Street Fighter Art is Dirty - NSFW

It's amazing the stuff people see in a picture if they stare at it long enough.

We're cutting the staring time down for you though.

Check this Street Fighter Artwork out and see what's hidden in the picture.

Resident Evil Retrospective - Part One

Resident Evil Retrospective - Part One

Lost Recap: The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham

* Locke is alive on a small second island close to the main island and amongst the plane survivors. He apparently wandered out of the jungle with his suit on.

* Ilana advised Locke that the pilot and a woman took one of the boats they found on the beach (where the plane crashed) and took it. This could be Frank and Sun fleeing to look for the rest of the group.

* When Locke leaves the island, he ends up in Tunsina and is rescued by Charlies Widmore. Widmore tells Locke that he was the leader of the Others for 30 years and Ben tricked him into leaving the island. He thought Locke appeared because Ben did the same to him, but Locke advises him otherwise.

* Widmore offers Locke help to bring the others survivors back because the island needs John back when an apparently war begins that Locke must be there to stop.

* Matthew Abbadock shows up as Widmore's employee and Locke's new driver, Locke isn't happy.

* Locke goes to Sayid, Hurley, and Kate who all refuse to return to the island despite Locke telling them about the problems with the island and that people will die. Each believe someone or Locke has alternative motive for getting them to go back.

* Locke as goes to see Walt to ask him to go back but decides against it when he realises how much Walt has suffered. Fails to tell him about the possible death of his Father, Michael. (Locke doesn't know for sure Michael is dead.)

* While talking to Walt, he tells Locke that he had a dream that Locke was on the island surrounding by people. Locke was wearing a suit and he was in danger. (Sound familiar?)

* Locke asks Abbadock to look up his old love and finds that she died. While at the cementry, Abbadock is shot and Locke tries to escape in the car but gets in an accident.

* After the accident, Locke wakes up in the hospital with Jack at his bedside (Jack's hospital) and he tries to get Jack to come back to the island and fails. He even tells Jack that his Father, Christian says hello, but Jack doesn't believe him.

* All this rejection makes Locke realise that he must die and he sets to hang himself when Ben shows up at his hotel room. Ben talks him down with promises of helping him get the others to go back.

* Ben admits to killing Abbadock but only to protect Locke from Widmore.

* After Ben tricks Locke into giving him all the information he needs to find out how to get back to the island like going to Eloise Hawking and about Jin being alive, Ben grabs the noose and strangles Locke.

* Ben cleans up all evidence of him being in the apartment and strings Locke up like a suicide. Before he leaves, he tells Locke that he'll miss him. (I really hope Ben did this because even he knew that Locke had to die but he had to know all that Locke knew in order for him to go back with the others to the island too. Probably not though.)

* Back in the present, Locke talks to Caesar in a new Dharma station (The Hydra) and tells him that he was on the island before. Not sure about how he came back to the island, Caesar tells Locke about some of the passengers disappearing in a flash of light on the plane (Including Hurley) and Locke asks about the whereabouts of all the passengers they found after the crash.

* The passenger list was taken by the pilot and woman when they took the boat. Weird?

* Caesar takes Locke to the hurt survivors where Locke finds a sleeping and hurt Ben who he admits is the man who killed him.

[Update: In the Hydra Station, Caesar is looking at Daniel Farraday's map to the Tempest station and a page from his journal. The map has been modified to included hieroglyphs. He also finds several of Rousseau's maps and a shot gun.]

Review: Rock Band 2 Versus Guitar Hero World Tour

Rock Band 2
MTV Game, Harmonix Music
VS
Guitar Hero World Tour
Activion Blizzard, Neversoft Entertainment

Both Games Available for Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii

When faced with reviewing both of the top music videogame currently on the market, I thought it would be more fun to review them together to see which game came out on top as the best. Guitar Hero World Tour will be bringing their new instruments to the battle while Rock Band 2 must stand their ground as the current band game title holder. Two games enter, only one game can win - who will be crowned the ultimate music band game in this first ever versus review?

Controllers

Rock Band 2:
The controllers haven’t changed that much since the originally Rock Band came out on the market. The drum set had new quieter pads and the kick pedal was made with metal this time around as to withstand those heavy footed drummers. The guitar was now wireless with a new wooden look to it, but the strum bar still didn’t click when you strummed it and it was stiff as ever.

The microphone was still pretty much the same too with good sound. My biggest disappointment with the kit was that the new cymbals that I had seen at so many preview events on the drum kit were not included in the new Rock Band 2 kit and you had to buy them separately at a later point.

Guitar Hero World Tour:
Having an entire band in a box included with a Guitar Hero game is something new for the franchise, so it was quite interesting to try out all the new instruments that came with the kit. The drum set had quiet drum pads and a set of rubber cymbals which was nice, but my set had a problem with the red drum pad being not sensitive enough, so I had to really wail on it when I played. Nice thing is that Activison was aware of the problem at the time and was fixing it with free adjustment kits.

The guitar had been changed to include a new touch fret bar for special notes, but I had problems with my guitar notes sticking in place and had to call Activision to replace it. The strum bar worked fine though and still clicked in time and flowed smoothly. Honestly though, I didn’t like the new look of the guitar and went back to my old Guitar Hero guitars after a while. The microphone was pretty much the same setup as the Rock Band 2 kits and sounded great when you belted out some Jimmy.


Graphics:

Rock Band 2:
RB has always chosen to make their band performances look like a music video with special effects and filters, but while some people prefer this, I think it makes the game look terrible and would have rather the developers stuck with just a normal concert performance.

The band members in the game I felt were very stiff when they played and the lip syncing in the game never looked right. The bands never really looked like real bands playing.

The different stages that your bands play on weren’t anything special to look at either which really made watching the bands perform my last priority when watching others play this game. The crowd had to be the coolest part of the band performance as they seemed to react and sing along with your band as they got better.

Guitar Hero World Tour:
GH has more of an animated style for their band performances which makes watching any one play the game fun. The bands have always entertaining to watch and the developers did a great job of motion capturing the moves of Ozzy Osbourne and the other musicians in the game.

