Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Xbox 360 update coming December 6th!

Well it looks like the next major Xbox 360 update will finally be coming out in the next few weeks! For anyone who follows the Xbox 360, you would know that MS has promissed us many new features to go along with it.

First of all the update will completley revamp the dashboard to fit the new "windows style." Just like with Windows 8 and all Windows phones, the dashboard will now feature a type of pannel system, and is made to work with the Xbox 360's Kinect and it replaces the original Kinect dash board.

The new update will also introduce cloud storage which will allow all players to easily access their saves from any xbox in the world. All game saves, and profiles will be saved on a back up server which can then be accessed from other 360s. Sure it's a great new feature, especially if you spend a lot of time playing on other peoples systems, but thats not the only use for cloud storage! All hard drives have their own life span, and save files can become corrupt, cloud storage removes this threat and allows our saves to be safe; no matter what happens.

MS also promissed us new features, such as Youtube, but it turns out only a few of these features will be making it into the release. Apparently the TV app will not be making it into the major system update, but it will be added in later with a much smaller patch.

Its really nice to see that MS cares so much about their system, and its really nice to see all of these updates; however could they be to late? With rumors of the next system seeing the light of day late next year, do we really need updates like this? Really I can see both sides. I love all the changes they're making, and I love the idea of cloud storage, but I still feel that this update is long over due. I guess its better late than never!
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Sunday, November 13, 2011

The Legend of Zelda Timeline *unofficial*

With Skyward Sword coming out really soon I figured now would be as good of time as any to go ahead and get a "timeline" posted. Now Nintendo has stated that there IS in fact a Zelda Timeline, but they said it is up to the players to actually figure it out. Well, here's what I've come up with so far.

*WARNING: THIS BLOG POST WILL CONTAIN SOME MINOR AND SOME MAJOR SPOILERS FROM THE ZELDA GAMES, HOWEVER I WILL BE LEAVING OUT SKYWARD SWORD SPOILERS DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT HAS NOT BEEN OFFICIALY RELEASED YET! YOU HAVE  BEEN WARNED!*
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Normal Timeline:
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The "Normal Timeline" is the timeline that the Zelda games normally follow. Later on there was a "split" in the timeline, but that actually leads us to another whole set of games. To sum it up, this is the timeline the Zelda games NORMALLY follow.
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Legend of Zelda Minish Cap -
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Minish Cap the "first Zelda" in many fans eyes simply because of the legend told at the start of the game. Apparently there was a past hero that saved the day, which the main character decends from, but that hero did NOT have a hat. Minish Cap Link ends up getting sucked into an adventure of his own, but once it is finally done and over with one of his "friends" gives him a parting gift. A hat.

Minish Cap also takes place before the whole Ganon story, so its safe to assume that Minish Cap is close to the start of the timeline.
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Legend fo Zelda: Four Swords -
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Four Swords could actually take place at any point in the timeline, but since it ties directly with Minish Cap I'll go ahead and list it here. The game was just lately released for free on DSi Ware and on the eShop, but this pretty much sums up the story.
A new Link goes with another Zelda to check on the Four Sword which was used to seal the bad guy from Minish Cap away, and he escapes. The new Link Splits into four, and he sets out to save the world.
It is a pretty simple story, and it doesn't really have too big of an effect on other games, but it still happened.
Four Swords Adventure was also released on the Gamecube, but it is also a spin off story which features yet ANOTHER Link.
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Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time -
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OoT was released as the "first" game in the timeline back during its original release. Nintendo stated that it would be the first appearance of Ganon, and it would be the game to provide the back story to all other Zelda games. Well this game also created a split in the timeline which allowed Nintendo to take two different directions. I'll talk about the split a little bit later. This game features a brand new Link who grew up in a magical forest.
At the end of OoT, Link is sent back in time to his original time (apparently before he actually met Zelda for the first time as a kid), and he's able to warn her about what is going to happen. Apparently Hyrule listened to the warning, they were able to fight off Ganon during his attack, however much of Hyrule was still damaged, and he was "completely" stopped.
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Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask -
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Majora's Mask takes place right after OoT and follows the same Link. Link sets out on a quest to search for his lost friend Navi along with his horse Epona. It really isn't clear how Link has Epona since he was sent back in time before most of the events of OoT happened, but it is possible that he still had to collect them stones for whatever reason. In other words, there's a really good chance that the "childhood" events in OOT still happened.

