April 2009
Monthly Archive
Technology April 5th, 2009 by HMTKSteve
Staples Thinks You Can’t Count
Have you ever gone into a big electronics retailer for a spur of the moment purchase? Ever got home and found out that the same thing could have set you back even less if you purchased it online? I have.
Ever walk into one of those big retailers and found two items side-by-side for the same price even though one of them was twice as good?
See that picture of 4GB USB thumb drives? Both boxes are marked $24.99 but one of them is twice as good as the other!
That's right, one of those boxes has one 4GB thumb drive while the other has 2 4GB thumb drives. All of them are made by the same company and all boxes contain the same exact thumb drives. It's just that one of those boxes gives you two drives for what the other box charges you for one.
Next time you go shipping be sure to look around. Don't pay double for the same thing!
video games April 3rd, 2009 by HMTKSteve
Enjoying the Lux-Pain
Yesterday my review copy of Lux-Pain arrived in the mail. After taking a few minutes to look through the 'bonus" art book I broke out the instruction manual and started reading.
I have never played any of the Phoenix Wright games but I am a fan of the Arkham Horror board game put out by Fantasy Flight Games. I also played the Chaosium Call of Cthulhu game in my teen years. With that in mind the theme behind Lux-Pain certainly has my interest.
In Lux-Pain you play the part of Atsuki Saijo, a 17 year old boy who is a member of the secret organization known as FORT (Force for Obliteration of the Risk of Terrors). After Having "Σ" transplanted into him he gained the power to read peoples minds and find things that exist in the space between worlds. This is done in game by having you scratch the DS touch screen with your stylus to rub away the darkness and see the things that live in the darkness.
Your quest is to track down and destroy Silent, an evil force that has caused uncounted violent crimes to occur in the world. This force (also known as a worm) was born of hate and sadness. It infects people and causes them to do violent and atrocious acts.
The game takes place in Kisaragi City, Japan. There is a large cast of characters for you to interact with and an amazing amount of peripheral ambiance to the game. There is an Internet cafe in town where you can check the local BBS (that's a Bulletin Board System, they were the Internet forums of the world before the Internet) and read notes left by other people in town. There is also a broadcast show you can watch every day that informs you of the current events going on in the world of Lux-Pain.
The designers of this game clearly did an excellent job on the theme and background of the game. I know what you are probably wondering, how does it play?
Unlike many quest-based games there is not a lot of hunting and gathering across an over-sized game world. Even when I have encountered a form of 'go here, get that, come back' it has taken only a minute or two to do it. (This is the complete opposite of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass where you had to constantly go half-way across the world just to continue through the game).
When I first read about using the stylus to rub away the darkness and combat the evil powers of the game I thought it would either be real awesome or real bad. I am happy to report that it is of the real awesome variety.
Using the stylus to rub away the darkness and remove the worms and other bad thoughts and memories just works and feels right. After you find and remove a memory you then imprint those memories back on the character and the upper screen reveals the thoughts as a series of words dance across the screen. Keywords are colored and the pacing of the letters and words on the screen (as well as their placement) gives you an added sense of the emotions behind the thoughts.
As you discover clues around Kisaragi City your list of keywords to ask characters about grows. Your friends back at FORT are always a phone call away and ready to help. Don't overuse their powers or they may run dry when you really need them.
Now, there is only one thing that bothers me about the game. This game was clearly designed for a male anime watching audience and it shows. All of the female characters are close in age to Atsuki Saijo (even the adults appear to be in their early 20's). I also could not get over the feeling that at any time this game might make the jump from Teen to Mature based on the interactions with said female characters.
Perhaps I'm too old but it just seemed weird when the school nurse winked, gave me her email address and told me to call her. I joked with my wife that I'm playing an "Edward Cullen" character in the game!
