The Mole: Digging those new Halo 2 maps

Take that Rockstar - A day after Rockstar unveiled its much anticipated "GTA IV" trailer, Microsoft announced that two new multi-player maps for "Halo 2" will be available for Xbox and Xbox 360 gamers starting April 17. The new downloadable content will set gamers back $4 for both maps. The top picture is of Desolation, a deathmatch oriented map that's a remake of the original Derelict. It has new graphics and various game play tweaks that make it faster paced and more balanced. The bottom below is of Tombstone. It was originally Hang'em High, one of the most popular maps for the first "Halo," but has been spiced up for "Halo 2" play. A tip of the hat to Bungie for continuing to add content to a great title while still working on its replacement.

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E for All Expo - On Thursday Nintendo announced it has signed on as an anchor for the October "Entertainment for All Expo", a new event thats open to the public that gives gamers a chance to see upcoming games. Think of it as an E3 for the people. If you're interested in going to the event, which will be held October 18-21 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, go to www.eforallexpo.com.

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Snakes on a Motherf***ing Plane! - Last week Microsoft gave details of its new partners from whom gamers can now download new TV and movies from as New Line Cinema, A&E Network, ADV Films, National Geographic, Totalvid.com, Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. dole out new offerings for 360 owners. If you're a big fan of "Gene Simmons Family Jewels" (and who isn't), today's your lucky day. Check out the new content below.

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- Warner Bros.: Sublime and Babylon 5: The Lost Tales.

- A&E Network: Dog the Bounty Hunter, King of Cars, Gene Simmons Family Jewels, Driving Force, Criss Angel Mindfreak

- ADV Films: Undisclosed top Japanese animation offerings

- National Geographic: Is It Real?, Taboo, 21 Days to Baghdad, Air Force One

- New Line Cinema: Snakes on a Plane, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Magnolia

- TotalVid.: Extreme skiing and snowboarding, skateboarding, motocross, surfing and mountain biking movies
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Etc. - David Hayter (did you know he wrote the screenplays for the movie "X-Men" and "X2: X-Men United"? Me neither.): has signed up for another tour of duty as the gravely-voiced Solid Snake in MGS IV. So have the original voices for Raiden, Roy Campbel and cry-baby/wuss Otacon...EA renewed its Lord of the Rings license to 2008. This means gamers can continue to make "You shall not pass!" jokes to other gamers while in line at GameCrazy..."Lego Batman" is set to come out on multiple platforms in 2008...the PS3 finally can brag about something as it became the highest selling debut console in the U.K. with its recent release. On its opening weekend, 165,000 PS3's were sold beating the old record of 105,000. The previous record holder? The Nintendo Wii.

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terry.terrones@gazette.com

The GTA IV Trailer

Yeah, I know this pic has nothing to do with the "GTA" trailer but since I couldn't get a screen cap of it I figured a pic of the new Xbox 360 Elite would suffice. If you haven't seen the trailer (which wouldn't be surprising considering the Rockstar site was locked up with so many people trying to download it earlier today), go to www.rockstar.com and check it out. If you're feeling lazy and want to view it later, here's a few things I noticed.

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At the bottom screen of the trailer was the official release date, which is October 16, 2007. There was nothing that stated what system these scenes were taken from but I imagine, at least from seeing other games on both the PS3 and Xbox 360, that any differences will be minimal.

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The roughly 30 second clip starts with lots of cutscenes of what appears to be New York City. There are plenty of obvious New York landmarks - Statue of Liberty, Chrysler Building, Times Square, St. Patricks Cathedral, Coney Island (which means all the boroughs are probably included, giving a good idea of how big the game is). What's a little confusing is that Rockstar has copied cities before (NY-Liberty City, Miami-Vice City, LA/San Francisco-San Andreas) but these landmarks are so blantantly the Big Apple that its possible that for the first time ever that Rockstar will just call their city New York. Although there were boats with Liberty City on them in the harbor scenes so I could just be full of crap.

