Jam Live Music Arcade

Platform: Xbox Live Arcade
Price: 800 MSP
Launch Date: May 16, 2012
Rating: T (Teen)
Publisher:  Reverb Publishing/505 Games
Developer:  Zivix, LLC
Game Twitter Feed: @JamMusicArcade

Overview

I am a longtime fan of the music and rhythm genre and have spent countless hours jamming in Rock Band, Guitar Hero, DJ Hero, and even Def Jam Rapstar. Regrettably the market became too saturated with a fleet of music games that were just too similar. So, with the lack of new games in this genre I have been looking forward to the release of Zivix’s Jam Live Music Arcade.

I was pleasantly surprised after going through the first tutorial and beginning my first song of Jam Live Music Arcade. Finally, we have a new approach to a music game that is unique, easy to pick up, and has a great selection of songs. This is not merely a game of just hitting notes at the proper time but one that inspires the ability to create and record unique mixes.

In Jam mode you are able to experiment, play, and just be creative while making your very own mixes. At any time you can hit a button and start recording your mix that can be listened to later or played in Arcade mode.

Arcade mode is closer to what we are used to seeing in this type of game. Premade mixes of songs populate on screen and your goal is to match the correct guitar buttons to what you see on screen. You will be challenged here but it is a great to hear the separation of the tracks and is fun to hear the changes as you play.

Features

• 32 songs from artists like Owl City, Modest Mouse, Filter, Atmosphere, and Fallout Boy.
• Each song is broken down so individual tracks like vocal or drums can be isolated and edited.
• Show your creative side by mixing and recording your own mixes in Jam mode.
• Compatible with all those dusty guitars you have lying around.
• Arcade mode will get you pumping out some premixed songs and see if you can beat your friends scores on the Leaderboard

Pros:

• Tutorials quickly teach the basics so you can get up and mixing right away.
• Great song selection and it is a refreshing change of pace from all of the rock music in the Rock Band and Guitar Hero series.
• All but one achievement is super easy. The last one will require some practice for most of us.
• You CAN use a controller if needed but I can’t imagine playing without a guitar.
  

Cons:

• Whoa! The difficulty of the Arcade mode ramps up fast and will require a lot of practice for most of us.
• Can’t share recorded mixes with other friends with the game.

Final Verdict

Overall, I really enjoyed playing Jam Live Music Arcade. The Jam mode is a great way for you to express your creativity through mixing. I found myself making some really cool mixes but I wish there was a way to share them. My guess is that there are some legal issues with the music companies and it would prove too difficult to work a deal with 32 different artists.

Jam mode seemed confusing for about 2 minutes and then I was all over it. I progressed through the game in chronological order and completed new tutorials (Challenges) as I went. By the time I headed over to Arcade mode I had already gotten all but 3 achievements which always makes me happy. I was thinking to myself that this game is so easy and that I will have all the Arcade songs completed by lunchtime.

Then I head over to Arcade mode and check out the quick tutorial and off I went to play! Quickly I realized the game was going to be much more of a challenge than I first anticipated. Sure it is easy to mix at your own pace and keep to a beat in Jam mode. However, in Arcade mode the pace is slower than usual music games but the amount of information you must quickly digest in order to play the correct mix is a lot. I am a pretty solid expert guitar, bass, and drummer in Rock Band but this is a definite challenge. I failed the fifth song pretty quickly but after practicing a little more I am sure I will get past it.

What I really like about Jam Live Music Arcade is that it is unique and the developers didn’t try to conform to what has already been done. It is very impressive to include 32 songs for an 800 MSP game. Sure there were quite a few songs that I didn’t know but I really liked listening to almost all of them and I may end up downloading some new music. If you are a fan of music & rhythm games I would recommend giving the game a try.

Avengers Cologne - From Thinkgeek. Because who doesn’t want to smell like a real superhero? Here’s your chance to give your father that opportunity to smell like the true superhero he really is.

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Keep in mind these are not meant to be full game reviews. Let’s face it, if you’re not in love after the first few hours of a game, it’s just not meant to be!

