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August 1st, 2008, 02:12 Posted By: bandit
Wii WiiID Wiimote Battery Cover Kit
Manufacturer: Talismoon
Site: Buy from Divineo China
Price: $7.95
Overview : The Wiimote is a smart device, allowing you to carry your "Mii" on the go, and use it at a friends house. But, all wiimotes look the same. Enter the wiiID. The WiiID includes a custom battery cover with a clear window in it, and 8 different templates that you can put behind the window so you can easily tell your wiimote apart from everyone else's.
The WiiID is practical and entertaining at the same time, as you can put funny pictures inside your wiimote (like rusty gears, or an ear of corn) making your wiimote unique and fun.
Of course, you can also make your own template simply by printing your favoriate photo on your printer, and cutting it to the appropriate size.
Let your wiimote join the party, with the wiiID.
Included:- 1 replacement battery cover
- 20 ready to use templates
Quality/Usability : The Nintendo Wii is a great console for the entire family to enjoy regardless of ones age. In order to get the family to play, you'll need multiple controllers. Of course, all the controllers look the same but like some people, they have their own dedicated controller. I know I do. Its my controller and no one else uses it.
To distinguish which controller belongs to who, some paint them, some put stickers on them, some put different colored silicone skins or even a dot of red nail polish like on turtles. Ok, maybe not the last part.
Talismoon has released Wii-ID Wiimote Battery Cover Kit. This is a battery cover but whats different is the clear screen. This allows you to insert your own design and is displayed right on the battery cover. The battery cover has a bit of a glossy look to it. At the bottom, instead of a Nintendo logo, it has a Talismoon logo.
Included are 20 ready to use designs but I counted 19. The included designs is nothing fancy and looks a little cheesy to me. Also included is a plastic template. This allows you to print out your design, use the template to trace the size and cut it. The size of the design/cut is 1.5" (width) x 3.25" (height). Although it gives you a plastic template to cut it to size, it doesnt include anything for when you design it. A Photoshop file should at least be hosted or something so you can design around that instead of designing it from scratch and having to play around with size.
Conclusion : Overall, the Wii Wii-ID Wiimote Battery Cover Kit is a nice idea when it comes to customization and/or knowing which Wiimote belongs to who but it falls short in some areas. The cover is glossy and the plastic clear screen looks like it can scratch easily. It comes with a plastic template that lets you trace the size but nothing is provided for when you design it. No size, no template, nothing. So if you're designing, you'll have to set it up yourself. Once you set up the correct size, you'll have to find out where the design becomes visible and where it is covered by the battery door.
If Talismoon is reading this, I suggest releasing a template file that allows people to just import their design, adjust accordingly and print. Who wants to buy a product that makes you do extra work by having to play around configuring your own template just to print your own design? I dont.
Images via comments
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August 1st, 2008, 01:13 Posted By: Shadowblind
Soulcalibur IV
Publisher: Namco bandai
Developer: Project Soul
ESRP: $59.99
Players: 1-2
Genre: Fighting
Platform: Xbox 360 (Reviewed), PS3
Soulcalibur is arguably one of the best fighting game franchises out there. In fact, the original Soulcalibur released for the Dreamcast back in '99 remains one of the highest rated games of all time. (It currently resides at #8 on gamerankings.com. Back when it first came out, it would have been #2, just behind Zelda OOT.) Soulcalibur II, while not as big an accomplishment as Soulcalibur 1, was still an amazing fighting game that set a standard and showed the world that fighting games still have a place in the industry. Soulcalibur III more or less just came and went, but was still a great game all around, just had little new additions to it. Well here we are today with SoulCalibur IV, a highly anticipated fighting game from Namdai. You may be happy(or sad) to know that although the core Soulcalibur formula hasn't been changed very much, it still works very well, considering how old it is. But like most games, the same 4 times can get repetitive and very annoying. So how did the Fourth iteration go?
