Band Hero is the newest addition to Activision's Guitar Hero video games for the Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, and Nintendo DS. If you've played the previous titles, the only major changes are the included tracks, graphics, and extra content for multiplayer. Everything else is what you'd expect from this musical video games behemoth. The overall theme for the song list is Top 40, American Idol-style bands and artists. It's a bit more commercial than the previous titles, which included groups such as Anthrax, The Sex Pistols, Faith No More, and other hard rock and metal bands.

Will Band Hero open the music video games genre up to a wider and younger audience or will this shift in music styles turn off dedicated fans of the franchise ? Yes and no. This version of the Guitar Hero game is what you'd expect from the series, with a nice package of family-friendly tracks to add to your play list. If you have the latest version, Guitar Hero 5, and are looking for the next insane set of riffs to master, stick to the track packs until # 6. If you want a fun time with nothing but Top 40 hits, this is the version you've been waiting for.

Like the previous video games, you can grab Band Hero for $60 by itself or spring for the $200 band kit. The latter includes a microphone, drum set, and 1 guitar controller. What you get this time is a host of new graphics (I hope you like pink and neon), new songs, and new musicians to play. The biggest star on this installment is Taylor Swift, as she not only has her songs in the game, but is one of the playable characters as well. Other stars you'll be jamming to are Fall Out Boy, David Bowie, The All-American Rejects, and Village People (No, you're not hallucinating. They're in the game). Even though it takes some skill to play, picking up either instrument can be done with ease. Co-op is very simple with drop-in and drop-out capabilities while the song is still playing. You can even challenge your friend on or offline with multiple events thanks to their Rock Fest mode.

There's also a character creator for those who want a custom rocker as their avatar. With a wide selection of styles and make-up, everyone can have their game experience feel more personal. For expert players, there are certain achievements that unlock new outfits and accessories to dress your rock star with style. Quickplay lets players pick a song and allows friends to jump in at will. As you progress, you also receive band trivia to gain a little extra knowledge like why David Bowie dressed as a alien in his early years (just guessing). If you're afraid of ruining the song and getting kicked out of a video games band, Band Hero has all off the settings and difficulties needed to guide newcomers and veterans along without screwing it up for the rest of your friends. For the singers, they get different setups to make sure they're in sync with the words and pitch.

Multiplayer features are kept intact for obvious reasons. It's just as easy to jump in and jam as the at home co-op. Players without a custom character in their video games can choose one of many generic ones to save time and get right into the fun. It's believed that you'll be able to import all previous song packs over to complete your utterly massive collection. There's no word about song editors or several other features, but they're still enough here to keep gamers occupied. New song packs and other content are sure to follow and by the gigabyte. It will probably be full length albums and best-of collections, then the mini packs will follow.

Beyond the new content, Band Hero is just one of many spin-offs for specific music fans that enjoy the chart topping pop music that gets pumped over radios across the world. Younger gamers will be asking for this more than their 16-18 year old siblings. It's not a big enough improvement to be labeled a sequel, but does have enough content to warrant the cost of the video games. It's a great idea for Taylor Swift fans, but I can't say the same for other artists who've contributed the mix. Band Hero is a great addition to the Guitar Hero video games franchise and can at least give families something to enjoy no matter what age group.

posted by Fei Lim   # 11:03 AM   0 Comments

Grand Theft Auto: Episodes of Liberty City is a unique concept in the video game world because it is two standalone episodes that do not require the original GTA IV to work. Therefore, people who do not have GTA IV can purchase these new mini video games and play them at full capacity. This new game is available on Xbox live on October 29 and is definitely worth checking out because it provides two new missions in the typical GTA style of games.

The new episode that is found on this disk is called The Ballad of Gay Tony. In this episode, you will play as a bodyguard named Luis Lopez. Lopez is also a business associate of Gay Tony, who is constantly looking out for the title character's interests. Tony owns two of the top nightclubs in Liberty City, but has recently gotten himself into trouble with shady individuals and needs your help in straightening things out. If you have played GTA IV, you will recognize some of the happenings in the city while Lopez's story is playing out, as these video games do not have a little bit of overlap. As Lopez, you will be forced to deal with upper class problems, as he does not deal with street hoods the way that many other GTA characters do.

An example of this comes from a mission where Luis Lopez has to lean on the owner of Liberty City's professional hockey team, since a Russian crime lord named Bulgarin wishes to purchase the team and the owner refuses to sell. As with everything else in high society, everyone has a price, so it is up to Luis Lopez to find that price in order to get people what they want. If they will not sell out, as is the case with the hockey team's owner, Lopez is forced to kill them, as is customary in the GTA video games.

