Djwlfpack
Friday, November 6, 2009
That aspect of Dynamic Season I enjoy. A lot.
However, I can't help but feel that Dynamic Season is lacking something. And, that something, is dynamic commentary. Playing through Dynamic Season really just feels like you are playing a ton of "Play Now" games with updated DNA. There's no fresh commentary at all, which is really disappointing. You'd like for Marv and Steve to mention Melo's hot start and how he's dominating the league in scoring but instead, you get the same general comments about each player that they make in exhibition games.
The overall presentation is also lacking in these games. You get a few stat overlays that show season stats, but nothing really eye-popping that helps this mode stand out like it should. NCAA Basketball 10 has presentation nailed with its ESPN and CBS integration. I understand not being able to likely get TNT on board, but you'd think Live 10 could've at least been able to integrate more NBA on ESPN graphics and stat overlays and even use NBA TV logos and stat overlays for games. Those little touches, especially in a season or franchise mode, always make a difference.
I'm a big fan of the gameplay in NBA Live 10. The halfcourt game is great and I love the R-stick freestyle controls, coupled with the size-up and post-up moves. Defensively the game is better, post-patch, but could still benefit from having your CPU-controlled teammates play a little smarter.
I like the idea behind Dynamic Season; I just would like to see it expanded upon further.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
That's the question I'm currently facing and it's all because of God of War 3, and the recently repackaged God of War I&II for PS3. I never got into GOW when I had my original PS2 but just recently I picked up a copy of the first GOW and now I get what everyone was talking about. Definitely an amazing game and after seeing screens for GOW 3, I'm really, really interested in that game.
Of course, the only problem being that I don't currently have a PS3. I like my 360 but it has died once and I think it's about to go on the fritz again as I got red-ringed the other day when I turned it on, but it has been OK (knock on wood).
My only concern with trading in my 360 for a PS3 would be that I would get killed in the resale value if I took it to Gamestop. My guess is that I wouldn't even get $100 for my 360 and I'd get maybe $100 for all my games, with Madden 10 being the only real game of value in my library.
Replacing the games on PS3 wouldn't be bad as I stated, only Madden 10 is a game that would cost me more than $20 to pick up. And, since I'm going back to my roots and playing mostly offline, I think the PS3 would be a good deal as I wouldn't have to pay a yearly fee for a certain level of membership, like you do on the 360.
So, decisions, decisions.
Anyone that works at Gamestop or has good knowledge of the trade-in values have any idea what I'd get for the following:
360 Core + 20-gig HDD
360 Memory Card
Madden 10
NHL 08
Tiger Woods 08
College Hoops 2k8
Legends of Wrestlemania
NCAA 09
Guitar Hero II
Guitar Hero III
Guitar Hero Controller
NFL Head Coach 09
Monday, August 31, 2009
If you turn down player speed and hit power all the way to zero and max out goalie reaction, you can get a really good game of hockey. Dump and chase works really well in this game and you can cycle if you're fast enough with the pass button. Only thing I wish they had implemented was line changes mid-play. You have to wait for a puck stoppage to change lines and that can be annoying at times.
Anyway, the point of that mini-ramble is that despite being 6 years old, Hitz Pro still holds up in many ways in 2009 and for just $3.99, it's a good deal to be had. It got me thinking as to what other PS2 games out there are a good bargin right now?
Obviously answers would be NFL 2k5, Madden 05, NCAA 04, 06 and MVP NCAA Baseball 06. Anything else out there that I should take a look at?
I'd also throw in action, stealth and platforming games as I like a little change of pace from sports every now and again.
Despite being a perfect 5-0 on the season, there's a lot of turmoil surrounding the Vikings franchise and their owner, Prince Jackson, has called a news conference to address the Favre situation.