First thing you'll probably notice about Soulcal IV once you get ingame is the amazingly rendered character models, and as usual, I'm gonna go ballistic over them, rant style. This is quite possibly the best looking fighting game character models I've ever seen. the detail in each character is stunning-- and what's more, there are so many many ways to customize each character with all types of different garb. And no matter what clothes you put on them they always look natural. No matter what weapon, what eye color, what hair, everything blends perfect and smooth. And the characters animations are praise worthy too. A few odd looking attack animations, but they usually lend themselves to only a certain few characters. But characters like Zasalamel and Voldo have awesome and fluid movements. From an explosion of a scythe to Voldo's demented backwards crab-walk all of it goes together fluidly. And as the characters fight, they're armor begins to get chipped away gradually, which is a really cool degenerative addition(?). The backgrounds aren't as noticeable as the foregrounds (obviously, it is a fighting game after all) but they do what they do well. The 360 movement of the characters allow for them to bash up the place as they fight. The destructibility of the backgrounds are cool, but they do leave a good bit to be desired, since only so much can be destroyed on each level. But really, backgrounds usually don't serve as much in fighting games more then something to look at, and things aren't all too much different here. Still, those Star wars backgrounds look niiiiiiice.....
kick.
Jumping a little here--The core of Soulcalibur is still the same as it has been for years, and as long as fighting games exist, it will for more years to come. The core: Beat the other guy until he or her drops dead. Still, the general formula is so general that small tweaks to the gameplay, mostly along the lines of making each character fair to play as, proves that the fighting genre still rocks. over 30 different players and minimal clone characters make this game a blast to master them all. Some combo attacks are a bit broken sometimes, but overall the controller is responsive which is usually the problem with cheapness issues in fighting games. To tell the truth I've only really liked two fighting games before; Dead or Alive And DBZ Budokai. However, Soulcalibur is more of a fighting gamers training game. Combos usually only range on 1-3 hits normally, and overall the games difficulty is set to "less then normal." While doing awesome looking technical attacks, you can just as easily beat the game doing little more then just pounding away at the Grab button. Granted, some enemies can block it but they are few. But I have noticed how online, grabbing is harder then usual. It may be due to the vast amounts of lag in the game, but overall it makes online fighting much more fair. Still, online is by no means flawless. We'll touch on that in a sec though.
Soulcalibur IV won't take you long to beat. In fact, the storymode takes almost less then 20 minutes. And each characters story, for the most part, is totally devoid of original cut-scenes. Although you fight against different opponents depending on what character you playing, it tends to leave you wanting more. Most players will go back with other characters however, and after going back around 8 times, the game still amuses me, though not as much as it did at first. So really, campaign mode isn't where your gonna be spending most your time. Another mode, known as Arcade mode, pits you against 8 fighters in sequence then gauges your score. its more or less pretty basic, and just that. Still, you unlock stuff for your characters in the mode so its not completely pointless. Tower mode is probably the one of the best modes, as it has you fight away through 30 floors with tons of enemies on each floor, and you can only heal every two floors. Doing certain things unlocks items you get, so if your hardcore enough your gonna want to unlock everything. And of course, there is online mode.
The online mode for Soulcalibur IV can be great fun. the problem is, lag and "host advantage" in this game take the meaning to another level. Buttons became slow and unresponsive, all the while the host pounds away at you with no problem whatsoever. And if there is one thing I've learned about fighting games online, lag is much worse in this genre then probably any other. (Even FPS.) Since it is always a 1-on-1 match, there is no room for you to rely on teammates or whatever to cover your back when you start getting lag issues. Thus, unless you can fight with amazing timing or your opponent just sucks, once you hit lag your almost certain to lose the match. Besides connection problems, online is great. Four people can be in a room at any one time. That means that you get a better sense of pride when you win a match since people are watching you, but when you lose a match, it tends to just make you say "Oh well, that guy lost a match before too." Fighting against people is much more fulfilling then A.I., thats for sure, and should the connection problems be resolved, this has massive potential. You can even play with your own custom characters!
Really-- what's not to like?