After being attacked by a Skullkid, who apparently is the Skullkid Link became friends with during OoT, he finds himself being sucked into an alternate world. Once there Link goes on another adventure to save the world, and he once again sets out to find Navi once its all over with. Really Majora's Mask is more of a stand alone game, and has almost no impact on the rest of Zelda (mainly because it takes place in an alternate world that isn't directly attached to the one we all know and love).
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Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess -
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Twilight Princess takes place after Marjoa's Mask and once again features a new Link. After Ganon was captured, he manages to escape into a type of "dark world" and cause even more chaos. Because of this our new hero finds himself setting out on an adventure to save everyone he loves, along with the rest of the world.

In Twilight Princess we learn more about the battle that took place when Ganon tried to take control of Hyrule, and we also find that the Temple of Time has almost been overgrown by the forest.
By the end of the game Ganon is once again trapped in the strange Twilight Realm, and the world is saved. Throughout the game there are also refrences to a hero in the past, including a Heroes Spirit which teaches Link moves, but it hasn't been quite confirmed just who these items belonged to/who the Hero Spirit really is. Chances are, he's either "Skyward Sword Link," or a Link we haven't seen before.

(There were rumors that it could be the Hero of Time, but TP takes place during the normal timeline, a timeline where the Hero of Time never got his adult tunic or his adult items... All of which were apparently passed down anyway...)
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Legend fo Zelda: A Link to the Past -
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LttP follows another Link farther down the timeline. Ganon once again comes back by using the dark realm that he was trapped in to his advantage (most likely, the Twilight Realm). As stated in Twilight Princess, only special people are able to keep any type of form at all in this alternate world, while others become like ghosts. In Twilight Princess Link got a wolf form, and in LttP he gets a rabbit form.

Besides seeing the possible return of the Twilight Realm, Link also goes to the very same forest the Temple of Time is located in; however this time the temple is completely over grown. (It's obvious that Nintendo used Twilight Princess to explain how the sword ended up in a forest. Its nice fan service, and it confirms that LttP does in fact take place after OoT.)

At the end of LttP, Link actually is able to finish off Ganon for good (something no other Link had ever done before), and the world is finally safe (again).
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Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening -
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This game is a strange crossover with Mario, but it worked really well. The game follows the same Link from LttP who is now setting out to sea inorder to get some training done. Link ends up ship wrecking on a strange island, and his new adventure begins.
Really this game is an "alternate world" game just like Majora's Mask, but it is still canon (as was Majora's Mask).
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Legend of Zelda: Orical of Seasons/Ages -
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The Orical games were actually the first Zelda games created by Capcom. Really no one is completely sure just WHICH Link we play as in these games, but it is possible that he is a completely new Link (this is also backed up in the NON canon manga which states Link comes from a long line of heroes, and that he plans on becoming a knight).

The Orical games also take place in alternate worlds just like Majora's Mask and Link's Awakening, but they also have more of an impact on the rest of the story. It really doesn't matter which game you play first, but they both play out the same way. Link is sucked into a new world, he helps them save the day, end of story.

If you beat one Orical game and carry your save file over into the other, you'll actually come across a different ending that actually ends the games. It turns out the twin witches were able to revive Ganon, who was killed in LttP, and he's out to finish what he started. Yeah, he fails...
As of right now, this is the current "end" that we really know about. Yes there are two more games that MIGHT fall into this timeline, but I'm going to be listing them in another section.
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Future Timeline:
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After the Hero of Time saves the day in OoT, he is sent back in time to his childhood. Well, that actually causes a lot of problems for the future.

You see, although the Hero of Time told everyone about Ganon's plan inorder to change the future, it doesn't mean the timeline is completely overwritten. By changing the past you simply create a new timeline, while the old future ends up branching off on its own.
Normal Timeline                                     Fixed Future (Normal Timeline)
___________________________________________>
                                       \  Split                Original Future (Future Timeline)
                                        \_______________________>
That's the best way I can explain it. (Or if you've ever seen Back to the Future II, think about the future split where the Doc and Marty jump back into a world Biff changed.)

