It's that time again where Football season is about to start and predictions are flying everywhere. So it is time I take a crack at it again like I do every year. Now these will be short and sweet with no records, but it's just an overview of things to come this season!
NFC East
1 - Dallas
2 - Philadelphia
3 - Washington
4 - NY Giants
NFC North
1 - Green Bay
2 - Detroit
3 - Chicago
4 - Minnesota
NFC South
1 - New Orleans
2 - Tampa Bay
3 - Atlanta
4 - Carolina
NFC West
1 - St. Louis
2 - San Francisco
3 - Arizona
4 - Seattle
AFC East
1 - New England
2 - NY Jets
3 - Miami
4 - Buffalo
AFC North
1 - Pittsburgh
2 - Baltimore
3 - Cleveland
4 - Cincinnati
AFC South
1 - Houston
2 - Indianapolis
3 - Jacksonville
4 - Tennessee
AFC West
1 - San Diego
2 - Oakland
3 - Kansas City
4 - Denver
NFC Playoffs
1 - Green Bay
2 - New Orleans
3 - Dallas - vs. - 6 - Detroit
4 - St. Louis - vs. - 5 - Philadelphia
NFC Champions: Dallas Cowboys
AFC Playoffs
1 - Pittsburgh
2 - New England
3 - San Diego - vs. - 6 - NY Jets
4 - Houston - vs. - 5 - Baltimore
AFC Champions: New England Patriots
Super Bowl Champions: New England Patriots
Monday, September 5, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
Nintendo Video Review
Nintendo Video is Nintendo's newest 3DS app that allows you to download videos and trailers to watch in 2D/3D. After managing to download it and watch a couple of trailers on it, I can say that the app is very disappointing.
The Captain America trailer, the first thing that I decided to watch, was in 3D. The problem lies in that the actual video didn't stretch to the borders of the screen in any direction, leaving the entire video bordered. This leaves the video feeling cramped and very hard to tell that an actual 3D effect actually exists. It's possible that Nintendo will improve this in the future, but it's doubtful.
The other videos, while possessing full-screen capabilities, left the quality very poor and nearly unwatchable. In short, there are better ways to watch videos on the go. While Nintendo 3DS may offer 3D videos without glasses on the go, it's hard to recommend it for any other fact that it's free.
The Captain America trailer, the first thing that I decided to watch, was in 3D. The problem lies in that the actual video didn't stretch to the borders of the screen in any direction, leaving the entire video bordered. This leaves the video feeling cramped and very hard to tell that an actual 3D effect actually exists. It's possible that Nintendo will improve this in the future, but it's doubtful.
The other videos, while possessing full-screen capabilities, left the quality very poor and nearly unwatchable. In short, there are better ways to watch videos on the go. While Nintendo 3DS may offer 3D videos without glasses on the go, it's hard to recommend it for any other fact that it's free.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Ms. Splosion Man Review
Two years after the critically acclaimed Splosion Man, Twisted Pixel has come out with Ms. Splosion Man, a sequel to the original using an homage to Ms. Pac-Man. The gameplay remains the same: Press a button to "Splode," you can do so 3 times before you can't splode anymore, going up walls, hitting barrels, etc. It's the same game as Splosion Man for the most part with a side of feminine humor. For the asking price, the content is there to make the 800 point asking price valid.
However, Ms. Splosion Man is more complicated than its' predecessor, equating to a much harder, albeit longer game. The difficulty curve for Ms. Splosion Man is also very weird, as it's broken into 3 worlds, each world tends to get harder and harder, and when you beat a world the difficulty kind of backs off before ramping up again instead of a constant upward trend in aggravation.
Like Splosion Man, MSM has 2 campaigns, one single player, one multiplayer. However, getting into a game online is a sadistic chore, as you'll get into games, you'll have to wait 10-15 minutes for levels to finish before you can play, sometimes longer. And you won't be playing from the start, but instead from where the host is at, so it's best to only play with friends if you can help it.
Ms. Splosion Man is a nice package overall, but it comes with a few caveats that make it very hard to recommend over the original.
