Posted in: Game Reviews by Michael Durr on May 30th, 2007
Opening
Board Games can be great experiences for families and friends to come together and enjoy themselves. A dice roll, a few spaces moved on the gameboard, and some money gained or paid are all sometimes a game needs. Up until May of this year there had not been any board games for XBOX Live Arcade. There had been a good handful of card games but nothing like Monopoly, Scrabble, or even Chess (there was Backgammon but who actually plays Backgammon?). That changed when ...ig Huge Games decided to create Catan based off the board game Settlers of Catan where resources and the luck of the dice roll were key in securing a victory. The hope was that they would create a game that would whip the rabid XBOX Live users in a frenzy similar to the constant stream of players that reside in UNO or Texas Hold Em. While it is still too early to determine if it will have staying power, there is no denying that Big Huge Games has created a fun and satisfying experience with Catan.
Posted in: Dare to Play the Game, News and Opinions by Michael Durr on May 30th, 2007
A Complete Lego Star Wars Set, Master Chief Gone Wild, and time for one more Party - Welcome to the column that will soon have a patch available to remove all explicit content (but then only consist of 5 words) known as Dare to Play the Game.
Posted in: Game Reviews by Michael Durr on May 24th, 2007
Opening
ROUND ONE, FIGHT. I'm something of a Mortal Kombat junkie especially in my younger days. I started playing the original arcade game when I was very young and played 2 (still the best to date), 3, dealt with 4 and even dabbled in Deception. I adored the movies, though for obvious reasons I was poed at some parts of the second movie but still liked it. I even bought one of those silly MK controllers for the Playstation 2 (Scorpion naturally). So when I heard that the...Wii version was coming out; I figured I would go ahead and give a review of the newest Mortal Kombat but for the XBOX. I did that version because it is 360 compatible and I did purchase it within the last month. That way if you are considering the Wii version, you will know for the most part (minus the nearly useless Endurance Mode and a couple of extra characters) what you are in for.
Posted in: Dare to Play the Game, News and Opinions by Michael Durr on May 23rd, 2007
Metroid Prime 3 to the Wii, Xevious to the XBLA & GTA IV takes me to the poorhouse - Welcome to the column that is available now for only $.99 (plus a small fee) known as Dare to Play the Game.
Posted in: Game Reviews by Michael Durr on May 21st, 2007
Opening
I guess I'm a sucker for old school shooters. When I was a little chap, it was about the vertical shooters like Galaga and Centipede. As I grew older, I found myself starting to lean towards the horizontal shooters as well including R-Type. However, I did not find myself playing a shooter from start to finish until I came upon a game for the Turbo Duo (Turbo Graphix 16 w/super cd attachment). Actually it was the pack-in for the system. That game was Gates of Thund...r. A game that really had it all. Great graphics, hard bumping sound, a hard yet rewarding difficulty system & easy controls all made for a fantastic game. Fast forward fifteen years to the XBOX 360 console and we get a little shooter for XBOX Live called Aegis Wing. Offered for free to North American XBOX Live members, this game hoped to put some kick back in a genre that has been long forgotten.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on May 21st, 2007
Synopsis
The 4400 Season Two left us on quite the cliffhanger. The returnees had been taken off the promicen inhibitor, thus enabling their abilities to return to normal strength. Ryland (played by Peter Coyote) was exposed as the one behind the cover up and went straight to trial. Isabelle (played by Megalyn Echikunwoke); infant daughter of Richard & Lily Tyler(played by Mahershalalhashbaz Ali and Laura Allen respectively), had grown up quite quickly as she was found in Shawn Farrell's (played by Patrick Flueger) office. Meanwhile, the two main protagonists' Tom Baldwin (played by Joel Gretsch) & Diana Skouris (played by Jacqueline McKenzie)are dealing with events of their own in addition to their casework at NTAC (National Threat Assessment Command).
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on May 20th, 2007
Synopsis
Interracial relationships in movies tend to be hit or miss. If treated fairly, it can make the movie an uplifting picture, one that will make people stand up and cheer for a satisfying ending. Misused, and it just becomes an ugly context for the movie to hide around. Constellation starts out with the love story between Carmel Boxer (played by Gabrielle Union), an african-american lady and her white boyfriend & solider Bear (young version played by ...aniel Bess, older version played by David Clennon). The problem here is that this love story is placed in the heart of Huntsville, Alabama before the civil rights movement takes place. So the love is forbidden but never falters. However, it never ends up where it should truly be. Fifty years pass (now the present) and Carmel has died, bringing together both families back in Alabama. Bear is hosting the funeral with his daughter Celeste (played byEver Carradine). Carmel's relatives that join the procession include her brother Helms (played by Billy Dee Williams) and his two daughters Rosa (played by Zoe Saldana) and Lucy (played by Melissa De Sousa).
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on May 18th, 2007
Synopsis
My life has been a strange journey. Recently I found myself divorced after a three year marriage. Needless to say I'm probably need a bit of soul searching. Perhaps I need to cleanse my spirit before setting back out into the world from which I came. Now I've never been a religiously deep person but I do take myself on as a spiritual one. So to see a surprise title in my queue with the words The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success would bring at least a little ...bit of curiosity to my senses. In 1994, Deepak Chopra wrote a book with the above title and it granted him critical acclaim from people worldwide. Thirteen years later, this is brought to us in dvd form to enjoy. While some of the theories can be debated, a lot of its fundamental ideas make sense.
Posted in: Dare to Play the Game, News and Opinions by Michael Durr on May 16th, 2007
Catering to the Casual, Free XBLA & Marvel UA goes Golden - Welcome to the column that always provides entertainment for the lowest common denominator known as Dare to Play the Game.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on May 14th, 2007
Synopsis
Meeska Mooska Mickey Mouse! (tell me you just didn't say that) So what happens to a 31 year old adult who sits through a show alone that is geared towards children who might not even be in grade school yet? Besides binge drinking & wondering why he doesn't have a date this weekend? Apparently some good wholesome family entertainment. I was actually a little surprised how decent this was after twenty minutes into the program.
