Round 1: Match 4: Metal Gear Vs Hammer

Weapon - Metal Gear
Game - Metal Gear Solid
Seed - 4
Scouting Report -Where to start about a weapon that is the same name as the title of the game? Metal Gear was a revolutionary weapon because of its ability to launch a nuclear attack from any stable territory.  It was complete with a Vulcan Gun, Machine Gun, and Missile Pods.  The only weak spot of Metal Gear was the legs.  There were different types of Metal Gears, but all could be equally overpowering for Solid Snake.

Weapon - Hammer
Game - Super Smash Bros.
Seed - 13
Scouting Report - The Hammer was a great weapon for people like me who were not all that great at fighting games.  Whenever the Hammer came out I would do what I could to grab it and try to level the playing field.  It was a game changing weapon.  If you were able to connect with the Hammer you could do some serious damage.  Just remember though, with the Hammer you are not allowed to double jump.  This could ultimately lead to a short Hammer run...

Vote in the comments and in the poll.  You'll get votes for both.

Super Sheep Wins In Overtime!

Super Sheep wins by 1 vote!

With the time winding down until the poll was closed it looked like we were well on our way to another tie.  Tied at 4 votes apiece in the poll I decided to check the comments sections even though not many of you have been voting in that area.  What do I find? One single vote for the Super Sheep that makes the difference!  With an overtime score of 5-4 the Super Sheep advance to take on the daunting task of trying to slow Bo Jackson.

Let this go to show you that placing your vote in the comment section can be the difference when it comes to the tournament.  Also as a reminder like always be sure to check the site often and vote for your favorite weapons and spread the word!  I will be posting the next matchup for this weekend sometime today and leave it up until Monday.  That gives everyone a full weekend to come and vote for their favorite!

Fire Flower takes Match 3!

Just like the NCAA Tournament a 12 seed upsets a 5!

It looks like the Fire Flower has overcome the Blades of Chaos in a lopsided victory.  Not only was it a lopsided victory but there was absolutely no love for the God of War weapon.  The final tally was 6-0 in favor of the Fire Flower.

The tie breaker vote is currently going on between the Super Sheep and Fat Man.  Please place your vote in the poll or in the comment section for that match up.  Remember that your vote will count twice if you vote in both the poll and in the comments section.

We have our first TIE!

We have a tie in the Voting!

Because the voting has ended in a tie between the Fat Man and Super Sheep.  We are going to put the poll back up for a day or so.  Along with that you will be able to post comments under this post and it will be counted as an official vote.

If it is a tie again after this round of voting the higher seed will advance.  So be sure to vote in the poll and in the comment sections.  Also be sure to tell people to come check us out and vote for their favorite as well!

Round 1: Match 3: Blades of Chaos vs Fire Flower

Weapon - Blades of Chaos
Game - God of War
Seed - 5
Scouting Report - A staple weapon in the God of War series.  The Blades of chaos may be one of the coolest looking weapons on the list.  Flaming blades that can be thrown at enemies and and pulled back from the connected chains.  This weapon makes for great combos and devastating blows.  It is easy to see why this is the best weapon in God of War.

Weapon - Fire Flower
Game - Mario
Seed - 12
Scouting Report - If you have ever played a Mario game in the past you should be familiar with this weapon.  One of the very few items that you could get that would allow Mario to throw/shoot a projectile at an enemy.  Making things easier than just jumping on them, the Fire Flower has been a staple in the Mario series from the very beginning.

Vote in the comments and in the poll.  You'll get votes for both.

Round 1: Match 2: Fat Man vs Super Sheep

Weapon - Fat Man
Game - Fallout 3
Seed - 8
Scouting Report - Have you ever dreamed of shooting a mini nuke? Well this is the weapon for you. Ammo may be limited and the cost through the roof, but the effects of the Fat Man are devastating.  Great at taking out multiple enemies with only one shot.  Just be sure to be far enough away so you don't blow yourself up.

Weapon - Super Sheep
Game - Worms
Seed - 9
Scouting Report - The Super Sheep is basically a seeker missile in sheep form.  It can fly by pressing the fire button.  While in flight you control the flight path using the normal worms controls. Pressing the fire button a second time causes the sheep to detonate.  Great for attacking enemies in those hard to reach places.  Just be sure to watch where you are going.  The Super Sheep also detonates on impact!

Vote in the comments and in the poll.  You'll get votes for both.

Bo Jackson wins!

In the first match of the tournament Bo Jackson is the first weapon to advance.  The final tally came in at 12 votes for Bo Jackson and 5 votes for the Bionic Arm.  It was almost as lopsided as Bo Jackson against anyone in Tecmo Super Bowl.  Bo knows winning, but who will he face in the second round?

The poll is now up for the 2nd match Fat Man vs Super Sheep.  The post will also be up around 5 PM. Once again just a reminded to vote on the poll and in the comments section to get your opinion counted twice!  Also be sure to tell people to come check out the tournament.

Match 1: Bo Jackson vs Bionic Arm

Weapon - Bo Jackson
Game - Tecmo Super Bowl
Seed - 1
Scouting Report - Bo Jackson was put in to Tecmo Super Bowl to do one thing.  Run faster and more agile than any other player in the game.  If he got the ball, your best option as a defender was to backpedal.  If you didn't, he'd be past you already.  To the doubters that say "He isn't a weapon!", watch this video and notice how thoroughly he beats 11 members of the opposing team for an entire quarter.

Weapon - Bionic Arm
Game - Bionic Commando
Seed - 16
Scouting Report - Bionic Commando is a platformer unlike all others.  You can't jump. Instead, you're given an arm that acts as a grappling hook, item collector, and eternal sign of being a badass.  Since you shoot a pea shooter for much of Bionic Commando, the Bionic Arm becomes a weapon that also makes you agile and elusive on the battlefield.

Vote in the comments and in the poll.  You'll get votes for both.

Tournament of Weapons - Opening Brackets!

Here it is, we took a lot of suggestions and did a lot of research.  Here's our opening brackets.

The basic rules are this.  We post a matchup, you vote on it.  You can vote in the comments AND in the poll's.  If you do both, your vote will be counted twice.  We'll try and do a matchup every day or two.

This should be a lot of fun.

#1: Super Mario World

And here it is... Super Mario World is my favorite game of all time.

I read quite a few gaming blogs.  Halfway through writing my list, I read some excellent advice from a blogger.  He said that you should try and keep the word "fun" out of your descriptions of games.  He explained that fun is the most subjective word that can be used to explain a game's appeal.  Everyone has a different opinion on what makes something fun.

I started following that advice at that moment.  I have to abandon that advice now.

Super Mario World is the most fun game I've ever played.

#2: Final Fantasy VI

First off, for those who don't know how it works...

Final Fantasy 6 originally released in the United States as Final Fantasy 3.  This happened because FF2, 3, and 4 only released in Japan, so FF5 and FF6 released in the US as FF2 and FF3.  That's why the box art says Final Fantasy III.

So anyways, my favorite RPG of all time is Final Fantasy VI.

#3: Phantom Dust

"What's Phantom Dust?" you might ask.  I've had to describe this game to multiple people because it's fantastic and I talk a lot, but it's an underground game.

Phantom Dust is what happens if you mix a third person action game with an excellent setting, some stirring plot, excellent multiplayer, and deck building.  I love deck building.  If you've been a fan of deck building games or collectible card games in the past, play this game.

The easier way of describing Phantom Dust is this.  Phantom Dust is what would happen if you brought Magic: The Gathering to life.

#4: Halo 3

Did anyone not know that this one was coming?

I'm pretty positive that this is the last gimmie pick on my list.  The final 3 aren't going to be everyone's guesses at my personal favorites, but this one's easy.

Halo 3 is my favorite shooter of all time.

#5: Pokemon Red/Blue

Sure, it's a franchise geared towards kids.  We all know it.  But those who have played it also know that it's a furiously addicting RPG with a very deep elemental system to it.

#6: Mario Kart 64

Those who know me can probably guess at two remaining games on this list.  This is one of the two.  Is there a gamer that hasn't had some great times with this game?

Doubtful.

#7: The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker

I've never understood why this game isn't regarded as a classic.  There are a great features that make this game stand out among the franchise's counterparts.  To each their own, I guess.  To me, Wind Waker is the finest Zelda game ever made.

#8: Final Fantasy Tactics

Squaresoft (back in the days when they'd actually freaking experiment with new game ideas) decided to try their hand at a boardgame-like RPG.  The results were fantastic.

Portal 2 Impressions

First, let's just get the cliche joke out of the way.  My feelings for Portal 2 are this.

This was a triumph.

There, now we can move on.

#9: Rock Band 2

Here’s the only music game on my list.

#10: Secret of Mana

Woot.  The top 10 starts out with a freaking bang.

#11: Super Smash Brothers

Here's the top rated fighting game on my list.  Super Smash Brothers was (and is) a unique fighting game and a great mashup of various Nintendo brand characters.

People who know me understand that I'm not a gigantic fan of fighting games.  However, Super Smash Bros was a new kind of fighter.  There was no health bar.  There was a scaling damage rating that influenced how far your character flew.  There was no honor.  It was a 2-4 player scrum on stages that fought you as much as your opponents did.  There was no structure.  Random items rained from the sky that could turn the stage of a battle quickly.

Smash Bros was best played in groups where hooting and hollering was loud and constant.  There was always some rivalry to experience or character to hate... for example, Pikachu.  That little Thunder-Bolting rodent can spend his entire afterlife in the underworld for all I care.  Alright, I don't hate him that much, but my sister Audrey made me despise that thunder rat whenever she used it.  Grrrr.

Despite the gimmick of having your favorite Nintendo characters fight each other, it's an extremely polished and perfect fighting game with true balance.

Go Ness.

Classic Video Game Poll

Super Nintendo!

So after the last poll you have voted that you would like us to play a classic game here and there and post about it.  For the next poll you will be able to decide what classic game BluePai, myself, or both of us play.  I figured this time around we will have you choose a game from the SNES.

3 out of the 4 choices have been on Bluepai's list so far.  So please feel free to vote for the game you think we should play next.  Also if there is a SNES game that is not on the poll fell free to post a comment and maybe it will be played down the road as well.

Tournament of Weapons!!!

With BluePai's top 50 list getting so close to the top 10 there will only be a few more days for entries into the tournament of weapons!  So please feel free to comment if you thought of a last minute weapon that you woul dlike on the list.  More details to come as soon as we have the list completed...

#12: Mass Effect 2

Here's another great example of how to properly reboot the gameplay of a franchise.

#13: Plants vs Zombies

Alright.  First question.  Have you played this game yet?  If the answer is no, then go buy it now, play it and then come back for some reminiscing.

#14: Fallout 3

What an excellent reboot for a franchise.

What should we post more about?



Voting is over on the last poll here at The Orion Project.  Even though there was not an overwhelming amount of people who voted we did have a winner.  It looks like we will try and post more along with playing more classic video games. Since the voting was close I am sure that we will also post about the options that were close as well.  

This was going to be the last poll that we had until the Tournament of Weapons. However, in light of BluePai and myself playing Minecraft again, his top 50 has slowed a bit along with my posts.  To tide you over I will be posting a new poll.  I have no idea what it will be yet.  Maybe what we should build next in Minecraft. 

Just a reminder that once BluePai finishes his top 50 we will be starting the Tournament of Weapons.  Along with that, when the time comes to post my top 50 I have made the decision that I am only going to do 25 games.  Why would I do this?  Well frankly I have not played as many games as BluePai and would not be doing my list justice by listing games just to list them. 

#15: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

This game.  Ever dreamed of being a jedi or a sith?  Well, Knights of the Old Republic lets you make that important decision and revolutionized the RPG genre.

#16: Resident Evil 4

This game is starting the run.  The next 16 games are all fantastic.  They're polished, they're revolutionary, and they're perfect.  I looked at these 16 games and I had an extremely hard time figuring out where to place them.  So, please understand that while I may rate one game higher or lower than another, these are all perfect games in my mind.

K, now on to the game.

#17: Burnout 3: Takedown

Freaking Burnout.

#18: Chromehounds

Meet Chromehounds.  It contains my favorite multiplayer in a game... ever.  The single player was crud, that's why it's down so far on the list.  But the multiplayer component to the game is absolutely unique and fantastic.

Mass Effect: Ilos

May Contain Spoilers!

The next couple of posts from me will be what happens at the end of Mass Effect.  As well as informing you what happens in the game, I will let you know the choices that I made that change the outcome of different scenes.  There will be spoilers and if you do not want to know what happens I suggest holding off on reading these posts.

#19: MVP Baseball 2005

The last of EA's MLB games was its best, without a doubt.  MVP Baseball 05 brought all of the polished gameplay of the previous years while including 2 fantastic minigames and a time-sucking owner's mode.

It took the monotony of a 162-game season and made additions to get you through it.

Final Poll Before the Tournament of Weapons

It looks like we have a few different types of gamers that are avid readers of The Orion Project.  The poll results show that we have gamers who try to get a few hours in a week and yet some who can't get enough hours in.  Which ever your preference we are here to provide informative video game banter and overall fun reading about video games. 

We here at Orion Project are going to have one more poll before we start the tournament.  We would like to thank everyone who once again voted.  By voting it gives us a good idea of things we post.  However, this next poll will really tell us what you would like to see.

The next poll will be about what YOU want to see us talk/post about.  It could be reviews of new games that have just came out.  Or even reviews of games that have been out that we have or have not played yet.  How about hearing us talk about crazy moments that we encounter in video games?  I know there would be a few stories from Halo's multi-player.

Would you like us to post about previews for games that are not out yet?  Granted, we are not to the status of getting games before they are out, but we would be able to blog about various opinions on games. What about the Indie games that are out that you have never heard of? We can make suggestions on what games would be worth your time and worth your money.

Finally we would have Classic Games.  With this we would go back 15 years and reminisce about games that we played growing up.  We may even play the game again and post about the things that made this game great.

Pleas feel free to discuss in the comment section and be sure to make you voice heard in the poll!  It can be found on the right of the page.

#20: Castle Crashers

Many of you will be saying things like:

• What's Castle Crashers
• Really, this game?
• Above [insert game here]?

Next Game?! Round 2

It is official... Mass Effect has officially been completed! 

I will be posting a blog sometime within a day or two with what I encountered in the last part of Mass Effect.  Along with that post I will let you know how the game unfolded in the final conversations.  Yes Leah, I will inform you what I decided to do on Feros.

Now onto what this post is really about.  What should I play next?!  I am at the mercy of your opinion.  I will list the games that I have previously posted along with adding Mass Effect 2.  Let me know if you think I should play Mass Effect 2, or if I should play something else and come back to Mass Effect in the future.

I will most likely not be starting this new game for a week or two.  I will probably play some multi player Halo for a bit.  The following games are what I will be playing next:

Crysis 2
Homefront
Dragon Age
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
Mass Effect
*Mass Effect 2
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Splinter Cell: Conviction

*(New addition to the list)

I look forward to seeing everyone's responses to this.  Let me know if there is a game that is not on my list that you think I should play as well.  Other than playing Halo I will leave what games I play up to you!  So my video game fate is in your hands! Choose wisely....

#21: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is the second of three Zelda games on my list.  Yes, in my opinion, it's better than Ocarina.  Sue me (please don't, I'm poor).

#22: Super Mario RPG

The last in a run of extremely quality JRPG's over 10 games of the list, Mario RPG was fan-freaking-tastic.  It was accessible, balanced, varied, funny, and fun, all at once.

#23: Final Fantasy XI

Ahh yes, my first MMO.

Final Fantasy XI was out for one to two years before World of Warcraft.  It was never as popular or accessible, but it still remains my favorite MMO of all time.

Exclusive Story - New Class in World of Warcraft

In a first for the Orion Project, we've acquired information from a reliable source in Activision/Blizzard!

#24: Chrono Trigger

The run of excellent Japanese RPG's continues with Chrono Trigger.

#25: Halo

It should come as no surprise to people that know me that Halo is on this list again.  The franchise has popularized console shooters and Halo: Combat Evolved started it all.

And the best video game series goes to...

ZELDA!

Now I know that there was a tie between Zelda and Other, but when I was looking at the poll the other day it showed that Zelda was in the lead with 7 or 8 votes.  I don't know what happened but we went from 20 votes to 14...  Also a quick note, I would like to apologize for leaving the Final Fantasy games off of the previous poll.  I have a gut feeling that people who voted for other may have voted for Final Fantasy.

Either way a big thank you goes out to everyone who voted on this poll.  Please keep up the voting and keep voicing your comments throughout the page.  There will be a new poll up, so please place your vote!

We have been getting a lot of good feed back on weapons for the Tournament of Weapons.  Right now as it stand will will most likely start the tournament after BluePai finishes his top 50 list.  We will keep taking suggestions for new weapons until he is into his top 10.  That will at least give us a few days to get the seeding and placement all set up for the match ups.

Voting for your favorite weapons will take place where the poll is normally found.  Early on in the tournament, depending how many match ups there are, we may have more than one poll up at a time.  We will post a blog for each match up on the main page and talk about the two competitors.  From that point it will be up to you to decide which weapon moves on.

Once again I would just like to thank everyone who has been leaving comments and voting.  Any input you have is important to making the site successful!

Mass Effect: Virmire Part 2

May contain spoilers!

We last left off with the choice of what character you were going to leave with Captain Kirrahe.  I really did not use Kaiden very often, so I felt that he was the character I could leave behind.  After this point you can start making your way into the back way of the facility.

The first group of enemies you will run into will be protecting the Communication Tower.  As long as you keep cover and use your sniper riffle you should be able to easily handle the majority of the Geth.  If you are looking for Paragon points you can shut down communications which would help Captain Kirrahe.

Continue to make your way past the enemies.  There are monitor objectives that can be completed on your way into the facility.  Once you reach the facility you can disable the alarms.  With this you are given the option to send the enemies to the front of the facility.  If you don't think you can handle them yourself you can choose that option.  I however decided to fight them myself.

Most of the difficult stuff is out of the way.  Make your way through the facility and shut down the AA guns so you can get set the nuke.  While going through the facility you will come across some of the prisoners that Saren has been experimenting on.  You can free them to gain Paragon points, or leave them or even kill them.

When looking to shut down the AA weapons you will come into contact with an Asari named Rana Thanoptis.  She has been working for Saren and offers to get you into his private chambers.  You notice that there is another Beacon here.  As you activate it you see some of the same images from the first beacon.

When the cut scene is complete you notice and have a long conversation with Sovereign, a Reaper.  They are real after all.  How are you going to convince the counsel of this?  You will worry about that later.  You have to shut down the AA weapons so that you can set the nuke.

Taking the elevator down to the Breeding Grounds you will encounter a few more Geth.  After finishing them off you are finally able to shut down the AA weapons.  With the AA weapons down the Normandy can bring in the nuke.  You tell Kaiden to meet you at the rendezvous point.  He is pinned down with the crew he is with.  Once again you will have to make a choice, Ashley or Kaiden.

If losing one of your team members was not enough the timing of Saren showing up definitely does not make things better.  Saren believes the only way to save himself and others is to work with the reapers.  This is why he has been doing the things he has.  The worst part about it is that he believes he is doing the right thing.  After the conversation ends there is a battle between your crew and Saren.  Do what ever you can to attack him, but make sure to find cover.  After the battle you will enter the end mission cut scene...

Next up: Return to the Citadel.

Mass Effect: Virmire Part 1

May Contain Spoilers!

This planet has to be the exact opposite of Noveria.  Blue skies and sand beaches everywhere make this planet very pleasing to the eye.  Now to find the salarian reconnaissance team that has sent out their distress call.  All we know at this point is they have information on Saren.

As you approach Virmire, you are dropped onto the planet with the Mako... Now going 4 for 4 using the Mako on planets you have traveled to.  Your objective, to shut down the AA guns so that the Normandy can land. 

Traveling in the Mako you come across three separate Gatehouses that are swarming with Geth.  In order to get past the gates you will need to get out of the Mako and fight your way through the Geth and activate the gate in the gatehouse.  This applies for all gatehouses.  Once again you can use the Mako to kill enemies in passing, or take the route I did and just take a nice Sunday drive past everything.

You will soon reach the Salarian Camp and come into contact with Captain Kirrahe.  He informs you that he has found Saran's Research Facility.  It has been discovered that Saren has found a cure for the genophage (the hereditary virus which causes only one in a thousand krogan offspring to survive) and is now breeding a Krogan Army!

Having a Krogan in your party does not make things any easier.  Wrex (the Krogan in your party) is torn on what needs to be done.  On one hand he knows that Saren needs to be stopped at any cost.  On the other he has a chance to bring a cure that would repopulate his race.

There are a couple different ways you can take care of this.  I personally chose to talk Wrex down from the ledge by informing him that even though there is this cure, these Krogan would be slaves to Saren and they need to be destroyed in order to defeat Saren.  In order to go the route I did you would need to have your charm or intimidate leveled enough.  The other option would be to kill Wrex.  This option might be the only one available given the circumstances.

With all the drama with Wrex completed you can start to prepare for the assault.  Captain Kirrahe has a plan, he is going to use his ships drive core as a nuke to blow up the facility.  It needs to be airlifted into the facility but someone will need to go in and disable the AA guns.  Captain Kirrahe suggests two teams, your team to sneak in and disarm the AA weapons, and his which will provide cover and distraction in the front.  The lack of ground troops he has is a concern and asks for one of your crew members and you have to decide between Ashley and Kaiden....

Next up: Virmire Part 2!

#26: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Alright, this is going to cause revolts.  I'm going to assume that I have Zelda: OoT at least 20 spots worse than many of you would.  I'm sorry about that, but hear me out before you murder me... please.

#27: Final Fantasy VIII

My second favorite single-player Final Fantasy game on the list.  Final Fantasy VIII was an achievement in cinematics, gameplay, and a furiously addicting minigame.

#28: Super Metroid

 

The funny thing about describing Super Metroid and its franchise is talking about its genre.  This is what people originally had to say about this game.  "Its a 2d action-platformer with a map that will be revealed further as you get items to expand your capabilities."  Now, when games like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and Shadow Complex come out, we say, "It's just like Super Metroid... but..."  It is the game that defines its genre.

Super Metroid seems to be have the perfect level of difficulty.  You'll die a couple times each boss fight, but you'll notice that you're progressively getting better and remembering the pattern of each boss.  You'll lose, but victory never seems too far away.

Your powers and the world of Super Metroid open up fluidly and gradually as you go through the game.  There's no one item that makes you feel as if it's made you all-powerful.  However, at the end of the game, you'll realize just how much all of those little advances have surged your abilities.  By the end, you're a freaking beast.

As I mentioned for Mega Man X and Mario 3, I love it when new gameplay is taught to you without needing to be explained to you.  How do you learn how to wall jump in Super Metroid?  Follow the animals that are wall jumping in a cave for fun.  You would have never known how to do it otherwise, but it doesn't require a text box or a cut-scene to teach you.

I'm going to get asked, how come this and not Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.  While Castlevania: SOTN is a beautiful and deep game, I personally think that it revolves too much on grinding out drops and items, whereas Super Metroid is a fluid experience.

Castlevania is awesome until you want a specific item.  Super Metroid is excellent throughout.

Mass Effect: Liara's Dig Site

I have to first start by saying it may have taken me more time to find a good picture for this post than it did competing the task of rescuing Liara...  Part of the reason was I traveled to Noveria and Feros before going to Liara's Dig Site.  It does not matter the order that you travel to the planets, but it does seem like many people would suggest going here first after leaving The Citadel.

When you land on this planet you start in the Mako.  I really wish that they did not use this vehicle so often.  I can understand using it on a planet or two, but come on, every planet so far?  In my opinion, I would prefer not to use it.  So in most cases I just drive past everything and get to the point where I can get out of it.

Once you make it through the gauntlet of Geth while in the Mako you run into a Geth Colossus.  This is one of the enemies that you are not able to really drive past.  After defeating him you can finally get out of the Mako and start making your way to the dig site.

I expected to be underground searching for Liara for at least an hour.  To my surprise you find her within 10 minutes.  She is contained and seems to be trapped.  So once again I figured I will have to make my way through the tunnels and fight my way to her location.  After one small attack and a fairly easy puzzle you are able to gain access to her.

Liara has now been freed, and the caves are starting to collapse.  Things might be getting interesting after all!  Sadly, there is only one other fight and a cut scene.  Next thing you know you are back on the Normandy.

This was the first time I was a little disappointed in Mass Effect.  Part of that may have been my own fault by traveling to other planets first, but this planet just left me unsatisfied.  The good news however, was that because it was a pretty easy planet, I was able to get through it on a night I didn't think I would be able to finish a planet.

Next up: Virmire!

Opening Day!

With Major League Baseball's Opening Day being Thursday it really has been making me think about playing a baseball video game.  Unfortunately, I do not own a PS3 and am unable to play MLB The Show.  I have not played a MLB 2K in a few years.  If anyone has played MLB 2K11 or know anything about it please feel free to comment and let me know.

 I really miss the days of MVP Baseball.  Many afternoon and nights were spent with friends building our dynasty.  One of the best features in MVP was you could interrupt a simulation at any point.  It made it very easy to go through an entire season only playing the last few innings of games.  It also made it very easy to win 120 games in a season.

MVP made their last Major League Baseball game for the 2005 season.  The Main reason was 2K sports was able to buy the license for MLB when EA, the maker of MVP Baseball, bought the exclusive NFL license earlier in the year.  Since MVP Baseball was made by EA, they decided to try a different route with their baseball games.  In 2006 MVP made a move that would change the game forever.  The game featured NCAA baseball.  Without the big names of Major League Baseball players, the game never really took off.

Will I play a baseball game anytime soon?  Probably not but that will not keep me from getting excited for the baseball season.  If you are a Brewers fan like me, a Cubs fan like BluePai, or plain just don't like baseball.  There is no denying that America's past time will be starting on Thursday and I will be at my first game of the year in exactly one week!

#29: NFL Blitz

NFL Blitz is to football what NBA Jam is to basketball.   That means your players have super-human dexterity and strength, every down will be accompanied by a play-by-play man insulting the players, and  unnecessary roughness is encouraged.

A typical NFL Blitz match takes less than half an hour and has more drama than a regular football game.  It's very common to have a ball intercepted and returned for a touchdown or to get tackled so hard that your character flies 5 yards.  It's arcade football at its best.

Just like NBA Jam, NFL Blitz is known for its rubber band system (where the worse you're losing, the better your players get).  It makes every play important, because a normal pass could easily turn into a 7 point touchdown or interception.

There's also no penalties, so you can let out your anger on an opponent by repeatedly body slamming him after a play is over.  Good times.

In my favorite game ever, my cousin Derek was showboating on the 1 yard line when the clock was at 0:00 in the 4th quarter.  We tackled him, he fumbled, and we returned the ball 99 yards for the game winning touchdown.  That kind of play doesn't happen in the NFL, but seems to happen every couple matches in NFL Blitz.

So why is it so high on my list?  It's the best 4 player sports game I've ever played.  Every game seems to be fun, competitive, and insane.  Also, no John Madden.

Mass Effect: Feros

May Conatain Spoilers...

By now if you have not noticed, I plan on posting a blog after I complete a planet.  This way I will be able to talk about the planets as a whole and not have to worry about stopping midway through missions.  I have been able to get in about a planet a day.  As I get more into the game I will have to see if I can keep up that pace.  Now onto what's really important here...  Feros.

Coming into the port at Feros you are greeted quite differently than Noveria.  As a matter of fact you are not really greeted at all.  After you exit the Normandy, you start to wander through Feros.  Knowing that the reason you came here was because of the Geth you make your way through the port.  To no surprise you are met with the Geth attacking you as you explore the new planet.

Shortly after your first encounter with the Geth on Feros you find what is left of the civilization Zhu's Hope.  It appears to have been under constant attack and you will quickly learn that something doesn't seem quite right with some of these people.  Strange or not, you decide to help them with their current Geth infestation.

With the Geth now exterminated from Zhu's Hope your mission now turns into finding the cause for the strange behavior with the locals.  Once again you will find yourself using the Mako and traveling across the sky way.  This time i just drove past the enemies and didn't give them a chance to kill me.  After a short time in the Make you find more survivors that have been holed up since the Geth attacks.  Here you are able to accept a couple more missions and then continue to the ExoGeni Facility.

The Geth's main ship has attached itself to the facility.  Fighting your way through enemies and completing a fairly simple puzzle helps you rid Feros of the Geth for good.  Now all you have to do is make your way back to the survivors.

              

Once you return to the holed up survivors you find out what has been wrong with them.  They are being controlled by the Thorian and all the survivors in Zhu's Hope will turn against you and the choice is yours to eliminate them, or subdue them.  I personally chose to just subdue them, keeping my nice guy image alive.  Turns out, the Thorian has been under Zhu's Hope for quite some time.  Gain access to the Thorian's home and destroy him to save the colonists. 

Overall this was a fun planet to play through.  There were not many moments where I felt overwhelmed by the enemies, but had enough action throughout that kept me hooked.  I can easily see myself playing through this game again and doing the opposite of what I did the first time around.

Next up: Artemis Tau cluster