What? I can't hear you!

by Trevor A.

I’ve been eyeing a wireless headset for the PlayStation 3 for quite some time now. I don’t do much online gaming, and I’m not particularly a huge fan of the Bluetooth headset mostly because it starts to become uncomfortable placed in my ear. I wasn’t wanting to spend too much money on a headset, but I wasn’t wanting to get a bottom of the line type of headset, either. After looking around and doing my own research, I came to the conclusion that if I were to get a headset, I would get the official PS3 Wireless Stereo Headset.

I’ve never owned a headset prior to this one. Where I play games, the PS3 can be hooked up to the surround sound system, but when I have it hooked up I tend to turn it up. Why not take advantage of hearing everything if you can, right? After being told it was too loud, I decided to just use the television’s speakers. I happen to be the type of person that likes to hear everything. I’m not sure why I am that way, but I am. Although I hardly ever had the volume above 20, it was still considered loud. Therefore, buying a headset became more of a priority.

The mere fact that this headset is wireless is a win for me. I didn’t want to feel limited to where I could be from the television. What was even better was how easy it was to set up the headset with my PlayStation 3. I usually don’t read instructions, but considering I spent $99.99 on this headset, I thought I would take some precautions when setting it up. Little did I know, all I needed to do was attach the USB stick to one of the two ports on my PS3 and presto. All that’s required is turning on the darn headset. That’s awesome.

Adjusting the headset is also quite simple. You can extend the length of the headset or reduce the length by pulling or pushing the part of the headset that moves. The earpads are pretty comfortable and I find myself forgetting that I’m even wearing the headset. I haven’t had any irritation caused by wearing the headset, nor have there been any pools of sweat.

As far as sound goes, it really varies on the game you’re playing. I’ve found the sound to be at it’s best when I’m playing a game like Uncharted or Batman: Arkham City, mostly because those games don’t only entice you to be lost in gameplay, but sound and music, as well. If I’m playing a game where sound doesn’t play a huge factor, I just switch from the 7.1 virtual surround sound to stereo. It’s just as good, but I only do it where I don’t feel 7.1 virtual surround sound is necessary.

If you’re going to watch a movie on the PS3, the headset will only play sound in stereo. Kinda of a letdown, but it still sounds pretty darn good.

I’ve noticed that when I’m in the XMB, there’s some static in the background. This is probably caused by interference from other signals being sent from who knows where. That’s really the only complaint I can think of, and it isn’t much of a problem anyway, since I never hear the buzzing sound while playing games.

This headset is also compatible with PCs and Macs, so if you’ve got a PC or a Mac and don’t want to deal with cables and all that, this is a great alternative. I primarily use it for the PlayStation 3 though, but I like that it works with the computer, too.

If you’re looking for a headset that isn’t too expensive, but isn’t what you’ve paid for because it’s cheap (does that make sense?), then I strongly recommend buying this headset. Not only will you hear everything that’s going on around you in the game you’re playing, you won’t hear anything around you in your house. That might not be a plus to the person trying to get your attention though.

I bought the PlayStation 3 Wireless Stereo Headset for $99.96 at Fry’s Home Electronics.

This game is awesome, but can you imagine how much greater it would have been if Thundercleese had at least made a cameo?

by Trevor A.

What’s cooler than watching robots beat the living snot out of each other? How about robots that can transform? Transformers has been around for a while now. Three movies have been made based on the franchise, as well as a bunch of cartoon series. I watched Transformers as a kid, had Transformer toys, and have seen two of the three movies, but I’ve never played a video game based on Transformers. I thought I would venture onto this unknown road with Transformers: War for Cybertron.

The final choice was deciding whether to get it for the PlayStation 3 or the Xbox 360. I ended up getting it for the Xbox 360 since I hardly play the darn thing. I didn’t want it to feel neglected, even though it has every right to.

This game came out in 2010, but since Transformers: Fall of Cybertron is due out later this year I thought it would be a good idea to check out War for Cybertron first.

I’ve played games where you can select different characters and play their campaigns, but I can’t think of any games where I can play as the good guy or the bad guy. In Transformers: War for Cybertron you do just that. Levels are separated into chapters, with six going to the Decepticons and the remaining six for the Autobots. I decided to go in order, meaning I had to start off as playing as the Decpticons. If you’re familiar with the lore of Transformers, then you should know that the Decpticons are fighting to take control of Cybertron while the Autobots are fighting for freedom.

