Mario Kart 7 Review

 

Mario Kart is one of the few franchises that have been able to hop back and forth between handheld and home consoles without losing a whole lot in translation. Whether the last Mario Kart you played was the Wii version or the DS version, you were treated to an excellent game with plenty of tracks, characters, and multiplayer modes. Though it's easy to gloss over handheld iterations of any major series as auxiliary, Mario Kart 7 is the best put-together Mario Kart yet. And if you think it's because of the 3D, you'd be mistaken.

In fact, the 3D is so understated that sometimes it's hard to notice that it's even there. There are some decent 3D effects including sun flares and water effects, but if you are looking for a game with a lot of "pop," you won't find it here. It's actually quite refreshing, as a game like Mario Kart doesn't need flashy 3D effects. After playing in both 3D and 2D, I can confidently say that the 3D is not necessary for the game, and doesn't come close to being a selling point.

What actually is a selling point, though, is the new content. Mario Kart 7 has 16 new courses and several new characters for you to unlock, in addition to 16 "throwback" tracks taken from earlier games in the series. The new courses take advantage of a new multi-level track system that lets you take to the air with a glider or dive underwater. Although some of the places where you can use these abilities are pretty obvious, part of the fun of the game is finding secret areas where you can jump into the water or take flight to clip past your opponents. The new tracks in Mario Kart 7 are extremely detailed, and the more you play on them, the more you'll discover about the tracks and the secrets they hold.

The throwback tracks have also been done extremely well, and all of them seem to have been given a bit of graphical polish to bring them more in line with the new levels. The retro levels also feature new underwater and aerial areas, so you can explore some new areas of these familiar courses.

Another element that comes as a bit of a throwback is the reappearance of coins. For the last few iterations of Mario Kart, in-track coins have been strangely absent. However, the coins are back, and you can collect up to ten per stage to increase your maximum speed. You can also collect coins to unlock content, so even if you max out the amount of coins for speed purposes, you'll still want to continue collecting coins throughout each level.

Aside from all the new track content, Mario Kart 7 has taken a new approach to the vehicles this time around. You start by picking a base vehicle for your character (initial offerings include a kart, buggy, and birthday car) and then outfitting it with tires specialized for speed, handling, or off-road driving. You can then pick a specialty glider and go forth with your own custom vehicle. The vehicle customization isn't unlike that of Mario Kart Wii, though it's taken a bit further in Mario Kart 7, and again provides some much-needed depth to a system that may otherwise have been a little too simple.

There are some new power-ups as well. In addition to the various shells, mushrooms, and stars, Mario Kart 7 also includes a fire flower that lets you burn nearby enemies, a deflecting tanooki tail, and a bomb-omb that lets you blow up enemies that are a medium distance away. These power-ups are all quite useful, but there is one overstuffed power-up among the bunch that might annoy you even more than the accursed blue shell. It's called Lucky 7 and gives you all seven of the standard power-ups, (green shell, red shell, mushroom, inky, etc.) for you to use at your discretion. Any player who is lucky enough to get this power-up basically has "God Mode" on for a few minutes, and the effects on what might have otherwise been a close game are devastating. Aside from this annoyance, however, the new power-ups are a welcome addition to the Mario Kart roster.

 

Ninja Gaiden III Preview

Back in March of 2004, Tecmo did a fantastic job rebooting a series that was heralded on Nintendo's old bit consoles. The series, of course, was Ninja Gaiden, which evoked fond memories for gamers who remembered the simple yet satisfying ninja side-scrolling of an age long past. The series returned, receiving critical acclaim as well as excellent gamer support. Staying true to the expert challenge level, using fluid and satisfying combat controls, and, of course, splashing a little blood here and there, it was instantly likeable by the hardcore gaming audience, whether or not they were fans of the martial arts.

Now, however, it seems the spotlight has dimmed. The trailers and gameplay footage for the upcoming entry, Ninja Gaiden 3, are still receiving a few cheers, but those cheers are subsiding much more quickly. In fact, it almost seems that the weight of the criticisms and anxiety are burdening the shoulders of developer Team Ninja and publisher Tecmo, no longer under the guidance of legendary designer, Tomonobu Itagaki. Nonetheless, Team Ninja continues to work diligently to overcome all skepticism, bringing some fresh ideas to this longstanding franchise. So how is the project looking so far?

