KOTOR 2 has gone gold and should be hitting stores next week. Expect all new features and an awesome storyline for the sequel. I myself will be going darkside all the way. Also hitting stores next week will be LOTR Battle for Middle Earth for the PC. I have been awaiting this title for quite sometime now, and I have read nothing but great things about it. And for this weeks releases, the only title worth picking up is Prince of Persia 2. Cone should be all over that game since the first one ruled. Stay tuned for more features and reviews to be posted pretty soon.
Marco Ortega
KOTOR 2 Gold!
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[floatleft]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/gtasanandreas/cover.jpg[/floatleft]Most of you know that we here at Snackbar are not huge [i]GTA[/i] fans. I could not stand [i]Vice City[/i] and was hoping that San Andreas would be a total disaster as well; but to my dismay, I found myself getting a copy of San Andreas. After hearing so much about all the new features and the miles upon miles of city blocks, I was really intrigued.
Set in the 1990s, [i]GTA: San Andreas[/i] takes place in the cities of Los Angeles, San Diego, Hollywood, Sacramento, and San Francisco, along with parts of Sin City. Your character is Carl Johnson, a.k.a. C.J., and you have returned to San Andreas from [i]Liberty City[/i] to hear quite a bit of disturbing news. Your mother and brother have been murdered. Gangs rule the city streets, and it’s your job to seek your family’s killers and take back the streets. The good thing is that you are not all on your own. Your hood buddies-Big Smoke, OG Loc, Sweet, B-Dup, Ryder, and plenty more-come in to play. These aren’t the only folks you will encounter throughout the game; you will see the colorful “rainbow” of the San Andreas community, from mobsters to actors to rappers to cokeheads to strippers.
Since the [i]Liberty City[/i] version, the graphics in the [i]GTA[/i] series have not changed one bit. Detailed faces and body structure along with bland landscapes and mediocre building textures still remain, making it obvious that graphics were not on Rockstar’s priority list. The story is top priority, with added RPG elements-this was the feature that pulled me into San Andreas. You can choose whether or not you want to be a fat tub of lard or COCK DIESEL! This is all decided on the amount of exercise you do (hitting the weights is a requirement, not eating pizzas, tacos, or chicken buckets). Trust me when I say that there are a lot of those around the city.
[floatright]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/gtasanandreas/ss02_thumb.jpg[/floatright]Another feature I enjoyed was the amount of XP you receive the more you use a certain weapon. The more missions you accomplish, the more respect you get on the street. It’s all about street credibility when you “wanna roll with the right peeps.” Rockstar does a great job in breaking down your stats in order for you to manage your character. Several types of stats are represented, including sexual appeal, style, stamina, fat, muscle, bank account, property value, and even girlfriends. Yes, you get girlfriends! The days of having to honk your horn to get some action are over. Now you can just woo her into the bedroom. Remember, in order to get a girlfriend you have to dress the part, which means going to the clothing store and buying some nice threads is a must.
I was impressed to learn about the wide variety of voice talent that participated in [i]San Andreas[/i]. Chris Penn, James Woods, Ice-T, and Kid Frost are among some of the voice actors in [i]San Andreas[/i]. My favorite is Samuel L. Jackson as the corrupt cop, Officer Tenpenny.
While cruising in your vehicles, listening to the radio is always entertaining. This is obviously no surprise to [i]GTA[/i] lovers, as the music is always top-notch with a variety of stations to choose from. Let’s not forget the crazy commercials and obnoxious disc jockeys. Playing [i]San Andreas[/i], I found myself laughing most of the time, mainly because of the dialogue that you have with your buddies and the people on the streets. I also enjoyed the low-riding contests; it pretty much uses the same directional controlling system as [i]DDR[/i]. Missions aren’t just run-and-gun anymore-you have to use your social skills, stealth, and even your dancing skills in order to complete them. Stealth missions resemble the style of gameplay present in the game [i]Manhunt[/i], which is no surprise.
[floatleft]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/gtasanandreas/ss05_thumb.jpg[/floatleft]Overall, the variety of missions and gameplay in [i]San Andreas[/i] really changes the pace of the series. Especially with the addition of RPG elements, this is by far the best [i]GTA[/i] of the series. I am still playing [i]San Andreas[/i] and enjoying every minute of it. If you’re not a big [i]GTA[/i] fan, I would say that you should rent it and give it a shot. Since you don’t have just one set path to choose from, you will be amazed at the difference in gameplay. This is definitely a keeper for those of you who like involving games with a lot of variety.
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Before I start, I just want to say how much of an honor it was for Snackbar to be invited to the Nintendo headquarters. It was very exciting to be one the first to sample some of their upcoming games and gear. I was lucky enough to have gone (Cone and Dots were the first invited to attend this event, but unfortunately they caught a bug and got sick). Having to step foot at Nintendo-a company that has had an impact on my life as a gamer since I was a child-was really awesome. I will give you my first impressions on the Nintendo DS, which is set to hit the stores in a few weeks.
