Monday, February 27, 2012

"Poison has a Stick" may be the best idea for a joystick mod ever

Let me profess that I literally know next to nothing about joystick modification. In fact, I'm not much of a fighting game fan in general, though I am known to rock a pretty solid Lee in Tekken and Arc Systems Works is always on my radar for their sleek titles (I'm looking at you, BlazBlue Continuum Shift Extend Vita). In fact, I can honestly say that I've never played more than 5 minutes of a Street Fighter game (or Final Fight, for that matter), and as such I know next to nothing about the intriguing, pink-haired character known as Poison who will be making an appearance in the roster of Street Fighter X Tekken... Except for the fact that she is famous for being a transgendered female character. Which I think is thoroughly awesome, if you had any doubts.

Long-time games writer shidoshi (who you may know as @pikoeri) echoes my sentiments – he even got the chance to interview Yoshinori Ono about Poison, and he refrained from any of the usual snide remarks that most so-called games "journalists" make when talking about her. I highly suggest checking the interview out if you haven't seen it already.

But now you must allow me to get right into the meat of this post: the beautiful Poison-themed joystick mod shidoshi has created, aptly named "Poison has a Stick":


Beautiful, is it not? I'd play a fighter with that joystick any day of the week. For clarification on the little innuendo you may have picked up on regarding the interesting placement of the joystick, here are shidoshi's thoughts in his own words:
"[...] This stick wasn’t made with the intention of making fun of the character Poison or her “is or isn’t she transgender” status, nor was it done simple for some sort of cheap “it’s a trap” connection. I mean, of course—the design was absolutely done in good fun and with a lot of humor—but it was done in celebration of the character of Poison, not in mocking her or what she is." (source)

Now excuse me while I go brush up on my fighting skills so I can justify a snazzy joystick purchase – it's just too bad this one's one of a kind!

UPDATE: shidoshi posted over on his Twitter this amazing picture of none other than Yoshinori Ono holding the aforementioned joystick at a Street Fighter X Tekken event! How awesome is that?

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Black & White 1 & 2









Black & White 1 & 2 - 1DVD

The minimum system requirements to run "Black and White 2" are as follows:

    OS: Windows XP/2000
    Processor: 1.6 GHz Pentium 4 or above
    Memory: 512 MB RAM
    Hard Drive: 3.5 GB
    DVD: 8 Speed
    Video Card: 64 MB with 1.1 Pixel Shader
    DirectX: Version 9.0c (included)
    Sound Card: Directx 9.0c compatible
    Input: Mouse, Keyboard

The Sims 3 Hidden Springs DLC







The Sims 3 Hidden Springs DLC - 1DVD

Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Electronic Arts
Genre: Simulation

FLT is back with a new dlc for (no surprise) The Sims3. Keep in mind that it’s not a standalone DLC, you need the original Sims 3 game installed.

Description:
The Sims 3: Hidden Springs offers a whole new world for your Sims to explore! Celebrities and the rich flock to Hidden Springs in search of relaxation and escape from the mundane. Many cannot resist rumors of the seemingly miraculous healing powers that linger in the woods and waters. Some of the townsfolk who live in the woods are highly secretive and seem to have a pale green tinge to them. Is it really magic at work?

When you’re in Hidden Springs, you can explore a stunning lakefront, relax at a luxury spa or ski lodge, escape into the woods, or even uncover ancient mysterious at the Museum of Magic and Supernatural. What will you find in Hidden Springs?

Features:

An expansion pack for The Sims 3 (required and sold separately) that allows you to meet new Sims, explore new locations, and discover the magic of Hidden Springs
Hidden Springs is full of all-new locations, lots, and venues
Customize your game with dozens of all-new exclusive objects, clothing and hair that are only available with Hidden Springs, including the Fountain of Youth
Discover all-new Sims and Stories spread throughout the game’s exclusive retreat for the rich and the famous, and those seeking everlasting life
Compatible with both PC and Mac operating systems
A Whole New World Awaits – Meet new Sims, explore new locations, and discover the magic of Hidden Springs today!
All-New Sims and Stories – An exclusive retreat for the rich and the famous? Or a mysterious World with curious healing powers?
Discover the Magic – The curious magical properties of Hidden Springs has been the intrigue to many for ages. Explore the World and you might even uncover the Fountain of Youth, will your Sims become forever young?
Exclusive New Items – Customize your game with dozens of all-new exclusive objects, clothing and hair that are only available with Hidden Springs.
Explore New Locations – Hidden Springs is full of all-new locations, lots, and venues. Where will your adventures take you?

