In these final days of my vacation, I can honestly say that I've enjoyed every minute of them. I enjoyed my trip to Wildwood, relaxing, going out to eat with my parents... everything except gaming. In fact, even though I purchased the latest 3 games to be released on XBox Live Arcade, I've hardly touched them at all. However, with the arrival of September, all of that will change.
For many gamers, the drought ended with the release of Madden 09 last week. Since I'm not a big fan of football, Madden's release didn't phase me much. August 27 has been marked on my calendar, as the flood of interesting games will start coming in with the release of Castle Crashers. Here's a short list of games I'm looking forward to in September.
Castle Crashers (August 27)
Finally...This long-awaited XBLA game is just what the doctor ordered, and will cap off a superb month of August for Microsoft's Live Arcade. The game looks quirky and fun, and with 4-player co-op added to the mix, it'll be hard to ignore its charm.
Mercenaries 2: World in Flames (August 31) Although I didn't really enjoy the first game, Mercs 2 has me interested for the simple fact that you can play the entire story mode in co-op. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of shooters and blowing stuff up, but when you're doing it with somebody else by your side, it makes all of those things even sweeter.
Another GotY Contender?Spore (September 7) After watching a ton of demos and gameplay footage, I cannot wait to get my hands on this jem of a game. With a mixture of The Sims and Civilizaton, Spore will keep me busy for a very long time.
NHL 09 (September 9) 100 years of greatness in NHL 09. Along with the Be A Pro mode and the EA Sports Hockey League, which promise to be two incredible additions to an already fantastic game, there will be a Montreal Canadiens team comprised of the best players from the past 100 years of the franchise, since the Habs are celebrating their centennial this year. When I saw legends such as Maurice Richard, Guy Lafleur, Larry Robinson and Ken Dryden were on the team, I actually had a lump in my throat. God I love EA Sports.
Rock Band 2 (September 14) With an impressive and extremely vast song list, online band play, and a whole lot more, there is no reason for me to pass this game by.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (September 16) The big one, for me anyway, is The Force Unleashed. This game has been on my mind ever since it was first announced and I cannot wait to play it. The storyline, the graphics, the effects, everything about this game has me pumped.
Lego Batman (September 23) Why So... Blocky?I'm a huge fan of the Lego games, and so is my nephew Tristan, so it's a safe bet that I'll get this game for both of us. Too bad there isn't online co-op.
Project Origin (October 1) Even though it's coming out on the first day of October, I thought I'd add Project Origin to the list. I really enjoyed FEAR and this game looks to add on to that already excellent game with better graphics and tweaked up gameplay.
So there you go. Keep in mind that this is my own personal list. No bashing please. Have a good one.
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The Star Wars geek that resides inside of me is screaming with joy. Next month, on September 16 to be precise, one of my most anticipated games of 2008 will be released in the form of The Force Unleashed. Tomorrow, Friday, August 15, is the release of the animated feature Clone Wars. Add to that my renewed affection for the Expanded Universe books and you've got one hell of a Star Wars cocktail.
Anakin Skywalker & his Padawan, Ahsoka Tano.The Clone Wars takes place between Episodes II & III and chronicles the events involving Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, as they are sent out to retrieve Jabba The Hutt's son Rotta, who's been captured by the Clone Army. It will also feature Ahsoka Tano, whom Yoda assigns as Anakin's Padawan learner. It is no secret that this movie is aimed towards Star Wars afficionados, which will possibly mean a disastrous box office run, but that doesn't bother me one bit, since I'm one of those afficionados. Vader's Apprentice, Starkiller. The Force Unleashed, on the other hand, takes place between Episodes III & IV. It chronicles a portion of the Jedi Purge, in which Darth Sidious and Lord Darth Vader hunted down and killed most of the remaining Jedi Knights. The video game will focus on The Battle of Kashyyyk and the following events, and will feature Vader's apprentice, Starkiller, as he helps his master hunt down the remaining Jedi faithful. The reason why I'm anticipating this game so much isn't only because it's a Star Wars game, but also because it relates to events that were not chronicled in movies or video games before. This is very surprising, since it relates to a very important moment in the Star Wars timeline. The Yuuzhan Vong Invasion would make for some awesome video games. As for the Expanded Universe, I'm at the very beginning of the New Jedi Order, where the Yuuzhan Vong have started invading the Outer Rim and are headed towards The Core, where Coruscant is located. For those who read these books, and to situate you on where I am right now, I am currently reading Balance Point. I know I have a very long way to go before I even consider myself "up to date", but I did read a lot on the Expanded Universe on WookiePedia yesterday and know most of the important parts of the ensuing plot. Still, it would be nice to see a video game on the subject.Sith Lord Darth Caedus. The Star Wars universe is so vast that I highly doubt it'll dry up anytime soon. I can't wait to see what the television movies will be, since they will focus on events taking place after The Force Unleashed, which means we'll surely get to see Boba Fett help out Vader and Palpatine in their quest to rid the galaxy of the Jedi Knights and establish the Empire. It would also be cool to see a video game featuring the Yuuzhan Vong invasion and the rise of the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Caedus. I won't tell you who that actually is so I don't spoil anything, but let's just say that many twists and turns would be awaiting the Star Wars fan. Nonetheless, it is clear to me that the Force will be with us, always.
