GeekSugar

Game I Was Most Surprised By at E3: Just Cause 2

GeekSugar — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 10:10:56 PDT

With E3 being such a big expo, it's a challenge to keep all the games you see straight. But one game I can't stop thinking about is Just Cause 2. Although I haven't played the first installment of the franchise, I'm really surprised at how much I'm looking forward to the second title in the series. If you aren't familiar with the it either, let me break it down for you: you play as Rico Rodriguez, a CIA Black Ops agent assigned to the tropical island of Panau to overthrow an evil dictator, as well as find and confront his former boss, Tom Sheldon.

Sounds kinda run-of-the-mill so far, yeah? Well think again. Since Just Cause 2 won't be out until next year, a handful of press members were treated to a demo of the game by one of the developers at E3, and although he is obviously a pro at it, it just showed us the potential that this game has to be freaking awesome. Find out why I liked it so much, and why I think you will too when you

read more. Just Cause 2 is a solid third-person shooter, but it has a lot of tricks up its sleeve. Not only do you get to use a parachute, grappling hook, and some seriously cool weapons, but your over 300 side missions (on a huge map landscape that has you utilizing the entire island for gameplay) are to basically wreak havoc on your enemy's military bases and blow stuff up. And who doesn't want to blow stuff up every once in a while? Plus, riding on the roof of a car to fight off your advisories while your partner drives through a jungle island is also kinda awesome. The demo was short and sweet, but by the time I left the room, I was sold. This may not be the game you're used to playing (from what I can gather, the controls are going to be pretty involved since you have so many weapons), but you may want to step out of your comfort zone and give this one a shot. Just Cause 2 will be out in early 2010 for your Xbox 360 and PS3 systems.

A DS Stylus Fit For the My Favorite Gadgets Group

GeekSugar — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 01:45:25 PDT

I'll admit it, I haven't shown that much love to the My Favorite Gadgets group lately, but trust me, it's not due to lack of options! Worthy of its own entry, I found this DS Stylus pack at E3, and couldn't get over how I haven't seen them anywhere before. I mean, a light up Lightsaber-shaped stylus? Come on, that's too easy!

Although I didn't grab a pack for myself while hitting up the merch booths, I did make a mental note for future birthdays, Christmases, and heck, even anniversaries. There's never really a bad time for Star Wars.

Do you have a favorite gadget you can't live without? Post it to our Favorite Gadgets Group! Find out how to get started when you

Project Milo: Creepy or Crazy Awesome?

GeekSugar — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 15:33:19 PDT

Before I even got the chance to touch down in LA last week, gaming news began pouring out of E3, and one of the biggest conversation starters was Milo. Milo is a program brought to you by Lionhead Studios and Peter Molyneux (of Fable fame), which allows you to interact with an artificially intelligent boy on screen. Personally, I don't know what to think! On one hand, the technology it takes to create such a complex program boggles the mind, but on the other, it's a little on the creepy side. Take a look at the demo that came out of the Xbox 360 press conference yesterday and tell me what you think.

Video Games | Lionhead Milo Project | E3 09: Milo Tech Demo

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Confession: I Fell in Love With Three Mini Ninjas at E3

GeekSugar — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 03:28:01 PDT

To say that Mini Ninjas is cute is an understatement. I already knew I was falling for this game back when I first saw the trailer, but I had no idea how great it would be until I got my hands on it at E3. It's not only a cute game, but it's totally addictive and really, really fun too. As the story goes, you play as one of three student ninjas (you can switch back and forth between once they are all unlocked) that are out to defeat the evil Samurai Master and his warriors, who are really forest animals whose spirits have been captured for some serious wrongdoing.

Playing the game is simple, but keeps you interested, not only for the controls and tricks, but because of the art style. And besides, who doesn't like being a ninja?! You can use the forest animals you've freed from captivity along the way to your advantage, and each character has a super power they can use to help in the quest, not to mention some spell action achievements you can earn. To see who this game is perfect for, just

read more. Since Mini Ninjas doesn't show off any blood and gut scenes like other fighting games, it's gonna be good for (but definitely not limited to) the kiddies, but will for sure reach a wide audience with its appeal. And seriously, Mini Ninjas had by far the most interesting (and yes, cute) booth at E3. Awesome. Mini Ninjas is coming to your DS, Wii, Xbox 360, PC, and PS3 in September.

The Other Side of E3: Shopping!

GeekSugar — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 07:25:03 PDT

Although my eyeballs were plastered to LCDs for the majority of E3, I managed to take some breaks and head on over to the merch booths. I picked myself up one of these DS Lite organizers, which caught my eye from their resemblance to the one that comes with the lime green DS bundle. Brought to you by Power A, who makes tons of portable gaming accessories, you can get your own case from Target (my fave), Best Buy, and even Kmart.

The tri-fold organizers not only hold your DS, but three game cartridges, and some extra styli just in case. Although I haven't seen these in my Target (trust me, I'd know), I did find them online for $15 bucks.

Beatles Rock Band: As Awesome As You'd Expect

GeekSugar — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 01:46:53 PDT

I got a "behind closed doors" demo of Beatles Rock Band at E3 last week, and needless to say, this installment of the music megaforce will be at the top of my must have list all Summer. Coming with 45 songs to choose from (either stocked, or as downloads) you have a serious collection of playable music from the best band, like ever.

I can't tell you how excited I've been for this to be released (well, maybe you could tell?), but now that I've seen it live and in person, my flame has been stoked. Not only are there new replica instruments like Ringo's drum kit (with the classic Beatles kick shield), Paul's beautiful Höfner bass, Lennon's Rickenbacker 325 guitar, and George's Gretsch Duo Jet guitar, but you get to play in real clubs and stadiums that the Beatles have played in (hello Ed Sullivan Theater!), and can now sing three-way harmonies so everyone can get in on the action.