I was happy to see how perfectly the leader singers were matched up to the song choices in the game too. Each character looked like they should be singing that tune which made watching the band perform all that much cooler. Each band really moved well this time around all most like watching a real band.

The different stages in this game always had great effects, backgrounds and the added touch of in game advertising actual worked well here. The only disappointment was the crowd suffering from multiple clone syndrome and lack of varied movement.


Sound:


Rock Band 2:
Of course, being that we’re looking at music games you would expect the sound to be excellent here and you would be right. The game comes with 80 songs and a code for 20 bonus songs, that all range from the 50s to the present. Almost every song is performed by the original artist and sounds as good as it did the day they first sang it. A new bonus feature allows you to rip 55 of the 58 songs from your Rock Band 1 disc onto your game system’s hard drive in order to play it whenever you want.

One thing that did irk me about the sound in Rock Band 2 though was the problem with running a set of songs that changed from a female singer to a male singer mid-way. The game would choose one band only for you for all the songs and never change up the leader singer to match the voice for the different songs, so you would have some husky black dude singing Paramore or something.

Guitar Hero World Tour:
Again the sound in this game was amazing too with almost every one of the 80 songs in the game coming from the original master tracks. Music in this game varied from the 50s to the present, but I found I liked the variety of songs more on Guitar Hero. That’s just my personal choice in music though.

I was disappointed by the midi sound in the track creator though. I figured people would be able to create real sounding music, not something that sounded like it came out of a 80s videogame. I’m sure it would have been hard to do anything else though.


Game Play:

Rock Band 2:
The single player mode has you playing different cities and venues trying to collect a certain amount stars before you can move onto the next gig. During each song, you collect money, fans and a star rating based on how well you play or sing the song. While this is a great way of integrating all the elements of a rock band into the game, I found that you are forced to play the same tunes over and over again in order to collect enough stars to progress in the game and I found this got boring real quickly.

The multi-player modes allow you to play online or locally but choosing songs online with strangers was hard without a headset for the Playstation 3. I lost a lot of lead singers because they didn’t like my song choices.

Choosing a character was easier this time around as you could just pick a pre-made character and jump into a song; no more making a character for each band or instrument. You can still modify your characters though and create the ultimate band member to play through the game as, but you can’t modify their faces and body type selections were poor.

I did like the new Battle of the Bands mode which allows you and a band to play challenges against other bands and see who successes at playing the set better. There’s a new challenge everyday and some of them are instrument specific, just to mix it up. If you manage to get the top score on the challenge, the score will remain there until someone else beats it.


Guitar Hero World Tour:
The single player mode is pretty much the same as previous versions of Guitar Hero, where you are given a venue and a list of songs to complete in order to move onto the next venue. When you choose to play with your friends in a band either at home or online, you can all progress through the venues together with all your stats, items and cash intact. You can choose to play with your own gamer tag too, or stay under the main gamer tag when playing a local game.

Your character is now completely customizable from their face down to their clothes and new items can be unlocked and purchased as you play through career mode, so you can modify your character more later on down the road. There aren't as many item options here as what you'll find in Rock Band 2, but you do have a good assortment to work with.

The newest addition and most important addition to the main game play besides the addition of extra note highways for your other band members on screen, is the purple lines that now appear between notes. These notes can be played like normal or you can use the touch fret bar notes instead for a different note sounds based on how to touch the fret.

In quick play mode, 6 songs can be chosen as a set to play back to back now to eliminate having to go back to the menu after every song. Also Guitar Hero has a new music creator section that allows you to lay down your own music with the instruments only in midi form. You can also check out other people’s music in GH Tunes and download them to play in game.


Downloadable Tracks:

Rock Band 2:
One of the areas where the Rock Band franchise really shines in the amount of downloadable tracks they pump out each week for their game. Full albums and more are released each week for the Rock Band library from artists around the world and MTV Games plan to release a ton more by year’s end.

Guitar Hero World Tour:
Activision has been slow to release a lot of tracks for the GH series which I think is hurting them in the long run. Even when they do release some downloadable content, some of the songs are by artists I’ve never even heard of. I do appreciate the free tracks they supply which happens more often than in Rock Band downloads.

Overall:

So if I didn’t own either game right now and I could only choose one to purchase based on what I know after this review, I would probably buy Guitar Hero World Tour. By now, Activision has fixed all the problems with the instruments since I got my band kit back in October 2008, so the instruments possible breaking on me now wouldn’t deter me from buying the game.

The instruments were far simpler and more comfortable for me to use and I liked that the drum kit came with the drum cymbals. Plus I liked the music selection in this game better and I preferred GH’s way of progressing through a career mode. Finally the music creator allows any budding artist to try their hand at creating their own tunes which will hopefully encourage them to pick up a real instrument and create some music if they haven’t already.

Guitar Hero World Tour Rating: 9 out of 10
Rock Band 2 Rating: 7 out of 10

Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard Retro Trailer

Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard - Retro Trailer.

This game looks so cool. I can't wait to play it.

Dark Crystal Sequel Announced

Back in 2005, The Jim Henson Company announced a sequel to the Dark Crystal movie titled "Power of the Dark Crystal", but due to a bunch of pre-production setbacks the project got put on hold until now.

Apparently the script has been rewritten by screenwriter Craig Pearce ("Moulin Rouge!", "Romeo + Juliet"), and producer Lisa Henson says that the film is ready to go. Unfortunately fans of the previous film will still have to wait until 2011 for the film to make it to the big screen.

Now if they would only come out with a Labyrinth sequel or something. David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly aren't too old that they couldn't come back for another movie.

[Via The Muppets Newsflash]

I AM FINISHED! Full Final Fantasy VI Collection

Finally after getting side tracked multiple times and selling pieces off because I was too lazy to make new ones for customers, I have finally finished my complete set of Final Fantasy VI characters that I started over a year ago.

Left to Right: Terra, Locke, Edgar, Sabin, Celes, Gau, Cyan and Setzer.

Left to Right: Shadow, Interceptor, Relm, Strago, Mog, Umaro, Gogo and Esper Terra.