In Ninja Gaiden 3, the action blends with a political story, as London is seized by terrorists and the Prime Minister taken hostage. But the singular purpose of this attack is to lure hero Ryu Hayabusa out of the shadows. After coming face to face with the terrorist leader—known only as the Regent of the Mask—Ryu is struck with a curse on his right arm, which leaves it stricken with pain and soaked in blood. This curse, called the Grip of Murder, is powered by the lives cut short by the sharp blade of Ryu's katana. 

Despite taking the form of a curse, the Grip of Murder actually builds to an ultimate attack after a certain number of enemies are killed, as Ryu's arm glows red with searing heat. The long-term consequences of this curse remain a mystery, but it's likely we'll see some wear on Ryu's conscience as the story unfolds.

A few changes to the combat strategy will have you retune your controls if you've just come off a refresher run through Ninja Gaiden II. The Reverse Wind technique, the go-to dodge maneuver, has been replaced by a slide, which closes the gap quickly between Rya and his enemies, staggering them briefly. It will also be used during exploration to access low-profile areas. Another new and multiuse feature comes in the form of kunai knives, which can take down snipers on rooftops or help Ryu reach those rooftops by acting as a climbing tool.

Although Ninja Gaiden 3 is certainly not skimping on blood, an interesting development choice is the removal of decapitations. It's true that some players may tire of that sort of thing, depending on who you ask, but considering the typical extent of violence that comes from using an extremely sharp blade, the authenticity of the action may be questionable here. Of course, the new slow-motion cinematic camera shots of your blade piercing the torso of a terrorist thug and slicing through bone will have you checking Mortal Kombat for comparisons, but these new slow-mo visuals may work against the quick combat pacing the series is known for.

The Muramasa store has also been eliminated, and instead of upgrading your weapons using essence, they will simply upgrade over time during gameplay. The Dragon Statues (save points) have been replaced with falcons that swoop down at specific checkpoints. Thankfully, the Ninpo magic is still an alternative in combat, but instead of slots, a green bar is filled as enemies are killed.

Ninja Gaiden 3 will attempt to improve upon the multiplayer seen in Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, the only iteration in the modern series to incorporate it. Surprisingly, the highlighted mode is not going to be a free-for-all Deathmatch; there will be a strong focus on co-op instead. Ninja Trials will pair you with other players to tackle objective-based missions, with some fiendishly difficult scenarios, much like the challenge you'll find in the single-player campaign. Clan Battles will allow you to test your skilled team against others around the world, competing for experience to spend on customization and item unlocks. A dozen player-controlled ninjas slicing through the arena sounds like fun, but from gameplay footage so far, the level design could stand to use some work and the movement speed could benefit from a little more pressure on the gas pedal. Considering multiplayer is a relatively new feature for the Ninja Gaiden series, it will be interesting to see how the finished product holds up against the stiff competition.

Ninja Gaiden has an iconic history, and the series reboot did a fine job enrapturing us once again. However, the newest entry is taking us on a slight detour from what we've come to expect, and only the full release will be enough for us to know which way to turn our thumbs. Fortunately, both PS3 and Xbox 360 owners will have the same game to test, and even those awaiting Nintendo's Wii U will have this one to look forward to once the system is released.

Need For Speed: The Run Cheats

 Cheat mode At the main menu, select the "Extras" option, and choose the "Cheat Codes" selection. Then, enter one of the following codes to activate the corresponding cheat function:

AEM Intake Challenge Series Enter "aemintakes" as a code to unlock the AEM Intake Challenge Series.

Achievements Accomplish the indicated achievement to get the corresponding number of Gamerscore points:

Welcome to The Run (25 points): Complete Stage 1.
Walk in the Park (25 points): Complete Stage 2.
Vegas Baby! (25 points): Complete Stage 3.
Cop Out (25 points): Complete Stage 4.
Mr. Plow (25 points): Complete Stage 5.
Thunder Road (25 points): Complete Stage 6.
The Windy City (50 points): Complete Stage 7.
Got to the Chopper (50 points): Complete Stage 8.
Hot Pursuit (50 points): Complete Stage 9.
I Heart NY (50 points): Complete Stage 10.
Coast to Coast (50 points): Complete The Run on any difficulty.
Win at Winning (30 points): Play through The Run on Extreme Difficulty.
What else you got? (15 points): Beat a Friend Recommends.
Show Off (15 points): Post a photo using Photo Mode.
Current Events (10 points): Read a News Article.
All for one (15 points): Complete a Group Objective.
Gold Rush (20 points): Earn a gold medal or better for each event in the "Coastal Rush" Challenge Series.
National Gold (20 points): Earn a gold medal or better for each event in the "National Park" Challenge Series.
Nevada Gold (20 points): Earn a gold medal or better for each event in the "Nevada Dreams" Challenge Series.
Valley Gold (25 points): Earn a gold medal or better for each event in the "Desert Valley" Challenge Series.
Winter Gold (25 points): Earn a gold medal or better for each event in the "Winter Blast" Challenge Series.
Interstate Gold (25 points): Earn a gold medal or better for each event in the "Plains Interstate" Challenge Series.
City Gold (25 points): Earn a gold medal or better for each event in the "Windy City" Challenge Series.
Industrial Gold (25 points): Earn a gold medal or better for each event in the "Industrial Run" Challenge Series.
Rural Gold (25 points): Earn a gold medal or better for each event in the "Rural Track Attack" Challenge Series.
East Coast Gold (25 points): Earn a gold medal or better for each event in the "East Coast Express" Challenge Series.
New Car Smell (15 points): Reach Driver Level 5.
Street Racer (15 points): Reach Driver Level 10.
Professional (15 points): Reach Driver Level 15.
Champion (15 points): Reach Driver Level 20.
Veteran (25 points): Reach Driver Level 25.
Legendary (30 points): Reach Driver Level 30.
Choices... (15 points): Complete 15 online objectives and unlock all Playlists.
One for all (50 points): Complete 5 Group Objectives.
Bonus Wheel (75 points): Win this Bonus Wheel reward in Multiplayer.
King for a Day (25 points): Become a Stage Leader in The Run (fastest time posted).

GTA 5 release date set as January 15th 2012

Grand Theft Auto 5 to touch down early next year The next instalment of the hugely popular Gran Theft Auto gaming franchise, the heavily mooted GT5, is to officially launch on January 15th 2012, new reports suggest.

Currently listed for release on the early 2012 date by online retailer GameStop Germany, a January 15th arrival would likely see the currently unannounced gaming title officially unveiled by developer Rockstar at this June’s E3 gaming convention in LA.

Far from the first we have heard about an upcoming GTA 5 release, last year a series of job advertisements were posted by Rockstar with titles hinting towards involvement with the eagerly awaited follow-up to Vice City, San Andreas and GTA IV.

Adding weight to the GameStop listing, Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter last year proclaimed: “We fully expect the next instalment of Grand Theft Auto to be released by Q4:12 at the latest, as the company’s contracts with the three employees most instrumental in the game’s development (Les Benzies, Sam and Dan Houser) expire in January 2012.”

Battlefield 3 multiplayer tips and tricks|

Battlefield 3 Multiplayer tricks and tips

If you bought Battlefield 3 I can almost guarantee you didn’t buy it for the single player(being that is is very short), but for the multiplayer. If you are new to the Battlefield series this may be a bit different for you so check out these tips and tricks to get the edge in your matches!

Admittedly I am a bit of a noob to the large scale Battlefield games so if you know something I don’t let me know in the comments and I’ll post it giving you credit.
Battlefield 3 multiplayer tips and tricks 1 – Check your controls. If you don’t play the campaign, which I know some of you won’t, then check the controls. This isn’t your typical CoD controls and I didn’t see an option to make them similar so check them out. Also on this the default controls for the Jets and choppers is inverted which I believe you can change in the options.
Battlefield 3 multiplayer tips and tricks 2 – Use the vehicles properly. This is something I see often and is very annoying. If you take any land vehicle give it a couple seconds and I guarantee if other people are around the will hop in as well. Don’t do the lone ranger thing if you meet a tank with two people and you are only one you will lose the tank and most likely die. Vehicles can turn the tide of any fight if used correctly so don’t just rush in and sacrifice them. They can be used to capture control points as well.