Prince Jackson: I want to thank all of you for coming. As you know, our head coach, Brad Childress, made the decision to bench Brett Favre in the second quarter of our game yesterday against St. Louis after throwing his third interception of the half. It was a decision I fully supported and was very pleased with the job Sage Rosenfels did in replacing Favre. I also want to take a second to single out Chester Taylor, who filled in for Adrian Peterson when AP went down with an injury soon after Favre was pulled. Chester had 100 yards on the day, including that nice 51-yard run late in the fourth quarter that helped put the game away. As usual, our defense played solid football.
With that said, let's open it up to questions.
Reporter: Brett was benched yesterday and didn't return. What's his status going forward?
Jackson: Well, I had a meeting with Brad this morning and he informed me that he's moving forward with Sage as the starting quarterback. Let's be frank; Brett just hasn't delivered this season. I firmly believe that's due to his unwillingness to make a decision on his retirement status until two weeks before the regular season started. He's been playing catch-up the entire season and it just isn't working. He's not 25, he's almost 40 years old.
Reporter; You guys brought Brett in thinking he was the missing piece of the puzzle. Now, he's not even starting. Will you explore a trade or perhaps release him so he can sign with someone else?
Jackson: An unconditional release is out of the question. As far as trades go, yes, I will come out and admit that after the developments of yesterday's game, I've made a few phone calls around the league to gauge interest in potential trade. I'm not saying that Brett's going to be traded, but I can't say that if an attractive offer is broached that I would turn it down.
Reporter: Will Brett be the backup and how does he feel about that role?
Jackson: Actually, this a full demotion. Brett not only won't be starting, he won't be the No. 2 quarterback. We're dropping him to No. 3 on the depth chart and will only use him in emergency situations. He needs more practice time so he's going to be busy during the week working with the scout team. Plus, we want to give Tavaris a chance to show us what he can do. But, I think we all feel confident that Sage is going to be the guy to steer our ship where we want it to go.
Reporter: How concerned were you when AP went out with an injury?
Jackson: Well, considering I had just watched our supposed franchise QB throw three interceptions and then our franchise running back can't get up off the turf, I was very nauseous at that point. But, as I stated, Chester Taylor did a remarkable job filling in for AP and I'm very happy that AP's injury was a minor one and he should be good to go next week.
Reporter: So, just to be clear, Favre is benched and you are considering trade offers for him?
Jackson: Yes. I wish it hadn't come to this point. We took a big gamble bringing Brett in here. I hoped it would work out but it's not looking like that's going to be the case. Who knows, things could change and Brett could reclaim that old magic and win his job back. But as of now, he's not going to see the field.
OK guys, that's it for today. Thanks again for coming and I hope that clears things up.
Favre, who was 3-of-9 for less than 50 yards, was replaced by Sage Rosenfels. Favre did not return to the field after the benching.
Vikings owner Prince Jackson will hold a press conference tomorrow to address the developing situation.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Current team owner, Prince Jackson, opens up to the media about the current state of the team.
Reporter: Mr. Jackson, why haven't we heard from any of the players or coaches this season?
Jackson: Well, that was my decision. You see, there's a lot of drama going on behind the scenes that I didn't want to get out. But, I think now is the time to finally address those issues.
Reporter: What issues are you referring to?
Jackson: Brett Favre. Look, it's no secret that I was against this decision from the very beginning. Brad (Chidress, the team's head coach) was adament about bringing this guy in, saying that he was the player we needed to reach the Super Bowl. Personally, I didn't see it that way. Look at how things ended last year in New York (where Favre played with the Jets); he struggled the final month of the season and then started complaining of all these injuries to his throwing arm and shoulder.
I have all the respect for what Brett Favre has accomplished on the football field. But, I don't respect the way he's handled himself in the off-season going back to 2006. It seems every year he flip-flops on whether he's going to come back or retire. I give the Green Bay organization a lot of credit for finally telling him, 'enough is enough. We're moving on without you.' Sure, it ticked off the fan base but look at the Packers now; Aaron Rodgers is rolling and the Packers are a team I'm very concerned about.