Left to Right: Emperor Gestahl, Kefka, Cid, General Leo, Banon, Ghost, Imp and Opera Celes.

Resistance Fighter and Empire Soldier

And finally: Magitech Armor, Chocobo and Chocobo Rider (Below)

Anyone wanting to purchase one of these characters for their very own, can do so by going to my store, Pixelated Creations.

The small characters can be purchased for $4 a piece or 3 for $10 here.

And the Magitech Armor or Chocobo can be purchase for $8 each here.

Review: Gaming Headsets - Tritton Ax Pro VS. Turtle Beach Ear Force X4

Serious gamers these days aren’t just looking for the true HD experience to enhance their game play they are also paying close attention and a lot of money for a better audio experience. Many of us have shelled out for a sweet window shattering surround sound system but there are often circumstances that don’t allow for the blasting of full game audio. I work shift work for example and do much of my gaming at night and really can’t be waking up the neighbours or disturbing my better half when I feel like playing Call of Duty at 1 am. I still want the advantage of playing in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound at anytime as well as having a microphone for chatting so I’ve been checking out the latest in high quality gaming headsets to complete my rig. Recently I’ve had the chance to try both offerings from industry leaders Tritton Technologies and Turtle Beach

What You Get:

Tritton’s Ax Pro gaming headset is the company’s most recent release and is built from the success of their previous model the Ax 360. The Ax Pro offers up a true 5.1 surround sound experience with Dolby Digital decoding and eight individual speakers (4 in each cup) which claims to improve 3D positioning. The Ax Pro features a detachable mic for online chat and independent controls for both chat volume or mute and full control of the different sound levels in the game. This is a wired headset however it is also versatile being compatible with the Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3, PC and Mac or virtually anything with digital optical or 3.5mm analog 5.1 outputs. All needed cables are included along with some extra head and ear pads which were nice. The Ax Pro’s receiver is capable of handling two simultaneously connected headsets.


Turtle Beach’s Ear Force X4 may have a silly sounding name but is one of the more well known brands on the market. The X4 is wireless and it also features 5.1 Dolby Digital decoding, separate controls for chat and game volume and a detachable microphone. The X4 is specifically designed to work with the Xbox 360 only however the receiver/transmitter has digital optical input and output which allow connection to a home theatre system as well as regular analog left and right inputs from something simple such as a TV. The wireless headphones have an automatic shut off to prevent battery drain and incorporates a bass boost feature. The X4 also features mic monitoring which allows you to hear yourself in the audio so you don’t end up shouting when using the headphones. The X4 is capable of handling multiple headsets simultaneously.

Performance:

When comparing these two headsets the obvious difference is one is wired and the other wireless. While you may feel encumbered by having to deal with wires, no matter what anyone tells you going wireless sacrifices sound quality and this definitely rings true here. The X4 uses infrared to transmit sound to the headphones and at first it sounds fairly decent on full batteries and if you are directly in front of the transmitter. As soon as the AAA batteries start to drain (and they will rapidly) you can noticeably hear hissing during quiet parts of your game. Tritton’s Ax Pro has none of this, in fact power isn’t a problem, it comes with two adapters which you must plug in. While it may be a power hog the Ax Pro delivers consistently crystal clear sound over the Ear Force X4.

Another distinctive difference in sound between the headsets is the bass. The X4 offers an on/off bass boost switch on the headset and the Ax Pro has dedicated subwoofers in its 8 speaker set. With the ability to increase the subwoofer sound individually from the other speakers (front, center & rear) using the illuminated controller, the bass increase is substantially more skull shaking. The X4 fails at providing much more of an actual bass boost than your average cheap MP3 player.

In regards to the 5.1 surround sound both headsets performed well. Using Call of Duty again for example, I could hear enemies approaching from all directions which of course gamers recognize as a distinct advantage. I have to say the Ax Pro edges out the X4 in clarity though because of the dedicated 8 speakers. Both headsets have in game chat of course and each has a detachable mic though I preferred the X4’s flexible mic compared to the Ax Pro’s moveable but rigid boom mic. Each headset’s chat performance measured equally with separate volume controls delivering coherent sound between players and game audio. The X4’s mic monitoring feature which mixes your own voice into the audio so you don’t end up shouting when wearing the headphones is a great idea although is barely noticeable, at least according to my spouse. This feature could use some improvement.

Design wise each headset has big comfortable padded cups, the Ax Pro’s faux leather ones are huge and fit over and around the ear completely immersing you, the X4 has comfy cloth pads. The Ax Pro is heavier than the X4 and you will feel it after extended periods of gaming. With weight though comes durability and the Ax Pro looks like it can take a beating, I’d be afraid to drop the X4 for fear of it shattering. I also liked the overall design style of Tritton’s headset which features their illuminated logo.

The Verdict:

If you like the free roaming convenience of having no wires attached to you aside from what goes into the controller then Turtle Beach’s Ear Force X4 may be for you. It is by no means a terrible gaming headset but I would hardly call it premium and priced at $200 that is asking a lot for what you get which is basically line of sight wireless range with OK sound.


Serious gamers and audiophiles will no doubt be happy with Tritton’s Ax Pro for many different reasons. Consistent quality sound that is completely adjustable to your preference, noticeable bass boost and easily the biggest advantage: compatibility with all consoles and systems. This makes it a substantially better value at a price point of only $160 beating out the X4 easily.

Thanks for the Penis Shot, Rockstar ...

Being hopefully one of the many adult female gamers out there playing the new Lost and Damned downloadable content for Grand Theft Auto IV, I thought I would drop my two cents on the interesting additional of full frontal male nudity in the game.

While I have no problem with nudity or sex of any kind in videogames as long as the content is properly rated in the game, I have to wonder why the developers decided to throw in some penis in a game directly marketed at a straight male demographic and yet decided to cover up all the female breasts in the game?

That makes no sense what so ever. As a woman, even I would have preferred to look at naked women in the game than a floppy naked penis. I would hope in the long run this penis addition is some sort of "comment" on the controversy that always surrounds the GTA franchise and its content. At least I really hope it was.

