Fable 2 DLC Review

When I first heard about Fable 2 downloadable content I can defiantly say I was happy. After completing the game twice and finishing all the quests I was upset how quick it took me to complete the game but thanks to this DLC it has given me a reason to boot the game up again, but unfortunately this is also short. It took me about 2 hours (if that) to blast through the three new quests and further 40 minutes to collect all the books that tell the story of Knothole (these books are like the sliver keys of the island but don't really unlock anything other than lore and a achievement). I have yet to achieve the last achievement which includes unlocking everything in the mystery gift shop. Which leads me neatly onto one of my favorite things about the DLC. 

The shops on the island. You see Knothole Island is very much isolated from the rest of Albion so there is a lot of Knothole only goodies waiting for you. For instance there's a big shop selling rare augments and something which can take augments out of your weapons, a cosmetics shop which sells unique dyes and potions which make you fat,thin,scar-less and make your skin as soft as a babies backside. Not only that there's the mystery gift shop. By far the best shop in the game. Basically you bring mundane items which can be swapped for clothes and weapons but as the name implies you don't know what you will get. I suppose this could be counted as a side quest (and one which is likely be more rewarding then the main three). 

Closing Comments 

The best way to look at this DLC is a load of new items with some missions and a island to explore round thrown in. If you've been looking for an excuse to venture back into the world of Albion and have money spare then go ahead and buy it, otherwise get the free patch so you can visit your friends who are in the world of Knothole so you can at least experience some of the weather changing magic.

pictures from ign.com

Gruntilda = The hardest boss on any platformer game

For Christmas I got a copy of Banjo Kazooie Nuts and Bolts and I have just recently finished it (Well I have beaten Grunty... Just haven't got round to getting all those Jiggies) and the final boss is hard as nails. You have to make vehicle that can literally DO everything, but enough about that. This review is about Banjo Kazooie for the N64 which thanks to Rare has found it's self on XBLA (Xbox Live Arcade).

I missed Banjo Kazooie on there first outing back on the Nintendo 64 because when I had a choice I picked the Playstation over the N64 (How naive I was when I was six), but when I booted up this for the first time it reminded me of so many other platformer's of its era. It was very much like a best of all platformers thrown together. For instance controls of Super Mario 64, alot of collectables and a hub world which are very similar to Spyro, character design which is very similar to Croc and add the charm and charisma that Rare injects into all its games and you have a winner. To me thats what BK is in a nutshell, an all round platformer that everyone will enjoy.

Now for the few out there who are wondering 'Okay then.... Who IS Banjo Kazooie and what's the point of the game?'

Question 1: Banjo is the honey bear and Kazooie is a bird. There are NOT the same person as many people I seem to talk to think.

Question 2: The plot as with all platformers isn't deep or serious but unlike most, Rare does try its best to add humor whenever possible. Basically Gruntilda (Or Grunty for short) has kidnapped Banjo's sister Tootie, and has placed her in a big machine which will take her beauty and give it to herself. It is up to Banjo and Kazooie (and with a little help from Mumbo Jumbo and Bottles the mole)  to rescue Tootie and defeat Grunty. All simple stuff. To do this you must collect Jiggies (jigsaw pieces) to use to unlock levels and musical notes to unlock doors. In other words, its the biggest collect em up game in existance (only beaten by Spyro:Year of the Dragon which makes you collect so many little gems its unbelievable!) 

Now you may be sitting there and thinking ' This sounds like a game aimed for my 8 year old sister' then you not far wrong but I doubt she could complete the game fully without tearing out all her hair and throwing the controller at the TV. Banjo Kazooie, much like most Rare games look cute and cuddly but the deeper you go the harder it gets. 

This leads back nicely to the beginning of this post..... Gruntilda. Today I have spent I don't know how long trying to defeat her. Just when you think its all over she some how survives and as I always seem to have my guard down at these times she just pwns me into the next millennium.... Very much like the Nuts and Bolts version, but with that you could blame it all on your vehicle and go back to the drawing board, but with THIS you know its all your fault and that you suck and now you have to start the boss fight all over again. 

Forget Bowser, Grunty is the hardest end of game boss on a platformer!