Probably the single greatest thing about this game is the insanely robust character creator. I touched on this before, talking about character models, but I didn't get too in-depth. With the exception of the Jedis (...) you can use the weapons and fighting style from any character to make your own character. Choose the pitch and tone of they're voice, the exact colors of their clothes, hair and skin, the exact features of they're face, really there are huge amounts of possibilities here. What's more, is that no matter how wacky the style and clothes your character wears, they always look some-what natural. With one exception (Tira) the fighting style for all characters can be applied to any looking character and be just awesome looking. Make your character good or bad. Give them any weapon, including over 350 weapons and armour pieces. After that, take them online, and show your opponents as you either kick *** or get your *** kicked. The characters you make always feel right at home with the Soulcal crew. If your friends are dumb enough, you could even tell them that they are part of the crew. Why? Who cares. Its kinda fun to do though.
Now then...
Major Selling Points:
-- 4th entry to one of the highest rated fighting game series of all time.
-- Great weapons based combat.
-- Extremely robust character creator.
-- simple combat makes it easier for beginners.
-- Online Play
Major breaking points:
-- Online play is laggy
-- May be too simple for experts
-- Only one general Story mode
Story: 4/5
The story for the characters is pretty good; its just that the stories for each character aren't really explored in they're campaigns.
Graphics: 4.5/5
Amazing characters and great effects. Backgrounds aren't amazing but they work well enough.
Sound: 4/5
Clashing of swords and whatnot sounds exactly how it should. Music is hit or miss, and VOs are good.
Gameplay: 4.5/5
It doesn't really change much about Soulcalibur as much as it just keeps refining it. Although they may have oversimplified the combat.
Replayability: 4.5/5
If the online mode gets less laggy then you've got something to do for a long time. Tower will take you a while to beat, but its really just more on the same fighting as everything else in the game.
Value: 4/5
At the average game price of $60, Soulcalibur may or may not be worth it. Fighting fans will be enthralled with it, but those looking to the fighting genre "just this once" may really only want to rent it.
Overall: 
NOTE: Sorry for the lack of pictures, I can't find any that will fit...
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August 1st, 2008, 00:57 Posted By: bandit
Wii Balance Board Protective Skin
Manufacturer: Talismoon
Site: Buy from Divineo US (white) / Buy from Divineo US (pink) / Buy from Divineo China (white) / Buy from Divineo China (pink)
Price: $17.49
 
Overview : Keep your Wii Balance Board clean while improving your grip and even adding style with Talismoon protective soft skin. Available in several colors, it is the perfect companion to your balance board.
Quality/Usability : When there is an accessory such as the Balance Board, accessories for it is not far behind. When the Wii was first released, there were reports of peoples TVs being smashed by the Wiimote either by flying out of peoples hands or the wrist strap broke. To prevent and to protect your Wii Balance Board, Talismoon has released a rubber silicone skin.
As mentioned above, the protective soft skin is made of silicone rubber. Not only is it durable but it is also washable. The Protective Skin is like any other silicone skin on the market whether it be for your gaming controllers, handheld systems or cellphones. Simply slide it over your device and that is it. The skin covers the entire top of the balance board and wraps it self to the bottom of the board.
The skin gives you easy access to the button on the balance board as well as battery pack. On the top of the skin, there are two footprints. These are outlined in rubber dimples. This gives you traction and grip when using the Balance Board.
Conclusion : Overall, the Wii Balance Board Protective Skin is a nice product. Nothing special about it. Its like a normal rubber silicone skin. You can choose from two colors; white and pink. White can show signs of dirt easily. It would be nice if there were other colors to choose from. Although the dimples on the top gives you grip, is soft and where to place your feet, it may not work well for those with sensitive feet or just dont like anything touching their feet. I would of preferred a footprint but with grooves or something.
Images via comments
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July 24th, 2008, 21:36 Posted By: bandit
It's finally happened. Nintendo realized that there are many wasted batteries in their wireless Wii remote controllers. To solve this problem they tied up with Sanyo Japan to create a custom battery pack based on Sanyo's eneloop concept. Now your gaming will no longer be interrupted by constantly switching out batteries.
