By Grabthars hammer, what a savings!

http://www.gamefly.com/sale/

Therein lies a bunch of savings on used video games through gamefly, check it out. It only lasts until January 4th!

Virtual Console Monday for 12-24-07, Christmas Eve Edition

BLADES OF STEEL™ (NES®, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone-Mild Violence, 500 Wii Points): With stick in hand and confidence brimming, you are looking to bring home the cup, win the MVP award, get on the covers of major sports magazines and date a beautiful model (not necessarily in that order). But soon you will learn that, in this league, nothing is ever given to you, and before you can reach your goals, you'll have to put the puck in the net and score some. You'll need both the artful skills of a finesse player and the bone-crushing brutality of an enforcer. Defend your own goal against unrelenting power plays, or put the pressure on your opponent's goalie and try a slap shot of your own. Don't forget to defend yourself when anger flares because the gloves come off and fists start flying. So strap on blades of steel and prepare to either make a name for yourself or be put on ice.

Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble™ (Super NES®, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points): Revisit Donkey Kong Island and join the Kong family for their latest adventure. The Kremlings have a mysterious new leader named KAOS and are up to their usual mischief, even capturing Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong. Now it's up to Dixie Kong and the newest Kong, a giant infant named Kiddy, to rescue the two missing apes. They'll travel across previously unseen parts of the island in their search, and even take to the skies in a rocket at one point. Lucky for them, Dixie and Kiddy's powers complement each other (including Kiddy's talent for rolling like a barrel), so they form a powerful team capable of major Kremling damage. They're not completely on their own, either, since returning favorites like Funky Kong and Enguarde the swordfish provide help along the way. And in a series known for its abundance of secrets and high replay value, this entry doesn't disappoint, with enough hours of game play to satisfy Donkey Kong himself. Anyone else have a sudden urge for some bananas?

Rolling Thunder™ 2 (Genesis, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone-Violence, 800 Wii Points): In this follow-up to the original classic, you are once again a member of Interpol's Rolling Thunder task force, and it's up to you to stop the return of the evil Geldra organization. Now known as Neo-Geldra and led by a newcomer named Gimdo, the bad guys are bent on destroying several valuable outer-space satellites. In this one- or two-player game, you can play as Leila or Albatross-both characters from the original-as you venture through several different levels, trying to put a stop to the nefarious efforts of Gimdo and the rest of Neo-Geldra. Use your bullets wisely and make Rolling Thunder proud.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army Trailer

VC Monday for 12-17-07: Holy Crap It's Almost X-Mas Edition

Cybernator (SNES®, 1 player, rated E 10+ for Everyone 10 and Older - Mild Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points): It is the near future. Resources are dwindling, and the major powers of the world are in dispute over territory. Pilot the Cybernator G5-E for the 95th brigade of the mechanized marines and throw yourself into the war. Get briefed before each mission to confirm your targets, and then do your best to clear each of the seven stages, freely using the suit's equipped tools and four types of weaponry. By collecting the "power chips" left by defeated enemies, it is also possible to reinforce each weapon up to a maximum of three levels. It is left to your judgment as to whether to reinforce a specific weapon or to power up all weapons simultaneously, adding a bit of strategy to the nonstop action. The powerful background music, military-like atmosphere (look for bullet marks on the walls and the strained communication during combat) and intense story development combine to give the world of Cybernator a gritty, sci-fi feel that you won't soon forget.

Alien Storm™ (Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, rated E 10+ for Everyone 10 and Older - Mild Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points): Shape-shifting aliens have infiltrated the city, creating chaos and panic! Fortunately, a trio of heroes called the Alien Busters has agreed to wipe out the invading creatures. The members of the team wield their own special attacks, and they unload a world of hurt on the Martian menaces from the city streets to the mother ship. Gordon, a tough guy with a bazooka, has a special gunship attack, while Karla has a flamethrower for alien crisping, though she prefers to use her special ballistic-missile attack. Finally, Slammer the robot can self-destruct at will and attacks the intruders with an electric whip and other devices. Take the aliens by storm and save your city.

Monster Lair (TurboGrafx16 CD-ROM, 1-2 players, rated E for Everyone - Mild Cartoon Violence, 800 Wii Points): Join young Adam and Laura as they embark on a fantastic adventure in this comical action/shooting game. Featuring beautiful music brought to life by the power of the CD-ROM, the game consists of 14 rounds packed with cute monster enemies. Players can either play alone as Adam (or play with a friend controlling Laura) as they battle their way through round after round. The first half of each round is the action scene, where players must avoid obstacles and pits. Use your Power Boost weapons against enemies and restore your Life Force with food as you head for the gate at the end. The second half is the exhilarating shooting scene, where players must shoot down flying enemies. Take out the boss at the end to clear the round and move to the next one.

Holiday Guide: Locating a Wii

In this article, I'm going to outline some tips to helping you find a Nintendo Wii before Christmas.

