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"Quoted from IGN" [quote]Fortune hunter Nathan Drake is catapulted headlong into an adventure that takes him on a daring trek into the heart of the Arabian Desert in a search for the fabled "Atlantis of the Sands." This journey pits him and his mentor Victor Sullivan against the occult treachery of a shadowy clandestine organization and its ruthless leader. When the terrible secrets of this lost city are unearthed, Drake's quest descends into a desperate bid for survival that strains the limits of his endurance and forces him to confront his deepest fears.[/quote] [IMG]http://ps3media.ign.com/ps3/image/article/113/1139326/uncharted-3-drakes-deception-unveiled-20101209063955905.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://ps3media.ign.com/ps3/image/article/113/1139408/uncharted-3-drakes-deception-20101209114241028.jpg[/IMG] I've yet to play the 1st two games (Hope to eventually). Naughty Dog did an amazing job when it came to the graphics. The snow and water was pretty to look at in Among Thieves, so I'm really anticipating this game along with seeing Naughty Dog's desert. I want to see how real they'll make that. Discuss.

[font="Tahoma"]Just want to say first of all that credit goes to Magus for the influence to put this up, since he mentioned in the IGN best of 2010 threat that we should do our own awards for the games we believe to be worthy of being honored this year. Though it also appears necessary to simplify things a bit to the most important categories, especially since IGN seemingly added particular categories for the sole purpose of honoring the winning game with no real competition. So i'll start things off with my choices: [b]Best Shooter[/b]: Call of Duty: Black Ops This is a no brainer for me, Black Ops is the best installment into the series thus far and adds a more satisfying sense of competition to the online play. The new wager mode is especially fun to play, particularly One in the Chamber. The single-player campaign is by far the most story focused in the COD franchise and has plenty of intense moments throughout. If anyone would like, they can read my official [url="http://www.gamesabyss.com/articles/2090-call-of-duty-black-ops-review"]Call of Duty: Black Ops Review[/url]. Pretty much encompasses why i feel the way I do. [b]Best Racing[/b]: Blur It was a year full of interesting attempts for innovative and satisfying racing gameplay, a movement that either fell short or had very brief stays in the spotlight. Regardless, if a winner must be picked here then i must give it to Blur for adding a more adult twist to kart racing chaos. Needless to say, this is most fun when played with other people. Kudos goes to [b]Modnation Racers[/b] for adding a decent creation mechanic to just about every aspect of the game, but the actual racing gameplay itself was less than stellar. [b]Best RPG[/b]: Mass Effect 2 ME2 in a word is phenomenal. Bioware has created by far the best RPG/shooter hybrid in terms of core gameplay, story progression, and player-controlled choice innovation. ME2 was an appropriate continuation and neither falls short or over-exceeds it's predecessor. Other honorable mentions goes go [b]Fallout: New Vegas[/b] and [b]Resonance of Fate[/b]. [b]Best Action/Adventure[/b]: God of War III If it was any of the two previous GOW games in question, I would have given this award to Bayonetta, which was easily one of the best overall games of the year, I explained why in the IGN best of thread. God of War III however proved why it remains the king of the genre. It is hard to snub Kratos here when you consider the expectations GOW3 had to build on, and the wild success that was realized providing challenging puzzles, fun and exhilarating boss battles, and keeping the same tried and true combat system fresh and enjoyable. Not to mention finally being able to get out hands on the gods themselves, this was easily the best cast of antagonists. Honorable mentions obviously goes to[b] Bayonetta[/b], as well as [b]Enslaved: Odyssey to the West[/b] and [b]Assassins Creed: Brotherhood. [/b] [b]Best Sci-Fi[/b]: Mass Effect 2 This one I don't feel really needs an explanation, everything this game does well does so in the name of the sci-fi story genre. Honorable mention goes to [b]Vanquish[/b] and [b]Singularity[/b]. [b]Best Rhythm[/b]: DJ Hero 2 This is a game I never thought i would actually play, let alone enjoy. I'm really not much of a music/rhythm game fan, but I had the opportunity to try this one out not too long ago and it's actually quite addictive. Good soundtrack and better enjoyed with a group of people. [b]Best Survival Horror[/b]: Alan Wake This category was practically locked up for me when Alan Wake was released. Unfairly receiving a bad rep due to coming out in the shadow of Red Dead Redemption, AW is a creepy and very well written story. The combat was a bit weak in comparison to the story, but is by no means terrible. It is no Resident Evil in terms of gunplay, but it does not necessarily have to be. It does take some patience to get through, especially if your an action junkie. Alan Wake does its job well, which is to chill your spine and keeps you wondering whats going to happen next. [b]Best Multi-Player[/b]: Call of Duty: Black Ops FPS is my number one competitive game genre, and COD is my favorite franchise in said genre. I have already explained my position on this game and for me remains the gold standard in multi-player overall, not just