Rating: A

Closing Comments 

All I can say is that if you were younger than ten in the 1990's this game will be like walking down memory lane EVEN if you haven't played it on the N64. If your any older than that and enjoyed Super Mario 64 or any other good platformer (bar Mirriors Edge.... Thats a different kind of platformer) then you should pick this game up and realize what you're missing! 

picture from www.pressthebuttons.typepad.com

Yes it is that time again for another Pokemon post!! This time it is Pokemon Battle Revolution in the spotlight. Now this game is great fun and so addicting. The graphics are great and the control's work well with the Wii. There are also a few added extras to the game. You are given the ability to transfer your Pokemon from Diamond and Pearl over to Battle Revolution which is a nice bonus if you have all the ubers. There is also a little nifty mode where you connect two DS's with Pokemon Diamond and Pearl and you can connect to the Wii and battle over the TV with your prized Pokemon in 3D.

When you start off the game you get given a battle pass which has 6 Pokemon on it so you have a choice of either the blue pass or the red pass. Then you have the chance to make your own battle pass with your copied Pokemon from the DS. Then you start playing. You go through different area's of Poketopia trying to beat the area leader but each different area has it's own rules some you have a lucky dip of Pokemon some you get to choose random Pokemon this is a nice extra which makes the game less boring.

The Wi-Fi is good but really hard because all of the people on Wi-Fi use legendarys and lots of them so if you are going to go Wi-Fi then I recommend you get a good team of strong Pokemon on your DS then transfer them.

I have also heard that if you finish the game you can get a pikachu that knows Surf and Volt tackle and some other moves and you can get this via mystery gift I don't know if this is true it is just a rumor as far as I am concerned, but this pikachu would make a good member of your party on the DS. (Ed: Yes this rumor is true once you have finished all of the Colosseum)

Now don't get me wrong it is a good game but it gets repetitive and it is all exactly the same as Pokemon Stadium 1 and 2. There is nothing really new about this game and the Pokemon company could have done so much better!

I give this game a C because it has good gameplay but gets boring very quickly.

Signing out, Callum

pictures from www.wiisworld.com

MORTAL KOMBAT! (Armageddon =D)

Hey! Spartan 120 here. I'm reviewing Mortal Kombat armageddon because I got it as an early christmas present =D

This new mortal kombat game features the hugest roster ever. Every character from every mortal kombat game has got into this and each with his or her own moves and awesomeness!

You can even play as some of the bosses from the games. The game plays well, the D pad on the Wii remote does attacks and the nunchuk moves. To do special moves you hold B and wave the Wii remote in a direction or shape. When you've won the Words "Finish Him/Her" appear and you can wave the wii remote in a direction or shape to "Kreate a fatality" this involves ripping heads off, arms off and finishing your defeated opponent however I do kindof miss each character having their own special finishers. There are also deathtraps on the stages which mean you automatically win the round if you knock your opponent into them, they vary from acid pools, giant rollers and spike pits.

There is also a "Kreate a fighter" mode, which lets you make your own character and fight with them. There is also "Konquest" mode which is the closest thing to a story mode in the game which is the closest thing to a storymode in any mortal kombat game. You play as Taven, one of the king's sons who must compete in a mortal kombat tournament, this is good but it gets very linear and basic after a while and it is quite difficult.

In addition there is also "Motor Kombat" a fun racing minigame where you pick a cartoony version of some of the characters and race around tracks. Hitting obsticles and dying will count as a "Fatality" and you will respawn. Each character can pick up powerups on the tracks, however each character only has 1 weapon available so don't expect any surprises.

Overall the game is very enjoyable and is not like your average beat em up game. I'd recommend it to any Mortal Kombat fan or fighting game fan who wants a different game. The large roster will keep you playing and there is a lot of customisation involved.

Rating: A

Boxart Image from Megamers.com

Screenshot from IGN.com

Geometry Wars Evolved 2

I can't say I am a big side scrolling shooter fan. I don't really enjoy Space Invaders, or Galaga or many other famous side scrolling shooter games for that matter. This game however..... was a completely different story altogether. I found myself spending ages trying to beat my friends high scores on  Geometry Wars Evolved 2 (GWE2 for short). You see, while playing your score at that point in time is shown on the left, then on your right it shows you your friends high-score. Its a brilliant motivator.

