tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292194292024-02-02T16:10:49.324-08:00Father Krishna's Occasional Sermons...Greetings lost traveller! I'm not quite sure how you managed to stumble on the Church Of Blessed Indecision, but since you're here, you may as well pull up a chair and check out my inane ramblings on life, videogames, music and anything else that occupies my mind for a few fleeting seconds before 'the voices' start talking to me again...fatherkrishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01523813350137435244noreply@blogger.comBlogger284125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29219429.post-59047737561429571202017-10-26T15:11:00.000-07:002017-10-26T15:11:10.954-07:00Moonwalking through 2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of the best things that happened to me after we returned from our epic holiday in the US, was the fact that the room had been completely redecorated and refurbished by my lovely sons, with the TV mounted on the wall and a unit underneath for all of my consoles...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf74et8VNGwjXdwzqtJJrtUdCNqF_h7oAdqE-Smcepi3TNEwpDzR-meayRQ0qR4eZ1Ta66-FCkb9Yuz0fzIFA4rEXeGfaiNNjhwfOdKKS4oHVdAhSVfds-Dvp8p6vj7I5Tz8R-/s1600/room+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="605" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf74et8VNGwjXdwzqtJJrtUdCNqF_h7oAdqE-Smcepi3TNEwpDzR-meayRQ0qR4eZ1Ta66-FCkb9Yuz0fzIFA4rEXeGfaiNNjhwfOdKKS4oHVdAhSVfds-Dvp8p6vj7I5Tz8R-/s400/room+pic.jpg" width="251" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiSTQ6ZXZeZjhYGjxMA8XK7d0NWqd5T-tFQ3XxW4dYkzAVIJkVgJP9jMVwgquR2yu5nckkbvvE4lWj0qKu1pGMCE1ExZuLIg0NJGNhT9GKdzoOaOyboHlWQvW6EUuTVYGwHXmf/s1600/41f220_383ef59c5bd5419ba8b65e36757a9d6c%257Emv2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>You'll see the Dreamcast if you look closely. As well being able to access all of my old PAL Dreamcast collection, I found a couple of emulator discs, one for the Megadrive, one for the Game Gear and one for the Master System. One of the first things I did was fire up Michael Jackson's Moonwalker.<br />
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I have the game for the Master system, boxed with the iconic artwork on the front. The Master System version is very good, but the Megadrive/Genesis version is absolutely sublime. <br />
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The game, developed by UK company U.S. Gold (with little hands on input from Jackson himself) is a 2D action- platformer 'beat 'em up', tied in loosely with the plot of the Moonwalker movie. You play as Michael, (who else?) and your mission is to rescue kids from the evil Mr. Big. <br />
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Your way of dealing with the multitude of thugs that try and hamper you, is to use "dance magic" (sic) . You dance, spin, moonwalk and throw your fedora at them... Just as in the video for Smooth Criminal, this is a most effective method of dispatching hardened crime-lords and gun toting hoodlums. On your way you'll be joined by bubbles, who dips in and out of the game. <br />
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The animations and control system for your character is as tight as a gnat's chuff, and you will enjoy travelling through the various levels, up and down the stairs and through the various corridors of the buildings you explore and battle in. <br />
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The classic Jackson songs Smooth Criminal, Beat it, Another Part Of Me, Billie Jean and Bad are all featured in the game. Playing the game is a joy, although completing the game can be a challenge. <br />
The video above showing the reaction of modern kids to the retro game, is priceless! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaqA0KZCgqYjI9uIgRJu398tLiYNoYrKzBxudi7SqrnBULRX5H3A8-2eFiKCYNUKhlwo_JsfjmY5wniPfiLJ2rBxqf4T-Jezk6AjjTGh2XmXhyphenhyphenQWtZvNCwRFIP8e0oCDhCUG7K/s1600/Moonwalker_arcade_flyer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="246" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaqA0KZCgqYjI9uIgRJu398tLiYNoYrKzBxudi7SqrnBULRX5H3A8-2eFiKCYNUKhlwo_JsfjmY5wniPfiLJ2rBxqf4T-Jezk6AjjTGh2XmXhyphenhyphenQWtZvNCwRFIP8e0oCDhCUG7K/s400/Moonwalker_arcade_flyer.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />fatherkrishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01523813350137435244noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29219429.post-4698704637513608562011-12-30T06:26:00.000-08:002011-12-30T09:55:41.651-08:00FK's 2011 Round-up!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOj0NSar9xNMZ8rQuAdHwknUbZ7gz9ezkm6FEF1pJkpvCyIdAgXFjAcZ-BYOKrLDbsmwQNApp8d7R6-NwuJrT63Rh3w-ppwkIO0C-IVYiuyMXWSMEBLXyKQkXrtMnD7gWiqf09/s1600/Father-time-Shaking-Hands.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 346px; height: 380px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOj0NSar9xNMZ8rQuAdHwknUbZ7gz9ezkm6FEF1pJkpvCyIdAgXFjAcZ-BYOKrLDbsmwQNApp8d7R6-NwuJrT63Rh3w-ppwkIO0C-IVYiuyMXWSMEBLXyKQkXrtMnD7gWiqf09/s400/Father-time-Shaking-Hands.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691977369652989266" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Despite having a 6-7 year history as a blogger, I still haven't managed to "get it". The blogs I like have contributors who a.) update their blogs regularly b.) write short, succinct, topical, 'punchy' articles about relevant stuff c.) respond promptly when visitors to their blogs leave helpful or appreciative comments. I do none of the above things and therefore do not deserve to have anyone reading my posts. However, I'll still do a round up of my year in gaming, if only to keep this old place from seizing up and being shut down...<br /><br />So, where was I? Ah that's right, I'd taken a brief hiatus from my Wii to play Dead Space, which I thoroughly enjoyed... Well, faithful to myself at the time, as soon as I got through Dead Space, I reconnected my Wii to have a crack at Dead Space Extraction. Despite being a very linear and "on rails" shooter, I have to say I enjoyed EVERYTHING abut this game, and I'd even venture as far to say that this was a better game than that which spawned it...<br /><br />First of all, graphically, this game looks great... You'd expect it t have been a big letdown after Dead Space on the 360, but really the game looks <span style="font-style: italic;">almost</span> as good as it's bigger brother...<br />The next feature which held it's own for me was the story and characters which were both excellent (chief villain is the unlikeable and duplicitous South African "Eckhardt" - one of the best baddies in my recent memory....) Dead Space is a slow burner which took a while to grab my interest. It did however turn into a Jolly good story by the end. Having warmed me up me for the ensuing story line, the Dead Space Extraction plot was easy to jump into.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtFmwUixsKeA8LEOrVnXr68aMapvveC4jkyuowJ5xoXHpOx8JXWTDadiTjHBZYDnAdqpyJR6WhtZcaAszvUXyX2k7GYKhRqP8Qd4yzALngUIj6T648baWmB4tQm5St6NSxP0CC/s1600/Dead_Space_Extraction.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 256px; height: 360px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtFmwUixsKeA8LEOrVnXr68aMapvveC4jkyuowJ5xoXHpOx8JXWTDadiTjHBZYDnAdqpyJR6WhtZcaAszvUXyX2k7GYKhRqP8Qd4yzALngUIj6T648baWmB4tQm5St6NSxP0CC/s400/Dead_Space_Extraction.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691977373158650386" border="0" /></a><br />The other feature of the game I liked was that as each level was completed, a digital "comic book" is opened, chapter by chapter, padding out the back-story in an original way. At first I thought the artwork amateurish - but as the comic continued, I warmed to that as well!<br /><br />Fully satisfied, I desired more Wii on-rails shooting excellence. I found it in the excellent House Of The Dead Overkill. At first I played with the awesome looking House Of The Dead Overkill Hand Cannon peripheral. But "good looking" does not make for "good shooting" and I completed the game with the Wiimote as my 'gun'. The game is hilarious, and a great reboot of the original... HOTD is one of my long time favourite franchises and I include a lot of arcade play in that love of the game. HOTD-OK is a riot in terms of B-Movie shlock-horror references, but also remains an excellent shooter in it's own right.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhNR2bccemZCCqwbx_ctmkcwHFzVxJ1YpyYyMwR7eVy4A4r9PydysV2WDTuFtb2L4HW7as6sZYu2XDW1K7yJZGad081DU1Z01zm8zZG0_eTiG9PWNMvO0vZzgoblN1QZaXwOgn/s1600/images.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 259px; height: 194px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhNR2bccemZCCqwbx_ctmkcwHFzVxJ1YpyYyMwR7eVy4A4r9PydysV2WDTuFtb2L4HW7as6sZYu2XDW1K7yJZGad081DU1Z01zm8zZG0_eTiG9PWNMvO0vZzgoblN1QZaXwOgn/s400/images.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691977381498640082" border="0" /></a><br />Like Homer Simpson, I'm extremely suggestible, and like Homer, I also make dumb links in my head... The mere fact that I'd moved onto zombies in HOTD meant that I thought about Resident Evil... That lead me into downloading Resident Evil 4 HD, 5 and Code Veronica HD from the 360 Market Place... This was a hugely lazy move on my part. Whilst I've loved downloading retro content on my Wii, 360 and PS3 from a variety of platforms in the past - part of my logic being it gives me the opportunity to play games fr the Megadrive, MasterSystem, Snes, N64 etc. without having to set the consoles themselves up. But now I find myself increasingly downloading things so I don't have to move my consoles from room to room... I have RE4 and RE:CV on PS2, which I can play on my PS3, but my PS3 is downstairs in the living room and most of my gaming tends to take place upstairs in my bedroom. I've just upgraded my TV in the bedroom to a 32 inch/81 cm screen. That's hooked up to my 360 and weeellll... you get the picture, it was just easier to download them straight onto my 360... Lazy twat that I am!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3NTNXjEz-EPfo0Z1uKynSEJO7NT20n0iFFMEa0MscQs6dBEGh2fPnmgaWmpoqlSJSRYrBTW9GjvZIqWRVknz_ijMgCc7oTKBKc_Ad5rcaAOt0vIZJzYG7WZjCImkdkMlyjC59/s1600/re-cv-book-004.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 264px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3NTNXjEz-EPfo0Z1uKynSEJO7NT20n0iFFMEa0MscQs6dBEGh2fPnmgaWmpoqlSJSRYrBTW9GjvZIqWRVknz_ijMgCc7oTKBKc_Ad5rcaAOt0vIZJzYG7WZjCImkdkMlyjC59/s400/re-cv-book-004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691977373903969074" border="0" /></a><br />And then all of a sudden I'd played the RE4 and 5 games <span style="font-style: italic;">inside out</span> AGAIN, wringing out every last drop of extra content out of each title. I started into RE:CV but then stopped myself... I had to play something NEW! (Or new to me at least...) This has resulted in me stop-starting and half-playing the following titles Gears Of War 3 (as of yet unplayed), Arkham City (loving it but stuck!!!) Devil May Cry 4 (far into but stuck!!!), Mass Effect (as of yet unplayed), Ninja Gaiden (as of yet unplayed)... Started and then stalled at the end of 2011 would include... Beyond Good and Evil (HD), Back To The Future, Dead Rising Case Zero, Resident Evil Code Veronica, Sonic 4 and Shadow Complex.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgh_hELzEf5qAALjHs5paZFAoWYu4FIiN-GfESUMZIrNjALKvglOF7gFlsuQBB-UQgqNg26VX8Nv7iNKt48QA4m7mJJyEkG4otGc1DSLtwmqQ1d8cbr7yz0np7Km2gN0ZbYdRu/s1600/batman-arkham-city-wallpaper-hd-1080p.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgh_hELzEf5qAALjHs5paZFAoWYu4FIiN-GfESUMZIrNjALKvglOF7gFlsuQBB-UQgqNg26VX8Nv7iNKt48QA4m7mJJyEkG4otGc1DSLtwmqQ1d8cbr7yz0np7Km2gN0ZbYdRu/s400/batman-arkham-city-wallpaper-hd-1080p.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691977386428484690" border="0" /></a><br />I've also just received Sonic Generations for 360 for Christmas off Mrs. K, plus Homefront and The Dreamcast Collection for 360 off my lovely boys Joe and Martin. So, I'm back where I always am... Too many games on the go at one time, that feeling of dis-satisfaction of not completing great games. No change there then! On the plus side, I have recently organised my games, sorting them out, alphabetising them and remembering what I've got. I've just sorted out my gaming environment, with the boys confined to the front living room for their gaming activities, with their PS3 and the newest Sony 40 inch TV. My room has therefore inherited the 32 inch I was talking about fr my 360. My PS3 is now the DVD player in the back living room under my 37 inch! This means at least that all gaming can now take place without annoying Mrs. K. And it means I've got a chance with catching up with myself.<br /><br />So, as usual I've got a lot of gaming to tidy up... but I'm up t the job! I need to get these finished before 2012... r if that is an overwhelming task it will have to be before this:<br /><br /><iframe width="425" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/J2UYToJyZaU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <br /><br />or this!<br /><br /><iframe width="425" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/VjZ5tgjPVfU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /> Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you out there in the blogosphere! I'm off to lazily download Daytona USA and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3!!! :)fatherkrishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01523813350137435244noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29219429.post-4099801774828021332011-10-23T07:37:00.000-07:002011-10-23T07:40:49.582-07:00Just In From Sky News...