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In the last 10 seconds we meet the main character, a yet unnamed Russian who looks strangely like French actor Jean Reno. He's the only person who speaks and you never see him do anything but judging from what he says, you can expect to do typical "GTA" leisure activities. Overall the trailer is very low-key and nothing like the one for San Andreas. Its surprisingly subdued.

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The game looks stunning, easily surpassing any "GTA" game so far. The lighting in particular is fantastic. There are no clues given about the game play but its probably safe to assume that you can do everything you can do before and the missions are similar but I am looking forward to seeing what the new features are. Hopefully, all buildings will be accessible. Licensed music has been a big part of the last two games and I'm hoping that doesn't change with "GTA IV." With a New York setting, expect to hear some P. Diddy (or Diddy or PDid or whatever he calls himself now), Jay-Z, Frank Sinatra, Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel among others.

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If something catches your eye that I didn't mention, let me know.

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terry.terrones@gazette.com

The Review: Your "Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2" sitrep

Scott Mitchell was one of the most disappointing quarterbacks in NFL history. At one point the former University of Utah lefty was supposed to be the heir apparent to Dan Marino but after setting single season records for the Lions in touchdown passes and yards in 1995 (not exactly a hard thing to do considering Detroit’s history of crummy quarterbacks) he started to flame out. His weight ballooned, he had a Ryan Leaf-esque shouting match with head coach Wayne Fontes and lost his job to Charlie Batch. Not a great way to end a once promising career.

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What’s troubling about this is that there is another man with an identical name who might be undergoing the same fate. After a stellar start Captain Scott Mitchell, the squad leader in the “Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter” games, isn’t living up to his own lofty standards. “GRAW 2” does nothing to dishonor this excellent series but because it looks and feels almost exactly like the first “Ghost Recon,” gamers will end up with a serious case of déjà vu.
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The game starts with a long tutorial that displays some of the games few new features. Captain Mitchell can now get a video feed from each of his soldiers so he can see exactly what they can. The squad commands are much smoother, allowing for more flanking maneuvers and giving gamers the ability to take on enemies from multiple angles. A new battlefield drone called the Mule is added to your arsenal, allowing for quicker changes of weapons and frequent reloading. It can also be used for cover and as a scout.
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“GRAW 2’s” game play is filled with plenty of intense duck and cover action. The camera shakes as bullets fly past your head, choppers roar by and your teammates are yelling at you at the same time about where the enemy may or may not be. The game is so intense I found myself putting indentations in my controller from gripping it so hard.
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The game presentation is spectacular. The urban battlefield looks as gritty and sweat-inducing as ever and characters move with life-like realism. The audio is even sweeter. Vehicles, weapons and soldiers all have distinctive sounds/voices and this time you’d better listen to your squad mates because they give you clues about what your enemies are up to.
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I know what you’re thinking. How can I possibly say this series could end up as washed up as a 400-pound former NFL QB after that glowing description? Because I could have just cut and pasted the exact same thing from my review of the original “GRAW!” Where’s the originality?!?
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In a rush to get out “GRAW 2” as quickly as possible Ubisoft left gamers with a sequel that has the same setting, almost identical game play, and a slightly enhanced game presentation than the original. One year is an awful short time to bang out a sequel and “GRAW 2’s” short single-player, heavy multi-player slant is proof of that. This doesn’t make it a bad game because the original was so good, just one that comes across as misrepresented. A better title would have been “GRAW 1.5” or “GRAW: The Expansion Pack” or “GRAW: The Search for More Money.”

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Online nuts and fanboys of this series will probably be happy with “Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2,” but for every other gamer (and those of us with a disturbing knowledge of washed up NFL QB’s) this game marks a step backwards, albeit a small one.
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Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2
Price: $59.99
Category: Tactical Shooter
Players: One (Up to 16 online)
Formats: Xbox 360 (PC, PSP, PS3 in June)
Grade: B+
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Top 5 Moments When Saying “I need a sit rep!” is appropriate

(sitrep = situation report)
1. When a date is going badly and you don’t know what to do.
2. When you’re failing a test and you need help.
3. When you’re trying to decide which console to buy
4. When you’re in a Lazy-boy showroom and want to buy a recliner
5. When you’re trying to decide whose movies, Ben Stiller’s or Owen Wilson’s, have stolen more of your money.