I really like playing third-person shooter games. I don’t like it when the camera is already fixed in shoulder view, and Transformers: War for Cybertron plays that way. Gameplay consists of you killing Autobots or Decepticons over and over again. It’s fun, but it can get old when nothing else is going on besides that. Fortunately, there are other objectives that keep your attention.

The Transformers look pretty darn good in this game, but environments don’t look all that different from location to the next. It’s a world ran by robots, so I guess we shouldn’t expect much creativity when it comes to decorating their planet. Then again, they are in a war, so I imagine that’s the last thing on their minds right now. Everything looks great, but you might feel like you’ve already been somewhere because of how similar levels look to each other.

One of the things I like most about this game is playing Transformers: War for Cybertron from the vantage point of the Decepticons and vice-versa. I certainly felt like a bad guy when I played through the Decepticons’ campaign. I actually wanted to get through it to play as the Autobots. I’m not necessarily a huge fan of playing as the bad guy, but Transformers: War for Cybertron does an awesome job of delivering the story from both perspectives.

If you’re looking for something that actually focuses on the Transformers and enjoy playing video games, then Transformers: War for Cybertron will do that for you. I’m looking forward to Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, especially after playing this game. I can’t wait to see what new additions are included and what changes are made with the sequel.

We bought Transformers: War for Cybertron for $24.99 for the Xbox 360 at GameStop.

Take two in the world of Final Fantasy XIII. Why? Because Square Enix loves you!

by Trevor A.

I may be a fan of Final Fantasy, but that didn’t blind me from recognizing the faults Final Fantasy XIII had. It wasn’t a bad game, but it definitely felt different for a Final Fantasy game. Looking to redeem themselves, Square Enix has pumped out a sequel to Final Fantasy XIII. You know… because that’s what we wanted.

I ended up buying the Collector’s Edition of Final Fantasy XIII-2. It was only $20 more than the actual game, so I didn’t mind spending the extra cash. I also disliked the game cover of the standard edition. Way too shiny. The Collector’s Edition comes packed with four CDs with music from the game, concept artwork, and a nice, soft case for the game that kind of looks like a book.

And in all, I feel the same about Final Fantasy XIII-2. It just doesn’t feel like a Final Fantasy game to me. It’s a fun Japanese role-playing game, but it seems to lack that Final Fantasy flare that older titles are known for. A couple of changes have been made in Final Fantasy XIII-2 also, some good and some bad.

I’m going to avoid spoiling Final Fantasy XIII’s story as best I can in this review. I will say that Serah, Lightning’s sister, is the lead protagonist in Final Fantasy XIII-2. It’s been two years since Serah has seen Lightning and I guess she got fed up with waiting and now she’s off to find out what really happened to Lightning. Serah isn’t alone in her quest as a young man named Noel has come to help her through her journey.

One of the noticeable changes in Final Fantasy XIII-2 becomes apparent very quickly: there are only two members in this party. I never knew you could throw a party with just two people, but Square Enix wanted to prove that you can. Final Fantasy X-2 at least had three members together at all times, but I guess two was enough for this game. I do like Noel as a character, so it doesn’t bother me too much. Although you’re limited to controlling Serah or Noel in battle, a third member can be acquired Pokémon style. That’s right, monsters can be caught to fight along with Serah and Noel.

In every game, there’s music. I don’t talk about music too much in many games and I really need to start doing that. The music really does stick out to me in Final Fantasy XIII-2. Never before have I heard this much music with lyrics in a Final Fantasy game. I’m not saying it’s great, but it is an interesting direction Square Enix is taking. For the most part, I am liking the music in FFXIII-2. It’s upbeat, techno sound does Final Fantasy XIII-2 justice in my honest opinion. It isn’t the best I’ve heard in a Final Fantasy, but it certainly isn’t the worst either. Some of it I can live without though… like the chocobo music…

The thing that probably bothers me the most are the graphics. Final Fantasy XIII looked very polished and beautiful, but for some reason Final Fantasy XIII-2 has taken a step backwards. It doesn’t happen all the time, but there are some noticeable screen tearing and slowdowns at certain points of the game. It’s just something I can’t help but notice. Of course, you don’t play games for the graphics, but you’d think Final Fantasy XIII-2 would be better in the graphics department than its predecessor.