Battlefield 3 multiplayer tips and tricks 3 – The brush is your friend. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve just been on the edge of some shrubs or a bush waiting for a squad to roll up to one of the letters and I just roll them from behind. Sitting at the edge of the brush makes you very hard to see but you can see through the little holes from the branches. Don’t be a fool and stay to long though they will likely catch on after one or two. Even if they do and they rush in to check you can mow one or two down before you die. If they check it alone knife them and find someone else to hide or go head hunting.
Battlefield 3 multiplayer tips and tricks 4 – Destructible environments. Got a sniper in a building you simple can’t get to? Bring a tank or helicopter to the building and start blowing the walls down. A sniper won’t be able to do enough damage to take any heavy vehicle out quickly so you can’t destroy his cover and murder him quickly if you have the fire power.
Battlefield 3 multiplayer tips and tricks 5 – Protect the objectives. As far as I’ve seen there are no kill streaks in this game so if you are letting an objective get blown up you really are not helping the team. That said rushing in and only trying to disarm the bomb will likely get you killed. Scout it out you have about 30 seconds until they blow up. Make sure the area is clear then disable the bomb. It also will get you some nice points.
Battlefield 3 Multiplayer Class tips (Thanks to Guest Hero Cooper)
MEDIC – You carry a medi-pack. USE IT! even if your not hit other team members can find it on the map and heal also giving you stacks of points. also defib. one of the fastest ways to gain points if your not great at shooting is to get your team back up. not only does this rack up your score but every time you get a man up your refunded a spawn ticket and will stay in the game longer.
Engineer – If your not driving the Armor/vehicles, your destroying them. don’t neglect mines. place these at junctions, choke off points and bottle necks 3 at a time to finish a tank earning you 250 points plus. also grenade enemy mines stopping your armour being destroyed and giving you points also. when in a stand off with armour quickly jumping out at the last minute and firing an RPG its faster than waiting to see who gets the last shot out of a tank.
Assault – DROP THE AMMO CRATE if your doing well and not dying your gonna need more ammo. ask team mate for it by pressing select (or jumping around in front get results too) most assault weapons wander whilst firing the bipod is the best for stopping this (double click aim to set up) and spot your targets.
Sniper – sitting back and camping will only get you so far in BF3 but if you must deploy your motion sensor or i will find you and cut you. keep moving to avoid enemy snipers. also spot your enemys it helps not only locate that 1 target is but also where others may be spawning so be a team player… or switch over to COD. some semi auto rifles are useful up close if the scope is removed.
Vehicles – wait a second at the start of the game before driving away in the APC’s nothing worst/more stupid than leaving your team to run in. more guns on the battlefield the better. if your using a transport helicopter just to get to the battle field take a passenger seat. ghosting it into a building after you’ve bail out killing the rest of the crew is just idiotic. jets, took me a couple of goes to get the missiles but be patient its worth it in the end. when bailing out don’t hit the parachute if your hi up. do some sky diving/HALO jumping and open up just before the ground. Thats all i can think of for now. hope it helps

