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Assassin’s Creed XBOX360 Review

System: Xbox 360

Year Released: 2008
Graphics: 7
Gameplay: 9
Sound: 5
Lifespan: Short
Pros: Expansive levels, great combat control
Cons: I was only really able to play it nonstop once
Overall: 8.5

Assassin’s Creed was a phenomenal game, I was absolutely glued to my Xbox for the hours it took me to beat it. I have played games like it before (Hitman most notably) where the AI seems very…well A, if you catch my drift.

In this game, the townspeople notice when you are there, and also know if you are doing something out of the ordinary (i.e., climbing walls, running). This game’s AI was one of the most interactive I have seen, in most games, NPC”s repeat the same phrases to where it gets annoying very quick. For this game you get very close to the end of the game before you start to notice the pattern in what they are set to say.

The storyline was very in-depth seeming almost possible, (or maybe it is) and the ending has quite a good twist, but not one I exactly agree with. They leave it open for a sequel but I do feel the need for closure.

I may be a little biased, seeing as I am very in to the medieval times and others like it, but I can’t see why anyone would dislike this game. The combat mode is in 3rd person and lets you individually select enemies out of a crowd of foes to focus your fury and optimize your deadly force.

You start out as Desmond Miles, who is kidnapped and forced into a machine called the “Animus” which, using a new technology called gene mapping, lets them replay the memory of your ancestor Altair Ibn La-Ahad (Son of None) who was an assassin during the era of King Richard and the Knights Templar.

Within your first use of the Animus it is apparent they are looking for something, what that is you will have to play to find out…

More in depth of the Pro’s:

The levels are very expansive and every peak is at your whim. From the highest tower to the poor district of Jerusalem you can climb, jump, and run anywhere and everywhere. If you have drawn the attention of guards, you can blend in with priests or with the crowd. One thing I find that makes the game seem more feasible is the way the health is metered. In many games you either have a health bar, regenerating bar, or none at all. In this game, when you move off of the original memory of Altair, such as killing a guard or becoming injured, you begin to become lose synchronization with the memory and in order to get your “health” back you must regain synchronization. If you die as Altair, you are moved back to the Animus screen with a message similar to “Would you like to go back to the last memory mapped?”

More in depth with the Con’s:

This game really had no faults in my eyes, that is, until I beat the game. Meaning, I have not wanted to go back and play because I have no reason, I have finished the storyline and killed more than my fair share of Templar Knights. Most games have many side missions that can keep you interested after the main campaign has been completed, but only saving poor women and collecting the thousands of town flags remain.

This has been one of my favorite single player games in a while, so I give it an 8.5/10.

Legend of Zelda - Phantom Hourglass Nintendo DS Review

System: Nintendo DS
Year Released: 2007
Graphics: 9.5
Gameplay: 10
Sound: 8.5
Lifespan: Medium
Pros: Great use of touch features, write-on maps, great puzzles
Cons: A little too easy, too short, not enough side quests
Overall: 9.5

Maybe one of the greatest things about Legend of Zelda games is that the games are full of action, and always deliver an enjoyable experience. That, and the “slap yourself in the head” that occurs when solving a puzzle where the solution is so incredibly obvious, you take forever to figure out.

More than once, I found myself commenting on how Zelda games continue to have the said moments.

That said, let’s head right into things.

Nintendo seems to be taking it’s character from Wind Waker, and using him in portable systems. This Link seems to be comfortable here, and most comfortable on the DS. The graphics fit beautifully on (a) small (dual) screen(s). I’ve always been a fan of cell-shaded Link, as the cartoonish graphics allow a lot more artistic and expressive artwork to be featured more prominently. However, I feel as though the dungeons could have used a bit more, perhaps a 3d scrolling feature. I also noticed some slower frame rates while fighting the final boss.

Zelda games are known for their fun and engaging game play, and Phantom Hourglass is no different. Many games assign the stylus wanton functions, in that buttons are better served with the respective functions. However, Phantom Hourglass can be played with the stylus entirely — in fact, I did not press a single button while playing! It’s use of the stylus is efficient and natural.

The game had relatively decent music, no different than any other Zelda game. This is not a bad thing, because the music is great.

I do have a few issues with the game. Phantom Hourglass is limited by the DS’s hardware, and does suffer minor latency in a couple of boss battles. This is not enough to distract from the battle, or the game itself. However, I did find the game to be on the easy side, and felt it could have used a bit more side quests and collectibles.

More high points: The salvage arm mini-game is fun and challenging. Also, Dee Ess Island and the target shooting game both were enjoyable. Overall, a great game — highly recommended.

Chris Sawyer, aka “Zacarias” runs a technology based discussion board, hi! Technotic - Technology based discussion boards. For additional help, and additional articles and guides, or to just join in the discussions, join us today!

