XBox 360 Rally

The guys at TeamXbox had not only a nice review of the device, but even got to get an interview with “Xbox Live’s Group Program Manager”

Some highlights:

• “While we are sure that game developers will implement this keyboard into their titles down the line, this peripheral was created to make text chat and IM over the Xbox 360 easier and more convenient. We are excited to see how game developers use this accessory in the future, but games were not the primary reason for its creation.”
• “..the Xbox 360 QWERTY Keypad Device wasn’t specifically developed because World of Warcraft will play better, but it’s only a matter of time before we see game info data reading “supports keypad”. We would loved to have reported to you all that the Xbox 360 QWERTY Keypad Device makes playing Phantasy Star Online much more enjoyable”
• “..the Xbox 360 QWERTY Keypad Device will essentially make your sticks into one uber-device. In fact, we bet you forget that the Xbox 360 QWERTY Keypad Device and the controller are actually two separate pieces due to how well they both fit together.”
• “Typing messages seemed easier with the Xbox 360 QWERTY Keypad Device than any keypad-based cell phone that we’ve tried. The keys are as large as possible for an integrated device (which helps the fat-fingered)”

I never really thought past the notion that this would be for just instant messaging friends family or what not, not consider the functions of using it with games sounds great. Also, seems to be a quality product as far as it feels with the controller.

[ check out the full 4 page article at TeamXbox here ]

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Metacritic isn’t a bad source to get the best general consensus, so here is the highs and lows of the Spider-Man 3 game that just suprise me:

The game is not only bigger, but also better in almost every way. The graphics, the animation, the lighting, and the overall storyline cohesion – the whole package is vastly improved. There are some issues such as repeating voice work, framerate stuttering, and a hyperactive camera while indoors, but the rest of the game more than makes up for these shortcomings. - gamingtrend

But now, from the very same game it gets reviews like these:

“Other than nailing what web-swinging should feel like, this game is a bust. We were promised a Spidey experience that was next-gen and expanded on everything Spider-Man 2 did right, but we were given a buggy game that’s just “Spider-Man 2: Special Edition.” - IGN

A lack of development time this time round is surely the only possible explanation for the game’s unfinished feel…There’s a fantastic title in there, one that Treyarch has obviously worked hard on, but we can’t help but feel it’s a case of embarrassing premature web-ejaculation. - Official Xbox Magazine UK

The way things are seeming, I think I am going to just give it a rent, take in JW’s review on it as well, and take the game for what its worth. Hey, I was satisfied with the Superman Demo (and still have it on my hard drive )

[ source ]
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Well, half a review. If you do not know, my 360 is working when it wants to, “towel tricks” working multiple times.. and blah blah, lets get to review already… Halo 3 Beta.

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Halo 3 Beta

Love, Bungie

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Halo 3 Beta

Love, Bungie

Yes you have to go through that little text on a black screen until you get to the feeling of excitement as the menu screen pops up:

Before starting a game, I actually take a second to explore, hitting the start button to see what “Profile” offers.. thinking this was to customize my characters, ended up was a bunch of stuff i had no time to try and understand at the time (please, someone comment on what all that stuff means)
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Im pulling out an oldie, but a goodie. The jist of this deal is, if you are about to re-new your 12 month subscription to Xbox Live, or don’t mind paying early, here is what’s included: The Live Vision Video Camera - Uno - Robotron 2084 - 200 Xbox Live Arcade Points - 12-Month Subscription to Xbox Live Gold - Extra Headset - And an extra game from the Marketplace that they don’t even tell you about. Now, we all know the normal price of a 12-Month Xbox Live subscription is $50. Well, for $16 more, you are getting the cam, the games, the arcade points. Thing is, Amazon seems to be the only one that gets this price, Circuit City, Best Buy, etc, still sell it at the retail $80.

Amazon price, $65.95, no tax, free shipping

Read down to see the details of what you get (more…)

Skate ditches the complex button combinations of Tony Hawk in favor of a slick, streamlined setup that relies on the analog sticks. The left stick controls your body and the right controls your feet. It takes some getting used to, but Joystiq has nothing but praise for the new system. Joystiq’s conclusion: not only can Skate compete with Tony Hawk, it has already displaced it. Follow the “read” link for the full preview.

Double Dragon on Metacritic’s not so good.

Some quotes from various reviews:
“Double Dragon succeeds in delivering the same action as its NES predecessor, but it’s bogged down by its total lack of difficulty and the pitiful emulation job.” - Team Xbox

Double Dragon can be fun, but it under-delivers. This is a five-dollar game. You deserve more than a crap framerate and lingering bugs. The fact that co-op is so difficult due to the slowdown sucks most of the joy from Double Dragon. - IGN

Maybe this might be a game you should think twice before jumping in. Play the demo for at least a week or something.

Gameplay. It’s Tetris. However, more so than just the straight up classic mode of play, this does offer 8 different game types (single player) along with other multiplayer modes (ranked as well as unranked play). The newer single player modes are ones I have never seen before in any Tetris game, such as “Go Low” (the lower the blocks are when clearing a row = more points) and “Hotline” (clear specific marked lines on the grid to get points).

Graphics. I can say everything is extremely crisp on an HD set, and looks ahead of any other Tetris game I have played on a SD set. Lots of customizing is part of the strong points of the game. See the pic below: (more…)