Their idea is to replace the back of your current remote with this pack. You never have to take it out again. Instead when you're finished playing you place it in a charger stand, or cradle, that doesn't even touch the battery. It can even charge through the silicon Wii remote jackets that Wii released last year. Just put it in the stand and in 220 minutes the battery is ready to go. Stands can be daisy chained so that remotes can be charged sequentially (not simultaneously) from a single AC adaptor. Now you don't have to have four plugs to automatically charge all four remotes overnight.
We're very happy to see this development, but the sad part is that they'll only be available in Japan for now. You people around the world, be sure to voice your opinion that we all need this licensed battery back and charger!
Available now in Japan (and in Japan ONLY) and on GeekStuff4U.com
Source: Akihibaranews / Sanyo JP
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July 17th, 2008, 20:07 Posted By: bandit
The Wiimote is a smart device, allowing you to carry your "Mii" on the go, and use it at a friends house. But, all wiimotes look the same. Enter the wiiID. The WiiID includes a custom battery cover with a clear window in it, and 8 different templates that you can put behind the window so you can easily tell your wiimote apart from everyone else's.
The WiiID is practical and entertaining at the same time, as you can put funny pictures inside your wiimote (like rusty gears, or an ear of corn) making your wiimote unique and fun.
Of course, you can also make your own template simply by printing your favoriate photo on your printer, and cutting it to the appropriate size.
Let your wiimote join the party, with the wiiID.
  
Source: Talismoon
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July 17th, 2008, 06:43 Posted By: bandit
Natural typing for easy surfing, searching, and sharing on the Wii™ Internet Channel and in chat-oriented games from the comfort of your living room couch.
Convenience- 2.4 GHz wireless technology: Allows you to easily enter text on the Wii™ Internet Channel and in chat-oriented games from up to 30 feet (10 m) from the console.
- Compact design: Easy to store, yet full-size keys allow for comfortable typing.
- Easy setup: Just plug in the receiver and the keyboard works instantly.
- Wii™ system keys: Navigate the Internet and system with dedicated buttons for Zoom In/Out, Forward/Back, Quit, and OK.
Compatibility- Licensed for Wii™: Ensures both design and technical compatibility.
For more images, visit link below. Keyboard will retail for $49.99.
Source: Logitech
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July 15th, 2008, 22:08 Posted By: bandit
LOS ANGELES, July 15, 2008 – At the E3 Media & Business Summit today, Nintendo unveiled an enhancement for its iconic Wii Remote controller and new games that promise to further enrich and engage players around the world. These offerings build on Nintendo’s ongoing efforts to remove the barriers between expert and novice video game players, an approach that has been instrumental in creating a paradigm shift for the industry since the advent of the Nintendo DS portable system and the Wii home console.
“Much has been reported about the ‘expanded audience’ for games, but what’s really at play is an expanded experience,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “People of all ages having fun together—whether in the same room or from remote locations—puts smiles on faces and drives millions of new players into video game entertainment.”
Wii Sports Resort is not just a simple sequel to one of the world’s most popular console games, Wii Sports. It is the first title to make use of another Nintendo advance, the Wii MotionPlus accessory, which plugs into the base of the Wii Remote controller to provide an incredibly realistic motion experience. Scheduled for release in spring 2009, Wii Sports Resort includes new game experiences such as Sword Play, Power Cruising on a water scooter and Disc Dog, along with the new Wii MotionPlus accessory and Wii Remote Jacket at no additional cost. The Wii MotionPlus enhances precision and player immersion for the Nintendo-pioneered motion-controlled gaming trend that has drawn millions of new people to the world of video games.
On Nov. 16, Animal Crossing®: City Folk lets players move into a fun community populated by quirky animals. Players can improve their community, chat with the locals or just spend the day fishing and collecting fossils. There is also the opportunity to catch a bus into the new urban city area. Though you’ll never see other players in the city, you can connect with them in new ways using WiiConnect24, such as bidding on your friends’ items at the auction house or visiting the Happy Room Academy headquarters to see the top-rated player house. Another new feature in Animal Crossing®: City Folk is the ability to visit friends’ towns and chat with one another using the new WiiSpeak microphone. The WiiSpeak microphone is sold separately at an MSRP of $29.99 and allows Internet voice chat among Wii Friends – not just from person to person but from room to room.