FPS. Honorable mention goes to[b] AC: Brotherhood[/b] for a different type of MP experience that surprisingly works quite well. [b]Best Character[/b]: John Marston This was a tough one for me, but Marston displays multiple emotions in a genuine and believable way. He is tough and gritty, yet does not appear completely unapproachable. He is reliable and wholly dedicated to his goal, and does not tire. You can tell that when John Marston runs into an obstacle, he will find away around it and not do so in the flawless manner of a superhero, yet a triumphant mix between work and will. He combines the everyman with the fruition of resolve. Throw a respectable job of voice acting onto all of that, and a nifty cowboy hat, and you have a character who is worthy of praise and admiration. Honorable mentions go to [b]Ezio Auditore de Firienza[/b] and [b]Snow Villiers[/b] (the best character in FFXIII by leaps and bounds). [b]Best Art Design[/b]: Bayonetta I gave Action/Adventure to GOW3, I will give this to Bayonetta because this is one category where I believe it exceeds. This is mostly shown in the designs of the enemies and bosses I feel, but it is a travesty to not take notice of the world around you when playing through. So much action goes on at every turn in this game, it is easy to take the stage design for granted. Not to mention, who doesn't love the hair outfit? Honorable mentions go to [b]God of War III, Mass Effect 2[/b], and[b] Vanquish[/b]. [b]Most Underrated Game[/b]: Tie - Enslaved: Odyssey to the West / Dante's Inferno Enslaved as I've already explained is a surprise hit and really stands out in what was meant to be a stacked October. The combat may not be the most varied, but is very smooth. The story is an interesting twist on a very established classic, and the character interaction between Monkey and Trip is never boring and surprisingly realistic for two people in their position. Real bonds are formed and you feel this mutual sense of sympathy for both at certain points in the game. Dante's Inferno however is just a victim of being outdone by bigger and meaner games of the same genre. Coming out one month before GOW3 especially was anything but a boon. The truth of it though is that Dante's Inferno is a good game that starts off like a juggernaut and simply slows its roll as it progresses. The lack of consistency is a weakness, but it hurts even more when you have so many gaming titans to compare it to. The first three stages alone were better than most anything in a Devil May Cry game. Honorable mentions go to [b]Singularity[/b] and [b]Alan Wake[/b]. [b]Most Overrated Game[/b]: Halo: Reach I understand the kind of following Halo has, but the franchise stopped being interesting to me after Halo 2. The games all seem far too similar, and the multi-player is so much less intense than Call of Duty's and at times very unstable. I appreciate a good sci-fi story and memorable characters, Halo: Reach really only accomplishes both about half-way. There is fun co-op here, but this game has just earned too many accolades that i feel it just simply didn't earn on its own. The legacy of Halo played too much of a factor in this game's success. [b]Most Disappointing Game[/b]: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Fable 3 was very close to winning this one. Both games fell ridiculously short of the hype generated around them, as well as failing to live up to the stock in their respective namesakes. Fable 3 is easily the better game of the two, and while is disappointing it is not necessarily terrible. Castlevania on the other hand, is terrible. Incredibly drab soundtrack, glitchy graphic anomalies, boring and scattered combat system, empty and dilapidated stage design, laughably easy difficulty, and no epic aspirations whatsoever. Even the all-star voice acting was stripped by the infuriating scripting. I hope Robert Carlyle received VERY ample compensation for being on this project. [b]Xbox 360 GOTY[/b]: Mass Effect 2 Hope I don't have to explain this by now. [b]Playstation 3 GOTY[/b]: Red Dead Redemption The definition of overrated is receiving praise too high than what is actually deserved. It is possible however that something that is a 9 out of 10, can be rated a 10 out of 10 by too many sources, and still be considered superior from an objective point of view. Red Dead does not need the unnecessary nudges in order to be considered a GOTY candidate, and since Mass Effect 2 is not capable of hindering these honors here, Rockstar SD has done a hell of a job with their open world heavyweight. [b]Nintendo Wii GOTY[/b]: N/A The only Wii games I have played this year are Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Metroid: Other M. That is not enough for me to make an objective decision with other games generally believed to be in contention (i.e Epic Mickey). From a purely subjective POV out of the two i have played I actually enjoyed Metroid. [b]Game of the Year[/b]: Mass Effect 2 Surprise surprise! [b]Most Anticipated Game of 2011[/b]: 3-way tie - Mass Effect 3 / Elder Scrolls: Skyrim / Batman: Arkham City Here's the category you can only answer by being totally subjective! The last installment in all three of these games were my personal overall GOTY winners, and all three's premiere trailers look stunning. I cannot see either of these failing in any way to deliver more greatness, but in the video game industry anything is possible. For now though, quarter 3 of 2011 is on the fight track to stripping my bank account.[/font]