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE1eAcRna783Khb5pVWSXQIpSatXESyHkW9yINRS9bUC0IZLKAvutFbyWgWB7ZZE70RsfonJnlrecBdULdDF3uIfT6Jy07VLegC4dDlEkRUpFanA94Uk3HUr53oh9BtHm79yWU/s1600/Mario-Balotelli-Man-City_2669283.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 247px; height: 298px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE1eAcRna783Khb5pVWSXQIpSatXESyHkW9yINRS9bUC0IZLKAvutFbyWgWB7ZZE70RsfonJnlrecBdULdDF3uIfT6Jy07VLegC4dDlEkRUpFanA94Uk3HUr53oh9BtHm79yWU/s400/Mario-Balotelli-Man-City_2669283.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5666697426498177426" border="0" /></a><br />Manchester United endured a derby day to forget as they suffered a 6-1 thumping at the hands of local rivals Manchester City at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.<br /><br />Hours after finding himself the subject of more headlines after a fire at his home, controversial striker Mario Balotelli inspired the thrashing with an impressive brace.<br /><br />But it was Jonny Evans' sending off in the 47th minute which marked the start of a downward spiral for the hosts.<br /><br />Sergio Aguero grabbed the third for City before super substitute Edin Dzeko fired home two either side of a strike from David Silva as Sir Alex Ferguson's men completely unravelled in stoppage time.<br /><br />City's emphatic win keeps them sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League and gives them a five-point cushion over reigning champions United.fatherkrishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01523813350137435244noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29219429.post-34434035626493618722011-09-08T12:33:00.000-07:002011-09-14T14:33:15.062-07:00Dead Space - Xbox 360<object id="vid_4c2bf1eb223ed848b9515386" class="ign-videoplayer" width="425" height="270" data="http://media.ign.com/ev/prod/embed.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="movie" value="http://media.ign.com/ev/prod/embed.swf" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="flashvars" value="url=http://uk.ign.com/videos/2008/10/10/dead-space-playstation-3-review-video-review?objectid=850402"/></object><div style="width:425px"><a href="http://uk.ign.com/videos/2008/10/10/dead-space-playstation-3-review-video-review?objectid=850402">More Dead Space Videos</a></div><br /><br />Why has it taken me so long to actually getting round to playing this game? My middle ginger, Martin, the only other passionate console gamer and survival horror fan in my house, gave it a huge thumbs up when it was released back in 2008. He reported that it delivered scares and mindless gaming fun in equal measure, with plenty of gore and explosions along the way! The critics gave it scores in the eighties and nineties, and even it's offshoot game, Dead Space Extraction for the Wii, received favourable reviews despite being an "on rails shooter", a seemingly dated medium through which to expand on the core story.<br /><br />But it's taken me <span style="font-style: italic;">sooooo</span> long to get started on it, and it's only within recent days that I've played it with any consistency. I'm within sight of the finishing line now, and as the story begins to reach it's conclusion, I've only just concluded that I rather like it! Various elements have conspired to stifle my enjoyment of the game until now. Silly things that really shouldn't have bothered me. The main protagonist for a start, he has no personality. Compare him to Gordon Freeman (Half Life) or Leon Kennedy (Resident Evil) or even Jack Wade (Headhunter), and he's a no-one. Faceless and forgetful. I can't even remember if we know his name, and I'm up to the middle of Chapter 10 of 12. That's got to be THE worst 'costume' for any alien slaughtering hero to date. It's so boring, souless even - and it looks shit! Like it's made out of sellotape. I'm only up to the level 4 suit, so if the level 5 suit turns out to be pimped out, bling-tastic and super-cool looking, I apologise.<br /><br />Then there's the stark and austere surroundings of the ship. Compare it to the varied and spectacular backdrops of games such as Resident Evil (Gamecube/Wii) or Resident Evil 4 (Gamecube/PS2/Wii) or even the other worldly vistas of Half Life (PS2/PC) and you'll understand why Dead Space doesn't cut the visual mustard.<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-size:78%;" ><br />*FK takes a small break from writing which strteches into a week's break...*</span><br /><br />Still, the whole Dead Space experience creeps up on you... I've now finished the game and It's only then that you see our protagonist's face. I think his elusive air of mystery was very much intended to be juxtaposed to his bare faced and open humanity at the end of the game... or something like that.<br /><br />What's great about the game is shooting hideously grotesque mutants with a variety of space age weapons and then stamping on their entrails till they pop! That is essentially the best element of the game. My son Martin was genuinely scared by the experience... I wasn't at any point. I felt the game was very playable and apart from final boss I found it fairly plain sailing.<br /><br />Now, whilst this game shows I have slipped back onto the 360, it doesn't mean my commitment to the Wii is over. Far from it! In fact I only wanted to complete it because:<br /><br />a.) I started playing Ocarina of time on the Wii's Virtual Console and I realised it was such a huge game, that I should tie up a few loose ends in terms of unfinished games before I fully embarked on it...<br /><br />b.) I have received Dead Space Extraction in the post and I thought I should finish the main game in the IP before I played an offshoot game...<br /><br />There has been a slight problem though... playing 'Extraction', an on-rails light gun shooter, is very strange after freely exploring the environment of the doomed space ship, the USG Ishimura, on the Xbox! I'll be reporting on that pretty soon.!fatherkrishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01523813350137435244noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29219429.post-27341477703613888742011-08-24T14:27:00.001-07:002011-08-24T14:54:07.132-07:00COD Black Ops Wii - FK's continuing adventures with Nintendo's finest!<div style="text-align: center;"><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" id="videoPlayer" height="310" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/cne_flash/production/eidothea/release/eidothea.swf?ver=009_1"><param name="scale" value="noScale"><param name="salign" value="lt"><param name="quality" value="high"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="flashvars" value="bwr=0&playerMode=embedded&movieAspect=16.9&mapp=embedded_425&gen=1&viewMode=sd&autoPlay=false&paramsXML=http%3A%2F%2Fuk.gamespot.com%2Fpages%2Fvideo_player%2Fxml.php%3Fid%3D6283902%26mode%3Dembedded%26width%3D425%26height%3D310%26newplayer%3D1%26skin%3DeidotheaEmbedded425_169.xml"><param name="wmode" value="opaque"><embed id="mymovie" flashvars="bwr=0&playerMode=embedded&movieAspect=16.9&mapp=embedded_425&gen=1&viewMode=sd&autoPlay=false&paramsXML=http%3A%2F%2Fuk.gamespot.com%2Fpages%2Fvideo_player%2Fxml.php%3Fid%3D6283902%26mode%3Dembedded%26width%3D480%26height%3D310%26newplayer%3D1%26skin%3DeidotheaEmbedded425_169.xml" wmode="opaque" allowscriptaccess="always" scale="noScale" salign="lt" allowfullscreen="true" quality="high" name="mymovie" style="" src="http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/cne_flash/production/eidothea/release/eidothea.swf?ver=009_1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="310" width="425"></embed></object>
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<br />Apart from the ginger gene, the only thing my three sons share explicitly, is the opinion that Call Of Duty (online) rocks. It's the only thing they can agree on as far as videogames go -their gaming preferences outside of the franchise go like this - Joe (20): Fifa, Martin (17): Dead Space, Ted (14): World Of Warcraft -see what I mean?
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<br />On the subject of Call Of Duty, however they are in full agreement. Every new edition of the game must be bought faithfully for full price on the day of release - pre-ordered and at a midnight launch preferably- and (<span style="font-style: italic;">most importantly</span>) that from the point of getting the game into the house, right up until the <span style="font-style: italic;">next</span> COD launch, the game will ONLY be played as a multiplayer, online experience.
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<br />I could not be more different. I have no compulsion to play these games as and when they are released. I cannot (despite the desire to play) cope with the game online! To me it is a panick stricken, jarring, frenetic, disorienting experience. On top of that, a humiliating one as I simply get picked off by other players repeatedly until the game session ends.
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<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">I DO love the franchise though. I've played a variety of the series offerings across a variety of consoles - PS2, PS3, Xbox 360 - I've even played two COD games (COD 4 and COD: World At War) on the DS! But until this month, I'd never played one on the Wii.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6uYzKTW-MsRd9ePGpWneyl2kRtu7-s2007LOZ_kPo9-cdXMb1Kg951NqDoN9n0EbjMZRWJahiQKbI2XvnYYneHdbZ_yxF-TNZmaauPgMXYzfgjSSTZ6EHS6_NuX3j0E6juIDz/s1600/996443_20101111_640screen002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6uYzKTW-MsRd9ePGpWneyl2kRtu7-s2007LOZ_kPo9-cdXMb1Kg951NqDoN9n0EbjMZRWJahiQKbI2XvnYYneHdbZ_yxF-TNZmaauPgMXYzfgjSSTZ6EHS6_NuX3j0E6juIDz/s400/996443_20101111_640screen002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644542554835031250" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-size:85%;" >Nice graphics for the Wii doncha think?</span><span style="font-size:85%;">
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<br />It was with a look of wearied disbelief, followed by stifled giggles that my sons enquired why I was choosing to depart from the world of the 'serious' gamer, to play the shoddy and inferior offering presented to Wii gamers. Well, I'll answer that question right away!
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<br />Ultimately it was the price... Black Ops for the Wii was available for £15 (inc. postage), whereas it's 360/Ps3 cousins were costing above £25, even for pre-owned. It also served as a sweetener, when I took the risky decision of having a Wii only summer... I had read enough reviews online to know that the Treyarch boys had done a rather grand job of furnishing Wii gamers with a faithful edition of the game... not some embarrassing child-like "Wii edition" - the option chosen by some high profile releases - Ghostbusters for example, or even a "down graded" version of the game - the accusation levelled at Dead Rising, the game mentioned a couple of posts ago.
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<br />As far as I can tell, apart from a few control issues with the nunchuck and wiimote at times, the Wii version offers a full and comparable alternative to the games I've seen on the Ps3 and Xbox 360. I'd be a liar if I said the graphics were as good as it's high def relations, but they look pretty good for the Wii. Essentially the game offers the same high octane, constantly moving, thoroughly enjoyable experience, for a fraction of the price. (And I've not even played the zombies mode yet!)
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<br />Most of the Wii games I've bought this summer: Chop Till You Drop, Cursed Mountain, House Of The Dead 2&3 Return, Red Steel 2, Scarface The World Is Yours, and Dead Space Extraction - cost about £7-8 pre-owned. Ghost Squad and, Gunblade NY cost £5 pre-owned. Geometry Wars and No More Heroes? £2.99! This could be a reflection of sales, but is not a reflection of game quality. The Wii is a mine of untapped potential for serious gamers... You've just got to sift through a LOT of crap, to find the games worth playing. As you can see from the list of titles accquired this summer, I've still got a lot of play left in my Wii before I dust off the old Xbox again!fatherkrishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01523813350137435244noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29219429.post-76039649710351359262011-08-15T03:06:00.000-07:002011-08-15T03:21:01.067-07:00Elderly is back!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSxA2WHYkrenAIdHa0uQyXhjW0RoM-tEQ5ljXOtDwIZl_12OGerfFC601K4gQTnVeoUiYR46UyjiMhDLHH79nbTl9JfmISCAkxBzfoUYzP7nrNd1AMfWDRGhKWJ-e9VC-4J_as/s1600/personnesagees-L.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSxA2WHYkrenAIdHa0uQyXhjW0RoM-tEQ5ljXOtDwIZl_12OGerfFC601K4gQTnVeoUiYR46UyjiMhDLHH79nbTl9JfmISCAkxBzfoUYzP7nrNd1AMfWDRGhKWJ-e9VC-4J_as/s400/personnesagees-L.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641025637627042082" border="0" /></a>
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<br /><div style="text-align: center;">Sing it from the rooftops dear readers!