Age of Conan Leveling Guide - Breeze Through 80 Levels With No Questions Asked

Many players wander around the vast world of Hyboria for hours (or days) on end, just looking for a place to level up. In fact, around 70% of Age of Conan players have this problem, and chances are if you’re reading this, you’re one of them. At the time when a player doesn’t know where to go next, they end up becoming distracted, and can’t focus on the task at hand.

This usually causes a lot of players to either quit the game altogether, or keep making new characters, playing them until it becomes harder to level, then rinsing and repeating. These players are like flies trying to fly through a glass door. They’ll keep flying, even though they’re not getting anywhere. Like flies, these players could use a simple solution. Luckily, there is one.

The modern MMORPG leveling guide was popularized by World of Warcraft players like Joana and Brian Kopp. They have become extremely successful products, and there is a reason. It’s simply because they work. The creators of these guides spend months preparing the fastest path to the maximum level, then recreate the path on paper and distribute it to players that are struggling with leveling.

Tens of thousands of MMORPG players own leveling guides, and they are a great addition to any player’s arsenal. They allow you to sail through 80 levels in Age of Conan with an increased speed, saving you more money on subscription costs. You’ll also be able to quickly catch up to your friends, or be the first level 80 in your guild! Everyone will be wondering how you did it, amazed at how fast you went.

If you’re getting tired and bored of leveling because you don’t know where to go, check out this review on the best Age of Conan Leveling Guide. You’re friends will be dropping their jaws at your leveling speed in no time, and you can just laugh and roll through level 80s in less than a month.

Again, if you’re sick and tired of leveling with no ‘easy way out’ no idea of where to go, check out this review on the best Age of Conan Leveling Guide.

Winning Tips For Playing Bingo Games

Bingo is considered a game of chance a gamble of sorts, on the other hand there are ways for you to increase your chances of winning at bingo. Bingo is not the type of game that you should strive to win at rather it’s a game you play to socialize and enjoy. However as all games this game too needs to be played to win.

The following techniques can be used to increase your chances of winning at bingo.

In order to increase your chances of winning you must choose a game which does not have many players in it. A less competitive environment will increase your chances of winning if you search around for a while you can find many bingo sites with offers and bonuses.

If you play online bingo be sure to choose a website that has a good reputation, so that you are sure that they will pay up once you’ve won the game.

Increasing your knowledge about the game is another way to increases your chances of winning. You can discuss strategies with other players, share and exchange knowledge.

Keep your bingo cards to a manageable few, so that you don’t lose control of the game. Don’t take more cards than you can handle, just because the game has an option to take as many cards as you want. Although the more cards you take increase your chances of winning but on the flip side you also risk losing control of all your cards.

Don’t hurry when the numbers are called out or shown on the screen; take your time to mark each card carefully making sure you don’t make any mistakes. Being in a hurry will cost you to lose your attention and you might mark the wrong number or might not even know a number has been called out. Careful attention and concentration should be utilized while playing bingo.

Know when to walk away from a game as the age old saying goes ‘quit while you are ahead’, if you are on a winning streak it’s good to quit while you are on a roll. The same goes for if you are losing. Set certain boundaries and at no cost should you bypass them.

If you follow these tips you should have no problem winning a bingo game provided that mother luck is on your side. Also don’t lose sight of the fact that bingo is really fun and you are there to have fun.

Building the Best Gaming Computer

There are many people out there that put a lot of stock into gaming. This is something that is going to be hard to do for some because they are lacking in the right equipment. Well this is a time when you have to be sure that you are working it all out to be sure that you are not taking it in the wrong way.

The gaming computer that you have is going to have to be a big machine because of the fact that the newest games are going to require the boost in power that you may not have right now. This all goes to show that building the best gaming computer is going to be vital to the success that you have in the gaming world.

If you are not sure what you are going to be able to do about all of this then you need to be sure that you are working it all out in the right way. Through it all you have to be sure that you are getting all that is positive in this deal. We have to be sure that we are getting all that is positive in the idea because of the fact that the best gaming computer is not going to be easy to build.

You have to have the best of the best and that is going to be the place where the expense comes into play. It is much easier though to build a gaming computer to the gaming specs that you have then to try and buy one over the years.

The more that you are building one that will actually start to exceed the standards then the more time you will get in the play area of the entire system. This will show you that you have to work it all out and make a change in the way that you are thinking about things.

Piece Out
To build the best gaming computer you should buy the pieces individually. This is something that you are going to have to deal with because of the fact that you have to work it all out in such a way that will allow for the challenge to take place. More and more you have to be sure that you are working it all out and then moving forward.

Go with the pieces that you want to have added and buy them separately to ensure that you are getting the best deal on the whole system. This will mean that you are going to be able to fully target the entire deal and that is going to help you make a change in the way that things work.