For my Friday the 13th Fanboy!

Jason from Friday the 13th videogame in cross stitch form.

[Via Sprite Stitch]

New Overlord II and Overlord: Dark Minion Debut Trailer

Overlord II Trailer.

I loved the first game in this series and still sit down and play it sometimes. This game is seems allows you to kill panda bears and club baby seals. PETA is going to love this game.

Overlord II will be available for the Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and PC this Summer.

Overlord: Dark Legend will be the sequel coming on on the Nintendo Wii and will take place in a fairy tale land full of Mother Goose type figures like Little Red Riding Hood.

You will have new minions like Mexicans and hooded assassins, or that's what I gather from the trailer. Plus there's some sort of shake and suicide bomber feature with your minions now.

Overlord: Dark Legend will be also available this Summer.

Killzone 2 Custom GI Joe figure

Killzone GI Joe scale figure by =Jin-Saotome on deviantART

Playstation Store Downloads for February 20, 2009

Downloadable Games
Noby Noby Boy ($4.99)
Push the boundaries of your imagination in the latest game from the creator of the Katamari Damacy series! Control the main character, BOY, to play, stretch and interact with objects and characters in surreal worlds!
ESRB Rated E
File size: 360 MB

Zuma ($9.99)
Discover the ancient secrets of Zuma! Now available on the PlayStation Network, experience the game that will have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish! Choose Adventure mode to explore a series of temples or Gauntlet mode to challenge your skills! With dazzling colors and levels in 1080p, Zuma will excite and mystify you!
ESRB Rated E
File size: 19 MB

Add-on Game Content
LittleBigPlanet WipeOut Mini-Pack ($2.99)
New costumes and stickers to spread some love in LittleBigPlanet!
File size: 1.04 MB

High Velocity Bowling: Patches Pack Two (free)
It’s time to bowl – High Velocity style! Add this free downloadable Trick Shot Pack to your High Velocity Bowling selection, and get another opportunity for a gold star and some of those tough patches.
File size: 100 KMB

Street Fighter IV Brawler Costume Pack ($3.99)
The Brawler Costume Pack includes all-new alternate costumes for Street Fighter IV’s hand-to-hand high-powered combatants: Abel, E.Honda, El Fuerte, Rufus, and Zangief. More than just color changes, these five costumes allow you to dress up and customize your fighters for all to see. See El Fuerte in a chef’s outfit, E.Honda in classic attire and Zangief in a truly Capcom classic outfit.
File size: 116 KB

Skate 2 Dyrdek’s Fantasy Plaza Pack ($4.99)
Skate the inspiration for the new show Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory, including the surrounding area located in downtown LA.
File size: 252 MB

NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja STORM Pack 9 (free)
Download Storm Pack 7 and unleash the legendary Sound Ninja Jirobo as your support character in battle. The Storm Pack 7 also contains new Ultimate Mission to engage!
File size: 100 KB

Mirror’s Edge Pure Time Trials Map Pack ($9.99)
Mirror’s Edge gameplay distilled down to its purest form and its purest vision in nine races across seven all-new and totally redesigned Time Trial maps. No cops, no guns, no city. Pure aesthetics, agility and flow that will challenge any runner.
File size: 134 MB

Burnout Paradise
Burnout Paradise Time Savers Pack ($4.99)
Pressed for time? Love the cars? Want to have them all NOW? This one’s for you.
File size: 100 KB

Carson GT Nighthawk ($1.99)
Developed in secret, the GT Nighthawk shouldn’t exist. Denied by the Government, disowned by Carson, the GT Nighthawk is the ultimate super pursuit vehicle.
File size: 100 KB

Hunter Calvary Bootlegger ($1.99)
This custom Cavalry is made especially for those who live on the wrong side of the law.
File size: 100 KB

Hunter Manhattan Spirit ($1.99)
This converted Manhattan station wagon might not be the fastest or fleetest car in Paradise City, but one thing’s for sure - people will definitely know what’s hit them.
File size: 100 KB

Jansen 88 Special ($3.99)
This classic 1980’s styled silver sports car is based on the fan-favorite Jansen P12, but we’ve made a few very interesting modifications.
File size: 100 KB

Burnout Paradise Legendary Cars Collection ($7.99)
Get all 4 of the Legendary Cars in one great collection. This represents fantastic value over buying these cars individually.
File size: 100 KB

Rock Band
Build your Rock Band library by purchasing these song game tracks. For song credits, visit www.RockBand.com.

“Wasted Again” - Turbonegro ($1.99)
“Black Sunshine” - White Zombie ($1.99)
“More Human Than Human” - White Zombie ($1.99)
File sizes: 24 MB - 36 MB

Guitar Hero World Tour
For all song credits please visit www.guitarhero.com.

“Jet” by Wings ($1.99)
“Junior’s Farm” by Wings ($1.99)
“Hi, Hi, Hi” by Wings ($1.99)
Wings Track Pack ($5.49) - Downloadable Track Pack for Guitar Hero World Tour featuring “Junior’s Farm”, “Hi, Hi, Hi”, and “Jet” by Wings. Please Note: Many songs are available both as singles and as part of a Track Pack, so please carefully consider your purchases before downloading.
File sizes: 34 MB - 44 MB (singles), 119 MB (track pack)

Game Demos (free)
Afro Samurai Demo
Discover why Blood is Beautiful in this prelude to Afro Samurai. Take control of Afro as he searches for Justice, his Father’s killer. Break your enemy’s guard with the brute force of the combo system, then learn to focus, and send them to the grave with precision and style. Take an arm, take a leg or take a life; the choice is yours.
ESRB Rated M
File size: 452 MB

Zuma Demo
Discover the ancient secrets of Zuma! Now available on the PlayStation Network, experience the game that will have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish! Try the demo and play Adventure mode to explore a series of temples!! With dazzling colors and levels in 1080p, Zuma will excite and mystify you!
ESRB Rated E
File size: 19 MB

Game Videos (free)
Killzone 2 first look
File size: 26 MB (HD) 42 MB (1080)

