Game Review: PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale

I finally got to play PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale. I've been wanting to play this game since E3 this past summer where it was first unveiled. Since then Sony has been teasing us with little trailers and even giving us trailers that we were supposed to guess as to what it was for. I had high hopes when I put this game into my PS3. I know how fun Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and Melee were so I had high hopes for this game. When I first started playing it I have to say I didn't totally enjoy it. I think it was probably because I was expecting it to be so much like SSB that I wouldn't even consider what it had to offer. First of all it is not as fast pace as brawl, but it is still relatively fast compares to other fighting games on the market. The weapons were almost useless. However as I played more and more I found myself liking it A LOT, and before I knew it, I was playing for 2 hours with my brothers on 4 player multiplayer. The game is unique in its own way, the weapon may not be like SSB but they do come in handy when your trying to get on a super and the characters in this game all have there own unique ability, and no one character has an advantage over the other... well maybe Kratos.

Verdict: Don't expect this to be a PS3 version of SSB but it has its own style of a SSB type experience, if you give the game some time you will love it.

Rating: 9/10 "Great"

Movie Review: Thunderstruck (2012)

It's been a while since my last post. A lot of things have gone on and I totally forgot about updating my blog. I thought i'd switch it up and do a movie review on Thunderstruck starring NBA All Star Kevin Durant. Now, before I go on with the review, ill admit I didn't expect for this movie to blow me away with its visual or tremendous acting because the cast wasn't superb in any way shape or form. However I did expect it to give me entertainment like "Like Mike" did especially being a hardcore NBA fan. Now on with the review. Let me just say Thunderstruck was the single most disappointing movie of 2012. I didn't find myself remotely intrigued at all, the acting were really cheesy, it was very predictable and the movie was very unpolished. When I say the movie was unpolished I mean that there were many flaws with the movie scenes themselves. When the movie was focused on Kevin Durant's basketball game they used the exact same scene at least twice and it was so noticeable that they used the same scene that I almost didn't want to watch the rest. If your going to release a movie to theaters at least make it decent, I can tell you I wouldn't be saying this if it was released straight to Blu Ray.

Rating: 3.5/10 "Atrocious"

Released: Call Of Duty Black Ops 2

After much anticipation, Black Ops 2 has finally released and as usual it's going to be a huge success. I say this because no matter how good or bad Call of Duty is it is always gonna make the developers and creaters very rich just because of the hype. I've play COD MW2, Black Ops 1, and MW3 and i have to say the only one I truly enjoyed was Blackops. Blackops brings something different to the game that the Modern Warfare series doesnt, and thats a better multiplayer experience locally. I have a lot of brothers and when we play multiplayer we dont just want to play each other, so we add bots. This is a big reason for why I just enjoyed the Blackops series more. I also enjoy the wide variety of levels, such as Nuke Town which is being added as a DLC for Black Ops 2, and i like the fast pace action of Black Ops rather than a slower, more methodical way of play in the MW series. So going back to Black Ops 2, im obviously going to get it, its got everyhting I liked from the previous game and its also added features. one of the major features im looking forward to is the 4 player local Zombies game mode. Like I said I have a lot of brothers and we like games where most of us can play at once, and this feature of 4 player local is really exciting and is another reason why im looking forward to getting it.

Verdict: The game is everything I personally wanted in the Call of Duty series, with the 4 player local zombies, Nuketown DLC, and "smarter" bots this game is a must buy.

Rating:N/A

Mike D'antonie New Laker Head Coach

I know I have been blogging a lot about the Lakers lately but this is a crucial time. The Lakers have not started the season well and decided a coaching change was nesessary, after a 1-4 start MIke Brown was fired and it seems that Mike D'antonie has taken his place. Even though the Lakers orginization would love to have Phil Jackson they said he was 'asking for the moon.' Obviously the Lakers couldnt afford hiring him so they settled for Mike D'antonie. This could be a good thing for the Lakers. First of all Mike D'antonie was a part of the USA Mens Olympic Basketball team so hes familiar with Kobe and how to handle him. Like I said before he's also coached Steve Nash before so there is some familiarity with the team to begin with. One of the things D'antonie is notorious for is his fast pace offense; i'm not sure if Kobe will be able to keep up with this run and gun offence, and also he's not really seen as a coach who emphasisies defence. We all know a championship team should have great defence so i'm kind of on the fence right now on the Lakers desision. Well have to wait and see how D'antnie fits in with this highly talented Laker team.

