My 2012 Top Ten Games of the Year

In a year full of disappointing games, there were bound to be a few good ones here and there. When I started the year, my Top Ten list was a lot different than what it turned out to be. So, for your viewing entertainment, I present my Top Ten Games of the year, but since this year was full of disappointment, I'd like to start off with my Disappointment of the Year...


2012 Disappointment of The Year: Assassin's Creed 3
There really hasn't been a game more recent in my mind that is more disappointing than Assassin's Creed 3. The sheer hype and build-up for it was off the charts. The setting was bold and fresh. It caught the eyes of many, but it ultimately turned out to be not only a mess at a technical level, but emotionally as well. Even though it's the end of Desmond Miles' story, a character I cared nothing for, Assassin's Creed 3 barely tries to make you blink at eye at his plight. Instead of caring about heroes, I walked away caring more about a villain, which isn't something I can say was truly intentional. Assassin's Creed 3 has now tipped the series towards the mediocre scale after two straight down titles. Assassin's Creed needs a break, or will be assassinated itself.


And now, for my Top Ten Games of the Year...

#10 - Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (Wii U, PS3, 360, 3DS, Vita, PC)
A sequel to the great original finally arrived and delivered on most of what it promised. Even though the Single Player campaign was nothing more than a shell of what was promised, Sonic Racing Transformed still delivers to be an excellent kart racer, despite being murderously difficult in the most unexpected and head-scratching of ways.

#9 - Crashmo (3DS)
While an unexpected sequel, Crashmo doesn't disappoint at any level other than itself being more of a concept that captured the hearts and minds of many early 3DS adopters. Crashmo expands and evolves the concept that Pushmo originally laid forth, but doesn't stop being clever until long after you've given up.

#8 - Forza Horizon (360)
While I have no love for the Forza franchise, picking this one up cheap was one of the best decisions I've ever made. It is one of the best racing games made this generation, offering a variety of challenge and allows the game to be set to your level and not vice versa. It's what Need for Speed Hot Pursuit should've been two years ago, and smokes what Most Wanted provided this year. If you're looking for a great racing game, pick this one up if you have a 360.

#7 - New Super Mario Bros. U (Wii U)
A series that has two similar releases in the same year is either good news or bad news. While I can say they were both good, New Super Mario Bros. 2 falls well short of what New Super Mario Bros. U offers, both in terms of level design, but from a challenging standpoint as well. While New Super Mario Bros. 2 provided a coin gimmick that neutered the game's challenge, New Super Mario Bros. U not only provides excellent in-game challenge, but separate, out of the box challenges to keep you playing for hours on end. While there's no real reward at the end, getting there is more exciting than maxing out a couple of score counters.

#6 - Kid Icarus: Uprising (3DS)
A revival of Kid Icarus is something people have wanted for a long time. Given Sakurai's track record of jam-packing games with content, along with several other marketing ploys like AR cards and stands, Kid Icarus Uprising is a gem for the 3DS. It's got great design, good controls, great music. But the thing that is the cherry on top is the game's story, which Sakurai also wrote. It's got a lot of charm that you won't find anywhere else, and for that reason above all, it's worth playing. Not to mention the multiplayer, the loot system, etc.

#5 - Nintendo Land (Wii U)
What do you get when put 12 Nintendo franchises into a mini-game collection? The best mini-game collection ever, that's what. Nintendo Land is more of a psychological profile than straight-up mini-game collection. It's an attack on the senses of non-gamers to buy Nintendo franchises outside of Mario, Zelda and Pokemon. While some obviously won't capitalize on this (Balloon Trip, Octopus Dance), it's a wonder if other franchises (Metroid, Pikmin) will or not. As itself, Nintendo Land is a reason to pick-up the Wii U. While not as universally easy to understand as Wii Sports, it gets you to learn the controller, which is what Wii Sports did.

#4 - Halo 4 (360)
Considering the last couple of Halo releases have been adept disappointments, Halo 4 is a nice rebound for the series that prides itself on multiplayer and having stories that are told horribly. Halo 4's multiplayer is a step above anything Bungie has done since Halo 3. While it's not quite as good, the story serves its' purpose well. While it's still not a fan favorite of mine, the multiplayer is enough to have me playing it, which is enough for it to be on this list.

#3 - Resident Evil: revelations (3DS)
Revelations is the best Resident Evil game to be released since Resident Evil 4. It's a shame since at the time of its' release, Capcom decided to devote time and marketing dollars towards the newly unveiled Resident Evil 6 and upcoming Operation Raccoon City instead of Revelations, which is heads and shoulders and knees above them both. A polished, survival-horror Resident Evil game with optional cooperative play is something that every RE fan has wanted for a long time, and finally got. It's a shame Capcom decided to shun this one.

#2 - Journey (PS3)
Journey is an interesting game. While a linear experience that takes around 90 minutes to complete, it's really something that needs to be played to be understood. The cooperative aspect is the major highlight of the game. If you don't have it, you're missing a significant portion of what makes Journey what it is. While you can replay multiple times, I feel once is more than enough to understand it's special. But it does and will lose some of its' luster over time.

#1 - Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii)
This is what you get when you evolve Final Fantasy XII, streamline the combat mechanics and dumb down the story a bit. It's an evolution to that formula in every regard and is better because of it. While the game is very involved, if it were more involved, it'd undoubtedly be better. Xenoblade Chronicles is the best JRPG released this generation by a country. It will make you want to play JRPG's again. That's why it's my game of the year. It's the game that made JRPG's relevant again, and it's not from Square Enix, who has seemingly lost their way.


That's it for my 2012 game of the year list. I hope you enjoyed it and have a Happy New Year!

NFL 2012 Week 17 Predictions

Here are my Week 17 Predictions for the 2012 NFL Regular Season.

Winners are indicated in BOLD letters


Sunday Early Games
Tampa Bay @ Atlanta
NY Jets @ Buffalo
Baltimore @ Cincinnati
Chicago @ Detroit
Jacksonville @ Tennessee
Houston @ Indianapolis
Carolina @ New Orleans
Philadelphia @ NY Giants
Cleveland @ Pittsburgh


Sunday Afternoon Games
Kansas City @ Denver
Green Bay @ Minnesota
Miami @ New England
Oakland @ San Diego
Arizona @ San Francisco
St. Louis @ Seattle


Sunday Night Game
Dallas @ Washington


Last Week's Record: 11-5

Overall Record: 153-86

NFL 2012 Week 16 Predictions

Here are my week 16 NFL predictions for the 2012 season. Sorry about not posting them last week. I was busy with work and I've recently fallen ill.

Winners are indicated in BOLD text


Sunday Early Games
Atlanta @ Detroit
New Orleans @ Dallas
Tennessee @ Green Bay
Indianapolis @ Kansas City
Buffalo @ Miami
San Diego @ NY Jets
Washington @ Philadelphia
Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh
Oakland @ Carolina
New England @ Jackonsville
Minnesota @ Houston


Sunday Afternoon Games
Cleveland @ Denver
Chicago @ Arizona
NY Giants @ Baltimore


Sunday Night Game
San Francisco @ Seattle


My Record: 142-81

Last Week: 11-5

2012 NFL Week 14 Predictions

Here are my Week 14 NFL Predictions for the 2012 Season.

Winners are indicated in BOLD


Thursday Game
Denver @ Oakland


Sunday Games
St. Louis @ Buffalo
Dallas @ Cincinnati
Kansas City @ Cleveland
Tennessee @ Indianapolis
Chicago @ Minnesota
San Diego @ Pittsburgh
Philadelphia @ Tampa Bay
Baltimore @ Washington
Atlanta @ Carolina
NY Jets @ Jacksonville

Miami @ San Francisco
New Orleans @ NY Giants
Arizona @ Seattle

Detroit @ Green Bay


Monday Game
Houston @ New England


Overall Record: 122-69

Ninja Gaiden 3 Razor's Edge Review

Team Ninja has come a long way from Itagaki’s departure after Ninja Gaiden 2. After helping destroy the Metroid franchise, Team Ninja did a wonderful job duplicating those results with Ninja Gaiden 3. After some kind of revelation after saying they’d ignore fans and after its’ reception went on to blame them, Team Ninja seems like they’re trying to play make-up with Razor’s Edge, the “Sigma” version of Ninja Gaiden 3. Considering how bad Ninja Gaiden 3 was, Razor’s Edge is a significant improvement, but what does that really say about its’ quality? Not much.

One of the first things you’ll notice about Razor’s Edge if you’ve played the original is the distinct lack of henchmen begging for Ryu to spare their inane lives. It’s a welcome change because it removes what had no business being in the game to begin with. Now Ryu’s story is simple: Your arm has been cursed, and you lost your Dragon Sword. Whatever semblance of emotion that’s supposed to be tied to it from the original is gone. While the story tries to maintain Ninja Gaiden’s long-standing history of ridiculousness, it ultimately tries dressing it up, which results in gamers wondering why anyone would want a video game story ever again.

Weapon Upgrading assumes you have to do everything. By the end, you’ll have nowhere near enough Karma to upgrade everything in your arsenal. It shows a complete lack of balance for the overall combat system, which is in itself mashy and tiresome. While the combat matches that seen in the original Ninja Gaiden 2 for Xbox 360, it doesn’t fix the inherent balancing problems that exists with that speed. For example, because the game’s speed is so frantic, the game’s framerate is less than optimal, causing not only a drop in frames, but inputs as well, which will lead to some untimely and frustrating deaths. While this is mostly on Ryu’s side, Ayane’s side really makes it clear that the game is balanced, which will put you in a few situations where you’ll have to get lucky to in order to pass or spend a great deal of time on in order to figure out a fight’s gimmick.

While Razor’s Edge can be seen as improvement, it’s simply window dressing. There’s blood, decapitations, faster combat, tests of valor, collectibles, weapon upgrades, etc. But it doesn’t fix the problems that existed with the last two original Ninja Gaiden games, offering the worst of both worlds. It’s a frustrating experience that you can’t hope to master, but will instead be left whimpering like a Ninja Dog.