MLB 09 The Show - Mets Stadium
File size: 60 MB (HD)

MLB 09 The Show - PS3 Trailer
File size: 67 MB (HD)

MLB 09 The Show - Road to The Show
File size: 126 MB (HD)

MLB 09 The Show - Yankees Stadium
File size: 58 MB (HD)

LUMINES Supernova Trailer
File size: 34 MB (HD)

FIFA 09 Ultimate Team Intro Video
File size: 67 MB (HD)

Red Alert 3: Ultimate Edition Trailer
File size: 70 MB (HD)

Resident Evil 5 Trailer 2009
File size: 127 (HD), 224 MB (1080)

Watchmen: The End is Nigh Video
File size: 26 MB (HD)

Mount Snow Freeskiing Thrills
File size: 159 MB (1080)

Mount Snow Recap
File size: 154 MB (1080)

Mt Snow Snowboarding Highlights
File size: 205 MB (1080)

PK Hunder and JF Houle
File size: 224 MB (1080)

PS Pro Moments – Mount Snow
File size: 97 MB (1080)

Scotty Lago
File size: 215 MB (1080)

SNB Slope SLOMO
File size: 172 MB (1080)

Style in SNB Pipe
File size: 160 MB (1080)

TV, Movie, and Blu-ray Trailers (free)
GameTrailersTV: PlayStation Network Announcement
File size: 29 MB

Frozen River Trailer
File size: 91 MB (HD), 120 MB (1080)

Quarantine Trailer
File size: 100 MB (HD), 138 MB (1080)

Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist Trailer
File size: 112 MB (HD), 152 MB (1080)

PS3 Themes (free)
Zuma Theme
File size: 4.64 MB

LocoRoco 2
File Size: 1.09 MB

PS3 Wallpaper (free)
Watchmen: The End is Nigh Wallpaper (x2)
File size: 47 KB (SD), 350 KB (1080)

Red Alert 3: Ultimate Edition Tsunami Tank
File size: 262 KB (SD), 999 KB (1080)

Red Alert 3: Ultimate Edition Apocalypse Tank Wallpaper
File size: 227 KB (SD), 829KB (1080)

Red Alert 3: Ultimate Edition Cryocopter Wallpaper
File size: 229 KB (SD), 950 KB (1080)

PlayStation Store for PSP
Game Demos (free)
* LocoRoco 2 Demo (also available from PS3 storefront)
File size: 69 MB

Game Videos (free)
* Resistance Connect Educational Video (also available from PS3 storefront)
File size: 20 MB

PSP Themes (free)
* LocoRoco 2 (also available from PS3 storefront)
File Size: 150 KB

Lost Recap: 316 - UPDATED

For a while I was trying to recap all the Lost episodes, but truthfully its really hard to keep up with each episode, writes my reviews and write normal articles on this site, so instead all just highlight the interesting stuff from each episode.

Tonight we learned:

* The name of a new Dharma station off the island: The Lamp Post - which is used to find the location of the island in different points in time.

* That Jack had to provide Locke's body with a item from his father in order for Locke to act like a proxy for them to return to the island.

* That Eloise discovered an open window for the Oceanic 6 to return to the island 36 hours from the point they came to the church. They would have to get on a flight from Los Angeles to Guam on Ajria 815.

* That despite the fact that it seemed impossible for Jack, Ben and Sun to retrieve Kate, Hurley and Sayid in time for the flight, all three appeared. Kate at Jack's apartment without Aaron and asking Jack to never ask about Aaron's whereabouts ever, Hurley on the plane willingly (No reason for Hurley knowing about the flight) and Sayid on the plane as a prisoner with a law enforcement agent.
* Though Sun wants to find Jin on the island, it does seem weird that she's so willing to jump on the plane and leave her daughter behind without second thought. Plus what's with Kate and Aaron? Did she leave him with someone like Claire's Mom? What made her suddenly change her mind about going back?

* Eloise stated that the plane ride must be a close as the original flight the Oceanic 6 took and there were some similiarities like Sayid's paralell to Kate as a prisoner escorted by a law enforcement agent or Locke acting as the replacement as the dead body in the coffin for Christian Shepard.

* We also learn that Frank Lapidus is the Captain flying the plane that the Oceanic 6 is taking back to the island.

* We discovered two new possible new players in the show: a stranger at the airport and on the plane that talks to both Jack and Hurley and the female law enforcement agent escorting Sayid on the plane. Both people got on the doomed plane and sat in first class with the Oceanic 6, so you know they're bound to show up on the island later.

* Desmond seemed pretty mad about the whole island thing and stated that he was done with the island, but Eloise told him that the island wasn't done with him.
* Ben, it seems has gone and been a bad boy again. He told Jack that he had to fulfill his promised to an old friend and then calls the next morning, asking Jack to pick up Locke's body at the butcher shop. He's badly beaten and covered in blood, which to me says that the happily ever after could be over for Desmond and Penny ... or Desmond just kicked his ass when Ben attempted to hurt Penny. Who knows with Lost?

* The flash and memory lost of the plane crash was confirmed as normal from the first plane crash, because it happened again when the Oceanic 6 crash on the island the second time. This time though we haven't seen the crashed plane yet, so we don't know who else is on the island other than ...

* Hurley, Kate and Jack are the only people right now that we know to be safely back on the island and already they have come into contact with Jin who was driving a shiny Dharma van. So now we are left wondering who is safely on the island and exactly what time is the island in?

ALSO:

* More Paralells on the plane - Hurley brought a Spanish comic book just like he did the first flight and a guitar just like Charlie did.

- Ben went to the bathroom like Charlie.

- Jack wore similiar clothes even down to his black tie with a white pattern.

- Sun is playing with Jin's wedding ring like Rose did with Bernard's ring.

- Ben makes a mad dash for the flight like Hurley originally did.

* Jack asks Ben how he could read and Ben replies "My Mother taught me", but Ben Mother died at child birth. How dark of Ben.

* The bar that Jack has a drink in is the same bar that Christian Shepard met Ana Lucia in.
* The photograph of the island in the Lamp Post Station is dated 23 September 1954, the same year that the United States military brought "Jughead" to the Island. It is also classified as for "U.S. Army eyes only".