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terry.terrones@gazette.com

The Mole: Spring Break Edition

Extreme Makeover: Console Edition - According to Game Informer magazine the Xbox 360 is getting a Star Jones-sized makeover. A new edition of Microsoft's next-gen (Or is it now current-gen? Someone needs to make a ruling on this.) console will be available sometime this summer and will eventually phase out the current Xbox 360 model.

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The new Xbox 360 Elite will have an HDMI output for faster multi-media downloads and come in a black case that contains a 120GB hard drive (something it should have had in the first place). It will also come with an HDMI cable, a black controller and is tentatively priced at $479. Gamers who already own a 360 will be able to buy the new hard drive but the price hasn't been confirmed yet.

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Dan Marino loves his new figure - Speaking of makeovers, has anyone noticed the new and improved www.bungie.net? It appears Bungie is streamlining its website for its Halo 3 release. I thought the old sight was great but now its like remembering those conversations 4 years ago about Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. Everyone was wondering who would come out on top and now we're laughing about that same discussion after seeing Britney's shaved head all over the internet. But I digress.

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Etc. - Nintendo recently announced its Opera web browser for the Wii that was set to be released this month has been pushed back to an as yet undetermined date in April...New content for Marvel Ultimate Alliance will soon be available. Next month gamers will be able to buy hero and villain expansion packs letting them play as old favorites such as the Incredible Hulk, Cyclops, Hawkeye, Nightcrawler, Magneto, Sabretooth, Venom and Doctor Doom...The PSP recently "celebrated" its 2 year anniversary. And by celebrated I mean hanging its head in shame at a birthday party no one showed up to because it consistently has its hat handed to it by the DS.

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terry.terrones@gazette.com

Gears of War the Movie

Variety reported today that New Line Cinema has bought the movie rights to "Gears of War." Later in the day GameSpot confirmed the announcement with Epic Games VP Mark Rein. The movie is targeted for a summer 2009 release, evidently to be done in conjunction with the game.
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Stuart Beattie (Pirates of the Caribbean triology) has been tabbed to write the screenplay. Check out this quote from Beattie on how he got involved, strangely enough it was while he was playing "Gears" on Xbox Live.
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"This New Line exec, Jeff Katz, dropped me a message in my Xbox Live account saying, 'If we bought the game you're playing right now, would you write it?' And this was back in December. It shows you how on the ball New Line was. I'm going to write off my Xbox Live this year, accounting-wise."
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Now that's certainly the proper way to use the XBL text messaging feature.
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My only concern about this movie is two-fold - Will it ever actually get made (see "Halo", "Metal Gear Solid") and will it suck (see, oh forge it there's too many to list)? If I remember correctly, movies based on video games have won more Razzies than all of the Jennifer Lopez and Drew Barrymore romantic comedies combined. Hopefully New Line will avoid Uwe Boll and Milla Jovovich and a decent movie will get made.
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So who will star as "Gears" badass Marcus Fenix? Check my Top 5 most likely candidates below. If you have any suggestions for who would be a good lead, let me know.
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Top 5 Guys Most Likely to Star as Marcus Fenix in the Gears of War movie
1. Steve Buscemi
2. Manute Bol
3. Verne Troyer
4. Andy Dick
5. Robert Iler (Tony's son AJ from "The Sopranos")
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Coming up next week: A review of "Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2" and a running diary of the movie "Grandma's Boy".
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terry.terrones@gazette.com