Wii Music makes it easy for people to jam to tunes, even if they don’t know anything about music. Wii Music transforms the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers into more than 60 different instruments, including a violin, steel drums, electric guitar – even a cowbell. Players strum, shake, tap and drum along to the music in a pressure-free musical playground where there are no mistakes. They can improvise on their arrangements by skipping a note – or adding 10. The music always sounds great, but it’s up to players to come up with creative arrangements that they can then send to friends and family who have Wii Music. Those Wii Friends can then put their own spin on the arrangement and send it back and forth over WiiConnect24. Wii Music will be available in the United States for the holidays.
In the portable category, Nintendo DS remains on top. Nintendo DS has sold more than 20 million units in the United States and more than 70 million worldwide. Third-party publishers continue to take advantage of that installed base. Coming this winter exclusively to the Nintendo DS is Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, a new entry in Rockstar Games’ award-winning and hugely successful Grand Theft Auto franchise. Activision’s exclusive Guitar Hero® On Tour: Decades makes its anticipated debut this fall, as does a collection of wild and wonderful critters from Electronic Arts’ Spore™ Creatures.
Source: Press Release
The second new Wii accessory out of E3, the WiiSpeak community mic and speaker finally lets you chat with other people online. Unlike an Xbox 360 headset, it's more about group chatting and is placed on top of your TV, like a conference call mic (how does it filter out game sounds?). It's bundled with Animal Crossing City Folk, which is kind of like the Sims, but more Animal Crossing-like. It'll be out later this year.
Source: Gizmondo
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July 15th, 2008, 21:57 Posted By: bandit
LOS ANGELES – Leading gaming peripherals manufacturer, Nyko Technologies®, today provided a sneak peak at its new lineup of products to be on display during next week’s E3 Media & Business Summit, taking place July 15th through July 17th. The new product debuts fulfill a line of gaming peripherals recently shipped to market and soon to be released, spanning Nintendo’s Wii™ home console, the Xbox 360™, and PlayStation®3.
“It’s exciting to be participating in the annual E3 Media & Business Summit and using the event as a launch pad for several new console peripherals”, said Chris Arbogast, Director of Marketing at Nyko Technologies. “The event has proven successful for us in the past, and we look forward to showcasing our upcoming products of continued quality and innovation.”
The following new products will be on display at the Nyko exhibition booth in Room 505B of the West Hall:
Media Hub for PS3 – August 2008
The all-new Media Hub from Nyko attaches to any available USB port on the PS3 and enables the connection of three additional USB devices including flash drives, PSP, MP3 players and additional controllers. Its form-fitting design matches the contour of the PS3 for a clean look. Expected to ship this August, the Media Hub requires no tools or internal modifications, draws its power directly from the PS3, and easily installs in just seconds.
Intercooler TS for Xbox 360 – September 2008
The successful Intercooler series gets an update! Easy snap-on installation and an AC power supply provides a more convenient and powerful solution than USB. New temperature control technology and additional assets will be revealed during E3.
Intercooler TS for PlayStation 3 – September 2008
Another innovation for this powerful system, the Intercooler TS for the PlayStation 3 also features easy snap-on installation, an AC power supply, and new temperature control technology which will be announced during E3. In addition, four powerful fans reduce ambient air temperature to help keep your system cool and running at peak performance.
In addition, Nyko products released in the first half of 2008 will be on display, including the Charge Base 360, Kama Wireless Controller for Wii, Cord-Free Wireless Adaptor for Wii, Energy Pak for Wii Balance Board™ and FrontMan Guitars for Wii and PS3, among many others.