Anyway in the Future Timeline the past is completely cut off, and the Hero of Time no longer exists (since he was sent back in time to a point they are no longer connected to). Since there was no one to continue the bloodline, Ganon was able to come back, take over the world, and Hyrule was lost.
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Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker -
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Wind Waker follows the story of a young boy who sets out with a group of pirates to save his sister. Along the way he uncovers the truth about what happened to Hyrule, he gathers the Triforce of Courage, and becomes the next hero bloodline.
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Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass -
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PH features the same Link as WW, and it simply continues the story. The game also has some ties in with Link's Awakening, but it is still not directly related to the original timeline.
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Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks -
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Spirit Tracks takes place years after Link and Zelda (from WW/PH) form the country of New Hyrule which apparently happened shortly after PH. The game features yet another new Link, and it follows shows a story of a new world where steam technology has been invented.
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???????????????:
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Ok so there are actually many other Zelda games out there, some are canon, and some are not; however some of the canon ones still do not neatly fall into the timeline. This is why I decided to list them here, and with good reason.
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Legend of Zelda -
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The very first game features an underdeveloped Hyrule, and even shows people living in caves. How can that be? Some people believe that the game actually takes place in the "Adult Timeline" (or Future Timeline), and the Hyrule we see is actually "New Hyrule." Really I can understand where they're coming from, but there's no way Nintendo could have had this planned from the start. Unless they planned it with OoT?
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 Zelda II: The Adventures of Link -
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Zelda II features a much more developed "modern" Hyrule, and is also the game Nintendo made to end the storyline. The game features the story of "The Legend of Zelda," and has our hero Link going around the world to save her. APPARENTLY Zelda II features the same Link from The Legend of Zelda, but that still doesn't add up.

How did the world change so much from Zelda 1 to Zelda 2? Could Zelda 1 have taken place on some island outside of Hyrule instead of actually in it? Or did Nintendo just mess up? Really, its hard to tell.
It's pretty easy to tell that Zelda II does in fact end the games, but it is still hard to tell what timeline it takes place in. Chances are it takes place in the normal/child timeline, but it still doesn't match up with Zelda 1.
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 The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword -
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Finally here comes Skyward Sword! Now I did say I would avoid talking about the game since it is not officially out yet, however quite a few stores have released it early, but I would like to at least bring it up.
Nintendo has officially stated that Skyward Sword will tie directly into OoT, and it does in fact take place before it. The only thing is, just how far in the past DOES it take place? Does it take place inbetween Minish Cap and Ocarina of Time, or does it even take place before Minish Cap? Well I can't answer that. It's true that most people don't know about Hyrule yet, heck Link and Zelda don't even live there, but who says their ancestors didn't?

Anyway I guess this is a mystery we'll have to find out for ourselves once the game officially comes out!
So what do you guys think? Does everything add up? If not, please feel free to share any information that I might not have already listed!
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Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Uncharted 3 Collectors Edition

Picked up the Collectors Edition of Uncharted 3 today! Here's some pics for anyone who hasn't gotten a chance to see it yet! (It's actually a really nice Collectors, well worth the 90 bucks!)

Chest -

Chest - Open

Steel Game Box -

Drake's Ring (see above pic for a closer look at the detail)

Nate's Belt Buckle

Nate

Everything is very well made, the ring and belt buckle are both real (and made out of metal), and the toy isn't a single solid piece as it appears. It's a really nice collection, and I'm glad I preordered it!
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Sonic Generations - Review


Sonic Generations is the game released to celebrate Sonic's 20th "birthday." In order to do so, SEGA decided to take our hedgehog on a trip through time to revisit worlds from his past; however, this time there is a twist! Sonic isn't the only one who joins us for this adventure, but "Classic" Sonic makes his return as well!