The game comes in six different modes: Deadline where you  have unlimited lives but a timer, Pacifism where you can not shoot and can only kill the enemies by flying through gateways which explode (which take out the enemy ships in the progress), King where you can only fire in special circles which disappear after a few seconds, Waves where you have one live and endless waves of enemies flying at you, Evolved which is like the opposite of the deadline where you have three lives and unlimited time and finally sequence which involves defeating a certain amount of enemies then moving on to the next challenge. My favorite would have to be Evolved  just because you can rack up such a high score if you don't lose any lives!

The controls for the game are simple yet innovative. You shoot by tilting the right analogue stick which I have never seen before in a arcade shooter before. You then move with the left analogue stick and fire your bombs with the right trigger (Bombs basically destroy everything on the screen and are useful to get out of tight spots).

Now on to the graphics. They are simple neon shapes which explode into neon pixels which look amazing. You can keep your fire works 'cos GWE2 is one better. 

All in all Geometry Wars Evolved 2 is a brilliant arcade shooter which will appeal to hardcore arcade fans as well as the more casual ones and a must buy if your 360 is connected online!

Grade: B

Portal:Still Alive

Now, before I start this review I just would like to point out that I missed Portal on the first time round thats why I brought this. If you aren't a Portal loving fanboy (Or you have yet to jump into the world of Portal) I can say straight away this is not for you. This is because Portal: Still Alive is just the original Portal with 15 extra non story line related levels which are pretty cool, but if you have already own Portal I wouldn't recommend it. Well now thats out of the way lets move on!

Portal is a first person physics based puzzle game which is tied together with quirky characters and an interesting story line. You are Chell. Its never explained why you are a test subject, all you know is to do the puzzles and finally escape..... All on you own. Well thats not 100% true. You see GLaDOS will help you out now and then (she is an A.I. who is your guide in the world of the Aperture Science Enrichment Center). Along your way to freedom you meet other unique characters such as a lovable cube with a heart on it and turrets with the voices of little children which murderously kill you at any possibility. As you can tell the world of Portal pretty mucked up and this is a good thing. The game is busting with charisma and get ready for it to charm you into playing it again.... again and again. You could probably do this is less than a week! Yes, the game is very short. Which is its biggest downfall. Once I got to the end of the game I was upset it was already over. The extra challenges do help to make the game longer but it lacks the charm the story mode holds. It never seems quite right without GLaDOS commenting about this that and the other.

The game itself has amazing physics. You can spend ages just throwing yourself threw portals and then when your bored of that grab something else and throw them in portals! It must of took Valve ages to get physics how they are and I really give them a pat on the back for it.

Closing Comments

Portal:Still Alive is in my eyes one of the best way to spend 1,200 Microsoft Points and even though its a bit short you can't call yourself a real gamer until you have finished it. With the best physics engine I've seen and fun (if not that challenging) puzzles, finished of with simple yet effective graphics it all makes a good little package.

Rating: B

Signing out, Josh

picture from:

Gamerbyte.com

Teh Gaming News Episode 2

Its that time again folks! Its gaming news, and a rather late one at that. This is because of

Fable 2, Geometry Wars 2 Evolved (Expect to see a lil review for that soon). On the news side of things however its been a bit quiet. Well, compared to last month anyway. Anyway enough banter and lets going with this months news!

Zombies!

Yes thats right. The gaming industry is flooding with them thanks to Left 4 Dead and Call of Duty: World at War's zombie Nazi mode (Which involves you and three other people trapped in a house while an endless waves of zombies attack you. Its also co-op!) Zombies were pretty big last month too with World of Warcraft's zombie day and Grand Theft Auto's zombie multiplayer. It seems like the worlds infected!

Halo 3: Recon is no more

Well to some extent. Halo 3: Recon has got a name change. It is now called....... Halo 3 ODST! The new acronym stands for Orbital Drop Shock Trooper.

Nintendo to Wii-make Gamecube games. Now with extra waggle!