Score: 3 out of 5
However, Ms. Splosion Man is more complicated than its' predecessor, equating to a much harder, albeit longer game. The difficulty curve for Ms. Splosion Man is also very weird, as it's broken into 3 worlds, each world tends to get harder and harder, and when you beat a world the difficulty kind of backs off before ramping up again instead of a constant upward trend in aggravation.
Like Splosion Man, MSM has 2 campaigns, one single player, one multiplayer. However, getting into a game online is a sadistic chore, as you'll get into games, you'll have to wait 10-15 minutes for levels to finish before you can play, sometimes longer. And you won't be playing from the start, but instead from where the host is at, so it's best to only play with friends if you can help it.
Ms. Splosion Man is a nice package overall, but it comes with a few caveats that make it very hard to recommend over the original.
Score: 3 out of 5
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Death of the Big Black Box
2 Days ago at approximately 9:14pm EDT I went to turn on my Playstation 3. It didn't turn on. For the past 4 years, my 60gb Playstation 3 has been good to me, harboring some of my favorite games this generation, like Burnout Paradise and Uncharted 2. But alas, it's time has passed, and will be sent along to Sony for repairs and to get my Just Cause 2 game disc back.
While the 2 weeks will be somewhat painful, I will be sent a PS3 Slim as a replacement because it was the cheaper alternative. While PS2 Backwards Compatability was a key feature for the PS3, it isn't anymore. I still have my PS2, and while I want to play some games, I haven't had the time to do so in a long time. Hopefully Sony will get that working again on PS4, but for now I can wait.
While the 2 weeks will be somewhat painful, I will be sent a PS3 Slim as a replacement because it was the cheaper alternative. While PS2 Backwards Compatability was a key feature for the PS3, it isn't anymore. I still have my PS2, and while I want to play some games, I haven't had the time to do so in a long time. Hopefully Sony will get that working again on PS4, but for now I can wait.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Transformers 3
I decided to go see this film yesterday even though going in I'd know I'd hate it. From the background that I couldn't stand more than 15 minutes of the last Transformers movie, the fact that I was able to stay conscious for all 2 hours and 40 minutes of this has been deemed a miracle by all accounts.
Let me start off with the positive news. The last hour was a constant stream of robot action with very little dialog. Optimus Prime was extremely badass for the three minutes he did anything and it had some really nice CG graphics.
Now for the negatives: The first hour and forty minutes. That's really all that needs to be said, and for that, it's not really worth torturing yourself over for the last hour.
Let me start off with the positive news. The last hour was a constant stream of robot action with very little dialog. Optimus Prime was extremely badass for the three minutes he did anything and it had some really nice CG graphics.
Now for the negatives: The first hour and forty minutes. That's really all that needs to be said, and for that, it's not really worth torturing yourself over for the last hour.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Labor Un-Deals
The NFL and NBA are currently in crunch mode hoping to save their upcoming seasons. While the NFL looks to at least have a grasp on the situation, the NBA does not. It's not to say the NBA isn't full of smart people, but they just haven't made smart decisions.
There are currently a lot of teams not making money due to salary cap rules, notably the New Orleans Hornets (owned by the Association), the Charlotte Bobcats (the worst team in the league and owned by Michael Jordan). New Orleans isn't a bad team, but bad ownership took them from Charlotte to New Orleans under protest about a new arena in Charlotte, which the Bobcats got after the Hornets left. Now, the Bobcats have sold away all of their best talent for draft picks and unnamed players for the sake of saving a few bucks. The fans don't like the Bobcats. Why is that you ask?
A - The City Government approved tax money and land for the building of the Arena against the referendum was voted down by the tax payers.
B - Charlotte likes a winner, and the Bobcats have proven themselves to not be one
C - Charlotte loved the Hornets, and their absence left a hole in the hearts of fans
D - The Bobcats don't advertise at all
These four things have caused a maelstrom of problems for the team. It has caused them to be uninterested due to the Government's involvement, they stink, they're not the Hornets, and most importantly, most people don't even know they exist due to no local marketing campaign in either newspapers, radio, or television. It should be no wonder to anyone why the team doesn't have any support.
