I have become addicted to fantasy football in the last couple weeks. After the draft, I think that it's very worthwhile, and a very good way to get into football if you've been previously uninterested. It has spurred me into watching more games and getting more into them. I drafted my team, and, although I think it might have been wiser to let the computer do it, I ended up with a satisfactory team and good prospects. Since going 0-2, I think I have a decent chance of winning this week.
There are three main sites to sign up on, ESPN, Yahoo, and NFL. ESPN is closed, but you can still sign up at Yahoo and NFL
http://games.espn.go.com/frontpage/football
http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com/
http://www.nfl.com/fantasy
My current roster;
http://games.espn.go.com/ffl/clubhouse?leagueId=117222&teamId=3&seasonId=2008
Friday, October 3, 2008
Monday, September 1, 2008
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Seriously, this game is great. There's nothing here you can complain about. There's millions of collectibles, hundreds of hours of gameplay, and plus, nothing beats killing goblins with a green-clad elf who looks like he's five years old. There's racing, killing stuff, role-playing, puzzle solving, dungeon crawling - what's not there? The only bad thing is that you have to be a wolf and some of the enemies are annoying and very hard to kill. Other than that, there's not really much to complain about.
Presentation : 8 - There's not much in the way of presentation here, but what's done is done well. There is a great, albeit a little darker than usual, plot and the new gameplay is stellar. However, the fact that the orchestral music present in other games in missing here and the voices are cartoony, at best, takes away from the overall presentation.
Graphics : 9 - Very good looking overall. Link's look is a throwback to the Link of old, and the other characters all look great. In addition, the environment is nothing to scoff at. Perhaps the most effective graphical improvement of all is the monsters; when you go into a room with two huge ice-beasts with red eyes, you're gonna be scared. However, I'm sure the Wii and the Gamecube are capable of more, and that would have been nice to see.
Sound : 8.5 - All the sounds of previous Zelda games are still there, minus the orchestrated music. The iconic sounds, the ones that define the Zelda experience, such as the boss music, the sounds that you hear when an enemy is near, and the "dun da-da dah!" you hear when you find a new item. Lacking the orchestra in the backround, it doesn't sound as good as it absolutely could have, but the other music, as well as the sword effects and panting, et cetera, make it worth your while to just sit there and listen.
Gameplay : 8.5 - The plot is great, enabling a long, rich experience, and everything between is worth it. The dungeon experience is great, there being just enough tough stuff to make it fun, plus a little extra for good measure. The enemies are hard to kill (some a little overly so) and the goodies are spread out well so that you're glad when you find some, but it's not a one-in-a-million chance. Plus, there's plenty of chances to use these new-found gadgets, so they're not wasting away in your inv There's also lots of extra stuff, so you'll be busy with this one for a while. The only problems are that sometimes, there are enemies that are very hard to kill, and you try everything and waste all of your bombs, per se, and then figure out that it is actually very easy to do. There is often the same predicament with puzzles, aggravating the player immensely. Other than these small flaws, the plot is very well designed and worth playing until you drop.
Lasting Appeal : 8- You'll want to play this non-stop until you find all the stuff. And that won't be easy - there's tons of collectibles. Of course, you have to finish the game first, which is easier said than done.
Overall : 9 - Excellent. If you have a Wii or Gamecube, and not this game, you're missing out.
Presentation : 8 - There's not much in the way of presentation here, but what's done is done well. There is a great, albeit a little darker than usual, plot and the new gameplay is stellar. However, the fact that the orchestral music present in other games in missing here and the voices are cartoony, at best, takes away from the overall presentation.
Graphics : 9 - Very good looking overall. Link's look is a throwback to the Link of old, and the other characters all look great. In addition, the environment is nothing to scoff at. Perhaps the most effective graphical improvement of all is the monsters; when you go into a room with two huge ice-beasts with red eyes, you're gonna be scared. However, I'm sure the Wii and the Gamecube are capable of more, and that would have been nice to see.