New Gaming Trade Site Open

A lot of gamers have given up on places like Gamestop, EB Games and eBay for selling their games and turned to places like Goozex.com to trade their games for other titles.

A new trading site launched today though that removes the need for point systems, fees or credit cards. At SwitchGames.com, Gamers are able to trade any game from any system as well as systems and accessories.

The site comes complete with an interactive community that helps gamers make perfect traders for the games they want.

“Our mission is to empower and protect the gamer,” said founder and CEO Jason Crawford. “SwitchGames is an open marketplace created by gamers for gamers where members easily connect and trade with each other. As we roll out this initial version we welcome feedback from the gamer community to help us shape a marketplace where they can stretch their budgets.”

Check out SwitchGames.com official website here.

The Girl Gamer Appears on ABC News.com

Franklin Huang from ABC News Medical Unit recently contacted me in regards to a story about women and videogames. The story was about recent studies that showed that women had become more involved in online gaming and were even clocking more hours online per week even though most were not reporting it.

During the interview, Franklin and I discussed my background as a gamer, my thoughts on relationships in gaming, why women some would be guilty about their gaming habits, and female gamers in general.

While I've never been a big fan of the mainstream media reporting on the gaming community, I figure maybe this could be my chance to get the word out about the real female gaming community. Unfortunately, the article was short and it only got a few of my points across.

What I really wanted to come across in the article is that a lot of women tend to game because online games are a social experience and you need to play with friends and boyfriends tend to be friends. Plus playing with people you feel safe with online is always a bonus, and who better than your boyfriend or husband.

I don't think women feel guilty about their gaming habits and never found anyone that ever suggested that to me.

All in all, I was happy to provide my view of the gaming community to Franklin and I hope I really helped him understand us Lady Gamers better.

Mario Perler Bead Photo Art

When most of us bead-spriters make a piece, we tend to create something from a videogame sprite, but there's also a method that allows you to take photographs and transform them into pixelated patterns for bead making.

Most bead-spriters I know have created photographs of their friends and family with this method, but newcomer to the Pixelgasm Forums, Shelly, decided to take a picture of Mario and turn it into a bead photo.

Pretty cool, huh? Definitely something I would hang in my house for $200.

SNL Wario Shake it Sketch - A Little NSWF

Alec Baldwin appeared on Saturday Night Live for the hundredth time this past weekend and he pulled off a pretty funny sketch about the Nintendo Wii featuring Wario Shake it.

This is a little NSWF for work, so to be on the safe side watch it at home.

Best of the Videogame Custom Toys: Part 2

Custom Captain Olimar Dunny by monstafaktory, found via Toy Cutter.

Master (Mister?) Chief Munny created by Bpytam, found via Flickr

Zangief from Street Fighter II and King Boo Munny created by Miss shelby, found via Miss Shelby.net

Pac Man Munny and Dunnies created by WuzOne, found via Tomopop.

Bioshock's Big Daddy as a Dunny by Shauni55, found via Toy Cutter.

Vault Boy Mini Munny created by Chris Furniss, found via Flickr

Bomberman, Bonk from Bonk's Adventures and Mega Man Munnies, all created by Albert Art and found via Albert Art.net

Dig Dug Dunnys by Ryan Crippen found via ToyCutter.

Umbrella Corporation Munny created by Grim Santo found via Flickr

Faith from Mirror's Edge as a Munny by Urban1221 posted at the Kid Robot Site.

Playstation Store Downloads for February 12, 2009

Qore
Qore Annual Subscription ($24.99)
Qore: Presented by the PlayStation Network is a monthly interactive video production covering the world of PlayStation. Qore provides its audience with exclusive behind-the-scenes access to developers and their games, from both the SCE Worldwide Studios and the third-party community, where the audience member can freely navigate through the content.
File size: 1.17 GB

Qore Episode 09: February, 2009 ($2.99)
Episode 09 of Qore: Presented by the PlayStation Network kicks off Spring training with an inside look at MLB 09 The Show and demonstrates Resident Evil 5’s co-op gameplay with new QoreVision technology.
File size: 1.17 GB

PULSE
Pulse 2/12 Edition (free) (also available from PSP storefront)
PULSE presented by the PlayStation Network is a free high definition video showcase of what’s happening right now on PlayStation. Featuring new game releases, demos, movie and television arrivals available for your PS3 and PSP systems, PULSE is a fast-paced new source to keep you connected and informed about the world of PlayStation.
Hosted by Christina Lee.
File size: 269 MB (HD) 446 MB (1080)

Downloadable Games
Flower ($9.99)
Flower lets you take control of the wind as you explore and navigate beautiful, lush environments using only the SIXAXIS motion controls. This is an interactive escape that takes you on an emotional journey like no other game you’ve ever experienced.
ESRB Rated E
File size: 628 MB

Add-on Game Content
NBA Live 09 All Star Weekend (free)
Get up-to-date for NBA All-Star Weekend 2009 from Phoenix, Arizona with the official jerseys and court. This free update pack includes the official All-Star Weekend Court and official East and West All-Star game jerseys for All-Star 2009.
File size: 39 MB

LUMINES Supernova Classic Pack ($4.99)
This LUMINES Supernova download pack contains special classic skins!
File size: 136 MB

Disgaea 3 - Disgaea 2 Sacrebleu Set with Free Theme! ($5.99)
This package file adds new custom characters Tink, Yukimaru, and Priere. The download pak also comes with a free bonus item, a Priere theme for your PLAYSTATION 3!
File size: 1.23 MB

Disgaea 3 - Priere ($1.99)
This package file adds a new custom character called Priere. Purchase the Disgaea 2 Sacrebleu Set and get a free Priere theme!
File size: 1.22 MB

Disgaea 3 - Tink ($1.99)
This package file adds a new custom character called Tink from Disgaea 2. Purchase the Disgaea 2 Sacrebleu Set and get a free Priere theme!
File size: 1.22 MB

Disgaea 3 - Yukimaru ($1.99)
This package file adds a new custom character called Yukimaru from Disgaea 2. Purchase the Disgaea 2 Sacrebleu Set and get a free Priere theme!
File size: 1.22 MB

Rock Band
Build your Rock Band library by purchasing these song game tracks. For song credits, visit www.RockBand.com.

