong, but it’s a different sort of criticism than the guys get. Despite the growing numbers, the overwhelming statistics, the world of gaming, and inherently, online gaming, is still very much a “man’s” world. And don’t think I’m one of those crazy ultra-feminists out to change the use of the world “history” because it begins with “his” – I could care less about minor details. But the point is that out of the 40% plus of girl gamers out there, most of them are still silently coasting by, keeping themselves protected against silly/stupid/immature/irresponsible/unprovoked/unnecessary attack. And yeah, bucking up and growing a stronger skin is part of life…however, and I emphasize – HOWEVER, there’s a limit.

I guess what I’m saying is this: It’s a scary world out there, especially when there’s so much going against you, despite your gender. The ladies have a few more chips on their shoulder to hold up, and a few more weaknesses to take advantage of. The point I’m trying to get at here is simple – We’re all in this together, it ought to be enjoyable for everybody, not just the four 12 year old boys calling each other “noob”.

Myself personally, I’ve been called every name in the book, and then some I didn’t know existed. I’ve laughed about it, I’ve cried about it, I’ve gotten revenge over it, and I’ve signed off over it. It’s all part of the process. In my mind, forging an identity online was much like doing so in High School. You have to go into the fire and come out, slightly singed but otherwise still breathing, in order to discover the person you’re meant to be.

For right now, that person is PMS Epidemic. It could be someone else tomorrow. Thankfully, the only thing holding me back from the next great idea…is $10.

And I’d like to take this time to introduce myself as the newest writer on the Pink & Deadly staff. First, the basics:

I’m 23, I assistant manage a store with a large gaming specific retailer, and I’m a University of Oregon student majoring in Journalism. I’ve been gaming since I could walk, and I’ve got experience as an MLG competitor when Rainbow Six: Vegas was on the circuit.

Now that the boring details are out of the way, let’s get down to business.

I love gaming. And I don’t mean in some sort of way that a tourist loves the Caribbean. I love gaming with every fiber of my being. I work with games, I talk games, I play games…it’s sort of the common denominator in my life. So with my time here, it shouldn’t be a shock that we’re going to discuss gaming from time to time.

So as a girl in the gaming world and the retail one, there’s going to be some interesting discussions afoot around these parts, or so I hope. And that’s the idea. Gaming isn’t just playing anymore. There’s artistry, storytelling, a great many gears all operating at once and creating something interactive and fresh. But without players, there is no point or purpose – the game itself merely becomes another cog.

So I figure I’ll let the world sort of soak in my involvement here before I roll up my sleeves and get into some real conversation points. For a taste of some things I’m hoping to grasp here sortly are: changes in the gaming world (3D/Motion), the abundance of sequels vs the decline of fresh IPs, and the rise of Geek/Gaming Culture.

So sit back, relax, and buckle up friends – it’s going to be an interesting journey.

A similar issue had been raised during the release of Modern Warfare 2 and Bioshock 2. Red and green are extremely difficult, if not impossible, to be distinguished by the colour blind. Petitions have been created to change the red to an orange, and seemingly ignored. It may only be a small percentage of gamers with these problems, but I truly believe it is something that should always be addressed before the games are published.

Back to Kinect, a lot of gamers will not have the space to play it unless it is put into a large living area. The intention is simple; Kinect is one for the families to play together. Unfortunately, most families with young children who want to play party games already have a Nintendo Wii – Why shell out £130 for something most people already have? Six years ago, in 2004, the U.S. Bureau of the Census reported there are around 32 million registered disabled adults (Over the age of 18) and 5 million under the age of 18. A total of 37 million people are going to be unable to take full advantage of Kinect. Obviously, a smaller number of those 37 million people will be gamers, however Kinect which is to reach out to the “non-gamer” seems to be completely alienating a fairly large demographic.

Obviously, nobody knows how much of a success Kinect will be, and I never want new technology to fail. I do fear, however, that 9 out of 10 games released for Kinect will be typical “party” games with little to no thought. If this has seemed angry in any way, it’s not so much anger, more disappointment that a new gaming ‘system’ is coming out which I am going to be unable to use.

The Guitar Hero franchise, in my honest opinion, took a nose dive the moment Harmonix were not involved. Overcharted songs on Expert and a ridiculously loose timing window, meaning you can miss a not on the chart by a clear whole second, yet it still registers as successful. While this is good for people new to a rhythm game, it can detract from the actual gameplay. It certainly aims for the ‘fun’ factor more than a Rock Band game, which aims for being as realistic as possible.