Sound : 8.5 - All the sounds of previous Zelda games are still there, minus the orchestrated music. The iconic sounds, the ones that define the Zelda experience, such as the boss music, the sounds that you hear when an enemy is near, and the "dun da-da dah!" you hear when you find a new item. Lacking the orchestra in the backround, it doesn't sound as good as it absolutely could have, but the other music, as well as the sword effects and panting, et cetera, make it worth your while to just sit there and listen.
Gameplay : 8.5 - The plot is great, enabling a long, rich experience, and everything between is worth it. The dungeon experience is great, there being just enough tough stuff to make it fun, plus a little extra for good measure. The enemies are hard to kill (some a little overly so) and the goodies are spread out well so that you're glad when you find some, but it's not a one-in-a-million chance. Plus, there's plenty of chances to use these new-found gadgets, so they're not wasting away in your inv There's also lots of extra stuff, so you'll be busy with this one for a while. The only problems are that sometimes, there are enemies that are very hard to kill, and you try everything and waste all of your bombs, per se, and then figure out that it is actually very easy to do. There is often the same predicament with puzzles, aggravating the player immensely. Other than these small flaws, the plot is very well designed and worth playing until you drop.
Lasting Appeal : 8- You'll want to play this non-stop until you find all the stuff. And that won't be easy - there's tons of collectibles. Of course, you have to finish the game first, which is easier said than done.
Overall : 9 - Excellent. If you have a Wii or Gamecube, and not this game, you're missing out.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Halo Board Game
Well, yet another chance to own a piece of the Halo phenomenon. The latest merchandise? Board games. This interactive strategy game will have players moving around the board, controlling some of their favorite characters from the series, and facing off in their favorite modes like Capture-the-Flag and Slayer. Future updates will include more map-building tools, characters, and weapons. The game also ships with an interactive DVD to introduce more realism.
My take? I think it's a good idea. It sorta reminds me of that strategy game I used to play every so often - Heroscape. It was fun, and there was an element of building armies, some strategy, and some pure luck. The DVD might be more corny than anything else, but this sounds like a reasonable way to pay homage to the Halo series. My only question: Why not just play XBOX?
My take? I think it's a good idea. It sorta reminds me of that strategy game I used to play every so often - Heroscape. It was fun, and there was an element of building armies, some strategy, and some pure luck. The DVD might be more corny than anything else, but this sounds like a reasonable way to pay homage to the Halo series. My only question: Why not just play XBOX?
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Star Wars Battlefront 2
Although this is one of my favorite games of all time, when I finally got down to looking at it in detail, there are some semi-major flaws.
Presentation - 8: There are many choices of single-player, the story is commendable, and many options and modes provide the "Instant Action" with some variety and flair.
Graphics - 7: Although the game's visuals look very "Star Wars-y" and decent, they don't show off the capabilities of a graphics card required to play the game, nor of a modern PC.
Sound - 9.5: Everything's awesome - the explosions, the voice, the lasers, the iconic Star Wars music - it's all there.
Gameplay - 8: The heroes are kind of hard to control, but the space battles and ground battles are both thrilling, the action of the fight grabbing, and watching droids explode just can't be beaten when it comes to fun. Some of the issues from its predecessor haven't been fixed, but online play, although a crucial addition, is awesome.
Lasting Appeal - 8: You can play this game online forever, but the single player quickly wears out. Also, the same modes on the same maps are the only fun ones, so it's only a matter of time before you're bored of them all.
Overall - 8
Presentation - 8: There are many choices of single-player, the story is commendable, and many options and modes provide the "Instant Action" with some variety and flair.
Graphics - 7: Although the game's visuals look very "Star Wars-y" and decent, they don't show off the capabilities of a graphics card required to play the game, nor of a modern PC.
Sound - 9.5: Everything's awesome - the explosions, the voice, the lasers, the iconic Star Wars music - it's all there.