“Creepin’ Up the Backstairs” - The Fratellis ($1.99)
“Flathead” - The Fratellis ($1.99)
“Henrietta” - The Fratellis ($1.99)
The Fratellis Pack 01 ($5.49) - Build your Rock Band library by purchasing this song game track pack: The Fratellis Pack 01. This pack includes: “Creepin’ Up the Backstairs,” “Flathead,” and “Henrietta” by The Fratellis.
File sizes: 26 MB - 35 MB (singles), 90 MB (track pack)

Guitar Hero World Tour
For all song credits please visit www.guitarhero.com.

“Wonderwall” by Ryan Adams ($1.99)
“New Slang” by The Shins ($1.99)
“Drive” by Incubus ($1.99)
Acoustic Track Pack ($5.49) - Downloadable Track Pack for Guitar Hero World Tour featuring “Drive” by Incubus, “New Slang” by The Shins, and “Wonderwall” by Ryan Adams. Please Note: Many songs are available both as singles and as part of a Track Pack, so please carefully consider your purchases before downloading.
File sizes: 40 MB - 41 MB (singles), 119 MB (track pack)

Game Videos (free)
Flower Trailer
File size: 93 MB (HD)

Flower Developer Diary
File size: 231 MB (HD)

LocoRoco 2 Launch Trailer
File size: 66 MB (HD)

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue - The Ride Of Your Life
File size: 172 MB (HD)

Tekken 6 Call To Arms Trailer
File size: 12 MB (SD) 48 MB (HD)

GTI Club+ Trailer
File size: 48 MB (HD)

Brain Challenge Expansion Pack
File size: 86 MB (1080)

50 Cent: Blood On The Sand Trailer #1
File size: 45 MB (HD)

50 Cent: Blood On The Sand Trailer #2
File size: 34 MB (HD)

50 Cent: Blood On The Sand Trailer #3
File size: 37 MB (HD)

Movie Trailers (free)
Rent: Live on Broadway Blu-ray Disc Trailer
File size: 38 MB (1080)

PS3 Themes
Flower Theme (free)
File size: 1.79 MB

LocoRoco 2 The Planet Theme (free)
File size: 2.04 MB

PAIN: The Hoff Theme (free)
File size: 1.97 MB

Prier Custom Theme free with Disgaea 2 Sacrebleu Set ($0.99)
File size: 1.43 MB

Magic Ball Theme (free)
File size: 2.20 MB

Mahjong Tales: Ancient Wisdom Theme (free)
File size: 3.11 MB

Cuboid Theme (free)
File size: 1.99 MB

Anime MBM Theme ($0.99)
File size: 3.48 MB

Valentine Hearts Theme ($1.49)
File size: 5.18 MB

Fractal Hearts Theme ($1.49)
File size: 5.63 MB

Valentine Angels Theme ($1.49)
File size: 6.60 MB

PS3 Wallpaper (free)
Flower Wallpaper
File size: 220 KB (SD) 504 KB (1080)

Game Love Wallpaper
File size: 414 KB (1080)

PlayStation Store for PSP
Game Videos(free)
* Pulse 2/12 Edition (free) (also available from PS3 storefront)
PULSE presented by the PlayStation Network is a free high definition video showcase of what’s happening right now on PlayStation. Featuring new game releases, demos, movie and television arrivals available for your PS3 and PSP systems, PULSE is a fast-paced new source to keep you connected and informed about the world of PlayStation.
Hosted by Christina Lee.
File size: 269 MB

* LocoRoco 2 Trailer
File size: 9.73 MB

PSP Themes
* LocoRoco 2 Planet Theme (free) (also available from PS3 storefront)
File size: 372 KB

* Anime MBM 1 ($0.99) (also available from PS3 storefront)
File size: 443 KB

* Anime MBM 2 ($0.99) (also available from PS3 storefront)
File size: 494 KB

* Valentine Hearts ($1.49) (also available from PS3 storefront)
File size: 310 KB

SCEA Announces Playstation Network Spring Fever Collection

Sony Computer Entertainment America is kicking off the PlayStation Network Spring Fever collection celebrating exceptional games and content releasing on PlayStation Store leading into Spring. Pulling from a renowned list of first and third party developers, the PlayStation Network community will be able to enjoy games like Flower, Burn Zombie Burn, Noby Noby Boy, No Gravity and Ragdoll Kung Fu: Fists of Plastic and more on their PS3 and PSP. Flower starts the PlayStation Network Spring Fever collection with its launch on February 12 following genre defining games like PixelJunk Eden and flOw.

With more than 164 games currently available for download, of which approximately 45 percent are exclusive in the US, the highly anticipated game lineup is sure to be a success. Beyond a plethora of hot games, the PlayStation Blog will feature a variety of developer posts and videos giving gamers a behind-the-scene look into the indie development scene and learn how PlayStation Network works with these developers to bring gamers the best original gaming experiences.

Players will find Flower and other PlayStation Network Spring Fever titles – launching weekly – as well as related trailers, developer blog posts, wallpapers and more in a dedicated PSN Spring Fever section on the PlayStation Store. Check back often as new titles are released along with additional content and media.

Gamers can expect to see these games blossom throughout PlayStation Network Spring Fever and many months to come:

Flower: The pioneers that brought you the award-winning PlayStation Network title flOw are back with another concept that challenges traditional gaming conventions. Playing as the wind, the player guides and grows a swarm of petals by interacting with other flowers and the surrounding environment.

Noby Noby Boy: Noby Noby Boy: From the creator of the critically-acclaimed Katamari Damacy comes a new generation of innovative, unique gameplay and distinctive visual styles. In Noby Noby Boy, players take control of a character named BOY and are tasked with moving, consuming and interacting with all that they see, stretching their bodies to ever-greater lengths.