Heavy Fire Afghanistan








Heavy Fire Afghanistan - 1DVD

Genre: Shooter
Publisher: Mastiff

SKIDROW with another game for your PC. It’s Heavy Fire Afghanistan. Heavy Fire: Afghanistan is a super fast playing, high intensity experience set in modern-day Afghanistan.

Description: Whether fighting up close and personal with guns and grenades, raining down fire from a helicopter or laying waste with a main battle tank, Heavy Fire: Afghanistan is all about constant, edge-of-the-seat action and beautiful graphics combined with straightforward, intuitive controls to give hardcore gamers and novices an immediately exciting pickup-and-play experience.

Features:

Experience gut-wrenching, fast-paced action set in modern-day Afghanistan
Track down the enemy in dense forests and rescue hostages from dark caves
Fly in helicopters, ride in tanks and drive trucks as you comb the mountains for signs of the enemy
Secure the streets of a local town
Engage in fierce ground combat as you get up close and personal with the enemy
Complete 24 heart-pounding missions on foot, in the air or in armored vehicles
Take on the enemy with friends in co-op mode, or shoot it out against each other in versus mode
Go online to take a look at the leaderboard Minimum System requirements

System: Windows XP SP3 / Windows Vista / Windows 7;
Processo Intel Pentium D 3.0 GHz / AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400 +;
Memory: 1.5 GB;
Video: NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GT / ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT with 256 Mb;
Hard disk space: ~ 7 Gb

Recommended System requirements

System: Windows XP SP3 / Windows Vista / Windows 7;
Processo Intel Core 2 Duo / AMD Athlon Dual Core equivalent;
Memory: 3.0 GB;
Video: NVIDIA GeForce GT 220 / ATI Radeon HD 3450 with 512 Mb;
Hard disk space: ~ 7 Gb

Syndicate









Syndicate - 3DVD

2069. Developed countries do not control the government and megacorporations – syndicates, divided the world into spheres of influence. Syndicates have revolutionized the field of data management: users are now looking forward and the information and control technology with chips implanted into the nervous system.

Millions of people have contacted the representative syndicates to get the chips, along with housing, medical care, employment, education, banking and entertainment. Instead syndicates have an unprecedented control over people’s lives. Government lost influence, and the syndicates began the war with one another, striving for total domination of the market.

At the forefront of this war are agents, reinforced by means of genetic modification and new technologies. Play the role of Miles Kelo – a syndicate of agents’ Evrokorp “: Enjoy a risky venture, full of cruelty, treachery and revenge.

In addition:
Create your own syndicate, and fight for world domination in the company of three like-minded people in nine missions based on the cult Project Syndicate.
First-person shooter:
Use an arsenal of futuristic weapons and armor to kill enemies and try to get their technology to use them for the benefit of the corporation.
Science Fiction:
Become a hero of the extremely topical stories in the world Syndicate 2069, created a popular writer Richard Morgan.
Gameplay with the chip:
Slow down time, see through walls, break, control and dispose of your digital devices with the help of technology DART6, allowing to directly interact with the database.

System requirements:
Operating System: Windows ALL
Processor: Dual Core 2GHz Intel or 2.8GHz AMD
RAM: 2 GB (Windows XP) / 3 GB (Windows Vista / 7)
Hard disk: 10 GB
Sound device: compatible with DirectX
Video Card: Nvidia GeForce GTX260 1 GB, ATI Radeon HD4850 ​​1GB

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Manga Impressions: The Legend of Sakura Hime

I don't post about manga nearly enough on this blog, and that needs to be rectified! What better way to do so then by writing up some thoughts on a recent title I've read? I've always been a fan of Arina Tanemura's iconic style, but have never gone the extra step and picked up a copy of one of her titles. Lucky for me the local library had volumes one through four of her latest series, The Legend of Sakura Hime!