Story:

Sonic Generation is very light on it's story elements, but there is at least some story to get you through the game. The game starts with Sonic going to his birthday party which his friends have planed for him without him even knowing it. Sonic spends some time with his friends, but soon a strange black creature crashes the party. This strange creature captures all of Sonic's friends and leaves him in a world without color. As the game goes on Sonic meets up with his younger self, and they both set out on an adventure to save their friends.

The story is very light and only has any real development near the beginning. Once Sonic meets up with his younger self, the game takes on a classic style with Sonic simply running through the levels. After each level Sonic saves one of his friends, which have something to say to him in return, but that's actually about it. While having a basic story isn't a bad thing, it can be a bit of a let down for fans expecting more. A lot of the characters you meet along the way are sort of just "there," and the game never does offer any real explanation. Even characters from other dimensions and timelines are here to support Sonic, and no one seems to notice just how out of place they are.

Gameplay:

Sonic Generations features two very different styles of gameplay, Classic Gameplay and Modern Gameplay, and it features three different eras: Classic, Dreamcast, and Modern. Although each level does in fact come from a past Sonic game, they have been completely redone to fit the new gameplay styles. While the Classic Sonic levels play a lot like they did back in the day, Modern Sonic's have been completely revamped.

Classic Gameplay -


Act 1 of every single level will have you playing as Classic Sonic in Classic Style levels. These levels play just like they did back during the Genesis days! Sonic can only run, jump, spin dash, and use items that he picks up. The spin dash HAS been mapped to a button for quicker access, but it can still be pulled off by holding down and pressing jump as well; really this is the only change that was made to the Classic Style.


The Classic Gameplay is a little bit faster than it was during the Genesis days, and the levels do make use of 2.5D effects. Sometimes you'll be able to get on paths which lead to the foreground, while other paths will actually take you into the background or behind objects. The Classic Style always stays 2D, but it does make use of the 3D world. Although it isn't quite the same as the old days, it does still have that 90s feel to it.

Modern Gameplay -


Modern Gameplay is the same style of gameplay that we've seen in the past two console releases, Unleashed and Colors. Now I actually didn't care much for either of them games, heck I didn't even think a good Unleashed Style Sonic game was possible, but things have been GRATELY improved this time. Modern Sonic's gameplay switches between full 3D, and 2.5D during each level. Modern Sonic's levels are VERY long levels with many long paths which also branch out into others. Although speed tends to be the main focus in these levels, there are quite a few platforming parts, and there are places that will require fast reflexes. Modern Sonic has the ability to boost, a boost meter is seen at the bottom of the screen which fills up as you collect rings/kill bad guys, he has the ability to lock onto enemies and homing attack, and he also has the ability to slide and drift around corners, and even side step.

While boosting the screen will actually be coming at you at over 300 MPH, which will require you to be able to react fast. Sometimes you'll have to side step to dodge objects that are falling in front of you, other times you'll have to be able to drift around a corner without flying off the screen. These parts can be quite challenging at times, but they can also be taken slower if players have a hard time with them. You just have to keep in mind that stages grade you based on speed, so it's always best to try and go as fast as possible.

(It's really nice to see classic levels in HD)

Sonic Unleashed and Colors featured the same type of gameplay, but there were a few major differences. In Unleashed and Colors MOST of the levels had invisible walls that forced you to go along a set path. The 3D levels felt like 2D levels with a behind view, and you really couldn't explore at all. There were a few branching pathways, but these were still very limited. Sonic Generations on the other hand, fixed this.

Sure there are still a few invisible walls to keep you on track, but the levels themselves are actually a lot more open. Since all of the levels are remakes from past Sonic games, SEGA had to make sure that the Unleashed style would work for them. The gameplay feels much smoother, Sonic no longer slides around as much, and all of the controls are much tighter as well--making the game much more enjoyable than other recent releases.

Although there are only around 9 levels in this game, two acts per level, there are actually levels hidden inside of levels! Although you might be playing "Seaside Hill" from Sonic Heroes, you could find yourself running through parts of "Hydrocity" as well. It's just really nice to see how SEGA was able to hide parts of other levels in completely different levels! If you've never played a Sonic game before you really wouldn't notice these parts, but any true fan would be able to spot them right away.

