News and Opinions

Rhythm Game Saturation, Arkham Asylum goes Platinum & Best Buy looking to buy Gamestop? - Welcome to the column that puts its pants on one bad news story at a time known as Dare to Play the Game.

This week, I can safely say I might be done with two games for the time being. My hands have been firmly removed from the Peggle bottle and the only thing I did in World of Warcraft was make a bank toon on my second account for the sole purpose of transferring gold. Though I guess if I ever want to play a warlock, I now have the chance.

Playing Games from the Backside, Tecmo editing their Wiki & Used Game sales driving New Ones? - Welcome to the column that tried to edit its own Wiki page before they realized they weren’t important enough to have one known as Dare to Play the Game.

Another week, another column. This past week, I was happy to get in some normal gaming that didn’t involve me huddled on an airplane staring at a tiny screen and making my character turn every which way but loose. Yeap, I was back playing more Peggle. Okay, okay I laid off the Peggle for the most part, I think my initial OMG I have to clear this board/challenge/achievement phase is over and I go back to putting it on occasionally for the oh hey, I got a few minutes to kill mode.

Nigerian Government upset over the PS3, A New Bonk & Kicking your WoW Habit for 14k? - Welcome to the column that wants to know who to contact to get rid of this Peggle addicition known as Dare to Play the Game.

This last week has been a rollercoaster of sorts. I made the journey from Texas to Tennessee to help my folks move. They are in that retirement age bracket and plan to only work a couple of more years. So due to exhausting most of their options, they decided to move to where they bought their retirement land in hopes of finding jobs and building their retirement home. I wish I could say the trip went well. I had the job of driving the Buick with my mother right next to me. My dad had the job of the UHaul. I’m not sure who had it worse.

Addictive EA Sports Games, 250GB Xbox 360 & Sexual Achievements? - Welcome to the column that played a game for over 200 hours and then was told he couldn’t visit the petting zoo anymore known as Dare to Play the Game.

Kinda like last week, my gaming time was spent with two titles: Peggle and Shadow Complex. I’m about halfway through the Adventure mode again and I still feel confident about 20 million points. I’ve also taken the time to earn some of the Xbox Live achievements and actually beat some fellow players. By no means do I consider myself an expert, but in most situations I can hold my own. My mind is still trying to figure out how to complete some of the objectives in the challenge section but again those are purely when I got some time to kill.

Fable II Hate Mail, Guitar Hero 5 DLC Issues & Boycotting Shadow Complex? - Welcome to the column that was asked to discuss their morals and rejected that proposal based on the fact they didn’t have any known as Dare to Play the Game.

The term is Peggle fiend. That’s what I feel like from last week. I was about 1/3 through Peggle’s adventure mode when we talked last. I completed the adventure mode in Peggle and finished with 15.3 million points. Not bad for a first go. I picked through the various obstacles in challenge mode. I have no intention to complete all of the challenges but will attempt some here and there. Some of them just defy explanation. The other thing I did do was start the adventure mode again figuring I had picked up enough knowledge from my first run through (not to mention that after you complete it, you can use any of the masters in each stage) to make the 20 million points achievement on the second time around.

Earthworm Jim coming, No HD Cables with the Elite & Update for Madden already? - Welcome to the column that was warned about the deadly thing called Peggle but didn’t exactly heed the words known as Dare to Play the Game.

So, I actually bought a couple of games this week. Both of them for the Xbox 360. I first bought a collection of XBLA games, better known as PopCap Volume 2 which contains Heavy Weapon, Feeding Frenzy 2 and Peggle. I should have known better. I’ve been playing it on and off since Friday. I’ve gotten through the first four masters (not sure what to call them), and I’m working on the 5th. I haven’t run into any real problems, the most it has taken me to finish a level is a couple of tries. It’s so ridiculously simple, but yet I want to play it.

Guitar Hero: Van Halen Setlist, World of Warcraft Races & Roses for the Sweetie? - Welcome to the column that realized a long time ago that flowers are poor substitutes for excuses when they own a rose garden known as Dare to Play the Game.

Remember when I had a lot to write about in this space every week because I would either play some new 360 games or conquer something new in the World of Warcraft? Well I can’t confess to either. I did boot up WoW after the 3.2 patch and outside of installing add-ons and buying up a ton of mounts for my rogue (since they were extra cheap now), I didn’t do squat. Oh, I did fish. A lot. For some reason in my boredom, I raised my fishing nearly one hundred points.

More GTA Blame, Xbox Install Sizes Down & the debut of Chia Obama? - Welcome to the column that needed a sidekick that was even a less funny joke than he was known as Dare to Play the Game.

So last week was kinda busy for me, I finally finished my review of the Rock Band Country Track Pack, did a couple of No Huddle reviews and barely played World of Warcraft at all. So I won’t even spend a couple of paragraphs going on about how I grinded rep with some obscure faction for no purpose at all except an achievement or a title. (Hey, I know the joke already, so tone it down already junior)

Iron Man Lessons Learned, DS Piracy, and EA Tramp Stamping? - Welcome to the column that would tattoo their logo on their body but it would just end up being the butt of the jokes every other week known as Dare to Play the Game.

Well, one positive thing to come out of this week and that is I’m done with Warcraft for a little while. I finished my rep grind with Timbermaw and got my epic trinket for completing the task. In the midst of that, I received my copy of Rock Band Country Track Pack for the Xbox 360 from NewEgg.com with free 3-day shipping (it actually worked out to only two days). I am working on the review and it should be done by the end of the week, time permitting.