I would've been more at ease with the decision had Favre decided to join us at the start of training camp. But when he told us no and then changed his mind three weeks later, not coincidentally right after we broke camp, well, I just wasn't pleased. And, I know that there is a good-sized faction of the players that are uncomfortable with him being here as well.
Reporter: Care to name names?
Jackson: No, I won't go that far but I will say that there's still a lot of guys that feel we'd be better off with Sage Rosenfels or Tavaris Jackson at quarterback. Look, we're 3-0 right now but no one is really happy. Why? Well, it's because we've had to scratch and fight to get there against teams that, let's be frank, are teams we shouldn't be struggling with. It's clear that Favre's timing with the receivers is off. He's overthrown Percy (Harvin) and (Bernard) Berrian countless times and on other plays he's just winging the ball across the field, hoping someone comes down with it. That's hurt our running game as teams aren't worried about our passing game. You'd think with a guy of Favre's capabilities, that wouldn't be the case.
Reporter: Is Favre's job in jeopardy?
Jackson: Well, I'm not the coach so I won't make that decision. If I were the coach, I would certainly have Favre on a very tight leash. It's like we're still in preseason mode and the season is nearly 25-percent complete. It shouldn't be that way.
Reporter: What are your thoughts on the defense?
Jackson: The defense has been outstanding. They've won us two of the three games with turnovers. E.J. Henderson is having a great year at middle linebacker and the defensive line is really doing a solid job against the run and also getting after the quarterback. Most of the points the defense has allowed has been the result of being forced to play with a shortened field after a Favre interception.
Reporter: You've got a big game against the rival Green Bay Packers this week. Thoughts on that game?
Jackson: No question it's a big game. I think it's clear the division is going to come down to ourselves and the Packers, with the Bears also pushing hard. Green Bay is very explosive on offense and defenisvely, that new 3-4 scheme seems to be working well for them. I just hope our offense figures out what it's doing on the field and responds with a solid effort.
Monday, August 24, 2009
-Madden 10 isn't perfect. I've yet to play the perfect video game. That said, I'm having more fun with this version of Madden than any in the past 5 years. Good work, Ian and company.
-I wasn't blown away by the NHL 10 demo. That's not to say NHL 10 won't be great because it (likely) will be. It's just that, I don't know, I was expecting something "more."
-Watchmen was a decent movie but if you hadn't read the graphic novel previously, you probably were a little confused. The movie followed the book pretty close but still, there were parts that were glossed over and needed more explanation. Of course, then we'd have 4-hour movie and no one is going to sit through a 4-hour movie today. I still love the ending to the book/movie as it is definitely something out of the ordinary and makes you think.
-Shadow Complex is a game I need to buy ASAP. I tried out the trail version yesterday and was blown away. Love the old-school feel to the game.
-Playing games in HD is much more enjoyable than using a SDTV. Now I know what I've been missing the past few years.
-WWE needs to figure out how to make new stars. Yeah the Undertaker return was cool last night, but also very predictable. Why not give Matt Hardy or John Morrison a chance to work a program with Punk? Morrison's pinned Punk twice and Matt Hardy pinned Punk on the go-home show of Smackdown. Hopefully Taker will put over Punk but man, I'd like to see some fresh faces in the main event scene. It's a shame how bad they ruined Miz and MVP over on RAW. Both had a chance to take on big roles in the company but Miz was booked like a joke and MVP was quickly buried in the mid-card. HHH, HBK and company don't have much tread left on the tires, Vince. You better figure out who's going to carry the company the next 10-15 years.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
New York couldn't stop Derek Anderson and the Browns' passing attack, as Anderson threw for 340 yards and a pair of first half touchdowns, the second putting the Browns up 17-0.
The Giants (5-0) rallied, thanks to a monster day from Brandon Jacobs. Jacobs gained 134 yards on 17 carries and scored the game-tying touchdown just before halftime.