The Review: MLB 2K7

I hate the New York Yankees. Rooting for the Yankees is like rooting for the house in poker. Its like hoping Bill Gates wins Powerball or watching Heidi Klum grow a third perfect...leg. Okay, so maybe that last one is a bad example but you get my point. Its just not right. Unless you or your parents are from New York you should never, under any circumstances, root for the Yankees.
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Unless, of course, you like faceless automatons with no charisma who’ve sold their souls to the highest bidder to be led by a man who will pay more then the Gross National Product of Guatemala to try and buy himself a championship.
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What does any of this have to do with video games? Surprisingly a lot because New York shortstop Derek Jeter is again on the cover of the newest MLB video game, “Major League Baseball 2K7”. That’s right, for the fourth year in a row a Yankee player is on the box of a 2K baseball game. Enough already!

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Fortunately for 2K, my pappy always told me not to judge a book (or game) by its cover so I can get past this problem. I just turned the instruction booklet around and found an enjoyable baseball sim.
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One of the best things about last years 2K offering was the amount of things that you can do and this year’s version is no different. Gamers can enjoy season, franchise, GM career, manager showdown, different types of home run derby’s and even play in online tournaments and leagues. For die-hard baseball fans its enough to satisfy that itch of being Brian Cashman, if you have that kind of itch (and if you do, see your doctor immediately, you need some high grade ointment).
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The game play is a blast. On defense, working the batter is always fun to do and now the catcher actually provides a little bit of help. The backstop will suggest a pitch and even set up his glove where he expects it to go. Being the hurler you can brush him off, but just having the game give you some hints about how to pitch almost feels like a pitching tutorial.
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When at the plate, gamers again have the choice of using the traditional button swing or the more realistic right analog swing stick. The right stick feels incredibly natural once you get the hang of it and gamers are more likely to be successful on the tougher settings using the stick.
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2K7 really shines in its game presentation. The audio overcomes its horribly annoying soundtrack (I had to mute my TV while maneuvering through the many menus) with detailed in-game background sound effects and the top notch commentary of Jon Miller and Joe Morgan. Visually, the game is stunning, especially on the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions. The players are detailed and look and move exactly like their real life counterparts. But what makes 2K7 so attractive are the little things. The dust that kicks up when an outfielder runs down a long drive to the warning track, the way the light shines off the Green Monster as the sun sets in Boston and the way jerseys ruffle off a batters body while you’re at the plate on a windy day in Chicago.

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All of this makes for an overall solid presentation but a number of issues keep 2K7 from being a must have title for casual baseball fans.

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The game has a number of collision detection issues with base runners occasionally running through fielders and guys sitting on the bench having their heads go through the dugout ceiling. The fielding can be a bit of an adventure as its easy to misjudge where a ball is going. What makes this so frustrating is the CPU never seems to have this problem and will routinely make great catches. The CPU also interferes in other ways, consistently rearranging your lineup after you’ve already set it. The game play is still painfully slow, even for baseball, and the quick red and white 2K symbol that flashes when you button mash through mountains of cut scenes reminds me of subliminal messages for Coca-Cola that used to run during movies in the 80’s. Or was I the only one who noticed that?

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But most disappointing is the online component. While its great to be able to play in an online league and in tournaments, almost all the fun is taken out of it by the incredibly laggy game play. Because of the lag, the ball changes position and you’ll often miss your target. The games also take a long time to play, running about 45 minutes long on average. This is a long time to hang out with someone you don’t know playing an unsatisfying, laggy sim.

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While it has its imperfections, especially online, “Major League Baseball 2K7” is still the most complete baseball sim available and is a big improvement from last years version - except for the cover.
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Major League Baseball 2K7
Price: $19.99 - $59.99
Category: Baseball Sim
Players: 1-2 (2 Online)
Formats: Xbox 360, Xbox, PS3, PS2, PSP, DS, GBA
Grade: C+
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Top 5 Funniest Real Baseball Player Names (courtesy of hardballtimes.com)
1. Dick Pole
2. Gaylord Perry
3. Guy Sturdy
4. Tony Suck
5. Harry Colliflower
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terry.terrones@gazette.com

The Mole: Is that a Master Chief helmet you're wearing?