[media]http://www.gametrailers.com/video/vga-10-batman-arkham/708342[/media] Pretty. I'm pretty sure we all knew about this since it's been in talks for a year, maybe more (I think). Anyway, Batman is roaming the city streets now instead of the asylum and he's also dealing with Hugo Strange. I think I remember seeing something about Two-Face being in this one as well. Anyway, it's set to release next Fall. Discuss.

What video game you have played for at least 100's of hours? on the PS2 its: [B]Final Fantasy X[/B] It has a great story line to the video game. I level up all of my character and try to get all the best armor and weapon. [B]Disgaea 2: Cursed memory[/B] I was playing through the side story line and try to collect the rare and powerful items. I was also leveling up my character to get their new title. It has a good story line to it and from the first Disgaea you get you meet the old main character. [B]Final Fantasy XII[/B] Currently playing that game right now. Just leveling up and doing some hunts. i'm also trying to get the final weapon for the gun, and bow. One of the good story line I know so far. So that the only video game I played so far that reach the 100 hour mark, which mean that the video game was excellent to play.

[center][img]http://www.estarland.com/images/products/19/36219/75979.jpg[/img][/center] [quote]A heroic tale of redemption and discovery, Epic Mickey is an action-platforming game featuring the iconic Mickey Mouse in a fantastical adventure inspired by the cartoons of the 1930s and 1940s. Pulled into a warped Disney universe called the Cartoon Wasteland by an evil villain, Mickey finds himself in a world inhabited by the retired and forgotten cartoon characters and attractions from Disney's past. Mickey must use the very elements of himself and the world, paint and paint thinner, to explore the Cartoon Wasteland, find the source of evil that is destroying the land, and redeem his fellow cartoon characters including Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Walt Disney's first cartoon star and Mickey's resentful half-brother. With visionary game designer Warren Spector behind the title, players choose their own path to defeat supreme evil, face the consequences of those decisions and ultimately free the Cartoon Wasteland. Product Features: Play as a retro inspired Mickey Mouse, who adapts to the playerâ??s gaming style as a Hero or a Scrapper. Explore the warped Disney Cartoon Wasteland and along the way change the world using magic paint and paint thinner. Paint, thin, platform and explore. The Cartoon Wasteland has many twists, turns, puzzles and platforms. Choose the best way to accomplish missions. Encounter forgotten cartoon friends - and enemies. Some of Mickeyâ??s old forgotten friends live in the Cartoon Wasteland. Get to know them, and choose to help them or leave them to live in the Cartoon Wasteland. [/quote] Reviews: Xplay - 5/5 I'm actually surprised no one is talking about this game. It seemed like a hit when it was revealed at E3. I've seen it mentioned quite a bit at some other places as well. Anyway, while I have no intentions on getting this game (I'm terrible at platformers and, well, no lol) I am pretty interested. I know my sister will probably get it for herself since she's into disney far more than I am. Discuss.