In the second half, New York's defense tightened up, allowing just one third quarter touchdown by the Browns. New York trailed 24-20 entering the fourth quarter but Eli Manning led the Giants on consecutive scoring drives that ended in Tynes field goals.
Manning was 18-of-30 for 252 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Plaxico Burress had 7 catches for 122 yards and a touchdown and defensively, Antonio Pierce led the charge with 9 tackles (4 for loss) and a sack.
Out of those 2 games, which one do you prefer and why? I have The Show 09 on PS2 but am looking to pick up a 2k game for my 360 so I can play it on my new HDTV.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
After figuring out how to hook up my 360 and PS2 to the TV, I played a few games and was blown away by how great the graphics on the 360 are in HD.
In a way, that brings me to the title of this blog.
One of the games I happened to play was the NCAA 09 demo that I still had on my HDD. I have the 10 demo as well but after playing both, I found myself enjoying 09 more than 10. The graphics looked better, the camera was better and the on-field gameplay felt similar between the two versions. So, I hopped on eBay and picked up a copy of 09 for $10.
The game arrived today and I've been playing non-stop. Looking back, I regret trading in the game last year as I was having fun with the game but I think fell into the trap of reading all the negative posts on the game and started to search for flaws instead of just enjoying the game for what it is.
I'm using AuburnAlumni's Varsity sliders and have adjusted the coach aggression and the run/pass ratios for offense and defense for every team. Sure, the sliders aren't as responsive as you'd like but when it comes down to it, the game is fun to play.
Some don't like the Wide Open Gameplay concept. I dig it. Big plays are a big part of college football. Sure, the defensive pursuit angles aren't the greatest but hey, what game is perfect, right? Graphically, NCAA 09 shines. I love the textures of the colors and the player models look the best out of the 4 next-gen games, in my opinion.
With the right sliders, you can see a decent pass rush from both the User and CPU. There are a few "money" plays but all games have them. I've seen the CPU throw deep, too. Now, "deep" for some people means 50-plus yard bombs. For me, a deep ball is anything 25 yards or more. I've seen a good-number of 25-40 yard passes from the CPU so far and the CPU actually runs the ball with success.
No referees on the field, chain gangs, field goal nets and things of that nature are a little disappointing at first but once you start playing the game, you stop worrying about that and focus on the gameplay.
NCAA 09 isn't perfect but it's also not the abomination a lot of people make it out to be. I'm glad I picked the game back up and will be playing this for a long time to come.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
New York Mets
Colorado Rockies
Seattle Mariners
I'm going to start off playing on Veteran using Dr. Ursus's sliders.
Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
The biggest problems I've had is on the mound. I use meter pitching and even with my control and consistently near-max, I still find that my pitchers would leave balls over the plate or up in the zone when I was calling for a low, outside pitch and I'd hit the meter perfect. That would lead to big innings for the CPU and then lead me to start pressing at the plate to try and catch back up.
So, I've finally accepted my shortcomings and have made the transition to Road To The Show. This really is a great mode for me in a lot of ways. First and foremost is time. With my work schedule, it's sometimes tough to get in 1-2 full games a day and with no in-game save feature on the PS2, once you start a game, you better be able to finish it. With RTTS, I can zip through a week or more in the same amount of time that it would take me to finish just 1 game of Franchise.
Second, I can be much more disciplined at the plate. Since I'm only controlling my player, I can really focus in on pitches I want to swing at and not try and force the issue. Third, I don't have to pitch anymore
It's not that I minded pitching. In fact, there were plenty of games where I dominated the CPU. But overall, pitching was frustrating to me because of the lack of control. With the ball now out of my hand, I can just focus on fielding my position.I created myself and am playing 3B for the Houston Astros. I'm in the first week of Spring Training and so far am hitting .243 with 1 HR and 3 RBIs. I'm on Veteran mode for now.
Monday, July 6, 2009
I'd still mostly play sports games and of course, Nintendo's first-party games.