Lakers Coach Mike Brown Fired

Finally! After a gruelling short season last year and a terrible start this year Mike Brown was fired. He's a good guy I guess, I don't know him but apparently he is, but he is too stubborn. After last season Mike Brown should have abandoned his Princeston Offence after they were beaten by the Dallas Mavericks in the second round of the playoffs. The Lakers then acquired Dwight Howard and Steve Nash which was supposed to make the Lakers once again one of the top teams in the league. Well, that didn't work out, the Lakers are 2-4 and they are one of the top 5 worst teams in the NBA. They are so confused on the offensive end and its clear that the Princeston offence isn't working for the Lakers. So the question remains. Who's coming in as the new head coach. So far the Lakers organization are speaking to Phil Jackson, who in my opinion is the greatest coach in any sport. And they are also looking at Mike D'antonie who is close with Kobe Bryant, and had a history of coaching Steve Nash in Phoenix. So far the Lakers spoke to Phil Jackson and it seem he is interested in the job. They will be talking to him early this week and should hopefully have a coach by Friday. I'm guessing if Phil doesn't work out they will pursue D'antonie and any other prospect they have in mind. One thing is for sure, only time will tell if the Lakers get it together.

3 Things The Raptors Must Do To Win

The Raptors had much hope coming into this season. Half of the roster was changed since last season and the players they acquired brought some decent offense to the squad. However they're still losing and there record has not changed at 1-4. So what do the Raptors need to do to win?

1. The Raptors need an offensive threat like Kyle Lowry. Since the injury I haven't seen anyone step up. Sure, Derozan is still scoring but he is doing it too quietly, he needs to demand the ball and make defenses double him so he can dish it out to Allan Anderson and other 3-point shooters. This is what Lowry brought to the table; and if they can do that, they have a shot to win any given game.

2. The Raptors need to play 48 minutes. They had the same problem last year, where they couldn't close out games. In the season opener the Raptors were leading going into the 4th and then all of the sudden, Indiana made a run. If the Raptors want to win they need to play every minute; you can't make the playoffs if your not giving it 100%.

3. Finally, the Raptors need to come out of the gates running. 75% or more of the time the team who wins the first quarter usually wins the game. In almost every game, the Raptors have come out flat and find themselves having to claw there way back just to have a shot and this usually results in desperate shots and one-on-one play on the offensive end.

If the Raps can do this every night, they have a shot of making the playoffs.

Lakers Whoa

Its been a good week of NBA basketballs so far, we've seen some great things from rookies such as Damion Lillard, and Dean Waiters, the New York Knicks are undefeated, and Carmelo is playing his best basketball on both ends. Then there's the Los Angeles Lakers. What can I say, these last 5 games for them have been the worst I have seen them play since the 05-06 season when Kobe had no other scoring threat on his team. During the off season the Lakers acquired big man Dwight Howard, and veteran Steve Nash in hopes of making final push for a championship before Kobe retires. Just two games into the season Steve Nash injured his knee and left the already unorganized Lakers with Steve Blake, who in my opinion is a shooting guard not a point guard. I'm not saying the Lakers should be winning every game but when you look at the teams they have played so far, Dallas, Portland, the Clippers, Pistons, and the Jazz last night i would have projected them to be 4-1 right now. The blame hast to go partly to Coach Mike Brown. Since Phil Jackson has coached the Lakers (back in 1995) they have always ran the Triangle offence.

A Reinvented Toronto Raptors?

