Uprising gets a Wooooo!

Months back, I talked about how exciting it is for Red Alert 3 to feature a star-studded cast which only makes the presentation and legitimacy of the game kicked up a notch. I gave double emphasis to one former UFC Heavyweight Champion (and potentially going light-heavyweight by the looks of it) Randy Couture. And truly, RA3 has delivered in many ways.

That wouldn't stop EA from pulling off a CC tradition: releasing expansions! RA3 is no exception to the rule, as the will be releasing an expansion featuring new modes of play, missions, units, and a special scenario/adventure featuring Yuriko Omega.

And again, the casting is given the special treatment once again. But out of all the featured cast members to participate (including Holly Valance, another personal fave), one pretty much stood above the rest...

Yes! 16-time World Champion Ric Flair joins the cast! I'll be frank, just as the legendary Randy Couture and the exciting gameplay experience were enough inspiration to get the original, this alone will make getting Uprising and make it worth my while. Gameplay-wise, I can't wait to experience what new things that can be expected with the new game.

But I admit, it'd be really awesome to see someone chop another in the game.

The Miyamoto Hush-Hush / Rourke VS Jericho at WrestleMania 25? Oh shi-!

VS

(I just thought of comparing these two in one entry. =P)

Now that I'm officially back in full, it's time for me to make up for the whole backlog of things that needs to be taken a good ponder on. That being the case, why not talk about something related to the words "casual", "gaming", and "craze"?

If the markets have their say, then numbers don't lie. The Wii has been on quite a respectible roll for some time now, give or take. As a matter of fact, the Wii has actually accomplished something no one or thing has done EVER: give a more definitive form of a casual gaming market. Yes, some people can say they are casual gamers back then, but let's face it, how do you EXACTLY define a casual gamer? That was a hard thing to distinguish in all actuality, until the Nintendo flagship came about. But obviously, having a Wii does not mean you're a casual gamer, per se. Look at No More Heroes (with 2 coming soon), The House of the Dead: Overkill (Grindhouse FTW!), Bleach for the Wii, and what-have-you.  How other companies will further define the casual gaming market in the future, it's really up to them. But one must thank one certain person responsible for the eventual birth of this unique console:

Mr. Shigeru Miyamoto, aka the Donkey Kong guy (do I have to say the "M" word?).

BUT!

http://kotaku.com/5035242/ninty-forbids-miyamoto-to-discuss-his-hobbies

This is old news from 2008, yes (and one I should've tackled before). But it definitely will have major implications in the coming years. With a screwy economy these days, and with companies like Microsoft and Intel dropping the load in numbers never before seen or heard, Nintendo will certainly need more than just an ace up their sleeve. Imagine this, if one is interviewing Miyamoto-san, and he talks about anything under the sun, then by all means, this can be a preview for what would become the next big thing. And by the numbers, the Wii is doing so well in 2008 (as with the NDS). Sony is currently struggling and EA isn't really doing that well, while Microsoft... well, you get the picture. What am I saying here?

Shigeru Miyamoto is Nintendo's ace-in-the-hole.

More than ever, geniuses are more than needed in order for a company to survive. And not just geniuses by technical description. It's more of the kind of genius that makes people say that you're crazy. But like the old saying goes, the greatest of ideas come from the craziest of ideas. That being said, though Sony is truly pulling off all the stops to bring a successful year into their favor, all eyes are on Nintendo as to what they are possibly gonna do next.

And speaking of which, did you guys notice a certain pattern? SmackDown VS RAW titles are usually announced during WrestleMania season. You know, for anticipation and all that. But things are pretty different this year with the announcement of the Legends of WrestleMania game coming out for the PS3 and the XBox360. While this game is going to be nostalgic in more ways than one and will be an amazing experience for the old-schoolers out there, here's a bit of a shocker:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28848680/

Yes, it seems as though Rourke will be making an appearance against my personal 2008 favorite, Chris "Hypocrite" Jericho. Hope this one's better than the whole Floyd Mayweather crap from last year. Pacquiao > Mayweather.

4 Pieces of Advice for Left 4 Dead

First and foremost, thanks to those who tuned in to last night's PG on Air at Jam 88.3! And just so you guys know, next week features LittleBigPlanet. Hope you guys check it out next week! All in the name of the greater gaming good (3G) =P

As some of you guys know, I'm a huge supporter of L4D, the greatest multiplayer experience of 2008, and a huge jump to the multiplayer genre in general. Last night, I had the privilage to share my thoughts on this phenomenal game, and also took the liberty to give 4 pieces (yes, a pun!) of advice to the newbies and oldies out there. And yes, I'd love to share the same 4 advices to you guys as well!