If you remember a while back, when Grand Theft Auto IV came out, I had declared that it was not only my favorite GTA game, but also my favorite game of all time. Well, I've had time to dwell upon that bold statement and I've realized that I was wrong. Weighing in the good and bad, including the soundtrack, which is very important to me in any GTA game, the characters and the story, I've reversed my decision. Although GTA IV is an amazing game, I think San Andreas takes the cake. It's just that IV doesn't actually feel like a GTA game to me, compared to its predecessors. Many stones were left unturned and, while the guys at Rockstar were taking a turn down realism boulevard, they forgot what made the GTA franchise so unforgettable: it's unique over-the-top nature. So, with that said, I'm reversing my decision. GTA San Andreas remains my favorite game of all time.
In other news, we at EndSights are looking for some new blood. If your schedule permits you to contribute actively to the site, and if we judge that your writing skills are adequate enough, you might get the chance to contribute to this ever-growing site. With Nate heading off to PAX and Aram being quite busy these days, Art and I need an extra helping hand. If you're interested, just send me a PM. We'll then go over your blogs and reviews and respond to your PM, asking what your availability is. We'll make our decision soon, since PAX is quickly approaching. Good luck!
On a final note, here is a video I found on YouTube: The 10 Greatest Sounds In Star Wars. Watch it and tell me if you agree with the guy. I agree with his top 3 anyway.
While on vacation in Wildwood, New Jersey, I went to see the WWE Raw SummerSlam tour at the Wildwoods Convention Center, and it made me realize something about myself and who I actually was cheering for.
A Legend Long Remembered. I went and got tickets for my father, my cousin's husband, which some of you might know as Forcene on XBox Live, and myself. I was very lucky, because when I got t here, they had just released floor seats for the event at $40 apiece. So we went and had a pretty good time. There were a lot of cool Superstars there. When John Cena came out, there was a huge pop from the crowd of approximately 10,000 people and no one was booing him. He was teaming up with Cryme Tyme against Chris Jericho, Ted DiBiase Jr & Cody Rhodes. When the match was over, I rushed to where the Superstars went by and extended my arm when Cena passed. As he shook my hand, I told him "Good job champ". He replied "Thanks man". Wish I hadn't forgotten my camera in the car.
Seeing all of the kids cheer for him took me back a couple of years when I was young and watching the WWF. My idol back then was Hulk Hogan. Even though many people were saying that he sucked and prefered other more talented wrestlers such as Randy Savage and Tito Santana, I stuck with him, defending him to the bitter end. After watching all of these fans, from young kids to older ones, I realized that John Cena made all of them happy, just like Hogan used to make me happy. Funny thing is, Hogan and Cena were built out of the same mold. Both couldn't wrestle for shit but both were, and still are, huge Superstars, loved by millions of people worldwide. Why should one be different than the other? When John Cena isn't on Raw, they get very low ratings, and that's a proven fact.
A Legend In The Making.I can honestly say that I've found new respect in John Cena. When I saw him hug a little boy who was screaming his name when he passed by, not because it would look good in front of the fans, but because he clearly wanted to make that kid's day, I smiled broadly. I know this blog probably won't get a ton of hits because of it's nature, but I couldn't care less. I'm a passionate wrestling fan, and seeing displays of affection like this, from big Superstars towards the fans, I think it needs to be known.
So John Cena, even though you couldn't wrestle your way out of a paper bag, you've earned my respect on that day. Keep on doing what you do so well, and that is making people happy. Word Life.