Been a while since I've created a topic. [u][b]Escorting: Metal Gear Solid 2/3[/b][/u] Namely MGS2. Escorting E.E is a load of BS. Getting to her is not the issue. Swimming back to the beginning of the strut is where the problem lies. She can't swim by herself nor can she hold her breath as long. Make matters worst is that there are mines in the water and it's easy to get lost in this hellhole of a maze. There've been a couple of times when I was right by the exit and didn't even know it. I will never play this game again, especially knowing that you don't really get much of anything for beating the game on normal, or rather I don't have the patience to continuously escort that heiffer through that crap again and again. MGS3 is nowhere near as bad as MGS2 is when it comes to escorting but, I still just hate the thought of having to escort (babysit) people. [u][b]Water levels[/b][/u] I just play horribly for some reason when water is involved. Zelda: OoT's water temple is not bad to cause me to play stupid, it's just extremely tedious. It takes me almost an hour to find 1 key that I would need when I should've found it sooner than that. But whatever. Ninja Gaiden 2 has quite a few water stages where I just play stupidly on. Fighting the water dragon boss is the main culprit. I've watched videos of people playing it and it looks so simple to beat that thing but I have the hardest of times fighting that thing because Ryu would jump in the water when I don't try to... . And then the flying fish/worm boss itself is just ridiculous. Chapter 9 is terrible especially when you reach the water area where you have to fight off all these missles coming your way. (BULL####) This is all on path of the mentor difficulty by the way. That's it for now.

I've never played any of the Yakuza games, and to be honest I never thought I'd be interested in the series because it reminds me of the GTA series and I'm just not a fan of that series at all. (I hear it's good for anger management though) It's hard to really explain it. The "thug" nature of the games is not the turnoff, it's more like Rockstar games in general that just don't really appeal to me (And they look ugly). Anyway, I didn't really get curious about Yakuza until the 3rd game and while I haven't played it, people have told me that it's the next best thing for those of us that likes Shenmue, and, well, we know how big of a fan I am when it comes to the Shenmue games. Another reason why I think I'm more interested in the Yakuza games is because I'm more interested in the japanese settings and there's martial arts in it. Anyway, onto the trailer. [media]http://www.gametrailers.com/video/story-trailer-yakuza-4/707839[/media] The voice person makes that stuff sound interesting lol. Anyone else played these games? Thoughts? Etc, etc.

[color=indigo][b]GoldenEye[/b] for N64 is still considered by a lot of gamers to be the quintessential multi-player FPS game. While I do enjoy a good FPS (I suck at them, but I love playing them and am a huge Modern Warfare fan) I really haven't found an FPS with a multi-player mode that I have found as exciting as [b]GoldenEye[/b] was. Sure, a lot of games have copied the system, but few (that I have played) have truly improved upon it enough to make me want to buy the game for multi-player alone...until now. Last week Infinity Ward released a video discussing Wager Mode, a new multi-player aspect of [b]Call of Duty: Black Ops[/b]. I won't take the time to write about wager mode, instead I'll post a video below. Tell me what you think, do you think the concept kicks as much ass as I do?[/color] [center][media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kg_8mPoloBo[/media][/center]

Anyone else here played Borderlands? I don't own it myself (yet), but I played a friend's copy with him, and we spent a good 10 hours straight into the night playing co-op. I have to say that I just find it an overall really well made game. The fact that it is multiplayer immediately makes it epic, especially since it has the options for co-op on one screen and LAN (my two favourite options for playing multiplayer). The item system is oh so much fun and addictive. I'm a major fan of this kind of dynamic items, since you are constantly finding new and interesting things. The RPG element is much more interesting and well-implemented than I thought it was going to be originally, so that immediately made my addiction level for it rise. I love grinding in these styles of games. And the simple fact of the matter is that the actual FPS aspect of the game is really well done. Being a fan of the Halo series, mainly for the control style and gameplay, I was very pleased when I found it handled much the same way (especially the jumping, I love it when a FPS gives you the ability to jump at least moderately well so that you can explore the terrain). My only real qualms with it (at this point, keeping in mind that I haven't played all that much of it yet) would be that there are only the four classes. While they are each extremely varied, and the skill trees are impressively large (another thing I was really pleased to see), I still think it would be better with another class or two. But I suppose that this is only the first game so far (I've heard they are planning this as a series). So what does everyone else think of it?

