[*] Indicates a "Season Great"
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Cutting It Close: 4.25/5 Stephanie accidentally cuts Jesse's hair and he wrecks his motorcycle. Stephanie feels bad, but Jesse assures her that it's okay.
[*]Tanner Vs. Gibbler: 4.5/5 Kimmy goes to her birthday party with older "friends" and DJ gets jealous. The two get mad at eachother.
It's Not My Job: 4.25/5 Jessie tells his dad he wants to leave his family business to pursue a career in music.
DJ's Very First Horse: 4.25/5 DJ and Kimmy decide to "buy" a horse without anyone knowing, and pay half of what the horse needs every week. Soon, they don't have the money to keep him, and they ask Danny for help.
[*]Jingle Hell: 4.5/5 Joey and Jessie fight over a song they wrote that bombed, and DJ and Stephanie fight over privacy.
[*]Beach Boy Bingo: 5/5 DJ wins tickets to a Beach Boy's concert, and doesn't know who to pick.
[*]Joey Gets Tough: 4.5/5 Joey lets the girls watch Tiffany: Live From Tokyo and stay up late. Danny tells him he should be "tougher", and sure enough he is.
[*]Triple Date: 4.5/5 Danny gets a date with a girl he met at the grocery store, and it turns out to be one of Jesse's ex-girlfriends.
[*]Our Very First Christmas: 4.5/5 Everyone gets snowed in at an airport in Colorado for Christmas.
[*]Middle Age Crazy: 4.5/5 Being caught in the middle of two sisters, Stephanie decides to propose to Harry to get attention.
A Little Romance: 4.25/5 Rebecca gets jealous at a charity bachelor auction when another woman bids on Jesse.
Fogged In: 4.25/5 Jesse gets steamed when Kimmy and DJ are in his room messing with stuff and tape over one of his commercial songs. He gets mad, and eventually buys a drum set to make up.
[*]Working Mothers: 4.5/5 Jesse and Joey get a job writing jingles, but don't know if it's a good or bad idea.
Little Shop Of Sweaters: 4.25/5 Stephanie takes a "Buy Now, Pay Later" sign too literal after she swipes a sweater from a store in place of one that DJ ruined at school.
Pal Joey: 4.25/5 Joey, Danny, and Jesse recall a friendship pact they all made when they were kids.
[*]Baby Love: 4.5/5 Michelle meets Rebecca's nephew Howie and doesn't want him to leave; Stephanie gets scared from the movie Wolfman.
El Problema Grande De DJ: 4.25/5 DJ wants Danny to get her grade changed in Spanish, but she gets upset when he finds him kissing her teacher.
Goodbye, Mr. Bear: 4.25/5: Stephanie loses Mr. Bear and fears Joey may have donated him; the family watches home videos of when Pam came home from the hospital.
Blast From The Past: 4/5 Joey gets a call from a girlfriend from 10 years ago.
[*]I'm There For You Babe: 4.5/5 Jesse has a very stressful birthday when everyone asks him to do stuff.
Luck Be A Lady ( 1 Hour Episode ): 4.25/5 Joey claims he won $100,000 from a slot machine, but security cameras find that Stephanie and DJ pulled it, and he doesn't get the money; Jesse and Becky attempt to get married at the Fabulous Ali Baba Hotel and Casino, but Becky says she has to get to know him better.
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Full House: Season 2 has its moments, but it's not the best season - there are better ones in the future.
4.5/5
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Game Review ( Viva Pinata - 360 )
Graphics: 4.5/5 Awesome to look at. The game is extremely colorful, and the water effects are nice too. The only problem is that since the game features auto-save, it hiccups now and then, but other than that, very good looking game.
Sound: 4.5/5 Not only does the game look great, it sounds fantastic too. Everything does - the voiceovers, the pinatas, and all the random sounds in the background. Sounds sweet.
Control: 4.25/5 May take awhile to get used to, say a half hour, but for kids it may take awhile. However, there are two control types. Viva Pinata controls nicely.
Fun: 4.5/5 Viva Pinata is a very fun and surprisingly deep game. You get garden upgrades to get your garden bigger, the pinatas only enter your garden under certain requirements, you can hire people to take care of your garden, and intruders can even make your pinatas sick. This game is just a lot of fun, but it's flawed. The game takes a lot of patience, and sometimes pinatas will eat other pinatas when you really don't want them too. Viva Pinata is definitely said to be a stupid little kid's game, but it's such a good game, you can't pass it up. Definitely a game that's looked over way too much.
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4.5/5
Achievement Difficulty: 4/10
People say the achievements for this game are an absolute sinch, but it really isn't that way. The achievements will come easily only after 5 hours or so into the game when you really start rolling. Before that though, you'll only be able to get a couple. But even so, this is a game that's so fun to play you won't even care if you get many achievements for. It's just a blast to play.
Sound: 4.5/5 Not only does the game look great, it sounds fantastic too. Everything does - the voiceovers, the pinatas, and all the random sounds in the background. Sounds sweet.
Control: 4.25/5 May take awhile to get used to, say a half hour, but for kids it may take awhile. However, there are two control types. Viva Pinata controls nicely.
Fun: 4.5/5 Viva Pinata is a very fun and surprisingly deep game. You get garden upgrades to get your garden bigger, the pinatas only enter your garden under certain requirements, you can hire people to take care of your garden, and intruders can even make your pinatas sick. This game is just a lot of fun, but it's flawed. The game takes a lot of patience, and sometimes pinatas will eat other pinatas when you really don't want them too. Viva Pinata is definitely said to be a stupid little kid's game, but it's such a good game, you can't pass it up. Definitely a game that's looked over way too much.
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4.5/5
Achievement Difficulty: 4/10
People say the achievements for this game are an absolute sinch, but it really isn't that way. The achievements will come easily only after 5 hours or so into the game when you really start rolling. Before that though, you'll only be able to get a couple. But even so, this is a game that's so fun to play you won't even care if you get many achievements for. It's just a blast to play.
Game Review ( NBA Street: Homecourt - 360 )
Graphics: 3.75/5 The graphics look alright. Nothing "awesome" here. The dunks are cool, the game runs fine, but there are better looking games out there.
Sound: 4.5/5 The players talking on the court is a great idea, but they often repeat the same thing, and you'd think they have down syndrome when they ask the score after every basket.
Control: 4.5/5 Once again, NBA Street has some simple controls. Two buttons for tricks, and shoot and pass. That's about it. Simple, but good, controls.
Fun: 4/5 NBASHC isn't the best game ever - it's repetetive, you'll often do the same dunks, and the game isn't that fun. It's a good pick up and play game, but it could be better. Definitely a good game for achievement whores, though.
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3.75/5
Achievement Difficulty: 3/10
Near effortless. There are some online ones you may have trouble getting unless you can get someone to help you get them on purpose, but all the other ones are really simple and straightforward. Shouldn't have too much trouble getting at least 700-800 in this game.
Sound: 4.5/5 The players talking on the court is a great idea, but they often repeat the same thing, and you'd think they have down syndrome when they ask the score after every basket.
Control: 4.5/5 Once again, NBA Street has some simple controls. Two buttons for tricks, and shoot and pass. That's about it. Simple, but good, controls.
Fun: 4/5 NBASHC isn't the best game ever - it's repetetive, you'll often do the same dunks, and the game isn't that fun. It's a good pick up and play game, but it could be better. Definitely a good game for achievement whores, though.
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3.75/5
Achievement Difficulty: 3/10
Near effortless. There are some online ones you may have trouble getting unless you can get someone to help you get them on purpose, but all the other ones are really simple and straightforward. Shouldn't have too much trouble getting at least 700-800 in this game.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Game Review ( Boom Boom Rocket - 360 Arcade )
Graphics: 4.25/5 Vivid, interesting, and colorful. Very nice to the eye. The only real flaw is that you always play with the same city in the background, which is a little annoying, but it's okay.
Sound: 4.5/5 The game sounds good. There are 10 tracks, and the game costs $10. The songs for the most part are pretty fun and interesting, but where are the bonus track packs?
Control: 4.25/5 Takes time to get used to, but it's a very simple idea. Press the buttons on screen as the scroll past the line on top.
Fun: 4/5 Boom Boom Rocket is a game of potential. It's $10 for 10 songs, so it's not a BAD price, but it probably should be lower, and the game isn't very deep. A track pack would be great, and it'd be nice to see one available soon.
4/5
Achievement Difficulty: 5/10
Pretty easy achievements here. One of the few you'll likely struggle on would be to get an A on any song on hard. You can get 95% of the notes, use your power-ups, too, and still only get a B. Also another tough one to get, would be to unlock all the fireworks. 10 songs, 3 difficulties, means 30 fireworks. And some of the songs on hard are VERY tough. You'll still be able to get quite a few achievements.
Sound: 4.5/5 The game sounds good. There are 10 tracks, and the game costs $10. The songs for the most part are pretty fun and interesting, but where are the bonus track packs?