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<br />The one and only <span style="font-weight:bold;">Elderly Gamer</span> is back and blogging at the following address: <span style="font-weight: bold;">xboxmeagain.blogspot.com </span>
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<br />Perhaps my favourite blog of all time, been at tad quiet for a spell, like the very site upon which your eyes are fixed at this moment.
<br />However, life in general looks set to improve, as he's back and ready for blogging business! Oh frabjous day, caloo callay etc...
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<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Welcome back dear Elderly!</span></span>
<br /></div>fatherkrishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01523813350137435244noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29219429.post-47700171789948059922011-08-15T02:51:00.000-07:002011-08-15T03:06:17.500-07:00Dead Rising (Chop Till You Drop)<object id="vid_4c2bddb9aa24d848e302e646" class="ign-videoplayer" width="425" height="270" data="http://media.ign.com/ev/prod/embed.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="movie" value="http://media.ign.com/ev/prod/embed.swf" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="flashvars" value="url=http://uk.ign.com/videos/2009/02/25/dead-rising-chop-til-you-drop-wii-dead-rising-video-review?objectid=14267382"/></object><div style="width:425px"><a href="http://uk.ign.com/videos/2009/02/25/dead-rising-chop-til-you-drop-wii-dead-rising-video-review?objectid=14267382">More Dead Rising: Chop Til You Drop Videos</a></div>
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<br />As my long six weeks holiday approached, I decided to rig my Wii up as my main console of the moment. I tend to switch between bouts of PS3 or 360 playing, but the Wii never got a look in. So in order to prove to myself that it was worth the money I paid for it, I decided to have a "Wii-only" summer. Apart from buying one game for the PS3, (see below), I've largely stuck to it and I have to say I'm loving it! Rather tragically (and unimaginatively), the first thing I played on my newly established Wii, was RE4. Utterly brilliant and proof of the potential of the wiimote and nunchuck as perfect controllers - but I've played it so many times before, that I needed to show a bit more imagination. Then it was onto HOTD Overkill for a bit of light-gun action, followed by 'Gunblade NY' and 'LA Machine Guns', with a bit of 'Ghost Squad' thrown in for good measure. These are all Sega games that I have loved blasting away at in the arcades!
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<br />Next,I tried (and failed) to get past my sticking point on Red Steel 1, then enjoyed a bit of Red Steel 2 (great new graphical style,not got me 'hooked' yet, however.) I then re-tried Madworld and still couldn't 'get it', although I liked it's stylistic content.
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<br />The game which has had me hooked though, is the much maligned port of Dead Rising, sub-titled 'chop till you drop'. The game was pretty much panned for being a downgrade of the original - the 'hordes' of zombies in the 360 version being replaced by 'groups' of zombies + zombie parrots and poodles - I for one, however am not complaining.
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<br />You see, I couldn't play the original past the first couple of levels despite desperately wanting to. It was Capcom, it was zombies - I had to play it! But alas, the unforgiving save system and difficulty spike were just too much for me and I ended up abandoning the game.
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<br />Now, a good four years after I first tried to play out the story of Frank West and the Willamette Mall, I'm finally finding out the dastardly truth! I understand that playing this version is like riding a bike with stabilisers, but I don't care! I'm really enjoying it.
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<br />I've just purchased RE2 and 3, plus RE 0 for Gamecube, with a GC memory card and controller - so my Wii based Zombie fun looks set to continue. I've also got COD Black Ops for the Wii, plus Tatsunoko vs. Capcom on it's way in the post. On the Virtual conole I just picked up Revenge of Shinobi (Megadrive), R-type (Mastersystem), Donkey Kong (Nes), and Donkey Kong Country (SNES.)
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<br />I also picked up Marvel vs. Capcom 3 for the PS3, but I haven't really played it yet. Looks fabulous though! Hopefully I'll report back about these games as my experiences unfold... I've a huge incentive to revamp this floundering blog, as my next post will giddily celebrate...fatherkrishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01523813350137435244noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29219429.post-78530064573505726132011-03-19T19:28:00.000-07:002011-03-20T08:22:43.631-07:00Yakuza 4: Release Day Purchase Power<div style="width: 420px;"><embed width="420" height="391" src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:moses:video:gametrailers.com:711762" quality="high" bgcolor="000000" name="efp" align="middle" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" flashvars="autoPlay=false" allowfullscreen="true"></embed><div style="font-size: 10px; font-family: Verdana; text-align: center; width: 420px; padding-top: 2px; padding-bottom: 2px; background-color: black; height: 32px;"><div><a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com" title="GameTrailers.com">Video Games</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/game/yakuza-4-heir-to-the-legend/11777" title="Yakuza 4">Yakuza 4</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/video/launch-trailer-yakuza-4/711762" title="Launch Trailer">Launch Trailer</a></div><div style="padding-top: 3px;"><a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://xbox360.gametrailers.com/" title="Xbox 360">Xbox 360</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://ps3.gametrailers.com/" title="PS3">PlayStation 3</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://wii.gametrailers.com/" title="Wii">Nintendo Wii</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://pc.gametrailers.com/" title="PC Games">PC Games</a> </div></div></div><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEqNV67gq-Y6AtnpLv78hrEIV2SapNoDJvBKCtehNhP_SrAuMqbf_y_fOULxNTOcMFTApR4jXOtkwnpUFEM9DXD_lZ9A6tsETWCSf44GbNrgJ-S2R2JKAronyXTYxBs42urbnW/s1600/5135-yakuza-4.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEqNV67gq-Y6AtnpLv78hrEIV2SapNoDJvBKCtehNhP_SrAuMqbf_y_fOULxNTOcMFTApR4jXOtkwnpUFEM9DXD_lZ9A6tsETWCSf44GbNrgJ-S2R2JKAronyXTYxBs42urbnW/s400/5135-yakuza-4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585999243854776578" border="0" /></a><br />Very occasionally, I can still get excited enough about a video game that I want it on the day it comes out. One such game is <span style="font-weight: bold;">Yakuza 4</span> - indeed, it's much maligned predecessor, the 'hacked to bits for UK release', <span style="font-weight: bold;">Yakuza 3</span> - was the very game that made me get a Ps3 in the first place.<br /><br />I've loved the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Yakuza</span> franchise, since I first read about it's development in a UK videogame magazine in 2004 (0r 2005 - however, it took me a long time - a further three years - before I got round to playing it, as I was strictly into the Dreamcast at that time, and could not bring myself to play the PS2...). It was promoted as "the spiritual successor to <a href="http://the-dreamcast-junkyard.blogspot.com/2007/07/greatest-story-ever-told.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Shenmue</span></a>" (my favourite videogame of all time) - and coming from <span style="font-weight: bold;">Sega</span>, with the promise of being a brawling adventure story set in a virtual Japanese underworld replete with a host of mini-games and dating sims, well I was enthralled and hooked by the concept straight away. As a <span style="font-weight: bold;">Shenmue</span> lover, there was always a yearning for the 'never coming' <span style="font-weight: bold;">Shenmue 3</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">(it still hasn't arrived yet!)</span> - maybe <span style="font-weight: bold;">Yakuza </span>could be a methadone for the <span style="font-style: italic;">cold turkey</span> of waiting for a conclusion to <span style="font-weight: bold;">Shenmue</span>?<br /><br />Now it's seven years later and I've investsed hours and hours in this game and it's following incarnations... from the English speaking<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakuza_%28video_game%29#Cast"> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Yakuza 1</span></a> (starring Mark Hamill and Michael Madsen), through to the syrupy, orphan heavy dramas of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Yakuza 3</span>... and I've loved every minute of it.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvPDk4pjpnaL876Mi93oTpvFzi0-RD2A9jzhWGM9LAgThuixrHbP44_Ju70lS368eiVDtusSjNfzyoVMfTq7KwYfFd6JZrJUcZgzQV6SaHHuWgsKG1Dd4fPRj1VlimUgomsFv1/s1600/YAK4_WALLPAPER_1900wx1200h.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 253px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvPDk4pjpnaL876Mi93oTpvFzi0-RD2A9jzhWGM9LAgThuixrHbP44_Ju70lS368eiVDtusSjNfzyoVMfTq7KwYfFd6JZrJUcZgzQV6SaHHuWgsKG1Dd4fPRj1VlimUgomsFv1/s400/YAK4_WALLPAPER_1900wx1200h.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585999250759949682" border="0" /></a><br /><br />So far, the ultra cool (yet always caring) <span style="font-weight: bold;">Kazuma Kiryu</span> has not made an appearance. The only notable change is that the kung fu action seems even tighter and more responsive than ever, with the ability to stand on one leg and deliver a lightning flurry of kicks to your opponent a pleasing addition. As usual there is a plethora of weapons to be picked up and employed against your foes (<a href="http://thesaturnjunkyard.blogspot.com/2007/04/die-hard-arcade-review.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Die Hard Arcade</span></a> style), and thankfully the dating sim side of the game has returned (after being so cruelly cut from <span style="font-weight: bold;">Yakuza 3's</span> UK release).<br /><br />Indeed it's the juxtaposition of sweet highly moral 'family values', slightly saucy romance simulation, frankly bizarre imagery and brutal gangland violence that makes this game so very quirky, so very Japanese, so very... <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Sega</span>.<br /><br />As of yet the other forte of the series, the ever twisting and supremely cinematic plotlines have not drawn me in, but another joy of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Yakuza</span> series is how it's stories slowly unfold. I've had a few hours with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Yakuza 4</span> and it's prompted me to blog for the first time in three months. if that's not a good reccomendation for a videogame, I don't know what is!<br /><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Y1u9_1WFRj9GSBk1LdRVWBpAnpKmPGNN56fyr-Uo8Xpd-TGWTK1RvzUGWajQboDvfSk8UZBmz0OWNws9UtGvPAqNgpb83pNt9d75WCMnUsYvBRJlHqeIKhZVs6iJVauBnp0E/s1600/Yakuza-4-Screens_09-24-09.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 197px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Y1u9_1WFRj9GSBk1LdRVWBpAnpKmPGNN56fyr-Uo8Xpd-TGWTK1RvzUGWajQboDvfSk8UZBmz0OWNws9UtGvPAqNgpb83pNt9d75WCMnUsYvBRJlHqeIKhZVs6iJVauBnp0E/s400/Yakuza-4-Screens_09-24-09.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585999257748411650" border="0" /></a><br /></span><a href="http://www.sega.co.uk/yakuza/index_uk.php#/yakuza-4-home"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Yakuza Official Website</span></a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://uk.ps3.ign.com/objects/143/14347894.html">Yakuza at IGN</a><br /><a href="http://www.gamestm.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=17017&start=15"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Yakuza at GamesTM forum</span></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://my-treamcast.blogspot.com/2008/10/yakuza-ps2.html">FK's first impression of the Yakuza franchise from back in 2008</a></span>fatherkrishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01523813350137435244noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29219429.post-13707179149089774722010-12-24T11:32:00.000-08:002010-12-24T11:36:51.276-08:00Merry Christmas!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo40g0Il7v86_p_DHa9ZTnCQH-i8thw00fxh5QAE272RhTLtns3Gqqf8VzcEc_sodv9EA3SF1TDqE_e7sgVaYzDgxx0KLmQZYLGs4jEPfKftwNxX6AoDD_bybuQHfB-tNhvVyV/s1600/saucy+santa.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 261px; height: 357px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo40g0Il7v86_p_DHa9ZTnCQH-i8thw00fxh5QAE272RhTLtns3Gqqf8VzcEc_sodv9EA3SF1TDqE_e7sgVaYzDgxx0KLmQZYLGs4jEPfKftwNxX6AoDD_bybuQHfB-tNhvVyV/s400/saucy+santa.