[center][font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]Wii[/font] [font="Microsoft Sans Serif"][size="5"]Sonic Colors[/size][/font] [font="Microsoft Sans Serif"][size="5"][size="2"][media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBqarwN-1TU[/media][/size][/size][/font] [attachment=14920:sc1.jpg] [attachment=14921:sc2.jpg] [attachment=14922:sc3.jpg] [attachment=14923:sc4.jpg] [attachment=14924:sc5.jpg] [attachment=14925:sc6.jpg] [attachment=14926:sc7.jpg] [attachment=14919:sc8.jpg] [/center] [font="Palatino Linotype"]I have to start by saying that I'm a [i]huge[/i] Sonic fan. I owned all of the original 2D Sonic platformers (sans Sonic 2 on Master System) and I've bought probably two of those "Sega Collections" compilations. I even owned Sonic CD on the Sega Mega CD - now I really wish I hadn't sold it, but that's another story. I remember being really eager to play Sonic Adventure on Dreamcast when it came out in 1999. For the most part, I really enjoyed Sonic Adventure. It did feel somewhat rough though, compared to Nintendo's first 3D Mario. That is to say...there were things about it that felt very un-Sonic. I didn't like the fact that it was set in the real world (or something close to it - whatever happened to the alien landscapes of Moebius, with the grid-patterned earth and the vivid colours?) I also didn't particularly like Sonic Team's attempts to add complexity to the plot where none as needed. And I [i]really[/i] didn't like many of the additional characters - Amy and Big were, for the most part, completely un-fun. I actually thought they were horribly designed segments with shoddy/slow controls and very bland challenges. Yuck. At least the actual Sonic and Tails levels were generally fantastic; they also displayed the clear potential that Sonic had in a 3D environment. Sonic Adventure 2 improved the "Sonic" levels (or at least, Sonic and Shadow). But that was about it. The rest of the game was slightly improved over the first title, but it still seemed that Sega weren't bold enough to [i]just design a damn Sonic game in 3D![/i] After all, they had basically skipped the Saturn (Sonic Jam wasn't a serious attempt and Sonic 3D Blast was shockingly awful - thanks, Traveller's Tales). Without detailing the subsequent horrors that Sonic endured (Sonic the Hedgehog on Xbox 360/PS3, Shadow the Hedgehog and many others - although I heard Sonic Heroes had its great moments), I think it's fair to say that Sega produced several write-offs as far as Sonic goes. I may sound harsh, but honestly, I think if you grew up with the 2D Sonic titles, it's hard to be very forgiving of the rocky road that Sonic has traveled in the 3D world. Given that Mario managed such a seamless transition (Mario and many other classic franchises), I can't really give Sonic Team a pass on this. Anyway, the one savior of Sonic seems to have been developer DIMPS. They were responsible for the Sonic Rush series on Nintendo DS (I've only played the first Sonic Rush, but it was absolutely true to the 2D Sonic of old). And it looks like DIMPS really came to the rescue in terms of Sonic in 3D. They partnered with Sonic Team to create [b]Sonic Colors[/b], which is now available for Wii and will hopefully become available for the HD consoles soon (I share IGN's hope with that). Apart from the fact that DIMPS seem to know what they're doing, it seems to me that Sonic Colors could almost be called [i]the first true 3D Sonic game[/i]. I say that even having played and enjoyed Sonic Adventure more than a decade ago. Sonic Colors does away with the peripheral characters and their terrible gameplay and focuses its attention on Sonic. Speed seems to be emphasized as you would expect, but Sonic Team/DIMPS have also expanded Sonic's platforming environments slightly, providing a bit of a hybrid Sonic/Mario feel (or at least borrowing some elements from the latter). A subtle (or not so subtle, depending on your perspective) element has been added as well: Wisps. These are essentially power-ups that allow Sonic to perform different actions for a limited period (like drilling through rock or bouncing from enemy to enemy). Apparently they aren't necessary to finish a level, but they do allow Sonic to access branching paths that may otherwise be difficult or impossible to find. Even a cursory glance at this game gives me the impression that DIMPS and Sonic Team are serious about both providing new experiences for Sonic fans, while also bringing Sonic back to the essential elements that make up a true Sonic game. Even the little things catch my attention - a return to whimsical/fantastical environments, a dramatic soundtrack improvement (not perfect, but so far no awful cheesy 80's rock), an emphasis on both full 3D and "2.5D" platforming and, as I mentioned above, a principal focus on Sonic himself. I haven't yet played Sonic Colors, but I'm intending to buy it. I'm keen to try it and see if, finally, I'm not going to be somehow let down by a 3D Sonic title (and I'll post my thoughts here, whether they are good, bad or ugly). What about you guys? Any interest in this one?[/font]