Control: 4.25/5 Takes time to get used to, but it's a very simple idea. Press the buttons on screen as the scroll past the line on top.
Fun: 4/5 Boom Boom Rocket is a game of potential. It's $10 for 10 songs, so it's not a BAD price, but it probably should be lower, and the game isn't very deep. A track pack would be great, and it'd be nice to see one available soon.
4/5
Achievement Difficulty: 5/10
Pretty easy achievements here. One of the few you'll likely struggle on would be to get an A on any song on hard. You can get 95% of the notes, use your power-ups, too, and still only get a B. Also another tough one to get, would be to unlock all the fireworks. 10 songs, 3 difficulties, means 30 fireworks. And some of the songs on hard are VERY tough. You'll still be able to get quite a few achievements.
Game Review ( Worms - 360 Arcade )
Graphics: 4.25/5 They're in HD, the game is really colorful, and it looks nice. Thing is though, there's only a few levels to play in ( 3 to be exact ) and you'll really only use a few different weapons over and over again.
Sound: 4/5 Same background musical score throughout the whole game. The worms say little words here and there, and you can even create your own team and choose the name of the team, name of the worms, and choose what language they speak.
Control: 4.25/5 Definitely takes time getting used to. The wind effects the direction of your bazooka shots, and it gets annoying, because the A.I. will get a dead on shot or near dead on shot 95% of the time, and it's sickening.
Fun: 4.5/5 Worms is an awesome game. Only 3 levels, but it's worth it. There are 20 challenges you can play through on single player, which get progressively tougher, and if you beat them all, you get an achievement. Also, the achievement list is great. There is also online multiplayer, so you can play on Xbox Live, which is pretty fun, too. For $10, some people may be skeptical, but this is a great game. Is it frustrating at times? Yes. Does it take patience? Yes. Is it for anyone? No. But this game is a lot of fun to play.
4.5/5
( Ideas for teams: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) , and Seinfeld )
Achievement Difficulty: 3/10
Some of the achievements may take awhile - mainly Gold Damage, which you have to get 20,000 total point damage, which is basically the equivalent of killing 2,000 100 health worms, which would take a VERY long time. Other than that, most of the achievements are managable. It's a great achievement list.
Sound: 4/5 Same background musical score throughout the whole game. The worms say little words here and there, and you can even create your own team and choose the name of the team, name of the worms, and choose what language they speak.
Control: 4.25/5 Definitely takes time getting used to. The wind effects the direction of your bazooka shots, and it gets annoying, because the A.I. will get a dead on shot or near dead on shot 95% of the time, and it's sickening.
Fun: 4.5/5 Worms is an awesome game. Only 3 levels, but it's worth it. There are 20 challenges you can play through on single player, which get progressively tougher, and if you beat them all, you get an achievement. Also, the achievement list is great. There is also online multiplayer, so you can play on Xbox Live, which is pretty fun, too. For $10, some people may be skeptical, but this is a great game. Is it frustrating at times? Yes. Does it take patience? Yes. Is it for anyone? No. But this game is a lot of fun to play.
4.5/5
( Ideas for teams: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) , and Seinfeld )
Achievement Difficulty: 3/10
Some of the achievements may take awhile - mainly Gold Damage, which you have to get 20,000 total point damage, which is basically the equivalent of killing 2,000 100 health worms, which would take a VERY long time. Other than that, most of the achievements are managable. It's a great achievement list.
Monday, May 14, 2007
DVD Review ( Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Volume 2 )
[*] Indicates a "Season Great"
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[*]Return of the Shredder: 4.5/5 Shredder is on his own when he learns Krang won't let him use Foot soldiers or Rock warriors. Shredder gives the turtles a bad rap by hiring goons to do bank robberies and the like. The turtles soon defeat Baxter's new rat catcher, but him and Shredder get away.
[*]The Incredible Shrinking Turtles: 4.5/5 The turtles rescue an alien pilot that fell into the Central Park pond who tells them to find the "Three Fragments of Zarnov" before they get into the wrong hands. The alien gives the turtles a Crystal Converger to help them locate the fragments. However, Shredder is over hearing and tries to find the fragments himself.
It Came From Beneath The Sewers: 4.25/5 Shredder gets the second fragment and manages to turn a big plant onto the turtles. The turtles stop it, but still have to get the second fragment, which Shredder now has.
[*]The Mean Machines: 4.5/5 Shredder turns construction vehicles on the turtles as they try to locate the second fragment, which Shredder is using to do so. Shredder tells Krang that the three fragments will give him unlimited power, but Krang doesn't believe him.
[*]Curse of the Evil Eye: 4.5/5 Shredder gets the final fragment while the turtles are still looking for it. While Baxter has Shredder's helemet for a brief time, he discovers that the powers do not work on gold. After the Crystal Converger came in contact with the three fragments, it began to self-destruct. Shredder throws it in the lake, and it makes a minor explosion.
[*]The Case of the Killer Pizzas: 4.5/5 Eggs from Dimension-X find their way onto 3 different pizzas from a Pizza Bake-Off in New York. The eggs hatch in the microwave, and it's up to the turtles to stop them. ( Who else would it be? )
[*]Enter The Fly: 4.5/5 Baxter gets turned into a fly in an accident in Dimension-X, and soon comes back to earth and gets back on Shredder's side to find the turtles.
Invasion of the Punk Frogs: 4.25/5 Shredder finds 4 mutant frogs and uses him to his advantage against the turtles.
[*]Splinter No More: 4.5/5 Splinter gets turned back into a human temporarily, but the spell fades off, and he also finds humans are jerks. Meanwhile, the turtles learn Shredder has the capability of joining any dimension, and they have to stop him.
New York's Shiniest: 4.25/5 April gets a robot named REX-1 attatched to her, and he is her "Server and protector". April finds him to be annoying, but he turns out to be a big help when Shredder makes himself a robot army.
Teenagers From Dimension-X: 4.25/5 The neutrinos visit earth yet again and tell the turtles about Shredder's next plan to kill them. Shredder finds out that the neutrinos know, and he sends Rocksteady and Bebop to find them.
The Catwoman From Channel 6: 3.75/5 April accidentally gets turned into a catwoman when she is trying to do a news story at a local lab.
Return Of The Technodrome: The Technodrome returns to earth after Krang tells Shredder to attach a device to the hydroelectric plant at Niagra Falls. Krang and Shredder have the turtles in a bad spot, and right as he's about to shoot them, Krang discovers that the Technodrome doesn't have enough energy to do so. An earthquake occurs from the Technodrome, and the whole thing falls down to the center of the earth. Are Krang and Shredder gone forever?
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TMNT: Season 2 is a pretty good season. It is solid almost all the way through, but a few not-so-hot episodes just fill the season up to 13 episodes. Still a good season, but I'm sure better ones are on the way.
4.5/5
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[*]Return of the Shredder: 4.5/5 Shredder is on his own when he learns Krang won't let him use Foot soldiers or Rock warriors. Shredder gives the turtles a bad rap by hiring goons to do bank robberies and the like. The turtles soon defeat Baxter's new rat catcher, but him and Shredder get away.
[*]The Incredible Shrinking Turtles: 4.5/5 The turtles rescue an alien pilot that fell into the Central Park pond who tells them to find the "Three Fragments of Zarnov" before they get into the wrong hands. The alien gives the turtles a Crystal Converger to help them locate the fragments. However, Shredder is over hearing and tries to find the fragments himself.
It Came From Beneath The Sewers: 4.25/5 Shredder gets the second fragment and manages to turn a big plant onto the turtles. The turtles stop it, but still have to get the second fragment, which Shredder now has.
[*]The Mean Machines: 4.5/5 Shredder turns construction vehicles on the turtles as they try to locate the second fragment, which Shredder is using to do so. Shredder tells Krang that the three fragments will give him unlimited power, but Krang doesn't believe him.
[*]Curse of the Evil Eye: 4.5/5 Shredder gets the final fragment while the turtles are still looking for it. While Baxter has Shredder's helemet for a brief time, he discovers that the powers do not work on gold. After the Crystal Converger came in contact with the three fragments, it began to self-destruct. Shredder throws it in the lake, and it makes a minor explosion.
[*]The Case of the Killer Pizzas: 4.5/5 Eggs from Dimension-X find their way onto 3 different pizzas from a Pizza Bake-Off in New York. The eggs hatch in the microwave, and it's up to the turtles to stop them. ( Who else would it be? )
[*]Enter The Fly: 4.5/5 Baxter gets turned into a fly in an accident in Dimension-X, and soon comes back to earth and gets back on Shredder's side to find the turtles.
Invasion of the Punk Frogs: 4.25/5 Shredder finds 4 mutant frogs and uses him to his advantage against the turtles.
[*]Splinter No More: 4.5/5 Splinter gets turned back into a human temporarily, but the spell fades off, and he also finds humans are jerks. Meanwhile, the turtles learn Shredder has the capability of joining any dimension, and they have to stop him.
