Well I finally got around to seeing Star Wars : Episode III and it didn't dissapoint. I really liked all the little details to tie it into Episode IV, plus it had quite a bit of action which doesn't hurt. By no means the best of the series, but far better than Episodes I, and II.
I also watched War of the Worlds Tuesday night, and it wasn't bad either. The special effects were excellent, and it did not seem to drag along. I don't recall seeing the original version in full, but I recall bits and pieces of it. I know its playing in town Saturday night, and it might be on my to do list.
I finally got my free XM Roady 2 Radio (from a JCPenny promotion about 2 1/2 months ago). I've had it since Wednesday and so far it's awesome. I haven't spent long enough periods in the truck to try out all the stations, but have found a couple of favorites. I won't say it's the greatest thing since sliced bread although it could be close.
The DVR was the last piece of equipment I got that truely blew me away. Does not matter if you buy a Replay, TiVo, or whatever. That little box changed the way I watch TV period. I just commented yesterday to a friend who had joined the DVR ranks to say goodbye to his VCR, and he said he had already unhooked it. I don't see the XM radio in this light yet, but it's really growing on me. I haven't had the car stereo tuned in since I got it. There are just so many options, and truthfully I haven't listened to 85% of the channels yet. Now probably 10% of those I will *never* listen too, but you get the idea.
There has been more hacking on the PSP front. Last week they got homebrew (emulators) to run on v1.50 models (which is the default release here in the states, unless you upgraded wirelessly...). Now they have written a boot loader that allows Lumines to run off a memory stick. Right now there is no sound, but originally it required any UMD to be in the drive. They have already released an update which doesn't require a UMD so the sound can't be far off. It was enough of an insentive I got off my ass and bought a 512 MB stick. :)
Friday, July 01, 2005
Friday, June 24, 2005
Updates...
Well since it's summer, and most of my "What I'm watching" list was out of date. I've updated the side panel for a more current reflection.
The dead are alive, er.. yeah.
Well I watched Land of the Dead this morning, and I must say that is one excellent zombie flick. I would rank the Romero dead movies like this Dawn, Night, Land, followed by Day. Land just can't come before Night, but they could be really close, maybe a tie for second favorite (I'll have to watch Land again, and see if it holds up to repeat viewings). Of course this doesn't include any of the remakes, or similar premise movies like Return of the Living Dead series, 28 Days Later, Zombie, etc.
It had some good gore moments, although like Dawn of the Dead there were more than a couple laugh out loud times too. That might be why I enjoy most of the Return movies also, you get a great dose of horror, but they still manage to provide some comic relief. :P
Speaking of good gore I heard that High Tension (U.S. name of the french film Haute Tension) has some really gory bits. I just couldn't bring myself to watch the half dubbed/cut version that Lions Gate shoveled out, so I picked up the uncut french version (Switchblade Romance the U.K. name of the same french film?!) dvd. So I'm looking forward to watching it at some point.
It had some good gore moments, although like Dawn of the Dead there were more than a couple laugh out loud times too. That might be why I enjoy most of the Return movies also, you get a great dose of horror, but they still manage to provide some comic relief. :P
Speaking of good gore I heard that High Tension (U.S. name of the french film Haute Tension) has some really gory bits. I just couldn't bring myself to watch the half dubbed/cut version that Lions Gate shoveled out, so I picked up the uncut french version (Switchblade Romance the U.K. name of the same french film?!) dvd. So I'm looking forward to watching it at some point.
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Betas, demos, games, and movies...
Well I was accepted as a beta tester for GameTap. It's a broadband entertainment network, kinda reminds me of Phantom console that was supposed to come out but without the hardware. You use your PC to connect to an area of playable games, download content, and more. I guess they had a booth at E3 that somehow I missed, I do remember seeing people with GameTap shirts, but didn't see anything else.