Upgrades
You should also make sure that you are allowing room for upgrades. The more that the games out there become more complicated the more that they are going to have a standard that is higher.

You may come to the point where your gaming computer will need to be upgraded and that means that you will have to be sure that you are getting the best with it. Leave some extra room for the upgrades and you will be much better off.

Know More About Addicting Games

If you have played games online before then you are well aware of the many addicting sports out there. For some reason when you begin with a fun program you want to continue because you enjoy it and also because you simply want to win it. Usually, it takes time to win or to understand how the game really works. That means you have to continue it over and over to get better and eventually win!

This process makes you addicted to the game and it’s a process that won’t end for a long period of time. There are lots of addicting sports on the web so do not think that going on with one type of them will allow you to avoid the addiction!

Car Games

Car sports are a lot of fun. You can race around a track as well as do many other things. It is so much fun to get behind the wheel of a car and race other cars, do tricks, jump over hills and other things, and basically drive like you never would in real life.

This makes it really hard because you want to play and play and never stop! Of course, you have to stop sometime, but many play for hours on end and only think about playing when they aren’t. It really is addicting and car sports are some of them that you will not tire out.

Puzzle Games

You are smart, but knowing that is not enough. You actually want to prove your intelligence by beating puzzles. Usually, you spend some time learning the trick. Then, you spend a lot of time trying to beat the game.

If for some reason you are so good that you beat the game quickly then you just move on to a more difficult level. This can feed your addiction because each time you pass a level you think to yourself, “just one more level,” and it never ends because you can’t stop playing!

Memory Games

There are some games that you will be habituated to and they are based on memory. You want to prove to yourself that you can remember and win the game. Many times, you do not remember and keep playing and playing until you do. These sports are popular with all age groups and they are a lot of fun albeit addicting!

When you find yourself involved with addicting things there are just a few things you can do. One is to keep going with a sport until you beat it and then simply stop with it altogether. Doing this will allow you to overcome your addiction.

Another option is to take the it off your computer so there is no easy access. This will not eliminate your addiction but it will make it harder to play.

You could also go for a different sport to counter your addiction to one, but then you run the risk of becoming addicted to that one also. When it comes to playing you just have to learn to practice some self control!

Roulette Tables to Get Touch Screens

The sleek Touch screen roulette table built using Microsoft’s new Surface Technology is supposed to change the whole scene of slot machines and is eyed by many companies. With digital poker players growing multiple of times in recent days these digital touch screen tables are going to bring in a rage of change in how you play roulette on a physical table. After the success of digital tables for poker where a player could peel up cards discreetly, roulette tables are to being expected to hit market very soon.

The Multiplayer Roulette system developed by Sweden’s TouchTable with built-in 56-inch touch LCD and a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 can accommodate up to seven players and can even recognize each person’s bet separately. Developed with intensive research and company’s proprietary technology this touch- screen roulette table is already making waves in various casinos and roulette clubs.

Different digital products for enhancing the fast play in casinos have been developed in recent years to speed up the games and decrease the chances of any cheating and discrepancies in the casinos games. Besides being fast aced and sleek in its outlook this touch screen tables are going to increase the efficiency of the game handling more numbers of players simultaneously on single table which will significantly increase the business of casinos.

Already touted as digital avatar of casinos this roulette Touch screen tables may not see the real world as soon because many veteran players are going to oppose it because of its fast paced games which won’t allow them using their cheats and hacks which they have learned after years of experience.

The Digital Touch screen roulette tables can change the way a game is played in casino which might simply eliminate the use of chips and money on the tables. Decreasing the time of a game cycle it will also reduce the chances of any dealer cheating in the game. Bets can be placed effortlessly with repeated bets making in their way back to the game. Besides that built in features like Help functions and other tools can help a newbie player’s use and play the game more easily.

The biggest problem, these touch screen roulette tables are going to face is from the traditional players who prefer to play using chips and money in hand. They would certainly not be interested to lose their grip on games and allow the casinos to take over their experience with any digital devices. Besides that there will also be chances of casinos molding the software in the game to their own favor which can seriously change the games at crucial point of time.

How to Game Like a Pro

How is that other guy so fast?

How did he react and move so much more accurate then you?

Well, a lot of speed in reaction time and accuracy is practice and natural reaction time which you can only get by spending a lot of time in that certain game or genre of games.

But a lot of it comes from simple hardware upgrades and tweaks! Having that little higher reaction time mouse or anti ghosting keyboard. Having that perfect key layout or preprogrammed gaming pad. Those things make a huge difference.

In my experience, the difference between an average standard mouse and a gaming mouse is as big as the Grand Canyon. The usb connector is usually gold plated for faster connection times and less delay between click and action. The optical sensors are much more active and have a higher resolution. The entire design is build for speed and fast hand and wrist movement. Even the cable is thiner and more flexible to give you the least amount of resistance when moving.