Following Isaac 3 years after the events in the first Dead Space. Isaac is a systems engineer that has a haunted vision of the past and the guilt of being responsible for his girlfriend’s death. The storyline is engaging, action packed, and suspenseful. My heart was racing as I worked my way through ghostly levels that echoed with unseen beings. Blasting limbs off of the monsters that lurk around every corner is addicting, but it’s the visions Isaac is tormented by that really keep you up at night. Dead Space 2 puts you in the shoes of a hero that has been through hell and has the physiological scars to prove it. For myself, Dead Space 2 was a different type of game, but definitely worth renting. I would recommend playing the first Dead Space before jumping into the second. If you’re a fan of action horror games, with the current price of $30, you can’t go wrong purchasing it.

Final Verdict: Buy

I’m a designer by day and a gamer by night. I spend 9-12 hours a day staring at a computer screen. At work, I started getting killer headaches, and by the end of the day my eyes felt like they were on fire. After a visit to the eye doctor I was told I had no need for glasses, so she gave me eye-drops for dry eye. The eye-drops only gave temporary relief and didn’t help at all with the headaches. I was skeptical that GUNNARS could put an end to all the pain. At first I chickened out on wearing yellow tinted glasses to work, so I purchased a style called PPK, which are designed for people that play video games.

I was happy to find the GUNNAR PPK’s temples/arms flexed so I could still wear my Turtle Beach X12 headset. I was so impressed, that after a few gaming sessions, I decided to start wearing them at work. The amber tint did cause a few heads to turn, and the critics of the office made their comments that I looked like a sniper. Everyone had questions on how the glasses worked and if they really did help. Simply put, yes, GUNNARS have put an end to the feeling of my eyes burning out of my head. My headaches have been reduced by 85%. They also helped reduce the glare coming off the screen of my iMac, and cut back on the killer florescent lighting. The amber lens and slight magnification do take a little time to get used to, but in my case it’s been well worth it! The days I forget my pair at home are they days I quickly remember how much these glasses have helped. GUNNARS are also prescription compatible and can be ordered through many eye care providers.

My pair cost $80 at Best Buy, but prices vary depending on the style. Online they offer plenty of styles for gaming, and also more traditional looks that better suit your office style. After hearing how the glasses helped me, one of the office critics decided to buy a pair. Since then, they’ve also become a GUNNARS advocate. If you’re not ready to wear amber lenses, they have a line called Crystalline with clear lenses, but on the GUNNARS website they do state that the amber lens provides the best benefits. As of today they also offer a 30 day money back guarantee. So what do you have to lose?

 Benefits Found Using GUNNARS:

• REDUCES GLARE AND IMPROVES VISUAL FOCUS
• ENHANCES DETAIL FOR SHARPER, CLEARER VISION
• REDUCES VISUAL STRESS AND DRY EYES
• HELPS YOUR EYES FOCUS MORE NATURALLY PROTECTING AGAINST FATIGUE
• SPECIALLY FORMULATED TINT CONDITIONS AND SHIFTS THE COLOR SPECTRUM TO PROVIDE SUPERIOR CONTRAST, DETAIL, AND RESOLUTION.
• LIGHTWEIGHT FRAME AND ADJUSTABLE NOSE PADS FOR COMFORT AND STYLE

FORMAL TECHNOLOGY DESCRIPTION

Note:

If you plan on gaming with a headset, make sure to purchase glasses that are headset compatible.

Awesomenauts

Platform: Xbox Live Arcade
Price: 800 MSP
Launch Date: May 2, 2012
Rating: T (Teen)
Publisher: DTP Entertainment AG
Developer: Ronimo Games
Game Twitter Feed: @Ronimogames

Game Overview:

Awesomenauts takes place in the year 3578 during a time of a huge conflict. This sets the stage for robot armies and a lot of battles! Ronimo Games did a spectacular job capturing fun cartoon style graphics in a 2D platform. The Awesomenauts are an elite fighting team so expect to see some interesting characters and abilities. The game pits two teams against each other in the quest to take down turret defenses and destroy the enemy’s drill. You do that…you win!

