neolego

Well, I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving! Anyone do any Gaming ?!?! I actually played through CoD: WaW over the weekend Co-Op and beat the game. However, it doesn't seem to unlock all of the acheievements or Zombie mode playing Co-Op, so now I have to go back and play it again. That's cool though, the game is amazing! I actually prefer it to CoD4, but that's just me! We also played some more You're In the Movies and Lips. Right now now, I've working with Movies because I don't have a good backdrop so the camera keeps cutting thru my picture. I'm in the process of building something to help, but not sure when I'll be able to finish it. Anyway, it's kinda funny. The holiday rush is over. I still can't believe everything that we've been delt this holiday season: Resistance 2, Little Big Planet, Fable II, Fallout 3, Call of Duty: World at War, Gears of War 2.......and those are just the headlines, you also had stuff like Banjo Kazooie Nuts and Bolts, Street Figher II HD, Chrono Trigger, and more. It's been an amazing holiday season......now comes the time to sit back and relax and enjoy the games! neo

I'll play. I used to be a Weekly Comic reader, but after a wife and kid (and another on the way), I've decided to stick with picking up only really good Trades here and there. I am going to list all I would recommend, although some will be repeats! Marvel (Ongoing) Captain American (HC) - I've never liked one Captain America book, until he died! I would recommend that you start back at Brubaker's first issues (don't remember the name of the trade). However, if you didn't want to go back that far you could start at "Death of Captain America Volume 1". Volume 2 is out and Volume 3 comes out this month. This is probably the best Marvel book being written right now and it has completely turned me into a Cap fan, no matter who's holding the shield! Thor (HC) - Again, another character that I've never liked until Milar wrote him in Ultimates. But, the relauch with Starzinski (can't spell his name, we'll just call him J Michael!) has been GREAT! Volume 1 is out and I believe that Volume 2 is due out this month! Ultimate Spider Man (TPB) - Still the jewel of the Ultimate collection and what I believe to be the definitive run of Spider-Man. When I think of Spider-Man, this is the Spider-Man that I think of. I don't think anyone will ever write Spider-Man again as good as Bendis has. As long as he keeps writing the books, I'll keep buying them! Invicible Iron Man (HC) - Just a few months ago, hot off the movie, Marvel launched a new Iron Man book that is now his stand alone. As my favorite Marvel hero it was great to see, but even better to read. The writting is wonderful! The art leaves some to be desired, but the story more than makes up for it. I'd say if you are interested in Iron Man at all, pick it up. The first HC is available this month! DC (Ongoing) Green Lantern (HC) - This is the best and only DC book that I read. Like you I'm not a huge DC fan but I've always loved the GL mythos. But Johns has taken what is cool about the story and made it outstanding. Honestly, I started reading GL when Kyle took over and I have NEVER liked Hal. Until now, I can totally see now why everyone loves Hal, heck, I love Hal. The writing is amazing, the art is wonderful and the history of the Lanterns has never been more accessable. It may be my favorite ongoing book, period! Green Lantern Corps (HC) - Only if you really get into GL, I would say go ahead and pick up Corps. Again, I read it because I'm a GL fan and the books is pretty good. It's not amazing like the core GL book, but it's a nice background addition that's normally fun to read. Fables <Vertigo> (TPB) - If there is one book that would rival GL as my must read, it's Fables. I'm WAY late to the ball game, but it's probably one of my favorite books of all time. They are only issue 76 or 77 right now and I'm only on volume 4 but I can't wait to catch up. The writing is fantastic and the art is fitting and I can't put that book down, I would say it's a must read! One Shots Kingdom Come (DC) - Again, one of the best Justice League stories ever with a great climax! Batman: The Long Halloween/The Killing Joke (DC) - These two books are my favorite Batman stories ever. Hush looks amazing and I have a huge crush on Jim Lee's art, but the story was lacking. Both Halloween and Joke take their story seriously and make a huge statment with the Batman mythos. Civil War (Marvel) - A must read for any fan of Marvel. In fact, if you care to follow any of the ongoing trades (Cap, Iron Man, Thor, etc) it would be worth your investment to read this book. It's a good one! Watchmen (Virtigo) - What can I say that hasn't been said, held as one of, if not the BEST Trade ever, just read it! All-Star Superman (HC) - Much like Cap, I've never been a Superman fan, but this is one of the best Superman stories that I've ever read. It took me a little while to get into it, but once I bought into the story it paid off. Marvels (TPB) - Sure, it may seem like anything Alex Ross touches turns to gold, but that's because it does . This is one of the definitive stories of the Marvel Universe and one on my personal favorite trades! Well, I hope that helps. Enjoy!! neo