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Oh hi there. Remember me? Thin guy, not too tall, brown hair, hazel eyes? Ring a bell? I used to post blogs on this website about 10-12 days ago. To quote the infamous Eminem: "Guess who's back, back again..." If you haven't caught on to my obvious sarcasm yet, just know that I have returned from my 12-day escapade to sunny Wildwood, New Jersey with sunburns (plural), new gear and a relaxed mind.
Man I Miss This. Yes, I did bring my laptop along for the ride but not once did I think of starting it up. It was hidden beneath my bed in the motel room and stayed there for the duration o f the vacation. I cannot even begin to tell you how relaxed and refreshed I feel right now, and how badly I miss sitting on the balcony, music playing in my iPod, watching the sea crash onto the beach. You may think I'm insane for saying this, but I didn't miss this way of life at all. I didn't miss typing a blog everyday. I didn't miss playing video games. I did, however, miss talking to you guys. I truly hope all of you are well.
While I was away, my GameSpot Total Access expired, making me a plain old Registered Member, with advertisements adorning my page everywhere and all that good stuff. So, with that said, I have made a decision. I will not renew my Total Access and I will not be blogging on that website anymore. I will still log on there to check out videos and news and some of your blogs, but I will not contribute to that website anymore. It might come as a shock to some of you and that's understandable. As I've stated previously, I've had time to clear my mind over the past couple of days, and I find it disgraceful to pay for a website adorning so many glitches and imperfections, even if the price is small. This Game Is Cool. I met a lot of great people in New Jersey. Some people might say that Americans are loud, obnoxious and impolite. Although the first two statements are essentially true, for the most part anyway, the latter is not. Almost every American I met was polite and very nice, saying "Hi" to me whenever they passed by. I talked with a lot of them and, although a bunch of them didn't know where Montreal was, they were great conversationalists. Oh, and I would love to meet the person who invented the bikini so I can shake their hand and thank them. Man did I get an eyefull over there.
I'll do another blog tomorrow about other stuff I did while in Wildwood, including attending a WWE live show and visiting Atlantic City and Trump's Taj Mahal. Did I completely ignore video games while I was there? Not quite. I actually finished The Simpsons Arcade game while there, along with my nephew, since it was in the game room of our motel. I forgot how fun that game was.
Nonetheless, hope to see you again tomorrow. Take care.
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Geometry Was Never This Fun In School.Last night, I downloaded Geometry Wars Evolved 2 and I'm loving the game, although I suck pretty badly at it. I'm not feeling some of the new modes quite yet, but I'm sure I'll warm up to them by playing some more. Unfortunately, after tonight, that's going to have to wait for a while.
I'm almost done packing for the trip. Took a good portion of the afternoon to do that and get everything finalized. Now, I just have to charge up my iPod, pack up the laptop and the shower stuff when I'm done with those and I'll be ready to go. My parents are picking me up at 3:45 AM and, after packing my stuff into their car, we're off. We should catch up with my sister, brother-in-law and the kids around 9 AM tomorrow morning, as they are leaving tonight and sleeping in a hotel in Albany, NY overnight. I'm getting quite anxious and nervous right now, but it should be a fun trip. I highly doubt I'll sleep tonight. I'll wait until I'm in the car to do that, since my father is driving for the first portion of the trip. We split the driving duties 5 hours each.
I'll be bringing my laptop and I'll try to log on every day, but no promises. I'll be sure to check in once in a while however, but don't expect daily blogs after today and for the next 10 days or so. Oh, and I'm bringing Mass Effect along for the ride, just in case it rains.
So, there you have it. Hope you guys don't miss me too much while I'm gone (yeah right). I'll leave you with my Battlefield Bad Company review, which you can find by scrolling down this page. Check it out and comment, if you wish. The review is also available on EndSights.
Ladies & Gentlemen, Boys & Girls, Children Of All Ages, the time has finally come for your friendly neighborhood DBoy's summer vacation of stellar excitement and fun. To make a long story short, I now have 18 consecutive days of sleeping in and doing sweet fuck all. No getting up at 6 AM, no commute with assholes who constantly push you, no taking phone calls from clueless morons... nothing.