Waiter, there’s a Spanish Fly in my soup
Some of the Van Halen songs are, predictably, extremely hard on guitar. Eddie’s “finger tapping” solos are there in all their glory/annoyance. However, the career mode is typically linear for a Guitar Hero game. You get given a list of songs, and you work your way through. There are no special targets to hit during a song, it’s simply “Gain enough stars to unlock the next venue” making the entire career mode a mundane experience.

Should you venture online, whether it be in a band or in a one on one battle, the game is still rife with quitters. There is nothing more annoying than nailing a perfect solo, only to see your opponent quit out.

One thing that Guitar Hero has got right is the addition of a sixth ‘open note’ on bass. At first, I’d imagine for a lot of rhythm game enthusiasts who’ve never picked up a real instrument, this would be a very difficult addition. As a bassist, I love this addition as it just makes the normally tedious charts of Bass Guitar on a rhythm game seem more authentic and a little more challenging.

I like smashing drums
The drums are, for the most part, charted very well on Expert. The addition of Expert+ modes on drums is completely unforgiving however. You will need a second bass pedal unless you have a ridiculously quick kicking foot. One thing I think I prefer in Guitar Hero drums over Rock Band drums is the ability to set off Star Power whenever you want. With Rock Band, you have to wait for a specific time to make a drum fill and hit the cymbal at the end. With the Guitar Hero drums, you simply hit both cymbals (Or blue and yellow on a Rock Band kit) whenever you want to set off your accumulated Star Power.

Summary
Guitar Hero: Van Halen is obviously going to be aimed at hardcore fans of the band, yet I feel a big slip-up has been made with the addition of other bands. Who are they trying to appeal to? Fans of Van Halen or a casual gamer? It has to be one or the other, trying to tread a line between both doesn’t work.

Scoring
Gameplay 7-10 – A typical Guitar Hero game, I don’t know what more can be said about it
Presentation 9/10 – Again typical from Guitar Hero. During the songs, they’ve taken careful consideration into the band movements and lip-synching
Audio 8/10 – It’s a music game, however when playing single player bass, it’s difficult to hear what you’re actually playing
Accessibility 6/10 – The addition of “beginner” modes is good for new players, yet the jump to the harder levels is extreme
Replay Value 4/10 – Once you’ve gone through the linear career mode there’s not much to bring you back
Overall (Not An Average) – 7/10

Miniiiiiiiiiiiii Ninjaaaaaaaaaaaa
The basic premise of Mini Ninjas is simple. You are, as the title would suggest, a Mini Ninja saving the village. On your quest you find your friends who all have different abilities. One can fire from a bow and arrow, one is a big lump with a massive wooden mallet, but your main character is typically ninja with his sword.

Let’s get a few good points out of the way first, the scenery is breathtaking. It is very easy to get lost amongst the beautiful backdrops and colours used. For a game where there is so little to do, this is most definitely a good thing. I find myself clutching at straws, but the way your Mini Ninjas run when you go into sprint, is nothing short of cute. The World is fairly open and certainly encourages exploration, which I can only deem as good for the younger gamer, something this game is clearly catered for.

I think, Therefore, I am Ninja
The main gameplay focuses around you controlling whichever Mini Ninja you like the look of and running towards the end of the level, should you avoid exploration. On your way, random foes will appear or be situated in typical areas for you to dispatch. There is a slight element of strategy in the sense it’s often a good idea to use your Bow and Arrow Ninja to take out the archers before cleaning house with a melee weapon. Once through, you will eventually find a boss battle. Every boss battle reacts in the same way. Find a way to stun the boss, and follow the on-screen Quick Time Events. Rinse and repeat. For some reason, this is exactly the same for every boss battle in the game. After one or two, I found little to no reason to carry on with such linear gameplay; I was pretty much on auto-pilot.

The game isn’t terrible, not by a long stretch of the imagination; it’s just not particularly good. In the best way possible, this is a great little game to get the younger ones into something with a bit of depth. There’s the ability to cast spells such as Fireballs and take over bodies of animals for very basic stealth, along with regular well set checkpoints.