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554334962017925314" border="0" /></a><br />Merry Christmas fellows! May your days be merry and bright! New post before the New Year I promise. Been very hectic at work, with health and in home life, leaving me shopping right up today. I will chill out once Christmas day is out of the way and enjoy some relaxation and blogging time! Until then I hope you all have a very peaceful and happy Yuletide!fatherkrishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01523813350137435244noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29219429.post-42045908709297926062010-11-18T10:16:00.000-08:002010-11-19T14:23:24.457-08:00Star Wars games!As I mentioned last post, I'm doing anything I can to fuel my Star Wars obsession at the moment. Of course that means that my gaming tastes have also had a Star Wars flavour, and believe it or not I've actually played through three generations of Playstation in order to satisfy my Jedi enthused yearnings<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">...</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">I'll now take you through my Sony console odyssey!</span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqt28Ghpd5-hySsWeXn7I-MlPHvIUHr1Cqm1YDhmyeNa8HkBxHgqzWNjpha5_uonBqQfa0ECoC2by1yW7ah17bi71yb8MgYRVs2S8-YmM7WuXcV9MQoUTiubDxDYOOWfYvDZM5/s1600/star-wars-episode-i-the-phantom-menace.3466095.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqt28Ghpd5-hySsWeXn7I-MlPHvIUHr1Cqm1YDhmyeNa8HkBxHgqzWNjpha5_uonBqQfa0ECoC2by1yW7ah17bi71yb8MgYRVs2S8-YmM7WuXcV9MQoUTiubDxDYOOWfYvDZM5/s400/star-wars-episode-i-the-phantom-menace.3466095.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541365153170250594" border="0" /></a><br />Starting off, we have <span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode One:The Phantom Menace</span> representing the <span style="font-weight: bold;">PS1</span>. Now this is a rather lovely movie franchise tie-in from way back in the simple 32 bit era... That's right folks, its my favourite decade... <span style="font-weight: bold;">the 90s!</span><br /><br />The first thought I had, on re-playing this classic title, was that it was graphically great for the time it was made. The developers managed to get a lot out of the system visually, and the cut scenes are pretty impressive. It was through playing this game that I actually discovered a rather pleasing feature of the PS3. There is an option which allows you to "smooth off" some of the pixellation and jagged edges on your PS1 games, thus enhancing the graphics.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZUYzQRMpnVNriXv1gO1NQXpxcdFKo7ixRJvWtlifnw8kqhQJaHpRL1NodP8OyntdE8WGA0W_v1a8bL9XJ3RUmBDTAmIRg4ivsJqNlIY2snSeOOdQLtl3RlEPxVZhoo0qcGghS/s1600/BleemCast_Blue.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 369px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZUYzQRMpnVNriXv1gO1NQXpxcdFKo7ixRJvWtlifnw8kqhQJaHpRL1NodP8OyntdE8WGA0W_v1a8bL9XJ3RUmBDTAmIRg4ivsJqNlIY2snSeOOdQLtl3RlEPxVZhoo0qcGghS/s400/BleemCast_Blue.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541372063842880786" border="0" /></a><br />Now this is nothing new... the<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Dreamcast</span> was able to do something similar a generation ago with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bleemcast%21"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bleemcast</span></a> software... but it does enhance the playing experience when sampling retro Playstation goodies...<br /><br />The game plays through each scenario of the movie, but adding a slight 'Tomb Raider style' platforming element to the story. There is also a good amount of Jedi style combat, employing both light sabre skills and force moves.<br /><br />Voice acting, sound effects and musical score are of top quality, and overall the game carries the prestige, of being the most 'pleasantly surprising' of the trio I'm sharing with you in this post. That's because despite being a product from the last millenium, it's actually a game which is still very enjoyable in 2010. The game is quite addictive and the save system is very forgiving, but the game can still be frustrating when you have to repeat the same jump or battle over an over again... Now on to number two!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGjLaGuaf4PRzG4hc4g861mfjYwm6kNqvUYzpby17BdUJZLpJERYt25MqsttDSOZgmiP2QgcFSvmYAjso5NC9EhfeNBdX17Ac7ELC3fPDpxRre-5UJTr3JtRzGS3IldYbkB-Oo/s1600/revenge+ps2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 283px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGjLaGuaf4PRzG4hc4g861mfjYwm6kNqvUYzpby17BdUJZLpJERYt25MqsttDSOZgmiP2QgcFSvmYAjso5NC9EhfeNBdX17Ac7ELC3fPDpxRre-5UJTr3JtRzGS3IldYbkB-Oo/s400/revenge+ps2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541365111779018770" border="0" /></a><br />Representing the <span style="font-weight: bold;">PS2</span> we have <span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode Three: The Revenge Of The Sith</span>. I picked this title up quite some time ago at Blockbuster as part of a "three for £5" deal. Very often I'll pick up a game and then not even think about it for months. Much later I'll think "Now what can I play today?", go and have a root around and discover a hidden gem! That was the case with this particular game. (I think I bought it during my obsession with London based gangster title, <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Getaway</span>. At that time I was not interested in the Star Wars universe and therefore the title got shelved.)<br /><br />The game is pedestrian and straightforward, with no attempts to dazzle or amaze, but it very much satisfies my Lucas based cravings. Graphically not that amazing, but the simple and uncomplicated gameplay more than makes up for it. As you progress (in a very linear way) through the plot of the film, you accrue Jedi powers and combat skills by earning points for stylishly dispatching your foes. Again the whole aural side of things is sublime with great voice acting and an excellent soundtrack. The game is relatively easy to play through, and again the save system is forgiving.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Unfortunatelywhilst playing through and saving this game, I managed to wipe out the entire memory and saves that I had on my PS1 internal memory of my PS3, thus erasing about 6 levels of my progress on the Phantom Menace... <span style="font-weight: bold;">DOH!</span> Now onto the next and final game, this time on the PS3...<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNWRRoVyZo1Y-h6AVWHLBAa20FZBFOuDNu9OIQd8l6zd87oeujYYDjJXV1IC1ssi4cOjdCEYPZ3dgCyZ3maE_d3WlMiy5HiAVoexag7bplQlbGosyx2Iy7nP-R5-8wmUvjuTff/s1600/force+unleashed.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNWRRoVyZo1Y-h6AVWHLBAa20FZBFOuDNu9OIQd8l6zd87oeujYYDjJXV1IC1ssi4cOjdCEYPZ3dgCyZ3maE_d3WlMiy5HiAVoexag7bplQlbGosyx2Iy7nP-R5-8wmUvjuTff/s400/force+unleashed.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541365136060300402" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The best of the featured trio of Playstation offerings, is the rather fabulous PS3 offering, <a href="http://www.lucasarts.com/games/theforceunleashed/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Star Wars: The Force Unleashed</span></a>. It's not it's current generation status that makes it the winner<br /> ( -<span style="font-style: italic;">you can actually play a version of the game PS2</span>- ) nor the shiny graphics, or enhanced Force abilities.<br /><br />It's the fact that it expands the Star Wars story and sheds some light on the events between Episode III and Episode IV. It also allows characters from Episode III to appear alongside characters from Episode IV (Bail and Leia Organa) when the actors who played those characters (Jimmy Smits and Carrie Fisher) filmed their respective roles over twenty years apart... I think that's amazing!<br /></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE-0KFqTZWJ5ToWFO09KvTqGSLCIILxXrfNlD2986mdgwQRcDDRGk6HM90qQcwqkfwqViPPN3BRwk6HkCpKNLxHstunWlW4o2AKYAow7h0U792FJW5lyjjCJ86krSxhmb3b1Fc/s1600/589px-Leia_Bail_rebellion.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE-0KFqTZWJ5ToWFO09KvTqGSLCIILxXrfNlD2986mdgwQRcDDRGk6HM90qQcwqkfwqViPPN3BRwk6HkCpKNLxHstunWlW4o2AKYAow7h0U792FJW5lyjjCJ86krSxhmb3b1Fc/s400/589px-Leia_Bail_rebellion.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541030155359442498" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);font-size:78%;" >Leia Organa (portrayed by Carrie Fisher in 1978) and Bail Organa</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);font-size:78%;" >(portrayed by Jimmy Smits in 2005) meet up in a videogame in 2008!</span><br /></div><br />The star of the game is Darth Vader's secret apprentice, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Galen Marek</span>, also known as <span style="font-weight: bold;">Starkiller</span>.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">The game charts the path of his relationship with Vader. The plot is almost Shakesperean in it's twists and turns - Vader murders Marek's father then adopts him. He brings him up as a Sith Lord, but Starkiller is redeemed through his love for new character<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Juno Eclipse</span>, being drawn from the Dark Side of the Force into the Light and eventually becoming a Jedi.<br /><br />- There is far more to his backstory than that, but suffice to say, this new examination of an interesting and murky period in the Star Wars chronology and plot development is extremely exciting for Star Wars nerds like myself!<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisyPHx1_7A_XnDrIok3JdaUWLnjZ0H6XXdviFI_cD6z-0NWiOu7fO-mj9-3Ksaq_fMAEFL1igk1cTSVaGqdH69cIcjsqkWIlOTixGgnzmO_PusP6DHeuutJAJ2wVaKA3_fQahd/s1600/starkiller.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 294px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisyPHx1_7A_XnDrIok3JdaUWLnjZ0H6XXdviFI_cD6z-0NWiOu7fO-mj9-3Ksaq_fMAEFL1igk1cTSVaGqdH69cIcjsqkWIlOTixGgnzmO_PusP6DHeuutJAJ2wVaKA3_fQahd/s400/starkiller.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541365117206839378" border="0" />,</a><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Galen Marek or Starkiller - (Darth Vader's secret apprentice)<br />expands the Star Wars story in an extremely tantalising way!</span></span> </div><br />The gameplay of Force Unleashed, becomes more enjoyable as you progress through the game and your destructive Force powers increase. I say <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">destructive</span> Force powers, because destruction is the name of the game. Although Starkiller is more than capable of handling a light sabre with skill and dexterity, his modus operandi is to storm through his oponents hitting them with Force 'push','lightning' or 'grab'. This sends foes and parts of the environment flying off into the cosmos.<br /><br />So there you go! Three generations of games but all with a common feature... 'quality'!<br /><br />I'll put some video of each one here under the post, so you can see what they look like. May I leave you with the assurance, that I'll leave Star Wars alone as subject matter for my next few posts. I've actually got a backlog of played games to tell you about, due to my year long hiatus... Enjoy the videos (although I really disagree with the Revenge Of The Sith review) and I'll make a pledge to get out and visit some of my favourite blogs over the weekend... See you soon!<br /><br /><object width="425" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7RTARy_1me4?fs=1&hl=en_GB"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7RTARy_1me4?fs=1&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><object width="485" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/KvrpjNM6yz8?fs=1&hl=en_GB"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/KvrpjNM6yz8?fs=1&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="485" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><div style="width: 425px;"><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" id="gtembed" width="425" height="392"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain" /> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> <param name="movie" value="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=39955"/><param name="quality" value="high" /> <embed src="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=39955" swLiveConnect="true" name="gtembed" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="sameDomain" allowFullScreen="true" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="392"></embed> </object><div style="font-size: 10px; font-family: Verdana; text-align: center; width: 425px; padding-top: 2px; padding-bottom: 2px; background-color: black; height: 32px;"><div><a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com" title="GameTrailers.com">Video Games</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/game/star-wars-the-force-unleashed/3067" title="Star Wars: Force Unleashed">Star Wars: Force Unleashed</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/video/review-star-wars/39955" title="Review">Review</a></div><div style="padding-top: 3px;"><a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://xbox360.gametrailers.com/" title="XBox 360">XBox 360</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://ps3.gametrailers.com/" title="PS3">Playstation 3</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://wii.gametrailers.com/" title="Wii">Nintendo Wii</a></div></div></div>fatherkrishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01523813350137435244noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29219429.post-52186552241677971732010-11-11T13:39:00.000-08:002010-11-11T15:16:51.239-08:00My Current Obsession<object width="425" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Kp8Ms7FBC7M?fs=1&hl=en_GB"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Kp8Ms7FBC7M?fs=1&hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />Hope I've spelt that right, I wouldn't want to give you the impression that I'm hooked on dried grapes. Lord no! (Not unless they're covered in milk chocolate and enjoyed after a heavy session on the old bong that is...) but I digress!