Not sure about DTS, I'll have to check. What should I be listening to? Also, all the speakers are the same size. I have the three front ones kinda close together. The L and R and at the ends of my Entertainment center, while my Center speaker is just under my TV.

Ok, a few months ago I bought an Onkyo home theater. I love the quality so far but I'm having trouble with mainly movies getting the dialogue loud enough. The Surround is great and the Bass is kicking, but a lot of times (especially in big action scenes) I have to turn it super loud just to hear what is being said......and my wife is not a fan of this . Anyway, I've turned the audio from my TV off completely and just run the Receiver. It's 5.1 so two front surrond, two back surround, and a center. I know there are ways to adjust the levels but does anyone know if the talking comes from the Two front speakers or the center or where?!?!? neo

First - - - - FABLE II Downloadable Content in December!!! Source: BIG NEWS - Fable II DLC And to Dan, let me address the last part of the question first. There were several fans early that used a "Pass-Thru" to power the Fan. While it's a good idea in theory, it actually caused some damage to the Fan and Xbox and Power Supply. However, I know that Mad Catz has just released a new one that has it's own power supply and I'm told that it works like a champ. Now, let me address the first part. I don't feel that a Fan is worth a purchase unless you keep your Xbox in a super tight place. The Xbox is made to handle the heat of a disc as long as it's got some breathing room. If you keep your Xbox in a cabnet that it's touching or almost touching the sides with nothing but a mouse hole out of the back I would for sure look into getting a fan. Other than that, just leave the door of your entertainment center open when you play and you shouldn't have a problem. Also, if you have a good HDD (60GB or 120GB) I'd recommend that you rip all of your games to the HDD. You still have to have the disc in to play the game, but at least it limits the disc spinning and will therefore run a lot smoother and cooler! neo