All this is done as a brilliantly detailed 2D platform with MOBA gameplay (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena). I must admit that I had no idea what a MOBA type game was until this game. To bring any other MOBA newbies up to speed, this type of game is sort of a blend between an RPG and an RTS. You are in control of only one character but you work as a team toward the goal of blowing up the enemy team’s base. While playing you progress by leveling up, unlocking new abilities, and characters. A lot of teamwork strategy is involved and the action is very fast paced.

Features:

• Play locally up to 3 players or online for a 3 VS 3 match.
• Ability to quickly hop into a match on Xbox Live.
• 6 unique characters with their own special abilities.
• Over 100 unique items to unlock and customize your Awesomenauts.

Pros:

• Love the Awesomenauts characters and abilities.
• Beautiful environments make the levels fun and enjoyable to play on.
• Easy to pick up and start playing even for someone new to the genre.
• Joining matches is quick and easy.

Cons:

• Games last about 20-30 minutes so my attention span has trouble sometimes, especially if I know my team is going to lose.
• A lot of people quit when they are losing and it drives me bonkers.
• It seems that others who have played longer and have unlocked more have a huge advantage over newer players.

Final Verdict:

Awesomenauts is a unique game and I really enjoyed the MOBA gameplay. I admit the first hour or so of playing was a bit frustrating because I was a noob and everyone else knew what they were doing. Now that I have had a little more time to play and have started unlocking more characters I am beginning to better comprehend the depth to the strategy and importance of having good teammates on your side. Unfortunately, no one on my Xbox friends list is playing currently so I may need to make some new Awesomenauts friends if I want to win more battles.

The 800 MSP price point is a good fit for this game. There are six characters, items to unlock and it will take a lot of playtime to level up. However, the game only does one thing and that is the battles. So, once you play your first battle you pretty much get a feel for the entire game. Luckily, tactics and strategies change depending on who you are competing against.

If you are a fan of this genre I would say you are going to love Awesomenauts. If you are unfamiliar then I suggest try out the demo on Xbox Live Marketplace and see for yourself.

Graphics & Sound			9
Gameplay			9
Fun Factor			7
Replay Value			7
Overall			8

The Walking Dead Episode One: A New Day

Platform: Xbox Live Arcade
Price: 400 MSP
Launch Date: April 27, 2012
Rating: M (Mature)
Publisher: Telltale Games
Developer: Telltale Games
Game Twitter Feed: @telltalegames

Are you a fan of the hit series The Walking Dead but not sure if this game will live up to the show or the comic?

Well, you will be happy to know that if you are a fan of the show and/or comic that you will really enjoy this game. What is great about The Walking Dead Episode 1: A New Day is that it feels more like you are playing out an episode of the show rather than a game. With that being said, be prepared for a lot of dialog and story and not very much running around and killing zombies.

The game is based on Robert Kirkman’s award-winning comic book series, The Walking Dead. This game magnificently focuses on story and character development. Pair an engaging storyline with dynamic cell-shading graphics, amazing facial expressions, great voice acting and a great musical score and you get a live action graphic novel to play.

The game centers mostly on the story and the choices you make during the game. At times things get a little frantic when you are put into fast paced social situations where tempers are flaring and you have to make choices quickly. Some of your responses have a timer forcing you to quickly react to the situation much like you would have to in real life.

A fun dynamic to this game is that your choices affect your relationships with other characters and the decisions carry on through all five episodes. Since the decisions sometimes have to be made quickly you may find yourself wanting to play through this game more than once. A couple of times I made a decision and instantly wanted a do-over.

*Story based spoiler and my only real complaint:

Throughout the entire episode I felt the story and characters were believable. However, at one point a female news reporter who is also a great shot with the pistol has a radio that she can’t get to work. It turns out that the radio has no batteries. So, I go get the lady some batteries and she still can’t get it to work, only to find that she had them in backwards! Seriously?  I just felt that this this took away from the flow and it just didn’t even seem plausible.