For those that own a Wii, what are some of the things the console does well, and what doesn't it do well? As a sports gamer (mostly), would I be satisfied with the current library?
As I mentioned, my time is limited, so things like franchise mode and the like aren't huge concerns for me. I'm also still on an SDTV, so graphics don't matter, either.
Thanks for the input.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
-I've always been interested in the Wii since release but went with a 360 figuring I'd enjoy that more. While I have enjoyed the 360, I have to admit, I'm kind of bored with most of my games, aside from Head Coach. I'm already using the PS2 for my football and baseball gaming needs, and I recently stopped playing online, so the appeal of the 360 has worn off. I also don't have a HDTV so graphics aren't a concern. The Wii's Virtual Console is stocked with games I love and I think the Wii would actually fit better into my schedule as it's more casual and since I have a weird work schedule, I wouldn't feel the need to try and squeeze in games every night. Tiger Woods, Grand Slam Tennis, Madden and some first-party Nintendo titles all look like a lot of fun. I know if I traded in a 360 I'd get killed in terms of value, so eBay or Craiglist would be the more likely route; I could also look to see if anyone is looking to trade one for another.
2. UFC Unleashed 2009 has run its course.
-Man, I LOVED this game when it dropped a little over a month ago. I played offline and online a ton. Recently, though, the game has lost its luster. The offline play is very repetitive; play on an easier level and you'll win in 2 min. and go up to the hardest level and you'll get more of a challenge but still, will win most fights. Online has become a joke. Created fighters with crazy stats (saw a 6-9 middleweight last night with a 88 reach) and guys that just throw haymakers all fight long. Career Mode is decent but there's a few issues I have with the training, sparring and ranking of fighters. A very good first effort by THQ, but there's definitely room to improve. Things like southpaw stances, long hair, less lag online and punishing quitters online should all be addressed.
3. Nintendo DS needs more sports titles.
-Nintendo doesn't get a free pass from me. I've had a DS Lite since it dropped around three years ago. Really dig the system and there have been some great, innovative games released. Recently, though, it seems there are no real "games" for the DS; it's all "stop smoking," "walking," "word coach" type of games. I want more games like Advance Wars, Hotel Dusk and most importantly, sports titles that are actually fun to play. Tecmo Bowl was a HUGE disappointment and it's a shame, because that had the potential to be a genre-changing title for the DS. If Tecmo Bowl had been more refined (why they didn't just give us Tecmo Super Bowl with generic team and player names is beyond me), it perhaps would've spurred other developers to make more of an effort when it comes to producing sports titles on DS.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Manning's play has coach Johnson concerned.
"I just have a feeling that Eli's play is going to cost us down the line," Johnson said. "He'll dazzle me with great throws and then turn around and throw it to the other team on the very next play. I need more consistency out of Eli going forward."
The Giants have leaned heavily on the running game, even with center Shaun O'Hara gone for the year with a torn triceps. Brandon Jacobs is chugging along at over 5 yards a carry while backups Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw have spelled the bruising Jacobs effectively.
"The running game has been great," Johnson said. "Obviously, health is a big concern. We need to make sure that our o-line and backs stay healthy and on the field. If that means less practice time, so be it."
The defense has been dominant in stretches and really rose to the challenge against Seattle, holding Matt Hasselbeck to 29% completion percentage. Sammy Knight returned an interception for a touchdown and Justin Tuck had 2 sacks.
With Osi Umeniyora back from a broken leg, the Giants' defense should be even more ferocious going forward.
"Osi's return will be huge," Johnson said. "It adds more depth to our defensive line and will free Justin up on the other side. We can also now move Mathias (Kiwanuka) around, play him a little at end and a little at outside linebacker. He did a great job filling the void left by Osi."
Special teams have been good across the board. Lawrence Tynes is near-perfect on field goal attempts, missing just once. Bradshaw has returned a kickoff for a score and Danny Ware, a fourth-string running back with tremendous upside, has been solid in defending kick and punt returns, and has also returned a few punts himself.
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