First, I'm going to suggest the use of shipment trackers, they're websites who consistently update information they gather about various supply routes of different electronics. Many started last year specifically for finding Wiis and PS3s and have branched out to find other electronics, such as iphones/ipod touches.
Some such websites include itracker , wiitracker , and http://www.nowinstock.net/wii/ . Using sites such as these will take a lot of the work out of the equation and reduce some stress.

On a similar note, you can just try the brute force route of calling every retail store that might carry the wii, such stores include F.Y.E , Wal-Mart , Kmart / Sears , Best Buy , circuit city , gamestop / EB , Game Crazy , and Frys. Simply use the store locater on each site and often it will list the stores phone number as well.
Ebay is also a popular route, but often you will end up paying much more than you would at a retail store. Another issue you will encounter even at a retail location is "bundling", bundling is when an item is combined with accessories, which you may or may not even want. It drives up the price of the item, sometimes by hundreds of dollars, you'll occasionally get lucky though and find a bundle that's advantageous, but it won't often happen.
One tactic I'd definitely suggest against is using craigslist to locate Wiis, as scamming is much more common through that route. You may even be robbed when you arrive to purchase your console, so please exercise caution if you think you've found a deal through that site, it may lead to holiday heartbreak.

Participate in Microsoft Surveys, Receive Nothing!

"Thank you for your interest in the feedback program. Due to high volume, we have reached our 'while supplies last' limit and have closed our free product incentive on 12/11/2007 at 2pm."


Those asshats.

Virtual Console Monday for 12-10-07: Sleepy Webmaster Edition

Pokémon Snap (Nintendo 64, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 1,000 Wii Points): As one of the most unique games in a renowned series, Pokémon Snap was the first truly 3-D Pokémon game and introduced the phenomenon to the Nintendo 64. Travel to Pokémon Island and meet Professor Oak to begin a safari, taking the best possible photographs of 63 different Pokémon as they exist in the wild, undisturbed by humans. This is not as easy as it sounds—the island has many types of climates and environments to explore, along with secret activities and hidden passages to discover. Plus, some of the Pokémon can be a little shy and won't pose for the camera unless you tease them with special items. After you're done, submit one picture of each Pokémon to Professor Oak, and he'll judge it based on size, pose, technique and number of Pokémon captured.

Ghosts'n Goblins (NES®, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone—Mild Animated Violence, 500 Wii Points): Ghosts'n Goblins was a popular arcade game before it made the leap to the NES in 1986. Like later games in the series, Ghosts'n Goblins presents quite a challenge to players brave enough to take on the role of Arthur and delve into the realm of demons and monsters to rescue the kidnapped princess. Choose your weapons wisely and take advantage of their strengths to deal with the situation at hand. Pass through the six gates that stand between you and Astaroth, and teach him a lesson in chivalry he'll never forget. Demonstrating a high level of technical prowess for a game of its era, Ghosts'n Goblins presents a unique and unforgettable universe. The stage for adventure is set. Are you up to the test?

BASEBALL STARS 2 (NEOGEO, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 900 Wii Points): Lace up your cleats and step onto the diamond with the pros of BASEBALL STARS 2. You'll find everything you'd expect in a classic game of baseball, but with an arcade feel and intense action that distinguish it from the pack. Pick one of six unique teams from cities around the world, then get ready for nine innings of excitement, whether you're taking on the computer in a 15-game tournament or squaring off against a friend. There are two modes of game play, so even the most inexperienced player can compete at the major-league level (with a little computer-aided fielding). Watch as the game develops through split-screen views and close-up shots worthy of any highlight film, and see if you can catch the numerous over-the-top animations of the large and detailed player models. Think you have what it takes to win the pennant?

Awwww yeah...

About halfway there!

Assassins Creed: Video Glitch

After the most recent dashboard update for the xbox 360 console (december 4th, 2007), the intro movie (video and audio) for assassins creed stutters and freezes. Have any of you experienced this problem? I'm fairly certain it's directly related to the fall dashboard update for the 360. Leave a comment and let me know about your experiences.

Mass Effect: Keeper Locations

To start my guide, here is the map and location of the very first keeper, the starter of the quest:



Keeper #2 is here



Keeper #3:




Keeper #4




Keeper #5




Keeper #6


Keeper #7


Keeper #8


Keeper #9


Keeper #10


Keeper #11



Keeper #12



Keeper #13



Keeper #14



Keeper #15



Keeper #16



Keeper #17



Keeper #18



Keeper #19



Keeper #20



Keeper #21



Note: If you arrive in the Elcor Embassy and the Keeper is not present, save your game and then load it, it should appear at the keeper interface.

Virtual Console Monday for 12-03-07: The I Nearly Forgot Edition

ZANAC (NES®, 1 player, rated E for Everyone - Mild Fantasy Violence, 500 Wii Points): ZANAC is a vertically scrolling shoot-'em-up game that was released in November 1986. Take control of the state-of-the-art fighter, ZANAC, with the objective of destroying the bases of the mechanized enemy forces. Use your full array of regular weapons as well as eight special weapons to clear the 12 intense areas of the game. Be careful, though, as the game changes the degree of difficulty in real time based on how well you play. This ensures that it feels like you're experiencing a new game every time you play.