CS 1.6 TRICKS

Counter Strike Basic Strategies

1. Know your weapons
Know your weapons strength, weaknesses, and most of all how much ammo is in it.  You should always be using the right weapon for the right scenario.  For example you wouldn’t want to go into close quarters combat with a sniper rifle.  So, you should switch to your pistols.   Vice versa once you made it out of a close quarter’s area and your out in a wide open space switch back to your sniper rifle.
Also make sure your backup weapons are loaded and they are binded in case you need to quickly switch back to them.
Never Spray and Pray’ (Accuracy will keep you alive)
One of the most common mistakes that newbie’s will make is holding down the fire button.  Holding down the fire button with automatic weapons will greatly reduce the player’s accuracy.   In fact if they hold down the button too long they will hit anything but their target.  Usually firing one to three rounds at a time is best. 
2.  Stay with your teammates
Never try to go off and play Rambo.   Stay with friends and use team work to take out the enemy and stay alive.  Think of this many real world tactics and strategies use team work.  For example house clearing.   Wouldn’t it be easier to have three players with you before you go through a door way while one teammate covers your back another watches the overhead area. And another throws a flash bang into the room.   You are unlikely to be shot from behind, the enemy can’t rush out and kill you, and finally you never have to let your guard down not having a weapon ready since you are throwing a flash bang.
You might not get great support like this scenario in a pub server.  You can still get one or two teammates to help you though.   You will have to have your mic and good voice commands you are likely to coerce team members to cover your back and throw in a flash bang for you.
3. Use your Radar
Radar is perhaps the most blown off or unused tool in Counter Strike. 
Radar is essential and there is no excuse for opening up on your teammates and friendly fire deaths.
Radar- Is the green circle icon on your screen that helps you know your location and your surroundings
Here are five important icons to remember
-A red dot represents the VIP (Only seen by CT’s on as_maps/bomb carrier is only seen by the T’s on de_maps
-A T shape represents a teammate a level above you.
-An upside down T shape represents a Team member a level below you.
-A yellow square represents a Teammate using the Radio
4. Use communication
IF you are going to excel in clan matches you’re going to have to use team strategies.  To use any strategies or tactics you will need to communicate.   So, you should bind essential radio commands that will help you communicate with your teammates.  You can also get a decent mic and talk to your teammates.  Just make sure all talk is not on obviously.   Some players will even bind aliases to give text messages.
5.  Use Stealth
Stealth is extremely important.   Remember noise gives you away!   Walking over grates, rooftops is especially loud, and don’t forget climbing ladders.
Use a M4 or usp with a silencer
Use a silenced weapon so you won’t give away your location.  If you are a T this is even better; because the CT’s will not expect a sneaky T with a silenced M4a that he has acquired.   Also it’s optimal to take out the enemy and not give away your exact location to the enemies.
Step Silent
Use the side of walls to walk along to slow your speed slightly and silence your steps.  Even better you can crouch and use the walk key to slow and silence your steps.
Going up and down ladders
You can actually crouch while going down a ladder; and guess what you will make no noise at all.   Going up or down a ladder you should walk into the wall while on the ladder. Make sure you only to move your mouse a tiny bit to ensure you go up or down. This way you can stay silent.
You can use stealth and still be offensive.  You should practice stalking enemies by using your radar, listen for footsteps, all while keeping quiet and hidden yourself.  Coming up on an unaware enemy at close range is an easy kill.
Stay in inconspicuous low lighted areas of the map.  There is nothing wrong with hiding if you are low on health.  Try this and you will be surprised at the number of players that will fly right by you.
6.  Know your location and surroundings
Know where you are, your teammates, and where enemies are likely to be.   You should always take a quick check to how many players are still alive too.  Plus if you see that a member on your team just died and you know he was in a location ahead of you.  You know that the enemy is in that location now.
Keeping the enemy guessing where you are at is crucial.  Keep quiet and be prepared.  If the enemy knows your location after a firefight you should move out of that area.   If you have been spotted or it is too late keep your self moving in a way that you are unlikely to be hit by the enemy.   Use quick strafing techniques while you take shots at the enemy.  Popular techniques to make your self a hard target include the following.
Strafe and zigzag towards your enemy to take him out.  Do it quickly so other teammates do not come to assist him or get to your location in time to help him.
Jump up and down to avoid being shot in the head.   Players are used to changing their aim more horizontally than a drastic vertical change.  Note: you can only do this now and then for a short time when you cannot avoid taking fire from the enemy.  This is great if you have an AWP because jumping will not affect your aim.
Lure the enemy into an ambush.  Run towards your teammates and get in position to take out the enemy that is chasing after you.  This is great if you have low health and ammo.
Shoot then ambush:  fire a few shots in the enemies’ general direction run back and take cover.  While the enemy is searching for you take him out with a few shots.  The great thing about this technique is the enemy is usually out in the open, they don’t know where you are, and you know exactly where they are at.  Plus after you kill them they will feel a little stupid.
Out of game help
1.  Setup your controls to optimize your game play
See the control settings article
2.  Get the best hardware and tweak your settings
Sites like rage3d.com will give you knowledge and the know how to get the highest CPU speed and FPS in counterstrike strategy
3.  Practice, Practice, Practice
There is no substitute for practice.   Players that get more out of practice our ones that learn techniques then slowly apply them in real live game play.  Also players that succeed are ones that keep an open mind (even if they are very experienced) and learn from strategies and as well as mistakes.
Many players will agree that being able to dominate in counter strike will defiantly make game play much more enjoyable.  Have fun!