Some of the new features in this episode feature more helicopter and other stunts, as the high profile nature of these dealings ensure that Lopez is constantly making daredevil maneuvers. There are also a number of new weapons included with these games, as Lopez has more of a budget than GTA characters have had in the past. Other unique features like planted electrical charges allow Lopez to take care of people remotely, so he does not even have to be in the area to get even with someone. An example of this occurs when some police officers get a little too close to Lopez and Bulgarin. In this scene, the two of you and one other gangster hide while some police officers are blown up while searching Bulgarin's car. As is prevalent in these video games, the police then swarm the area and you are forced to escape and hide. This scene alone makes these games well worth a purchase because it is unique to Grand Theft Auto: Episodes of Liberty City.

If you feel like you are ready to step into white collar crime, then this game is definitely something you should play. You will deal with some high level crooks in these video games, who have the resources to make you disappear very quickly. Lopez even has the chance to practice running the nightclubs through a series of mini games, which make Grand Theft Auto: Episodes of Liberty City something that is worth checking out.

The other episode that is included with this game is The Lost and the Damned, which is part of the original GTA IV game. In this episode, you will play Johnny, who is a reformed biker gang member who finds himself in the middle of a turf war. Johnny deals with the lower end of criminals, which is much different from the story of Luis Lopez. The good new is that since you will get both of these video games on one disk, you can experience all levels of crime through these games. This two disk set is available in stores or through Xbox Live on October 29 and every GTA lover will definitely love these video games because they perfectly add to the legacy that GTA has put forth in the past.

posted by Fei Lim   # 10:00 AM   0 Comments

WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 is one of the most anticipated video games of the season. It is scheduled to be released on October 20th, but the game has already garnered rave reviews from magazines like GameMaster that awarded it their coveted Gold Award and wrote that it was by far the best version of the game yet.

In this article, we are going to take a closer look at what is sure to be one of the hottest video games of the year.

To begin with, the game is available on Nintendo DS, Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable. It is the eleventh game in SmackDown series and it features two of the three biggest brands in wrestling: Raw and SmackDown.

Game Features

One of the first things early reviewers have praised is the games' improved create mode, which lets you design a wrestler of your very own and then compete with him, or her. The game not only allows you to create-a-wrestler, but also makes it easy to create your own entrance, including musical selections.

According to the games' designers, the create-a-wrestler mode has been completely revised and improved since the last version of the game. The new game boasts three-dimensional clothing and accessories, whereas in the old wrestling games the clothes looked unrealistic or painted on. For example, a cape or robe will now move when the wrestler moves. Another big improvement is that the loading time of the mode has been shortened. In past versions and in other wrestling video games, the create mode takes a long time to load, but in the new game it's much faster.

The game also features a brand-new WWE Story Designer mode, which allows the users to design storylines that include WWE's weekly shows (SmackDown and Raw) as well as pay-per-view specials with pre-determined storylines and matches. The player can choose from over one hundred disparate animations as well as 20 different locations for each scene. While the games' other editions did permit players to create storylines, now the player can control how long they want the storyline to last and what happens. Additionally, a player can use WWE superstars and Divas as well as the wrestlers they create in these storylines.

Other important features in the create-a-wrestler mode include the ability to create and design your own logos or tattoos for your wrestlers. It is even possible for players to design three alternative attires for their wrestler and for the other wrestling superstars.

Once again, the video games' designers listened to the fans and have made unlocking abilities for created wrestlers far easier. This means that players won't have to assign points or take them into career mode simply to improve their abilities. Rather, abilities can be improved in every mode of the game. According to the features page, there are now 21 abilities that can be unlocked including brand new ones like the Exploder Turnbuckle Attack.

Like many video games these days, SmackDown can even be used on the internet. If you have the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 version of the game, you will be able to share the wrestlers you created online with friends and other players. You can even create a highlight reel of your wrestlers' best move and post it online. Users are then free to rate your creation and will be able to share moves and game tips with you.

Another new feature of this years' game is the WWE Rivals option. This feature allows you to select a group of enemies and allies, which can later be used for your benefit or detriment in exhibition match mode. This means that if a superstar is selected as an enemy, he may simply show up during one of your matches and attack you. But conversely, if a superstar is set as an ally, he may come to lend you a hand.

As far as match gameplay goes, all the early reviewers all agree that it is much improved. Like many video games before it, SmackDown now features a tutorial option designed specifically for new players. The feature allows new users to choose or create a superstar and then select a match type. During these matches, when the tutorial option has been engaged, a series of pop-ups will appear and let them know how to perform certain moves. All together, there are over 100 distinct training tips offered by the games' tutorials.

Meet the Cast

In addition to creating your very own wrestlers, the superstar wrestlers featured in the game is a veritable who's who of the wrestling world. The impressive roster includes John Cena, Beth Phoenix, Rey Mysterio, Chris Jericho, Undertaker, Batista, Edge, Shawn Michaels, Randy Orton, Triple H, CM Punk, and Big Show.

posted by Fei Lim   # 10:38 AM   0 Comments