Picked up Destroy All Humans! this weekend, finally got around to playing it yesterday and must say it's a lot of fun. You have missions to accomplish in each area, but then you can go back and roam around finding hidden objects, complete objective points, or just run around probing everything in sight. :) It's kinda like GTA, except set in the 1950's, with little grey men. The starting area is pretty big, but I guess by the time you get to the third area the map is huge. I can say this is one game where the demo sold me, I really enjoyed it, and the actual game is just as good.
Speaking of demos, I did finally download Battlefield 2 but have yet to install it and try it out. I also got in on the F.E.A.R. beta (which I guess is public now, so not really much of a feat) downloaded it over the weekend too. I need to clear off some room on my PC to try out all this stuff.
I also finally got around to playing the Darkwatch demo (XBOX) that was on the Official Xbox Magazine coverdisc a while back. It was a "expired" demo that got put on the disc, and finally found that you have to change your Xbox system date to play it (and unplug your LIVE connection if you have one!?). It's a Western themed FPS where you play a vampire looking to kill a few dead/demons. At points during the demo you can make a choice, either to do something evil or good which seems to have a impact on your special abilities, and it also features targetable areas so you can shoot off both arms, a head, etc.
I finally looking forward to some of the summer movie releases, this week Land of the Dead comes out, and next week is War of the Worlds, both of which look good. Now if I can come up with some time to watch them...
Picked up Destroy All Humans! this weekend, finally got around to playing it yesterday and must say it's a lot of fun. You have missions to accomplish in each area, but then you can go back and roam around finding hidden objects, complete objective points, or just run around probing everything in sight. :) It's kinda like GTA, except set in the 1950's, with little grey men. The starting area is pretty big, but I guess by the time you get to the third area the map is huge. I can say this is one game where the demo sold me, I really enjoyed it, and the actual game is just as good.
Speaking of demos, I did finally download Battlefield 2 but have yet to install it and try it out. I also got in on the F.E.A.R. beta (which I guess is public now, so not really much of a feat) downloaded it over the weekend too. I need to clear off some room on my PC to try out all this stuff.
I also finally got around to playing the Darkwatch demo (XBOX) that was on the Official Xbox Magazine coverdisc a while back. It was a "expired" demo that got put on the disc, and finally found that you have to change your Xbox system date to play it (and unplug your LIVE connection if you have one!?). It's a Western themed FPS where you play a vampire looking to kill a few dead/demons. At points during the demo you can make a choice, either to do something evil or good which seems to have a impact on your special abilities, and it also features targetable areas so you can shoot off both arms, a head, etc.
I finally looking forward to some of the summer movie releases, this week Land of the Dead comes out, and next week is War of the Worlds, both of which look good. Now if I can come up with some time to watch them...
Thursday, June 09, 2005
DS Blues... Handheld burnout?
Well the Electric Blue Nintendo DS finally came out yesterday, and I will admit it looks pretty cool. I was never a big fan of the silver DS (or any of Nintendo's Platinum releases), but looking around on the net this morning I run across another new color (see below). Unfortunately this is another Japan release (which brings them up to 9 variations? Original, Charcoal, Turquoise, White, Pink, 2 limited edition Pokemon, Pepsi contest Blue, and now Red. Now to be fair 3 of these are limited versions, but still where's the love for the US?
Of course I would almost be just as happy with some more game releases. There were a couple of good weeks there, but I've played the E3/Japanese demos more than any game I own in the past month. Which since I bring it up I will say I really enjoyed Meteos, Trauma Center, and the Submarine tech demo was neat. I still do not understand Elektroplankten its more of a music maker than a game, just not my thing.
My Daughter got a DS for her birthday and really likes pocket Urbz. She wants Wario Ware, and is looking forward to Animal Crossing, and Nintendogs. That's where I'm at too looking forward to games on the horizon. I just haven't had much urge to play anything handheld (DS, PSP) for a while. I have been playing a bit of Guild Wars on the PC (kind of like an updated version of Diablo II in a more MMORPG setting), and also went back and dusted off Half-Life 2. The next console game I'm really looking at is Destroy All Humans, I've played the heck out of the official Xbox Magazine demo, and can't wait for the release.