Protect your melon - Yesterday Microsoft announced the prices of its three different Halo 3 offerings.

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There's the Standard Edition Halo 3, which is just the plain old boring game (yawn). It will sell for $59.99. Next up is the Limited Edition set which comes in a metal case and comes with a bonus disk and a fiction and art book. It will sell for $69.99.

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But for uber-nerds like myself, the Legendary Edition is awfully attractive despite its steep $129.99 price tag. It comes in limited quantities and is set in a collectible Spartan helmet case with two bonus disks of supplemental content. The first disk provides exclusive, behind-the-scenes footage and videos, including a high-definition “Making of Halo 3" documentary; numerous high-definition featurettes documenting the creative design processes involved in developing the game; and a look at some early game concepts and their evolution through the game’s development. The disk will also include an audio-visual calibration tool designed by the Halo 3 graphics and audio team to make the most of fans’ high-definition home theaters.

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The second bonus disk will include remastered cinematic material from Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2, supplemented with developer commentaries, to provide a refresher course on the Halo story so far, and a featurette documenting a day in the life at Bungie. Exclusive content from the creative minds the artists of “Red vs. Blue” and “This Spartan Life” will also be included. Finally, fans who purchase the Legendary Edition will receive a bunch of original Halo 3 storyboard art from artist Lee Wilson, depicting key moments and pivotal scenes from the cinematic production of Halo.

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Of course all I really want is the helmet. It won't fit my head but I want it anyway.

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Console gamers vs. PC gamers - Also last week Microsoft announced that Xbox Live will be available to Windows Vista users starting May 8 with the release of Halo 2. This will allow PC gamers and console gamers to battle it out online. In June Shadowrun will follow suit and Uno is to come out later this year as well.

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My PC gamer friends have been bragging for years that a console gamer doesn't stand a chance against a PC gamer, I guess we'll soon find out.

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Its about time! - Nintendo recently announced that its web browser for the DS, Opera, will finally be coming to the United States June 4th. A price hasn't been released yet.

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And finally... - The Wii continues to dominate console sales numbers, coming in 1st place for the month of February according to NPD. Nintendo sold 335,000 of its popular console. The PS2 still shows surprising strength coming in second with 295,000 units sold. The Xbox 360 (228,000) and PS3 (127,000) round out the top 4. In handhelds the DS destroyed the PSP, 485,000 to 176,000.

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The top 5 selling games for the month were Crackdown, Wii Play, Diddy Kong Racing, Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and Guitar Hero 2 (PS2).

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terry.terrones@gazette.com

Old Spiced

Unfortunately, the word "challenge" does to me what the word "chicken" does for Marty McFly. It makes me do things I wouldn't normally do. So when my good friend Bill Gates threw down the gauntlet and challenged (there's that word again) yours truly to earn 1,500 Achievement Points in two months, I was in.

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The Old Spice Experience Challenge (evidentally Billy was short on funds and needed a little sponsorship money) kicked off February 12 and was to run until April 12, but has recently been extended to April 22. This gives gamers a little over two months to earn prizes from Old Spice and Microsoft for earning 1,500 Achievement Points.

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Hoping to win a new soap-on-a-rope and after shave I headed over to www.xbox.com to learn what the prizes were. For a level three gamer like myself, I saw that I could win a free Old Spice t-shirt, a copy of "Fuzion Frenzy 2", 200 Microsoft Points, an XBLA "Contra" download and an exclusive Old Spice gamer picture. All I can say is, YOU HAD ME AT FREE T-SHIRT! I'm one of those guys who pushes over little kids at basketball games when cheerleaders with giant rubber bands launch free tees into the stands. Did I hear the words "challenge" and "free" being used together?!? And there's a deadline that meets my anal retentive obsession with doing tasks in a timely manner?!? Game on!