No Gravity: A riveting 3D shooter for PlayStation Portable, No Gravity pits players against impossible odds as they complete a variety of missions set in space, including protecting allies, destroying enemy targets, navigating minefields and much more.

Wheel of Fortune: The popular television show re-imagined for the next-gen of entertainment, Wheel of Fortune is a casual game that captures the spirit of the classic game show, with high-definition graphics and online gameplay.
Burn Zombie Burn: Taking the best of classic, high-score focused arcade games and adding an unhealthy layer of B-movie horror polish, Burn Zombie Burn is a hilarious arcade-style shooter with zombie hordes and plenty of fire. The more zombies you set on fire, the higher your score multiplier and greater the challenge. With two player support, six arenas and multiple zombie types to face, Burn Zombie Burn promises endless hours of challenginggame play.

Ragdoll Kung Fu: Fists of Plastic: A fast-paced combat game with an imaginative look and feel, Ragdoll Kung Fu: Fists of Plastic focuses on fun with exaggerated ragdoll physics action and charming HD visual effects. Featuring accessible and intuitive controls, even novice players can orchestrate impressive attacks with ninja-like precision.

The Punisher: No Mercy: Designed with fast-paced, online multiplayer in mind, No Mercy utilizes the power of Unreal Engine 3 to give gamers the ultimate, arena-based first person shooter experience. Rooted in the Punisher’s rich comic book history, No Mercy will please comic book and action game fans alike.

In addition to these titles, PlayStation Network will also be launching Bomberman Ultra, Celfactor Ignition, Flock, Texas Cheat-em, Diner Dash, Comet Crash, Hammer Fall, Underfire,Watchmen,Worms, Zen Pimball and many more during this timeframe.

Plus all the existing blockbuster, exclusive titles already on PlayStation Network such as Crash Commando, Savage Moon, Echochrome, Pixel Junk Eden, PAIN, Ratchet and Clank: Quest for Booty and more!

Mega Man on the Atari 2600

Ever wonder what Mega Man would look like if he was created for the Atari 2600 instead of the Nintendo system? Well the guys from the I Am 8 Bit 2007 Art Show did, and so they has a custom Atari 2600 game made to showcase the idea.

This is a pretty cool concept but I still like Mega Man on the original NES. He look empty on the Atari 2600 system.

Review: Buzz! Master Quiz

Buzz! Master Quiz
SCEA, Relentless
Available for Playstation Portable

Buzz! Quiz the popular trivia game has always been on the Playstation console but now Sony has moved this fast-fingered game to the handheld market with Buzz! Master Quiz on the Playstation Portable. Our favourite Muppet-like host is bringing the trivia for some new and lightening fast fun and we’re grabbing our bag of useless knowledge in order to review this sweet game.

Much like the Playstation 2 and 3 version of Buzz!, Master Quiz plays out like a TV show quiz game with Buzz as your host guiding you through several unique rounds of trivia questions. Each round has its own way of making you answer the questions or earning your points. Top Rank quizzes have you ordering things such as "The," "Strikes," "Empire," and "Back" to form a Star Wars title and four actresses from the oldest to the youngest. Meanwhile, a Picture This quiz will show you a portion of a picture -- the game has more than 1,000 licensed images, videos, and tunes -- and ask you a question based on it. So, if you can identify David Bowie's chin from a revelled tile, answering a question about who sang "Fame" will be that much easier.


There are over 5000 questions to answer in the game and 9 different rounds to answer questions in. You have the choice of playing a solo game or a multiplayer game - local or online. Playing a solo game will have you playing through 15 rounds of trivia which takes about 2 hours to finish. You can save your progress through so don’t worry about the length of the games.

Though you won’t get the same full bodied avatars you get in the Playstation 3 version of Buzz!, you will get to choose an avatar to represent you throughout the game. They will be your profile and save all your information, trophies and records for the game. You will be able to save up to 3 different profiles, so your friends or family can have a profile too.

The local multiplayer mode will allow you and up to 5 friends play a game called Pass Around, where you use your one PSP and the game will randomly pick players to answer questions during the rounds. Each round is similar to the solo game with unique game play elements to make the trivia answering harder, however there will be a few differences to make the game a little harder for your friends to win.

With the Quiz Host mode, one person keeps hold of the handheld and asks questions for up to six players before inputting their scores onto the PSP. There's some fun to be had here, particularly when the game goes off the trivia path and requires hosts to set mini-challenges like seeing which of the players can make the best impressions of William Shatner, or awarding points to whoever can touch their tongue to their nose.

The wireless multiplayer mode allows up to 4 players to play from one disc via 4 PSPs. The host can set the number of questions, difficulty and categories. There are no media questions in this game though, only basic 4 answer trivia questions.

I personally am a huge fan of the Buzz! TV Quiz game for the Playstation and suggest that every PS3 owner have a copy in their collection, however playing on the PSP is much harder to have fast fingers without a colour-coded buzzer which made the game harder for me. Playing the console version, you can memorize the position of the buttons easily, but the PSP version was much harder to memorize and my answers and buzz time suffered greatly because of that.


Visually the game isn’t as cool to look at as the PS3 version, but when you’re dealing with a handheld game you don’t expect high-res graphics. Mostly the game is text based, rather than graphics but really when you’re playing a trivia game, do you care what it looks like? Buzz is still cute as a bug with his Muppet foam-like body and red shiny suit.

The sound is very low but you can still make out Buzz’s little witticisms if you crank the volume up. Much like the console versions, Buzz repeats himself a lot but you learn to ignore it after a while and just pay attention to the important stuff - the trivia questions.

Being a huge trivia buff, I love a good trivia game especially one I take on the road with me and share with friends. I would have liked to have seen the developer make a game with smaller solo modes but thankfully you can saved in the middle of game play. Buzz! Trivia is the probably the series of games on the market today, so I can’t help but suggest picking this game and any other game available to play with your family and friend. With a great line-up of questions, a quirky host and trivia rounds that keep you on your toes, Buzz! Master Quiz is the best trivia game for your handheld system and I hope Sony and Relentless make more games for the series.

Rating: 8 out of 10
Buy it!