Almost forgot the Red DS :)
Of course I would almost be just as happy with some more game releases. There were a couple of good weeks there, but I've played the E3/Japanese demos more than any game I own in the past month. Which since I bring it up I will say I really enjoyed Meteos, Trauma Center, and the Submarine tech demo was neat. I still do not understand Elektroplankten its more of a music maker than a game, just not my thing.
My Daughter got a DS for her birthday and really likes pocket Urbz. She wants Wario Ware, and is looking forward to Animal Crossing, and Nintendogs. That's where I'm at too looking forward to games on the horizon. I just haven't had much urge to play anything handheld (DS, PSP) for a while. I have been playing a bit of Guild Wars on the PC (kind of like an updated version of Diablo II in a more MMORPG setting), and also went back and dusted off Half-Life 2. The next console game I'm really looking at is Destroy All Humans, I've played the heck out of the official Xbox Magazine demo, and can't wait for the release.
Almost forgot the Red DS :)
Thursday, June 02, 2005
Life after E3, NDS demos...
Wow, missed the update last friday. Wasn't much to say I was "recouping" from E3 (like when you need a vacation from your vacation?). 8+ hours for 3 days straight, and it almost seems like a job. Got my mouse that I won at E3 hooked up (MX518) haven't put it through any FPS action yet, but it works great on everyday tasks. It's so nice to have browser forward/back buttons on the mouse again, I just need to get back in the habit of using them.
Well I found out last weekend that someone had "ripped" the Nintendo DS E3 demos and made them available. On top of that there is a program called WiFiMe that is a wireless multiboot application, meaning that with the proper wireless card you can send streams from your PC to the NDS. What this all boils down to is you turn on your DS and select DS Download Play it searches for the "beacon", and then using the WiFi you can download the demos to your unit. They stay in memory until you power off your unit, so you can put the DS in sleep mode and keep it alive. I read some post where people had slept thier DS's since E3, and still were playing the last thing they downloaded. I'll post some more today when I have a chance.
Well I found out last weekend that someone had "ripped" the Nintendo DS E3 demos and made them available. On top of that there is a program called WiFiMe that is a wireless multiboot application, meaning that with the proper wireless card you can send streams from your PC to the NDS. What this all boils down to is you turn on your DS and select DS Download Play it searches for the "beacon", and then using the WiFi you can download the demos to your unit. They stay in memory until you power off your unit, so you can put the DS in sleep mode and keep it alive. I read some post where people had slept thier DS's since E3, and still were playing the last thing they downloaded. I'll post some more today when I have a chance.
Sunday, May 22, 2005
Ahh... home at last.
Well its over another 3 days of video game excess are history. About half way through Friday is when it hit me, I was at the point of overload. I didn't feel like waiting in line, or pushing through a crowd, but I stayed with it and finished out the day. I did get to the point though where I was trying to judge if my time spent in line was worth the "swag" in the end. Glad I didn't wait 2 1/2+ hours in the Zelda line as they were out of the shirts on the last day anyway. It seemed like a mix this year I think my swag level was about the same but was more spread out over the three days. I won a mouse (thanks Logitech!) and for the second year never won anything at the Nvidia booth. :(
I'm still pissed about how much better "Media" attendees get treated at the various booths. They can print/show all the hype you want to build up your product, but in the end it's the drones at the retail level that are going to be pushing people to your game. On another note if "Absolutely NO ONE under 18 will be admitted" was true then why are there UNDERAGE badge holders?? I saw alot more kids this year than last year.
Okay enough hate, where's the love?
I did like the way the Xbox 360 controller felt in my hand, it was very comfortable.
I enjoyed Virtua Tennis (PSP), Trauma Center (DS), Lost in Blue (DS), Top Spin (360), Ultimate Spiderman (Xbox), and Alan Wake (PC) wasn't playable but this game is gorgeous.