The Beau Rivage Motel, Where We'll Be Staying.However, I'll spend 10 of those 18 days in the beautiful city of Wildwood, New Jersey. Some of you Americans reading this might be thinking "Why Jersey? Aren't there better places this jerk can visit in the US?" Let me explain. Wildwood is a town near the ocean, meaning that there are beaches everywhere. For a Quebecois who lives far away from the sea and has to go to a fake beach, which mostly consists of a hole in the ground filled with water and surrounded by fake sand, it's an ideal vacation spot. But the beach, and the impending bikini clad women, are not the only attraction Wildwood has to offer. There's also a boardwalk along the beach, which houses amusement park-like peers and all sorts of restaurants and shops. You can also take your car and drive to Atlantic City, which is about an hour from Wildwood.Beach, Here I Come!
I'm really anticipating this trip. I haven't set foot there since 1991, so it'll be nice to see all those places again. The only thing that bothers me a bit is the 10 hour car ride. We're going by car since none of us actually want to fly there. Although 10 hours doesn't seem half bad, it can get quite boring after a while, that's why I'm bringing my iPod, my Star Wars books and my laptop along for the ride.
On that note, I'm off to finish my review of Bad Company, which I will post on EndSights.com first, then on Giant Bomb and GameSpot later on next week. After that's done, I'm downloading Geometry Wars 2 and indulging in that game's greatness. Might be some Rock Band played tonight also.
My First Video Game System: The Intellivision.I started playing video games at the age of 9. My father got us the Intellivision Entertainment System for Christmas way back in 1980. I remember playing Baseball, Triple Action and Night Stalker the entire day, and for many days, months and years after that. Next came Radio Shack's Color Computer 2, or CoCo 2 for short. I remember playing this Arkanoid rip-off on the system. Man was it bad. I was 11 at the time. These systems were my first forray into a lifelong hobby.My Second Video Game System: The TRS-80 or CoCo 2.
Which brings me to my nephew Tristan. Tristan is 4 years old and already an avid gamer. Contrary to myself, he started gaming at the age of 3 with Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga. He then moved onto Lego Indiana Jones, in which he gleefully takes pride in pushing me over ledges and laughing his little ass off when we play together. But don't be fooled by his mischevious ways, he is quite good Lego games. He knows exactly what to do and when to do it. He knows when to use certain objects and what these objects do to the environment.
But that is nothing compared to what I witnessed over the weekend. After begging me to let him play some Battlefield Bad Company, even though his mother was completely against it, he did something unimaginable. After his mother and I each took cracks at shooting down a helicopter from the sky with a rocket launched, failing miserably, Tristan grabbed the controller and said "Let me try!" First try, he gets killed. Second try too. But on the third try, this 4-year old kid SHOOTS DOWN THE DAMN HELICOPTER! "Mommy! Uncle Denis! I did it!" he exclaims, while my sister and I looked at each other dumbfounded.
Even though this isn't a sporting or academic accomplishment, it is still a huge deal for a young kid that age. He didn't win anything that day, nor did he learn anything, but one thing's for certain: he took his first steps into a brave new world... and made his uncle very proud at the same time.
Where Is It?!One question directed towards Harmonix, MTV Games and EA: Where the fuck is Nirvana's Nevermind for Rock Band?! Nobody gives a shit about The Cars' debut album okay?!
Alrighty. Now that I've gotten that off my chest, let's talk games. I finished Battlefield BAD Company last night. I suffered (literally) through the last 30 minutes seperating me from blissful freedom, as I got my ass handed to me more than once by that son of a bitch The Legionnaire. I didn't use the adrenaline during that time for the simple fact that I wanted my rocket launcher out at all times and, if I died, I respawned right there, so it was pretty useless. You can probably tell from this comment that I didn't especially enjoy the game. Blowing stuff up gets old about 30 minutes into the game. A full review is coming soon.BAD Company Indeed.
I spent more time watching movies over the weekend than gaming. Saw Hancock Friday, saw The Dark Knight for the 4th time on Saturday, but this time in the theater, came home and watched Hellboy 2, which sucks ass, and watched Wall-E for the 2nd time last night and still found it to be one hell of a great movie.
Some people have been asking me when D-Boy's Den will return. I'll admit that I'm too lazy to try and figure out the problem with my external cam, while the cam on my laptop lags somewhat. Plus I don't really feel like doing a video blog these days. Talking about movies on a cam isn't like talking about games, and that's what we're here for, right? Games! Yipee! Ugh.
I can't listen to videos on here for some reason. The sound constantly cuts off and the video stops. It's probably just a plugin problem, I'll have to look into it. In the meantime, here's a video of Bran Van 3000, a band from Montreal with a very cool sound. This is their biggest hit called Drinking In L.A., which would be a nice addition to Rock Band or Guitar Hero in the near future.