Nintendo once again is trying to sell us something which we have already. Pikmin 1 and 2, Metroid Prime 1 and 2 and Donkey Kong Jungle Beat all will be 'Wii-made' for the Wii with enhanced graphics. Hopefully, these will be more than just straight forward ports and add something new to the mix. So far it has been confirmed that DK Jungle Beat will be controlled by holding the Wii controller horizontally like you hold it when you are playing Super Paper Mario. This shows how they are going for a more retro style. While Metroid Prime on the other hand will be remade with the controls of Metroid Prime 3. How Pikmin is going to be controlled however is a mystery.

Fable 2 Downloadable Content!

And no we do not mean the new skin/background for your dashboard! On the 12th of December we will see the release of a brand new island to explore in the world of Albion. The packs called Knothole Island pack and will cost 800 points. In Fable 1 a place called Knothole Glade was featured and now we get to see what happened to it. If you download it on the day it comes out expect to get a few free gifts. These include Knights Boots, Assassins Gloves, a weight loss potion and a sliver book. You may however be able to buy these on the island anyway seeing as the pack will include new items to buy.

Banners! And wallpapers soon aswell (hopefully)

My good friend Jacob7869 (also known as Jacob) has made us at Triforce Games a couple of banners to help make our blog look so much better. Hopefully some wallpapers will make there way on here soon aswell. So fingers crossed!

Thats all for this months issue! See you all next month!

pokemon:giritina and the sky warrior

Well it's almost here the next Pokemon movie to be released Pokemon: Giritina And The Sky Warrior.
The movie was officially anounced in a teaser clip at the end of Pokemon: The Rise Of Darkrai. Now it's unlucky for us but for those who live in Japan were able to get a level 50 Shaymin and a level 100 Regigigas. Obtaining theese two pokemon means you can get all 3 Regi's and you can acess Shaymin's sky form but this is only able in pokemon platinum.
The film features Giritina, Shaymin and Dialga. This film is a follow up of Pokemon: The Rise Of Darkrai and there is another film following the story of the last two films. In an interveiw with the director revealed that Ash and an Electric Pokemon will be the key characters in the next film.

Signing out, Callum

pictures from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon:_Giratina_and_the_Sky_Warrior#

Gears Of War 2

Hey guys! Sorry about not being on in a while and not doing a review last month, I'll make sure to double my efforts this month though :)

Anyway, it's that time of year again, the locust have returned and they're angry, yes I'm talking about Gears of war 2!

Taking place a few months after Gears 1. Winters coming and the war with the Locust is still going. Marcus Fenix must once again lead delta squad through hell and back to end this war.

The game plays just like Gears 1, the two are very alike, Gears 2 uses the Unreal engine though and you will tell. The weapons are bigger and more badass and it has a decent story line.

The story is fun to play through, at times it is unique, with different enemies at different times and different weapons. However it can get kinda dull if you keep dying, or just keep failing your objective, as the checkpoints come at the most annoying points. The story is further explained in Gears 2 and it sheds some light on the situation.

The game also features 5 vs 5 team matches online and there are many modes from the previous game. People can jump right in and got for a 5 V 5 team match or you can try the new game types. Meatflag is a new game in which you must capture the flag and bring it to a required weapon spawn. However the flag is an angry Stranded with a shotgun who doesn't take too kindly to people grabbing him and forcing him away, so you must down him and carry him there. There is also a Wingman mode, which is 2 vs 2 vs 2 vs 2 vs 2 with partners being the same character. The online is a great reason to buy this game though.

Another awesome mode is Horde mode, which pits 1-5 people against 50 waves of the Locust horde on the multiplayer maps. It is great for friends or to just play on your own as it is very addictive and fun. Some maps are easier than others though and seeing as you only get one life and the Horde get stronger every 10 waves you'll have your hands full whether your with orwithout friends.

Overall Gears 2 is a awesome game and is better than than Gears one in almost every way and is a very decent game. It has come back with more and it truely is "Bigger, Better and more Badass" Sometimes though I think it can get frustrating on harder difficulties and sometimes repetitive though.