well as they come closer to release, these motion sensing devices are going to revitalize gaming with new and interesting concepts and games based around the ability to move an object rather than just pushing buttons (or they would have, if Wii hadn't done this years ago) for the mere price of 150$ for the Kinetic and 100$ for the Move. [center][IMG]http://i619.photobucket.com/albums/tt278/PandasQ/xbox-360-kinect.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i619.photobucket.com/albums/tt278/PandasQ/ps3-move-874443158.jpg[/IMG] [/center]these additions have there own line up of games such as the guaranteed hit of sports champions (how do I know it will be great? Wii sports came out with a sequel it was so much fun) and Star Wars for the Kinetic (you get to be a Jedi, (waving around your hands like a light saber and use force powers by mimicking the movie motions, its gonna be cash) the line ups both have interesting selections that can both help and hurt there sales. as far as price goes, it seems there is a clear winner with the complete system for PS3 move 50$ cheaper than Kinetic and all of its games are priced around 30-40$ while the Kinetic has games at a range of 40-50$ the only issue i see with the Move is the possible games in the future that will require the add on to the controller (like the nunchucks for the wii) as far as technology goes, reviews are saying the Kinetic has a few bugs, and it has limitations... the ones I hear a lot are: Cannot be used in the dark, cannot be used within 6 feet of a TV and it cannot be used while sitting down. The PS3 move is getting a lot less critisism after the PS eye update 3.00 came out. the only issues I have seen revolve around games that require both the normal controller in conjunction with the Move controller, but these cases are few and only pertain to the navigation capabilities of the games. anyways I have said enough for now, what are your thoughts on these additions?

[url="http://www.xbox.com/en-US/Live/JoinLive/FamilyPackFAQ"]Xbox Family Plan[/url] has been made in the hopes of a surge in "family activity" promoted by the Kinetic and its follow up releases. no matter your views on the Kinetic, this deal is something to look into. unlike the ps3 and wii... online play is kinda expensive for us 360 holders, so whenever i see a deal like this one i wanna take it. the details are: for a year [indent]100$ per year for 4 Gold xbox live accounts. 1 account will be in charge of the purchase and billing that account will be considered the "moderator" and has the ability to distribute points, use family filter settings, and monitor what the other accounts are playing and for how long. these accounts [b]must all be on the same console when purchased[/b] they [b]can be migrated[/b] after purchase to any console in the same country. for every month left unused by an account 5 dollars will be deducted from the price. [/indent]the cheapest I have seen the price for gold was 30$ per year for special offers. this gives you 25$ per year as long as you can trust the person with the moderators account. I have more than four friends with the problem of not wanting to spend 60 bucks for 12 months... I spent almost that much last time cause my account expired while there was no special offers. this makes up for it by far. I can cash in the months I have yet to use, and get a far lower price for the next year. anyone else happy about saving money?

[url="http://tgs.gamespot.com/story/6275935/dmc-first-impressions?tag=topslot;thumb;1"]Trailer[/url] Capcom x Ninja Theory Being a big fan of the series and Dante since he his DMC, I have to say I'm not feeling the tone of the game nor am I liking his look. Being a fan of the hack n slash games in general, obviously I'm going to reserve my judgment until I see some actual gameplay footage. Thoughts?

[center][img]http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/6600/backtothemac.jpg[/img][/center] [font=palatino linotype]I figured it was about time to create a topic for all things Apple. I've named this topic after Apple's most recent press conference title, but really, this is about [i]everything[/i] Apple-related, including iPhone/Pad/Pod. Weirdly enough, the topic's title has extra meaning for me - and probably for some forum members who went to elementary school through the late 80's/early 90's. When I first began using a computer at school (1990), [i]all[/i] of them were Macs. Initially they all had green-and-black displays with no graphics whatsoever. After a couple of years passed, I remember that we began to use computers a bit more extensively at school - most classrooms had a computer sitting in the corner and, more often than not, it was one of these: [center][img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Macintosh_classic.jpg[/img][/center] It wasn't until I entered high school that I really knew very much about Windows or Microsoft. I was a bit familiar with DOS (I had a couple of relatives who had computers when I was a kid), but Windows was a bit alien. Eventually, closer to the end of high school, Apple pretty much fell off the radar and everything was about Windows. I got my first home computer in the late 90's and all of my computers - up to 2008 - were Windows-based. In 2008, though, I bought my very first Mac. One of these: [center][img]http://mymacbuzz.com/media/2007/imac-aluminium.jpg[/img][/center] It's still my main computer, although now I have both OS X Snow Leopard and Windows 7 installed on it. Anyway, it's kind of interesting to return to using Apple computers after so many years without them. I prefaced my opening post with these memories because there would have to be millions of people around the world whose very first experience with an Apple product is the iPod, first released in 2001. For those people, Apple might have a very different meaning or attachment. As for me? Well, although I'm kind of cheating by having Windows 7 installed on my iMac, I haven't actually owned a "PC" since...well, 2004, I guess. I wouldn't say I'm as crazy as some of the other Apple enthusiasts out there, but my current Apple lineup includes the following: [list] [*]iMac (2008) [*]MacBook (2008) [*]iPhone 4 [*]iPad [/list] I haven't included the numerous iPods and crap that have either been handed down to someone else or thrown out over the last few years. Admittedly I used to go through those fairly regularly - mostly because I pretty much never go anywhere without music, so I was always buying the latest iPod. Now that I have an iPhone, I don't really have to carry around a separate phone and music player, which is kind of nice. So, before I keep rambling, I'd love to read everyone else's stories - especially those of you who are old enough to remember "the good old says" of Apple. Other than that, I figure this topic would be a good place to discuss Apple news, products - and maybe even to have a debate or two! [/font]