Gameplay - 8: The heroes are kind of hard to control, but the space battles and ground battles are both thrilling, the action of the fight grabbing, and watching droids explode just can't be beaten when it comes to fun. Some of the issues from its predecessor haven't been fixed, but online play, although a crucial addition, is awesome.
Lasting Appeal - 8: You can play this game online forever, but the single player quickly wears out. Also, the same modes on the same maps are the only fun ones, so it's only a matter of time before you're bored of them all.
Overall - 8
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Indiana Jones - The Movies
First of all, when I'm thinking about the Indiana Movies, I don't count the fourth one, because in my opinion, everything should be a stand alone movie, two movies, a trilogy, or a septology. Those are the four numbers that work. Four doesn't. End of story.
Music: Indiana Jones, like Star Wars, has that song, just that song that has a ring to it. They play it every time the hero beats up bad guys or gets away. I love it, all of it. There's really no way to tell the difference in any of the three movies, because the music is all the same, and it's all great.
Rating: A
Sound: Again, in the sound category, the Indiana Jones movies don't disappoint. They dispense with some of the loud squeals so common in other action movies, allowing you to believe that when Indy shoots a bad guy, he's actually gone. The booby traps, of which there are many, deliver appropriate sound effects, and the dialog is equally gorgeous-sounding. The only holdback is that there is nothing stellar... But how stellar can you get with sound?
Rating: A-
Plot: The one thing that George Lucas has proved over and over that he has nailed down is a good plot. Indiana Jones has this in abundance, from the disappearance of Indy's father to the evil cult that stole the Shankara stone from the villagers. I've always thought that the beginnings were quite random, often, but it seems that they all come together in the end. I have to say, though, my favorite plotline was by far the Last Crusade, the third in the trilogy, with the twists at the end, the traitorus Doctor Schneider, and the comedy entwined throughout.
Rating: A+
Characters/Actors: Harrison Ford, as always, stellarly portrays Indiana Jones, who is so like Han Solo, another of Ford's characters. John Rhys-Davies is dynamic and comical in the role of Sallah, the Arabian Excavator. But perhaps my favorite character of all is the wise-cracking squirt Short Round from the second movie, Temple of Doom. A survey named him the most popular Indy sidekick, and he's mine.
Rating: A+
Overall, each a good movie. Together, a great series. It's definitely worth watching them all.
Music: Indiana Jones, like Star Wars, has that song, just that song that has a ring to it. They play it every time the hero beats up bad guys or gets away. I love it, all of it. There's really no way to tell the difference in any of the three movies, because the music is all the same, and it's all great.
Rating: A
Sound: Again, in the sound category, the Indiana Jones movies don't disappoint. They dispense with some of the loud squeals so common in other action movies, allowing you to believe that when Indy shoots a bad guy, he's actually gone. The booby traps, of which there are many, deliver appropriate sound effects, and the dialog is equally gorgeous-sounding. The only holdback is that there is nothing stellar... But how stellar can you get with sound?
Rating: A-
Plot: The one thing that George Lucas has proved over and over that he has nailed down is a good plot. Indiana Jones has this in abundance, from the disappearance of Indy's father to the evil cult that stole the Shankara stone from the villagers. I've always thought that the beginnings were quite random, often, but it seems that they all come together in the end. I have to say, though, my favorite plotline was by far the Last Crusade, the third in the trilogy, with the twists at the end, the traitorus Doctor Schneider, and the comedy entwined throughout.
Rating: A+
Characters/Actors: Harrison Ford, as always, stellarly portrays Indiana Jones, who is so like Han Solo, another of Ford's characters. John Rhys-Davies is dynamic and comical in the role of Sallah, the Arabian Excavator. But perhaps my favorite character of all is the wise-cracking squirt Short Round from the second movie, Temple of Doom. A survey named him the most popular Indy sidekick, and he's mine.
Rating: A+
Overall, each a good movie. Together, a great series. It's definitely worth watching them all.
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