Score: 6 out of 10
+ Improved Combat from the original
+ Decapitation is nice
+ Tests of Valor are rewarding to find
- When you die, you usually don’t understand why you die
- Some graphical head-scratchers
- Story is complete garbage

2012 NFL Week 13 Predictions

Sorry for the tardiness of this post, but I've been extremely busy the last couple of weeks. This won't be a full prediction update, but just a quick one to suffice my readership for now. So breathe a sigh of relief as I am very much alive.

Winners are indicated in BOLD


Thursday Game
New Orleans @ Atlanta

Sunday Games
Jacksonville @ Buffalo
Seattle @ Chicago
Indianapolis @ Detroit
Minnesota @ Green Bay
Houston @ Tennessee
Carolina @ Kansas City
San Francisco @ St. Louis
New England @ Miami
Arizona @ NY Jets

Tampa Bay @ Denver
Cleveland @ Oakland
Cincinnati @ San Diego
Pittsburgh @ Baltimore

Philadelphia @ Dallas

Monday Game
NY Giants @ Washington


Last Week's Record: 11-5
Overall Record: 112-64 (.636)

Halo 4 Review

When Halo: Combat Evolved first arrived on the scene, it was the sole reason to buy an Xbox. It modernized the first person controls on a gaming console with its’ dual analog setup. Its’ original developer, Bungie, now gone from the series saw some serious wear from the series with the last couple of titles. While Halo 3: ODST had a great campaign, it was rather short and not worthy of the full price Microsoft made it. Halo Reach, while heralded, was hated by many fans due to some of the creations in its’ multiplayer, along with its’ laughable campaign. But in their stead comes 343 studios, a Microsoft created development for the sole purpose of making Halo games. Considering it’s their first time, Halo 4 does have some growing pains about it, but it’s ultimately a worthwhile experience.

Halo 4 marks the return of the series’ hero, Master Chief, along with his AI companion, Cortana. After four years of drifting in space, Master Chief is awakened to a rogue Covenant group who boarded the ship on the outskirts of a Forerunner planet. The game doesn’t do a very good job conveying what is actually happening with the story, both present and past. While you can unlock background information via Terminals that can only be accessed via Halo Waypoint, an application, it drives the point home of the game having poor storytelling for its’ main thread. Unfortunately, for the story that’s there, it doesn’t really go that far with it, which makes it even more puzzling. Another plot thread is Cortana’s rampancy, which is really the only thing conveyed well in the game’s story. It makes you wonder why so much effort was put on that part of the story and not the main portion of it. It’s confusing, albeit straightforward. Halo 4 has an alright campaign, but it could’ve been better with some better storytelling.

Halo 4’s campaign also continues the tradition of semi-open areas for firefights. While there’s a good mix of small and large areas, which look amazing by the way with its’ gorgeous backdrops that will make you wonder how a console is doing this, on some of the higher difficulties firefights become a major issue of stop and go. At certain points the game will become a puzzle in terms of you figuring out how to pass them, due in part to the game’s poor AI. It’s frustrating to know that a single shot can ruin four or five minutes of progress because the game failed to load a checkpoint. The new enemies in the game, the Prometheans, aren’t all that fun to fight either. They essentially have Flood like numbers, but require the amount of bullets it usually takes to kill a Covenant Elite. You’ll constantly be scrambling for new guns and ammo, leaving you defenseless. While you can appreciate the variety the game is trying to promote, running out of ammo is often the line between progress and reload, a very harsh mistress indeed. What’s also harsh is the loss of firefight in favor of a new cooperative mode, Spartan Ops.

Spartan Ops is a short, mission-based, 5 chapters per week for 10 weeks mode. In this mode, players go throughout an area and kill all the enemies until the end with a cutscene start and finish. Ultimately it’s a short, filler mode that serves little purpose other than to keep people interested in the game for more than a week or two because of other shooters on the market. It’s not an equal substitute for Firefight, but it does an okay job to fill the gap if you get bored, or want more experience than what you’ll get from multiplayer. Halo 4’s multiplayer is a bit more Call of Duty like than Halo Reach. While there aren’t class loadouts for each playlist, you get points to unlock weapons, abilities and armor pieces. While armor pieces are automatic unlocks for various milestones such as getting to Spartan Rank 5, at each level you get 1-2 points to spend how you see fit on Weapons, Grenades or abilities. It’s an adequate system since it promotes choice to peoples’ play styles. What’s not right about it is how the game decides to show you what you can unlock. Instead of laying out everything from the outset, getting kills, gaining levels, and more allow you see what is ahead of you. It’s not tempting anyone to choose variety over a preferred style of play that makes them have a good time. It’s not a fundamental problem, but it’s enough to be a noticeable problem.

Halo 4 does a lot right. It’s graphically impressive, it sounds and controls beautifully. It does a few things wrong as well, most of which are inexcusable. But for the most part, despite its’ flaws, it’s probably the most fun you’ll have with an online shooter this year. That, in and of itself, is why is succeeds.

Score: 8.5 out of 10
+ Looks Amazing
+ Great Multiplayer
+ Good interaction between Master Chief and Cortana

- Terrible Storytelling
- Spartan Ops is disappointing
- Unlock System tedious, cumbersome past weapons

NFL 2012 - Week 11 Predictions

Sorry for not posting my NFL weekly picks last week, as I was busy.

As always, my picks are noted in BOLD

Thursday Game
Miami @ Buffalo

Sunday Early Games
Arizona @ Atlanta
Cleveland @ Dallas
Green Bay @ Detroit
Cincinatti @ Kansas City
NY Jets @ St. Louis
Philadelphia @ Washington
Tampa Bay @ Carolina
Jacksonville @ Houston


Sunday Afternoon Games
New Orleans @ Oakland
San Diego @ Denver
Indianapolis @ New England


Sunday Night Game
Baltimore @ Pittsburgh


Monday Night Game
Chicago @ San Francisco


Overall Record: 89-56

Assassin's Creed III Review

When Assassin’s Creed III was announced to take place in the American Revolution, there was a lot of excitement and concern about the direction the series could. The excitement being centered around, of course, that American History would be the focal point. The concern would be how much will the game sacrifice from the Assassin’s Creed series mechanics to make it functional and proper. While I can tell you that there were no sacrifices made, with the exception of all the bad mechanics introduced in Revelations, last year’s entry, the game re-introduces a lot of the negative elements from the first game to make you wonder if the Assassin’s Creed series has been good or bad for the most part.

The first thing you’ll notice about Assassin’s Creed III is the amazing atmosphere and visual presentation. It has just the right amount of detail to not look like it’s going overboard on realism while keeping itself in line with the rest of the series’ art design. It’s a testament to the new engine that has been created for this game that such fidelity was achieved. But with a new engine comes problems, as framerate drops and screen tearing are somewhat prominent. The game ranges between 15 and 60 fps, although it hangs around 30 for most of the game. The game is also incredibly buggy, akin to the original Assassin’s Creed. Sometimes the game will force you to reload checkpoints because something didn’t trigger. It’s ultimately frustrating to see the game have these bugs because they do ruin the experience. While you may be reliving history through a computer in a video game that they say ‘this is kind of buggy, don’t worry about it,’ you do end up worrying about it since it presents itself time and again. It’s also more prominent because of the slower than usual pacing.

Combat has never been a strong suit of Assassin’s Creed, and this game follows that trend in spades. While the combat is easier than ever before, it is also extremely slow and obnoxious at times. You’ll be waiting a lot longer to counter enemies, which in some cases is the only way to kill enemies. It really drives home the game’s slow, tedious nature that is seen in other areas of the game. There’s too much build up without enough payoff to keep you motivated for very long unless you are an absolute diehard fan of the series. The game’s tutorial takes 5-6 hours to get going, but it takes about that same length for the game to reach its’ proper conclusion. It feels as though something major was cut along the way, but I can’t put my finger on it. While the game has plenty of side missions and the usual Assassin’s Creed fare, the areas created by the end are still unfamiliar to you, which is a shame since the other Assassin’s Creed games made sure you knew where everything was by day’s end. The only outright shining example of excellence in this game is the ship combat, which is both simple and complex to make sure anyone can enjoy it thoroughly. But that’s just a small portion of the game, but there are still gripes that make up the same portion, if not more of the game.

Chases sequences are a prime example of this. They are terribly designed, and some can go on forever if you don’t know what you’re doing. This really drives home the point that the game doesn’t properly convey things to you. It feels like a game manual would help with these grievances but some publishers have done away with them to save money, even though developers act like they’re still there. If you fail some of these missions, I hope you didn’t waste any items along the way, because you won’t regain them if you reload a checkpoint. It’s appalling that this type of punishment exists in a game like this, and it makes you feel helpless and demoralized to know your one good weapon is gone forever because of a simple failure or glitch. And that’s really what Assassin’s Creed III feels like, a glitch; something that shouldn’t exist because of its’ series history.

While Assassin’s Creed III has a lot going for it, but the expansive nature about it makes it feel unfocused and unpolished. It feels like the series’ yearly iterative cycle has finally caught up with like Revelations was alluding to last year. Instead of falling on the side of 2 and Brotherhood, 3 fell on the side of bad with the original and Revelations. Assassin’s Creed III may delight some fans, but it will disgust and bore the majority of them, just like so many saw it before the series’ inception.

Score: 6.5 out of 10
+ Great Atmosphere
+ Great Soundtrack
+ Haythem Kenway, that dapper fiend

- Extremely Glitchy
- Too much like Forest Gump, where Connor is everywhere, doing everything
- The story has a terrible ending

NFL 2012 - Week 9 Predictions

Here are my NFL Predictions for Week 9 of the 2012 Regular Season.