Although still pretty linear, you won’t feel like you’re always having to run forward. Final Fantasy XIII-2 is a lot more flexible than Final Fantasy XIII was for the first however many chapters it was. Time travel plays a role in this game, also. How many games have I played now that include time travel? I’ve lost count now. I still feel kind of restricted during battles because I’m pretty paranoid about getting five star ratings. It just feels like I need to get through battles as quickly as possible, and I don’t like that at all. It makes it hard to enjoy and take it all in. It’s fun, and you don’t necessarily have to take it fast, but I wish Square Enix would go back to the older style for the battle system.

There’s been downloadable content available on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live, consisting of costumes for Noel and Serah, special battles, and an assortment of other goodies. I probably won’t buy too much DLC for this game, but I must admit that the Commander Shepard outfit for Serah is pretty awesome. I prefer it over her original costume for sure.

I like Final Fantasy XIII-2. I liked Final Fantasy XIII. They’re different from my favorite Final Fantasy games (IV, VII, and X), but that doesn’t mean I hate them. If you weren’t that into FFXIII, chances are you won’t like its sequel. If you’re like me, get FFXIII-2.

We bought Final Fantasy XIII-2 Collector’s Edition for $79.99 at GameStop.

It's time to go back to the 90s

by Trevor A.

It’s time to go back to 1998. Sure, it’s before the year Prince prefers to party as if it were, but our friend here has overlooked something wonderful that happened in 1998. The first Legend of Zelda game for the Nintendo 64 was released. I probably don’t need to say which game it was, but I’ll say it anyway: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. It was a game I played over and over again on the Nintendo 64. Now that I have a Nintendo 3DS, I can enjoy it once more with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D.

I want to say Ocarina of Time is the best in the series, but I haven’t played all of the games to provide an honest opinion. Of all the Zelda games I’ve played, it’s definitely my favorite. Being able to play it again after all these years has brought quite a bit of nostalgia into my life. And now it’s in 3D…which means absolutely nothing to me. No matter, this game still rocks just like it did so many years back. Man, I’m old!

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time has you tag along with a young fellow named Link. That shouldn’t be anything new, since that has been the case in every single Zelda game. Alongside Link is a little fairy named Navi, and she’s still as annoying as she was so many years ago. Throughout Link’s travels, he befriends a number of people in hopes of taking out the King of Thieves, Ganondorf.

This game features updated graphics and also utilizes the Nintendo 3DS specialities such as 3D and the gyroscope. Every now and then I try out the 3D, but it’s really hard for me to want to keep it on. The gyroscope can be used to aim while in first person mode, which works very well. I think it’s a heck of a lot easier to aim using the gyro than it is using the circle pad. The circle pad is a good, but the gyro does a wonderful job while you’re aiming at enemies or just want to look around.

Playing this game on the Nintendo 3DS makes me wonder how any games could be played on the Nintendo 64′s controller. That controller made no sense, but you still managed to play games with hardly any problems. The control scheme for Ocarina of Time 3D on the Nintendo 3DS is very easy to learn and doesn’t require much time at all. Some weapons and items can be set to Y or X or assigned to two slots using the touchscreen. The weapons/items set to Y or X can also be accessed on the touchscreen as well. I’ve found both ways to be rather easy, which is good. You don’t want any distractions occurring in the heat of battle.

Once you’ve beaten Ocarina of Time, there’s still plenty to do. The Master Quest mode from the GameCube version is also in this version, so a new challenge awaits those who wish to take a stab at it.

If you have a Nintendo 3DS and haven’t played Ocarina of Time, then you need to get this game. If you’ve already played it, but haven’t gotten it for the Nintendo 3DS, then you’re really missing out. I’m not afraid to say that Ocarina of Time is one of the best games I’ve ever played. Definitely don’t need to think twice about getting this game.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time can be bought for $39.99 where video game software is sold.

You mean to tell me there's an American Idol skit in the Hunger Games?

by Trevor A.

On 22 February 2012 I bought a not-so-well-known book called the Hunger Games. I was waiting to pick up the PlayStation Vita, so I thought I would stop by Target to see what books were around. Little did I know, a movie was in the works. I had planned on reading the book before watching the movie, but I never got around to doing it. Oops…

I’m still working my way through the book, but that didn’t prevent me from enjoying this movie. I didn’t know much about the Hunger Games other than there would be people killing each other. Little did I know, these people were between the ages of 12 and 18, which immediately made me think of the book Lord of the Flies. I didn’t find it as twisted as that book, but still abnormal to say the least.