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To hear even more about Beatles Rock Band, just read more. Another good reason to pick up this installment is because literally everyone can jump in. You have the option of making the song no-fail (so those peeps who are new to the game can play through), and easy, which doesn't dock you for notes you miss, but gives you credit for the ones you make. This is not only good for newcomers, but for those party situations where you (possibly) have had too much to drink. Hey, it happens. Another good bit of news is that your old Rock Band and Rock Band 2 instruments will work on this installment, and vice versa, which leaves no excuse for you to pick this up. Start marking off your calendars, as Beatles Rock Band is coming September 9.

PSP vs. PSP Go: Which Is Better?

GeekSugar — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 09:07:39 PDT

I got the chance to check out LittleBigPlanet on the PSP yesterday, and put it to a head-to-head test on Sony's latest console, the PSP Go. So after fiddling around with both for a few minutes, I asked myself: "Which is better?" It's really hard to say. I mean, you'd think that moving from one PSP to the other would be as simple as moving from the DS to the DS Lite, but then, you would be wrong.

The PSP Go is notably more compact than the PSP, making the controls closer together, which is perfect for smaller, ahem, more feminine or childlike hands. Good marketing ploy perhaps? Either way, the PSP Go has an amazing screen, is 40 percent lighter than the old version, has the same general control layout, 16 GB of on-board memory, and an online shop to download games straight to your console.

But getting down to the nuts and bolts, which of the two PSPs is more comfy to play with? Find out my take when you

read more. Although I love the new screen and portability of the PSP Go (you don't have to carry around any cartridges), I have to admit that playing with the old PSP felt a lot better in my hands. And besides that, the price point is kinda high for a portable console (a whopping $250), and the wireless is not what you'd expect from a device that costs that much (wireless B, really? It's the same as what comes stocked on the PSP-3000). Change isn't always easy, but I thought that Sony would have made it a no-brainer, since they were the only gaming company that released a new console at E3 this year. The PSP Go hits shelves this Fall for $250, so the decision is up to you.

Yoostar Lets You Star in Your Favorite Movies From Home

GeekSugar — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:00:13 PDT

I have to admit that I was a little confused before I met with the Yoostar peeps at E3 yesterday, but after getting my hands (and face) on the product, my mind was made up: I want one of these. If you've always dreamed of playing a character in a movie - but maybe don't quite have the acting chops - then this is your game. Yoostar enables you to digitally embed your voice, picture, and action right into your favorite TV and movie scenes with the help of a powerful camera and green screen.

Coming this August, Yoostar is packed with everything you need right out of the box: the Yoostar software, a webcam with built-in mic, a remote control, and a six by six-foot green screen. From there, all you have to do is download the software to your computer (both Mac and PC friendly), set up your webcam and green screen, pick one of the fourteen bundled scenes that comes with the package, and you're ready to star in a scene with your favorite actors.

Why would you want to do this? Find out the answer, along with the price, what else you can do with the package, and a demo video when you

read more. I had a seriously good time costarring in a scene from Sesame Street with Elmo (I played Grover), and if I were a kid, I'd be all over it! Family game night just went high tech. Your kids could act out their favorite scenes and put on a show for the whole family to enjoy (don't worry, there are plenty of G-Rated scenes to choose from and download on yoostar.com), and if you want to be Internet famous, this is one way to do it. The quality of the finished product was surprisingly good, with the sound and picture being really clear. But, if I had time to practice my lines instead of reading the on-screen script, it would have looked way better. Hey, I'm a perfectionist like that. And the good news is, the webcam and mic are high quality, so you can use this as your full-time webcam to chat with friends and family, or even use the setup to star in your own video blogs. Hitting the shelves in August, Yoostar comes in at $169.99 and with a six-foot green screen, which seems ridiculously low - these things don't come cheap!

The ShamWow of E3: Splinter Cell Conviction

GeekSugar — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 10:10:45 PDT

If you've seen the infomercials for ShamWow on late-night TV, then I'm assuming you're a proud owner of the super absorbent shammy. I know I am. So when I saw this guy at the Ubisoft booth at E3 yesterday, it totally reminded me of the commercial. He was so excited about the new features in Splinter Cell Conviction that he had a huge crowd forming! Hey, if you weren't already excited to play the game, then you should be now. "Mark and execute" the video of this enthusiastic developer (and seasoned salesman) in the short video below.

Active Life Extreme Challenge Hands-On: Fun and Functional

GeekSugar — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 07:15:55 PDT

When I arrived in LA yesterday, I had no idea that my day would begin with a workout - and I'm not talking about my hotel's gym! I'm talking about the demo of Active Life: Extreme Challenge at the Namco Bandai booth here at E3. Not only is Active Life: Extreme Challenge fun, but it packs a punch too. The minigames you play are unexpected (including street luge, jump rope, wind surfing, and base jumping), and they are surprisingly effective at leaving your abs tingling and your face sweaty.

Although I'm obviously a huge fan of Wii Fit, I'd have to say that Active Life: Extreme Challenge may put up a pretty good fight in the exergaming market, and dare I say, it has the potential to take it over. Why would I make such a statement? Find out when you

read more. Like I said, I love Wii Fit, and although I lost a few pounds during my Wii Fit Challenge, AL:EC has you jumping and leaning in more ways than the Wii Fit did. In terms of sweat factor, I think AL:EC has a leg up on Wii Fit. Plus, since it comes with the controller floor pad (a la DDR), you're set to go right out of the box. Extra bonus? You'll be able to use your Mii's in the game too. Active Life: Extreme Challenge is due out this fall on your Wii.