Summary
Mini Ninjas is not going to break any standards in gaming, it will, however, appeal to the very casual gamer or gamers of a younger age. With reason to explore levels and a basic combat system, this is a great “learning” game.

Scoring
Gameplay 6/10 – Nothing groundbreaking, but very solid with little to no glitches.
Presentation 8/10 – Stunning backdrops with no frame-rate issues.
Audio 4/10 – Very cheesy dialogue with terribly played accents.
Accessibility 7/10 – Great for newcomers to pick up and play, however the camera can be a bit fiddly.
Replay Value 5/10 – If you enjoyed it the first time round, you’ll come back. Otherwise there is little to no replay value.
Overall (Not an Average) – 6/10

Shoot me baby, one more time
You take control of either Rios or Salem, the two main characters from the original Army of Two. A tale of Bromance and destroying the living Hell out of anything that dares to move from a Third Person Perspective. Thankfully, Ao2: The 40^th Day managed to leave behind one of the biggest annoyances of the original; no more do you have to co-operatively use a parachute and snipe people. Making a welcome return is the Aggro system, where one player blind fires from a certain position, drawing all the enemy attention, leaving your partner to move on and take out the oblivious bad guys. This is the sort of system that works so well with a co-op partner, with communication being the key to success.

Anybody who’s played a 3^rd Person Shooter before will be completely at home with the controls of Ao2: The 40^th Day. Some minor changed from it’s predecessor, such as mapping a grenade throw to a single button instead of a weapon slot are extremely welcome. The main issue found with the controls, is having to click the right analogue stick in to decide whether the camera is over your right or left shoulder. While taking cover in the heat of the moment, this is something that can often cause confusion, followed by death from a barrage of bullets as you accidentally leave cover.

Give some love for the Bromance and… Paper, Rock, Scissors?
Throughout the game, you can congratulate or ridicule your partner. If your partner saves your butt, be sure to go over to him and press A and watch the guy love. Did he put you in a tight spot causing an un-needed gun fight? Go over and press B to kick him in the crotch. As always, these moments can be open to abuse, but are a welcome side-track from an all action game, as is playing Rock, Paper, Scissors with your opponent.

This is definitely a game designed to be played with a human co-op partner, as on your own with the AI, it seems very empty and dull.

Online
Ao2: The 40^th Day has finally added competitive online modes, absent from the first instalment. The best of these modes is definitely the co-op deathmatch option. Grab a partner, and go into battle with up to 5 other pairs. This is essentially a free for all, but with your partner. Again, having a good partner and good communication is key to survival and being successful in this mode. If you decide to go all Rambo on your own, expect to be gunned down quickly by two people sticking close together.

There is also an Extraction mode, much like Horde in Gears of War 2 whereby you take on wave after wave of evil-doers, progressively getting harder and more difficult to kill.

Summary
Army of Two: The 40^th Day is a fun game. It doesn’t particularly do anything groundbreaking, although the Aggro system is pure genius. Being able to mock surrender and then shoot the unsuspecting fools in the face is a nice touch, as well. This is a game of mindless violence, but is fun in the same way a Michael Bay film can be fun.

Scoring
Gameplay 7/10 – Standard fare controls for this genre, but the aggro system alone is worth checking out
Presentation 8/10 – Some crazy cut-scenes are beautifully done and throughout, is graphically superior to most.
Audio 6/10 – Cheesy dialogue which is super quiet during the cut-scenes
Accessibility 6/10 – The camera can be a bit of a pain, but nothing unplayable
Replay Value 4/10 – The multiplayer should keep you going until the online interest dies out
Overall (Not an Average) – 6.5/10

I’m sure the story will appeal to a vast audience; however, I felt the story to be a little too silly. That’s fine, I told myself, I’ve enjoyed plenty of games with little to no decent story in my time (Here’s looking at you, Wheelman). So story aside, let’s focus on the gameplay…

Hack and slash and slash and hack and BLOOD
At first glance, Darksiders seems like your fairly standard hack ‘n’ slash affair. Mash at a bunch of buttons and it makes you look like you knew you were trying to do that 34 hit combo. The game soon turns into an open-world affair, putting any points of interest you need to get to far away from each other leaving you running around at such a slow pace with a muscle-bound War. You have a mini map at the bottom right which, sometimes, tells you the direction you’re supposed to go (Something Rise Of The Argonauts was severely lacking) yet a lot of the time it’s never clear where you’re actually supposed to go. Playing this game, you will find yourself wandering around completely aimlessly for a lot of the time, desperate to try and find out exactly where the game is trying to send you. You are given the option of a ‘hint’ by holding down the back button, but this is about as useful as a kick to the crotch. If you press back to look at your map, it’ll tell you what you’re supposed to do without the snivelling sarcasm.