Wow, I had a pretty packed out Gaming weekend (and still haven't even cracked the seal on CoD:WaW, lol). Some good things and some bad. Just thought I'd give you guys some highlights! Lips - This has been a plesant suprise. I got it because my wife is really only into very casual stuff. We don't play Rock Band/GH because we don't like that sort of music, but LIPS allows you to stream your own music from your "Shared" computer or MP3 player. Now, this doesn't work as great as I'd like it to. You basically get points for singing, they is some pitch recongnition, so you are getting more points based on how close your pitch resembles the song being played. The problem is, you can sing the whole song off key and off time and you will still get SOME points. While it is a flawed system, to have that ability is still cool.......plus there's always "Stand By Me" . You're In the Movies - This is my pick for Holiday Party game of the year! The past two years that honor has went to Wii Sports, but we played YITM about 3 hours yesterday and had a blast. I had my Brother, Mother and Sister-In-Law, even my Grandmother and my 2 year old daughter. It's not a perfect system, in order to really make the game shine you have to have a SOLID backdrop. My goal this week is to build a portable, PVC Background for the game that I can store in the Garage. While the game was super fun, a lot of times we got crappy recordings because there are several pictures and such on my back wall so it would sometimes confuse the camera and you get a very grainy, pixelated recording. HOWEVER, even with the lack of polish we still had a great time and it's only going to be increased by a true "GREEN SCREEN" effect!! Also, you are able to save your movies to your HDD but I'm disappointed that you can only watch them from the game. I with they would have made them available in your Video Library or even on a MS website where you could email and share them. Some are pretty funny and I'd like to be able to show all of you, but unfortunetly that is not an option. Too bad! I did also play a little Portal and some Castle Crashers and some Quantum of Solace. All in all it was a good weekend and I got a lot of gaming in. We were on the verge of starting a Co-Op campaign in CoD but decided to wait for Thanksgiving so we'd had more time to play and try to beat it in just a day or two. So, that is on the table for this coming weekend. Finally, I wanted to mention the NXE. The more time I spent with it the more open I am to seeing the shortcomings (Happy Dan ). I will still defend the Avatar system and I believe it is the most important new feature of the NXE. You have to look at this as a business marketing ploy. I mentioned above, the past two years our "Family Holiday" time was spent with Wii Sports. The Xbox was a scary word for anyone in my house other than me and my brother. This year, however, we didn't even turn the Wii on at all. With the inclusion of more casual games (Scene It, YITM, LIPS, and even Smarter Than a 5th Grader) added with a new look and the cool, casual avatars makes the system seem a little more approachable. My wife sat down for about 40 minutes over the weekend and let me create her an account, get her a silver membership and create and decorate her Avatar. So, while the hardcore fans might look at MS as "Wasting Time/Space/Whatever", they are doing exactly what they need to do. They are beating Sony but don't hold a candle to Nintendo. So, from a business perspective this was a great move. And I love it, I like having a gamer pic with my Avatar's picture. In fact, I wished years ago that I could somehow get my Mii only so I could use that as a Message Board Avatar pic. It's a great feature and I think it was needed. The save to HDD feature is nice, even though it's mainly for Elite owners with a good HDD. Also the Netflix streaming not only caters to that casual crowd, but hardcore fans who love movies should be feeling great about that too. It's a HUGE addition to already multi-use combo. People that don't stream to their Xbox and doen't use Media Share are really missing what the Xbox is really good for. Let me paint you a picture. I have a high powered, Media Center computer. When I watch TV I watch through Media Center on my Xbox. I don't have a DVR in the house, but the 360 serves as one. So, I can record shows to watch and I can pause and rewind live TV. At the same time, I can stream all of my downloaded movies and TV shows right to my dashboard. I can stream over 1300 songs to my living room and play through my 5.1 surround sound theater. And I can also stream every picture of my daughter that we've taken in the past 2 years.........and there are a lot of them. You can also Rent moves from Marketplace or buy TV shows in HD. Oh, and you can also play games, lol. Now, with Netflix they've added just one more addition to that huge media library. If they made an Xbox with a projector built in I wouldn't even need a TV . But, I said all of that to say I do agree with Dan that there is too much clutter!! Alot of the Advertisements and Promotions are just annoying. I wouldn't miss the "Spotlight" or "Community" sections at all! But, all in all, I still think it's strengths totally outweigh it's weaknesses.......for now . neo PS. Anyone up for CoD: WaW, that's my Thanksging game and I'll be on it alot this whole coming weekend. That's a welcome invitation to anyone that wants to get plastered......especially Timbo!

