Something’s….different about you

So how do you take a system that is on the cusp of being phased out and breathe fresh new life into it for less than the cost of a single game?

Several weeks ago, I finally got around to modding my Xbox and opening up a whole new world of entertainment. Streaming videos directly from the PC with digital audio, enough previous-gen emulation to make a man cry, and the ability to “rent” titles before you buy them has always been a no-brainer of a decision. The only obstacle to doing this sooner has been the reluctance to make a potentially devastating alteration to my one and only console. Oh, what a fool I’ve been…the solderless adapter for the modchip makes installation a breeze (not to mention entirely reversible). Every instruction you need can be found at Xbox-Scene as long as you’re willing to do the legwork yourself. There is very little handholding in this endeavor, but I give you every assurance that it is worth it.

Today’s post was going to be a review of “Slapdash Racer” - its an exciting rts racing sim that pits you against dozens of competitors as you hastily cobble together a vehicle from parts found in a junkyard to race in a NASCAR/Demolition Derby hybrid league. The problem is - the game doesn’t exist. So in that respect, its much like Duke Nukem Forever, Xlll - part 2, and any other game that never made the jump from production to reality.

A moment of silence for those who remain in the purgatory that is “Near Completion”.
(Read on …)

There’s nothing more frustrating than having a new game that you can’t play. I seem to have hit a bad streak this week, with more than one game biting it during the pre-play stages.

First, I’ve been downloading a lot of demos recently. The thought of being able to play part of a game for free strikes my cheap-game button square on. Unfortunately, the UFO: Aftermath demo never played right. It ran, but every time I started a game it gave me a black screen. This was dissapointing because I loved the old “X-Com” games this is based on. I never figured out the problem there…

Then Max Payne 2 couldn’t even get past the install phase, and that was a full version thereof. Apparently Max isn’t so happy with the “Cyclic Redundancy Check” during install and bombs out three-quarters of the way through. What bothers me the most about this problem is that the help manual specifically mentions the CRC error and mentions a way that might help you. It doesn’t, by the way. This means those bastards knew that this would be a problem and still couldn’t get it fixed. Luckily I paid $8 for a used version, so I’m not too upset. Of course, the used version may very well be the problem…

Luckily, Sonic Heroes for the PS2 works just fine. So far it’s good arcade action but it’s a 3D version of what was classically a 2D game, so the jury is still out on whether the jump was successful. Having to steer around a track at Sonic speeds is no joke. It’s a good thing, though, because I love to collect rings. Even if the game turns out to be poorly executed, it’s $20 new, $15 used, and action games are great for rentals.

I’ve recently run across a few interesting videos you should check out:

This is why no other country can come up with the same game concepts as the Japanese.

Japanese Upskirt — Well it’s official: the Japanese come out with games that are on another plane of sanity compared to anyone else. There’s a new fighting game out where the female fighters need to take pictures underneath their opponent’s skirt in order to help win the game. No, I’m not joking. Check out the official site, as well as the video (thanks to the Inverted Castle blog, where this story appears to have originated first in English. The game is called "Line-Kill Spirits" apparently, which is probably a literal and very bad translation.

Xbox 360 Smashing — a few months ago I had the idea of smashing a brand-new Xbox 360 in order to promote the Eat My Bomb site. Needless to say, the rest of the EMB crew didn’t think it was such a good idea.

Well, it turns out someone else already had the idea, and actually followed through with it. See this video on smashmyxbox.com to see this guy wait in line for 2 days in the cold to be first in line to get an Xbox 360—only to smash it in front of the Xbox fanboys.

Hardcore Grandma Gamer — You may have heard of this one recently. A grandma who likes video games, and swears at the TV while playing! It appears from the video that she has all three consoles. Now that’s a way to retire.

Brixtone’s Ravenshield challenge was answered last night by Scrimpnut, Daedalus, and Dodongo. After failing the co-op mission in pathetic fashion time and time again, we treated ourselves to some team survival matches and a good time was had by all. Gaming continued until 2:30 in the AM at which time those of us who work at jobs had to get a few precious hours of sleep before hitting the bricks in the morning.

God speed my worker bees. Here are some pics to help you through the day…

Looking for Group

While my quest for employment continues, I strive for a sense of daily accomplishment wherever I can find it. What better way to prove my worth than by rescuing some hostages? Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six 3: Ravenshield provides the perfect outlet for my inner peacekeeper. To blur the lines between the game and reality I’ve started wearing an all-black baseball cap, chewing on either gum or a toothpick, and muttering catch phrases like “I’m getting too old for this shit.”

But I’m only one man and I’m frequently outnumbered. That’s where you come in. Here’s what I need from you:

• Get Ravenshield
• Patch to version 1.60
• Join my server and help me eliminate the Russian threat

Together, we can bring justice to the virtual world and save innocent lives. The first outing is tonight at 8:00 pm. Be there or be grotesquely obese.

I’ll get back to you later….