The hack ‘n’ slash mechanics of the game are really good, however. If you’ve played any hack ‘n’ slash before, you’ll know how the controls work on this. The battle is fluid, and you don’t ever feel like you’re on a losing path. It’s not easy, by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s challenging without being frustrating. Some of the bigger enemies and bosses have the age-old mechanic of finding their routine, dodging, and then attacking with aplomb. When War performs an instant kill, these are always satisfying, often going into a slow motion, close up visual of you chopping Hellish scum in half. Killing bosses is well worth the rinse and repeat formula, just to see the sheer gory way in which War decides to off his opponent.

Puzzles and platforms and lava, OH MY
Darksiders refuses to be pigeon-holed as a hack ‘n’ slash, however, and here come the platforming sections, with a heavy dose of puzzle solving. The puzzle solving should be brilliant; at first it reminded me of the original Resident Evil games. However, the puzzles are normally ruined by the platform elements – This is where I started to lose patience with the game. If you’re going to make your game even part platform adventure, then there is no reason why you shouldn’t be able to jump when War’s feet are on the ground and you press the jump button. Unfortunately, if you attempt to play this like a platformer, you will find yourself dying. All. The. Time. Don’t try and jump too close to the edge, it will not register that you pressed the jump button and instead you will see one of the Horseman of the Apocalypse pathetically fall to his death in a fiery pit of lava. Try to jump too early and watch again as he falls into that same God damn lava.

From a graphical stand point, the cut-scenes are amazing. However, it would appear more thought and time had been put into the cut-scenes than the actual gameplay. Constant screen-tearing and a jerky frame-rate whenever three enemies sneeze in your vicinity is enough to give even the hardened gamer a migraine.

Summary
Part hack ‘n’ slash, part RPG, part puzzler. Darksiders desperately attempts to think outside the box but got it all wrong. Had this stayed as a hack ‘n’ slash, it would’ve been a lot more enjoyable. If you want a hack ‘n’ slash game, go get Devil May Cry 4, it’s about £7. If you want a platform game, get either of the Prince Of Persia games.

Scoring
Gameplay 6/10 – What starts off as a good hack ‘n’ slash turns into a fight with controls.
Presentation 6/10 – Great cut-scenes are marred by terrible frame-rate issues
Audio 8/10 – Some good voice acting and relevant music adds to the games few good points
Accessibility 3/10 – Terrible platform elements forcing the “Trial and error” run which should be extinct.
Replay Value 2/10 – Some may go back for achievements, but the story will never change due to no choices.
Overall (not an average) – 5/10

For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Jamie and I go by the handle of PTermite. The P originally stood for Purple, but I guess it’s Pink now… I had been lucky enough to have my first podcasting experience on this lovely site with the “Original 3″ way back in episode 2 near Christmas time. I’ve always followed the site and podcasts, not just because I made great friends, but because I genuinely enjoyed it.

The idea of my review section is simple. Everybody and their Mother’s write reviews about new releases, and most of them score higher than they should due to the shiny gloss of a brand spanking new game, and this is where I come in. I enjoy reviewing games from a few years ago, unfortunately at the moment they are only on the Xbox 360, but I’m looking to change this in the near future.

One thing I will promise you with my reviews, I will be honest and give my personal opinion. I won’t hold back if I don’t like the game, and I certainly won’t look at previous reviews or scores. More importantly, I feel, I will review the games you lovely readers/listeners want reviewing. Is it something you’ve heard about but not sure? Do you just want to see me write a review for Hannah Montana because you’re evil and want to see me in pain? Either way, feel free to e-mail your thoughts and suggestions to gamereviews@pinkanddeadly.com

Furthermore, if you just want to hound me, ask questions, suggest an article or want to hear my ludicrous opinion on something you can reach me at either PTermite@pinkanddeadly.com or on my Twitter. I look forward to my stay here, and I hope you enjoy my offerings!

Much love,
Susan/Jamie/PTermite