Source: Press Release
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July 13th, 2008, 19:43 Posted By: Shadowblind
Unreal Tournament III
Publisher: Midway
Developer: EPIC Games
Players: 1-16
Genre: FPS
ESRP: $59.99
When the original Unreal Tournament debuted back in 1999, it took many multiplayer nuts by surprise. While it wasn't necessarily unforeseen since Quake II made such a bang with its new twitch-action multiplayer, the level of depth to this FPS was almost unmatched. The ideas surrounding it were simple enough; a game made almost solely for multiplayer action. This doesn't mean only against other living players, but also against some of the the best A.I. bots for its time. Well, you can rest assured that the formula for the blockbuster game hasn't changed much, though that may well be the reason for the troubles with this game. Don't jump to any conclusions; I'm not saying its bad or good. Just read on, you'll get it.
The Unreal tournament series has always been known for its mindless run-and-gun fireattatwitch FPS action. Things haven't changed a whole lot in Unreal Tournament III. The insanely fast paced nature of the game has been left in tact, and as per usual, you don't have to do a lot of thinking to know how to win. The main point of UT3 is still to blast the other guy to kibbles before he blasts you. getting killed thirty times every match is the usual, but what might seem a little unusual, is that its USUAL even during campaign mode. In fact, campaign mode is actually one of the few things that sets UT3 apart from its predecessors. For one, the new campaign features actual cutscenes to tell the story. The bad part is that cut-scenes are the ONLY thing in this game that tell the main story. Levels simply consist of a sequence of bot matches that range anywhere from one to fifteen before going to the next chapter, and the next scene. Before each battle, however, you do get a short briefing on your mission that adds a little to the story, but generally feels like a bunch of audio-fillers, so it doesn't have to explain the story. It doesn't really feel so bad at first, but after ten consecutive bot matches without any new story to back it up, it tends gets on your nerves. its not all bad though, as those bot matches constantly feature changing game types, such as CTF, team deathmatch, and a new game mode where you must destroy your enemies core while protecting your own. Still, after all is said an done, the campaign mode feels as though it was only thrown in there because it had to be. At least its something, which is a lot more then Shadowrun did. (If you didn't know, Shadowrun's best and only selling point was its multiplayer. Not even a tiny bit of story-mode.)
I am coming for you
Like I said before, the story was told completely through cut-scenes. Although it wouldn't have hurt to have a little subliminal story telling like most games these days do, if it was gonna be told through anything, it would have best been through these scenes. They look absolutely fantastic. Great camera angles and many high octane adrenaline fueled sections of the rather large scenes gave it almost the same feel as a mix between Halo and Gears of War(Which really shouldn't be much of a surprise, seeing as EPIC made Gears as well). In the end, even though the cutscenes do a great job of conveying what little story in this game there is, it never fills the void completely, and left me feeling like they, too, were thrown in there "just 'cause." Still, even though the cutscenes tell the story well, the best part of these cutscenes is also the best part of the game; that is, the graphics.
Well, be honest here. Did you expect anything except the very best from EPIC? After Gears of War, I can confidently say that it would have been more a surprise had they not made the best graphics around. Even if your playing on a non-HD set up, you'll notice right away that the graphics for this game are top notch detail. The character models seem to have the most detail in the game, but they end up looking a bit funny despite looking so good. the thing is, unlike in most other games, in UT3 you practically are never standing still long enough to notice the graphics, since you'd be shot to pieces if you tried. Smooth animations, though there really aren't that many in the game anyway except for dying and hover boarding. The vehicles in the game look nice, but they tend to all look (and handle) too similarly to one another. Not really bad, just, not really creative. The backgrounds are great as well. Textures all look highly detailed, and are usually very diverse. As far as the game's graphics are concerned, the Unreal 3 engine is working the best we've seen here. The framerate has never dropped as I played it even in some of the most hair-raising nine-on-seven fights. The backgrounds are fairly large too, though they are more of the typical FPS battlefield style, that is, a semi-large usually circular in shape arena. Not to be mistaken for Gears of War's straight line battlegrounds or Battlefield's crazy large army style battlegrounds. Then again, if it was any other way, UT3's run-an'-gun style wouldn't really work as well.