Winners are in BOLD

Thursday Game
Kansas City at San Diego

Sunday Early Afternoon Games
Denver @ Cincinnati
Baltimore @ Cleveland
Arizona @ Green Bay
Chicago @ Tennessee
Miami @ Indianapolis
Carolina @ Washington
Detroit @ Jackonsville
Buffalo @ Houston

Sunday Later Afternoon Games
Tampa Bay @ Oakland
Minnesota @ Seattle
Pittsburgh @ NY Giants

Sunday Night Game
Atlanta @ Dallas

Monday Game
Philadelphia @ New Orleans


Overall Record:

Week 1: 11-5

Week 2: 6-10

Week 3: 8-8

Week 4: 11-4

Week 5: 10-4

Week 6: 4-10

Week 7: 9-4

Week 8: 8-6

NFL 2012 - Week 8 Predictions

Here are my Week 8 Predictions for the 2012 NFL Regular Season.

Choices are in Bold


Thursday Game
Tampa Bay @ Minnesota


Sunday Games - 1:00pm EDT
Carolina @ Chicago
San Diego @ Cleveland
Seattle @ Detroit
Jacksonville @ Green Bay
Indianapolis @ Tennessee
New England @ St. Louis
Miami @ NY Jets
Atlanta @ Philadelphia
Washington @ Pittsburgh

- 4:00pm EDT
Oakland @ Kansas City
NY Giants @ Dallas

- 8:00pm EDT
New Orleans @ Denver


Monday Game
San Fransico @ Arizona


Previous Weeks: 59-45

Week 1: 11-5

Week 2: 6-10

Week 3: 8-8

Week 4: 11-4

Week 5: 10-4

Week 6: 4-10

Week 7: 9-4

NFL 2012 - Week 7 Predictions

Sorry for the tardiness of this week's update, as I've been feeling a tad bit under the weather. Here are my weekly predictions for this year's 2012 NFL Season for Week 7.

Thursday Game
Seattle @ San Francisco

Sunday Games
Buffalo @ Tennessee
Cleveland @ Indianapolis
Green Bay @ St. Louis
Minnesota @ Arizona
Washington @ NY Giants
New Orleans @ Tampa Bay
Dallas @ Carolina
Baltimore @ Houston

Jacksonville @ Oakland
NY Jets @ New England

Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati

Monday Game
Detroit @ Chicago


Previous Weeks

Week 1: 11-5

Week 2: 6-10

Week 3: 8-8

Week 4: 11-4

Week 5: 10-4

Week 6: 4-10

A Pitching Duel for the Ages

I can officially never say that a pitching duel in a baseball game is boring again. After leaving in disgust from Nationals Park after Game 3 of the NLDS, I was ready to write off the Washington Nationals' season. Having lost the previous two games by a total of 16 runs, there didn't seem to be much hope in the Nation's Capital, but as I entered the park, there was a light ray of hope in their season, even though I shouted at a street musician from behind a crowd to play "taps."

Ross Detwiler is definitely the Nationals wild card of the starting rotation, he needed to pitch the game of his life to help the Nationals stay in the hunt. Not allowing an earned run over 6 innings did just that, Detwiler gave the fans energy as the game moved on. On the other side, you had Kyle Lohse who only allowed two hits and one run in seven innings throughout the game.

Adam LaRoche gave the Nationals an early lead with a solo home run to center field in the bottom of the third, while the Cardinals struck back with an RBI pop out in the top of the fourth. From there, neither team got a runner onto second base, for which the Nationals never achieved anyway. It was an intense atmosphere with the stadium hanging on every pitch as if it were the game's last.

In the top of the ninth, Ian Desmond had a spectacular catch in shallow left field that sent the game to the bottom of the ninth. You could feel it in the crowd; that isn't a ball that a player usually catches, especially if you play for a Washington sports team, a city known for sports heartbreak. Going into the bottom of the ninth, there were only five hits the entire game. The fans remained hopeful, but yet at the same time swelled with concern like they do every year when it looks as if heartbreak is about to cast its' dark shadow again.

At the start of the final frame was Jayson Werth, someone who had the ire of many Nationals fans for his large contract and lack of coming through in the clutch in many key situations. What transpired next was incredible. After going down 0-2, Werth battled back to bring a then 12-pitch at bat to a full count, 3 balls and 2 strikes, before launching a 96 mph fastball, the 13th pitch of the at-bat, into the St. Louis bullpen for a 2-1 Washington victory. The final game of the series will be tonight at 8:30pm EDT.

If you were there tonight you obviously felt the energy. If you weren't, it's not something you can describe. If you ever experience it, you can never say a pitcher's duel is boring again. With the stadium full, there's really no experience in baseball like it.

NFL 2012 - Week 6 Predictions

Here are Weekly NFL Predictions for the 2012 NFL Season for Week #6.

8:00pm EDT Thursday Game
Pittsburgh at Tennessee


1:00pm EDT Sunday Games
Dallas at Baltimore
Oakland at Atlanta
Cincinnati at Cleveland
St. Louis at Miami
Indianapolis at NY Jets
Detroit at Philadelphia
Kansas City at Tampa Bay


4:00pm EDT Sunday Games
Buffalo at Arizona
New England at Seattle
Minnesota at Washington


8:00pm EDT Sunday Game
Green Bay at Houston


8:30pm EDT Monday Game
Denver at San Diego


Record thus far: 46-31

Week 1: 11-5

Week 2: 6-10

Week 3: 8-8

Week 4: 11-4

Week 5: 10-4

MLB Playoffs 2012 - NL Edition

With only a few hours left until the first pitch, it's time to discuss the National League. Of the five teams representing the National League this year, only one is a surprise, that of course being the Washington Nationals, who got there by having one of the best pitching staffs in the league all season, as well as some good hitting in the latter half of the season when their lineup got healthier. While the Nationals will be without Stephen Strausburg, they still have a very solid starting pitching rotation with Gonzalez, Zimmerman, Detwiler and Jackson. The Nationals were a very energetic team all season, refusing to go down without a fight every step of the way. Near the end however, they appear to be somewhat limping into the Playoffs having lost 11 or their last 20 games. They will face either the defending World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals or division rival Atlanta Braves.

The Cardinals, who won the world series last year are led by a very health lineup, travel to the Braves, who have a very healthy pitching rotation. In the Playoffs there are two constants: First and foremost, defense matters. Secondly, the Braves have a poor playoff history. While the Braves have a great pitching staff, they are known for not being key in the clutch when they need it the most, the playoffs. With that in mind, the Braves starting pitcher is the right man for the job, as the Braves have won the last 22 games he's started. But given how both are playing at the moment, along with how things played out last year, I believe the Cardinals are still the favorites here to move along and face Washington.

The other second round series is all about pitching. Cincinnati and San Francisco are all about their pitching rotation. While I'm not entirely sure who wins this battle, the fact that San Francisco has the first two games at home is a huge advantage for them, especially since there is no play-in game for either club. The Reds are still the favorites in the series though, since they have similar play styles, but the Reds have a better rotation for the remainder of the playoffs.


Predictions
Wild Card Round: St. Louis over Atlanta
Second Round: Cincinnati over San Francisco, Washington over St. Louis
Divisional Round: Washington over Cincinnati


The reason I choose Washington over Cincinnati, if they should meet, comes down to the individual team matchup. Even when the Nationals were a bad team 3 years ago, they have always had a consistently good record against the Reds. I feel this trend will continue here. Alright, that's it for my Playoff preview of both leagues. Let's hope nothing controversial happens!

MLB Playoffs 2012 - AL Edition

After 162 games over the span of six months, the 2012 Major League Baseball Playoffs are finally upon us. While there are a couple of surprising faces in this year's playoffs, as always, there are some familiar faces. But in the end it doesn't matter, since all are competing for the title of World Champion.

In the American League you have the favorites, Eastern Champions, the New York Yankees. The Yankees had to struggle until the final day of the season with the surprise Baltimore Orioles, who until near the end had a negative run differential. The Orioles sort of have the Yankees number this season, and if they were to meet during the second round of the Playoffs, would surely hold the advantage by not having the first two games at home, but hold a winning record at the Yankees this season. More than likely that won't happen, since the Orioles face the Texas Rangers in the AL wild card game.

The Rangers hold the advantage over the Orioles this season, winning five of seven as well as 2 of 3 at Texas. The Rangers have been slumping of late however, losing 7 of their last 10, including five of their last six against Oakland, who passed them on the final day of the season for the AL West title. The Rangers have gone to the World Series the past two seasons, so they have experience on their side as well. But many want the upstart teams to be the ones to succeed this year.

The Athletics are the definition of upstarts. Picked by no one and viewed by less, Oakland came out of nowhere in the second half to play Detroit in the second round of the Playoffs. The A's are an unknown, but face a team that everyone thought would be there are the beginning. While momentum can be decidedly on Oakland's side, the talent is clearly with Detroit. In the Playoffs, defensive trumps offense. This is where this series will be decided, and where Detroit, Texas and New York can claim victory in.


Prediction
Wild Card Game: Texas over Baltimore
Second Round: Detroit over Oakland, Texas over New York
Divisional: New York over Detroit


Come back tomorrow morning, the day of both Wild Card Games, as I detail the National League Playoff Picture.

NFL 2012 - Week 4 Predictions

Here are my Weekly NFL Predictions for the 2012 Season for Week #4.

8:00pm EDT Thursday Game
Cleveland @ Baltimore

1:00pm EDT Sunday Games
Carolina @ Atlanta
New England @ Buffalo
Minnesota @ Detroit
San Diego @ Kansas City
Seattle @ St. Louis
San Francisco @ New York Jets
Tennesse @ Houston

4:00pm EDT Sunday Games
Oakland @ Denver
Miami @ Arizona
Cincinnati @ Jacksonville
New Orleans @ Green Bay
Washington @ Tampa Bay

8:00pm EDT Sunday Game
New York Giants @ Philadelphia

9:00pm EDT Monday Game
Chicago @ Dallas


Record Thus Far: 25-23

Week 1: 11-5

Week 2: 6-10

Week 3: 8-8

Borderlands 2 Review

Developer: Gearbox Software
Publisher: 2K Games
Platforms: PC, Xbox 360, Playstation 3

Borderlands 2 is the sequel to the critically acclaimed and brave Borderlands, which was one of only a few games which stood its’ ground to Modern Warfare 2. By focusing on cooperative play with a loot system and RPG mechanics, the cel-shaded shooter found a place among many gamers to garner downloadable content and a highly desired sequel. While Borderlands 2 has brought a welcome number of changes, it’s also brought something undesired, which is something most gamers won’t really know how to describe.