It’s not everyday that I enjoy a movie based off a book, but the Hunger Games did a good job of keeping my attention, as well as providing the right kind of suspense. I’m wondering how I would have reacted had I read the book now, but I will never know unless I have amnesia and then read the book first and then watch the movie. Anyway, as I’ve gotten to read the book, I’ve noticed a couple of differences between them, but I’m still okay with it.

The Hunger Games stars Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Evergreen and Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark. These two are the lead characters of the movie, and ultimately are the two that are called as tributes from District 12 to participate in the annual death match known as the Hunger Games. There are twelve districts, and two teenagers, one boy and one girl, from each district are chosen to fight to the death. It takes the phrase “winner take all” to a whole new level. I don’t want to get into the story too much, especially for those who haven’t read the book. The story kept me very interested from beginning to end and at the edge of my seat as I wondered what would happen next.

I thought the special effects in this movie were pretty good. There’s quite a bit of fire and the death scenes aren’t as bad as they could have been. I was a little concerned how they would pull it off, but fortunately you don’t really see anything gruesome aside from a small clip where it appears as though a participant gets their leg cut off. It’s very quick, so you might miss it. I tend to be a little too observant, so I noticed it right away and had to ask my friends if they saw that. They told me they didn’t. I’ve had a couple of friends compare the battle scenes to the scenes found in the Bourne series because of the jittery camera and all that, but I think the Bourne series pulled it off better. Of course, they probably did it that way so they could get the PG-13 rating, which I’m cool with because I’m not really into blood and gore, you know?

I do wish they could have gotten you a tad bit more attached to the other characters in the Hunger Games, but Katniss and Peeta take most of the limelight. The characters that revolve around them aren’t forgettable though, so it isn’t like you won’t remember them. That’s really my only complaint. Of course, the book does a better job of helping you to get to know the other characters in the Hunger Games. I need to get on that.

I highly recommend watching this movie. The battle scenes are still quite intense, but it isn’t anything that will make your stomach want to go on vacation. I really liked the movie and found myself trying to think what would happen next. If you’ve read the book, you might not experience what I did and I really wish I could explain it both ways, but I can’t. Regardless, in my opinion, this is a great movie based on a book.

It's do or die

by Trevor A.

I’m finally down to the last PlayStation Vita game in my gaming library. It’s about time. Escape Plan was another game that I bought before actually acquiring my PlayStation Vita. Actually… I think I got all of my games before actually getting my hands on the PlayStation Vita, excluding MotorStorm RC. From what I’ve gotten to play thus far, Escape Plan is the first game I’ve played on the Vita that actually takes full advantage of the touchscreen and touchpad on the handheld.

Escape Plan has us follow two characters looking to break out of a facility filled with booby-traps. These two characters are named Lil and Laarg, and both fit their names perfectly. Escape Plan doesn’t have much of a story outside of that.

Since I’ve started playing Escape Plan, I haven’t had to use the left or right shoulder buttons, the face buttons, or the directional pad. The analog sticks can be used to zoom in and zoom out and move the camera around. Escape Plan is played by using the touchscreen, the touchpad, and the gyroscope controls.

I have been liking the control schematics. They fit it perfectly. There is one thing I don’t like, and that happens to be how I hold the Vita. I’m right-handed, so I hold the PlayStation Vita with my left hand while I touch the screen or touchpad with my right hand. It hasn’t happened yet, but I always have this fear that I’m going to accidentally put the game on sleep mode. I’ve already hit the home button a couple of times, so how you hold the Vita can be quite cumbersome at times.

Lil is literally full of gas right now

The controls themselves are pretty good. Lil and Laarg do a good job of following the command I give them. You can swipe the screen to move them, press on an object (such as a coffee dispenser), press the touchscreen and touchpad at the same time as if you’re pinching, and a couple of other gestures. The controls haven’t given me too much trouble at all.

Lil and Laarg each have their own little abilities that one can do and the other can’t. For example, Lil can drink coffee and become quite hyper or he can suck in helium and be blown up like a balloon to float from one place to another, while Laarg, on the other hand, can smash certain objects. There will be times when Lil and Laarg are playable at the same time. This will cause you to figure out who is best to go first and so forth.