If you haven't noticed yet, we're already passed the half way mark of 2008. Some games have come and gone, but a lot more are still to come. Which brings me to today's blog. Here are my 10 most anticipated games for the latter half of 2008.
10. Mirror's Edge
Original & Sexy. Original. That's what this game seems to be. With a little Matrix-y look to it, the game looks like it'll push the boundaries of what you can actually do with your character. The very distinctive look of the game is also a big turn-on for me. After seeing the game in action at E3, my hopes are high for this one.
Fight the big bad GTA IV.9. Saints Row 2 The sequel to my Game of the Year of 2006 is prepped to arrive at the tail end of 2008, and it looks like a hell of a lot of fun. I really enjoyed the first game, online as well as offline, and with the addition of co-op in the story mode, this one will blow the first game out of the water for sure. Now, the question is, how will it do in a year that has already brought us Grand Theft Auto IV?
8. Dead Space BOO! This game looks hellishly frightening and very original, if you ask me. I know the whole guy-stuck-in-space-fighting-aliens has been done and overdone in the past couple of years, but this game seems to have that special something. The fact that you can only kill the aliens by shooting all of their limbs off looks quite gruesome... and fun. Yeah, bring it on!
Sometimes, milking is good.7. Guitar Hero World Tour Even though the rhythm game genre is being milked until it's dry to the bone, especially when it comes to the Guitar Hero franchise, it doesn't stop me from anticipating this one. The franchise will be introducing the drums and mic into the mix and promises a hefty song list to back that up. The original Guitar Hero games have never let me down, and I highly doubt this one will. Rock On... again! 6. Rock Band 2 The sequel to my Game of the Year in 2007 looks very promising. A pretty stellar song list, featuring the likes of Bob Dylan, AC/DC, Guns N' Roses, Lenny Kravitz, Linkin Park and more, is this game's strongest selling point for me. Plus, every DLC song from the first game will be playable in Rock Band 2, which will bring the song total to approximately 500. With new instruments and gameplay tweaks, the game's looking sharp. He Shoots, He Scores! 5. NHL 09 Being the hu ge hockey fan that I am, this game was a shoe-in for my most anticipated list. What has me especially hyped about this iteration in the ongoin g series is the Be A Pro mode, which is being introduced in this year's game. Add to that the new EA Sports Hockey League and you have yourself a solid combination which will hav e me playing for a very, very long time. Marcus & the gang are back! 4. Gears of War 2 This game is pretty much unavoidable for 2008. A tweaked cover mechanic, the meat shield, new weapons and a (hopefully) better story will make for a great sequel to an already great game. Although I'm excited about the single player aspect, it's one of the new multiplayer game modes that has me giddy. That mode is called Meat Flag, Gears' own version of CTF. Here, a player on each team plays the role of the flag. You'll need to knock the guy out and drag him back to your base. If that doesn't spell awesome, I don't know what does.
BOOM HEADSHOT!3. Fallout 3 This game wasn't even on my radar before I saw the stage demo for it at E3, now I can't wait to get my hands on it. You see, I had no idea I could play this game like a shooter if I wanted to, and that's an instant selling point for me. The whole look of the game has me intrigued. You can easily compare it to BioShock, which in turn can be compared to previous entries in the Fallout series. Nonetheless, I'm really looking forward to this one. Cute has never been so cool. 2. LittleBigPlanet Resistance didn't do it. Heavenly Sword didn't do it. Metal Gear Sold 4 didn't do it. But LittleBigPlanet will. If there is one game that will have me chomping at the bits and gathering my money up to buy a PlayStation 3, it's this one. This game within a game looks like so much fun, especially with the whole online component, which will allow me to create levels and play them with my friends online. Not only does this game look cute, it also looks revolutionary.
The Force is strong in this one.1. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed From the moment I saw the first footage for this game I have been anticipating its release. Then, as more information trickled in, my anticipation grew to a fever pitch. The Force Unleashed looks like a revamped version of the Jedi Knight series, while taking place in between Episodes III & IV. The stunning visuals, the visceral use of Force powers and the fact that I'll be able to play as Darth Vader for the first level of the game equals an instant win. September can't arrive soon enough.
So, there you go. Keep in mind that these are my personal selections, so you would be kind enough not to bash them. Will that list change before the end of the year? Maybe. If it does, I'll update it accordingly. 25 Comments
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