<br /><br />Those of you who've known me for a while may be aware that every so often I get into something obsessively. This usually results in me indulging huge wads of cash and hours of my free time at whatever has caught my whim, in terms of persuing and fuelling that moments fad. These have included the music and memoribilia of Michael Jackson, the Resident Evil franchise, the Dreamcast, the Saturn and videogaming in general...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNSwPjVDUr5Eq66ZW_1RL6NiWRprV89S70R-d8uMaiC6_KeNetf0y5ghzSm8uModzZwPljBNLBz2tJMjc7prhvvIuQXxIwuTMsKKuFOVFVLwRqRuAfIpdupoVzpiqXehKksjz/s1600/star-wars-art-2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNSwPjVDUr5Eq66ZW_1RL6NiWRprV89S70R-d8uMaiC6_KeNetf0y5ghzSm8uModzZwPljBNLBz2tJMjc7prhvvIuQXxIwuTMsKKuFOVFVLwRqRuAfIpdupoVzpiqXehKksjz/s400/star-wars-art-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538432903628225730" border="0" /></a><br />However, my latest obsession, which has been brewing for about a year now, is based long ago in a galaxy far away... Why would a 43 year old man start to get heavily into <a href="http://www.starwars.com"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Star Wars</span></a> in 2010? There's no reason other than that when I was ill and off for six months, I decided to watch all six films as they were intended to run in the George Lucas chronology. That means starting with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode One: The Phantom Menace</span> and finishing on <span style="font-weight: bold;">Episode Six: The Return Of The Jedi.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJjq72OnkeRUXkhYdX8-q2NNMYfJvGknuHoS6-8q7Go2kRtwYe3XpZ2vzG1g-n62RzQaeojRUPsTDXX7JB7LyKW6nZXO8DzkgBRyGve41aaO30eW7sKxOHOZei0UAazx8nJymi/s1600/StarWars_Art_Vader-thumb-500x368-16957.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 294px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJjq72OnkeRUXkhYdX8-q2NNMYfJvGknuHoS6-8q7Go2kRtwYe3XpZ2vzG1g-n62RzQaeojRUPsTDXX7JB7LyKW6nZXO8DzkgBRyGve41aaO30eW7sKxOHOZei0UAazx8nJymi/s400/StarWars_Art_Vader-thumb-500x368-16957.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538432898213943666" border="0" /></a><br />Now that might seem logical to everyone, but UK TV channel ITV, recently showed them in the chronological order that they were made, which is Four, Five, Six, One, Two, Three. This IMHO is absurd, but whatever...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu4mT_GwTy_tljq2USJjoyxLa2yYcJchwO3Nnv8uPtz0OsLeLPfEkHJ9ZlVxJzkKOD_qQAgTQ3hrDX4JecCSm22qx3c1wqHHZ8k6uc9pv66-Z6d8lnQgLT7Ha2ZuzDkpY5zNkW/s1600/starwars-art2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 321px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu4mT_GwTy_tljq2USJjoyxLa2yYcJchwO3Nnv8uPtz0OsLeLPfEkHJ9ZlVxJzkKOD_qQAgTQ3hrDX4JecCSm22qx3c1wqHHZ8k6uc9pv66-Z6d8lnQgLT7Ha2ZuzDkpY5zNkW/s400/starwars-art2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538432894018972786" border="0" /></a><br />When you watch the movies back to back in sequence, the story is quite enthralling. It definitely is a case of the sum being more than its parts, and I found my interest in the Star Wars universe was kick started afresh. I began to watch episodes of the Clone Wars and after first finding it's cartoon stylings unpalatable, I soon became hugely hooked on the programme. I now enjoy it as much as the films and yearn for other eras from the films timeline to be explored in a similar animated fashion.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8hWU5zpwG7S6D9Zrhbx_N0KtI0aIeMuUC9rbrBx1myUc9rFc5uMDqZa7Xhir3hh_Kz8oC_zKdtWFi_tzzugcG6soM5_lo3OZ9jnt4y7bmRHeYq0-bwIWTYHQkpai1omNyJR-_/s1600/fuckingtest.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 295px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8hWU5zpwG7S6D9Zrhbx_N0KtI0aIeMuUC9rbrBx1myUc9rFc5uMDqZa7Xhir3hh_Kz8oC_zKdtWFi_tzzugcG6soM5_lo3OZ9jnt4y7bmRHeYq0-bwIWTYHQkpai1omNyJR-_/s400/fuckingtest.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538432678835283714" border="0" /></a><br /><br />But of course, when you're obsessed and adicted as I am at this time, you'll find that watching isn't enough... now I need Star Wars comics, Star Wars novels, Star Wars art, Star Wars memoribilia and of course... Star Wars games! Which leads me nicely onto my next subject!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQCrqY3soNSLDM5C1wZ_jcbUvYWft0f3NS8ymsfux70t8gJOtvXPpDrBUfTjQx4eX59CN2TsudvGR4jW6Ej8BQl9KFhH59NKn8reN0B7N4vhri6W4JtPuiIog-nue3lLT0wxLK/s1600/star.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 211px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQCrqY3soNSLDM5C1wZ_jcbUvYWft0f3NS8ymsfux70t8gJOtvXPpDrBUfTjQx4eX59CN2TsudvGR4jW6Ej8BQl9KFhH59NKn8reN0B7N4vhri6W4JtPuiIog-nue3lLT0wxLK/s400/star.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538432905583656258" border="0" /></a>fatherkrishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01523813350137435244noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29219429.post-8266860623102713352010-11-10T09:55:00.000-08:002010-11-10T11:20:53.317-08:00The Prodigal Returns<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3t-m98bxlAZ7eGFSNyq_8MjshsnFLJqb6ETsVdV_dA18_qV35T2Q42EHugtvXVs4sd1YMHBeJ0NwdXxWXHbRVfka_ZhbkWh8pVwVscjR9zt8gqndqpkFxqTO3uwBFDIjXHRb/s1600/microsoft-xbox-360-elite.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 286px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3t-m98bxlAZ7eGFSNyq_8MjshsnFLJqb6ETsVdV_dA18_qV35T2Q42EHugtvXVs4sd1YMHBeJ0NwdXxWXHbRVfka_ZhbkWh8pVwVscjR9zt8gqndqpkFxqTO3uwBFDIjXHRb/s400/microsoft-xbox-360-elite.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538003066339941970" border="0" /></a><br />No, not me this time... I'm talking about my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Xbox</span>! In what was an amazingly swift turn-around time, my beautiful 360 Elite has arrived back from Germany. It's re-positioning under the biggest television in the house, has resulted in me feeling very much attracted to it's Microsoft loveliness!<br /><br />I've got a glut of games to play on it, bought at about the same time as my console gave up the ghost. These include <a href="http://www.kaneandlynch.com/#/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kane and Lynch: Dog Days</span></a>, <a href="http://splintercell.uk.ubi.com/conviction/#/home/7745/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Splinter Cell: Double Agent</span></a>, <a href="http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/objects/793/793794.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mercenaries 2: World In Flames</span></a> and for the original <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Xbox</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">GTA</span> III, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Goldeneye</span> Rogue Agent and True Crime: Streets Of LA. I've also got the <a href="http://www.capcom.com/deadrising/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dead Rising <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">DLC</span></span></a> on my hard drive...<br /><br />However, getting anywhere near the biggest TV is a difficult process due to the invasion of the new Call Of Duty (Black Ops) into Krishna Towers. My two youngest sons Martin and Ted have both purchased COD (Mart on the PS3, Ted on the 360). This means that Martin has plonked his PS3 (not to be confused with <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">my</span> PS3) right in the main living room and usurped the TV from me!<br /><br />I've not even seen as much as a glimmer of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">gameplay</span> or graphics of this latest release. I am very aware of the effect it has had on my sons, though, having only heard grunts from them since they got on the game. I gather that every kid in their social circle has a copy and is online 24/7 since they all got their grubby little <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">mits</span> on their copies. It's THE essential gaming purchase of the last few years and everyone is "bashing it" as much as possible! We even had to mention it in assembly at the school I work at, as conversations about the game were beginning to distract children from their lessons!<br /><br />I have been playing a lot of Call Of Duty in recent months, including World At War, <a href="http://uk.gamespot.com/ps2/action/callofdutyworldatwarfinalfronts/index.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">World At War: Final Fronts (PS2)</span></a>, Modern Warfare 2 and Finest Hour (PS2). But I feel no compulsion at all to get on the Black Ops bandwagon, and will play it after I get through the expansive backlog of games I've got stacked up... As well as those <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Xbox</span> offerings mentioned before I've got Shadow The Hedgehog (PS2), Casper (PS1), <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Tekken</span> 5 (PS3 download) and a couple of games from the franchise which is fuelling my current obsession...fatherkrishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01523813350137435244noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29219429.post-84933176440375754082010-10-27T11:20:00.000-07:002010-10-29T16:34:44.596-07:00October 2010: The State Of PlayI've been wondering how to return to the blogosphere, after a year camped out on the Mountain of Indifference, on the Isle of Sloth, in the Sea of Laziness near the shore of Torpor. Should I return with bells and whistles? Or just sneak back, like I've not just neglected my blogging duties and my good friends throughout the globe for over 12 months... I've plumped for the latter option obviously! A few of the more eagle eyed amongst you might have noticed the changes in title, colour scheme and pictures about the place...<br /><br />My life has taken a few twists and turns since October 2009. There have been a few ups and quite a few downs over the last year, and I might share a few of the happier and sadder elements of that particular journey in the coming weeks and months. My weight has certainly been plummeting and I am now lighter than I have been in years! The one consistently wonderful constant is the lovely Mrs. K. Patient, calm, loving, generous , funny, beautiful.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjopFOwKAK77Pw3-Iaf-3EfeFVLP0I0RcNoG3snES63IK7yD6XgodYrNLf5lncDnJsuTvXwTsHPb_NdGAqEWR7b1TjZGKqcjXP51z264HU3WT7yCxH7wBqncWuLpvee1Xr4sPP-/s1600/fat+lounger.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 249px; height: 159px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjopFOwKAK77Pw3-Iaf-3EfeFVLP0I0RcNoG3snES63IK7yD6XgodYrNLf5lncDnJsuTvXwTsHPb_NdGAqEWR7b1TjZGKqcjXP51z264HU3WT7yCxH7wBqncWuLpvee1Xr4sPP-/s400/fat+lounger.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532886150542331122" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);font-size:78%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cyprus 2007 weighing 15 stone</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_jNkO_A0w2Tp7vAdhaNLf43msQr2hy8-XrXxq1RCO4Nxe3js_Bdnw0pzVYJiMe33czfW8RWT0vvd-ADq49A6EY-jLUMiKYeE1HmJXW5jl0fGkxRK5xN5q1NLvsLiCIQ0gckx9/s1600/amsterdam+station.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 154px; height: 186px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_jNkO_A0w2Tp7vAdhaNLf43msQr2hy8-XrXxq1RCO4Nxe3js_Bdnw0pzVYJiMe33czfW8RWT0vvd-ADq49A6EY-jLUMiKYeE1HmJXW5jl0fGkxRK5xN5q1NLvsLiCIQ0gckx9/s400/amsterdam+station.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532886146171044018" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);font-size:78%;" >Amsterdam 2010 weighing 11 stone.</span><br /></div><br />but for now I just thought I'd relate my various gaming setups and console locations, plus mention a couple of the games which have grabbed my attention recently or over the last annus since my blogging absence.<br /><br />OK! Down to business...<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXIzF1_sVDY6hdojnLjIqRT5Y-EIoZVQo7q_qJE1iqSm6Dv2WAtsygBL4Aym8sKgZjzoc3OCBM82osxl46UoYUmWFZGVtM6n3xqnehRxnvjB_F9zin9wybwXuTUSbrn2GgQYUX/s1600/ps3-v-xbox-360.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXIzF1_sVDY6hdojnLjIqRT5Y-EIoZVQo7q_qJE1iqSm6Dv2WAtsygBL4Aym8sKgZjzoc3OCBM82osxl46UoYUmWFZGVtM6n3xqnehRxnvjB_F9zin9wybwXuTUSbrn2GgQYUX/s400/ps3-v-xbox-360.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533614539131353570" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Father K in Wholesale Sellout to Sony!</span></span><br /></div><br />It's completely true. There was a time not that long ago,in the aftermath of Sega pulling the plug on the Dreamcast, when the good Father was hugely anti-Sony. I hated them for winning the console war against the vastly superior (IMHO) Dreamcast. I wanted them to lose the console war in the current gen to Microsoft, to whom I pledged my allegiance buying no less than three of their 360s. Then, as my first one had to go back to Germany to be cured of the 'red ring of death', I put the PS2 in it's place and got to grips with a few PS2 titles I'd bought then neglected... Yakuza, GTA Vice City and San Andreas, Devil May Cry 2, Resident Evil Dead Aim and so on...