In addition, the selling off of the team's best players year in and year out only adds to the mantra that the team isn't a winner and never will be, the Los Angeles Clippers of the Eastern Conference if you will. While Michael Jordan was the best player in basketball history, he's most certainly one of the worst owners. Right now, it'd be better if he got back on the court instead of staying off.
There are currently a lot of teams not making money due to salary cap rules, notably the New Orleans Hornets (owned by the Association), the Charlotte Bobcats (the worst team in the league and owned by Michael Jordan). New Orleans isn't a bad team, but bad ownership took them from Charlotte to New Orleans under protest about a new arena in Charlotte, which the Bobcats got after the Hornets left. Now, the Bobcats have sold away all of their best talent for draft picks and unnamed players for the sake of saving a few bucks. The fans don't like the Bobcats. Why is that you ask?
A - The City Government approved tax money and land for the building of the Arena against the referendum was voted down by the tax payers.
B - Charlotte likes a winner, and the Bobcats have proven themselves to not be one
C - Charlotte loved the Hornets, and their absence left a hole in the hearts of fans
D - The Bobcats don't advertise at all
These four things have caused a maelstrom of problems for the team. It has caused them to be uninterested due to the Government's involvement, they stink, they're not the Hornets, and most importantly, most people don't even know they exist due to no local marketing campaign in either newspapers, radio, or television. It should be no wonder to anyone why the team doesn't have any support.
In addition, the selling off of the team's best players year in and year out only adds to the mantra that the team isn't a winner and never will be, the Los Angeles Clippers of the Eastern Conference if you will. While Michael Jordan was the best player in basketball history, he's most certainly one of the worst owners. Right now, it'd be better if he got back on the court instead of staying off.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Rise of the Natinals
The Washington Nationals have won 13 of their last 14, and have climbed out of the NL East basement into third, they are above .500 this late in the season for the first time since 2005 (their inaugural season) and are only 3.5 games out of the NL Wild Card. So why is it that Jim Riggleman resigned? Well, if reports are true, it's because of a contract dispute, one Riggleman didn't appreciate given all he's done for the team.
While I can agree that he's done really well for the team so far, quitting while riding a hot streak only hurts himself. If he toughed it out for the rest of the season and got fired, maybe after leading the club close to a .500 record or better, he would've easily landed a job somewhere else. However, quitting in the middle of the season makes him look weak and petty, even though the Nationals probably owed it to themselves to pick up his option. In addition, it will most likely hurt the Nationals in both the short and long term because of the lack of consistency at the managerial position. So in that regard he's really hurt everyone involved in the situation, and it won't help his career either.
While the Nationals look to old-time manager Davey Johnson to carry them through this season, one will always wonder what could have been with Riggleman? With Strasburg coming back next season as well as Bryce Harper likely being called up, it looks as if the Nationals might be on the cusp of a Playoff Run. Only time will tell, but it definitely won't be any thanks to Riggleman if and when it does.
While I can agree that he's done really well for the team so far, quitting while riding a hot streak only hurts himself. If he toughed it out for the rest of the season and got fired, maybe after leading the club close to a .500 record or better, he would've easily landed a job somewhere else. However, quitting in the middle of the season makes him look weak and petty, even though the Nationals probably owed it to themselves to pick up his option. In addition, it will most likely hurt the Nationals in both the short and long term because of the lack of consistency at the managerial position. So in that regard he's really hurt everyone involved in the situation, and it won't help his career either.
While the Nationals look to old-time manager Davey Johnson to carry them through this season, one will always wonder what could have been with Riggleman? With Strasburg coming back next season as well as Bryce Harper likely being called up, it looks as if the Nationals might be on the cusp of a Playoff Run. Only time will tell, but it definitely won't be any thanks to Riggleman if and when it does.
Friday, June 24, 2011
New Toys Distract Me
Yesterday I purchased a new toy, and it just so happens that I am attached at the hip with this new toy. While the word toy may sound a bit childish to you, saying consumer electronic device would probably confuse you more often than not. Yesterday after some saving I finally purchased a Black Nintendo 3DS from my local gaming emporium. All I can say is that after playing stuff like AR Games, Face Raiders, the Mii Plaza (Face Mii and Mii Puzzle), the free Pokedex 3D, and free (as of now) Excitebike I can say that I really enjoy it.