Missions -

Missions are just side quests that can be completed as extras. Sometimes these missions have you racing other characters, other times they make you use other characters special powers to get you through the levels. Really these are just extras, and they offer a wide range of different gameplay styles (Time Attack, Collection, Battle, Race, Mini Game, and so on).

The Skill System:

The Skill System is kind of a mix between past power ups, and the level system we saw in games like Sonic and the Secret Rings. By doing different goals in the game, players are able to unlock different skills that either Classic or Modern Sonic can use. Each character can equip up to 100 points worth of skills, each skill requires a set amount of points, to use in just about every level in the game. There's a wide range of skills to unlock in this game (including faster speed, endless boost, and the skate board in any level), and it's up to the player to decide how to mix and match them.

Music:

Sonic Generation's music is mostly made up of remixes from past Sonic songs. Each stage includes two remixes of their original songs, and a few other remixes were thrown in for the side missions. All of the music sounds great, and you can even unlock originals! To go along with the unlockable music, there's also a music select option for each stage! Want to run through City Escape (from Sonic Adventure 2) with Endless Possibilities (Sonic Unleashed's Theme Song) playing in the back ground? Well, you can do it! It takes a little while to unlock all of the songs, but it's really nice to know that most of the well known songs did make it in. It's really nice fan service for long time fans.

Graphics:

The Graphics in Generations really do look nice, but they are also more of a cartoony style. It fits well for Sonic, but it isn't crazy detailed like Sonic The Hedgehog (2006), or other 360/PS3/PC games. Please don't get me wrong though, this isn't a bad thing at all! Although I loved seeing all the detail in Sonic 06, Generations still looks really nice. The only down side is the fact that the world flies by so fast, you really don't have time to look at it! Sure you could always slow down and take your time to enjoy the world, but it's something you most likely wont want to do.


Although the game graphics do look really nice, some of the Cutscenes were actually compressed which caused the quality to become a lot lower than it should be. This is only a problem in a few cutscenes, since most cutscenes are actually rendered in real time, so once again its actually not a big deal, and it's only a problem that effects the 360 version of the game. It's still a shame that we won't be able to see these cutscenes the way they were made.

Online Leader Boards:

The final feature included in Sonic Generations is the inclusion of Leader Boards! Leader Boards allow you to speed through each stage and upload your score to a global server! This gives all players a reason to shoot for that high score, and it also gives them the chance to prove who truly is the fastest thing alive!


Besides the normal Leader Board mode, a second "30 second" trial has been added as well. The goal in this mode is to simply run as far as you can into a level before your 30 seconds are up. This mode can be a LOT of fun, and it's a nice way to show off to your friends just how fast you really go, but there is no global ranking for this mode. This is friends only sadly... Either way, it is still a fun mode to mess around in, and it really challenges you to just try and push a bit farther!

The Good and the Bad:

Overall Sonic Generations is the game that many Sonic fans have been waiting for. It brought back Classic Sonic, it improved the Unleased gameplay, everyone's favorite songs are back, and we get to see remastered versions of some of our favorite levels. The custom soundtrack option is nice, the graphics look nice, and the gameplay is also nice and smooth. This is a game most Sonic fans would really enjoy, and it doesn't matter what generation is your favorite!

Even though it is a pretty good game overall, the compressed CGI cutscenes look bad, the game lacks difficulty (I was able to S rank every level on my first try), and there really wasn't much of a story. I was also hoping to be able to play as characters OTHER than Sonic, but that didn't happen. Really, Sonic being the only playable character could be seen as both a good and a bad thing, but it really just comes down to what you prefer.

In short, Sonic Generations is a good game, but it's one of them games that can really only be fully appreciated by fans. This game allows you to relive the past 20 years of Sonic's life, and is filled with nostalgia. In the end, I give Sonic Generations a solid 8/10.

It's a good game, but it still has a few minor problems. If you're a fan of the Adventure games, you're going to miss the other characters, and if you're a die hard classic fan, you may end up not wanting to play as Modern Sonic. These few things may keep the game from being a perfect 10 for you, but I can still safely recommend it to just about anyone!

Even if you're just a fan of platformers, this game is worth *at least* a  rent!

Thank's SEGA, it's good to be home.

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