I've been a long time Toronto Raptors fan, ever since the Vince Carter era I have followed the Raptors no matter how good or bad. Mostly bad though. Its been the same thing every year, "the Toronto Raptors will not be going to the playoffs." Finally, after 8+ seasons of being patient I feel the Raptors have a huge opportunity in being a potential 8th seed. Granted they have a 1-2 record but if you look at the 2 losses they have, they only lost by a margin of 2-4 points. Also with the addition of Kyle Lowery, who is only the third player to average 20+ ppg, 5+apg, and 5+ reb, behind Kevin Garnett, and Micheal Jordan; the Raptors finally have a leader they can count on and they finally look like they are poised to make the playoffs. Another big part of this new look Raptor team is Raptor coach Dwayne Casey.

Fear the Beard

Just a day before the trade deadline James Harden of the Oklahoma City got traded to the Houston Rockets for Kevin Martin and other little additions. This was one of the best addition the Rockets made this off season. I'm a huge OKC fan so this trade really does upset me. In just the first 3 games; James Harden scored a total of 82 points. Scoring 37, 45, and 24 respectively. James Harden won the 6th man of the year last year with the OKC Thunder, and was a major part of OKC's run in the playoffs. For a team that made the finals last year, especially at there age, i believe it would have been best for them to stay as a group and build chemistry. I can't totally be mad at the Thunder for this trade, with the new collective bargaining agreement, and the luxury tax, OKC couldn't afford James Harden at what he was worth. Although I understand that i believe that OKC could have made other minor trades to make a deal happen. Although Harden would be great to have, Kevin Martin isn't a bad player, he was the leading scorer for the Houston Rockets and he can create his own shot if he has to. Last night Kevin Martin scored score 28 points off the bench in a loss against the Atlanta Hawks. I guess ill have to give the Thunder a chance and see how this new team does in the playoffs.

NBA Trick or Treat?

Since it is Halloween, I thought I would get into the spirit. The NBA premiered yesterday, and the question is, was it a trick or treat? The answer is really simple, its was a treat. After several months without basketball, any basketball fan must have been thrilled yesterday, especially with the double header we were treated with.  The Boston Celtics @ The Miami Heat, and The Dallas Mavericks @ The Los Angeles Lakers. Although I didn't get to watch the Lakers game because it was a school night, i was very pleased with the Miami, Boston game. This game had all the elements of a good exciting game. Miami was receiving there championship rings, coming off of last years victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Ray Allen playing his former team the Boston Celtics, and it was obvious that some of the players (Kevin Garnett) were very angry at him. Of course, there was also that long Eastern Conference rivalry the teams have had for the past couple of years. All this was a recipe for success. The game overall was very exciting, you could see both teams improved with the trades they acquired in the off season and players individually improved on their own game. It was a tight game through the first three quarters; this quickly changed in the fourth when LeBron James and the Miami Heat went on a big run. The final score being 120 Miami to 107 Boston.

Released: Assassins Creed III

Anyone who owns a gaming console, knows about the Assassins Creed series. If you don't, get out of your hole. Although the series is very successful, I don't get what the hype is all about. After playing some of the older Assassins Creed games, I found myself unsatisfied, and just plain out bored. Still, when I get time, I will try out the new instalment of the series. From the looks of it, it seems to me like I might actually enjoy this one. The fighting has been improved on, the game will also use a different character by the name of Desmond but it will mostly be his ancestors and the graphics, are the best I've seen on the PS3 so far.





Update:
After playing Assasins Creed III, I found myself pleased with the game, and even more pleased with the graphics. For someone who has never liked the series, that's saying something. I have played a lot of games on the PS3 since its release, however I have never seen such realistic graphics, I can say without a doubt they were far superior than Uncharted, and any other top graphic game out right now. The game play was also something i was surprised by, in previous games, I felt like the game was repetitive, however in AC3 your characer is constantly doing new missions, and the missions really complement all of the new features, or tweaks added to this game. For example the fighting is much improved; it has become a lot smoother. Overall the game is better than I expected. You may not agree with me but that's the way I see it.