I sort've regret listing this game in my thread about new shooters. I rented it yesterday, and after logging about 3 hours its apparent it's so much more. I hadn't went into detail about the game, and never realizd it was made using the same engine that Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion used. While you may look at that with a raised eyebrow wondering how they could use the same style of game with a futuristic shooter, but they do and it works. The skills are basically the same but given a modern tweak. You have things like Melee, Big Guns, Small Guns, Energy Weapons, and Unarmed for combat skills. Just like Oblivion you have you other skills as wel; bartering, speech, sneak. Then they throw Explosives and Science out there. It really is a great game, so I ask what do you think about it? Do you have any questions about it, I could go into more detail but I would have to explain everything about the game in one post.

[FONT="Comic Sans MS"]Pokémon HG/SS came out yesterday and there's clearly a pretty devoted fanbase here at TheO, so I declare it THREAD TIEM. Anyway, you know the drill. Discuss the games, request stuff for trade if you have access to Wi-Fi, brag about your team, whatever. As for me, I just beat Whitney and started messing around with the Pokéathlon. How far is everyone else and does anyone have a spare Chikorita?[/FONT]

[center][IMG]http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n72/Aceburner85/laytonaceattorney.jpg[/IMG] [url="http://kotaku.com/5667585/professor-layton-and-ace-attorney-co+starring-in-upcoming-title?skyline=true&s=i"]More info here[/url][/center] [font="Comic Sans MS"]Great crossover, or greatest crossover? Anyway, this is the speculation and anticipation thread for what looks to be the best thing ever. Eventually, it will be a general discussion thread, but that'll come along when the game itself does. Facts: [list] [*]This is awesome [*]Apparently Phoenix's (first?) client is accused of witchcraft. [*]Game's theme is "puzzles that are full of contradictions". [*]This is awesome. [*]First time we've seen Maya in four years. [*]This is awesome. [/list] Anyway, get to speculatin'. As for me, considering the localization team Capcom usually assigns to the Ace Attorney games, I will be very disappointed if there is no mention of weighing Nick's client against a duck.[/font]

Yes, the Let's Play! Basically it's other people playing through a game for others' entertainment, either via screenshot or video (the latter being more common these days). For more detailed info, read up on it [url=http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ptitle8zx0nomxzqc5?from=Main.LetsPlay][u]here[/u][/url]. So, who here watches LPs? Or do you just don't get why people would rather watch an LP than play the game themselves? Me, I enjoy LPs. I've been watching them for a couple years now and I get a good source of entertainment out of it. It's more than just watching the person play the game, it's watching the person too (no, that doesn't sound creepy and stalker-like). Currently, I'm watching [url=http://www.youtube.com/user/HCBailly]HCBailly's[/url] Chrono Cross and Terranigma LPs, as well as [url=http://www.youtube.com/user/NintendoCapriSun]NintendoCapriSun's[/url] LoZ: Twilight Princess LP. CC and TP have been reaching epic levels lately. :catgirl:

[center][img]http://img805.imageshack.us/img805/1535/nimblestronglogoob.jpg[/img] [font="Trebuchet MS"][size=7]BUG REPORTING[/size][/font][/center] [blockquote] [b]KNOWN ISSUES:[/b] [list] [*]Slightly less than ideal framerate on second-generation devices (iPhone 3G, iPod Touch 8GB) [*]Reagan's mouth is slightly shaded wrong [*]Scotch Fizz recipe asks for Rum and the Pina Colada doesn't say "shaken" [*]Eye blinks are a little too slow [/list] [b]OTHER (NON)-ISSUE:[/b] If you have an older device and your game crashes it's NOT because the game is buggy. Older devices need to be restarted every once in a while to clear up memory in order to run some newer games. If you do a full restart your device, the game won't crash anymore. We put 100+ hours of testing on 2nd generation devices, so we know it's stable . Post any other issues you find here .[/blockquote]

Surprised there's no topic on this already. [center][img]http://ps3media.ign.com/ps3/image/object/143/14354733/metroid_otherm_esrbtboxart_160w.jpg[/img][/center] [quote]Metroid Franchiseâ??s Heroine Gets Personal. For decades, Samus Aran has been known as one of the first female protagonists in video games and one of the most enigmatic. Having traded her haunted past for the solitary life of a bounty hunter, Samus finally tells her own tale in this revealing, personal story of her failings, her flaws and ultimately her motivation. Metroid: Other M is an unprecedented collaboration that blends the slick, action-packed production of the world-renowned Team Ninja development team with the game design talents of the creators of the original Metroid. Metroid: Other M is a dramatic new direction for a legendary franchise and a bold new blend between cinematics, storytelling and the best in interactive entertainment.[/quote] I've never played the Metroid games and am not quite sure if I want to play this one just yet. (don't even own the Wii, what am I talking about) Team Ninja being onboard certainly made things look fairly interesting, but when watching videos of it I gradually lost interest in it. IGN: 8.5/10 Gamespot: 8.5/10 1 Up: B- [b]Xplay: 2/5[/b] I find the review Xplay gave the game rather interesting. [url="http://g4tv.com/games/wii/61992/Metroid-Other-M/review/"]Morgan Webb goes off[/url] (in the video that is... Well not really, I just like to exaggerate a lot ). The written review was done by Abbie Heppe and she's been getting all sorts of backlash for it. (Fans can be both funny and annoying... Got a little bit of both) Anyway, like I said, I'm not certain If I'm gonna attempt to play this, but I am curious about other input.

for Wii bowling, i understand, but it's just downright silly >.< anyways, i wanted to play some old-school multiplayer (mostly N64) games and me and my friend alex haven't been able to find anything that would work as an adapter so we can use the original controllers can anyone point me in the right direction? :3 thanks!

[media]http://www.gametrailers.com/video/nc-10-metal-gear/705396[/media] Holy Toledo, this game looks better than most of the games I've seen on the Wii (graphic standpoint). Anyway, if that was actual gameplay footage (I don't know, Kojima is kind of a mastermind that likes to joke around lol) then I am definately onboard for the 3DS. Although, I'm hearing that the 3DS price point is being rumored to be around the $300 price point. For a portable console, that's far too pricy for me. (That's a frickin PS3) But back to gameplay. Being on the 3DS it just might be an entirely different experience altogether in terms of gameplay. If I see you can side roll or play dead..... You might get a squee out of me.

I have honestly became teary eyed when playing a game and weirdly it was Elite Beat Agents for the DS. The story behind one mission was that this [spoiler]little girls daddy died before x-mas, so you (the elite beat agents) must encourage this little girl and the mom to move on. One of the scenes was when the 2 were cleaning up the dads study and they found his diary. When they picked it up a picture dropped out having both the mom and the little girl in it, showing that he always thought about them. So this went on for about 3 more scenes till the dads ghost came home before x-mas and they all had a big hug (that was the past that made me sad). Oh, and the song that was playing with it was "Your the inspiration" by Chicago which was the perfect song for it.[/spoiler] So, Has a game ever made you cry/teary eyed? If so, what game and what part?

[media]http://www.gametrailers.com/video/tgs-10-dissidia-012/705058[/media] It certainly looks good, but unfortunately I haven't played the first one, let alone own a PSP. I don't really know too much about it though. Anyway, I saw Kain, Lightning and Tifa's been announced.

I recently saw an ad for the new game in the Namco Tales series in my Shonen Jump. I wonder how Tales of the Abyss will compare to Tales of Symphonia. I recently beat that game and I loved it so much. So how will Tales of the Abyss be? Thoughts? I think that you can move in every direction in battle in it.