Borderlands 2 takes place five years after the original, wherein Handsome Jack wants to enter the Vault for mysterious reasons, and you, whom he tried to kill, wants revenge. In order to do that, you’ll need better guns than what you start out with. The game’s major hook is the loot system, where you kill enemies to get more and better guns. While the game progresses you’ll want to go from White to Green to Blue to Purple and finally to Orange to get the best weapons. However, you’ll constantly be checking your guns to see if a White gun outclasses your Orange one. It feels somewhat archaic and not all that thought out in the end. Borderlands 2 also expands on its’ level design, with the number of areas being easily quadrupled.

Every area in Borderlands 2 is enormous, but there’s very little density. Most areas are dead, forcing you to struggle with the terrible driving mechanics a lot of the time. Like the first game you’re going from place to place to achieve your goals. These areas would be better served by either being shrunk or not existing at all. It feels like Gearbox tried to pad the game’s length in ways that really weren’t necessary since the game already has enough content. In the end this hurts replay value since an average playthrough will be 40-50 hours instead of 25-30. Since Gearbox wants to promote people playing through the game multiple times with different classes, stretching out the game’s length is a misstep because it’s harder to replay it at that length. There’s more padding here, which comes down to how the game handles difficulty and its’ general gameplay.

Enemies in Borderlands 2 scale to your difficulty, averaging between two levels below to one level above your current level. People refer to this as “treadmill difficulty” which is something you see in Skyrim, as well as the original Borderlands, but it was contained to Mad Moxxi’s Underdome. This is done instead of creating a proper difficulty curve and scenario for every instance. It feels lazy and cheap to do so, and offers no better rewards. While the game promotes you being a badass, nothing is badass about wasting time on the same fight for a few hours.

Borderlands 2 introduces a Badass Rating system, wherein you earn tokens that you can spend on stat bonuses, such as increased weapon damage, reduced recoil, and more health. It does a good job getting you to play the game in different ways, but the rewards feel like a drop in the bucket some of the time. Even though you get bonuses to help, the game still feels uneven in terms of gameplay. Sometimes you’ll consistently miss shots at point blank range against a frozen enemy and fumble with the controls when enemies are in close proximity. If you manage to get through it all though, the game does have some great writing.

Borderlands 2 has a somewhat dark humor to its’ story, with characters that have a lot of personality and life to them. Gearbox has done an exceptional job at bringing the characters and world of Pandora to life. You’ll also be able to enjoy this world with other people easier due to the improved network options. Instead of having to start a game online and hope others join, you can just switch your current game to be open to everyone or no one. It’s nice to see such vast improvements in these two areas of the game, disheartening to see other areas get glossed over or take a step back.

In the end, Borderlands 2 is a step back from Borderlands in a lot of ways while taking a major leap forward with the universe that was created. If you want more Borderlands, it’s recommended to buy the downloadable content for the original or simply start a new character. Borderlands 2 will leave you feeling empty and disheartened, which is sad considering the game seems to have so much heart.

Overall Score: 6 out of 10

+ Good Writing
+ Good Art Style
+ Lots of Areas to Explore

- Treadmill Difficulty
- Music is Unmemorable
- Has Unnecessary Padding

Scabs R' Us

The NFL Replacement Referee Act of 2012 has been a resounding failure, getting worse as the season progresses. While there were some opening week jitters, the replacement refs were mostly competent. People thought these guys were okay and the regular referees looked bad as a result. The second week had more problems, but could still be defended from time to time. The peoples' view of the regular referees started to turn. This past weekend however, having culminated with the last two games, have been an unmitigated disaster. While the New England Patriots may call foul with a questionable field goal, no one can cry more foul than the Green Bay Packers, who last night had a game stolen from them by the replacement referees.

The final play of the game is and will forever be under the microscope. Was the ball a simultaneous reception by both Jennings of the Packers and Tate of the Seahawks? While the referees determined that yes it was, which means it's a touchdown since the ball in those situations reverts to the Offense, anyone with a clear view of it, either from afar or close could see that Tate didn't even have an arm on the ball. When you see the replay, Jennings caught the ball, got both arms around it, went to the ground and had the ball in his chest. Tate had one arm above the ball, maybe near Jennings' neck area, but nowhere near it to say he had at least partial control. What resulted was baffling, what can only be described as a black eye for the NFL, as the league forced them to kick the required extra points minutes after everyone left.

Throughout this whole ordeal, the NFL has tried to maintain order over the Referee strike, claiming that everything was fine, and the replacements weren't costing teams games. After Monday, the league can no longer claim that. While the game from both teams was particularly ugly, the referees ended up deciding the result of the game. That is not what referees are there to do, and after this game, it is perfectly clear that this experiment is a failure. The league needs the people who know the rules and procedures back on the field. Not yesterday, not tomorrow, but now.

NFL 2012 - Week 1 Predictions

Welcome one and all to the 2012 NFL Season! It's been 7 months since the New York Giants won their fourth Super Bowl, once again over the New England Patriots, but now a new season begins tonight. So what better way to commemorate a new NFL season than to begin a new year of NFL Weekly Predictions? I can't think of anything better.


Dallas @ NY Giants
- The Giants host the Cowboys tonight with the Champions Season Opener, which is a rematch from Week 17 last year when the Giants manhandled the Cowboys to win the NFC East. While both teams are not looked at highly, I expect the Giants to hold serve against the Cowboys.

Indianapolis @ Chicago
- Andrew Luck is the new QB in Indy, but the Bears Defense has always been tough under coach Lovie Smith. I expect them to give Luck a warm welcome with many sacks due to their poor offensive line, allowing the Bears to cruise.


Philadelphia @ Cleveland
- When these two teams played in the pre-season a couple of weeks ago, the first string of Philly outclassed Cleveland. I expect the same to happen here, but for real, not practice.

St. Louis @ Detroit
- The Rams were the second worst team in the League last year while the Lions had a highly touted offense. While the Rams have a new head coach, I expect the Lions to show the Rams why they're the Rams.

New England @ Tennessee
- While the Titans finished the year strong, they have looked less than impressive in the off-season and have a new QB at the helm. Considering they're facing the New England Patriots, I expect nothing less than a mild blowout.

Atlanta @ Kansas City
- The Chiefs are enigma. They won the AFC West two years ago. They started poorly last year, fired their head coach, and got to 8-8 under Romeo Cronell, who isn't a good coach. I don't expect a stomping like the Bills put on the Chiefs last year on opening day, but this won't be close.

Jacksonville @ Minnesota
- While Maurice Jones Drew will play for the Jaguars on Sunday, he'll more than likely be a bit out of synch after holding out all off-season. I expect the Vikings to start strong, but eventually end up holding off the Jaguars for a close victory.

Washington @ New Orleans
- This is probably the most interesting game of year for the Saints. After all of the suspensions and controversy, they start out at home against the Redskins, who've been mildly quiet this off-season. While the Redskins winning would be a surprise, I can't see how they can stop Drew Brees short of injuring him or the replacement refs being so bad that the Redskins win.

Buffalo @ New York Jets
- The Jets only scored one Touchdown all pre-season. The Bills have a great defense. But so do the Jets. I expect this one to be low scoring, but the Jets have a tendency to win close, low-scoring games, so I'm going with them.

Miami @ Houston
- The Dolphins haven't looked pleasant all pre-season. They have a new QB that looks lost, and have a defense that looks inept. Going against the Texans, and a top tier QB in Matt Schaub, I expect a blowout here.

San Francisco @ Green Bay
- Last year's NFC Championship Game that didn't happen finally happens. I feel that the Packers will be angry for the opening part of the season, meaning an easy win here. While Alex Smith is adequate, the Green Bay Defense is just a little bit better to provide the difference here.

Carolina @ Tampa Bay
- Last year, the Panthers demolished the Buccaneers in both games. While the Bucs got better in the off-season and the Panthers got worse, the difference between them is still definite for me to say the Panthers will win this one.

Pittsburgh @ Denver
- Out is Tim Tebow, in is Peyton Manning. While the Steelers lost here last year in the Playoffs, I expect them to come out for revenge early and often, hoping to end Peyton Manning's career. Especially when he has a history of not playing well against them.

Cincinnati @ Baltimore
- The Bengals are an up and down team season by season. Last year they were up, this year they will most certainly be down. Given that this is the Ravens' last shot at a Super Bowl title before their defense enters retirement, I expect them to come out guns blazing once again.

San Diego @ Oakland
- San Diego doesn't have a good record in the opening month of the season under Norv Turner. While they've constantly struggled, given that Oakland is once again in a year where people expect them to break out, I don't. I see San Diego winning this game, albeit close because it's on Monday Night Football.


That's it for Week 1. We'll see how I do.

New Super Mario Bros. 2 Review

When New Super Mario Bros. released for the Nintendo DS in 2006, little did we know we’d be getting a plethora of Mario games the likes of which we haven’t seen since the NES era. After another 2D entry on the Wii, which featured 4-player cooperative play, Mario and Luigi make their way back to the portable space on the Nintendo 3DS in New Super Mario Bros. 2 for nothing short of a coin grab by both plumbers and Nintendo.

The most prominent feature of the 3DS system is that it can have glasses free 3D. This is a feature that does grab your attention most of the time, and in New Super Mario Bros. 2, this is no different. The game’s 3D effect is nothing short of lazy, making the depth of field go up by blurring the background. This ruins the texture work of vistas in the background, and does cause problems when turned all the way up. The best solution for this is by having the 3D slider partially up, being no greater than halfway for the best viewing experience. It’s disappointing since Nintendo usually has been the ones revolutionizing the tech.

Despite that, the levels look good, and have a definite flow to them. While some hardcore gamers will decry the easiness of the series, New Super Mario Bros. 2 is deceptively difficult. While the game wants you to collect coins, they often set up situations where your best interest is to rush in order to get them. The levels however are designed against you doing so, causing you to lose power-ups and unnecessary deaths along the way. Additionally, each level has 3 Star Coins hidden throughout them. While a definite majority are out in the open and will be found through simple exploration, a good portion of them are hidden cleverly throughout each level. It adds a bit of replay value if you desire to collect them all.