The Legend of Sakura Hime is an ongoing shōjo manga currently being serialized in the monthly manga anthology Ribon in Japan. The story follows Sakura, a teenage girl who's been engaged to the prince Oura ever since she was a child. Trouble is, it turns out she's also a descendant of the demon Princess Kaguya. It's up to her to fulfill her role by wielding the mythical sword Chizakura and destroying all demons that threaten to harm the world she knows and loves. Upon learning her true identity, however, certain forces, including Prince Oura, would rather see her killed!

Lots of awesome action shots, including blood and even death, which is pushing the
envelope for a girls' anthology like Ribon! 
If you can't tell, I am rubbish when it comes to writing plot summaries. The Legend of Sakura Hime is pretty standard shōjo fare, but with gorgeous illustrations, more action and darker themes than usually seen in manga aimed at teenage girls, and ample romance, I definitely recommend it to anyone who has a penchant for shōjo. That said, I'm happy I didn't purchase it – it's great for a light-hearted read and had a number of cute scenes that reminded me of that giddy feeling I get when a kiss or embrace is drawn both beautifully and evocatively, but in the end the whole thing feels a tad shallow and run-of-the-mill plot-wise, which probably won't do much to impress more discerning eyes.

Prince Oura's brother? Cousin? So memorable I've already forgotten.
He hides his true feelings for Sakura under an easy-going facade.
Let it be known that I have a weakness for playboy male characters. 
I'm not trying to knock the series – The Legend of Sakura Hime is chock-full of romance, intrigue, and action, and is a great way to spend an afternoon for fans of shōjo and magical girls. I wouldn't place it on any top ten lists, and I probably won't remember much about it in 3 years, but there's no harm in that.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

BoneCraft








BoneCraft - 1DVD

SKIDROW releases a new game called “BoneCraft”. In BoneCraft, you’ll be able to bone all kinds of fantastical creatures like Elf, Orc, and Robot girls, plus all the chicks you fell in love with from BoneTown.

Description: A parody of everything science fiction and fantasy, BoneCraft brings together many popular stories into one hilarious sexy romp. “BoneCraft is a world where anything can happen–and does,” says Hod, D-Dub’s Lead Developer. BoneCraft is a third-person action-adventure game with a unique sex dynamic merged seamlessly into the gameplay. The game follows the exploits of Captain Fort Worth, the leader of the Space Wranglers, and his sidekick, Lubbock. BoneCraft: Somewhere in Some Galaxy is the second game created by D-Dub Software. It is a follow-up to 2008’s Action Adventure Porno Video Game, BoneTown.

BoneCraft is a third-person action-adventure game with a unique sex dynamic merged seamlessly into the gameplay. The game follows the exploits of Captain Fort Worth, the leader of the Space Wranglers, and his sidekick, Lubbock. BoneCraft will integrate sex into the gameplay even more than BoneTown did. In the mission Bone and Pillage, for example, you plunder an Orc village while helping your team of Space Wranglers—and yourself–get laid.

Alan Wake








Alan Wake - 2DVD

Well here it is. Well known (then) console exclusive “Alan Wake” is now available for your beloved PC system – thanks to SKIDROW guys. Enjoy it!

Description: When the wife of the best-selling writer Alan Wake disappears on their vacation, his search turns up pages from a thriller he doesn’t even remember writing. A Dark Presence stalks the small town of Bright Falls, pushing Wake to the brink of sanity in his fight to unravel the mystery and save his love.Presented in the style of a TV series, Alan Wake features the trademark Remedy storytelling and pulse-pounding action sequences. As players dive deeper and deeper into the mystery, they’ll face overwhelming odds, plot twists, and cliffhangers. It’s only by mastering the Fight With Light combat mechanic that they can stay one step ahead of the darkness that spreads across Bright Falls. With the body of an action game and the mind of a psychological thriller, Alan Wake’s intense atmosphere, deep and multilayered story, and exceptionally tense combat sequences provide players with an entertaining and original gaming experience.