<br /><br />The PS2 suddenly became a vital console for me. Just as I had been able to catch up on cheap gaming treats as the Dreamcast became yesterday's news, I was now able to pick up great titles for the PS2 for very little money. I played the PS2 up in my bedroom and it got at least equal gaming time with the 360 in the downstairs in the main living room...<br /><br />But recently I decided I wanted to play a couple of titles for the PS3 - Yakuza and Resistance: Fall Of Man - , so I decided to pick up a backwards compatible 'pre-owned' 60 gig edition, that would enable me to continue my PS2 odyssey at the same time! So now, in my bedroom, where I do the majority of my gaming, is my lovely and oft used PS3 which I have to admit, I can no longer imagine life without...<br /><br />Now downstairs in the main living room, should be my Xbox 360 Elite Edition (bought brand new in December 2009), but that is now on it's way to (you guessed it...) Germany! No red ring of death this time, but instead it won't read any discs. Bollocks!<br /><br />So there is a large gap under my huge wide screen hi def TV that I'm not trying to fill at the moment. That's because I already had my Wii hooked up to the big TV in the hopes that it might see more action in the main living room. I've played a little bit of NiGHTs Journey Of Dreams on it and I intend to re-visit the Darkside Chronicles. But I've also bought my first new Wii game in quite some time... Red Steel 2! So who knows? Maybe the absence of my Microsoft console will spark a Wii shaped revolution this time?<br /><br />In the less used living room I have my Saturn hooked up for the first time in a very long time, and also my Dreamcast. This is the least likely to be used as I can't seem to locate a lead/cord that gives me a good picture. Besides, there are still too many PS2 classics to seek out and discover!<br /><br />However, the game that has me currently enthralled is actually the luscious and superb Resistance Retribution on the PSP. In fact I'm enthralled by the whole Resistance world at the moment... So now I've discussed my console set up, I guess it's time to start thinking about the games I've been playing. But I'll leave that for another post!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhO8a4Lv_xQXZXw7oEHqvyg0Nqk9VnPtnFO_8y8gBS0KjbhEN9gfrxOPJx8FeD-8gRkvKREy32yR-7uOGWUJwf5uxN1iLUqoAXFoIz2jVFq9RAaEzlm62An76Nw-ASMmDQVvq2/s1600/halloween_11.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhO8a4Lv_xQXZXw7oEHqvyg0Nqk9VnPtnFO_8y8gBS0KjbhEN9gfrxOPJx8FeD-8gRkvKREy32yR-7uOGWUJwf5uxN1iLUqoAXFoIz2jVFq9RAaEzlm62An76Nw-ASMmDQVvq2/s400/halloween_11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533613301935015346" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"> Happy Halloween!</span>fatherkrishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01523813350137435244noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29219429.post-7667991330850313642010-10-25T15:01:00.000-07:002010-10-25T15:10:11.306-07:00New Posts Before Halloween!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-G2pGk9kInFi_A3jh0u6Mp6PSxcf0wDZ1P5-BGqcqCEssuDOXevfrNB8VhFJVNtDfSjQ0HM2X4l2Y8XWsixcj4IGVJu9hoa-Ea7kPjuYSbEPLkNYp7VeuNCBy4h2x9hnegW0S/s1600/munsters.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 322px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-G2pGk9kInFi_A3jh0u6Mp6PSxcf0wDZ1P5-BGqcqCEssuDOXevfrNB8VhFJVNtDfSjQ0HM2X4l2Y8XWsixcj4IGVJu9hoa-Ea7kPjuYSbEPLkNYp7VeuNCBy4h2x9hnegW0S/s400/munsters.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532109129633429458" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I'm open for business this week ...<br /><br /><object id="vid_4c2bdf5caa24d8483726e646" class="ign-videoplayer" width="425" height="270" data="http://media.ign.com/ev/prod/embed.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="movie" value="http://media.ign.com/ev/prod/embed.swf" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="flashvars" value="url=http://uk.ign.com/videos/2009/03/18/resistance-retribution-psp-resistance-retribution-video-review?objectid=14267012"/></object><div style="width:425px"><a href="http://uk.ign.com/videos/2009/03/18/resistance-retribution-psp-resistance-retribution-video-review?objectid=14267012">More Resistance: Retribution Videos</a></div>fatherkrishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01523813350137435244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29219429.post-41993854634621466472010-10-10T15:55:00.000-07:002010-10-10T15:59:06.039-07:00Opening Soon!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFjSBPeb2Iwn39uTzbXxcojFeenM_VkPLhAaZi7G8A99ta9VdSYHyOmNny2gtYxqpT5__02zvGkplp83TAU1hNs5I-M1U39fnwpZF1Q29YTtsCEKZO7y53EqSc6P9i-NL7SXEw/s1600/tomato.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFjSBPeb2Iwn39uTzbXxcojFeenM_VkPLhAaZi7G8A99ta9VdSYHyOmNny2gtYxqpT5__02zvGkplp83TAU1hNs5I-M1U39fnwpZF1Q29YTtsCEKZO7y53EqSc6P9i-NL7SXEw/s400/tomato.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526555732452225522" border="0" /></a><br />Not long to go now before the usual old crap comes spouting forth!fatherkrishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01523813350137435244noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29219429.post-87359208385308861142010-10-03T15:05:00.000-07:002010-10-03T15:08:41.331-07:00Reconstruction<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg15C5NLEdobW8AR7t6q4Il8GRzWKVUKzMaga3553PYR3PLCKUdzy3aHoYu-5_IAlsTYFhkmDgoctIGsNaybea7tXZ569wNsfHouITi2fS545hdZFks8N0-C6kljBgHPsa4cde/s1600/under_renovation.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 326px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg15C5NLEdobW8AR7t6q4Il8GRzWKVUKzMaga3553PYR3PLCKUdzy3aHoYu-5_IAlsTYFhkmDgoctIGsNaybea7tXZ569wNsfHouITi2fS545hdZFks8N0-C6kljBgHPsa4cde/s400/under_renovation.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523945146409735762" border="0" /></a>fatherkrishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01523813350137435244noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29219429.post-26631985741858993722010-09-25T16:46:00.000-07:002010-09-25T16:47:50.001-07:00Yakuza 3: IGN Video Review<object id="vid_4c2bdbc6eca3d84855431d88" class="ign-videoplayer" width="425" height="270" data="http://media.ign.com/ev/prod/embed.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="movie" value="http://media.ign.com/ev/prod/embed.swf" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="flashvars" value="url=http://uk.ign.com/videos/2010/03/09/yakuza-3-video-review-yakuza-3-video-review?objectid=14263681"/></object><div style="width:425px"><a href="http://uk.ign.com/videos/2010/03/09/yakuza-3-video-review-yakuza-3-video-review?objectid=14263681">More Yakuza 3 Videos</a></div>fatherkrishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01523813350137435244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29219429.post-88999228663939584202009-12-24T11:22:00.000-08:002009-12-24T11:28:59.503-08:00Merry Christmas One And All!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHwpVlXlUN6syHpER9BnZA1yPtpbcVtX9QMh2Qp809rXi3f3rQr4O1bhI6MSRIQIMFC3SZGoO52cDmF15WimxUrqBvYjxdb7svxwL4YR_00FcEjmBekro2Q0FF20gSC06EPBBM/s1600-h/badsanta.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418886760350360706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 274px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHwpVlXlUN6syHpER9BnZA1yPtpbcVtX9QMh2Qp809rXi3f3rQr4O1bhI6MSRIQIMFC3SZGoO52cDmF15WimxUrqBvYjxdb7svxwL4YR_00FcEjmBekro2Q0FF20gSC06EPBBM/s400/badsanta.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Just a very quick post to say Merry Christmas to anyone who still pops by here! Yep, I've slipped into bad habits again, and haven't posted for months! Wishing you all a Happy Holidays, and a very prosperous New Year 2010!</div>fatherkrishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01523813350137435244noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29219429.post-56295614044881250762009-11-21T14:52:00.000-08:002009-11-26T13:30:02.304-08:00Catch Up: Contentment...<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/cf-MK4599A8&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cf-MK4599A8&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><div><div><div><br /><div>I've been totally absent from the computer for some time , which is happily a reflection of my increasing good health and independence since my operation. I've also been in a happy period of gaming contentment in a variety of ways.</div><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408522682838316946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 369px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXvmZjBDIoVsGvdHYC873LHPd9wH3aNOgBZvU8t1rtQ9GgKWloBc8m-eyN6IyyGuoYqAIWrP3veOqYC1gvyVosRyRELsODTiEpJigbYK9veBavJXexpzEt4-PeQbkTwNOzhKdG/s400/shenmue.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>Firstly I completed the epic <strong><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shenmue">Shenmue</a></strong> on the <strong>Dreamcast</strong>. I'd played it partly because I wanted to give my <strong>Dreamcast</strong> some love, as I'd neglected it for some time. It's quite a gently paced game with a kick ass ending. I wondered whether it would stand the test of time, and it does. It looks and sounds brilliant, it's immersive and engaging, epic and wonderful. It was a nice, soothingly paced game to play as I was recovering.</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408522109976353106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 337px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFJyEgyr-1qKeDpBcBAWUV5RA__xXc9kVg4dWF-xRLthCEIUmQJPOaMidSDsQ7RKOp_RffiYV05aspQ2EiyIdjI3maItZjbhvm7lVvEbByknLZauYfYMcPwyD6EZ8MEgpPgrJr/s400/gta_gay_tony.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>As soon as I finished <strong>Shenmue</strong>, I allowed myself the luxury of downloading <strong><a href="http://www.rockstargames.com/theballadofgaytony/agegate/ref=/">The Ballad Of Gay Tony</a></strong>, the latest download for <strong>GTA IV</strong> on the <strong>360</strong>. It's an absolute blast to have the opportunity to explore another aspect of life in <strong>Liberty City</strong>. I couldn't be happier than when I'm playing through a <strong>GTA IV</strong> game and opening up the life of a character - <strong>Niko Bellic, Johnny Klebbitz</strong> or new guy <strong>Luis Lopez</strong>- but there is a problem...</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408522100053162450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 225px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiADOxuNEJ7HHko2nGK1KwN5Y2fZB_LQQI6nznojuHd3AlzB6xATHI90q2LOxtqzR-VyaarGlOfY0F0-2bhy9Tk8YAb-pWWq9IVojLu5D4IGtPeIcC3CRpbLBf3PR_lKHc3XsL9/s400/6337-gta-iv-gay-tony-luis-fernando-lopez.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>I don't know if it's my download only, but the game is constantly crashing during missions, sometimes seconds before the conclusion of a lengthy mission and has seriously hampered my progress in and enjoyment of the game. So much so that I've found distraction elsewhere. </div><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408522420016393810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 298px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv3-c09UbqFvRfD6AU92fKmiiUkIuY3U8GaQfDr06sqKDDl31KXIQ1_qi-720Z0ZG1_6rGCwsPw5zMo9b0mqN3HG2rOsoFMhp2TmyxDkPsXoH2vFmOmrz_vHkfg714fd4_ks_D/s400/hard-boiled-stranglehold-1.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div><a href="http://strangleholdgame.com/"><strong>Stranglehold</strong></a> is a game which I'd dipped into in short bursts, but not really played properly. The <strong>John Woo</strong> directed 'sequel' to the epic movie <strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxi6YFFjADE">Hardboiled</a></strong>, the game follows the investigations of the legendary <strong>Inspector "Tequila" Yuen</strong>, played by <strong>Chow Yun Fat.</strong> I've now played a good chunk of the game and it's an explosive third person shooter with elements of the "bullet time" shooting mechanic of games like <strong>Max Payne</strong> and <strong>Matrix Path Of Neo</strong>. It's graphically lovely too.</div></div><div></div><div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408522417611465826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 233px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiupmNcTGTVceCfHRn4nluHKVSQOqxEUsJCJD7kLf6Q6nB29HZFQknOQn8f2pvllig2n-juNVBuDIrnVPgthyA4EmzmBAWudiMyoQBM065jpcNCEkU1T_Cy_jiFu1FL1PFNG3Ur/s400/gta-liberty-city-stories-portada.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>I've also just put in a bit of time on both the <strong>DS</strong> and the <strong>PSP</strong>. I decided to give <strong><a href="http://www.rockstargames.com/libertycitystories/">GTA: Liberty City Stories </a></strong>on the <strong>PSP</strong> another shot, after failing to make much progress on my first attempt. I've completed a good few missions which has of course lead to me liking it again... until the next time I get stuck!