That’s a good thing since the game, straight through is relatively short, taking players three to five hours to beat. Most players will rush through the game though, since the game doesn’t start with a “Save Anywhere” feature like Super Mario 3D Land. Instead, it’s a step back to the previous New Super Mario Bros. games where you save after a Castle, and can Quick Save anywhere, but if you lose your progress, you’ll be put back at your last Main Save. Another thing that’s just like the original New Super Mario Bros. games is the music. Almost every track is ripped from previous entries with the exception of adding small vocals to them. It makes the game feel rehashed and uninspired at times, despite being enjoyable to play.

New Super Mario Bros. 2 is simply more Mario. It’s not a groundbreaking entry into the series, and feels like it needed an extra year of development to provide a better experience. It’s fun, but it feels more like an Expansion than a proper sequel.

Pros
- Coin Rush is where most people will spend a lot of time in to get 1 million coins
- Level design is good, and rewards usage of different power-ups
- A Good Challenge

Cons
- Controls feel slippery, causing unnecessary deaths
- Cooperative Play is tacked on and pointless
- 1 Million Coin Reward is a joke, and not worth it

Score: 6 out of 10

The Unknown Powerhouse

With a little over a month to go in the 2012 MLB season, the playoff picture is finally beginning to materialize. While the Yankees are atop the AL East, the Rays and Orioles give chase. The Tigers are trying to rundown the White Sox in the AL Central, while the Rangers have a sizeable lead in the AL West. While Tampa Bay is sure to get a playoff spot, the Orioles, Tigers and Athletics are in competition for the second AL Wild Card spot. In the NL West, you have the Giants and Dodgers battling for West Coast supremacy, while the Reds are finally distancing themselves in the NL Central from the slumping Pirates and the semi-consistent Cardinals. But in the NL East you have what should be the talk of the baseball world, even though many focus on things that while important, shouldn't be the reason people are talking.

In second place, you have the Atlanta Braves, the team that is synonymous with Post-Season failure. A team that won the NL East consecutively for over a decade and only managed a handful of Post-Season wins, including 1 World Series title. As of writing this, they are 7 games behind Baseball's best team, and the focus of this article, the Washington Nationals. At 76 wins and 46 losses, they hold baseball's best record by two games over Cincinnati in a tougher division, with more runs scored, less runs allowed, 2 cy young contenders in Gonzalez and Strasburg, 3 gold glove contenders in Zimmermann, Desmond and Bernadina, a rookie of the year contender in Harper, and an MVP contender in Desmond. But ultimately they are a team that, because of their lack of time in the spotlight doesn't really get the credit they deserve.

While it's true they haven't won anything, over the last few seasons they've constantly been improving, and this year, while many thought they would be competing for a playoff spot, few thought they'd be on top of the baseball world. They never go down without a fight, playing every last out. They have consistently gotten help from every player on the team, particularly when injuries have occurred. No player has really gone missed this season for the Nationals, as it seems like 2 players pick up the slack for when one of them goes on the disabled list. After years of being the laughing stock of the league, every single player on the team is fighting back, and it's making a city that has long gone without a Championship proud.

While the Yankees and Rangers are odds on favorites to win the World Series due to their storied and recent playoff history, don't be surprised if they end up facing this year's 'Little Engine that Could,' the Washington Nationals in the World Series. Because they are baseball's best team, and have consistently proved it all year.

Nightmare Fuel

While talking about the upcoming release of Dead or Alive 5, Yosuke Hayashi of Team Ninja was quoted with the following:

Unfortunately Metroid is kind of out of our league as it’s Nintendo’s game, but we’re still in close touch with co-creator Sakamoto-san, so we want to do something with him moving forward definitely. It really depends on what he wants to do with the game first.

...

The following question comes to mind: "Would Nintendo really be that stupid?" It's safe to say that Other M was both a critical and sales failure to Nintendo, in addition to destroying the image of character of Samus Aran for almost everyone, and destroying any coherent lore there was about Metroid because of it. While the majority of people blame Team Ninja for it, others blame series Creative Director Yoshio Sakamoto of Nintendo for many of the games' poorer elements. The reality of the fact is that all parties involved with the project share part of the blame.

Yoshio Sakamoto bares the blame for his depiction of the Series Protagonist Samus Aran, as well as the Metroid universe, since it was him, after all, that wrote Other M's story. He is also to blame for Jessica Martin, Samus' English Voice Actress, who he picked out himself, despite not being a native English speaker. He also decided that the game's story must be literally localized for all languages. Outside of the story, Sakamoto forced Team Ninja to use the Wii Remote only for the game, and adding the first person element via threat of shutting the project down. He also decided that the series staple, the Gravity Suit, would be depicted by a "serious-natured" purple aura instead of the standard purple suit with blue visor. In the music department, Sakamoto insisted upon ambiance for the standard fare of music instead of a more traditional and expected Metroid soundtrack.

These decisions, by and large, made fans upset, and a backlash ensued. This, in tandem with scathing reviews by journalists and fans alike led most gamers to stay away from the title until the game received gashing price cuts, or outright refusing to buy it altogether due to the story, and the controversy about how sexist against women the game was, particularly with a female protagonist, that was at the time, and maybe still is, highly respected and loved among gamers.

Then there comes Team Ninja's contributions for the game. Their CG team, D-Rockets, helped put together the story in Other M in movie form. Team Ninja also produced several gameplay mechanics are at fundamental odds with the core structure of Metroid games, finding items, and exploring new paths to find shortcuts for speedruns. The game mechanics introduced Other M vehemently discourage players from doing these things, including fighting enemies later on since they are basically a chore at that point. You can't even get 100% item completion before the game's final boss, which is ultimately a story-based unlock.

The quote from Hayashi is troubling to Metroid fans, as well as Nintendo fans who have been desperately hoping for a new Metroid game to be announced, hopefully paired with the retconning of it due to its' terrible story and complete mediocrity in almost every other area. It shows that Team Ninja doesn't realize that their mechanics are not what's best for Metroid, nor does it give the indication that Yoshio Sakamoto believes he did any wrong with Other M. While it was his dream game, he made it a nightmare. Giving it back to Team Ninja, especially after Other M, would be more fuel to the fire to killing the series, if it isn't already dead.

Xenoblade Chronicles Review

Xenoblade Chronicles is a Japanese Role-Playing Game published by Nintendo. It's been a long time coming for those wanting this released in the North America, and its' finally here. Championed as the best JRPG of this generation, and one of the greatest of all time, people waiting to play this should not delay.

The story of Xenoblade revolves around two titan creatures, the Bionis and the Mechonis. Long ago, they fought and died, and their deaths allowed the creation of all living things on their lifeless shells. The world at the present day is a war between those living on each side. The journey of the game takes you across both of these creatures, exploring some of the widest areas in gaming history. Players will want to waste hours completing every square inch of area maps, only to realize they're barely 10 hours into the game. It's remarkable that such a feat happened on the Wii. These areas also look wonderful in terms of visuals as well as scope. Throughout various areas of the game you'll be able to see the other Titan to give you proper placement in the world, which is a really neat touch that will leave your jaw dropped every time you realize it, especially when you play through it.

The game's combat is reminiscent of Final Fantasy XII, an MMO style RPG where your party acts on their own and you choose your special attacks from an Arts bar. Throughout the game you get a variety of them, which you can level up and interchange between fights. Some can be used to daze enemies through cooperative attacks, while others do more damage depending on where you attack enemies from. You can also play as any character in your party, and while the game does try to push you away from doing so, is actually great to do since changing party members will help build affinity between them, as well as building a character's skill links and provides more gameplay variety. Every character plays right, if that makes any sense. There's no bad character to play as in the game, and while they have similar movement speeds and combat bars, you'll quickly adapt to their various tactics. It's also helpful that the game does have a rather catchy soundtrack.

One of the highlights of any JRPG and any Nintendo game is the music, and Xenoblade Chronicles is no exception. Each area and battle provides a newly orchestrated track that has a different feel to it than the last. While one may be epic, one is mysterious, while another is calming. They all perfectly fit the game, the areas they represent and the graphics, which is one of the game's middling points. The game has a lot of pretty vistas and jaw-dropping areas to look at, but the game also does have some ugly spots, most notably character faces and walls in some areas. While the faces look like something out of a mid-range PS2 game, the textures look like something out of a Nintendo 64 game trying for realism. It doesn't look good at all, and really brings down the game, if only ever so slightly.

One bad point I can bring up about Xenoblade Chronicles is the story, which is completely generic. While you have a great world, great characters and atmosphere, the threads around it are pretty dull and you'll definitely feel like you've seen them before. While the driving force behind Xenoblade Chronicles is the characters, the story will leave you wanting to do other things from time to time, even though they are mostly fetch quests. But those do inevitably help you raise affinity in areas, which can gain you more XP, which is always a good thing.

Overall, Xenoblade Chronicles is the best JRPG released this generation. While it has a somewhat clunky menu system that will lead you to an online guide or wiki, it is still a sight to behold, and will leave you wanting to come back for more until you do everything.


Score: 9 out of 10

+ Well Realized World
+ Awesome Soundtrack
+ Great Characters

- A generic story
- Involved to point to the point of Confusion
- Poor Menu Interface

Spelunky Review (Xbox 360)

Spelunky is an Xbox Live Arcade title for $15 that was originally released on PC in 2009 as a freeware title. The XBLA version has been revamped with new graphics, enemies, locations, traps and other goodies to make the $15 asking price a bit more palpable. Spelunky can be described as a rogue-like game, where levels are randomly generated and you are asked to traverse them. The premise of Spelunky is simple: Traverse a series of caves to reach Olmec's treasure and escape victorious. But more often than not, the player, and the title, are not successful in creating an enjoyable experience.