Escape Plan uses a three-star system to rate you. To achieve three stars, one must complete a level in little time as possible, as well as avoid performing too many gestures. If you get two stars, you can redo the level on the fly and try to figure out how you can obtain three stars. I have found this game to be very enjoyable.

You’ll notice right away that this game is in black and white. The colors make the setting calm and relaxing even though in reality one false move can kill Lil or Laarg. When Lil or Laarg dies, they usually explode and what appears to be blood splatters everywhere. Because it’s in black and white you can’t make out what it is. It’s probably why the game got a Teen rating. Lil and Laarg can also be squeezed to pass gas. Kinda silly.

This happened to be the most expensive game I’ve purchased on the PlayStation Store for the PlayStation Vita, but it’s definitely worth it. A recent patch available for download includes 19 levels, so there’s plenty of fun to be had with this game. It’s a nice game to play when you’re low on time, but still want something to do. The controls are functional and work great and the characters are quite humorous even though they don’t ever say anything.

Escape Plan can be purchased for $14.99 on the PlayStation Store via the PlayStation Network.

He may not have a neck, arms, or legs, but that hasn't stopped Rayman kicking some trash and taking names

by Trevor A.

I’m not really sure how I managed to wait until the PlayStation Vita version of Rayman Origins came out. I really wanted to get it for the PlayStation 3, but when I found out that there would be a Vita version of the same game, I decided to wait. The wait was definitely worth it, as Rayman Origins has become one of my favorite games to play on the PlayStation Vita.

Rayman Origins first came out on the PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, and the Xbox 360. It’s now out for the PlayStation Vita and Microsoft Windows. There’s even a Nintendo 3DS version coming out later this year. I think Ubisoft is making sure that no one misses out on this game or something considering the various platforms this game can be played on.

It’s been a while since I’ve played a Rayman game. I think the last official Rayman game I had was Rayman Advance for the Game Boy Advance, so it’s definitely been a couple of years. I must start off by saying that this game looks absolutely beautiful on the PlayStation Vita’s OLED screen. It’s amazing how colorful and bright this game is on that 5-inch screen. It’s a 2D side-scroller, but that doesn’t stop it from looking amazing on this portable device.

Because it’s a PlayStation Vita game, Rayman Origins implements some touchscreen features. They don’t affect the game all that much, but it definitely can be handy zooming in and out by using the touchscreen. Other than that, I haven’t found too much use with the touchscreen or rear touchpad besides minor things like navigating through the menu and so forth.

Excited much?

The game kicks off by presenting Rayman and his friends taking a noisy, yet musical nap. An old granny from the Land of the Livid Dead doesn’t appreciate all the ruckus being caused by our sleepy friends, so she ends up unleashing evil creatures throughout the Glade of Dreams. The Electoons and Nymph sisters have been captured, so it’s up to Rayman and friends to free them.

Rayman isn’t the only character that can be used in this game. Other characters can be unlocked as progress is made. Part of the reason other characters are accessible was due to multiplayer capabilities found on the PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii versions. Unfortunately, those multiplayer capabilities were scratched from the PS Vita version. Taking its place is a Ghost Mode which allows you to compete with others in a sort of time trial. It’s too bad that there’s no way to play with others, but Ghost Mode will just have to do. This game is fun regardless, but a multiplayer feature would have been awesome.

Controls are very easy to get used to. Either shoulder button can be used to make Rayman or other characters sprint. Rayman gains new abilities as he rescues Betilla the Nymph and her sisters. Some of these include being able to punch, glide, and dive. These abilities show their worth as you play throughout the game.

I have really been enjoying Rayman Origins on the PlayStation Vita. If you have any of the consoles I aforementioned, you should definitely pick up a copy of this game. It’s a good, clean, fun platformer for all ages.

We bought Rayman Origins for $39.99 on Amazon.com.

Now I can catch them all again

by Trevor A.

Over the years the idea of buying a Nintendo handheld gaming console would cross my mind. It happened with nearly every iteration of the Nintendo DS. The same thing happened to me with the PSP. I never bought either handheld.

I was planning on buying the Nintendo 3DS earlier this year, but my sights became strictly set on the PlayStation Vita. A very good friend of mine had decided to part ways with his Nintendo 3DS and asked me if I wanted to buy it. I don’t think I need to share the end result as it should be fairly obvious what my answer was.

