You read it here first folks (Or at least I hope so): Smackdown vs Raw 2007 Demo
For those of you out there with Xbox Live 360, the demo for Smackdown vs Raw 2007 is now available on the Xbox Live marketplace. Grab it. We’ll have first impressions here after I play it for a little bit. If it hasn’t been posted all over your favorite gaming sitesalready, then you read it here first!
Lost Classics: Gundam Battle Assault 2 (PS1)
This little number came out nearly 2 years after the PS2 launch, when PS1 support was all but a joke. As a result, some really good games slipped by, including this. Gundam, one of the biggest franchises in anime, hasn’t had very many good games, making this a real stand out. In fact, I would go on to say that this 2-D fighting game is one of the best games to make use of the licence. You take control of over 30 mobile suits from each major period in Gundam; the one year war, Gundam Wing, and G Gundam. In the story mode, you select one of 8 characters and take them through an individualized storyline based on thier series, complete with mid-bosses and final bosses. Although the character selection and storylines for G Gundam is somewhat dissappointing, (no Sweede Gundam, Schwartz Bruder, or Shining Gundam, and Master Asia remains a good guy but at least there are no major spoilers for the people who haven’t seen the anime) Many of your favorites from UC and After Colony are here, including some really big ones like Dorezil’s big mech and the Neue Ziel. The animation is pretty unique, animating individual parts of the mobile suits rather than the whole. This is a fun game to check out for anyone who likes 2-d fighting games, especially Gundam fans.
$20 Game of the week: Return to Castle Wolfenstein (Xbox, PS2, PC)
Although this is available on the three formats I mentioned above for $20 or less, this is mainly focusing on the Xbox version of the game. Wolfenstein 3-D was the start of two big revolutions in gaming. It was one of the first games that bought home the actual WW2 experience, complete with zombies, mutant dogs, and a cyborg Hitler. This is a feat that would not be achieved until years later with EA’s Medal of Honor (albeit with no zombies or cyborgs). Secondly, it was the birth of the genre we know as “First Person Shooters” or FPS for short. Although it had it’s set of issues, (limited weapons and enemy varieties, repetitive levels, etc) this would continue to hold a special place in the hearts of gamers everywhere.
Fast forward to 2002. ID decided to revive it’s top two franchises in the FPS genre, Wolfenstein and Doom. Return to Castle Wolfeinstein was the first out the gate, with many receiving it better than Doom 3. Ton console version was even better, packing in several new features such as squad-based Xbox Live play, offline co-op, new prequel levels, and the original Wolfenstein as an unlockable. Eschewing the silliness of the past games, ID offers up a deep plot drawing upon the occult history of the Third Reich. As BJ Blazkowicz, you fight your way to Nazi Germany to stop the resurrection of an ancient scientist. With several weapons at your disposal, you must fight past Nazis, undead creatures, and even experimental super soldiers.
For WW2 fans looking for an alternative from the usual “Call of the battlefield of Honor archetypes”, this is a fun game to pick up.
They Came For Me 2006
Ganked and gaffles from pastor Martin Niemöller (1892-1984), his original poem explained why inaction during the Holocaust encourages people like Hitler and his Nazis. It’s been translated several times and adapted into songs. In several versions stanzas were left out and others were added (for instance, during the Red scare in the 50s, the verse about communism was removed) but here is the original poem, translated from German into English.
| Original Poem | |
|---|---|
| When the Nazis came for the communist, I remained silent; I was not a communist.When they locked up the social democrats, I remained silent; I was not a social democrat.When they came for the trade unionists, I did not speak out; I was not a trade unionist.When they came for me, there was no one left to speak out. |
Why do I have this here? Becuase I made my own version. Just as the orignal spoke on how the silence of German intellectuals encouraged the Nazis, the silence of our youth and our intellectuals encourages the misdeeds of the current republican administration. You can read more about the original poem here. On a side note, a lot of American and English adaptations leave out communist and Social Democrats while adding in Catholics and Jews. WOnder why that is?
Oh well, without further ado, They Came for Me 2006.
They came for the Arab/muslims er…oops, terrorists
I didn’t speak up becuase I was neither an Arab or a Muslim.