Every little twitch of the wrist can move your mouse cursor across the screen at many times the speed of a regular mouse. Instead of 2 mouse buttons they have 7! All fully programmed to that certain game you’re playing. You won’t have to reach across the keyboard or click the screen to use a certain skill or switch out weapons. They have it all in reach of their fingers, on the mouse to be clicked in a split second.

I have compiled a list of those mice and keyboards and more at my blog at Pro Gamer Gears you should be able to find the piece of equipment that can give you the edge you need. You’ll have the boost to be on par with the pros.

Alliance Power Leveling Guide

For those who are new to World of Warcraft or who just want to try their hand at playing the Alliance, finding the right Alliance power leveling guide can be a challenge. Of course, there are those popular Alliance power leveling guides that everyone has heard of, but do they really cut it when it comes to leveling? Well, here are some tips on how to find the right Alliance power leveling guide for you.

1. Search out some of the most popular Alliance leveling guides on different gaming sites. Find reviews and blogs about them and see what others are saying about the guide. Is the feedback good or bad or in the middle? Do other gamers think that the guide is worth buying or not? Are there good reviews on the guide from people other than just the author? Check out all that you can find about that guide and some of the other popular guides out on the web today.

2. Watch the prices. You should never spend more than $40 for a high quality Alliance power leveling guide, especially if you can not use the guide or if it is not a good guide. There are some Alliance guides out there that are priced well over $60 and they will not take you through all the way to level 70, provide end game information, or help with gold making ideas in the guide. Most simply tell you the quests you should pick up, and that’s about it.

3. Take other players advice. Ask other people you are friends with about guides that they have purchased. You will be surprised at the answers that you will get. Some will recommend different guides and others will tell you which guides NOT to purchase. Trust me, there are players out there who have purchased several different guides and know which ones are good and which are bad. Take their advice, it’s the best way you will know which guides actually work and which are not worth the money.

4. Keep in mind that all Alliance power leveling guides are not created equal. Some will be for more advanced, veteran players and others will be for new players. Make sure that you read everything on the guide’s web site so you can get a feel for who the guide is written for.

Just make sure that you read up on any Alliance power leveling guide that you want to purchase. There are so many out there and you want one that is comprehensive and will help you with everything in the World of Warcraft, from start to finish. Flamewater’s Alliance Power Leveling Guide does just that, so when you are ready for a guide that will take you from 1-70 and allow you to play any raceand any class, head over to http://www.AlliancePowerLevelingSecrets.com.

Gender Bending in MMORPGS

Most MMORPGs, such as Maple Story, RF Online and many other others allow players to experience a fantasy world filled with Orcs, Elves, Dwarves, and many other exotic races. These games also allow players to choose which gender their avatars will assume. While Playing as non-human races is considered unremarkable, playing as the opposite gender (termed gender bending) has always been a divisive issue. Current surveys show that 85% of MMORPG players are male and that males are up to 5x more likely to gender bend than females. This means, on average, at least half of all female avatars in a virtual world are played by men.

There are some very practical reasons why a man would prefer to play a female character online. For instance, it is widely known that others players are much more generous with items and in game guidance to female characters. Females who play a male character give up this gender specific advantage, which likely explains the far lower female gender bending tendency. It has also been noted that in third person MMORPGS many men prefer to spend their game hours staring at the back of a slim female body rather than a bulky man’s. Many do not accept these utilitarian reasons alone as being the explanation for gender bending. Some suspect that there are darker and more psychological reasons why a man would dress in women’s garb, virtually speaking that is.

That a man would want to play a female character is often evidence enough for many in the online community to label someone a homosexual. But surprisingly, feminist organizations see gender bending as another sign of female oppression. In most virtual worlds, female characters are scarcely clad and are blessed with what we shall term “bountiful assets.” It is sexism on the men’s part to want to control these polished pleasure bots, or so the feminist argument goes. There is certainly some small minority of men who use female characters to approach other men online but doesn’t ultimate responsibility lie on the individual in defending himself against unsolicited advances online?

The issue has gone so far out of hand in some places that game publishers and governments decided they needed to step in. Recently in China Shanda Entertainment, a major developer of virtual worlds, issued a new rule that anyone wishing to create a female avatar must first prove their gender to the company via a webcam. Interestingly, women wishing to play a male character would not need to go through this procedure. Many players faced character deletion if their female avatars didn’t have a female face to defend them on the webcam. Not surprisingly, players wore wigs and put on make up to fool the developers into letting them keep their avatars. Shanda may of found the perfect way to reverse gender bending trends between the sexes - by putting additional barriers in front of male gender benders and encouraging female gender bending. (by forcing women to “prove” their sex) Soon China may have the first virtual world where half the men are women!