There is nothing that doesn't look awesome in this picture
Now we'll get into Unreal Tournaments selling point through its entire history--its shootonatwitch gameplay. Like past iterations of UT, the game is still all about who can shoot and dodge the fastest. UT3 has brought that aspect to a gold. The game has over ten different weapons to choose from, and every single one (with the exception to the bio-rifle) all work and are fun to play with. Even the Redeemer has been brought back, though its not the rocket minigun you may remember from UT.(Its more of a suicide rocket. It'll kill your enemy, and you, and half the neighborhood block.) You and your enemies all run like your Olympic champions, and with the extremely diverse backgrounds, you can easily set traps for pursuing enemies. Mind you these traps actually ARE you, since you can't actually set a trap on the ground. And nothing ever beats jumping right on an enemy and blowing him up with a Flak Cannon before he even knows what hit him. But then that brings us to overall fairness. In campaign mode, the cheapness that you'll experience is from the other team of bots, not only having more then you at most times, but also being ten times smarter then any of YOUR bot teamates. It essentially makes you the sole player on your team. In other words, single player sucks, and if your devoid of online or a friend to play splitscreen with you, your in trouble. But when you play campaign online, its pretty different. Up to four people can play in a single campaign match at any given time, though it doesn't count toward your single player campaign. But when you have four thinking teammates, even those 4-to-1 odds get evened out very well. Bad part is, if you currently lack a headset like I do, strategizing, at least on your part, isn't gonna happen. The worst part is hearing your teammates muffled voices through your TV calling your name to do something and you can't tell a word they're saying. Overall, the lack of fairness in single player ruins any experience you may have of trying it out yourself.
As for fairness online, it does suffer a good bit from multiple issues, usually having to do with the connection. The host does have major "host advantage", and anyone who has played gears of War knows what that means. Its when the host is using his own internet as the server, and everyone else is connected to it. Thus is gives him zero lag, and everyone else...well, a lot. Still, if you can find a good enough server(or a crappy enough host), then multiplayer can be a real blast. sixteen players all flying across the match blowing other people up is formula for one heck of a good time. As far as multiplayer in general goes, UT3 has a mess of game modes and options to choose from. Six game modes and a massive number of maps(I counted to 16, but I only counted team Deathmatch. The other modes have they're own maps too o_0 ) The most fun mode is probably still CTF, though Team Deathmatch comes close. Still, all the game modes and all of the amazing looking maps are fun to play on. Now online multiplayer is fun, but if your angry and just need to vent, there is no better way to do it then on an Instant Action bot match. This is where customization really comes in. Choose your team, choose your enemies, choose your map, players, respawns, and a bit of other things too. While this is a huge mess of things that will last you a good long while of game time, it still doesn't quite stand up to the level of depth in Halo or Timesplitters multiplayer options. So if you really couldn't care less about the bots and style of play in UT3 or Halo, you may end up going back to Halo before long. Still, there is a huge amount of fun to be had here, mainly in team work over XBL (or PSN, if you have the PS3 version.) but with friends in general. Playing alone may get rather boring after a while. But there is nothing like hearing the legendary UT announcer saying "MONSTER KILL" after you've mowed down six other players online in 10 seconds or less.
Vehicles play a large part in UT3, but they aren't invincible to ground attackers
The announcer's voice is probably the coolest thing about UT3's audio department, but not the best. The cut-scenes in campaign have good and mildly convincing voice overs, though the lip-sync could have used just a bit more work. Music is great. The action-techno music has been a tradition for UT since the beginning, and it really gets you in the mood to blow a hole in a bot or player. So it does what its supposed to; that is, get you hyped up to want to blast some baddies. The menu music is actually pretty good too. The sound effects in UT3 are varied and crisp sounding. Blasting the enemies have never been so good sounding, and splattering them on the wall is just as good. The voices of the bots on your team in bot matches are actual voices, and the things they say reflect they're personalities in the story as well. Bishop's constant rants for redemption and Jester's frustrated yells of anger reflect each of they're individual persona.