Eternal Champions™ (Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, rated T for Teen - Animated Blood, Animated Violence, 800 Wii Points): This 2-D fighting game introduces a cast of different characters that met untimely deaths in their lives on Earth. Now they have been given a chance to compete against each other, with the winner taking on the Eternal Champion, the ultimate fighter in the universe. The reward for defeating the Eternal Champion is a return to Earth for the opportunity to avenge death and restore balance to the universe. Choose from nine unique characters with a variety of fighting styles, and bring your best moves to defeat all comers in your quest to topple the Eternal Champion.

The Dynastic Hero (TurboGrafx16 CD-ROM, 1 player, rated E for Everyone - Comic Mischief, 800 Wii Points): The Dynastic Hero is an action RPG featuring a cast of insect characters. The story begins with the invasion of their peaceful homeland of Tarron by the evil Drilkor Empire. Rushing to the insects' aid is Dyna, the prince of Beetras. Take control of Dyna as he battles through action-filled stages. Equip weapons and items to vanquish the relentless foes, and acquire special items that enable you to brave the journey across the perilous desert or open sea. But it's not just all action. Correctly answer multiple-choice quizzes, and play the ocarina to find the right melody to open doors. Plus, there are countless traps and other puzzles packed into this fun game to keep you entertained and ensure you continue coming back for more.

Review: Mass Effect

I have finished Mass Effect after around 40 hours of play time, all in all it was a very enjoyable experience. It met with most of my expectations and exceeded others, one thing I am quite thankful for is the combat is wholly dissimilar to KOTOR. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed KOTOR as much as the next guy but it felt stifled as it was constrained to remain somewhat faithful to the star wars d20 system. I am not a fan of babysitting my party in a turn based setting, rather I prefer choosing a party which will fit my current needs and allowing them to act as they will. I found the combat system to be mostly satisfying as long as my party stayed out of my way; sometimes I wish I could have done some missions solo, being a bit more stealthy in my actions.

My one big complaint though is the inventory system... Ye gods, that inventory system is something else. Sure, when you're managing your equipment it's alright. Not every bit of equipment is visible, only what is contextual for the item you've highlighted and again when you're choosing which upgrade slot to fill. I'm pleased with the side by side comparisons for the highlighted item next to the equipped item, but it's difficult to immediately ascertain the benefits of one upgrade versus another, or even which one you had in place originally when you go in to peruse your options. The biggest snafu though is this simple fact: identical items don't stack. That's right, if you have more than one of an item in your inventory, it'll be listed sequentially with all others, no x2 to denote multiples. Christ, that's retarded. The same with weapons, armor, etc., NOTHING stacks... Dumb.

As far as NPC party members go, there aren't any surprises from the beginning. You go into your party selection menu and the members you've yet to add are shadowed, but present. Your party members interact with one another when they trail you during your missions, but on the ship you run around solo. You can choose to speak with each of them as the game progresses, between missions, to delve into their back stories or even to try and score (high five!). They'll regale you with tales of their exploits before they joined you, even opening up some sidequests. So if you're a completionist, be sure to chat them up and they'll score you some extra levels, cash and even achievements.

One fun, but incomplete-feeling portion of the game are the away missions, you jump down onto the various explorable planets in an armored personnel carrier called Mako. it has six tires, jumper-jets, can climb nearly vertical surfaces and doesn't take any damage from falls.

Its weapons include a mounted machine gun and cannon which can easily take out most foes with one well placed shot. It has robust shields which take a fair amount of time to recharge, but once they do, look out or you'll find yourself loading up your most recent save. Damage is repairable, but once you enter repair mode you're stuck in place and cannot fire your weapons, leaving you temporarily defenseless. You can freely hop out of the Mako at will and explore on foot, if that's your preference but some terrain is just unscalable without it. Also some of the planets have less than friendly conditions, ranging from extreme heat to frigid cold. But in even the most lush planets, you'll find sparse details outside of topography. Nary a forest or swampland will you encounter, though there are many planets to explore, there's no excuse to leave them so wanting in the detail department. It's all quite cookie cutter, you'll drop down onto the planet and on your radar you'll see the same icons on your map for different objects you'll encounter on planet, be it mines, ruins or crashed space probes. You'll also come across mineable resources which may or may not show up on the map.

There's not much of an economy to speak of in the game, the shops are few and far between, except of course for the one which resides on your ship The Normandy. That shop has special needs, though; you'll have to purchase or obtain through other means licenses for the better gear in the game, otherwise you'll be stuck with some pretty lame swag. Money, in the form of credits, pretty much falls from the sky in Mass Effect, from simple missions to clicking a selectable object will drop cash into your waiting coin purse. Quickly selling shoddy equipment faces an obstacle which I mentioned earlier. NO STACKING OBJECTS. So if you want to unload a bunch of stuff, be prepared to jam on the A button in the sell screen.

Considering all of the factors, I give Mass Effect an 8.5/10