First and foremost are my concerns/complaints. I'm currently afraid to turn it off due to SpotPass, as turning on my system to find my software be lit up with Blue Dots (meaning new software) brings a smile to my face. It's a really interesting feature that's new to systems out there, but I'm sure it's on PC with patch logs and the like. The 3DS wants me to put the game back in to find out what my new prize is, and to be honest, it's working. So far it's kind of a pain in terms of lighting as well as battery life as I never seem to have enough light to use the AR cards, but that's more of a me problem. Finally, I wish the screen was a smidge bigger, but not as big as DSiXL, however this sits in my pocket nicely instead of bulging out.
In terms of the software I've used, even though piece-meal has been quite entertaining. The Mii Maker is entertaining, the AR games seem well put together, and the 3D effect works well enough as to not blind me. I've only played one real game so far and that's Dead or Alive Dimensions, which I really like despite hearing not much is new. As for the aforementioned Spot Pass, while it took me a while to figure it out, it works fine as constantly gives me new things to look forward to. It seems Nintendo finally got Wii Connect 24 to work.
So overall I'm pleased with the Product so far, and I can't wait for new stuff to come out for it. While a price drop may entice others to buy it quicker, I assure you it will be a worthy purchase.
First and foremost are my concerns/complaints. I'm currently afraid to turn it off due to SpotPass, as turning on my system to find my software be lit up with Blue Dots (meaning new software) brings a smile to my face. It's a really interesting feature that's new to systems out there, but I'm sure it's on PC with patch logs and the like. The 3DS wants me to put the game back in to find out what my new prize is, and to be honest, it's working. So far it's kind of a pain in terms of lighting as well as battery life as I never seem to have enough light to use the AR cards, but that's more of a me problem. Finally, I wish the screen was a smidge bigger, but not as big as DSiXL, however this sits in my pocket nicely instead of bulging out.
In terms of the software I've used, even though piece-meal has been quite entertaining. The Mii Maker is entertaining, the AR games seem well put together, and the 3D effect works well enough as to not blind me. I've only played one real game so far and that's Dead or Alive Dimensions, which I really like despite hearing not much is new. As for the aforementioned Spot Pass, while it took me a while to figure it out, it works fine as constantly gives me new things to look forward to. It seems Nintendo finally got Wii Connect 24 to work.
So overall I'm pleased with the Product so far, and I can't wait for new stuff to come out for it. While a price drop may entice others to buy it quicker, I assure you it will be a worthy purchase.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Political Futures
More polls are coming out this week showing resentment towards the Obama administration. This is due to a number of things, but as John Carville once said 'it's the economy, stupid.' And he's right for the most part. If the economy is doing well and there isn't a war going on, the Presidency is always decided by the economy. Right now, the United States is in a tough economic climate with higher prices on goods, a devalued dollar and high unemployment numbers.
If Obama wants to win re-election in 2012, he needs to hope for an economic miracle or that the Republicans put up a terrible candidate, or that candidate has a falling out with the public through some scandal. While Obama did get Bin Laden, most Americans have already forgotten that he did, and while he may remind them of that fact next fall, it will do little to affect the way they vote for President. Why? Because that's old news. If Obama waited until next October to do something like that, it would've been a slam dunk, no contest victory for him. But with a year and a half gap between the two, there's no way it will help him in the foreseen climate.
If Obama wants to win re-election in 2012, he needs to hope for an economic miracle or that the Republicans put up a terrible candidate, or that candidate has a falling out with the public through some scandal. While Obama did get Bin Laden, most Americans have already forgotten that he did, and while he may remind them of that fact next fall, it will do little to affect the way they vote for President. Why? Because that's old news. If Obama waited until next October to do something like that, it would've been a slam dunk, no contest victory for him. But with a year and a half gap between the two, there's no way it will help him in the foreseen climate.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition
When it was announced that Arcade Edition would be coming as a DLC add-on for Super Street Fighter IV I immediately set aside the $20 to buy a points card for the 1200 point add-on. When I finally sat down to play my favorite fighting game of the generation again I was met with a patch that completely ruined the experience for me.