Pros:

• Engaged and dramatic storyline and character development.
• It was literally like playing an episode of The Walking Dead.
• Great voice acting and music score
• Love the cell-shading style of graphics
• Good ending that makes you excited for Episode 2

Cons:

• Very short but the low price makes it okay!
• Sometimes it feels too linear with not enough options to solve the same problem.
• Had some issues with it not auto-saving at the beginning of the game.
• Camera angles can make it difficult to maneuver
• Game occasionally hiccups or jumps during sequences.

Final Verdict:

The game is very short but it is also relatively inexpensive which is fine. It took me almost 3 hours to complete the game but I took my time to really look around and I got stuck a couple of times. I imagine the average gamer will complete this game in about 2 hours. Given that your choices affect the rest of the game I think most of us will be playing it through one or two more times to see how differently things could have turned out.

I highly recommend giving this a few play throughs but if you want an action run and gun type of game then don’t bother. This game is all about the story and the decisions you make with an occasional zombie killing. Oh, and for those of you who are obsessed with easy achievements. This game is definitely an easy 100 achievement points for you.

Have you played this yet? Comment below any thoughts or interesting choices that you made during the game.

Platform: Xbox Live Arcade
Price: 1200 MSP
Launch Date: April 25, 2012
Rating: M (17)
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
Developer: Climax Studios

I was pretty excited when I got the opportunity to review this game, I had high hopes. Unfortunately, only a few minutes into the game I started to lose interest. There were a lot of bugs and the story line was weak. You play a warrior named Crom who, in the intro of the game, is tricked into killing his family by these gods. From this point on, the story line is pretty slow, you just run around trying to get revenge killing all of these enemies that just appear out of nowhere. I quickly found myself just button mashing my way through the game, pointing Crom at the enemies and hitting X and Y hoping to do some damage. There is a “berserker” mode you can build up to, but it was also pretty disappointing. The game is very, very bloody. You would expect the berserker mode to allow Crom to rampage through a stage completely leveling anything in his way, but it was far from that, it just added a bit more damage to his blows.

The game looks great, the art is dark like Sin City. Visually, the game is great, once you look past the bugs. The enemies don’t always have shadows, but their weapons do, so the shadows just look like floating swords. The fire is two-dimensional, and the camera angles get annoying very quickly. When you are in a battle, I would constantly take damage from enemies I couldn’t see charging at me because the camera was so zoomed in. You can control the camera, but when you are in a battle with several enemies, half the battle is trying to rotate the view so you can find an enemy charging at you.

A list of upcoming games to be released in May 2012 for the Xbox 360. Share what games you’re looking forward to on our facebook wall or tweet at us  on Twitter.

Awesomenauts

5/2/2012
Genre: Online Shooter
T (Teen)
Publisher: DTP (Digital Entertainment Pool)
Developer: Ronimo Games

Fable Heroes

5/2/2012
Genre: Action
T (Teen)
Publisher: Microsoft
Developer: Lionhead Studios

Sniper Elite 2

5/3/2012
Genre: First-Person Action
M (Mature)
Publisher: 505 Games
Developer: Rebellion

Phantom Breaker

5/8/2012
Genre: Fighting
T (Teen)
Publisher: 7sixty
Developer: 5PB

Minecraft

5/12/2012
Genre: First-Person Action
RP
Publisher: Mojang
Developer: Mojang

Max Payne 3

5/15/2012
Genre: Third-Person Shooter
M (Mature)
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Developer: Rockstar Studios

Battleship

5/15/2012
Genre: First-Person Shooter
T (Teen)
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Double Helix

Game of Thrones

5/15/2012
Genre: RPG
M (Mature)
Publisher: Atlus
Developer: Cyanide

Test Drive Ferrari Racing Legends

5/15/2012
Genre: Racing
E (Everyone)
Publisher: Atari
Developer: Slightly Mad Studios

Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II

5/16/2012
Genre: Platformer
E (Everyone)
Publisher: SEGA

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier

5/22/2012
Genre: Third-Person Shooter
M (Mature)
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Paris

Men In Black: Alien Crisis

5/22/2012
Genre:  Action
T (Teen)
Publisher by: Activision
Developer: Fun Labs

DiRT Showdown

5/25/2012
Genre: Racing
E (Everyone)
Publisher: Codemasters
Developer: Codemasters