Unreal tournament has held a place in FPS gamer's gaming psyche for a long time. While it may not be as special as it once was, UT still has its primary standards of gameplay set, as it still values mindless blasting more then the story. Issues with a jumpy difficulty lend themselves to UT3 more then past ones, but with living players on your team the game still is a blast with its adrenaline-fueled gameplay. A great multiplayer experience all around, but for the single player, it may be less then average.
Ok then.
Major Selling points:
-- Fast paced Run and Gun action
-- Huge multiplayer modes
-- Plenty of different maps
-- Amazing graphics
-- Co-op campaign mode
-- Utterly mindless
Major breaking Points:
-- Lack of a definitive story mode
-- Single player options are limited
-- "Cheapshots" and fairness issues both in multiplayer and singleplayer
-- Utterly mindless
Story: 3.5/5
While there isn't much of a story, what is here is told well through the small amount of cutscenes.
Graphics: 5/5
Stunning. Exactly what you'd expect from EPIC games.
Sound: 4/5
The sound effects are great, and the music is fitting. VOs are only mildly convincing.
Gameplay: 4/5
Run and Gun gameplay where you shoot or be shot first. The style is great, but single player is below average.
Replay value: 4/5
Huge options for multiplayer and you could try single player again on a harder difficulty. Still, the age old gunplay style may get boring rather fast.
Value: 4/5
if your dying for a multiplayer game, you can find no better new ones then this. As for single player, its not bad, but it could use some work.
Overall:
UT3 is a great addition to a long running franchise, and as far as multiplayer goes its an amazing game. Still, the linear style of campaign and single player modes may get a bit boring unless you have friends to play it with.
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July 13th, 2008, 17:46 Posted By: bandit
PSP Slim 2000 Earphone Microphone
Manufacturer: Dragonplus
Site : Buy from GoldenShop
Price: $13.00
Overview : Stereo Headphones with Remote Control and Skype Microphone 3-in-1. Listen and control your music playback. Want to talk to your buddies over Skype? Just talk into the microphone and listen to what they have to say!
Features :- Novel design
- Stereo sound and mega bass of earphone
- Support MP3 music playback
- High quality and high sensitive Skype microphone built-in
- Skype out and Skype in function built-in
- Without any echo when use in Skype conversation
- Play, Pause, Hold, Fast Forward, Back Forward and Volume adjust function built-in
- Reduce the consumption of console by special IC built-in of "wake-up and auto-sleep accompany with console function" <when console is asleep>
Quality/Usability : By know, you should know that Skype has been released for the PSP Slim. You may have used it already...or some dont have a use for it. For those that do use Skype, you probably use your SOCOM mic or another alternative. Dragonplus, has released a stereo headphones with remote control and skype microphone 3-in-1.
The 3-in-1 consists of stereo headphones, remote control and microphone. Obviously, the stereo headphones allows you to listen to audio in stereo quality. The remote lets you control your video and music playback as well as volume and the microphone allows you to communicate with your friends whether it be via games or on Skype.
The sound quality when listening to music or videos is clear. I tested the earphones and I heard my friend clearly. When speaking into the microphone, the other person on the other end heard me clearly as well. The microphone didnt really pick up much background noise.
The remote control itself is pretty basic and self explanatory. You have you controls such as Play, Pause, Hold, Fast Forward, Back Forward and Volume adjust.
The back of the remote contains a clip and prevents the remote from dangling or swinging around. You can clip the remote to your shift or shirt pocket. The earphones are short wired. No extra wire length to get you tangled up.
The earphone quality is sub-par but I prefer to use my own headphones (Sony MDR-EX71SL). Just remember that if you're using a regular headphones that has the long wires, to roll them up or your remote would be dangling near your knees.
The quality of the remote itself feels sturdy but the buttons felt flimsy but atleast they worked well.
Conclusion : Overall, PSP Slim 2000 Earphone Microphone is a good product. It works but the quality of the buttons and earphones hampers the design. I suggest using your own headphones. A feature that I feel that should have been added was a FM tuner. I would like to listen to the radio using my PSP.
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