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I signed up February 17, meaning other level 3's had a 5 day head start. Some of the prizes are of limited supply so they're awarded on a first-to-1,500-first-to-be-given basis. Not good news for me. I had also earned 60 points just the day before. D'oh! Oh, well. I'm not concerned. I can earn 1,500 points in my sleep. Here's the day to day breakdown of my road to 1,500.

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Feb 17: Earn 60 points each from "Rainbow Six Vegas" and "Winning Eleven 2007" so I'm feeling pretty good about myself. At this rate, I'll have this wrapped up in a week.

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Feb 18: Feeling nostalgic I buy "Paperboy" on Xbox Live Arcade and quickly earn 50 points. I soon realize that I never really got that far on the arcade version of this game back in the day and that I'm lucky I got as many points as I did. Pick up another 80 points from "Winning Eleven". I've now earned 250 points in two days and I'm laughing at my framed, autographed picture of Bill Gates that sits on top of my TV. The phone rings right at that moment and I quickly apologize to the picture. The phone stops ringing. Coincidence? I don't think so.

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Feb 19: It takes me forever but I get another 30 points out of "Vegas". This game is really making me earn its points.

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Feb 20: I'm up until 3am to earn 35 frickin' points from "Crackdown". I love the game but what the heck is up with the way points are doled out in games nowadays? The last two days hard fought points are starting to worry me.

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Feb 21: In a move that makes me feel more desperate than Britney Spears with a pair of hair clippers I buy all three Burger King games while out to eat with my son. I now know the exact minute he has lost all respect for me. Despite my shame, I still earn a quick 50 points from "Pocket Bike Racer".

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Feb 22: Can't play games today. Still trying to wash the unclean feeling from my hands for buying video games at a fast food restaurant. My dog now barks at me, she doesn't know who I am anymore.

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Feb 23: Just found out that the t-shirt, 200 Microsoft Points and "Fuzion Frenzy 2" have all been grabbed by guys even more point crazy than me. I don't care about "FF2" because I already have a copy but the loss of the Old Spice t-shirt is crushing. Severe desperation sets in. I have to earn these damn points before I end up with nothing. I now know no shame and will resort to whatever means necessary to get to 1,500 as quickly as possible.

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Feb 24: Earn 30 points each from "Crackdown" and "Sneak King", 60 points from "Vegas" and 40 from "Winning Eleven".

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Feb 25: Grab 250 huge points from "Fuzion Frenzy 2". I guess the game is good for something as my total now stands at 775.

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Feb 26: In order to avoid getting divorce papers served, I take a day off.

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Feb 27: Sneak in 40 quick points from "Crackdown" while the wife's back is turned. (Quick aside: I'm not exactly sure why but I love this game. Its a good game, not a great one but for some reason jumping around the city is like catnip for me. On the rare days that I find myself outside, I look at buildings and think about how I would get to the top. I may need psychiatric help when this is over.)

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Feb 28: A big day for me as I earn 50 points from "Crackdown" and another 250 from the point generous "Fuzion Frenzy 2". I'm now at 1,115 and feeling like the King Kong of Achievements. Using my jumping powers I've absorbed from playing "Crackdown" I leap on top of the tallest building in downtown Colorado Springs. Since its only 5 stories tall, I make it in one leap. Thank you, thank you! I'm here all week! Try the veal, its great!

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March 1: The calendar flips but I don't notice as I earn 20 points from the game about my life, "Crackdown".

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March 2: Day off. Wife insists I shower and moves around the cushions of the couch during my 2 minute abscence. I miss my ass groove.

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March 3: Earn another 30 from my beloved "Crackdown" but these small point Achievements are killing me. I decide I need a heavy hitter to get to the finish line.

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March 4: I have no idea what happened March 4. I don't think it exists, the number 4 is overrated anyway. Or perhaps the magic that makes the wireless controller work shorted out my brain and erased my memory like one of those Men in Black thingys. I'm getting punchy, I don't know anything anymore.