The Nintendo DS is one of the most impressive handheld systems to come out. With so many features and capabilities, I would pretty much call this the Swiss Army knife of mobile gaming. The Nintendo DS not only comes with loads of features, but it looks really slick with its design. For those of you who think this is the next step of the “Gameboy” handheld systems, you are mistaken. The Nintendo DS is a stand-alone system that has the capabilities of playing GBA games, but it’s entirely an all-new generation of mobile gaming.
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My preconceived notions of the DS were way off before handling the actual device. As attractive as it is, with its sleek and lightweight design, the DS brings a new aspect to mobile gaming. With shoulder buttons, dual screens (one of which uses touch screen technology), the use of a stylus pen, voice recognition, surround sound speakers, and Wi-Fi technology, the DS is a load of pure awesomeness. When you first power on the device, it prompts you to customize your DS settings. As a side note, your DS will have plenty of juice right out of the box, but it’s always good to charge up before taking it out for the day. The DS uses the same power adapter as the GBA; so if you lose it, you can revert to your GBA’s adapter. Once on, the DS will ask you to adjust the time and date, your system’s name, language, and your birthday. All DS systems will come with a demo copy of [i]Metroid Prime: Hunters[/i]-and might I add, the cartridges are much smaller than GBA cartridges. The color and image quality of the DS is absolutely stunning, with a resolution of 256×192. Both screens on the DS house backlit LCD screens.
Being one of the first people to play [i]Metroid[/i] was very exciting. I was actually a little concerned about how I was going to play the game by using the stylus pen. After a few minutes of practicing the movements, it was almost like playing a PC FPS. Another tool they threw in the package was a thumb strap you could use on the touch screen as opposed to the stylus. The screen’s sensitivity can be calibrated if it becomes too sensitive for either the pen or the strap. [i]Metroid[/i] also contains five modes of control setups to choose from, including one for those who like the classic style of mobile gaming. [i]Metroid[/i] looked stunning, with great graphics and awesome multiplayer types. We all participated in wireless multiplayer “LAN” matches of various types over the built-in wireless connection. [i]Metroid[/i] was not the only game we played on the DS; [i]Super Mario 64[/i] was also a pleasant surprise. With new modes and more characters, [i]Super Mario 64[/i] stays true to its roots. The graphics, sound, and controls were all very impressive.
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One of my favorite features of the DS was Pictochat. The wireless chat program allows other DS systems to get together and send messages to one another. Chat rooms are available in order to minimize major traffic. The signal strength of the DS was also very impressive. I literally left the room, walked down the hall, and still had a great signal. The distance of optimal signal strength is 100 feet; anything past that could lose your signal, but it’s worth pushing the limits. Another really cool feature it threw at us were game prompts. If someone is hosting a multiplayer match or chatting within your 100-foot radius, you are prompted to join. This only happens if and only if your DS is powered on and you possess that particular game.
Overall, the Nintendo DS was an all-around splendid system with many exciting features and new technology for mobile gaming. Since the DS will be available in stores at some point next week, I would expect the stores to sell out rapidly. The DS provides a new generation of handheld gaming suited for all generations. I expect Nintendo to continue to dominate the handheld gaming arena for years to come. Personally, I don’t see the PSP standing a chance against the DS. Rock on Nintendo!
Big Week!!
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This week will be a busy week for gaming stores across the nation. With major releases hitting the shelves, it will be difficult for gamers to stay focused on just one game. Activisions Call of Duty for consoles will be hitting the shelves along with EA’s Need for Speed Underground 2. Ubi Soft’s Ghost Recon 2 should be a good title to look for this week. And the most anticipated PC game for the past several years will be out tomorrow. Half Life 2 will be out for sale first thing tomorrow morning. Make sure you stop by your nearest EB Games to pick your copy of any of the following games.
THE BEST EVENT EVAR!!!!
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I must say that we here at Snackbar love you guys. The community here at Snackbar is the what keeps us going. The Halo 2 Midnight Madness at EB Games was awesome. We met som really cool people, gave away tons of stuff, fed a ton of people, and lastly we all got our copies of Halo 2. We were very happy to see hundreds of people at the Halo 2 event last night. Congratulations to all of you folks who won the copies of Halo 2 and other cool schwag.
We also want to thank The Wraith, Turtle, Jaxa, Man U, Wampa, Copius, Drac, and I know I’m forgetting some people so I’m sorry if I forgot you but we love you. You guys did a hell of a job yesterday pulling the event off without a problem. You guys are AWESOME! There was so much going on yesterday that it’s hard to describe in this post. So hopefully I can put something together with all the footage and interviews I got on tape. Stay tuned for that. But for now we can post some pics here soon. Again I just want to say to the entire Snackbar community that all of you guys freaking RULE!