<br /></div><div>I've also been playing <strong><a href="http://uk.ds.ign.com/articles/815/815023p1.html">Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare</a></strong>... (no not the <strong>COD:MW 2</strong> that has just been released)... instead I've been playing the <strong>DS</strong> adaptation of the game that was a poor consolation for <strong>Nintendo</strong> fans <strong>until now</strong>... The <strong>DS</strong> version is actually very good, with a lot of game squeezed into a tiny cartridge! Epic musical score, good use of sampled voice commands, nice 3D visuals and a good few missions that make great use of the <strong>DS</strong> stylus. I've completed it now and I'd thoroughly recommend it to any <strong>DS</strong> owners out there! I'm seriously considering getting <a href="http://uk.ds.ign.com/articles/929/929557p1.html"><strong>COD: World At War</strong> </a>on the <strong>DS</strong> on the back of my enjoyment of this title...</div><div></div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408522102168994562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 319px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 359px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsXOzAMGJG6mG85g5aPFlsFMNm2YBa61PLuNpGKyXs5AotBqKGn-7XTa-2YpAV8FtACg_-XRyDgXvra2ILoXBRiltIkEMSYVWVY0bvnQCLhhJJ_y554R-lUIqNOZRK8cVBf88r/s400/COD4_DS_Packshot.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408522410831934066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 283px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikVT6uzjZyelx23P8cwT0BoWfJUuHhqKrPUy6uzZcmPz8OqO5X4hFYnbGAEXlgHszD1WNR8FkIGvEsDGfd8ZrXbfDm8nee4hrItEyIQ_lA9zQvEBIfSI9wNdpZt0gRp145rGj5/s400/gta_san_andreas_cover.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>On my beloved <strong>PS2</strong>, I've been playing <a href="http://uk.ps2.ign.com/objects/611/611957.html"><strong>GTA: San Andreas</strong> </a>and <strong><a href="http://www.rockstargames.com/vicecitystories/">GTA: Vice City Stories</a></strong> (a <strong>PS2</strong> port of a <strong>PSP</strong> game that I'd started previously, and then abandoned.) It's much easier on the <strong>PS2!</strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408522680510020482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 285px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgckVyBL1CaGdJj4bhfPm8A3NWSZo0eMokLDqPQpwYS72voQ23wUuSt4j4FcUVjXuYQQAd3vVEhadYeGv93fZ1x_J3d02oP1opGtlH231-jc8uS82XQZeO85KyAPX5AEYDSYJ_T/s400/PS2%2520GTA%2520Vice%2520City%2520Stories%2520(Bild1).jpg" border="0" /></strong></div><br /><div>I've also been getting into a lot of films, watching the <strong>Star Wars</strong> series from episodes one through six and loving it so much that I actually started getting into the<strong> Clone Wars</strong> animated series too!</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408524194222802338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 376px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSjXI2No5Vdoi6Nlg0jxw0WmaAMJ9KTFLpVZkleF82dw8VmxornkjnZAZUXiMJ3lXsUHOppj9OlsRmAMkXGgfuz_ln3bNo1IpPX44tzubQolkxv7wOUV_uKWqpJHZwqkoSAn_4/s400/StarWarsLDMenu.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>So anyway, just to let you know that I'm alive and well, getting better and loving my gaming!</div><div> </div><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408524199670457186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 370px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 222px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmv0ufpOyuPq2tgUlesUWU9_eYpFsFvvgIy2OJNM_PJwK4HESfqJVXZ1hHr7DS79ahx7edts7YaIH3zNNPcBudbtpw7XklOblQ5IRLYoR6gZ_ZJqx0BBPkPpKiwEi0W_VwzDyU/s400/Capcom-Confirm-Resident-Evil-Darkside-Chronicles---RE---RE--Zero-Remakes-for-the-West-1.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>Oh and I'm going to get the <strong>Darkside Chronicles</strong> tomorrow, so time to blow the dust off my <strong>Wii-mote</strong> and give the<strong> Wii</strong> some love!</div><div></div></div></div></div>fatherkrishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01523813350137435244noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29219429.post-67930736944309034752009-11-08T07:16:00.000-08:002009-11-08T07:17:40.216-08:00Darkside Chronicles (Wii): New Trailer<object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" width="425" height="370" id="viddler"><param name="movie" value="http://www.viddler.com/player/899c52e0/" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed src="http://www.viddler.com/player/899c52e0/" width="425" height="370" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowScriptAccess="always" allowFullScreen="true" name="viddler" ></embed></object>fatherkrishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01523813350137435244noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29219429.post-84327491895702680262009-11-05T07:03:00.000-08:002009-11-05T07:40:15.335-08:00Fifa 10 DS<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Zfrn4bkdMtwROygzaO7hl7C6uKL22cg6WUvhJS80r8ngnlzzLsRlaBDm3_Y7LAAJs7qwV268-xEd7j1KEZSOgipTejaXswyt0-lKZfgBQbm9ZsJijogkWFU6lgUfgarg02Wd/s1600-h/fifa10_ds.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400638902460168706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 359px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Zfrn4bkdMtwROygzaO7hl7C6uKL22cg6WUvhJS80r8ngnlzzLsRlaBDm3_Y7LAAJs7qwV268-xEd7j1KEZSOgipTejaXswyt0-lKZfgBQbm9ZsJijogkWFU6lgUfgarg02Wd/s400/fifa10_ds.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>My interest in football (soccer for my friends across the pond) games has been sporadic at best. The first football game I played with any regularity was <strong><a href="http://thesaturnjunkyard.blogspot.com/2006/12/cheap-as-chips-swws-97-review.html">Sega World Wide Soccer '97 on the Saturn.</a></strong> Fast forward to 2004 and I had a big stint playing <strong><a href="http://the-dreamcast-junkyard.blogspot.com/2006/10/surely-this-cant-be-right.html">Sega World Wide Soccer 2000 (Euro Edition) on the Dreamcast.</a></strong> But the playing of the two most popular franchises, Pro-Evolution Soccer or Fifa, (usually against my sons) would result in huge 'hissy fits', controller-throwing and general all round bad sportsmanship on my part.</div><br /><div><div>In 2007, however, I found my footballing nirvana in the unlikely form of Fifa 07 for the DS. No longer did I have to play my sons, no longer did I have to face the humiliation of being out-skilled, out-played and generally shown up as inferior. Now my only opposition was the CPU players, and they soon turned out to be little opposition at all.</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400641073918843970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 312px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCVeny2AhS1l156fDY1aGzhBM3GZvU34ygd6NSEZ-CvwkgbzpsiDEtQH6bCvofoq0amXUo2OTHTGWULu1Crdy_gibjA1jBj-HAG2IIliztEJD4QBh7XQ5TiC0hjMNpVno5nVhv/s400/ManCity_Logo.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>I played that particular title to death. I played it as my beloved <strong><a href="http://www.mcfc.co.uk/">Manchester City</a></strong>, (a club who in 'real life' have not won a domestic or European title for over thirty years) and took them to unprecedented heights of glory. For five seasons I won everything, the premiership, the FA Cup, the European cup and the Community Shield. The game could also be played in it's entirety without using the stylus or touch screen, which was great because my first generation DS was very poorly at the time!</div><br /><div></div><div>However, time moves on, and a new DS demanded a new Fifa. Besides, Manchester City have gone through such a major squad shake up since their financial revolution, that there was only Stephen Ireland and Micah Richards from the '07 line up still in the squad in 2009. The kits had changed and... well... damn it! I just wanted an update! Now I did have Fifa 09 for the PSP (it came bundled with my PSP which also had a stick-on Fifa 09 'skin') but I never got into it, preferring instead to stick with my beloved DS '07 game. So buying the new Fifa 10 at full price was a big deal for me.</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400639671658811026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 256px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 384px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHZO1aK_iS9l01C5x3m_PbWDFZHtJxedCY40qzzXXZJjwu5rcgXICFP_iochFtvY0vt76AfYs9d-x3McQXgS8F2CnfL8AeBZlT2NyL-5bWQU9vSrRuvn5TZgU9mmFwWf1wtsMY/s400/fifa10ndscustomisablese.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>I was full of anticipation when I put the cartridge into my DS. Sure enough, apart from the inclusion of Richard Dunne, the squad was all present and correct. The new stylish black away kit was there and all looked good! I eagerly looked for the 'career mode' with which I had had such success on Fifa 07, but alas it wasn't there! Instead it had been replaced by a mode called "Be A Pro". Rather than guiding your team to glory, the emphasis was now on the career of one player, who has to succeed at a series of challenges in order to progress through the ranks of the home team and be selected by coaches for international duty.</div><br /><div>Unfortunately, this was <strong>SO</strong> different from the game play of the '07 edition, that I found it almost impossible to play, let alone find any success. I was massively disappointed and about to vent my spleen over here at Gnome's Gaming On The Go. That was before I switched game modes. 'Kick Off' Mode' allows you to play a one off match against any rival of your choice. It also gives you the choice of playing in the "Be A Pro" mode, or "Classic" mode. And it was in "Classic" mode, that I found my salvation. </div><br /><div>Although not <em>exactly</em> the same as Fifa '07, it was similar enough for me to play with some degree of success. The 'game settings' allows you to set the game's difficulty level, according to your own skill level. I set the CPU skill at 'amateur' and got rid of the 'offside' rule to allow the game greater flow. The ability to play a variety of tournaments in "Classic" mode means I've already taken Manchester City to the final of the English FA Cup (which I won on penalties). However, this incarnation of the game does not give one the option of taking a mid-table club into Europe... You can only play as one one of the the English Premiership's top four teams - Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal or Chelsea, which is a bit of a bummer!</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400639670903227746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 256px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 384px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdL7h2I0drG9PWYa1mIeU7EgtMrIGYoYQvG_tt2LN1gT6a4RAlLQeaZXp5Pi0FsQaD6-cFb8uelyaARBdHoynLAI8i6Aq9DtT6CdWsvLQo0k86OrPF2fw-GttD8fDajeqrGUR2/s400/fifa-10-nintendo-ds-005.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>One of the biggest changes so far is the use of the stylus. During penalty shoot outs, the stylus is employed as a means of shooting (by swiping the stylus towards the goal) and saving (a large pair of gloves appear in the goal which you move with the stylus to save the opposition's shot.) I love this feature! It helped me win the FA cup ha ha! </div><br /><div>Now I realise that this is a very subjective review (mine always are...) so I'll provide links to more informative sites... Would I recommend it as a full price purchase? Well, no. You can pick up Fifa 07, 08 and 09 for buttons in second hand gaming emporiums. If it's 'game play' you're after then these titles will more than adequately suffice. If you are anal about having current players and kits then go ahead and splurge your hard earned pennies on Fifa 10. But it's because of people like me that EA are able to squeeze cash from a gullible audience every time they bring out a new football or golf game.</div><br /><div>However, if you see Fifa 10 cheap or even with a few quid/euros/dollars knocked off, it's a great game for the handheld gamer, which can be played in short little bursts, as a handheld titles should be.</div><br /><div><strong>Father K Rating: 7.5/10!</strong> </div><br /><div><strong><a href="http://uk.ds.ign.com/dor/objects/14333490/fifa-soccer-10/videos/BeAPro.html">Fifa 10 DS IGN</a></strong></div><div><strong><a href="http://uk.ds.ign.com/articles/104/1040712p1.html">Fifa 10 DS Review</a></strong></div></div></div><br /><embed src='http://videomedia.ign.com/ev/ev.swf' flashvars='object_ID=14333490&downloadURL=http://dsmovies.ign.com/ds/video/article/104/1040608/StandardGameplay_flvds.flv&allownetworking="all%"' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' width='433' height='360'></embed><div style='width:433;'><a href='http://ds.ign.com/objects/143/14333490.html'>FIFA Soccer 10 at IGN.com</a></div>fatherkrishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01523813350137435244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29219429.post-59987359994820670802009-10-31T14:29:00.000-07:002009-10-31T15:22:44.500-07:00This Is It - Mini Review<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5wFwmbHwGdo&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5wFwmbHwGdo&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><div><br /><div><strong>Wow!</strong> Halloween looked like it was going to be a bit of a wash out, till Mrs. K suggested that we go and see "This Is It" to mark the day and to give us something special to do on this most special of nights<br /><div>We took Little Ted, who rather sweetly said he would like to go because he'd "never been to a concert." I wasn't quite sure what we'd be seeing though, a stunning record of Michael's last performances, a taster of what the concert would have been like, or a bit of a disappointment, like the accompanying CD that I lambasted on these very pages?