Things that I need more time with (meaning I wasn't overly thrilled with the game, or it just seemed like more of the same) Burnout Legends (PSP), Condemned (360), and Coded Arms (PSP).
The what were they thinking award goes to the GBA Micro... I guess if they find a niche market it will do okay (I'm thinking kids, or people with small hands.). The one I played with had an RPG in it and the text was so small. The screen is nice and sharp but man I couldn't imagine watching it for long periods of time.
I'm still pissed about how much better "Media" attendees get treated at the various booths. They can print/show all the hype you want to build up your product, but in the end it's the drones at the retail level that are going to be pushing people to your game. On another note if "Absolutely NO ONE under 18 will be admitted" was true then why are there UNDERAGE badge holders?? I saw alot more kids this year than last year.
Okay enough hate, where's the love?
I did like the way the Xbox 360 controller felt in my hand, it was very comfortable.
I enjoyed Virtua Tennis (PSP), Trauma Center (DS), Lost in Blue (DS), Top Spin (360), Ultimate Spiderman (Xbox), and Alan Wake (PC) wasn't playable but this game is gorgeous.
Things that I need more time with (meaning I wasn't overly thrilled with the game, or it just seemed like more of the same) Burnout Legends (PSP), Condemned (360), and Coded Arms (PSP).
The what were they thinking award goes to the GBA Micro... I guess if they find a niche market it will do okay (I'm thinking kids, or people with small hands.). The one I played with had an RPG in it and the text was so small. The screen is nice and sharp but man I couldn't imagine watching it for long periods of time.
Thursday, May 19, 2005
E3...
Well it's Thursday, second day of E3. My feet hurt. :( Been in town since Tuesday, and L.A. is so wild. I've seen two bands play live Alaska! and AudioSlave, went the wrong way on the subway at least 3 times (but 1 wasn't my fault).
As for the show it's huge just like last year, swag seems to be at a minimum (sorry Jason) but I'm still looking. I've played some DS games Animal Crossing, and Nintendogs are going to rock. I haven't gotten the urge up yet to wait in the 2 hour Zelda line, although I've waited in line for 30 minutes for a shirt (You've got to have your priorities straight!). OMG the GBA micro is sooooo small I've taken some pictures, but probably won't post until I'm back.
Well off to do some actual playing this afternoon, more later.
As for the show it's huge just like last year, swag seems to be at a minimum (sorry Jason) but I'm still looking. I've played some DS games Animal Crossing, and Nintendogs are going to rock. I haven't gotten the urge up yet to wait in the 2 hour Zelda line, although I've waited in line for 30 minutes for a shirt (You've got to have your priorities straight!). OMG the GBA micro is sooooo small I've taken some pictures, but probably won't post until I'm back.
Well off to do some actual playing this afternoon, more later.
Thursday, May 12, 2005
MTV blows :P
Well the MTV Xbox 360 show sucked. I didn't have high hopes, but that was really bad. Out of a 30 minute show we got to see maybe 5 minutes of actual 360 game footage? Wow that was a good idea, I learned more about PIMP MY RIDE and the Killers than I did about the new Xbox.
Anyway I found this link to a wmv video that I guess originated from the OurColony teaser site. It's about 6 minutes long, and 100x better than that MTV crap.
Anyway I found this link to a wmv video that I guess originated from the OurColony teaser site. It's about 6 minutes long, and 100x better than that MTV crap.
More Xbox 360, the end of TV, and more...
Don't forget the Xbox 360 MTV special airs tonight at 8:30pm (CDT) tune in to see the next gen console. More info and pictures have found there way onto the web from the actual event last week so there probably won't be a lot of surprises, but I'll watch it anyway.