Well, I picked up both "Lips" and "You're In the Movies" yesterday and took them for a spin. Here are some initial thoughts for those that care: Lips: Is a musical game in the vein of "Karoke Revolution" and "Sing Star" -So far I'm having fun with this. If you've seen Sing Star you will know how Lips plays. It's basically the same formula down to the same color (Red/Blue) for the vocals. However, there are some really cool things that stick out about Lips. The first is song selection. There are a lot of varied songs. It's hard NOT to find something that you will like. From the classics like "Stand By Me" and "ABC" to Taylor Swing and County to Nirvana and Queen. Again, it's very diverse so almost anyone can find something they would like to sing! On top of that, you have the ability to import your own songs. You can do it from the Harddrive, a PC (connected through media share), or an MP3 player. So far it works pretty good. Obviously, you can't have the Lyrics to those songs due to licensing issues. But, the game will acknoledge the "pitch" of the song being played and score you on matching your pitch. So you can actually get "Good" and "Cool" and "Bad" even on custom songs. And, honestly, if you have the song in your library you should know it by heart anyway . One final note to mention, the microphones are simply amazing!!! They look and feel great. They are completely wireless, run off of 2 AA batteries which are included. I had my 2 year old daughter up there singing and she was having a blast. You can shake the mic at times to trigger bonus points (Think Star Power) and they even light up to mimic the song being played. So far so good, if you are a fan of the Karoke genre, this is probably the best console Karoke game I've ever played. I've only had one night so as I get more into I'll give some furter details, but so far so good! You're In the Movies: Puts you in front of the Camera to create your own movies to watch and share!! -OK, I only played 1 round, late last night, by myself.......so I'm going to try not to be negative until I get to play some more. The first major problem is the camera! It was too dark and it was picking up TOO much from my background. The whole time, half of my face was missing. Now, I think that if I turn a few more lamps on or even play in the day time with more light it's going to be better.......or at least I hope, lol. HOWEVER, the game is actually really fun. You do a series of rounds where you do minigames and they record your actions. For instance, one had my runing as fast as possible. The screen then goes to a big pair of pants running left to right. I turn sidways and it takes me from waist up. The quicker I move my arms the faster he runs. There was also one where I had to act as if I was holding something really heavy. They showed weights and I had to pose for like 8 seconds. There was also one with a rope holding a treasure chest. I stand sideways and pull the rope up to get to the chest. At the end of the 5 rounds. They took all of my footage and put it into a little 2 or 3 minute trailer. It's simple, but honestly a lot of fun....if you don't take it seriously. I was making all kinds of funny faces and bug eyes and such. I showed my wife this morning. She cracked up at first......then looked at me with disgust and walked out of the room shaking her head.........she know's she hit a gold mine when she said I do . Anyway, I feel very confidnet once I get the camera working and get some friends together, this game is going to be a blast! I also hope there are ways to share your videos online, but I'm not sure if there are or not right now. I'll have to investigate furter. Anyway, these are MS's attempts to rip off Sing Star and Eye Toy, but for Xbox Fans that's not a bad thing. I love party games like this (remember, I was a Nintendo fanboy, lol) and I have groups over at my house all the time. Scene It has been used a lot, so You're In the Movies and Lips will join that kind of Social environment easily. It's not for everyone but MS does a great job of giving us quality products that will get a lot of reply for parties! neo

Yet I continue to shun it like the plague. Sounds like personal insecurities!! neo

Well - - - Welcome to the NXE People: Avatars are a bit limited, but I like it! The NXE is even better than I imagined, Xbox 360 has now officially become my favorite console of all time! neo

Yeah, I'm actually glad to see Kutless in there. So far thats 2 Christian groups (Kutless and Flyleaf). If they get any more I may actually have to buy this game, lol. We'll see. I'd really like to see some Third Day, Reliant K, Steven Curtis Chapman, and MercyMe. Not holding my breath, but it would be sweet! neo

What is that for Dio? Wii??? neo

First off, it's official that the update is mandatory and you will not be able to use the current version of the Dashboard. However, everything that you have now is found when you press the guide button. Overall I think it's great. I think it looks sharper and you can browse faster. I'm totally satisfied with it so far and can't wait for it Wednesday!

Well, I played quite a lot of Fable II over the weekend. I haven't had this much fun with a single player game since Oblivion! I'm just getting lost in the world. I've saved the first 2 heroes, but I'm taking a break now just checking out the world, having kids, and buying everything in site. I just love how you can own almost EVERYTHING! I own every structure in Oakfield (including the demondoor) and I own everything at the Gypsy camp and I own almost everything at Westcliff. I love it! Anyway, I was wondering how everyone feels about the NXE? It launches Wednesday and to my knowledge we really haven't talked about it here. So, what does everyone think? Personally, I can't wait. I have my netflix account which I've loved, and I cannot wait to stream movies straight to the Xbox. I am a little worried about the quality, but they Netflix is launching HD streaming on Wednesday too, so that will help a lot I'm sure! I'm also excited about the Avatars. Most of the gaming community seems to hate this idea, but I love it. Miis were one of my favorite parts of the Wii when it launched. My wife loves the Miis and it has lead her to play the Wii more than any other console that I've owned. We've recently played the new Scene it and she likes the generic Avatars you get to choose from, and says she's really looking forward to making her own. So, that encourages me that maybe she's get a little more involved. There is also the ability to Download games to the HDD. And the addition of features like "Prime Time", but it won't launch until Spring. So, NXE, For or Against? neo

Wii Music Undersells For anyone that doesn't want to follow the link and read, it simply states that Wii Music is tanking! In comparrision to Wii Fit that was released in April of this year. For the same 2 wiik (see what I did there!) period: Wii Fit - 687,700 Wii Music - >81,000 I would like to personally Thank everyone here for showing Nintendo that fans are tired of being served terd sandwiches in a white box! neo