Dragon’s Dogma

5/22/2012
Genre: RPG
M (Mature)
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom

London 2012 – The Official Video Game of the Olympic Games

5/26/2012
Genre: Sports
Publisher by: SEGA
Developer: SEGA

Damage Inc. Pacific Squadron WWII

5/28/2012
Genre: Flight
T (Teen)
Publisher: Mad Catz
Developer: Mad Catz

Mad Riders

5/30/2012
Genre: Racing
E (Everyone)
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Techland (Poland)

Retro City Rampage

Genre: Action Adventure
Publisher: Vblank Entertainment Inc.
Developer: Vblank Entertainment Inc.

Keep in mind these are not meant to be full game reviews. Let’s face it, if you’re not in love after the first few hours of a game, it’s just not meant to be!

Trials Evolution

Platform: Xbox Live Arcade
Price: 1200 MSP
Launch Date: April 18, 2012
Rating: E10 (Cartoon Violence)
Publisher: Microsoft
Developer: RedLynx, an Ubisoft studio
Game Twitter Feed: @RedLynxGamer

Trials Evolution is RedLynx’s sequel to the successful Trials HD game on Xbox Live Arcade.

Before we get into my review of this game I must admit even though my gamertag is moto grrl, I am historically terrible at playing Trials HD. It was a game I really liked but I would get seriously uncontrollably angry after crashing repeatedly. With that being said here is my take on Trials Evolution!

I hate to give it away in the first sentence but Trials Evolution is amazingly fun and addicting. RedLynx found the perfect balance of staying true to Trials HD while working to improve the visual elements of the in-game environments and adding a ton of new features. The game provides a rich and immersive experience with a long replay value.

Features:

Single Player Mode:

• Go Race – Just as it says. Go race a variety of tracks and work to earn medals and money.
• Tournaments – Put your skills to the test as you complete a large number of tracks in sequence.
• Skill Games – Filled with crazy and addicting games that may not necessarily involve your motorcycle! No spoilers from me.

Multiplayer Mode:

• Xbox Live – 1-4 players and you can enjoy public or private races.
• Local – No worries you can play 1-4 players locally too!

Garage:

• Spend your hard earned cash to buy new gear or upgrade parts for your bike.
• Further customize by changing the color of your gear and bikes. This can get pretty detailed with the bikes and makes the game just that much better.

Track Central:

This is where the game gets insanely creative and will provide countless hours of replay time at no extra cost.

• Get Tracks – Here you can download tracks created by others. It is neatly divided into categories so you can quickly browse new content to play.
• Lite Editor – This is your chance to show off your creativity and create your own tracks with little difficulty.
• Pro Editor – Serious track creators will want to use this mode. This is literally the exact same editor that was used to create every track, skill game, and scripted ending in the game. I am pretty sure that some very unique things will come from this. It is really nice to see developers who are willing to create such an open community.

Pros:

• The controls are responsive and allow for fine movements.
• Customize & upgrade your gear and bikes! (You have no idea how much time I waste doing this.)
• Environments are detailed and varied. Huge improvement!
• Curved tracks make racing more dynamic and engaging.

Cons:

• I crash too much. Surely this is not due to my lack of skill!
• It would have been fun if the upgraded bike parts improved performance. At least my bike can look cooler which is most important.
• No option for a female rider.

Final Verdict:

Trials Evolution is pure fun and despite my lack of skill, I still have a ton of fun. Personally, the sensitivity of the controls suits me much better than in Trials HD. Additionally, I love the seamless integration of the tutorials. As you progress through the single player game, you work to earn a higher grade license. Each license has a test which introduces you to new techniques by means of a very quick and intuitive tutorial. I have little patience and a short attention span and these are perfect for my brain.

I also am happy to get out of that Trials HD warehouse setting and enjoy a wide variety of action packed environments. The addition of multiplayer over Xbox Live will equate to many hours of fun competing against friends. My favorite feature in this game is the ability to upgrade and customize my rider and bikes. Honestly, I spend a lot of time just repainting the parts of my bike.

This very well could be the best XBLA game of the year. I feel like I am being crazy with the score but I just can’t help myself!