I found some pictures someone scanned in from a German magazine that are screens of Ghost Recon 3 for the Xbox 360. They look pretty nice! I'm not a GR fan, but I do like some of the other Tom Clancy games (Rainbow 6, Splinter Cell) and I'm sure those will have future installments on the 360 also.
I found some pictures someone scanned in from a German magazine that are screens of Ghost Recon 3 for the Xbox 360. They look pretty nice! I'm not a GR fan, but I do like some of the other Tom Clancy games (Rainbow 6, Splinter Cell) and I'm sure those will have future installments on the 360 also.
It's a sad time in the TV season most all the shows season finale's are airing this week or have already. Veronica Mars is over for the season, and I must say I think it was my favorite show this year. LOST would probably get that distinction but there were too many times when there wouldn't be a new episode for 2-3 weeks at a time. I was thrilled with Amazing Race (Yay! Uchenna & Joyce). I'm glad Rob & Amber didn't win, but I did enjoy watching them race. And just in case anyone wants to keep score I rank C.S.I. in the following order C.S.I. (Las Vegas), C.S.I. New York, and finally C.S.I. Miami although Miami looks the best in HD. :)
I played a little Hot Shots Open Tee the other day, and really liked it. It will be my next PSP purchase. Tried out Smart Bomb, and while I enjoyed it more than Mercury it still won't replace Lumines at any point. E3 is fast approaching! Only 6 more days until the festivities. I will try to post daily if computer access is available.
Saturday, May 07, 2005
Xbox 360 revealed!
Well it didn't take long, someone leaked a snapshot from the MTV special that was taped thursday night in LA. Notice the "Eyetoy" and redesigned(?) headset? Probably not the final boxed product (there are no logo markings on the unit itself (ie. DTS, Dolby Digital, etc...)).
Friday, May 06, 2005
Coming Soon & Now showing...
Not much this week to write about, but the countdowns are on.
Star Wars Episode III opens in 13 days... (While I'm looking forward to it, it's not as big of deal to me as some. At this point in time I don't even know when I'm going to see it.)
E3 exhibits open in 12 days... (Yeah! I'm so looking forward to this, probably because I'll be off work for 5 days! All the games will be cool too.)
Microsoft Unviels the Xbox 360 in 6 days on MTV (I guess the show was taped last night at the Avalon Club in Los Angeles. You can see some pics here, of the green carpet celebs that showed up. Looks like someone would have smuggled a picture or two of the console out, maybe they'll pop up later this weekend.)
On the Now Showing front, I watched House of Wax this morning, and its okay. To sum it up it start off really slow, Paris dies way too late, overall gore factor is good. It seems to be along the same lines as the other Dark Castle movies I've seen.
Star Wars Episode III opens in 13 days... (While I'm looking forward to it, it's not as big of deal to me as some. At this point in time I don't even know when I'm going to see it.)
E3 exhibits open in 12 days... (Yeah! I'm so looking forward to this, probably because I'll be off work for 5 days! All the games will be cool too.)
Microsoft Unviels the Xbox 360 in 6 days on MTV (I guess the show was taped last night at the Avalon Club in Los Angeles. You can see some pics here, of the green carpet celebs that showed up. Looks like someone would have smuggled a picture or two of the console out, maybe they'll pop up later this weekend.)
On the Now Showing front, I watched House of Wax this morning, and its okay. To sum it up it start off really slow, Paris dies way too late, overall gore factor is good. It seems to be along the same lines as the other Dark Castle movies I've seen.
Saturday, April 30, 2005
Next gen games, and EB Stop...
There has been a lot of next gen activity lately, starting with the supposed Xbox 360 picture leaks (see below), and now some next gen game screens. There have been a couple posted like Steel monkeys (Click on 2 Days to Vegas), and these from an upcoming PS3 game called Possession. If some of these are really close to what the next gen graphics are going to be, I'll spend more time looking at the scenery and forget I'm playing a game (kinda like the first time I booted up Half-Life 2).
On a different note 1up has put up an article about the merging of GameStop & EB, what it means to gamers.