4 - Friendly Fire exists

Deal with it, guys. Careful where you shoot your guns and throw them bombs! Who knows what else could happen especially when you're all mixed up during an infected attack.

3 - STICK TOGETHER!

Imagine this situation: the four of you go your separate ways looking for a way out. Suddenly, a hunter sneaks in and attacks one of the survivors, while the others are far away! And as you would probably know by now, the only way to take out a positioned hunter is for someone to take it out. But since the other three are far from one another, you get the picture. And I don't suppose you'd want to take out the tank all by yourself, right? Remember, the AI in this game is amazing, meaning you can only expect the unexpected.

2 - Shhh.... Be vewy vewy quiet!

There are many ways to trigger an infected attack and certain times to know when they'll attack. I dare you to try and shoot that red car and expect for them not to be attracted by the noise. Go ahead, try it. Oh, there are moments in the game where they WILL come at you at certain intervals, so just get ready.

1 - NEVER EVER EVER POINT A FLASHLIGHT AT THE WITCH!

(c/o CSNation)

Do you want to die instantly? Go ahead, point the flashlight at the witch. She's THAT much of a killer. Sneak around or, in the worst case scenario, all of you get ready to shoot her at the same time. Your choice, but remember the consequences.

And as per the text message last night, an extra piece of advise:

Pipe bombs work well especially when you're in a pinch.

For those who have tried the game and wants to play with me, just let me know. For those who have not played it yet, TRY IT ASAP!

Oh, two things to share with you guys (in lieu of my long absence):

New Breaking Minesweeper Record!

Minesweeper can be a source of anti-boredom, yes. But to what extent?

Apparently, so much that it has crashed my record!

A friend of mine, Charles, sent this to me. On expert, he pulled off 101 seconds on Expert! Cool! Just around 40+ more seconds, and he could've beaten the world record.

But do you think you can beat his record? Feel free to send your entries, and let the bragging rights commence! =P

A New 2009 Minesweeper Record!

There are things I never really thought would have happened in the beginning of 2009, and let's just say this one's pretty unexpected.

But before anything else, let's take a look back in regards to an entry last year:

You see, Ian sent me this picture:

So then, I posted this next picture:

So I laid out an invitation as to who can beat the record above. While I was doodling at work and minesweepering my arse off, this happened:

Yup, it has become quite addicting to say the least. So I'm inviting everyone once again. If by chance you're playing the Expert mode of Minesweeper, and you were able to beat the score of 116, feel free to send it so I can post your record for the world to see. =P

RIP - EGM Magazine (1989-2009)

First and foremost, a happy and healthy 2009 to everyone! Hope you guys didn't get too stuffed from the overload of food and the extended vacation!

But of course, things aren't as clear and bright as the sky, for the beginning of 2009 marked an end of an era in the eyes of a generation of gamers. Really, who would have known?

http://www.gamespot.com/news/blogs/sidebar/909182374/26738230/electronic-gaming-monthly-shutting-down.html?part=rss&tag=gs_news&subj=6202775 (this one's pretty direct to the point)

The closure of EGM is a shame for many different reasons. When I was but a little kid who wanted to get the "latest cheat codes" (since they were the in thing back then) and want to know everything ahead of the rest, I took the liberty to purchase copies of EGM (along with GamePRO) every month. Most of you readers would have a good idea on the sections they have offered over the years, especially (my personal favorite) the April Fool's specials (Sheng Long, IMO, is true!). I have so many fond memories with EGM (and EGM2) over the years, and it's a moment of melancholy for a long-time powerhouse to close down just like that. Imagine, they could have been celebrating 20 years of EGM in a few months, but January 2009 has become their one final hurrah.

Of course, people can argue as to why it has happened to an institution like EGM. And it's a mix of different factors, really (internally and externally). But in my view, much of it is contributed to what's happening in the world right now. In a world full of free information from various sources (PSN, X-Box Live, IGN, etc), this is of no surprise. But there is one thing for sure; I wholeheartedly and undoubtedly agree with my friends at GAME! Magazine and PlayGround Magazine that nothing beats the top-notch quality that magazines offer to the consumers, like it or not. Magazines and newspapers are fathers (or even grandfathers) to today's online media. Though the online generation is kicking up a notch, magazines can conjure up more than just delivering information. Talk about cliche (super cliche, to boot), but in terms of heart, magazines are the proverbial Rocky Balboa.



To this day, this is still my favorite cover, bar none.