Features:

Includes Alan Wake Special Episodes “The Signal” and “The Writer”
Experience Alan Wake’s Pacific Northwest in higher resolutions and higher fidelity than the Xbox360 version.
Fully configurable mouse and keyboard support, or if you prefer to play with the Microsoft gamepad connected to your PC, you can do that too!
Lots of customizable graphics settings and support for 4:3, 16:9 and 16:10 aspect ratios!
Multithreaded engine that takes advantage of quad core CPUs.
Additional features our fans have sought after such as field of view adjustment as well as “hide HUD”.
Works with AMD Eyefinity 3D 3-screen mode.
Works with NVIDIA NVISION2 Stereoscopic 3D

Minimum System Requirements:

OS: Windows XP SP2
Processor: Dual Core 2GHz Intel or 2.8GHz AMD
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Graphics: DirectX 10 compatible with 512MB RAM
DirectX®: 9.0c
Hard Drive: 8 GB HD space

Burnout Paradise The Ultimate Box








Burnout Paradise The Ultimate Box - 1DVD

The fifth entry in the gonzo racing series, Burnout Paradise gives players license to wreak havoc in Paradise City, the ultimate racing battleground, with a massive infrastructure of traffic-heavy roads to abuse. Gone is the need to jump in and out of menus and aimlessly search for fun like many open world games; in Burnout Paradise, every inch of the world is built to deliver heart-stopping Burnout-style gameplay. Every intersection is a potential crash junction and every alleyway is an opportunity to rack up moving violations.
Burnout Paradise debuts on PC platforms in the form of a special edition release that includes all the gameplay of the award-winning Burnout Paradise game plus the previously-released Burnout Paradise Cagney and Burnout Paradise Bikes content updates, and the brand new Burnout Paradise Party content. Burnout Paradise Party is an offline multiplayer mode designed to allow up to eight friends to "pass-the-pad" in dozens of Burnout challenges.

7554









 
7554 - 1DVD

GENRE : First Person Shooter

Like many other Vietnamese game studios, the biggest objective of the 7554 team is to get Vietnamese gamers to play Vietnamese games, which will limit the dependence in foreign products and witness the thriving of high technology in Vietnam.

7554 takes place in Vietnam during the period from 1946 to 1954, in which the nation invested all of its means, from spiritual support to human lives, to protect its young and feeble independence. 7554 began with the first days of the war of resistance, and ended with the victory whose name had passed all over the globe: the Điện Biên Phủ campaign.

7554 uses fictional characters, but real historical events related to either famous battles, or heroic icons.

7554 is not an attempt to recreate the past, like a documentary, but an entertainment product based on historical events. 7554 remained completely loyal to the truth, but some small details may still be mistaken or reasonably exaggerated. They will not cause any cultural of historical debate.

7554 will also help to pass on historical facts to gamers.

Technologies
The game is built with the most modern game development technologies.

Graphics engine
7554 uses the Vision Engine 8, This engine is a product of Havok (previously Trinigy Inc). With this quality engine, the arts in 7554 are going to be realistic and detailed. Vision Engine 8 also provides a great render for light and shadows.

Physics engine
7554 uses the PhysX engine from Nvidia. Thanks to PhysX, the physical effects in 7554 are more realistic. PhysX is used mostly for character controller, collision detection, simulation of mechanical implements, “ragdoll” simulation, cloth simulation (PhysX Cloth, for flags and parachutes).

AI engine
7554 uses the modules XaitMap and XaitControl from the AI SDK (software development kit) of Xaiment (Germany).

Personal efforts
Beside the huge work in coding to get the game running, the team is proud of their efforts to support things that the engines don’t provide, for example the game designer tool kit, cut scenes toolkit, the Inverse kinematic system, many shaders and post-processing for special effects…

Highlights in gameplay
7554 is a FPS game; in general gameplay and control can’t get so different from other games of the same genre.
However, besides from the unique plot, 7554 will have other improvements so that it won’t be just a double of another game. For example, the dynamic day time system, or the gun control mechanics.