On a different note 1up has put up an article about the merging of GameStop & EB, what it means to gamers.
PSP, and DS...
I finally got a hold of a used copy of Lumines today (YAY!), was really starting to think I may have to buy a new one. Doesn't seem to be a lot of them traded in anywhere, usually a sign of a really good game. :) With the Lumines purchase that pretty much covers my PSP want list (I have Untold Legends, and Wipeout already). Although Hot Shots Golf comes out soon, and will probably find its way on the must buy list.
I tried Pac-Pix (NDS) this week for a bit (just the first chapter), and enjoyed it. It's a fairly simple game as Pac has gathered all the ghost in a book, but unfortunately gets sucked in himself. You have to clear the pages (ie. levels) of the ghost to advance to the next. Each page has it's limits (number of Pac-men you can draw, and time) that you have to work within. You control Pac by drawing him on the screen (a set movement, think of it like graphitti on the palm) he moves whichever way he was facing when you drew him. You draw lines (walls) to make him change direction, and you can stop him momentarily by holding him with the stylus. I don't think I would pay full price for it, but it a pre-owned one shows up I may pick it up.
I tried Pac-Pix (NDS) this week for a bit (just the first chapter), and enjoyed it. It's a fairly simple game as Pac has gathered all the ghost in a book, but unfortunately gets sucked in himself. You have to clear the pages (ie. levels) of the ghost to advance to the next. Each page has it's limits (number of Pac-men you can draw, and time) that you have to work within. You control Pac by drawing him on the screen (a set movement, think of it like graphitti on the palm) he moves whichever way he was facing when you drew him. You draw lines (walls) to make him change direction, and you can stop him momentarily by holding him with the stylus. I don't think I would pay full price for it, but it a pre-owned one shows up I may pick it up.
Saturday, April 23, 2005
Mini Movies... PSP UMD's
Well the movies on UMD are actually surprising me, I know we've sold more than I thought we would, and more companies are supporting the format. Personally I feel they're to high especially when I already own most of the DVD's. I would like to see them sell through two versions of the DVD, one regular, and one bundled with the UMD for a bit more (~$10). This of course, would only work on new releases that aren't already available on DVD, but I think I would pick up one of these over paying $15+ for just the UMD release. Anyway here are the current release dates I compiled of upcoming UMD's:
5/03 National Treasure, Hero, Reign of Fire
5/17 Spider-Man 2 (Guess for those who missed the initial PSP launch?)
5/24 Are We There Yet?, Charlies Angels
5/31 Hollow Man, Boogeyman
6/07 Terminator 2, Saw, Van Wilder, Punisher, Open Water
6/14 Spider-Man (Animated Series), Daddy Day Care, Hitch
6/21 King Arthur, Hostage, Cursed, Tron
6/28 Grudge, Anacondas
7/19 Kill Bill v.2, Armageddon, Gone in 60 Seconds, From Dusk Till Dawn
The Lion's gate releases on 6/07 are all listed as 6/24 on Amazon.com, but that is a Friday so I don't know which date is correct. I also read that they plan on putting out 12 titles total so there are others coming from them.
5/03 National Treasure, Hero, Reign of Fire
5/17 Spider-Man 2 (Guess for those who missed the initial PSP launch?)
5/24 Are We There Yet?, Charlies Angels
5/31 Hollow Man, Boogeyman
6/07 Terminator 2, Saw, Van Wilder, Punisher, Open Water
6/14 Spider-Man (Animated Series), Daddy Day Care, Hitch
6/21 King Arthur, Hostage, Cursed, Tron
6/28 Grudge, Anacondas
7/19 Kill Bill v.2, Armageddon, Gone in 60 Seconds, From Dusk Till Dawn
The Lion's gate releases on 6/07 are all listed as 6/24 on Amazon.com, but that is a Friday so I don't know which date is correct. I also read that they plan on putting out 12 titles total so there are others coming from them.