Next they came for the Immigrants.
I didn’ t speak up becuase I was born and raised in America.
Then they came for the gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transsexuals
I didn’t speak up becuase I was straight.
Then they came for the Liberals.
I didn’t speak up becuase I didn’t know that participating in an anti-war rally and speaking out against Bush automatically makes you a liberal.
Then they came for the Intellectual Elitists.
I didn’t speak up becuase I don’t know what the hell that was supposed to mean.
Finally, they came for me.
By then, there was no one left to speak up for me.
Details on KentBSR O.Gs. Original Grooves
I promised you new details on my new show for fall 2006, here they are. Check it out every saturday from noon until 2pm by logging onto www.kentbsr.com.
I’m not hostile no more like last year, so I’m gonna play a mix of Urban music and R&B. There is gonna be a sharp increase in old school R&B, so for all you OGS who like th eIsleys, George Clinton, Gil Scott Heron, and the OJays, tune in.
The request line is 3306723193.
Fresh to you from the OG of Kent’s hardest hitting online station.
Remember, that’s 12pm – 2pm every saturday
online at www.kentbsr.com
For those of us who want an alternative to today’s mainstream radio.
The O.G. of the Hardest hitting radio station in Kent is returning this fall!
Stay tuned for date, time, and further announcements!
Will’s week in cheap gaming: SRPG-A-go-go
One of the most enduring subgenres of gaming is the Strategy-RPG, or SRPG as I’ll refer to it for the purposes of this write-up. Combining turn-based RPG conventions with grib-based strategy, these games are like a marriage of chess, Command and conquer, and Final Fantasy. From Shining Force on the Sega genesis to Final Fantasy Tatics, this subset of RPGS are easy to pick up and play, yet difficult to master. This week’s $20 GOTY and lost classics will take a look at two entries in this genre. Read the rest of this entry »
ATTN Pro Lifers: An innocent life needs your help! (Updated)
Update: Davis was denied clemency this past Friday and is set to be executed next Tuesday (September 23rd) at 7 pm. We need to take action NOW!
Update:Davis has recently been granted a stay of execution for 90 days. He may also have a chance to go before the supreme court and appeal for a new trial.
It’s time for you guys to step up and prove that you’re pro-life and not just anti-abortion. All life is precious, weather or not it’s a fetus right? So in just a matter of weeks, this man, Troy Anthony Davis will be put to death, even though there is a big chance that this man could be innocent.
Davis was convicted in 1991 of the 1981 murder of a police officer. There was no physical evidence linking him to the crime, the murder weapon hasn’t been found, and seven out of nine witnesses have recanted their statements. However, all his appeals have failed, and this is his last chance. What I need you to do is to click the link below and sign the ‘take action form’ and contact the state of Georgia. Even if he is guilty of the crime, all the evidence should be taken into account before making the decision to execute him.
http://www.troyanthonydavis.org/
Remember Pro lifers, people outside the womb are part of the culture of life too.
Will’s week-in gaming: Return of the brawler
This week’s $20 GOTY and lost classics segments focus on the eventual re-emergence of the brawler. Ever since the golden age of titles such as Final Fight and Double Dragon, arcade and console gamers have enjoyed bashing thier way to the other side of the screen using an assortment of moves. However, after the 16-bit generation, the popularity of true brawlers has waned, due in fact to developer’s instance of making games in 3-d, including our belover beat-em-ups. In recent years however, there has been a resurgance of intrest in the brawler, mostly due to the fact that developers have managed to do it the right way. Lets take a look at two such games, one you may have missed, and the other being more recent. BTW, starting this week, or whenever I stop being lazy, I’m moving this back to the weekend. (Will’s week-in gaming. Get it?)
Saint’s Row Review
Wow! I thought Grand Theft Auto 4 wasn’t supposed to be released until next fall! Nevertheless, I’m always ready to do some more random carjacking and pedestrian killing! But what’s with the name change though? And where is the Rockstar logo?All kidding aside, Saint’s Row certainly isn’t gonna win any awards for originality. However, we should be thankful that someone decided to copy GTA instead of something like ‘True Crime’ or ‘25 to Life’ for once. Read the rest of this entry »