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March 5: Today I've found my bazooka as I play "NBA Street Homecourt" and quickly earn 390 points giving me 1,555. Or maybe not. When I go to the xbox rewards website to click "I'm finished" they tell me I'm 65 points short! Gaah!!! I have no idea where my math went wrong! Then I remember that I suck at math and decide to take the websites word for it. Seeing how I'm so close I continue to play "Street" but soon realized those first 390 points come a lot easier than any others. I earn 70 more points and it only takes me 50 wins to get it.

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Final Tally: 1,505 points (or 1,625 if you use REAL math) earned by playing 7 games.

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And what did I learn? - I earn my 1,500 with over a month to spare but was it worth it? Hmm, lets see. For all of my effort I earned Contra on XBLA, an Old Spice gamer pic and the logo of the Old Spice sailboat on my gamertag. While I do love sailboats, this task left me exhausted and questioning why I love Achievement Points so much. Besides rubbing it in my brother's face (he only has 8,120 points - loser!) what's the point? I'm not sure, but after a few days off I realized that I don't care if Achievement Points have a purpose or not. Its just something I like to do when I'm playing games. And as with anything about gaming, if you like to do (or play) it, I don't see anything wrong with it. I'm certainly not as maniacal as most point fiends, so I don't plan to make a habit of buying games like "Pocket Bike Racer" just for the points. In fact, after this experience I'm less likely to play a game just to earn some easy points.

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Does this mean I'll never do another reward promotion? That depends if it has the word "challenge" in it.

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terry.terrones@gazette.com

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The Review: NBA Street Homecourt

When “NBA Street” first came in out in February of 2001 I was stoked. Finally a great hoops game that took over where the dying “NBA Jam” was leaving off. Don’t get me wrong “Jam” used to be great. In college, I spent almost as much time playing “NBA Jam”, “Madden”, and “NHL” than I did studying. Being house champ in one of those three games in my frat was serious business.

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But like most games in a long series (Madden anyone?) “NBA Street” has gotten stale, so it was with a little bit of trepidation that I started playing its newest iteration “NBA Street Homecourt.” Sure it doesn’t hurt that local sports stud and punch-and-run-like-a-nancy-boy Denver Nugget Carmelo Anthony is this years cover boy. I support my local teams as much as anyone – but that doesn’t mean the game is any good, does it? Actually the game is VERY good…but not because of the cover. “Homecourt” is a return to the series’ original roots – fun, physical, street ball action with an emphasis on dunks and embarrassing your opponent.

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Once the disc is popped in gamers are given the choice to play a quick game, practice, battle online or create your own player and run through the career mode known as Homecourt Challenge. The game options are pretty sparse but what’s there is enough to keep you busy. The game play is standard “NBA Street” fare - juking out opponents, bouncing the ball off their chest and then dunking on their melon. Basically, what I do ever day during the summer. What’s different in “Homecourt” is the sweet stunts and maneuvers are easier to pull off with only two trick buttons. This makes the game quick to pick up and play but also rewarding because of the brand new fun and easy to execute dunks. Jumping off of my teammates back from the three point line to throw one down never gets old.

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This is the first time the series has been on the next-gen consoles and boy what a difference an Xbox 360 and PS3 make. “Hardcourt” is stunning. The wide variety of courts are beautiful, with brilliant shadowing and lighting effects. The NBA players look, move, dress and even shoot like their real life counterparts. The other non-pro players look just as detailed, which just goes to show the effort EA put into the visual effects.

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The sound effects are equally impressive. Sneakers squeaking on hardwood, the slap of a ball when grabbing a rebound and witty banter between opponents are all heard during a game. My personal favorite is hearing “Rockit” by Herbie Hancock after earning a gamebreaker. It makes me want to start moonwalking.
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Despite all of its strengths, “Homecourt” has a few glaring weaknesses. The camera can act sketchy, occasionally leaving players off screen all together, especially when chasing loose balls. During load times the pro players’ voiced-over soliloquies about their real life home courts and playing ball in the hood comes off as self aggrandizing testimonies to their own greatness. And again, David Stern has found another way to jam the WNBA down NBA fans throats with the presence of a few WNBA All-Stars.