</div><br /><div>In short, the film was brilliant. Mike did not look sick, he did not look like a drug addict, he did not look "odd" and he did not look 50! He looked great! His movements were tight, his voice note and pitch perfect and clearly the vision for the whole show was as much his as it was long time collaborator Kenny Ortega.</div><br /><div>What was great was seeing Mike's normality, his personality, his humbleness and his interaction with others. When for years, we have had the most negative press, showing Mike in his masks, on crutches, in wheel chairs etc, it's just great to see him as an iconic entertainer, somehow fused with a normal, likable guy.</div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398891779638843186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 258px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Bkgbxmu_rSRaVL9EdskVQlzgA0pIMR6ImWTOo46qSZE7UiTPFtVkPMc_liR8fSlN1tFT-qXMc63GNBBmmsnWoJg8HzkJFSbc3ntd9_7IJpIhQsany1RWpUETvVQkhTwYt90_/s400/2106926.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>The film has captured the very essence of Michael's magic, showing everyone just why he was so celebrated before the negative conspiracy to bring him down began. My favourite parts of the movie were the film sequences, which had been done to enhance (and no doubt pad out) the show.</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398891776217093570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 225px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwGgN_9dvGz8scG0c8VBpY2cSEYFl5I-7iegQjhVrHWiYtL0jY4RvcoL3Aaip2vzS9FFeIR9_RG9ZxziOsusT8ZIYCd8dqhkR3XqIRNX4GA0tANdR5mrhizN8QQS33UkXL5Q6y/s400/mjacksonjpg-9e8940b513c03863_large.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>The film sequence for Smooth Criminal was amazing, with Mike somehow sequenced into a Humphrey Bogart movie, interacting with him and culminating in Mike firing off a Tommy Gun!</div><br /><br /><br /><div>The movie for Thriller (cleverly fused with a snippet of 'Ghosts') and intended to be a 3D sequence for the concert, looked amazing. But it must have been either a late part of the concert that Mike didn't get the chance to interact with, or Mike wasn't well when they were doing it. Either way, he didn't seem to be that into it. The film for Earth Song was amazing too, but I'll let you see that for yourselves.</div><br /><div>The one part of the film that I didn't get into, was seeing mike doing a Jackson 5 medley. It was interesting to note that Mike didn't do one song from the 'Invincible' album, his only CD release this millennium. Why do 40 year old songs with backing singers standing in for his brothers, when he could have brought us (for the first time) the chance to see his 'newest' material live? </div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398891783417875282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 296px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzagg6vrQlR_n1V52FmWPF23KG72r6UtLq-o_V_n38HuMOZATl3zF4-A68sT-6s7MgxVVGgIbPVbF6yQu8RGoMZ5KxExXig7QuCv3Xd924cY_ri277MtJRqfu0sUkrUuWltgR5/s400/425_ThisIsIt_2_cm_102709.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>Still, that was a very small gripe, in a film that I would have to give <strong>10/10</strong> as an overall score. Having had to watch recycled material and old videos over and over, to see Michael in this fresh, new, <strong><em>contemporary</em></strong> context was sheer bliss. I can't recommend this film highly enough. Do yourself a favour and go and see it. If you're in any way a fan of Michael or even just a fan of excellent musicianship, you can't fail to enjoy it.</div></div></div>fatherkrishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01523813350137435244noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29219429.post-69453875888959600032009-10-30T13:27:00.000-07:002009-10-30T14:01:13.669-07:00Happy Halloween!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwMOa5TcWfJxiCvn5UnPWv9P-NYJZ3n26NjEDT1XT6vM-7jyHjK_WI0GrlNI8NTEu27uMU5zSFOy5_szShSnCWKJ9pny_Lz1f0wAlOba0L1PNETL68_XPKugrtw9pDzxyUtpQO/s1600-h/30102009475.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398499766377639874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwMOa5TcWfJxiCvn5UnPWv9P-NYJZ3n26NjEDT1XT6vM-7jyHjK_WI0GrlNI8NTEu27uMU5zSFOy5_szShSnCWKJ9pny_Lz1f0wAlOba0L1PNETL68_XPKugrtw9pDzxyUtpQO/s400/30102009475.jpg" border="0" /></a>
<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiewEdEMLnKTJDCsaQGqsbdk0KvNzy6RT8LFZKh-tR0_RajDy7A37QfsceOM9a6tAMzncJMRbu8kPFzJaGYz7m3K90pYOunWJHdEqzccfprtLVRyoJdkIJ-jF9eknDjsDqfjZLj/s1600-h/30102009474.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398499075906688706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiewEdEMLnKTJDCsaQGqsbdk0KvNzy6RT8LFZKh-tR0_RajDy7A37QfsceOM9a6tAMzncJMRbu8kPFzJaGYz7m3K90pYOunWJHdEqzccfprtLVRyoJdkIJ-jF9eknDjsDqfjZLj/s400/30102009474.jpg" border="0" /></a>
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<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0RCtiyiWQ39TPys3X4Lwk9NNtDc8E9o0EK7SUhlwRQcDsd2eOTmvMqJVYD_pf-eTTd4Ro35KwTTji7Wrw6MU_oArQUTc1YjyImh54L6kKWijIaSBc6xfCjCx1w7o8LAo8nben/s1600-h/30102009473.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398499071003199314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0RCtiyiWQ39TPys3X4Lwk9NNtDc8E9o0EK7SUhlwRQcDsd2eOTmvMqJVYD_pf-eTTd4Ro35KwTTji7Wrw6MU_oArQUTc1YjyImh54L6kKWijIaSBc6xfCjCx1w7o8LAo8nben/s400/30102009473.jpg" border="0" /></a>
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<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihRaVxDdD0ZSpDXP3WzeewM3T28U0LHHxbrNDf-UZKA5UW1-pgMKhuuiaauJCttWDwRDXCMncY4MXIKR2AqifSR5sgNU67j5fQBkMn4swmnDxoa6p8oWtJorJN2vUGTgEycqsP/s1600-h/30102009471.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398499057625118514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihRaVxDdD0ZSpDXP3WzeewM3T28U0LHHxbrNDf-UZKA5UW1-pgMKhuuiaauJCttWDwRDXCMncY4MXIKR2AqifSR5sgNU67j5fQBkMn4swmnDxoa6p8oWtJorJN2vUGTgEycqsP/s400/30102009471.jpg" border="0" /></a>
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<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMa1_fLs1_ZMVQ6X1RG0DFy35manP1sTaIbxzDHuSt4PWcbq6AKyeKovKJ_9IPBlUW_S3oN6d9fmGKiItUY4BA17DuB0gcxe5q7AUtgTHcbHz6KLupruuxUhqJa0XdtDDW1kYd/s1600-h/30102009470.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398499052907906418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMa1_fLs1_ZMVQ6X1RG0DFy35manP1sTaIbxzDHuSt4PWcbq6AKyeKovKJ_9IPBlUW_S3oN6d9fmGKiItUY4BA17DuB0gcxe5q7AUtgTHcbHz6KLupruuxUhqJa0XdtDDW1kYd/s400/30102009470.jpg" border="0" /></a>
<br /><div>Cardboard skeleton? <strong>Check!</strong> Cardboard mummy? <strong>Check!</strong> Polystyrene tombstones? <strong>Check!</strong> Tacky plastic banners? <strong>Check!</strong> Talking skull with googly moving eyes? <strong>Check!</strong> </div>
<br /><div>I absolutely love Halloween, it only comes a very close second to Christmas in terms of annual holidays... Normally in the Krishna household, we celebrate Halloween excessively, decorating the whole house, carving up a whole heap of pumpkins and root vegetables, getting in tons of sweets and having a big 'drink up' with anyone who cares to call on us.</div>
<br /><div>Last year we threw a big costume party, and had a great time! Alas, this year, no 'drink up', no party, no callers and no dressing up. I was feeling very un-festive this year, and slightly depressed about the lack of festivities ahead. No drinkies for me, doctors orders... meh!!!</div>
<br /><div></div><div>However, just at the last minute, I ordered the Halloween box be brought down from the loft, and I threw up a few decorations for the weekend. Even though we have no festivities planned, we are going to the cinema to see Michael Jackson's "This Is It". (That's me, Mrs. K and Little Ted, my youngest son.)</div>
<br /><div>Me and Ted are also carving a pumpkin and there will be a selection of horror films being watched before and after the cinema trip. I started Silent Hill 2 yesterday and I'll also be blasting a few zombies in House Of The Dead Overkill. (HOTD on the Saturn has been a Halloween staple for some years, now it's the Wii's turn!) Oh and I'll also be watching Michale Jackson's "Ghosts" which is far superior to "Thriller" and well worth checking out if you've never seen it (I'll throw a taster video at the end of the post!)</div>
<br /><div>Anyway, no matter what you're doing on this most wonderful of days, may I be one of the first to wish you a very "Happy Halloween!" </div></div></div></div></div></div>
<br /><div><object width="425" height="376"><param name="movie" value="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/xoybd&related=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/xoybd&related=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="376" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></object><br /><b><a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xoybd_michael-jackson-ghosts_music">Michael Jackson - Ghosts</a></b><br /><i>Uploaded by <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/Wakazai">Wakazai</a>. - <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/gb/channel/music">Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.</a></i></div>
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<br />fatherkrishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01523813350137435244noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29219429.post-33307894091967988502009-10-28T17:41:00.000-07:002009-10-28T17:42:36.251-07:00Maworld Purchased<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX4MwJ4JEnGf7EY74o23NN8RN3rHgoRyS5kI7MxPPYcwD79AQd_Xvju9i2UBHV9sVYgcEzlK42d61Bup9wS9TKTdsSxp6Dpo-rU3uwdLz0DI7m3IUURXK9wOOfs5lH01OG0h2o/s1600-h/top-wii-games-madworld.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397815879626481554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 284px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX4MwJ4JEnGf7EY74o23NN8RN3rHgoRyS5kI7MxPPYcwD79AQd_Xvju9i2UBHV9sVYgcEzlK42d61Bup9wS9TKTdsSxp6Dpo-rU3uwdLz0DI7m3IUURXK9wOOfs5lH01OG0h2o/s400/top-wii-games-madworld.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I picked up Madworld for the Wii second hand for £13. I guess I'm now guilty of not supporting this mature, original Wii content first hand, and therefore fuelling the accusation that the Wii is only for family friendly fun games. (But I NEVER buy them however) I remember J and Junlee being up for this one when it was in development. Then we all lost interest in our Wiis and I guess the game was forgotten to an extent.<br /><br />That means I've now got Madworld and House Of The Dead Overkill to play. I just never play the Wii! Still, Resident Evil the Darkside Chronicles are out soon, so, I'm gonna have to dust it off and get used to sitting in the front room to play! </div>fatherkrishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01523813350137435244noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29219429.post-13022828329765124692009-10-27T16:20:00.000-07:002009-10-27T16:50:17.867-07:00Brutal Legend: First Impressions<embed id="mymovie" width="432" height="362" flashvars="playerMode=embedded&movieAspect=4.3&flavor=EmbeddedPlayerVersion&skin=http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/cne_flash/production/media_player/proteus/one/skins/gamespot.png¶msURI=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gamespot.com%2Fpages%2Fvideo_player%2Fxml.php%3Fid%3D6232968%26mode%3Dembedded%26width%3D432%26height%3D362%2F" wmode="transparent" allowscriptaccess="always" quality="high" name="mymovie" style="" src="http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/cne_flash/production/media_player/proteus/one/proteus2.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"/>
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<br />I've seen Brutal Legend on the gaming horizon for many months now. I know the game's developer has a great reputation for witty and intelligent games in the past. I also knew it was a heavy metal themed game and that it was a vehicle for Jack Black's talent. You would have thought all of those factors would have meant the game would have been hot on my "to play" list. But it wasn't, not at all.
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<br />It was only seeing my son play the demo level on Saturday morning (he subsequently purchased the game) that has changed my mind at all. The game looks hot! Visually the graphics are luscious, with a nice 'cartoony' feel to them. The game world looks like it was zapped straight out of a seventies prog rock album cover or an Iron Maiden landscape (I'm surprised 'Eddie' doesn't make a cameo!)
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<br />Several rock legends do though. So far I've seen Lemmy from Motorhead (who was also the arms dealer in the seminal Scarface). I've also seen Ozzy, who sounds brilliant and fits right in with the game. Apparently Judas Priest's Rob Halford makes an appearance at some point too.
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<br />Of course Jack Black is excellent, he always is. I wouldn't have given this game a second look unless it had jumped right into my living room, which luckily it has! I'll definitely give it a playthrough some time soon, as I understand it's a short game, which suits me fine! Check out the videos and see what you think!
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