I can't wait to see QoS. Casino Royale is now one of my favorite movies. CR and Daneil Craig have done with Christian Bale and Batman Begins has done with Batman. It takes a series that has become a joke of it's own self and made it back into a must see blockbuster. We are getting a bunch of buddies together the check out Quantum this weekend. Can't wait! neo

Yeah, I really need to beat Twilight Princess, lol. Ocarina was one of my biggest personal acheivements because it was the first game (not counting the classic Mario Bros.) That I'd ever beat completely. That was a great feeling, so I guess I'll have to get TP back out........after I finish some of the other games I've started recently! And I'm.....Hm.......Interested in Left for Dead. The concept is awesome. Co-Op Zombie surviving is a great idea. But, these games tend to be a little more gory and violent due to the subject matter. I am interested in the Demo, I'll give it a shot, and I'm not opposed to the game, but the jury is still out for me! neo

To be fair, my Console hasn't connected to LIVE in over 2 weeks, so I'm actually almost 8000 gamerscore right now. But, I agree with you completely. I actually have this weird disease or phobia if you will. I'm actually AFRAID to beat a game. That sounds strange doesn't it. But I've evaluated myself and I've come to the conclusion that, it's a sickness. Some people are afraid of heights, some of closed in spaces, some of left turns, but me I'm afraid of completion. Maybe it's a hidden fear of commitment, I don't know. Take Fable for instance. I will play for several hours and never once continue to mission. Not because I'm not interested, but something keeps me away. It's like I want to squeeze EVERY ounce of the game without beating it. When I finally do reach like the last level my hands start to sweat, I'm not kidding, it's a disease. There are only a handful of games that I've ever beaten completely. The Old Mario Games, Ocarina of Time, The PokeMon Games, and Halo 1/2/3. I didn't beat Pikmin, Super Mario Sunshine, Final Fantasy VII, Twilight Princess, Super Mario Galaxy, Call of Duty 4, Metroid Prime, and the list goes on and one. I don't know how to cure myself. Maybe I should just get my wife to lock all my games away and only let me have a new one when I beat one that I have, lol. Unfortunetly, most of what's on my list will probably fall by the way side. I am focused right now on beating 007 before I open CoD: WW. Then I have Viva, Madden, and Burnout which are more my "casual games" where I'm not so concentrated on the end goal, but just playing them for the pure enjoyment of the games. Games like LIPS and Scene It and the like are all Party games and will only be played when I have groups over. So, right now the games that will suffer the most are Banjo and my Arcade games. More than likely, the LEGO games and Civ Rev will magically disappear until that lonley night I'm in the mood for something different, lol. neo

You know, until I started typing it out I didn't realize how much in the hole I was. I guess I won't be buying anymore games until Fall of 09! . neo

That's cool you and your wife play a game like that Luke. I'm lucky if I can get my wife to play Viva Pinata, lol. I'm actually getting LIPS next week, so she may be getting a little more into it.....we'll see! As for current gaming, I think my head is going to EXPLODE! I played the CoD: WaW Beta but was a little dissapointed with the language. Keifer cusses like a dang salor, lol, dropping several F bombs as in "Outstanding, Out %*ingstanding". So, I was weary, but I did have a friend confirm there is a "Filter" in the game that eliminates the language and some of the gore. So, I think I'm going to pick it up because the game plays amazing. I liked the Beta even more than CoD 4. Which brings me to my problem........I need to stop buying games or quit work and play games F/T, lol. Here is what my current gaming list looks like: Civ Rev (360) - I am ALMOST to the moon.......on my first play thru Madden 09 (360) - Right now I'm two weeks behind in my Franchise, good thing the Boys had a Bye, lol LEGO Indy (360) - I did beat the game, but I still have much to unlock LEGO Batman (360) - I finished Hero Mode, but am only on Episode 1 of Villain Bionic Commando (XBLA) - I don't know, this game is hard, I've only beat like 4 or 5 levels Castle Crashers (XBLA) - I have no idea how close I am, but I've only played a few hours, I'm at a river.....?!? Mega Man 9 (XBLA) - I've beat 3 levels Viva Pinata (360) - I've had 2 Garden Upgrades Portal (XBLA) - Haven't even started yet Fable II (360) - I've recruited 2 Heroes (Might, Will), I have 1 wife, 1 baby, playing as a Hero 007: Quantum of Solace (360) - I've beat 3 missions, just got into the Casino Royale part Burnout Paradise (360) - Just bought, I've had 1 license upgrade. Scene it Box Office Smash (360) - I've played one short game Banjo Kazooie Nuts & Bolts (360) - Not even opened yet Dragonball: Origins (DS) - I'm on episode 1-3 Little Big Planet (PS3) - I've played maybe 4 or 5 levels, I haven't even touched the creator mode yet. Call of Duty: World at War (360) - Buying today... LIPS (360) - Picking it up Next Week You're In the Movies (360) - Picking it up Next Week HOLY COW!! I just read back over what I just typed and someone needs to fly to Arlington, TX and punch me in the face. Thankfully, I have a 4 day weekend for Thanksgiving and Christmas. That time will get put to good use! neo