I’m going to do my best to not compare the Nintendo 3DS with the PlayStation Vita. It wouldn’t be fair, especially since I didn’t really do that when I wrote about the PlayStation Vita. I will mention that I only have one Nintendo 3DS compared to the seven PlayStation Vita games I bought at launch. Ouch…

The Nintendo 3DS retains the clamshell design like it’s predecessors before it. The 3DS comes with two screens, one which features a touchscreen and another which can produce games in 3D. The touchscreen is best used with the stylus that comes bundled with the 3DS. You don’t need to press against the screen to get it to recognize the stylus which is a definite a plus. I’ve messed around with the 3D, but I’m not all that into it. It’s cool that you don’t have to wear glasses in order to get it to work, but it’s kind of a pain to have to position the 3DS to get the feature to work without it making multiple images of the same thing on the screen. It also consumes more battery than it normally would.

The nice thing about the clamshell design is that it protects the screens itself. I don’t know if I’ll buy a case for the Nintendo 3DS because of that. As far as comfort is concerned, I don’t have too much of a problem with how it feels except for the pointed edges on the 3DS. I don’t like the way that feels while I’m holding the 3DS in my hands, and I’m pretty sure no one else does unless they’re a masochist.

The circle pad is a nice addition to the DS lineup. I really like how easy it is to have my thumb stay in place while playing the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D or the two Pokemon games I have. I’m not too fond of the directional pad. It’s pretty stiff and a little too noisy in my opinion. The A, B, X, Y buttons are decent. They also suffer the same fate as the directional pad. The Nintendo 3DS also has a Home button with Start and Select buttons to its right and left, respectively. Much like the PlayStation Vita, these buttons aren’t the best. You really have to press down on these buttons to get them to work, especially the Home button. There are also shoulder buttons on the Nintendo 3DS which are pretty good.

Like the Nintendo DSi, the 3DS has a front and rear camera. The Nintendo 3DS takes decent pictures. It’s not going to replace my iPhone or digital camera, but it’s definitely better than the PS Vita’s camera. The camera is for augmented reality games, but I haven’t really bothered with it too much because I don’t really care all that much for AR games.

I absolutely love that the Nintendo 3DS has 2GB of internal memory. What a great idea, huh? The handheld console also comes with a 2GB SD card which is nice. I’m glad I didn’t have to spend more money on memory because of this.

The battery life is decent. It lasts about five hours. I never find myself playing video games for five hours straight, so I’ve got no complaints. It’s taken about two hours to charge the Nintendo 3DS from my experience.

There’s a lot of other cool features the 3DS has such as watching movies, accessing the Internet with its browser, Netflix, and the Nintendo eShop just to name a few. The 3DS is a gaming device though, so what matters to me most are the games that I can play on it. I mentioned earlier that I only have one 3DS game and that’s The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. There’s only one other 3DS game I would get as of now and that’s Super Mario Land 3D. A future title I have been looking forward to has been Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. Other than that, there’s not much that interests me. I happen to have two DS games, Pokemon HeartGold and Pokemon Black. These games will keep me busy on the Nintendo 3DS, but I really wish there was more. I bought seven games for the PlayStation Vita prior to launch. The 3DS has been out for a little over a year now, so what’s the deal? Again, I’m not comparing, but it’s pretty disappointing there aren’t many games that interest me as of yet.

The Nintendo 3DS is a great device overall. It ultimately depends on the type of games you enjoy playing more. Although there aren’t many games that completely interest me at the moment, I am liking the 3DS. It’s a great handheld. Nintendo has always done a good job with their handheld hardware, now it’s time to push out more software so I can spend my money. Come on, guys.

The Nintendo 3DS is currently sold at $179.99 brand new.

All I can is—it's about time!

by Trevor A.

Last August, Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions was made available on the App Store for the iPhone and the iPod Touch. On the same app’s page, an iPad version was said to be in the works and released some time in the fall. I didn’t have an iPhone at the time and there had been reports of it not working properly on the iPad, so I decided to wait. Rather than complain about the length of time it took for Final Fantasy Tactics to finally be on the iPad, I’ll just say that it’s about time it came out.

Oddly enough, Final Fantasy Tactics wasn’t my type of game back in the day. It could have been due in part to my brother Evan liking this game so much. Sibling rivalry can be pretty dumb sometimes. Or most times. I can’t say I’m that big into tactical role-playing games, but I will admit that Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions is one of the best I’ve played. And it’s a lot of fun on the iPad.