New York's Shiniest: 4.25/5 April gets a robot named REX-1 attatched to her, and he is her "Server and protector". April finds him to be annoying, but he turns out to be a big help when Shredder makes himself a robot army.
Teenagers From Dimension-X: 4.25/5 The neutrinos visit earth yet again and tell the turtles about Shredder's next plan to kill them. Shredder finds out that the neutrinos know, and he sends Rocksteady and Bebop to find them.
The Catwoman From Channel 6: 3.75/5 April accidentally gets turned into a catwoman when she is trying to do a news story at a local lab.
Return Of The Technodrome: The Technodrome returns to earth after Krang tells Shredder to attach a device to the hydroelectric plant at Niagra Falls. Krang and Shredder have the turtles in a bad spot, and right as he's about to shoot them, Krang discovers that the Technodrome doesn't have enough energy to do so. An earthquake occurs from the Technodrome, and the whole thing falls down to the center of the earth. Are Krang and Shredder gone forever?
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TMNT: Season 2 is a pretty good season. It is solid almost all the way through, but a few not-so-hot episodes just fill the season up to 13 episodes. Still a good season, but I'm sure better ones are on the way.
4.5/5
Game Review ( Pacman - 360 Arcade )
Graphics: 2.75/5 Maybe dubbed up a little bit, but look just as they did back in the day.
Sound: 3.5/5 Still the same noises as before. The pellets being eaten, the power pellets sound, and the cut scenes.
Control: 3/5 Doesn't control well - since the D-Pad on the controller blows. However, this game still plays very will with the analog stick.
Fun: 3.25/5 It's just Pacman on the 360. Majority of people who purchase this will be in it for the achievement points. ( like me ) If you like the game, that's a bonus. Other then that, this is just another average 360 Arcade game.
3.25/5
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Achievement Difficulty: 2/10
11 of the 12 are all EASY to get within about a half hour to an hour. That all added up equals 170 points. The last achievement you have to get is called "Perfect", where you have to get all four of the ghosts with all four of the pellets. Seems easy, it's not. If you want to try this, go on level one. That reason alone is the only reason the difficulty gets a 2 and not a 1 out of 10.
Sound: 3.5/5 Still the same noises as before. The pellets being eaten, the power pellets sound, and the cut scenes.
Control: 3/5 Doesn't control well - since the D-Pad on the controller blows. However, this game still plays very will with the analog stick.
Fun: 3.25/5 It's just Pacman on the 360. Majority of people who purchase this will be in it for the achievement points. ( like me ) If you like the game, that's a bonus. Other then that, this is just another average 360 Arcade game.
3.25/5
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Achievement Difficulty: 2/10
11 of the 12 are all EASY to get within about a half hour to an hour. That all added up equals 170 points. The last achievement you have to get is called "Perfect", where you have to get all four of the ghosts with all four of the pellets. Seems easy, it's not. If you want to try this, go on level one. That reason alone is the only reason the difficulty gets a 2 and not a 1 out of 10.
Sunday, May 06, 2007
DVD Review ( Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Volume 1 )
Volume 1 features the five episodes from season 1, as well as 4 bonus episodes that are from season 10.
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[*] would normally indicate a "Season Great", but all of them are, so the [*]s aren't relevant.
Turtle Tracks: 5/5 In the pilot episode, news reporter April O'Neil investigates a recent break-in supposedly by ninjas. The turtles find April and take her back to their sewer, where she finds out that they aren't freakshows. We learn how the turtles were turned to mutants, and how Splinter became a rat. Shredder prevents the turtles from reaching the Technodrome by flooding the skyscraper it's connected to.
Enter the Shredder: 5/5 Shredder captures Splinter in the Technodrome, and the turtles enter. The turtles have to face Shredder and his newly created mutants Bebop and Rocksteady.
A Thing About Rats: 5/5 A scientist, Baxter Stockman, invents a rat cathing robot called a Mouser, and Shredder has him make more. Shredder has the Mousers find the turtles, Splinter, and April O'Neil, but the turtles are there to attack them. While Michelangelo encounters Krang, Krang tells him where to find the master control, who only does so because he's mad at Shredder for not giving him a new body. Michelangelo destroys the building, and all the Mousers.
Hot-Rodding Teenagers From Dimension-X: 4.5/5 Things called Neutrionos come through Dimension-X and run into the turtles. After a misunderstanding, they all realize they are on the same page and want the same things. Eventually, the turtles lure the Rock Warriors into the Technodrome, but can't capture Shredder.
Shredder and Splintered: 5/5 Krang gets a new body, and grows huge in New York City. Splinter sacrifices his only chance at becoming human again to save the turtles from being turned back into normal turtles. Soon after, Donatello reverses the suction of Dimension-X, resulting in the Technodrome, Shredder, and Krang, all being sucked into Dimension-X.
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Overall, this DVD is phenomenal. It has all 5 of the episodes in the first season, plus 4 bonus episodes - although they are pointless. The 4 bonus episodes are from the 10th season, and are completely random. It's hard to find out what's going on, and you'll find yourself very confused. Those four episodes are pretty much useless and pointless, but the first season was great. Short, but great. However, the DVD is straightforward. There are the five episodes, but no subtitles, commentary, chapter cuts in episodes, or even bonus features. Either way, TMNT: Volume 1 is absolutely great. It's cheap, but worth it. Definitely worth it.
5/5
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[*] would normally indicate a "Season Great", but all of them are, so the [*]s aren't relevant.
Turtle Tracks: 5/5 In the pilot episode, news reporter April O'Neil investigates a recent break-in supposedly by ninjas. The turtles find April and take her back to their sewer, where she finds out that they aren't freakshows. We learn how the turtles were turned to mutants, and how Splinter became a rat. Shredder prevents the turtles from reaching the Technodrome by flooding the skyscraper it's connected to.
Enter the Shredder: 5/5 Shredder captures Splinter in the Technodrome, and the turtles enter. The turtles have to face Shredder and his newly created mutants Bebop and Rocksteady.
A Thing About Rats: 5/5 A scientist, Baxter Stockman, invents a rat cathing robot called a Mouser, and Shredder has him make more. Shredder has the Mousers find the turtles, Splinter, and April O'Neil, but the turtles are there to attack them. While Michelangelo encounters Krang, Krang tells him where to find the master control, who only does so because he's mad at Shredder for not giving him a new body. Michelangelo destroys the building, and all the Mousers.
Hot-Rodding Teenagers From Dimension-X: 4.5/5 Things called Neutrionos come through Dimension-X and run into the turtles. After a misunderstanding, they all realize they are on the same page and want the same things. Eventually, the turtles lure the Rock Warriors into the Technodrome, but can't capture Shredder.
Shredder and Splintered: 5/5 Krang gets a new body, and grows huge in New York City. Splinter sacrifices his only chance at becoming human again to save the turtles from being turned back into normal turtles. Soon after, Donatello reverses the suction of Dimension-X, resulting in the Technodrome, Shredder, and Krang, all being sucked into Dimension-X.
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Overall, this DVD is phenomenal. It has all 5 of the episodes in the first season, plus 4 bonus episodes - although they are pointless. The 4 bonus episodes are from the 10th season, and are completely random. It's hard to find out what's going on, and you'll find yourself very confused. Those four episodes are pretty much useless and pointless, but the first season was great. Short, but great. However, the DVD is straightforward. There are the five episodes, but no subtitles, commentary, chapter cuts in episodes, or even bonus features. Either way, TMNT: Volume 1 is absolutely great. It's cheap, but worth it. Definitely worth it.
5/5
Friday, May 04, 2007
Game Review ( Rayman Raving Rabbids - 360 )
Graphics: 3/5 Sharper, but not much better than the Wii version. The game also has some frequent loading times. Before and after everything you do, the game loads. Not for a long time, only for about 10 seconds, but it gets annoying after awhile. The game makes up for it somewhat by giving you a smooth running game.
Sound: 3.25/5 Same sound as the Wii verison, liked it there, you'd like it here. There are still the same music tracks, ( some good, some bad ) and the same annoying Rabbids screaming until you want to hang yourself.
Control: 3.75/5 Mixed bag. While the minigame where you play as Rayman on a dragon picking up pigs controls a billion times better than it did on the Wii, the main "boss" battles are absolutely annoying. The crosshairs move kind of funky-like, and it's very repetetive.
Fun: 3/5 Rayman Raving Rabbids, overall, is a completely pointless port from the Wii version. You can use your Xbox Live Vision Camera for this game, but all that would only make this a crappy new Eyetoy game. The game is just useless, unless you're an achievement whore. If you are just that, you will get at least 400 points out of this game, if you dare to play the entire repetetive story mode. After every four mini-games, ( One of which is always a press-to-the-beat-of-the-song type game ) you go into a door where you just end up using plungers to shoot at the Rabbids - just about every single time. These minigames aren't very gun, and they can take between 5 and 10 minutes. This may not seem long, but it sure does when you're playing it. Basically, this game is only for hardcore Rayman fans ( I don't know if I've ever heard of such a thing ) or achievement whores. ( Like me )
3/5
Achievement Difficulty: 5/10 The achievements are easy to get, since the minigames are so simple, but some of them would take some times outside of the story mode. However, you'll still be able to quite easily get 400 MSP. That is, if you're willing to play the whole story mode.
Sound: 3.25/5 Same sound as the Wii verison, liked it there, you'd like it here. There are still the same music tracks, ( some good, some bad ) and the same annoying Rabbids screaming until you want to hang yourself.
Control: 3.75/5 Mixed bag. While the minigame where you play as Rayman on a dragon picking up pigs controls a billion times better than it did on the Wii, the main "boss" battles are absolutely annoying. The crosshairs move kind of funky-like, and it's very repetetive.
Fun: 3/5 Rayman Raving Rabbids, overall, is a completely pointless port from the Wii version. You can use your Xbox Live Vision Camera for this game, but all that would only make this a crappy new Eyetoy game. The game is just useless, unless you're an achievement whore. If you are just that, you will get at least 400 points out of this game, if you dare to play the entire repetetive story mode. After every four mini-games, ( One of which is always a press-to-the-beat-of-the-song type game ) you go into a door where you just end up using plungers to shoot at the Rabbids - just about every single time. These minigames aren't very gun, and they can take between 5 and 10 minutes. This may not seem long, but it sure does when you're playing it. Basically, this game is only for hardcore Rayman fans ( I don't know if I've ever heard of such a thing ) or achievement whores. ( Like me )
3/5
Achievement Difficulty: 5/10 The achievements are easy to get, since the minigames are so simple, but some of them would take some times outside of the story mode. However, you'll still be able to quite easily get 400 MSP. That is, if you're willing to play the whole story mode.
Game Review ( Gears of War: Map Pack 2 )
The new Gears of War (GoW) map pack was just released on May 4th. The pack includes 4 brand new maps, for 800 MSP, which is $10.
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Bullet Marsh: 5/5 The best new map. Bullet Marsh basically takes place in a swamp with a narrow river and a bridge. Still, there is more to the map than you'd think. You can flank around to the enemies spawn from under the central bridge, but beware of Kryll - get to far into the darker areas and Kryll will injure you, so have a teammate near-by. Also, there is a generator on this map that either team can use to turn out the lights on different areas on the map, so again, watch for Kryll. Bullet Marsh is a fantastic map - definitely the best of the four. The weapons on this map are the Boomshot ( Located on the bridge ), the Sniper ( Located by each spawn behind a sand bag ), and the Torque Bow.
Garden: 4.5/5 Fun map. The biggest thing that makes this map different than the rest is the green house gas that can kill you if you're futsing around in the greenhouse when an enemy, or possibly even a person on your team, turns the switches on. In the greenhouse is the sniper. The other weapons on this map are the Hammer of Dawn, which is on the far side of the map in the middle, and the Boomshot is also on this map, on the far side in the middle. Garden looks great, and it's a lot of fun. One of my favorite new maps.
Process: 4.25/5 A little above average. If you've played the story mode, the map takes place in the Locust's "city", with the cave and the bright yellowish lava. I always wished there would be a map like this in online play, but it doesn't turn out to be as fun as I thought it'd be. It's still a fun map, though. The Sniper, Torque Bow, and Boomshot can be found on this map, all opposite of eachother. Where the Sniper is, the Boomshot is directly in front of it on the other side of the map.
Subway: 4.75/5 A great map, albeit a cheap one. This map throws you in a city with an abandoned subway. This map has Grenades, a Sniper, a Torque Bow, and a Boomshot. Depending on what spawn you get, the one by the Sniper is freakishly cheap. If you get to it in time, you can easily camp around it without ever worrying about being flanked. Grenades can be thrown into your little hang-out, but if you have good reflexes, you should be able to move with no damage done. The Sniper overlooks into a blown up wall down into the subway, where the Boomshot is, as well as stairs to get outside the building - this is where just about all the action is at the beginning of the round. There is also an underground passage ( Underground railroad, essentially ) that you can take to walk to the opposing team's spawn. Subway is a great map, but the only real flaw is the rain. It downpours in this map, and it's sometimes hard to tell exactly where you're going.
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The new map pack for Gears of War isn't free like the previous pack was, but this is all worth it. Being 800 MSP/$10 is a pretty reasonable price. If you do the math, it only costs $2.50 per map, which is a great deal, because all four are a blast to play. Many people may be frustrated at the fact that the maps weren't available for free, but it's Microsoft... what do you want? Epic wanted to make the maps free, but Microsoft wouldn't let them. You should know though if you aren't willing to fork over the cash for the new maps, that in about 3-6 months the maps will be completely free. An exact date is unknown, but it will likely be at least 3 months. But why would you wait 3+ months for something as good as this? It's not even expensive! Any GoW fan would love these maps - definitely worth the price.
4.75/5
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Bullet Marsh: 5/5 The best new map. Bullet Marsh basically takes place in a swamp with a narrow river and a bridge. Still, there is more to the map than you'd think. You can flank around to the enemies spawn from under the central bridge, but beware of Kryll - get to far into the darker areas and Kryll will injure you, so have a teammate near-by. Also, there is a generator on this map that either team can use to turn out the lights on different areas on the map, so again, watch for Kryll. Bullet Marsh is a fantastic map - definitely the best of the four. The weapons on this map are the Boomshot ( Located on the bridge ), the Sniper ( Located by each spawn behind a sand bag ), and the Torque Bow.
Garden: 4.5/5 Fun map. The biggest thing that makes this map different than the rest is the green house gas that can kill you if you're futsing around in the greenhouse when an enemy, or possibly even a person on your team, turns the switches on. In the greenhouse is the sniper. The other weapons on this map are the Hammer of Dawn, which is on the far side of the map in the middle, and the Boomshot is also on this map, on the far side in the middle. Garden looks great, and it's a lot of fun. One of my favorite new maps.
Process: 4.25/5 A little above average. If you've played the story mode, the map takes place in the Locust's "city", with the cave and the bright yellowish lava. I always wished there would be a map like this in online play, but it doesn't turn out to be as fun as I thought it'd be. It's still a fun map, though. The Sniper, Torque Bow, and Boomshot can be found on this map, all opposite of eachother. Where the Sniper is, the Boomshot is directly in front of it on the other side of the map.
Subway: 4.75/5 A great map, albeit a cheap one. This map throws you in a city with an abandoned subway. This map has Grenades, a Sniper, a Torque Bow, and a Boomshot. Depending on what spawn you get, the one by the Sniper is freakishly cheap. If you get to it in time, you can easily camp around it without ever worrying about being flanked. Grenades can be thrown into your little hang-out, but if you have good reflexes, you should be able to move with no damage done. The Sniper overlooks into a blown up wall down into the subway, where the Boomshot is, as well as stairs to get outside the building - this is where just about all the action is at the beginning of the round. There is also an underground passage ( Underground railroad, essentially ) that you can take to walk to the opposing team's spawn. Subway is a great map, but the only real flaw is the rain. It downpours in this map, and it's sometimes hard to tell exactly where you're going.
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The new map pack for Gears of War isn't free like the previous pack was, but this is all worth it. Being 800 MSP/$10 is a pretty reasonable price. If you do the math, it only costs $2.50 per map, which is a great deal, because all four are a blast to play. Many people may be frustrated at the fact that the maps weren't available for free, but it's Microsoft... what do you want? Epic wanted to make the maps free, but Microsoft wouldn't let them. You should know though if you aren't willing to fork over the cash for the new maps, that in about 3-6 months the maps will be completely free. An exact date is unknown, but it will likely be at least 3 months. But why would you wait 3+ months for something as good as this? It's not even expensive! Any GoW fan would love these maps - definitely worth the price.
4.75/5
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Lack of Reviews
I've been playing TMNT (360) for achievement points, and MLB 2K7 (360), and that's why I have only reviewed a few games this month.
My next review will be: Rayman Raving Rabbids and/or Pokemon Diamond
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My next review will be: Rayman Raving Rabbids and/or Pokemon Diamond
[47]
Game Review ( iQuiz - iPod Video )
Graphics: 3/5 Nice and colorful, but not much to speak of. They look okay, but nothing amazing.
Sound: 1.5/5 The same repeating song in the background is about 98% of what you'll hear.
Control: 4/5 Simple as it gets. Anyone can control this game.
Fun: 3.75/5 This game is only 99 cents, but for good reason. When you do the quiz for the music on your iPod, it only does about 5-10 different bands, even if you have about 1000+ songs, and several different artists. Why it does this, I don't know, but it's pretty stupid. The music, movie, and TV trivia is okay, but hard, and it seems the questions are for girls, since the shows are mostly "girl shows". But for 99 cents, you can't really say no. You can even create your own quizzes, too.
3.75/5
The number one thing I want to know: Why do they sometimes ask a question like "What artist's album cover is this?" when it says the band's name in big bold letters on it.
Sound: 1.5/5 The same repeating song in the background is about 98% of what you'll hear.
Control: 4/5 Simple as it gets. Anyone can control this game.
Fun: 3.75/5 This game is only 99 cents, but for good reason. When you do the quiz for the music on your iPod, it only does about 5-10 different bands, even if you have about 1000+ songs, and several different artists. Why it does this, I don't know, but it's pretty stupid. The music, movie, and TV trivia is okay, but hard, and it seems the questions are for girls, since the shows are mostly "girl shows". But for 99 cents, you can't really say no. You can even create your own quizzes, too.
3.75/5
The number one thing I want to know: Why do they sometimes ask a question like "What artist's album cover is this?" when it says the band's name in big bold letters on it.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Game Review ( Halo 2 - Xbox )
Graphics: 5/5 Although somewhat dated now, for a game that came out in 2004, these graphics are awesome. The enviroments don't look great, but hey, it's an Xbox game, not a 360 game. Still, the character models look great, and the overall experience is heightened thanks to the graphics.
Sound: 5/5 Phenomenal! Absolutely everything sounds fantastic - not a flaw here. The guns, the explosions, the vehicles, all perfect.
Control: 4.5/5 There is definitely a learning curve. The vehicles control ( to me ) very awkwardly, and the semi-auto aim gives noobs the ability to own even the best Halo players, but the control couldn't have been much better.
Fun: 4.5/5 The story sucks, so I won't bother with that, but the online play is great. A lot of players leave games for no apparent reason, though, which is frustrating, but it's a good experience - at times. Halo 2 is 80% luck. Whoever can get to the sniper first, for example, will have a huge advantage - a one to two shot kill depending on the location of the shot - and it's really annoying. So basically, if you're lucky enough to get one of the good weapons lying around, nice job, because you're likely to rape before you're shot from behind, which happens at least 75% of the time. So although Halo 2 is a good online experience, it's also a frustrating one, ultimately resulting in me giving this game a 4.5 and no higher. Everything else is great - graphics, sound, and control, but the unfair weapon advantage is annoying. At least you'll never get bored - since there are several game modes and maps to choose from. You can also start parties in which you can invite friends, and customize your character. Halo 2 should definitely be experienced by any Xbox or Xbox 360 owner. ( However be warned 360 owners, when playing on the 360, you will see in about 25% of the games you play a "fog". It's a slight masking over the map and it looks like you're playing in fog. It's very annoying and will likely result in deaths. Also, in the corner, you will see Xbox Live Sign-In, which is just as stupid. Hopefully, this will be patched up soon.
4.5/5
Sound: 5/5 Phenomenal! Absolutely everything sounds fantastic - not a flaw here. The guns, the explosions, the vehicles, all perfect.
Control: 4.5/5 There is definitely a learning curve. The vehicles control ( to me ) very awkwardly, and the semi-auto aim gives noobs the ability to own even the best Halo players, but the control couldn't have been much better.
Fun: 4.5/5 The story sucks, so I won't bother with that, but the online play is great. A lot of players leave games for no apparent reason, though, which is frustrating, but it's a good experience - at times. Halo 2 is 80% luck. Whoever can get to the sniper first, for example, will have a huge advantage - a one to two shot kill depending on the location of the shot - and it's really annoying. So basically, if you're lucky enough to get one of the good weapons lying around, nice job, because you're likely to rape before you're shot from behind, which happens at least 75% of the time. So although Halo 2 is a good online experience, it's also a frustrating one, ultimately resulting in me giving this game a 4.5 and no higher. Everything else is great - graphics, sound, and control, but the unfair weapon advantage is annoying. At least you'll never get bored - since there are several game modes and maps to choose from. You can also start parties in which you can invite friends, and customize your character. Halo 2 should definitely be experienced by any Xbox or Xbox 360 owner. ( However be warned 360 owners, when playing on the 360, you will see in about 25% of the games you play a "fog". It's a slight masking over the map and it looks like you're playing in fog. It's very annoying and will likely result in deaths. Also, in the corner, you will see Xbox Live Sign-In, which is just as stupid. Hopefully, this will be patched up soon.
4.5/5
Game Review ( Guitar Hero 2 Track Pack 1,2,3 - 360 )
( Note: These "Track Packs" were just released on April 11th )
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Track Pack 1:
"Bark at the Moon" Ozzy Osbourne
"Hey You" The Exies
"Ace of Spades" Motorhead
Track Pack 2:
"Killer Queen" Queen
"Take it Off" The Donnas
"Frankenstein" The Edgar Winter Group
Track Pack 3:
"Higher Ground" Red Hot Chili Peppers
"Infected" Bad Religion
"Stellar" Incubus
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The first thing I thought when I saw these packs was why they picked such random songs and threw them in random packs, and why they put some of the not-so-good songs for DLC ( downloadable content ) before some other better ones. Songs that I don't particularilly care for of these 9 songs are "Stellar" and "Hey You", followed by "Higher Ground". They just are some of the weaker songs from Guitar Hero I. I was also surprised at how the songs are to play even on expert. I've 100% "Stellar", "Infected", "Killer Queen", and "Hey You", and almost "Take it Off". Not to say that's a bad thing. I'd say the best pack of the three overall is probably Track Pack 2. All three of the songs are fun to play. "Take it Off" is downright catchy, "Frankenstein" is a classic, and "Killer Queen" isn't too bad, though easy. The best thing about these packs though, byfar, is that the hammer-ons and pull-offs actually work. People who played Guitar Hero I on the PS2 would know what I'm talking about. Even when you got the hammer-on right at the exact time, it sometimes wouldn't count, ending your combo, which was frustrating. This has been fixed in these packs, and "Frankenstein" is a great example. Here's my review for each song and pack overall.
"Bark at the Moon" 5/5: Fun and challenging on Hard and Expert.
"Hey You" 4.25/5: Repetetive and easy, but a pretty surprisingly fun song to play.
"Ace of Spades" 4.25/5: A pretty good rock song.
"Killer Queen" 4/5: Not a bad song, but annoying to play more than one or two times over in a short period.
"Take it Off" 5/5: One of my top 3 favorite songs of the 9. Catchy song from the movie Dodgeball.
"Frankenstein" 5/5: Another great song. Really fun to play, and a good song for hammer-on practice.
"Higher Ground" 4/5: Very redundant, and easy after a few tries.
"Infected" 5/5: This may be my favorite song of the 9. Although extremely easy on any difficulty, the rhythm is mesmerizing.
"Stellar: 4/5: Pretty repetetive, not too exciting to play, and very easy.
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DIFFICULTY: I will rate the packs 1-5 on overall difficulty. 1 being easiest, 5 being hardest.
Track Pack 1: 4.25/5 I can only say one thing - "Bark at the Moon". Toughest song of the 9, easily, and "Ace of Spades" is also a decent challenge to get a good score on.
Track Pack 2: 2/5 I'd say this is the easiest pack, but not by much next to number 3. "Frankenstein" may be hard for some, but once you learn hammer-ons, it's an easy song.
Track Pack 3: 1.75/5 Very easy. "Stellar" is an easy 100% every single time, "Infected" is about a 98%-99% every time, and "Higher Ground" really isn't challenging either. Easily the easiest of the three.
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BEST VALUE: I will rate the packs 1-5 on overall best value. 1 being worst, 5 being best.
Track Pack 1: 4/5 I'm rating this higher than I initially thought I would. "Bark at the Moon" is as good as ever, but "Hey You" is surprisingly fun this time around for whatever reason. "Ace of Spades" is also a pretty good song.
Track Pack 2: 4.5/5 Another solid pack. "Frankenstein" and "Take if Off" are awesome songs, but "Killer Queen" isn't the best song around. Still a great pack just for the other two, though.
Track Pack 3: 4/5 Not quite as good as Track Pack 2. "Infected" is just about my favorite song to play out of the 9, but "Higher Ground" is nothing special, and "Stellar" is boring. Like I've said, "Infected" is easy, but freakishly catchy.
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OVERALL BEST TO BUY:
It's a tough call, but if you only have enough money to get one Track Pack, as of now I would have to say Track Pack 2, but not by much. If you are obsessed with"Bark at the Moon", get Track Pack 1 - it still has two other good songs, and if you like a song in Track Pack 3 ( likely "Infected" ) the other two probably won't suit your style. So in a hard decision, the best pack to get by pretty much default is:
Track Pack 2
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Now overall overall, ( that makes no sense) all of the packs are pretty impressive. The hammer-ons work now, ( thank god ) and the sound seems to have improved in the songs. All three of these packs are definitely worth buying for the hardcore Guitar Hero fan. Even though not the best of songs have been released yet, it's highly likely that they will be soon.
4.5/5
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Track Pack 1:
"Bark at the Moon" Ozzy Osbourne
"Hey You" The Exies
"Ace of Spades" Motorhead
Track Pack 2:
"Killer Queen" Queen
"Take it Off" The Donnas
"Frankenstein" The Edgar Winter Group
Track Pack 3:
"Higher Ground" Red Hot Chili Peppers
"Infected" Bad Religion
"Stellar" Incubus
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The first thing I thought when I saw these packs was why they picked such random songs and threw them in random packs, and why they put some of the not-so-good songs for DLC ( downloadable content ) before some other better ones. Songs that I don't particularilly care for of these 9 songs are "Stellar" and "Hey You", followed by "Higher Ground". They just are some of the weaker songs from Guitar Hero I. I was also surprised at how the songs are to play even on expert. I've 100% "Stellar", "Infected", "Killer Queen", and "Hey You", and almost "Take it Off". Not to say that's a bad thing. I'd say the best pack of the three overall is probably Track Pack 2. All three of the songs are fun to play. "Take it Off" is downright catchy, "Frankenstein" is a classic, and "Killer Queen" isn't too bad, though easy. The best thing about these packs though, byfar, is that the hammer-ons and pull-offs actually work. People who played Guitar Hero I on the PS2 would know what I'm talking about. Even when you got the hammer-on right at the exact time, it sometimes wouldn't count, ending your combo, which was frustrating. This has been fixed in these packs, and "Frankenstein" is a great example. Here's my review for each song and pack overall.
"Bark at the Moon" 5/5: Fun and challenging on Hard and Expert.
"Hey You" 4.25/5: Repetetive and easy, but a pretty surprisingly fun song to play.
"Ace of Spades" 4.25/5: A pretty good rock song.
"Killer Queen" 4/5: Not a bad song, but annoying to play more than one or two times over in a short period.
"Take it Off" 5/5: One of my top 3 favorite songs of the 9. Catchy song from the movie Dodgeball.
"Frankenstein" 5/5: Another great song. Really fun to play, and a good song for hammer-on practice.
"Higher Ground" 4/5: Very redundant, and easy after a few tries.
"Infected" 5/5: This may be my favorite song of the 9. Although extremely easy on any difficulty, the rhythm is mesmerizing.
"Stellar: 4/5: Pretty repetetive, not too exciting to play, and very easy.
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DIFFICULTY: I will rate the packs 1-5 on overall difficulty. 1 being easiest, 5 being hardest.
Track Pack 1: 4.25/5 I can only say one thing - "Bark at the Moon". Toughest song of the 9, easily, and "Ace of Spades" is also a decent challenge to get a good score on.
Track Pack 2: 2/5 I'd say this is the easiest pack, but not by much next to number 3. "Frankenstein" may be hard for some, but once you learn hammer-ons, it's an easy song.
Track Pack 3: 1.75/5 Very easy. "Stellar" is an easy 100% every single time, "Infected" is about a 98%-99% every time, and "Higher Ground" really isn't challenging either. Easily the easiest of the three.
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BEST VALUE: I will rate the packs 1-5 on overall best value. 1 being worst, 5 being best.
Track Pack 1: 4/5 I'm rating this higher than I initially thought I would. "Bark at the Moon" is as good as ever, but "Hey You" is surprisingly fun this time around for whatever reason. "Ace of Spades" is also a pretty good song.
Track Pack 2: 4.5/5 Another solid pack. "Frankenstein" and "Take if Off" are awesome songs, but "Killer Queen" isn't the best song around. Still a great pack just for the other two, though.
Track Pack 3: 4/5 Not quite as good as Track Pack 2. "Infected" is just about my favorite song to play out of the 9, but "Higher Ground" is nothing special, and "Stellar" is boring. Like I've said, "Infected" is easy, but freakishly catchy.
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OVERALL BEST TO BUY:
It's a tough call, but if you only have enough money to get one Track Pack, as of now I would have to say Track Pack 2, but not by much. If you are obsessed with"Bark at the Moon", get Track Pack 1 - it still has two other good songs, and if you like a song in Track Pack 3 ( likely "Infected" ) the other two probably won't suit your style. So in a hard decision, the best pack to get by pretty much default is:
Track Pack 2
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Now overall overall, ( that makes no sense) all of the packs are pretty impressive. The hammer-ons work now, ( thank god ) and the sound seems to have improved in the songs. All three of these packs are definitely worth buying for the hardcore Guitar Hero fan. Even though not the best of songs have been released yet, it's highly likely that they will be soon.
4.5/5
Monday, April 09, 2007
Game Review ( TMNT - 360 )
Graphics: 2.5/5 Mediocre. The turtles look bland, the enviroments, while creative, offer nothing impressive. This game definitely isn't eye candy. There are, however, cut scenes straight from the movie, which is pretty cool, as well as downloadable mini-videos and pictures that you buy with coins that you get while playing the game.
Sound: 2.75/5 Not much better than the graphics - I like the voice actors in cut scenes, but in fighting stages, the same line is repeated over and over again. The whacks and the like aren't awesome either, just average.
Control: 3/5 Overly simple. 90% of this game involves jumping from place to place, with sometimes terrible camera angles bugging you. You basically press A, and when you're fighting, press B, and that's just about it.
Fun: 3/5 Overall, this game is just shallow, shallow, shallow. It's pretty easy to get through, and any man, woman, or child can play through this game and beat it, since there are checkpoints around every corner - literally. So while the game is flawed and doesn't make for the most enjoyable time in the long run, it has its moments, ( albeit very rare ) and it's a good game for fans of the TMNT franchise. Although, most people will simply rent this game just to get a nice fat 1000 achievement points.
2.75/5
Sound: 2.75/5 Not much better than the graphics - I like the voice actors in cut scenes, but in fighting stages, the same line is repeated over and over again. The whacks and the like aren't awesome either, just average.
Control: 3/5 Overly simple. 90% of this game involves jumping from place to place, with sometimes terrible camera angles bugging you. You basically press A, and when you're fighting, press B, and that's just about it.
Fun: 3/5 Overall, this game is just shallow, shallow, shallow. It's pretty easy to get through, and any man, woman, or child can play through this game and beat it, since there are checkpoints around every corner - literally. So while the game is flawed and doesn't make for the most enjoyable time in the long run, it has its moments, ( albeit very rare ) and it's a good game for fans of the TMNT franchise. Although, most people will simply rent this game just to get a nice fat 1000 achievement points.
2.75/5
Friday, April 06, 2007
Game Review ( Guitar Hero 2 - 360 )
Graphics: 4/5 Although slightly upgraded, not much has changed. The only thing that really has is your character model. The other members of your band look virtually the same as they did in Guitar Hero 2 for the PS2. The venues look very similar, too. The graphics look sharper, and the lights look better, but that's about it. Also, the loading times seem to have sped up a little bit, but I don't know if they actually are faster or not.
Sound: 5/5 Once again, Guitar Hero 2 delivers. Except this time, the songs sound better than on the PS2 version, and clearer. The new songs also sound like the real thing ( The Trooper, Salvation, Dead!, Billion Dollar Babies, Rock 'N Roll Hoochie Koo, Possum Kingdom, Life Wasted, and Hush ). Especially Dead!, since it is a master track. The sound is the same as GH2 for the PS2, but has only improved thanks to the 360.
Control: 5/5 The control remains the same. The hammer-on/pull-off technique is the same as GH2 PS2 and not like they were in Guitar Hero 1, where they were frustrating and near impossible to do. The buttons still work well in the songs and feel as close as it gets to playing the real thing.
Fun: 5/5 Still as fun as ever. With the inclusion of leaderboards, it makes one of my favorite games ever even better. The new songs are also a blast to play, for the most part, and the best part is definitely the downloadable content. Although no EXACT details have been released as to when the first downloadable song pack will come out, it is stated by many that it will likely be released one week after the game's launch. The fact that Guitar Hero 2 for the 360 has improved in every way is good enough, but now the addition of downloadable songs, themes, and gamer pictures have made this game better than ever. Whether you've played Guitar Hero 1 or 2 or not, you should definitely buy Guitar Hero 2 if you have a 360. It's easily the 360's game of the year so far.
5/5
Sound: 5/5 Once again, Guitar Hero 2 delivers. Except this time, the songs sound better than on the PS2 version, and clearer. The new songs also sound like the real thing ( The Trooper, Salvation, Dead!, Billion Dollar Babies, Rock 'N Roll Hoochie Koo, Possum Kingdom, Life Wasted, and Hush ). Especially Dead!, since it is a master track. The sound is the same as GH2 for the PS2, but has only improved thanks to the 360.
Control: 5/5 The control remains the same. The hammer-on/pull-off technique is the same as GH2 PS2 and not like they were in Guitar Hero 1, where they were frustrating and near impossible to do. The buttons still work well in the songs and feel as close as it gets to playing the real thing.
Fun: 5/5 Still as fun as ever. With the inclusion of leaderboards, it makes one of my favorite games ever even better. The new songs are also a blast to play, for the most part, and the best part is definitely the downloadable content. Although no EXACT details have been released as to when the first downloadable song pack will come out, it is stated by many that it will likely be released one week after the game's launch. The fact that Guitar Hero 2 for the 360 has improved in every way is good enough, but now the addition of downloadable songs, themes, and gamer pictures have made this game better than ever. Whether you've played Guitar Hero 1 or 2 or not, you should definitely buy Guitar Hero 2 if you have a 360. It's easily the 360's game of the year so far.
5/5
Monday, March 19, 2007
DVD Review ( Friends: Season 8 )
Friends has had some rocky seasons the past few years, but they have slowly but surely been getting better. Let's see how season 8 turns out.
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[*] Indicates a "Season Great"
The One After "I Do": 4.25/5 Everyone finds out that Rachel is really the one that is pregnant, but no one knows the father yet; Ross tries to impress one of Monica's co-workers.
[*]The One With The Red Sweater: 4.5/5 Ross and Chandler attend another wedding and take fake pictures at another person's wedding; Joey finds a red sweater, and Phoebe may think it's Tag's, Rachel's assistant.
[*]The One Where Rachel Tells: 4.5/5 Rachel tells everyone that Ross is the father of her baby; Monica and Chandler get jealous when another honeymoon couple gets everything before they do.
[*]The One With The Videotape: 5/5 Ross and Rachel argue who came onto who the night Ross knocked her up; Everyone finds out by a line Joey started that Rachel came onto Ross first; Chandler and Monica get a fake number from the couple at the honeymoon.
[*]The One With Rachel's Date: 4.75/5 Phoebe dates a guy that she wants to dump the same day Monica wants to fire him; Ross finds out Chandler's been called Toby by a co-worker for 5 years; Joey gets Rachel a date with one of his co-stars.
[*]The One With The Halloween Party: 5/5 At Monica's Halloween party, Joey dresses up like Chandler, and Chandler dressed up with a rabbit. Ross comes as "Spudnik", and Chandler and Ross arm wrestly to see is stronger; Phoebe meet's Ursula's fiance and finds out she's lied to him about nearly everything.
[*]The One With The Stain: 4.5/5 Rachel wants to get an apartment in Ross's building, but she finds out that the lady in the apartment that she thought was dead is still alive; Chandler hires a made, and Monica thinks that she is stealing her clothes; Phoebe reminds Eric, Ursula's fiance, too much of Ursula.
[*]The One With The Stripper: 4.5/5 Chandler finds out Monica had a bachelorette party, so she gives him one, not knowing the "stripper" she hired was actually a hooker. Rachel tells her dad that she's pregnant, but he's furious when he finds out she's not marrying Ross, so he confronts Ross personally.
[*]The One With The Rumor: 5/5 Monica invites a friend from high school to her Thanksgiving dinner; Joey vows to eat an entire turkey; Phoebe and Chandler pretend to watch football to avoid helping out. ( Guest starring: Brad Pitt )
[*]The One With The Boots: 4.5/5 Monica buys very expensive boots and promises Chandler to wear them all the time. After a while they are killing Monica's feet but she doesn't tell it to Chandler.
The One With Ross's Step Forward: 4/5 Ross freaks out when Mona wants to send out joint Christmas cards and wants to have "the talk". Chandler tries to get out of spending time with his boss.
[*]The One Where Joey Dates Rachel: 5/5 Now that Rachel can't go on dates anymore due her pregnancy Joey decides to take her on a date. Monica and Chandler get a Ms. Pacman arcade game for a wedding present; Ross is late for his classes.
[*]The One Where Chandler Takes A Bath: 5/5 Monica turns Chandler on to the concept of a bath to relax. Rachel and Ross learn the baby's sex (a girl). Everybody finds out about Joey's feelings for Rachel.
The One With The Secret Closet: 4.25/5 Chandler becomes obsessed with finding out what is behind the door of Monica's secret closet. Phoebe feels betrayed when she discovers Monica has been using a different massage therapist.
[*] The One With The Birthing Video: 4.5/5 Phoebe gives a birthing video to Rachel. Monica, Rachel and Chandler freak out when they watch it.
[*] The One Where Joey Tells Rachel: 4.5/5 Joey confesses his love for Rachel, but Rachel politely and lovingly turns him down.
The One With The Tea Leaves: 4.25/5 Phoebe determines through tea leaves that she'll soon meet the man of her dreams.
[*] The One In Massapequa: 4.5/5 Monica writes a speech for her parent's 35th wedding anniversary. Phoebe dates Parker (Alec Baldwin), who's very enthusiastic about everything.
[*] The One With Joey's Interview: 4.5/5 Joey prepares for an interview with Soap Opera Digest, although he's afraid of appearing stupid, so he enlists his friends to make sure things go well.
[*]The One With The Baby Shower: 5/5 Phoebe and Monica prepare for Rachel's baby shower and forget to invite Rachel's mother. Joey auditions for a job as a game show host.
[*]The One With The Cooking Class: 4.5/5 Monica's cooking skills get a bad review in The Post. After confronting the critic who wrote it, she decides to join a cooking class, with Joey in tow.
[*]The One Where Rachel Is Late: 4.75/5 Joey invites Chandler to his movies premiere but Chandler falls asleep during it. Monica and Phoebe bet on when Rachel's baby will come. Rachel's water breaks.
The One Where Rachel Has A Baby (Pt. 1): 4.25/5 Monica and Chandler decide to have a baby; Rachel and Ross get a non-private room at the hospital.
[*]The One Where Rachel Has A Baby (Pt. 2): 4.75/5 Rachel delivers her baby after 47 hours of labor and names it Emma; Joey accidentally proposes to Rachel and she out of nowhere says yes.
----------
Friends: Season 8 is a good one. While there are a few forgetable episodes, several of them are absolutely fantastic. The One Where Joey Dates Rachel, The One Where Chandler Takes A Bath, and The One With The Baby Shower are freakin' great episodes. Season 8 is one of the better seasons of Friend's, BUT, not the best.
4.75/5
----------
[*] Indicates a "Season Great"
The One After "I Do": 4.25/5 Everyone finds out that Rachel is really the one that is pregnant, but no one knows the father yet; Ross tries to impress one of Monica's co-workers.
[*]The One With The Red Sweater: 4.5/5 Ross and Chandler attend another wedding and take fake pictures at another person's wedding; Joey finds a red sweater, and Phoebe may think it's Tag's, Rachel's assistant.
[*]The One Where Rachel Tells: 4.5/5 Rachel tells everyone that Ross is the father of her baby; Monica and Chandler get jealous when another honeymoon couple gets everything before they do.
[*]The One With The Videotape: 5/5 Ross and Rachel argue who came onto who the night Ross knocked her up; Everyone finds out by a line Joey started that Rachel came onto Ross first; Chandler and Monica get a fake number from the couple at the honeymoon.
[*]The One With Rachel's Date: 4.75/5 Phoebe dates a guy that she wants to dump the same day Monica wants to fire him; Ross finds out Chandler's been called Toby by a co-worker for 5 years; Joey gets Rachel a date with one of his co-stars.
[*]The One With The Halloween Party: 5/5 At Monica's Halloween party, Joey dresses up like Chandler, and Chandler dressed up with a rabbit. Ross comes as "Spudnik", and Chandler and Ross arm wrestly to see is stronger; Phoebe meet's Ursula's fiance and finds out she's lied to him about nearly everything.
[*]The One With The Stain: 4.5/5 Rachel wants to get an apartment in Ross's building, but she finds out that the lady in the apartment that she thought was dead is still alive; Chandler hires a made, and Monica thinks that she is stealing her clothes; Phoebe reminds Eric, Ursula's fiance, too much of Ursula.
[*]The One With The Stripper: 4.5/5 Chandler finds out Monica had a bachelorette party, so she gives him one, not knowing the "stripper" she hired was actually a hooker. Rachel tells her dad that she's pregnant, but he's furious when he finds out she's not marrying Ross, so he confronts Ross personally.
[*]The One With The Rumor: 5/5 Monica invites a friend from high school to her Thanksgiving dinner; Joey vows to eat an entire turkey; Phoebe and Chandler pretend to watch football to avoid helping out. ( Guest starring: Brad Pitt )
[*]The One With The Boots: 4.5/5 Monica buys very expensive boots and promises Chandler to wear them all the time. After a while they are killing Monica's feet but she doesn't tell it to Chandler.
The One With Ross's Step Forward: 4/5 Ross freaks out when Mona wants to send out joint Christmas cards and wants to have "the talk". Chandler tries to get out of spending time with his boss.
[*]The One Where Joey Dates Rachel: 5/5 Now that Rachel can't go on dates anymore due her pregnancy Joey decides to take her on a date. Monica and Chandler get a Ms. Pacman arcade game for a wedding present; Ross is late for his classes.
[*]The One Where Chandler Takes A Bath: 5/5 Monica turns Chandler on to the concept of a bath to relax. Rachel and Ross learn the baby's sex (a girl). Everybody finds out about Joey's feelings for Rachel.