Spelunky can best be described as tortuous. The game will do everything in its' grasp to end your ruin, which will on average, be less than a minute. While the game isn't terribly long if you beat it, roughly 25-40 minutes depending on your luck, it will take you longer to do so than beating Battletoads for the first time. It's an apt comparison since the game is punishing at almost every turn. While you'll be able to escape the first area of the game after a couple of hours or so consistently, it becomes a strict test of trial and error that will test the time and patience of many players. Only for a few will the pain and frustration of randomized dungeons offer the tiniest sliver of glee.

Spelunky does offer some good, however. The art style is attractive, the music is catchy and upbeat. The controls are tight, and easy to understand once you get accustomed to them after a few minutes. There's a lot to do and see in Spelunky, if you survive long enough to see most of it. But overall, it's not something that I can highly recommend. The difficulty of the game is too punishing and really outweighs the enjoyment you'll have for this title over the long run. If you thought Super Meat Boy, another 2D platformer was too easy for you, then Spelunky is right up your alley. But for most people, this won't be the case.

Score: 6 out of 10

+ Great Graphics
+ Catchy Music
+ Good Controls

- Extremely Punishing Difficulty
- Too reliant on trial and error difficulty
- Randomized layout leads to unwinnable situations sometimes

My Thoughts on the Wii U

Nintendo is a company that is always veiled in mystery. While the games they release are usually of top tier quality, every once in a while they make you question their strange rationale, even if it doesn't make any sense. Last year at E3 when they first showed off the Wii U, it made people wonder if the tablet controller was an add-on or not. A full year of secrecy and tons of rumors later, many eager gamers hoped Nintendo learned their lesson and would put on a better show. To their dismay, it was terrible. Not only did it not have anything spectacular to end with, but it was terribly paced, counter-productive and still leaves many mysteries to unanswered questions.

The biggest question after E3 is third party support for Wii U. While Nintendo was supposed to unveil their full launch lineup at E3, they not only decided to not include third party support from Japanese companies like Sega and Capcom, but some Western companies like EA and Activision as well. The latter 2 produce games like Skylanders and Call of Duty (Activision) with EA producing Madden, Fifa, Dead Space, etc. The important thing to note about this is that the last time Madden did not appear on a home console at launch is the Sega Dreamcast. This in part led to that system's discontinuance and Sega dropping out of the hardware business. If Madden doesn't come to Wii U, it is ultimately a sign of platform weakness for Nintendo. Third party support hasn't been strong on Nintendo platforms, and while there were reassurances that things would finally change with Wii U, to most, it feels like more of the same from them.

Another problem facing the Wii U is their online infrastructure. All of what you see in the Wii U's interface doesn't seem very user-friendly and instead comes across as a big marketing attempt. In addition, while Nintendo has confirmed user accounts via Miiverse, they have yet to provide a clear cut explanation on friend codes. We've heard that they exist, they don't exist, and they exist in some form, but better than ever, whatever that means. Also, we're still waiting for Nintendo to add meaningful online functionality to their games, i.e. cooperative and competitive multiplayer for games like New Super Mario Bros. U and Pikmin 3, both of which have local multiplayer, but not online. It's an expectation that many have, but Nintendo never wants to try and take that leap, disappointing many fans, leaving others feeling aggravated and see Nintendo as lazy in their attempt to reach the core gamer.

Speaking of games, where were Nintendo's? We had the long awaited announcement of Pikmin 3, which looked good but not great. We had New Super Mario Bros. U which looked cleaner but less fun than New Super Mario Bros. 2 for 3DS, and releasing only a short while after it this year. Then we had the long demonstration of Nintendo Land, a mini-game collection based on core Nintendo franchises. I won't judge the game until I play it, but it definitely leaves a bad taste in everyone's mouths to end off their Conference with. Given the limited amount of games coming out at launch, they failed to show games beyond this year. It put a lot of fear in Nintendo fans about the future of the company, myself included.

Going into E3 I said I would not buy a Wii U for Pikmin 3 or New Super Mario Bros. at launch. After E3, I'm not going to buy a Wii U at launch unless I start hearing some really good things. The lack of Retro's game, a Zelda, a Metroid, heck even a DK Platformer, fails to garner any excitement for me. I want to buy a Wii U, I really do, but Nintendo, you have to give me something more than a barrel full of promises and a jar full of tears before I put money on you again.

The Last Final Fantasy

Final Fantasy has been a long-standing series for Square Enix ever since it saved the company back in 1987. But after 25 years, it feels as if the end is near. Ultimately the series has been in decline since 7, or at the very least X. VIII had major storyline problems that people call out to this very day, X-2 is extremely japanese, and XII's story falls apart near the end. In 2010 came Final Fantasy XIII, a story that, by and large, most people didn't like. I thought it was okay, but ultimately suffered from pacing problems as well having a hard time conveying information that should be thrust upon you in the first 4-5 hours, instead of at the halfway point. The story also had some questionable characters, well scratch that, most of them were questionable. The only good character that was understandable to a lot of people was Sazh, a father looking for his son who had become a L'Cie, or a slave to a God. After having his son turn to crystal in front of him for fulfilling his focus, Sazh has to wonder if he should carry on or not. He's ultimately the best the story has since it feels like he doesn't belong there.

The rest of the cast tries to find out what their mysterious focus is from the Gods that imprisoned them, but are dicks and won't help them. It ultimately boils down to 'save the world or become an evil monster.' But from there it's mostly terrible dialog that prevents most from caring about anyone since it just ends and still leaves you wondering why they spoiled the game's ending on the game's logo. It was ultimately a disappointing game, but left nothing undone and you felt closure at the end of it...until 2 years later when Square Enix decided that you needed more Final Fantasy with XIII-2, the sequel no one really wanted. The focus of the plot revolves around Serah, Lightning's sister, who gets magic anime clothes at the beginning, time travelling around with Noel, a boy who's from the end of the universe and stole MC Hammer's parachute pants. Needless to say, time travel was not handled well here. Instead of trying to have events that shape the past and future through gameplay events, the game's writer decided to go the Metal Gear Solid 4 route and have one single thing be the answer to everything. This game's answer to the Nanomachine is of course the Paradox.

I don't really think there's much more to be said than that, but there is. A villain, tied to Noel's past of course (or would it be future in this case, I'm not sure) is trying to kill the Goddess Etro and end all Paradoxes, which will coincidentally destroy the world. The premise isn't bad, but everything that goes on in it is terrible. The story and dialog are terrible, while the gameplay mechanics two steps forward but with one step back (focusing on multiple enemies, the leader dying doesn't equal game over and limited paradigm options), with a poorly optimized frame rate, in addition to loading times that are frequent and through the roof. While the game feels like a true episodic release given a lot of rehashed material such as character models and music, it still feels relatively cheap. I don't think the game's bad, but it definitely feels like Square has forgotten what made Final Fantasy great in the first place.

A story saved Square Enix. That story's name was Final Fantasy. A story is killing Square Enix. That story's name is Final Fantasy.

My Zelda Symphony Experience

Last year at E3, Nintendo announced the Zelda Symphony series to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the series. There were three events held across the globe, one in Japan, Europe and North America. Earlier this year a few more tour dates were announced for locations such as Dallas, Montreal, Phoenix, Colorado and Atlanta. This past weekend The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses was held in Atlanta, GA and I traveled down to experience it. Even though Skyward Sword featured a sampler CD of the music being played there, I didn't listen to it on the chance that I'd be able to go to one of the concerts. After being there in person, I can truly say it was worth it, and one of the best things I've ever done in my life.

I got to the event two hours before-hand, knowing that the center would open 90 minutes before showtime. The next 75 minutes basically revolved around me and almost every Nintendo fan there pulling out there 3DS's and getting Street Passes for the duration. Overall I got around 160 Street Passes, getting all Puzzle Swap Pieces except for one Mario Tennis Open Pink Piece, clearing 3 rooms in Find Mii 2's Secret Quest and filling all of my Street Pass Data for Kid Icarus: Uprising, Mario Kart 7, Super Mario 3D Land, Super Street Fighter 4, Nintendogs+Cats, Resident Evil: Revelations and Dead or Alive: Dimensions. This is the benefit of getting there early, getting souvenirs and then going up and down the line you were just in for passes. Since you can only hold 10 Street Passes per wave for the Mii Plaza, it was imperative to get as many Passes as possible. After getting enough Passes, I went to my seats in the upper deck.

Before they began, they announced that a replacement conductor would take over for the regular conductor; the replacement was the woman who conducted the music people got with first shipment copies of Skyward Sword, so that was a bit interesting to say the least. Over the course of the night, ten pieces of music were played, in addition to three encores. The interesting part of how to note that these songs basically told the story of each individual game throughout each of the main movements. There were also a few pieces to get the audience and orchestra warmed up, which included music from Zelda dungeons, Kakariko Village and various Ocarina songs, the last of which they mentioned they didn't usually do. Overall it was a nice warm-up of things to come.

Next were the first two movements, beginning with Ocarina of Time, which was then followed by the Wind Waker. In terms of music, these are definitely the most prominent Zelda games in that regard. The movements themselves basically told a thin story of the game at hand from beginning to end. Ocarina of Time started in Kokiri Village and ended with the triumphant battle with Ganon. Needless to say, it was great. What followed was a bit of a disappointment for me, the Wind Waker. Starting off with the triumphant opening scroll and music from Outset Island, it quickly went to the Forsaken Fortress and then ending with the battle for Hyrule under the ocean. The only reason I call this a disappointment was the lack of the magnificent Dragon Roost Island, which by all accounts, is the best piece of music in that game. But afterwards, a short intermission was had, which was followed by another overture and the next two movements.

When the announcement came down that Twilight Princess would be played next there was a slight applause, almost as if those in the crowd were expecting another game to be there. However, the last movement announced was one everyone could enjoy, "We're giving you a Link to the Past" the announcer said, which was met with arousing applause and cheers from the crowd. And that's really where the difference in the show was found. I thought Twilight Princess' movement was quite short, despite having some of the best music in the series. It quickly took us from the beginning of the game to Hyrule Field, then Midna's Theme and before long it was at the final fight with Ganon before the final track. While it was great, I longed for just a bit more. It felt bittersweet. But for the last movement, the best was definitely saved.