Agreed, it won't solve every problem, but again as they say "there are no guarantees in life". I bought a car that had the rotors warp within the first 3 years. That's not covered under waranty because it's "wear and tear". However, most rotors are supposed to last 5 or more years. The point is, there is risk involved in anything. To say, "I don't want to buy an Xbox because it may break" is no different if you change Xbox to PS3 or Wii or DS or PC or anything else. Sure, we hear about the RRoD more often, but I've had friends that had to send their PS3 back and I'm sure Wii has had the same issues. Truth of the matter is, anytime you spend a large amount of money on something there is risk involved. You buy a house, but he foundation may be crap. You buy a car and the engine could be cheap. You buy an iPhone and accidently drop it and cry yourself to sleep. It's the risk of a consumer. I've owned my Xbox since launch. I had 1 RRoD, covered by warranty. Took 1 1/2 weeks to get my Xbox back and it's worked like a champ ever since. And to be honest, if it did completely die tomorrow and I had to get another one, I think in 3 years I've got my money's worth!

They do, but you will never it will never be completely solved. There will always be a lemon, no matter what you buy: Game, Car, TV, Phone, etc. The cool thing is, MS gives you a 3 year Warranty, that should put all your worries to rest! neo

I have a free 48 hour code that I don't need. If you are interested PM me and I'll shoot you the code! neo

Thx Nestle, I've been looking at Burnout for a While. I've actually downloaded all the Free content, in the event of me actually buying the game, lol. I think I'll pick it up today when I go get CoD: WaW and Banjo! And drgnr, you're not the only one with LBP. I bought it on day one and I really like it. But, I'll be honest, with Fable II and QoS and WaW and Banjo coming out Today, I just don't have time to play them all, lol. Shoot, I still haven't beat LEGO Batman yet. It's INSANE how many games I have sitting on my rack right now waiting to be played. But, maybe we can hook up over the holidays some, I'll have much more free time then, lol. neo

Well, I will have to kindly disagree with Quantum of Solace. I picked it up and I actually like it a lot. A lot of people are complaining about the length of the single player but those same people don't realize that Call of Duty 4 was only about 1-2 hours longer. QoS can be beat in about 6 hours, and CoD4 can be beat in less then 8. The draw for CoD and the reason why it's still a landmark title is the Multiplayer. The same can be said of QoS. Of course, it's not as fun as CoD and there isn't the leveling up structure of CoD, but it's still very fun. And, while the campaign may be short, the Multiplayer will keep this game fun for a while. It's like CoD with a Cover System and I think it's really good. But, I would agree that a rent would be the smart route. As you can see, the game may be up your alley or it may not, so a rent is always advised . As for World of War, I'm not really sure. I don't want both CoD games. If I pick up WaW I will not play CoD4 anymore. I will just have to focus on one, and I'm not too sure which I prefer! I will say that the Zombie mode in WaW really has me interested though! neo

I honestly have no interest in any Wii games that have been annouced. The sole reason I'm even keeping my Wii right now is the Virtual Console. Nintendo has really let me down as a fan. So, Call of Duty: WaW......anyone picking it up? neo