Rating: A

Pictures from Videogamesblogger.com

an apology and Fable 2 review

Hey guys! Sorry for the lack of an update till now. I caught a virus you see. It hit me hard. I couldn't leave my bedroom for weeks. Yes, I brought Fable 2. I did ask some of my fellow writers but none of them have posted anything so I thought I should leave the world of Albion, to write about it..

So settle down and I will tell you a tale of the most hyped up game of the year......

It all starts out with the iconic opening video with the a birds feces landing on our young hero's head and thats about as good as his day gets. The time spent as a child is the games tutorial and a rather good one at that and doesn't take to long to sit through once you've done it once(which is good because you will likely have multiple saves), then after you are taken away from your home to Castle Fairfax and meet the main villain Lucien your sister is shot and so are you, but luckily you survive and a magical gypsy finds you. The game fast forwards into the future when you are a grown man and ready to make a name of yourself in the world of Albion.

Form here on in its up to you what you want to become. Do you want to be a goody two shoes and help everyone to live a happier life? Or do you only care about yourself and do anything to get to Lucien and get revenge? If none of those catch your fancy maybe you want to be a business tycoon and become King/Queen of Albion. Its all up to you. There just a few things which you may choose to become. Not only that you get yourself a dog as well which is yours to treat as you please. Hate dogs? Well when yours gets hurt don't heal it and let it limp around Albion after you. It will catch up with you eventually but for the time being your life will be dog free, although he comes in handy when finding treasure and fighting.

Speaking about fighting, the controls for attacking your enemies are so pick up and play. With X to use your melee weapon, Y to use you long ranged and B for magic even your sister might be able to kill a bandit or two. The controls do have a lot of depth though and are needed to be taken into account when you progress with the game. Thats not to say the game is hard. In fact it's to easy. This leads to my biggest gripe about the game. The length of the main story. As soon as the action heats up the story is over and your left feeling sad that its over already. Now thats not say there isn't anything to do once the games finished but you don't have the same sense of direction or motivation to get revenge.

Another problem with the game is the amount of glitches to be found. Our fellow author of the site Mark couldn't play Fable 2 for ages because it froze at the starting screen. Thats the worse case scenario. I have had many smaller glitches like my dog turns green, my looks change and stuff like that. These usually fixed with a quick reset of the 360. My advise is not to download the Fable 2 update as that seems to cause it. I haven't and have not had any serious problems yet.......

As I haven't got the update I have not witnessed the online play at all but me and Callum spent a whole night playing the offline co-op and its okay. The game plays exactly the same as if it was one player which has its both highs and lows. The highs are the fact the gameplay isn't changed, nor do the endless options and also any money or experience you gain can be taken back to your save. but what does change is the frame rate (which during our session sometimes dropped below par and the game seemed to be running in slow motion) and the camera. The reason the co-op isn't split screen is beyond me. Instead both characters must stay on the same screen and the camera is very much like on Lego Star Wars. Now its okay on LSW but on Fable 2 where its all meant to be about choices, having to follow each other about can be a little annoying.

Closing Comments

Fable 2 is brilliant game. The graphics are stunning and the AI are realistic and I would reckon mend it anyone who likes fantasy/action/adventure games. But on the other hand if you wanted it for the online co-op you will be more than disappointed because it feels so much of an after thought.

If you can see over the glitches and block your ears from all the hype this game will be amazing. Just play it slowly and enjoy it while it lasts!

Rating: A

signing out, The Triforce Fighter

Second Opinion

Well I've always liked Fable 1 and thought it was one of the best RPGs on the xbox, you can do whatever you want, you have complete freedom. So I naturally had to get Fable II when I heard it was coming out. I thought it was good at the start, it reminded me of the first fable quite a lot though. You have a sister and gotta get gold to get a special box to grant a wish.

In ways it is much better than the original, the world is bigger, theres more to collect and do. But in some ways i prefer the original because in that the story can't be completed in about 4-5 hours.

I do think this is a decent game worth getting though but if got do NOT accept the update at the start as it can mess up your game or worse your 360 (it had given me the red ring before) Hopefully Lionhead will release a patch to fix this

In other news (might as well put it here) I've ordered Gears Of War 2 and I'll put a review of it up as soon as I've played it =D

pictures from:

consolenauts.com