Untold Legends & Xbox sneak peek?
I picked up a copy of Untold Legends the other day for PSP, and I must say I really like it. If you ever played Diablo this game is for you. So far I'm up to level 13, and seem to gain about 1 level per "quest". The only difference is in Diablo (and other RPG's like FFXI) there are newbie zones where lower level players go, Untold Legends seems to tailor the monsters in whatever area you are in to your level, so your always gaining experience.
On another note, this shot was released and it is supposed to be the Xbox 360 design. I guess we will know for sure in a little over 3 weeks.
On another note, this shot was released and it is supposed to be the Xbox 360 design. I guess we will know for sure in a little over 3 weeks.
Saturday, April 16, 2005
PSP goodness...
Well it's been in my hands for 5 days now, and I like it. :) Of course, I'm talking about the PSP unit.
Well I think my initial views on the games was correct, there just isn't that much out there I'm dying to play. I still haven't picked up Untold Legends, trying to find a pre-played one (saving money for E3), and haven't really had a chance to look for one yet. I did try out both Lumines, and Mercury. While I enjoyed Lumines (enough to warrent a purchase at some point), Mercury left me feeling down. I wanted to like it as it shares similarities to Monkey Ball, and even Marble Madness. In the end it felt like there was too much other stuff to worry about, almost like they over complicated it. I just didn't enjoy playing it. I already own Wipeout Pure (bought because of the web browsing) and have been playing it, and found that it's quite fun (and great looking) in it's own rite. Although I'll be the first to admit I *enjoy* racing games, I do ultimately suck at them, so they usually aren't high on my wish list.
It didn't take long for the last episode of South Park to make it too the handheld (I lost the link where I found it but search for episode 904 "Kenny gets a PSP", and you'll probably find it.). I watched it last night, and thought it was really funny, I wonder what the release date for "Heaven vs. Hell" is?
I found this site makes a great PSP starting point.
Well I think my initial views on the games was correct, there just isn't that much out there I'm dying to play. I still haven't picked up Untold Legends, trying to find a pre-played one (saving money for E3), and haven't really had a chance to look for one yet. I did try out both Lumines, and Mercury. While I enjoyed Lumines (enough to warrent a purchase at some point), Mercury left me feeling down. I wanted to like it as it shares similarities to Monkey Ball, and even Marble Madness. In the end it felt like there was too much other stuff to worry about, almost like they over complicated it. I just didn't enjoy playing it. I already own Wipeout Pure (bought because of the web browsing) and have been playing it, and found that it's quite fun (and great looking) in it's own rite. Although I'll be the first to admit I *enjoy* racing games, I do ultimately suck at them, so they usually aren't high on my wish list.
It didn't take long for the last episode of South Park to make it too the handheld (I lost the link where I found it but search for episode 904 "Kenny gets a PSP", and you'll probably find it.). I watched it last night, and thought it was really funny, I wonder what the release date for "Heaven vs. Hell" is?
I found this site makes a great PSP starting point.
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
Temptation wins!
Well I give up, after playing with the PSP last weekend, I broke down and bought one. It just happens that I came across a sweet deal on a pre-owned unit that I couldn't pass up. Got pretty much everything that was in the value pack with the exception of the wrist strap, the manual, and the SONY soft case. I got a different case, extra earphones, and a UMD case so I figure it was ok.
I'm probably in the market for a new case as the Intec one I got is a only so-so. I like it better than the SONY soft case because it does have some storage room, but want to look at the logitech case that's coming out.
On the plus side there were no dead pixels! yay! Course that's pretty easy to check on a pre-owned unit. Also, I've already come to the conclusion that the 32MB stick is waaay to small. :(
Here are some sites I found for PSP formatted video downloads...
Misc. Trailers & Videos
South Park Episodes
Misc. Trailers & Videos
Older Star Wars spoof - Troops
Sony's Trailers & Videos
I'm probably in the market for a new case as the Intec one I got is a only so-so. I like it better than the SONY soft case because it does have some storage room, but want to look at the logitech case that's coming out.