A Link to the Past is regarded as the beta to Ocarina's masterpiece. However, I'd say the former is the superior, and this movement, at least in some way, proved that. Starting with a rainstorm, moving quickly to Hyrule Castle and then the 3 early dungeons, it moved to the Dark World. While inevitably it came to end with Link's fight with Ganon and the second credits theme, I wish that the first credits theme was played. But considering what was coming, it probably would have ruined the rest of the show.

After the final movement, it was announced that an encore would take place, which would be Link's Awakening. I found curious that this was the only song throughout the night that failed to have a visual aid with it. I wondered why, but it didn't really bother me. The movement, while ending with the Ballad of the Wind Fish, didn't seem like I remembered it all that well. It was alright, but I sort of expected something a bit more familiar. Thank goodness that familiarity was met with a second encore with Ocarina of Time's Gerudo Valley.

I really like how this song was handled by the Conductress. Throughout the entire song she just used her stick without her left hand, really showing her mastery of what she does. She seemed really into it as well as it seemed very natural for her to control the tempo of the song, which was pretty upbeat. What also surprised me is how the song played, and while the beats were definitely the same, it sounded differently than I thought it would. Afterwards, everyone on stage received a standing ovation for the performance, and that was the end.


Except for one more song. After the host drug the Conductress back on stage, it was said that the evening's Concert was not ordinary, and deserved a third and final encore. Something the fans wanted, and for that, would be rewarded. The final movement of the evening was The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. This is the song I had secretly been waiting for all night. My favorite Zelda game with orchestrated music. Like before, the song told the story of Majora's Mask. Starting with Link losing his horse, get warped to Clock Town, trying to fix the world before the ever-increasing doom of the moon destroyed it, followed up by the Oath to Order and the final fight with Majora before the ending piece. What I noticed about this song that was particularly amazing was how it managed to get darker and creepier as the song progressed, simulating the game's 3-day mechanic until the Oath to Order was played. It was a statement to why Zelda music was so great, and why this Symphony does exist.

If you're a Zelda fan, a Nintendo fan, a video game fan, whatever. You should try to make it to one of these before the tour finishes. While I have a feeling they were recording Atlanta's Concert for a future disc release, there's nothing quite like seeing it live.

Games I Don't Get

I play quite a few games. Whether it be a platformer, shooter, RPG, action, adventure or anything else, I've at least tried it. For the most part I adapt rather quickly to a video game; its' controls, its' flow, its' story. I understand what it's trying to do and I go along with it. However, there are only a handful that have failed to click with me. I remember them well due to their praise among critics and enthusiasts alike. For me, I fail to understand how these "pinnacles of gaming" are, in fact, that. I'm not saying they're bad games, I'm just saying I'm missing the point and there doesn't seem to be any way to simply define why they are so great to me.

Bastion (Xbox 360, PC - 2011)
This is a more recent example. Going into Bastion I knew it was coming out, and I heard an enormous amount of praise it received. After trying the demo it gave me pausing. I said to myself 'this seems good, but it's not for me.' So, like many of us I waited until the $15 price tag became a $7.50 one during a sale, at which point I picked it up. To me, Bastion has a good art style, some okay music, good storytelling of a basic story, but has mediocre combat and poor leveling mechanics for an RPG. I find the game to be boring, slow and not all that interesting. I can honestly only play the game for what seems like a half hour at a time once every couple of months because there is simply no drive for me to play it. I would appreciate it if someone out there would tell me what makes this game so exceptional, because I'm certainly not seeing it.

Rayman Origins (Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Wii - 2011; PC, Vita, 3DS - 2012)
Another recent example. While some call it the best platformer of 2011, I call it fun at times, frustrating at others. While Rayman Origins is very pretty and has some delightful tracks, I find that the levels are a bit too long and the controls are a tiny bit at odds with the physics presented. I think Rayman Origins is a legitimately good game, but I would hardly call it exceptional. I know the prime example for this is Super Mario 3D Land, but I wouldn't agree. The prime example is New Super Mario Bros. Wii. To me, New Super Mario Bros. Wii doesn't try to overstay its' welcome. In Rayman Origins it feels like every level takes a minimum of 10 minutes to complete, and it becomes a chore to play the same level for that long. Platformers in general have gone to quick, short burst level types to keep players engaged in something new and exciting. Because of the length, Rayman Origins doesn't hold my interest for very long, and makes me wonder how people put up with it.

ICO (Playstation 2 - 2002, Playstation 3 - 2011)
I like quiet, slow-paced games that are by and large puzzle-based. I waited a long time to play ICO, and when I finally did play it in 2011 in HD, I was very disappointed. The game doesn't feel all that well thought out besides the hand-holding mechanic. People have said 'oh, you're a small kid, so the combat is supposed to suck.' Tell me, why does that sound like a good idea for a game? Games are supposed to be enjoyable, are they not? Why should bad be acceptable for a core gameplay mechanic? Especially when small kids in video games have been shown to be exceedingly powerful before? I don't really think there's a good excuse here. When you have to do something to advance, the mechanics surround said advancement should not only be engaging, but good and feel like you're actually making it work. ICO doesn't work in this regard. For me, it's a shame since I wanted to love it, but it wouldn't let me.

Half-Life 2 (PC - 2005)
This one is going to make a lot of people hate me, but I think Half-Life 2's problem is its' pacing. While there are some nice parts to it, they are mostly marred with a lot of padding revolving around travel. These ares are long, boring, tedious and ultimately unnecessary. While some argue its' Valve's attempt to create a 'cohesive world' I argue that you can do so without padding, especially if there's still a bit of loading that occurs during the game. To me, Half-Life 2 isn't that enjoyable, and is definitely the low mark of the series. Some enjoy it, but I just can't stay awake long enough to appreciate it.

These are only a few examples of games I don't get. There are some I'm forgetting sure, and there were definitely some I felt this way about during the NES era of games. Unfortunately those games were just bad and my memory of them were correct in thinking they were unjust. Everyone has games like these, but it doesn't make me less of a gamer for not understanding why they are good.

Charlotte's Bad Date with Destiny

Michael Jordan's Charlotte Bobcats are terrible. Despite those who think thy are tanking to try and get a high draft choice, I'm sorry to disappoint you. This basketball team is literally as bad as they say and more. When the team's goal is to "not be the worst team ever" you know you have a significant problem. At 7-56 with just 3 games to go, Charlotte is on the verge of not only a 23 game losing streak, but becoming the worst team in NBA history.

Last season the Bobcats were in the midst of a playoff race, but due to financial constraints, the team traded away some of their best players, including Gerald Wallace, the team's star. This season saw the team bring in a Major League-esque lineup, and even though there's no miracles or a new location on the horizon for this bunch, many wondered who they were. Most sports writers called them a disgrace before the season even started. People knew this team was going to be that bad. They're losing games by more than 13 points a game, an NBA record too.

Watching the team this season is both frustrating and comedic for fans. At some point last year they just stopped caring, and this year, they're only watching them out of spite or to see how badly they can lose. Earlier this season the Bobcats had a 16 game losing streak, and now, they've surpassed it with a 20-game streak. On Sunday, April 15th against the Celtics, they gave away tickets to the next night's game against the Hornets. To whom you ask? To everyone, much to the arena's dismay. They don't want to watch such a disgrace of a team, let alone be "gifted" tickets to see them play against a team that was forced to trade away their only star before the season started.

The Bobcats under the current administration have greatly failed. With only one playoff berth in their franchise's history with no wins, there is very little solace for the franchise. Their players are terrible, their coach is old, the management doesn't know what it's doing, and the fans don't want to support a product that isn't worthy for College Basketball, let alone the NBA. As a player, Michael Jordan was the greatest. As an owner, Jordan is incompetent at best. He needs to surround himself with smarter people that can help him make more money. The only way to do that is get better talent. Unfortunately, Jordan's history shows he is incapable of recognizing that such talent exists.

Mass Effect 3 Review

The Mass Effect series has been built on players’ choices and seeing the consequences of those choices and it’s nice to finally see where those choices have taken everyone, for better or worse. The Mass Effect series has made momentous strides over the course of its series, but it has also taken a few steps back as well. Mass Effect 3 ultimately proves where the series has shown its’ mastery and how it betrayed its’ initial concept in others.

One of the first new elements players will notice when firing up the game is multiplayer. This mode is simply an online cooperative mode where up to four players pit themselves against ten waves of AI opponents on one of three difficulties across six initial maps, although two have since been added for free via downloadable content. The concept is the same as Gears of War’s horde mode with a separate leveling system that’s similar to the single player. What’s new is a trading card game like system where you have to spend your hard earned credits on one of three pack types, each of which have five random types, ranging from powers, characters or weapons. While cheaper packs will get you more powers, more expensive packs are usually your ticket to newer weapons and characters.

The system works well, which will most likely keep you coming back to try new characters and classes. When you get a character to its’ highest level, you can “send it to single player” as the game mentions, but it doesn’t do anything, which ultimately eliminates the point in doing so. Multiplayer does serve a purpose for single player though. By playing more you will raise your “Galactic Readiness” by one to seven percent depending on how well you do. Not playing multiplayer for a few days will lower this rating by one percent a day until you do, so if you’re looking to get a good rating in single player, it’s best to hold off until playing multiplayer until the end of the campaign.

Speaking of the campaign, there’s definitely a lot to talk about in the portion of the game that isn’t normally talked about nowadays, namely everything else. The first thing a veteran Mass Effect player will notice is they won’t be able to import their long-standing face into the game. While Bioware has said this was recently patched, but it still exists and will anger long-time players. A major issue is the game’s journal, which has taken a step backwards from the previous entry. No longer will the game give you step-by-step progress for each mission, instead opting for a vague message that never changes. This is infuriating since you’re given very little context on how to go about completing them. It strikes as Bioware being lazy for the sake of rushing the final product out, and is a major detriment to the overall product.