Because this is on the iPad, everything you do is touch based. It all works very well. I do find it a little annoying when you’re trying to select where you would like your character to face, but outside of that I have been liking the touchscreen controls. It’s nice being able to point and click the option I would like to do or scroll up and down by dragging my finger on the screen.

The camera can be a pain sometimes though, especially when you’re trying to attack an enemy. There’s only so much adjusting you can do before it gets a tad difficult. I’ve ended up nearly attacking myself a couple of times, but thankfully that hasn’t happened yet. There’s quite a bit of options to get through before you attack, so although tedious it can be quite resourceful when you’re unintentionally being suicidal.

I was expecting the graphics to look a lot better than they ended up looking, considering the extra time it took for the game to finally come out. There’s a planned update for “higher-res graphics for unit characters” which would be awesome because if you zoom in the characters become very pixelated. The battlefields look all right. I was just expecting something more in terms of graphics. Of course, gameplay is what matters most, and Final Fantasy Tactics has it.

What might drive away people from buying this app? Square Enix doesn’t sell their games at a cheap price, but the amount of time one can spend playing Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions totally makes up for it. My brother spent a lot of time playing this game back on the original PlayStation and I suspect the same can be done by those who are fans of tactical role-playing games.

Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions can be purchased on the App Store for $17.99 for the iPad, iPad 2, and the new iPad. The app requires iOS 4.2 or later to run.

Saving one planet at a time

by Trevor A.

I will admit that PlayStation Vita games aren’t cheap. Uncharted itself cost $49.99 at retail, while other games may cost anywhere from $29.99 to $34.99. Thankfully, there are great games to buy on the PlayStation Store, assuming you have a big enough memory card to store all these games. Super Stardust Delta happens to be one of those games. Not only is it a great, it also doesn’t occupy too much room on the memory card.

My first take with Super Stardust was on the PlayStation 3. It was fun, but it has been a while since I’ve played it.  I personally feel that Super Stardust is perfect for the PlayStation Vita. It definitely translates well as a portable game, and the fact that the PlayStation Vita has dual analog sticks really helps make the game more enjoyable.

The screen might be smaller, but that doesn’t stop Super Stardust Delta from getting crazy like it did on the PS3. Enemies will cover the screen with no slowdown whatsoever. It doesn’t feel like you’re missing much even on such a tiny screen, which was something I like about this game. Just because it’s on a portable, doesn’t mean gameplay should be downsized, too.

If you have been playing Stardust for a while now, then controls shouldn’t be too foreign. The left analog stick is still used to pilot the ship while the right analog stick is used to shoot either fire or ice projectiles at enemies. Switching between either projectile is really easy, as it’s done by simply tapping the right trigger. The left trigger is used to boost.. Some motion controls and touchscreen controls are used in Super Stardust Delta, but aren’t available at the beginning. Something that is available at the beginning are bombs, which can be activated by shaking the Vita. This is pretty handy, but if you accidentally shake the PlayStation Vita you’ll end up setting off a bomb when it isn’t necessary.

Super Stardust Delta looks great on the OLED PlayStation Vita screen. Everything may be tiny, but enemies are noticeable and colors pop out like most games do on the PlayStation Vita. I really like how this game looks on the portable device. It’s one of the best PSN games I’ve seen so far on the PlayStation Vita.

I haven’t downloaded any DLC, but the modes that come with Super Stardust Delta have kept me busy enough. If I could do it all over again, I would have gotten the DLC bundle. If I want to buy the DLC, I’ll be spending two or three dollars more than I would had I purchased it as a bundle. I’m here making mistakes for your sakes though, so don’t repeat what I just did.

A couple of modes included in this game are Arcade and Planets. Arcade is where new planets and mini-games can be unlocked. Planets allows you to play just one planet. Mini-games are unlocked as you save planets in Arcade mode. The mini-games utilize a lot of the PlayStation Vita features. I don’t care too much about these features, but it’s a nice alternative when you’re looking for something different to do.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this game. I highly recommend getting this, considering the price and just how good it is as a PSN game. It looks great on the PlayStation Vita, the gameplay won’t disappoint, and there are plenty of things to do with Super Stardust Delta.

Super Stardust Delta can be purchased for $9.99 as a standalone title or for $14.99 with the DLC.