Arcade Edition adds a lot of new features to the core game: 4 new characters along with Endings for Arcade Mode. In addition, it adds some more Online Features such as more Replay Modes, the ability to follow players, and the ability to play in lobbies specifically made for Arcade Edition, as well as Super. The Arcade Edition Mode changes some of the characters as well, otherwise known as a balancing. Overall, it seems like a worthy pickup for the price. However, it's what those changes do that really send me over the edge on this one.
What Arcade Edition effectively does is break the game in favor of god characters, aka Yun and Yang. While it makes for some great buffs for Makoto, Fei Long and Hakan, it effectively neuters other characters like Guile, Ryu and Chun-Li. Unnecessarily so as well, since Super was already pretty well balanced. Taking Fei Long and Makoto from bottom tier to Upper Tier is a big stretch in my opinion, as it really just makes the game unbalanced and unfun. For offline players hoping for some achievements, they've effectively made Arcade Mode for this Edition a lot tougher, meaning spamming isn't as effective, and trying to get Evil Ryu and Oni on the highest difficulty a chore, even with Zangief, who is now almost useless against Seth, who by the way, you have to finish with a Super and/or Ultra in order to face either of them in addition to prerequisites. So if you're looking for achievements, Arcade Edition is a no go.
For the competitive Street Fighter player you really have no choice but to buy this add-on, and for that this review isn't for you since you already know how severe the changes have been. As for online play, Capcom has seemingly borked their netcode once again, so more inputs are dropped, meaning practice for competitive and casual play has also been hurt as a result. And this change is for everyone, not just the Arcade Edition mode.
In addition to these negatives, there aren't any Trials for these 4 new characters, making it harder to learn them and how to combat them in battle. Finally Capcom has stated that Costume Pack(s) will come later for them, so in essence, you're really not getting a complete package here.
So without an additional patch for balance changes that are desperately needed, Capcom has effectively ruined Street Fighter IV. In the meantime, I'll continue to play Super Mode since it's still extremely fun to play.
Score: 1 out of 5
Arcade Edition adds a lot of new features to the core game: 4 new characters along with Endings for Arcade Mode. In addition, it adds some more Online Features such as more Replay Modes, the ability to follow players, and the ability to play in lobbies specifically made for Arcade Edition, as well as Super. The Arcade Edition Mode changes some of the characters as well, otherwise known as a balancing. Overall, it seems like a worthy pickup for the price. However, it's what those changes do that really send me over the edge on this one.
What Arcade Edition effectively does is break the game in favor of god characters, aka Yun and Yang. While it makes for some great buffs for Makoto, Fei Long and Hakan, it effectively neuters other characters like Guile, Ryu and Chun-Li. Unnecessarily so as well, since Super was already pretty well balanced. Taking Fei Long and Makoto from bottom tier to Upper Tier is a big stretch in my opinion, as it really just makes the game unbalanced and unfun. For offline players hoping for some achievements, they've effectively made Arcade Mode for this Edition a lot tougher, meaning spamming isn't as effective, and trying to get Evil Ryu and Oni on the highest difficulty a chore, even with Zangief, who is now almost useless against Seth, who by the way, you have to finish with a Super and/or Ultra in order to face either of them in addition to prerequisites. So if you're looking for achievements, Arcade Edition is a no go.
For the competitive Street Fighter player you really have no choice but to buy this add-on, and for that this review isn't for you since you already know how severe the changes have been. As for online play, Capcom has seemingly borked their netcode once again, so more inputs are dropped, meaning practice for competitive and casual play has also been hurt as a result. And this change is for everyone, not just the Arcade Edition mode.
In addition to these negatives, there aren't any Trials for these 4 new characters, making it harder to learn them and how to combat them in battle. Finally Capcom has stated that Costume Pack(s) will come later for them, so in essence, you're really not getting a complete package here.
So without an additional patch for balance changes that are desperately needed, Capcom has effectively ruined Street Fighter IV. In the meantime, I'll continue to play Super Mode since it's still extremely fun to play.
Score: 1 out of 5
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)