December 2005

A merger of sorts

December 20, 2005

There has been something major in the works here at Snackbar Games this week and it is only fitting that I give you a little heads up about it. I have been a long time friend of Mr. Wayne Phinney over at [url=http://www.discreaderror.com]DRE[/url]. I have been helping Wayne out with DRE for several years now. This week we came to an agreement by where we are going to merge the 2 communities. Being the larger site we will be bringing over their staff and content. This is a huge event for both of us as we should be in a much better position to continue to grow in 2006.

As such, you are going to see a lot of new and very active people in the forums. You will also see a lot of new writers on the site. We just want to welcome them aboard.

The transition will probably take a few weeks so expect some changes here and there.

Last Podcast for the Year

December 19, 2005

News / by Marco Ortega /

To all Snackbarians out there, Episode 5 of the Lifestyles Podcast will be our last podcast of the year. The Lifestyles podcast should be posted today by our good friend Cone, so watch out for that. We want to thank all of you who have been listening to our podcast, We only do it for you guys! Let’s hope that 2006 will be an awesome year for Snackbar. I hope all of you have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year. KEEP LISTENING!!

Madden NFL 2006

December 17, 2005

Reviews / Xbox 360 / by Matt Conzen /

Football fans, rejoice. A next-generation version of the ever popular Madden franchise is upon us. EA has some pretty big shoes to fill, since they’ve eliminated all other competition by securing the exclusive rights to the NFL players and teams. They’ve done a good job keeping fans happy on the other consoles, but how did they do on the Xbox 360?First and foremost, the graphics are astounding. The players and their animations look more realistic than ever. EA has made the game even more immersive and realistic by adding weather effects and night games. This is one of the 360 launch titles that really proves we’ve entered the next-generation of graphics. The game looks even better if you have a chance to play it on a high definition television, as it supports resolutions up to 1080i, providing the most realistic looking graphics in a football game we’ve ever seen.

The improved visuals are accompanied by a complete overhaul of the menu system. The new menus both look better, and are more intuitive, once you get the hang of them. For long time fans of the series, however, it could take some getting used to. The biggest change here is in the Playbook section of the game, where plays are now organized not only by formation but by types, such as quick pass, inside run, and outside run. This makes choosing an effective play much more accessible to newcomers to the series, because they can choose the play they want without having to know the formation it uses or the names of less obvious plays. The other big change in the interface is the X Menu, which is brought up by hitting X when the menu’s icon is available in the lower left corner of your screen. This shows the last menu you’ve accessed, the active profile, and offers the options in the main menu, from almost any point in the game. This enables the player to drop what he or she’s doing and start a new franchise, edit rosters, or log on to Xbox Live, without having to navigate through lengthy information screens and load times to find their way back to the main menu.

Aside from the graphics and interface, the biggest draw of the Xbox 360 version of the game is the Xbox Live functionality. This version of Madden offers online leaderboards, quick player matchups, and custom matches, all with the blazing speed of Xbox Live. While playing online, lag is mostly a non-issue, though can cause some problems while attempting to kick the football. Aside from the rare lag spikes during a kickoff or while attempting a field goal, the game plays smooth as butter online. It’s also a fun and competitive experience that both hardcore Madden players and casual football fans alike can enjoy, as long as they don’t mind losing a few games. Late night games of Madden have provided some of the most enjoyable experiences the Xbox 360 launch has to offer. As with all Xbox 360 games, EA has provided achievements for players to strive for in the single player game. Once these achievements are reached, they are displayed on your Gamercard for any friends and potential opponents to see. They are also offering premium downloads on the Xbox Live Marketplace, such as team-based themes and gamer pictures, for football fans looking to display their team pride, even while not playing Madden.

Unfortunately, this is where the string of praises ends for Madden NFL 06. It had the potential to be the best console iteration of a football game yet, but instead falls short of it’s current-generation brethren. The reason for this is simple – the game is missing features. And these are not throw-away features we’re talking about, but rather many that were made standard months or even years ago in the Madden franchise. The popular Mini-Camp has been taken out, ridding players of a method to improve their own abilities and their player’s stats in franchise mode. Also missing is the ability to challenge a call made by referees, a feature which has been in the game for years. Superstar mode, which allowed players to create a player and bring him from a rookie to an NFL superstar, is mysteriously absent. The only available modes of play are Play Game (Exhibition), Play Online, and Franchise. Franchise mode retains most of its features from the other console iterations, but the lack of other modes of play just makes this version seem lackluster at best, especially at an MSRP of $10 more than the game on other platforms. Fortunately, the new gameplay mechanics introduced in Madden NFL 06, such as QB Vision, the Truck Stick, and Precision Placement are still available.