Rating 9.5/10 "Amazing"

Review: FIFA 13...Goal!

I've always been a huge FIFA fan. Not the real League, but the game. EA has consistantly shown a very polished and realistic game every year. This year was no exception. From the moment you begin plalying FIFA 13, you can feel the change in the players movements. They feel much more fluid and it makes the whole experience much more realistic. However, this wasn't the big change EA was working on for this years installment of FIFA. What really seperates this years Fifa from last years is, the minor tweaks they implemented, and the improved online experience. One of the tweaks I enjoyed is the fact you have what i call "skill games" before the start of games. For e.g. you try to kick a ball into a bin and each bin is worth a certain amount. This also helps the player get a better feel for the game, if its their first time. In terms of online, i feel that EA did a better job in making the experience much smoother. In previous games i felt That it was really tough to control the players due to lag. However, the EA servers this year are much faster and it results in a great online experience for the player.

Verdict: EA did a great job in tweaking a few things to make it more realistic, and an overall better game, it also did some major changes in getting the online experienc just right, and therefore FIFA 13 is a must buy for any sports fan.

Rating: 9/10 "Great"

Playstation 3 Jailbroken For Good?

2009 was a tough year for Sony, they have been sued several times, And the Ps3 was hacked for the first time ever. Since that initial hack by a team that calls themselves "psjailbreak" many "hackers" or "developers", depending on who's side your on have been coming up with free solutions to jailbreak your PS3. Since then the highest firmware available to jailbreak was 3.55, now for those who own PS3's, you know this is an old firmware, there was no way of jailbreaking a higher firmware until  a couple of days ago when a group by the name of The Three Muskateers released the lv0 keys for the PS3. Lv0 is a security in the PS3 that is the last line of defence basically for the system to insure that it doesn't get jailbroken. now that they have been releases the PS3 is pretty much hacked and Sony can't do anything about it. Since that release of the keys there have been numerous customs firmwares for the PS3 and there seems to be more to come. There are limitations to this, the hack only affects consoles made from 2006 to 2010. This is because Sony changed its security after the initial hack. One good thing that could possibly come out of the is a faster release of the much anticipated PlayStation 4. If Sony really can't fix this hack, the may start focusing on the next generation console and drop any plans the had left with the PS3.

Verdict: Sony has gone through a thought time, and the PlayStation 3 is officially jaibroken for some consoles. Hopefully this can spark a faster release of the PlayStation 4.

Review: NBA 2K13 Very Good but not Great

2K Sports has long dominated the gaming industry since the arrival of the PS3, I remember back in the PS2 AND Xbox era where EA Sports was the popular choice when coming to any sporting game. Don't get me wrong, EA is still dong a great job, but when it comes to the NBA you cant go wrong with 2K Sports. Ever since the launch of the Xbox 360 and PS3 2K sports has been the number one selling NBA game, and rightfully so, when you talk about having the most realistic graphics, and smooth gameplay 2K sports takes the cake. When I first bought NBA 2K13 a week ago I was really excited. After seeing the big leap from 2K11 to 2K12 I knew I was in for a huge change. Wrong, although it was better than its predecessor I didn't feel like it was worthy of a 70$ price tag. The game was smooth, graphics were slightly improved, but I felt like I was still playing NBA 2K12 with updated rosters. Still, it was a solid game overall, and because it doesn't have any competition due to EA cancelling their game for the second straight year its a great choice. I also like how this year they added the all star weekend game mode even though it is an extra 10 dollars. Its clear to me that 2k did the best it could with its resources, let's face it, the PS3 and Xbox 360 are at the end of their life cycles and its graphics are probably maxed out at this point.

Verdict: NBA 2K13 is a must buy for those who didn't bother with 2K12 and for those hardcore NBA fans looking to support there NBA teams, its not a must buy for everyone but its a solid game non the less.

Rating: 8.5/10 "Very Good"