What’s not a detriment however, are the continued stories of characters. There are plenty of excellent moments in Mass Effect 3 that not only provide excellent closure to some of Mass Effect 2’s favorites, but little moments with crew members as well. Garrus, Liara, Tali, Joker and Edi all have them and there are quite a few that will be memorable for a long time. The game’s combat is also an improvement over the last game, but it’s not a major step up like there was from Mass Effect to Mass Effect 2. Overall, these two elements do the job enough for you to keep playing the story up until the very end, which is where most of the debate around this game occurs.

The game’s ending is, without question, a certified mess. It takes the entire series up to that point and throws everything people have done until that point out the window. It’s a shame that the people who wrote the ending came up with something so hastily to create something very nonsensical, ending the series in a very unsatisfying way. At the end of the day, that’s what Mass Effect 3 is. It had a lot of build up, but it leaves a sour taste in your mouth afterwards. There’s not enough closure or differentiation in the story that will leave a lot of people satisfied at the end. While they’ll wonder what went wrong, there’s no answer for that right now, as it has to be “clarified” by Bioware later this year. It’s just a wonder why they game wasn’t delayed until they could have clarified it on the game’s disc.

Score: 7/10

Positives
- Good characters and dialog
- More refined combat
- Good Multiplayer

Negatives
- The Ending is awful in various ways
- Poor Presentation

NHL Playoffs 2012: Quick Reactions 1

Since this is the first time that I can remember all NHL Playoff games being available to watch at once, I thought it would be a good idea to share my quick reactions of all of the teams thus far. I'll try and update this when the other teams play game 1, but I won't make any guarantees since the Florida-New Jersey series will most likely be terrible in every aspect. But for now, on with the show.

Detroit @ Nashville
- Detroit looked somewhat old and uninspired last night, which is surprising since they've always made a strong showing in the Playoffs. For a team that has made the Playoffs for 21 consecutive years, most of their players looked like they were there for all 21.

- Nashville looked somewhat more impressive, but not entirely. They were more aggressive, but they weren't what I would call dominant. A win over Detroit is great however, considering Detroit has always beaten them in the Playoffs before.


Philadelphia @ Pittsburgh
- The Penguins started out very good, playing like a #1 seed almost. But in hockey you have to play 60 minutes, not 20. The rest of the game they looked like they were going through the motions until they inevitably lost in overtime.

- After the first 20 minutes, the Flyers looked like the third or fourth best team in the Eastern Conference. In overtime they played smart, sitting back until Pittsburgh was worn down and got a good rebound to steal a victory. It'll be a good morale booster for them going into Game 2.


Los Angeles @ Vancouver
- The Canucks did not impress me against the Kings. The Kings, for the most part played along with Vancouver's game until they got their chances, which they weren't ready for. While Luongo played a great game, the rest of his team didn't. The final goal was a testament to how the Canucks played last night. Terribly.

- The Kings, aside from the Canucks 2nd goal, played the game they needed to play. They didn't over-exert themselves and took advantage of the chances they got. Behind some solid goaltending, they might have the Canucks a bit flustered early on.


Ottawa @ New York Rangers (Live as of writing)
- Ottawa doesn't belong on the same ice as the Rangers. They're slow, uninterested in being there, and they're not attacking the net or getting rebounds. Their defense also looks weak as the Rangers 2nd goal had a Senators player just standing there while it was scored.

- The Rangers have played like the #1 seed tonight. They were aggressive, played like a team, had good goaltending and solid defensive play. If they play like this the entire postseason, I foresee a Cup in their future.


Washington @ Boston (Live as of writing)
- It seems like the only Capitals player who cares about winning right now is Braden Holtby. The Capitals are playing like a team with their head cut off, almost like they don't want to be there.

- Boston is playing aggressively, allowing less than 10 shots right now. They're hitting the Capitals hard, and it only helps that the Caps aren't putting up a fight.

The Stanley Cup in D.C.?

The past 4 seasons have been extremely heartbreaking for the Washington Capitals. After taking the Philadelphia Flyers to game 7 and losing at home in overtime in Round 1 of the playoffs, the Caps did the same to the Rangers, but won instead. They lost in the next round however to their long-time Playoff Nemesis, the Pittsburgh Penguins. The next year after getting the President's Trophy, they lost to Montreal in 7 games after being up 3-1. And last year, despite beating the Rangers in 5 games, got swept out in the second round by the Tampa Bay Lightning. This year however, after seasons of looking for a Championship, the team that likes to play all in when the chips are down may finally be able to do so.

The Capitals, having clinched a Playoff spot on Thursday at home against Florida, will open the first round against the Boston Bruins. The Bruins won last year's Stanley Cup over Vancouver in 7 games. While the Capitals won the series against the Bruins this year 3-1, most favor the Bruins due to their playoff experience and because the Capitals struggled throughout the year with various injuries to Backstrom, Vokoun and most recently Neuvirth. The Capitals also fired coach Bruce Boudreau for Dale Hunter of the CHL, a move that fans are already seeking a change for. They've been the definition of discombobulated all season, something that can't be said of Boston. The Bruins enjoyed mostly stable results all season. Despite a slow start, they went on an early tear from early November to mid December maintaining their position near the top of the Eastern Conference all season. All in all, this matchup should favor them greatly due to their overwhelming consistency throughout the season.

There is one thing however that most people overlook about the Washington Capitals and that is their ability to rise to the occasion when they are perceived to be the underdog in a game or series. This has been a constant thing in their entire history, but has cropped up recently in their play style. In some games they are down 2 or 3 goals heading in the final period only to win in regulation. While the Capitals have also experienced a reversal of this fortune sometimes this season, they have only lost once when leading by 2 or more goals after 2 periods of play, the best winning percentage in the League. This is something they will have to overcome if they wish to beat Boston in Round 1, especially without the crutch of the shootout.

If Washington gets past Boston in the first round, they will have a much easier road ahead of them. They will likely face the New York Rangers, Florida Panthers or Pittsburgh Penguins in the next round. The Rangers are the most likely team, and even though the Rangers have a regular season advantage over the Capitals, they have beaten the Rangers in each of the last 2 postseasons they have played one another. That ultimately leads to a potential showdown with the Pittsburgh Penguins, a team Washington has only beaten once in a postseason series. It's something the Capitals desire, even though they haven't been able to meet up, either because of their own sub par play or because of Pittsburgh's injuries. If the Capitals were to win a Stanley Cup, they would certainly have to beat the Penguins first.

The proper example would be the Boston Red Sox. In order for them to win their first World Series Championship in 86 years, in 2004 they had to defeat the New York Yankees to get there. The World Series for Boston that year was a cakewalk, having easily won it in 4 straight games. I'm not saying the Capitals would sweep the Stanley Cup Finals if they got there, but I feel if they got there, having beaten the Penguins to do so, they would feel and play like an unstoppable machine. Why? Because to them beating Pittsburgh is their Stanley Cup. Actually winning it would be like icing on the cake.

There's no real way to see if Washington will win the Stanley Cup or not. However, this is just an outline of how it will happen, should it happen this year.

Kid Icarus: Uprising Review

It’s been 20 years since the last Kid Icarus game was released on Game Boy, and that’s a very unknown about game to this day. To have a highly marketed, highly publicized Kid Icarus game released at this day and age is a bit strange to say the least. But considering the name behind it and his relationship with the current Nintendo CEO, it shouldn’t be surprised that Kid Icarus gets a grand re-introduction to the world on the 3DS.

Kid Icarus: Uprising is a schizophrenic game, combining an on-rails shooter style game with on land action game. The controls for the on-rails flight sections are simple and work fantastically. These sections do get pretty busy later on. None of these segments last more than five minutes however, given the game’s context that Pit’s wings will burn up if the limit is reached. After each flight section, you’ll move into the proper action segments. The controls here are mostly functional, but will probably require some tweaking since you control Pit’s firing reticule and camera at the same time. This is the only part of Uprising that could’ve been done better, and it’s a shame since these segments take up the majority of the game. Even during the latter stages of the game I never felt I had mastered them, but only managed to make sure I didn’t die because of them. It’s a shame really, as the remainder of the game never fails to shine.

The one surprising aspect of Uprising is its’ story. Pit and Palutena are the definitive stars of the show, with their almost natural quips towards one another, coming across as being extremely charming. The story is well put together and is an overall fun ride due to the dialog and story that doesn’t stop the action. While the game does give you an option to turn off the dialog after beating it, I couldn’t bring myself to do so when replaying levels, and I’m sure many will feel the same way. The story is bittersweet however, since it will leave you wondering where they could go from there.

In addition to the single player mode, there is also multiplayer, supporting online and offline play up to 6 players. There are two modes, one team-based called Light vs. Dark and the other is free-for-all. The multiplayer plays like the game’s on-foot sections, and also allows you to bring in your loot from single player to use. It’s a nice feature, but it does make you more vulnerable to losing despite having more powerful gear. It’s a nice distraction, but it wasn’t something I felt like I had to play to get my money’s worth from the game.

Uprising also offers a multitude of additional content to promote more playthroughs of chapters as well as the multiplayer, including Challenges, a Music Gallery as well as Idol Mode, which gives you in-game models based on AR cards you’ve collected. Challenges give you rewards such as weapons, music and Idols by completing chapters in single player in specific ways, such as defeating any level at 9.0 Intensity. I like that the game offers a reward to keep me playing the game, especially when there’s nothing to hang my head in shame about. It’s just offering more ways to teach you how to play the game, and maybe you’ll find something you didn’t think you’d like about it that way. The sound tracks is also another highlight of the game, and thanks to the Music Gallery you’ll be able to listen to all of your favorite tracks whenever you want, even after you beat the game.

Kid Icarus: Uprising is almost everything a game should strive to be. Despite its’ steep learning curve, it is ultimately a must buy for any Nintendo 3DS owner due to the longevity and enjoyment you’ll get out of this little bundle of joy at almost every turn.

Score: 8.5/10

Pros:
+ The Story
+ The Visuals
+ The Replay Value

Cons:
+ The Controls
+ The Replay Value
+ Losing the 3D Effect