I think I have only scratched the surface of this one so I'm not going to call this a review. Consider it a "first look" article and stay tuned for the final review once I complete the game.
video games April 2nd, 2009 by HMTKSteve
Nintendo Announces First 5 DSi Shop Games
REDMOND, Wash., April 2, 2009 – On April 5, Nintendo launches Nintendo DSi™, the third iteration of the best-selling portable video game system and the latest evolution in hand-held gaming. Nintendo DSi gives new and veteran gamers the ability to customize, personalize and share their experiences with friends and family. Two built-in, interactive cameras let people snap and modify photos, while recorded sounds can be played and manipulated in interesting and imaginative ways. Also on April 5, Nintendo will launch the Nintendo DSi Shop, a new online storefront where users can redeem Nintendo DSi Points to download an ever-growing variety of inventive games and applications. Nintendo DSi will be available in the United States in Blue or Black at an MSRP of $169.99.
"The concept of entertainment is clearly expanding to enable self-expression and creation in ways never before possible," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "Nintendo DSi is loaded with software to help people do exactly that. It's not just about the cameras or audio playback, but what people can do with these features that makes Nintendo DSi such an enjoyable game system."
Beyond the creative user experience, these features also give developers the tools to create new games and applications not previously possible. In the same way that WiiWare™ has given developers big and small a way to deliver their most original games directly to Wii™ users, Nintendo DSiWare™ provides access to the latest and most inventive hand-held games from a variety of studios and genres. Here are the Nintendo DSiWare titles that will be available when the Nintendo DSi Shop launches:
- WarioWare™: Snapped! – Using the built-in Nintendo DSi camera, this outrageous title puts players right at the center of fast-paced mini-games, challenging them to race the clock and get a peek at Wario's photo album.
- Bird & Beans™ – Using an elastic tongue, players must scramble to collect falling beans. The harder a bean is to catch, the more points it's worth.
- Brain Age™ Express: Math – In this math-focused edition of the popular Brain Age series, players can enjoy a mix of new and familiar training exercises. A new Themes mode also lets Nintendo DSi users experiment with images and voice recordings in fun, unusual ways.
- Master of Illusion™ Express: Funny Face – This game uses your Nintendo DSi as a prop in a card trick. Draw a face on the touch screen and astound your audience as the face tells them which playing card they picked.
- Art Style™: AQUIA™ – The newest addition to the eye-popping Art Style series, this mesmerizing underwater puzzle game challenges players to help a scuba diver reach the ocean floor by matching a series of colored blocks.
In addition to a diverse, constantly expanding lineup of DSiWare game titles, visitors to the Nintendo DSi Shop can also download the free Nintendo DSi Browser to enjoy portable access to the Internet. Powered by Opera, this simple-to-use application makes use of the Nintendo DSi system's dual-screen display to provide fast, intuitive Web browsing.
As an incentive to get people connected and enjoying the online content, consumers who buy a Nintendo DSi system and connect it to the Nintendo DSi Shop by Oct. 5, 2009, will automatically receive 1,000 Nintendo DSi Points. (Visit dsioffer.nintendo.com for more details.) Software in the Nintendo DSi Shop will be available at four price points: free, 200 points, 500 points and 800+ points. Users can purchase additional Nintendo DSi Points in the Nintendo DSi Shop or via a Nintendo Points Card sold at retail locations. Nintendo DSi Points will be available in increments of 2,000 at an MSRP of $19.99.
Nintendo DSi allows users to create and share unique moments using a number of distinctive features. Two cameras – one pointing at the user when the system is open, one facing away – let people take photos and manipulate them with 10 built-in "lenses" including Distortion, Graffiti and Mischief. The cameras inspire creativity by letting users personalize their photos and trade them wirelessly with friends and family. The Nintendo DSi Sound application lets people put their own spin on their music with the ability to play and manipulate AAC sound files accessed from an SD card. These sonic tweaks are not saved or stored – they're meant for having fun on-the-fly, changing the pitch or playback speed of a clip with a simple touch of the stylus.
My Thoughts
I do like the four price points and DSi points are going to be worth the same amount as Wii points. The one thing I don't see is the ability to merge your Wii points with your DSi points. I also like the free points you get for being an early DSi adopter. Those 1,000 points equate to a $10 discount on the DSi.
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