Overall, Madden NFL 06 makes some great improvements to the series. The graphics are fantastic, and the presentation is more realistic and immersive than ever before. However, there’s no excuse for the gutting of the very features that made the Madden series great. It’s a shame that EA made what had the potential to be the best version of the game, and subsequently sut it to the point of being the worst. It seems they just don’t understand that no matter what the game looks like, the gameplay is the most important, and cutting gameplay out in order to make time to improve the graphics is about the worst decision a developer can make. If you’re only looking to for the prettiest experience in videogame football, or if you don’t have any other consoles that can take the game online, the Xbox 360 version of Madden NFL 06 might not be a bad purchase. Otherwise, it’s a safe bet to wait for Madden NFL 07, which will hopefully look just as good, but ship with all of the franchise’s content intact.

Score: 70%

Animal Crossing: Wild World

December 17, 2005

DS / Reviews / by Edward Pollard /

This should be the shortest review in the world. You all played Animal Crossing on GameCube, right? Of course you did. Well, the sequel is here and it fits in your (oversize) pocket. Review over. Go. Buy. Now.

But that doesn’t do things justice, does it?

Animal Crossing: Wild World for Nintendo DS is the wildly addictive small scale life simulator from Nintendo. Take over a virtual ‘you’ and move into a small town filled with cute little animals. Play botanist or paleontologist. Collect bugs, catch fish, and decorate your house. You want to impress the Happy Room Academy, don’t you? Of course you do! Now go find the matching sofa for that table.

If you’ve never played Animal Crossing before you’ll find this introduction more than welcoming. Starting with a cab ride to town, you’re first encounter is with the salty Kap’n ,and the exchange you have with him will impact your avatar in your new virtual life. Once you arrive at town hall you’re basically free to do whatever you want. Inevitably you’ll run into Tom Nook, local merchant, and helpful raccoon. Not only will he give you a part-time job to teach you the basics of town life, but he’ll give you a place to live – for a price. That looming debt load is the only direction you’ll ever be given in Animal Crossing, and it’s all you’ll ever need.

The array of things to do daily in the world of Animal Crossing is pretty staggering, and you typically have no real pressure to do any of them. Oh, sure, planting flowers looks nice but it doesn’t pay as nearly well as fishing. But do you even want to work on your debt right now? It’s up to you – no worries about Tom Nook coming around looking for his share. Want to help the museum fill its collection? Or do you just want to decorate your house? Eventually you’re small cottage will be too small, and if you pay down your mortgage to Mr. Nook he’ll be happy to renovate – for a price. This is how the circle is brought full, as a core component of the customization in Animal Crossing demands you pay back Tom Nook someday. It is a gentle push, but a constant one.

Along the way to financial freedom you’ll meet a wide array of characters – people will move in, people will move out. You’ll send and receive letters from townsfolk, run their errands, and solve their problems. You’ll pluck weeds and harvest fruit, and every task you can undertake has real, tangible rewards that will advance your quest to further personalize yourself or your home.

Additions to this version of Animal Crossing are slight – hats and accessories are now available to further customize your character. A watering can lets you give flowers and saplings an extra boost. And new to the museum is an astronomy lab where you’ll be able to customize the constellations of the Animal Crossing world. Fish and bugs are of a wider variety and are slightly more common. It is worth noting that none of these new additions are nearly as entertaining as the original tasks, but they do add a bit of flavor.

However, the big addition to the Animal Crossing universe is pretty impactful: online play. As the second title from Nintendo to support the newly established Wi-Fi Connection, Wild World allows up to three people to visit your town over the internet. While there is no in-game town browser – you’ll need to share A

Xbox 360 Stock and the HD-DVD Rumor

December 16, 2005

News / by Chris Rasco /

Posting all this 360 news makes me feel like I write for an Xbox only site, but I digress.

The current rumblings are that about 300,000 additional 360s are headed to retail outlets in the next week or so. If I were you I would make good friends with someone at a retail store to get an inside track on when they arrive. Either that or you can start calling all your local stores every hour. This number of units is comparable to the initial launch stock so lots of gamers may swing a last minute gift.

Everyone knows that Sony is using the PS3 as a trojan horse to get Blu-Ray players into living rooms. Merely days after the 360 launch, reports were coming out of a new and improved 360 equipped with an HD-DVD drive. Microsoft is vehemently denying these rumors. I would have loved to see an HD-DVD drive in the 360 but I think there is a huge risk that MS avoided in this case.

Sony is backing Blu-Ray very aggressively. They have a lot riding on the success of that format. If it succeeds they will be set with a unified player and console. If it fails… everyone has to buy an HD-DVD player anyway. By eliminating the choice and making it to market now instead of a few months from now Microsoft is keeping the cost of the 360 down while also leaving the format war up in the air. It doesn’t make sense at this point to support a format this early on in the battle.

Adding an HD drive means they would be in the same boat as Sony if the opposing format wins. The caveat here is that Sony owns a ton of movie studios and has committed to make BR movies using those studios libraries. They can actively sway the balance of things in this format war. Last time I checked MS didn’t own any movie studios so while they have a stake in the war, they don’t have an active role as much as Sony.

That being said, drive upgrades have not been historically very successful in the gaming world and I don’t know if MS could pull it off short of doing drive replacements free of charge.

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →