It's difficult to share the audio experience of the LoSt-CaUzE Gaming Headphones without being able to reach over and put them over your ears, so let me tell you about it from one of my in-game experiences. I was playing Call of Duty 4 on the Xbox 360. During a covert sequence alongside my squad, I needed to scope out the area. As my comrades were snug near a doorway, I had to cross a field where some enemy soldiers were on patrol. I didn't know where their patrol route was, so I kept low as I went for cover behind a bombed out shell of a car. That's when I could hear faint, rustling footsteps. I heard it slowly coming from my right. I waited. With the volume of the rustling increasing I pounced at the right moment and took the unsuspecting enemy out. One of the more memorable moments I recall from the game, which I would't have experienced without the AblePlanet headphones.
The LoSt-CaUzE Gaming Headphones are endorsed by FPS Quake 4 World Champion, Rafik Bryant. "My gaming headphones block out sounds that can distract me from the competition," says Rafik. The headphones themselves may look fairly simple, but looks can be deceiving. Active Noise-Cancellation, light-weight, comfortable padding and what the creators call "Linx Audio" technology are the highlights of the headphones.
The headphones do great in shutting out environmental noise (that includes the whir of the Xbox 360 disc drive). Bass sound remains full, without having to go full blast. That's what the Linx Audio technology provides. The technology is well explained in the inner flap of the packaging (as well as here on the AblePlanet website). AblePlanet will do a much better job at explaining how it works. Basically, you won't need to push audio to full levels to try to hear everything. Audio remains full and clear, even while at lower volume levels.
Active Noise Canceling is powered by 2 AAA batteries (included). The batteries are housed within the left earpiece, along with the on/off switch. When active, a small green led light is illuminated. Definitely play with it on. You won't have to deal with an external AC adapter, which I usually find an annoyance with headsets. The batteries should last about 35 hours.
We all know that audio levels can change during a game pretty fast. One second you'll need to be listening carefully in a covert scenario, the next you'll be booming out a thunderous barrage of fire. I can definitely endorse these headphones as wife/spouse friendly. I would often gripe when I would be asked to lower the volume during late night gaming sessions. Now it's a treat to put these headphones on.
I use the LoSt-CaUzE Gaming Headphones with my gaming consoles (Playstation 3 and Xbox 360) via an audio out jack from my home stereo system. The headphones connect via a detachable 5 foot cord, with a handy in-line volume control. An included 6 foot extension cord allows plenty of distance from the TV. Keep in mind, this doesn't have a mic input, so communicate with the Xbox 360 chatpad or keyboard on the PS3 if you want to send messages.
I've gone through quite a few headsets for gaming. From Sony, Turtlebeach and other rumble enabled ones. This is definitely the best experience I've had and the ones I use on almost a daily basis. I'm happy to give the AblePlanet LoSt-CaUzE Gaming Headphones a high recommendation. You won't be disappointed in the audio fidelity and value of the AblePlanet LoSt-CaUzE Gaming Headphones, whether gaming or enjoying music.
Back in the 90's when things were heated in the console wars between Nintendo and SEGA, no one could have imagined the two would meet on a Nintendo handheld. Jump to 2008 on the DS and here we are. Nintendo's cast of Mario characters and SEGA's Sonic characters meet for a game of friendly competition. Set your player name, choose your country and flag and you're off to competing.
Characters:
On the Nintendo side we have Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Yoshi, Wario, Waluigi and Bowser. On the SEGA side we have Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Shadow, Blaze, Vector and Dr. Eggman. Each side has its heroes and villains, which make for fun match ups. You'll have to use some strategy to figure out which ones work best for which events. Off the bat, you know Sonic is good for speed, while Bowser is good for power. Character stats are detailed on the character selection screen. If you can't decide, take a gamble and select Random.
Game play:
In single player gaming, there are three main modes of play: Single Match, Circuit and Mission. You'll want to start on Single Match.
In Single Match, you can compete in Athletics, Aquatics, Gymnastics, Archery, Table Tennis, Fencing, Shooting, Cycling and Dream Events. Each sport has various events, some of which you will have to unlock as you make progress in the game. There are 24 in total.
In Circuit mode, you select different levels of difficulty (classes) and select a circuit, which is composed of a series of three events. You'll have to use some strategy before each event. No matter which character you select, there will be at least one which may bring difficulty. This is where you get what's called a "circuit chance." Selecting your sole "circuit chance" before an event doubles your points. So if you're playing with Bowser on a "speed type" event, you better redeem that token!
In Mission mode, you'll compete in a series of 5 events for each character. Things get a little tricky here, as it isn't about scoring the top place. This is where you'll want to show off your mastery of controls for an event.
When I first heard of all the various game play mechanics, I thought it would be too confusing. L/R button play for Cycling, d-pad and button play for Table Tennis, tapping and sliding the stylus for the Vault and even clapping into the Mic for stirring the crowd up. But it all makes for great variation. When you first play an event, you are given a tutorial. You can always bring it up before an event after you've seen it the first time. In several events, be prepared to hold your DS at an angle as you feverishly scratch the screen with the DS stylus. Definitely have a screen protector installed on your DS for this game.
Graphics:
The graphics hold up nicely on the DS. It has a cartoon feel, but in 3D. Lots of vivid colors. It's Mario and Sonic after all, right? The game play area sometimes spans both screens, so you get closer views of characters in games like Table Tennis. Archery and Shooting events work out well using the dual screens.
Audio:
Each character has their own unique voice. They all have their victory line and their losing lines, as well as their grunts. One neat feature thrown into the Gallery (even more mini-games which unlock Olympic trivia) is a jukebox. Unlock tracks by completing a set of Gallery mini-games, which will give you access to classic tunes from Mario and Sonic games. There are ten total to unlock, some of which include Tetris DS Mario Puzzle Mix, Sonic The Hedgehog Green Hill Zone and Mario Kart: Double Dash. Unlock 'em and drop 'em in the jukebox with your stylus.
Replay Value:
There's enough here to keep you busy and mastering each event. Whether you want to break your own records, compete via wireless play with up to four players, collect as many (and there are many) awards as possible or take on the world via online leaderboards.
Collect awards such as: Medals, Trophies, Emblems and Crowns. The toughest being the Crown awards. That means getting all gold medals for each character.
In Versus Play, you can compete locally with 2-4 players via Wireless play. With the Wi-Fi capability, you're literally competing against the world with the Nintendo WFC Rankings. Make a record in an event and it will be saved, along with the character you did it with. Connect via Wi-Fi to download/upload scores and see what number you rank. That's definitely a neat feature, although downloading/uploading scores can take some time. You have to connect and disconnect for each event.
Buy It, Rent It, or Hardcore Only?
Mario or Sonic (or Nintendo and SEGA) fans are already probably sold on the concept of the rivalries possible. There's a lot of replay value in the game mode types, control mastery, ways to interact, events to play and records to set. This is definitely a nice joint effort put together by SEGA and Nintendo. My biggest gripe is the way you have to individually upload/download records through the Wi-Fi connection. That's a minor one.
If you're wondering about my thoughts on comparing this with the Wii version (which it shouldn't really be), I haven't played it on the Wii. So this review stands on its own merit on the DS capabilities and features. It would have been cool if there was some connectivity between the Wii and DS (like syncing your scores or unlocking exclusive events). I think that would have encouraged me to look into the Wii version more.
So the short answer: recommended buy. Beyond the concept of the competition between the two parties, this little DS cart packs plenty of game play variation and ways to bring you back, just as the Olympic Games itself. You'll keep wanting to outdo yourself and go for the gold.
The Guitar Hero series has returned with Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. Now developed by Neversoft instead of series creators Harmonix (who went on to create Rock Band), Guitar Hero III is basically an upgrade of Guitar Hero II with "boss battles." Like an animal that hasn’t had to evolve much through the centuries, this newest installment doesn’t tinker much with the winning press-the-button-when-you-see-the-color gameplay. Instead, Guitar Hero III is all about refining things.
What’s new?
Where new content is concerned, the most obvious addition is the new song list. The songs in Guitar Hero 3 pretty much run the spectrum of classic and modern rock songs out there. Some songs include Paint it, Black (The Rolling Stones), Raining Blood (Slayer) and current hits such as When You Were Young (The Killers). The game also has a bunch of downloadable songs available on Xbox Live marketplace (one of which is a free download of the Halo theme).The songs are all fairly good though I'm willing to bet someone will complain that song X by their favorite artist isn't in the game.
The game's other main addition is online play via Xbox Live. The online modes include face-off, pro face-off and coop mode. Another such multiplayer mode is the new battle mode where, instead of gaining Star Power as your score multipliers, players gain Battle Power to use on their opponent. For example, one attack known as Broken String renders one of your enemies strings useless until they are able to fix it by mashing the affected button vigorously. This mode is pretty fun though not much different from the other modes. The performance of the online component is decent. I didn’t have any problems with lag (which would be disastrous for this game) but it was tough to find games as they fill up quickly. I was left many times joining 10 or more games that had become full until I finally found one. Other than that, online multiplayer is a nice addition. Speaking of battle mode, this makes an appearance in the single-player career modes. During your career you are given the opportunity to battle Slash from Guns N' Roses as well as Tom Morello from Rage Against the Machine. You'll also battle the prince of darkness himself to The Devil Went Down to Georgia.
The rest of the game’s additions are small tweaks. The presentation is much more interesting this time around. For example, one level has players playing while on the back of a flatbed truck that’s really a set for filming a music video. In addition to improved levels, the career modes also have improved storyline videos. The animation seems to be of higher quality (no doubt due to higher budgets). Lastly, game play has been slightly tweaked. Though in this area most people will undoubtedly have varying opinions, to me it seems like the game is harder this time around and simultaneously easier. What I mean by this is that the game throws more buttons to hit at you on each difficulty level than before. However, the game is also more forgiving when it comes to timing for button presses. Overall, it evens out and the game seems a fraction harder then Guitar Hero II.
Buy It, Rent It, or Hardcore Only?
Overall, my advice is to buy this game. Because of its interesting and accesible gameplay, odds are good you'll find something to love. My other suggestion is that if you can only afford the stand-alone game disc right now, keep saving and get the guitar. Guitar Hero III is not nearly as fun if you don’t have a guitar and that little plastic Gibson Les Paul adds another layer of immersion to an already solid package. If you have the previous Guitar Hero II Gibson X-plorer guitar, you can use that as well and go for the stand-alone disc
I'm sure someone is wondering how does GHIII stack up to Rock Band, which is also a great game. Well, it all comes down to what you want. If you want guitar melting songs (ex. speed and difficulty) and a max of two players, get Guitar Hero III. If you want an amazing party game that has less emphasis on DragonForce-like solos and more on teamwork, get Rock Band. If you have the money, and want to ascend to Rhythm game heaven, get both. Take out a loan if you need to.
The Sandio 3D Game O2 mouse is a good attempt at catering to the PC gamer population. You can easily master the multi-degree control after playing around with the simple 3d training software for just a few minutes. With 16 programmable buttons and an innovative design, the product is made for maximum programmability. Being able to adjust the DPI is nice, but with the way the mouse is configured, you find yourself changing it inadvertently. In order to use all of your button mapping you have to run a small background utility that will take up residence on your taskbar.
At first glance, the three joysticks seem like you would be able communicate more commands to a game then the game could process. In application the right stick is more a novelty and the top stick gains its most usefulness as long as you never plan on right clicking. The joysticks only receive four directional presses. Not being omni-directional took away from the joy factor a bit. This mouse is made for flight simulations and exercises in Google Earth.
Interesting to try, but ultimately I would avoid this mouse for FPS and MMO applications. You would have to be a contortionist to get full use of the multi-axis, multi-directional multi-sticks for frag fests. The ergonomic attachment is nice (pictured below). The cord needs to go. Look and feel out of the box is that of a prototype. Sandio is on the right path here, just not far enough along said path. I would keep an eye out for future products from them, but pass on this one.
The Sandio 3D Game O2 mouse has an MSRP of $79.99.
Omega Five is a new side-scrolling shooter from game publisher Hudson Entertainment and developer Natsume. Omega Five was exclusively released on the Xbox Live Arcade last week for 800 Microsoft Points ($10). It's a unique shooter that places you in control of a flying character instead of the standard spaceship typically found in side scrollers. Capcom's Forgotten Worlds is the closest that another shooter comes to Omega Five's character gameplay.
At the start of the game, you have a choice between two characters: Ruby and The Tempest. Each has their own special weapons and power-ups. I personally preferred using Ruby (no, it's not because of the lingerie get-up). Ruby has a pretty cool anchor weapon that latches on to big enemies or rips through little ones. Use it to take down bullets that may damage you as well. The other additional playable characters include R.A.D., Sensei and Rikimaru (a dog!). Sensei and Rikimaru actually count as one playable character. You'll have to unlock 'em. I won't spoil it for you, but you can find out how here if you really want to know. You can also play Omega Five with a friend, in local two player co-op mode.
Omega Five follows some standard gameplay mechanics found in shooters. Three different weapon types (A,B,C), with upgrades for each. When the screen gets littered with bullets and enemies, drop a smart bomb ("ultimate burst") to clear the path. You can stock up to three ultimate burst bombs by collecting the pink chips that appear after taking enemies down. You also have a temporary shield, appropriately named the "temporal dodge." Primary fire is directed by the right thumbstick, allowing 360 degrees of coverage. It's similar to Geometry Wars' directional fire control.
There are four stages, each featuring a unique environment. You'll start out in a snow environment and make your way through some water and futuristic/mechanical levels. The 3D backgrounds and characters give Omega Five additional dimension from the old school shooters. The water level has some of the best visuals in the game. Each level has a tough mid-boss throughout the stage, with a final boss at the end of each level. Shooter fans, your bio-mechanical, spaceship laser-lust will be quenched. Successfully complete a level to unlock the Challenge Mode for it. Great for leaderboard challenges.
The odds may seem really tough in the beginning with only two continues. Don't fear. The more you play, the more continues are unlocked. After one hour of play, you get 5 continues. After 3 hours of play, you get 8 continues. Those will make a big difference when you unlock the Arcade++ and Challenge++ modes, where one hit means game over and your continues essentially work as lives. If you want to get all the achievements in the game, you will have to actually make it through the game without using one continue. That's the "Master" achievement for each character, worth 25 achievement points each. It won't be easy! Enemies follow a pattern, so just like in old school shooters, learn them to survive.
Side-scrolling shooters were a staple during the 16-bit era of gaming. It's nice to see a revival on the Xbox Live Arcade, thanks to Hudson and Natsume. I've been itching for a game like this, with beefed-up graphics worthy of a Xbox 360 release. What's amazing is that they got the download size under 50MB. Hudson also noted that the game was made by five people. While the gameplay may not be so long (anywhere from 3-5 hours for your first complete play through on regular Arcade mode), the challenges to unlock extras, rank up in leaderboards and get the complete 200 Achievement Points will be a challenge to any veteran shooter. It's a great addition to the Xbox Live Arcade and hopefully we'll be seeing more modern shooters like this.
It's a good week to catch up on some gaming during the holidays. Of course, you should be spending time with your friends and family. But what better way than with a fun session of gaming? Better yet, with a game that can bond old school and new school gamers, ages 10+. Sierra's Crash of the Titans is a game I can definitely recommend. Action-platforming, drop-in/drop-out co-op, colorful graphics and quirky characters round out a fun gaming experience. It's nice to take a break from some of the darker games out there (in both colors and settings).
I've been away from the Crash Bandicoot series since the debut on the PSone. Back in the day when he was seen as the mascot for Sony's early days of gaming. Radical Entertainment has created a nice return to Crash and crew in Crash of the Titans. It's all light-hearted fun, with some really painterly looking settings.
Crash's spinning, jumping, box breaking and Aku Aku mask is there. Villainous Dr. Neo Cortex is back as well. But new to Crash of the Titans is "jacking." You'll get to control 15 of the larger and tougher enemies by hijacking them. Each comes with their own moves. For some video demos on what jacking is all about, check out these clips on JackThePower.com. Drop-in/drop-out multiplayer co-op is a highlight as well, with your fellow gamer joining in as Carbon-Crash. Jack each other while you're at it.
Crash of the Titans is available on various platforms. Achievements are always a bonus on the Xbox 360 version, while the Wii version has some unique Wii controls. Some moves may take a little bit to learn, but targeting with the Wii Remote and jacking with the flick of the Wii Nunchuk is a bonus. Another cool distraction to mess with during loading time: various noses/glasses/accessories you can put on top of characters by pointing with the Wii Remote. Who hasn't had fun putting mustaches on pictures at one point? Just a little touch, but it's a fun loading time/cut-scene killer.
Crash of the Titans has some good replay value as well. If you've completed a level, you can always go back to unlock more goods such as concept art, skins and more.
Contra 4 on the DS marks the 20th anniversary of the 2D side-scrolling shooter. The fast-paced action game comes exclusively to the Nintendo DS and follows the events of Contra III: Alien Wars. The little DS cart packs a punch. This is hardcore gaming. You'll have to go weapons blazing to take down "dirty alien scum," as Konami describes in Contra 4's manual.
Right to the gameplay: Even on easy, Contra 4 is unforgivingly difficult. Extra lives and more continues don't mean a thing if you can't put up a fight. The beginning of level two seems almost impossible to pass without losing a couple of lives. The difficulty ramps up quick. Remember those golden-winged power-ups? That's the key to your survival. You can have two in your inventory at a time, which you can alternate by hitting the L or R shoulder buttons on the DS. What I advise is you keep your favorite power-up in a reserve slot (not the active one). When you lose a life, you will still have your reserve power-up weapon in your inventory. Whatever weapon you had equipped when you were taken out will be lost. So when the bullet or enemy presence is overwhelming, keep your regular rifle on. You don't want to be without a power-up weapon when taking on mid or end-level boss.
Keeping Contra true to it's over the top action, there's rocket riding, huge bosses, waves of bullet spewing enemies and the Black Viper. There are new bits of gameplay. The grapple function, Bionic Commando style, is used to ascend levels. Contra 4 benefits on the DS by having two screens. Bosses may span both of them, while there will be several times that you will be scaling a level vertically instead of running horizontally. Gameplay takes place across both screens pretty smoothly. The graphics are very colorful, detailed and pixel crisp on the DS screen.
The soundtrack has a retro-feel that fits Contra well. Plenty of synth and fast paced tracks to bring memories of late 80s action flicks. There's random voices when your character returns from death, which you have the option to turn off. Go solo, or better yet, take a friend along via wireless play. Your friend will need to have another Contra 4 cart in their DS to play with you.
There's plenty of bonus content. The Museum provides a nice glimpse into the past years of Contra. Not only will you get a look at some of the box art and screenshots of the earlier Contra releases in the US, but you'll also get to see box art from Contra games released in Japan and Europe. If you can successfully get through the game, you'll have a few nice bonus games besides Contra 4: NES versions of Contra and Super C. In addition, there's two unlockable digital comics, 5 unlockable characters and even an interview with Contra producer, Nobuya Nakazato.
Overall, you get a nice collection of Contra content. The action is fast and relentless. It may seem frustrating at times against some nearly impossible to survive odds. Old school gamers will appreciate the 2D style and gameplay they can pickup and get right into. The younger gamers will get a nice introduction to the new Contra while getting a taste of its history. Just like Konami's Castlevania series on the DS, Contra 4 does 2D right on the Nintendo handheld. If you're into action games and want a challenging and rewarding game, check out Contra 4. If you're looking for a number rating, on a scale of 1-10, it's an 8.5. It's definitely one of the better action games I've played on the DS. Konami has 2D gameplay down on the DS. Can't wait for more Contra and Castlevania! (A new Castlevania for the DS should be officially announced soon!)
The G9 Laser Mouse is the latest addition to Logitech's Gaming mouse series, which arrived in mid-September 2007. There is an impressive array of options packed in the G9. Prefer a weighted-down mouse? Add in some more grams of the included metal. Matrix green your color of choice? Change the LED colors using the Logitech G9 profile settings application (via PC). Want a free-scrolling wheel? Prefer a softer grip? Multiple game profile configurations saved on the mouse's on-board memory? So you know where I am going. A bunch of options packed in a fairly simple looking piece of hardware.
The G9 Mouse has features found in the earlier G5 & G7 Mouse from Logitech, but with several enhancements. New to this version are 2 interchangeable grips. One with a "softer satin feel" and the other with "DryGrip Technology" for those intense FPS matches. The DPI can range from 200 dpi to 3200 dpi (the G5/G7 topped off at 2000 DPI), which is adjustable on the fly by the +/- switches on the top of the mouse. The custom-color LEDs let you set your own color preference, great for color coordinating to your PC gaming rig. Clicking a button on the bottom of the mouse (called the microgear button) will switch from a snappy scrolling mouse wheel to a free rolling wheel. For weight customization, there are 8 weights included: four are 7 gram weights, four are 4 gram weights. All can be stored in the included metal storage case.
I'm no pro-gamer, but all the adjustment options definitely make your gaming experience feel tuned to your preference. The G9 Mouse feels snappy and works great with FPS games. I tuned it to such a comfort level that I not only use it for gaming, but also for everyday computer use. So long Apple Mighty Mouse.
The Logitech G9 Laser Mouse goes for a MSRP of $99.99, but is available from sites such as Buy.com or Amazon.com for $79.99.
If you haven't played Wii Sports for a while, you can bring some new life to it with ezGear's Wii Sports Pack. I haven't seen this kit in stores, but have seen some of the other Wii Remote accessory add-ons. By now, surely you've spotted a few around. Some can be pretty creepy looking or too small to make a difference. From the ones I've seen out there, these have a larger size and weight to them.
The Wii Sports Pack includes an interchangeable baseball bat, tennis racket, golf club and a handle, which holds the Wii Remote. It's the handle that helps to add a larger size and allows you to grip with both hands. The baseball and tennis racket add-ons give the Wii remote a bit more weight. The golf one may be a bit small, but swinging a life size golf club with your gaming buddies in the room may not be a good idea. If anything, it's good for some laughs on how ridiculous the older gamers will look (see below). The younger kids will probably enjoy playing with their friends and family using them.
On the top of each of the accessories is what ezGear calls an "IR Window." It's basically a transparent piece of plastic that allows you to still use the Wii Remote pointing functionality when navigating game menus. It's a good idea, but unfortunately it didn't work with the tennis racket and the golf club. Even using the baseball bat attachment, which has the largest IR Window, pointing with the Wii Remote was shaky and too much of a pain to use in the menus. You're better off removing the top attachment to use the Wii Remote in menus. You'll want to switch the accessories between sports games anyway.
The Wii Sports Pack was fun to use, but just remember that you have to allow a larger play area when playing with your buddies. Someone almost got a whack on the head with the bat add-on, so remember to keep clear! After going back to the Wii Remote, it felt much lighter and transparent. If you want to add a bit more realism and weight to your swings, you'll want to use the Wii Sports Pack.
ezGear's Wii Sports Pack is available for $29.99 online. See more of ezGear's Wii accesories here, such as Wii Boxing Gloves, Wii carrying case, Wii Remote chargers and a Combat Kit (for the Link kiddies).
Namco Bandai Games and Koei join forces to bring the melding of two action titles, Gundam and Dynasty Warriors. Because the game has such a niche, that may be a good thing or bad thing, depending on your feelings on either franchise. Both have been around for sometime now: Gundam since the late 70's cartoons and Dynasty Warriors is about to get it's sixth game.
Here's a review (below) of what you can expect from Dynasty Warriors Gundam, a spin on the the traditional Dynasty Warriors game using Gundam Mobile Suits (available for the Playstation 3 or Xbox 360).
. Watch a quick 30 second preview video and 
for $79.99.
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Review Bits