On the plus side there were no dead pixels! yay! Course that's pretty easy to check on a pre-owned unit. Also, I've already come to the conclusion that the 32MB stick is waaay to small. :(
Here are some sites I found for PSP formatted video downloads...
Misc. Trailers & Videos
South Park Episodes
Misc. Trailers & Videos
Older Star Wars spoof - Troops
Sony's Trailers & Videos
Saturday, April 09, 2005
White PSP
Oops, I forgot to mention I found a picture of the Gran Turismo PSP unit. I remember hearing there was going to be a GT Pack which would include a White PSP, and the Gran Turismo game. Don't know if it is or isn't Japan only, probably will get a clue by the time E3 rolls around (just a little over a month!).
This week's adventures... PSP love and WiFi
Well, Friday slipped passed and I didn't write a blurb. But, got some "hands on" time with a PSP, and man do I want one. Although, it isn't the games that are pushing it over, it's the Wipeout Pure web browsing hack (google it). The PSP has built in 802.11b wifi capabilities out of the box, and as you may or may not know there are a lot of wireless access points (WAP) out there especially if your in a city of some size. Now most of these are secured/encrypted, but some are not. :)
I picked up Wipeout early this week (yet I don't own a PSP?!) and was really excited thinking about portable internet. The PSP will scan for WAP's when setting up a new infrastructure connection, and show you there name, encryption, and signal strength of the ones found. What your looking for is ones where whomever controls the WAP forgot (?) to set the security features. I thought I would see if any of my neighbors were "leaking" wireless signals, but unfortunately they were not. If/when I get a PSP I will have to buy a wireless router for the house. Since I still had the PSP this afternoon I decided to check around work, but it's a business area so all of the WAP's I found were encrypted although some had interesting names (Exit Wi-Fi = Wal-Mart?) . For example in the parking lot I picked up 5-8 WAP's depending on where I was standing. Another interesting place to check is an apartment complex, I drove through one, and found 20+ easily with I'd say only 1/2 with encryption turned on.
OK now for my PSA, if you hook up a wireless router take the time to change the name, and turn encryption on! Do you want anyone to come along and use your internet bandwidth, or gain access to your network? Okay some people don't do this, and you would be surprised how many units are still named default. Anyway enough of that. To make this extremely long story short(er) I surfed the web through one of the PSP portals, and damn it was cool! It's not without some problems (big pictures won't load, most pages aren't designed for the screen size, and the PSP's text entry method is kinda tedious.) but overall its really neat.
I picked up Wipeout early this week (yet I don't own a PSP?!) and was really excited thinking about portable internet. The PSP will scan for WAP's when setting up a new infrastructure connection, and show you there name, encryption, and signal strength of the ones found. What your looking for is ones where whomever controls the WAP forgot (?) to set the security features. I thought I would see if any of my neighbors were "leaking" wireless signals, but unfortunately they were not. If/when I get a PSP I will have to buy a wireless router for the house. Since I still had the PSP this afternoon I decided to check around work, but it's a business area so all of the WAP's I found were encrypted although some had interesting names (Exit Wi-Fi = Wal-Mart?) . For example in the parking lot I picked up 5-8 WAP's depending on where I was standing. Another interesting place to check is an apartment complex, I drove through one, and found 20+ easily with I'd say only 1/2 with encryption turned on.
OK now for my PSA, if you hook up a wireless router take the time to change the name, and turn encryption on! Do you want anyone to come along and use your internet bandwidth, or gain access to your network? Okay some people don't do this, and you would be surprised how many units are still named default. Anyway enough of that. To make this extremely long story short(er) I surfed the web through one of the PSP portals, and damn it was cool! It's not without some problems (big pictures won't load, most pages aren't designed for the screen size, and the PSP's text entry method is kinda tedious.) but overall its really neat.