The One With The Secret Closet: 4.25/5 Chandler becomes obsessed with finding out what is behind the door of Monica's secret closet. Phoebe feels betrayed when she discovers Monica has been using a different massage therapist.
[*] The One With The Birthing Video: 4.5/5 Phoebe gives a birthing video to Rachel. Monica, Rachel and Chandler freak out when they watch it.
[*] The One Where Joey Tells Rachel: 4.5/5 Joey confesses his love for Rachel, but Rachel politely and lovingly turns him down.
The One With The Tea Leaves: 4.25/5 Phoebe determines through tea leaves that she'll soon meet the man of her dreams.
[*] The One In Massapequa: 4.5/5 Monica writes a speech for her parent's 35th wedding anniversary. Phoebe dates Parker (Alec Baldwin), who's very enthusiastic about everything.
[*] The One With Joey's Interview: 4.5/5 Joey prepares for an interview with Soap Opera Digest, although he's afraid of appearing stupid, so he enlists his friends to make sure things go well.
[*]The One With The Baby Shower: 5/5 Phoebe and Monica prepare for Rachel's baby shower and forget to invite Rachel's mother. Joey auditions for a job as a game show host.
[*]The One With The Cooking Class: 4.5/5 Monica's cooking skills get a bad review in The Post. After confronting the critic who wrote it, she decides to join a cooking class, with Joey in tow.
[*]The One Where Rachel Is Late: 4.75/5 Joey invites Chandler to his movies premiere but Chandler falls asleep during it. Monica and Phoebe bet on when Rachel's baby will come. Rachel's water breaks.
The One Where Rachel Has A Baby (Pt. 1): 4.25/5 Monica and Chandler decide to have a baby; Rachel and Ross get a non-private room at the hospital.
[*]The One Where Rachel Has A Baby (Pt. 2): 4.75/5 Rachel delivers her baby after 47 hours of labor and names it Emma; Joey accidentally proposes to Rachel and she out of nowhere says yes.
----------
Friends: Season 8 is a good one. While there are a few forgetable episodes, several of them are absolutely fantastic. The One Where Joey Dates Rachel, The One Where Chandler Takes A Bath, and The One With The Baby Shower are freakin' great episodes. Season 8 is one of the better seasons of Friend's, BUT, not the best.
4.75/5
Game Review ( Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - 360 Arcade )
Graphics: 4/5 For coming out in 1989, the game really doesn't look all that bad. Sure the game looks really cheesy and the animation and movements aren't realistic, but give the game a break. It looks pretty good, even 18 years later.
Sound: 4.25/5 To be honest, I don't really pay all that much attention to the sound in this game. But the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles theme song is so good, it deserves a decent rating.
Control: 3.75/5 A little bland and simple - and that isn't neccesarily a good or bad thing in some cases, but for this game, it isn't good. All you do is move with the analog stick, and press A to jump, and X to attack, or B+X at the same time to do your "special attack", which can be done at any time, as long as you want. I recommend using it, because your opponents will die a lot faster.
Fun: 3.5/5 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is what it is - a fun game to run through a couple times, and then forget about. There is co-op mode, and co-op achievements, but that's all there really is. There's leader boards too, but whoop-de-doo. This game is really only for someone who remembers playing it back in the day or has any interest in the Ninja Turtles. If you don't, and you're an achievement whore, this game still isn't for you. This game is not easy to get achievements for. Overall, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is really just a game to bring back memories at the arcade.
Achievement Difficulty: 9/10
I've only had this game for 2 days, but even so, the achievements are always going to be hard. Achievements that ask you to not get burned by a flame thrower by a boss, frozen by a trap, and not getting turned into a normal turtle while facing Shredder are all difficult. Unless you play the game twice through on co-op and let your buddy get it the one time, and have him let you get them the second time, it will be very hard to get the achievements in this game, since you can't skip certain chapters to play certain bosses. I'd say that someone who devotes about an hour to the game will only get about 30-50 achievement points - and a person playing without co-op may only get about 30-50 if they play the game several times through. ( The game only takes maybe 30-45 minutes to beat )
3.5/5
Sound: 4.25/5 To be honest, I don't really pay all that much attention to the sound in this game. But the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles theme song is so good, it deserves a decent rating.
Control: 3.75/5 A little bland and simple - and that isn't neccesarily a good or bad thing in some cases, but for this game, it isn't good. All you do is move with the analog stick, and press A to jump, and X to attack, or B+X at the same time to do your "special attack", which can be done at any time, as long as you want. I recommend using it, because your opponents will die a lot faster.
Fun: 3.5/5 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is what it is - a fun game to run through a couple times, and then forget about. There is co-op mode, and co-op achievements, but that's all there really is. There's leader boards too, but whoop-de-doo. This game is really only for someone who remembers playing it back in the day or has any interest in the Ninja Turtles. If you don't, and you're an achievement whore, this game still isn't for you. This game is not easy to get achievements for. Overall, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is really just a game to bring back memories at the arcade.
Achievement Difficulty: 9/10
I've only had this game for 2 days, but even so, the achievements are always going to be hard. Achievements that ask you to not get burned by a flame thrower by a boss, frozen by a trap, and not getting turned into a normal turtle while facing Shredder are all difficult. Unless you play the game twice through on co-op and let your buddy get it the one time, and have him let you get them the second time, it will be very hard to get the achievements in this game, since you can't skip certain chapters to play certain bosses. I'd say that someone who devotes about an hour to the game will only get about 30-50 achievement points - and a person playing without co-op may only get about 30-50 if they play the game several times through. ( The game only takes maybe 30-45 minutes to beat )
3.5/5
1 Year Anniversary! ( March 19th 2006 - March 19th 2007 )
Well, it's already been a year. Over 200 reviews in one year. It hasn't been much of anything. Of course, I first started copying my Amazon.com reviews over to this website, but then I gave up on Amazon.com and started posting everything right here. After this one year I have gotten new stuff. Got rid of my PSP and DS, but recently got another new DS Lite, had to get a new PS2 because my old one broke, I got an Xbox 360 on July 24th, and I also got a Nintendo Wii on December 2nd. From this year, to next year, there will be many more reviews - unless I die or something. Anyways, thanks to anyone who actually likes or even looks at my blog. Call me whatever you want: [GGR], [TBR], or [MBR], but it's the one year anniversary. Also, I'm changing my name now and forever this time, and just calling this blog [47]. The tag will from now on be:
www.47reviews.blogspot.com
Thanks again.
[MBR]
www.47reviews.blogspot.com
Thanks again.
[MBR]
Saturday, March 17, 2007
DVD Review: Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
In Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Peter LaFleur ( Vince Vaughn ) has to find a way to earn $50,000 in only a month or he'll lose his gym, Average Joes. Glo Gordon ( Stephen Root ) tells Peter that they should enter a dodgeball tournament, seeing as how the grand prize is $50,000. Peter and his friends enter the dodgeball tournament and win their first game, only because one of the opposing players used anibolic steroids, and tested positive for beaver tranquilizer. At a celebration party, White Goodman ( Ben Stiller ) from Globo-Gym ( The gym that plans to take over Peter's gym ) intimidates Peter and his players by showing off Fran Stella Noskovich Der Vinivisckvy, the best female dodgeball player in the world. Afterwards, Patches O'Hoolihan, ( Rip Torn ) a former professional dodgeball player, offers to help out Peter and his team by teaching them how to play the game. With the five D's of dodgeball: Dodge, Duck, Dip, Dive, and... Dodge, Peter and his team enter the tournament in Las Vegas. While about to enter the finals, Peter thinks about quitting out, until being motivated by Lance Armstrong, who tells him that he thinks he and his team can win. ( End of the movie spoiler ) Peter regroups with his team, and manage to make it to sudden death. Peter and White face off against eachother, and Peter wins. In a former deal that Peter made accepting $100,000, he bet that his team would win. Making his total earnings for the game $5,000,000. Peter LaFleur takes over Globo-Gym, while White Goodman gains back his weight he once lost.
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story is probably one of the best comedies I have ever seen. Not only is it an original movie, it has great actors that offer really great jokes, and the story is good too. The only flaw with this movie is that there aren't really enough scenes of dodgeball - only at the end do you see a lot. Vince Vaughn and Ben Stiller are comedic geniuses in this movie, and it is definitely the best movie I've seen from either of them. Dodgeball won't dissapoint anyone who likes comedy movies - it's a lot of fun to watch more than once.
5/5
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story is probably one of the best comedies I have ever seen. Not only is it an original movie, it has great actors that offer really great jokes, and the story is good too. The only flaw with this movie is that there aren't really enough scenes of dodgeball - only at the end do you see a lot. Vince Vaughn and Ben Stiller are comedic geniuses in this movie, and it is definitely the best movie I've seen from either of them. Dodgeball won't dissapoint anyone who likes comedy movies - it's a lot of fun to watch more than once.
5/5
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