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However, more frustrating than all of those other things put together is the down right curse inducing habit of getting almost decapitated by the backboard during a game. When playing defense close to the basket, I’d go up for a rebound or a block attempt and jump smack into the backboard and land flat on my back as the guy I was guarding dunks on my concussed head. I’ve done this so many times, my created player is now as tall as Verne Troyer. Gahh!!!
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But I digress. I’m not going to let a few minor flaws and a troublesome glitch (just don’t get too close to the defensive rim) keep me from becoming a street ball legend. “NBA Street Hardcourt” is a blast to play and reminds me of those boastful college days of many moons ago. Just try not to go Carmelo if you’re losing, you’ll get teased by your friends forever.
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NBA Street Homecourt
Price: $59.99
Category: Basketball Sim
Players: 1-4 (2 Online)
Formats: Xbox 360, PS3
Grade: A-
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Terry’s Top 5 Video Game Etiquette Rules (for playing against a friend in a sports or fighting game)
1. Trash talking is required – Not even mimes could resist trash talking while gaming.
2. No quitting – There’s no crying in baseball,there’s no quitting in video games
3. No punting – If you can’t get 10 virtual yards in Madden you need to go video game training camp.
4. No damaging the equipment – Want to lose a friend? This is a fast way to do it.

5. No turning off the system – Nothing says sore loser like this.

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terry.terrones@gazette.com

The Mole: GDC 2007

The Game Developers Conference is going to wrap up tomorrow in San Francisco and while I would have loved to have gone, I declined my invite because I'm saving up some money for my trip to Santa Monica for E3 in July (yes, I'm going to the new invite only E3, please feel sorry for me).

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If you've never heard of the GDC I wouldn't be surprised. It doesn't carry the hype of E3 but its just as important. The GDC is an international event with over 10,000 attendees from around the world who discuss the future of gaming. There are all sorts of seminars and lectures, some gaming booths and a ton of alcohol fueled social gatherings. Its a great event to socialize and network with some very cool people in the gaming industry. Because the focus is on future gaming developments (don't expect to hear any groundbreaking news) and trends, and not necessarily soon to be released games, its much more low key and doesn't quite get as much love as E3. Needless to say, I was bummed about not going but my schedule wouldn't allow it.

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Of course this doesn't mean I haven't heard anything good come out of San Francisco. Here are a few tidbits the worlds richest man blurted out.

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Now is my chance to create "Cyberball 2007" - Microsoft announced its Dream-Build-Play game development contest, offering a $10,000 grand prize and the opportunity for a winner’s game to be published on Xbox Live Arcade.

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Twenty amateur Cliffy B's will be selected to win prizes with a total value of more than $40,000. The gamer who wins the Bill Gates Jackpot Wad grand prize gets an opportunity to receive an Xbox Live Arcade publishing contract, providing a chance to showcase the winner’s game on XLA. Dream-Build-Play is open to any user of XNA Game Studio Express, including the GarageGames Torque X platform. No purchase is necessary to compete. The contest ends July 2, 2007, and winners will be announced Aug. 13 at Microsoft Gamefest 2007 in Seattle. Additional contest details, including detailed eligibility and entry requirements, are available at http://www.dreambuildplay.com. Good luck!

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Short term memory - Microsoft also announced plans for a 512MB memory unit for the Xbox 360. The memory card will go on sale April 3, making the useless 64MB (which will drop in price to $29.99) even more obsolete. The card comes at a fairly steep price ($49.99) but does come pre-loaded with "Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved" and allows for gamers to download exclusive content from Xbox 360 kiosks at retail outlets. I'm not sure exactly what the exclusive content can be at a Best Buy that 100 other guys have been playing but I'm intrigued.

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Coming at you live - At GDC some upcoming XLA games that are soon to be released were announced with no frickin' "Cyberball" in sight. Here are the games and a brief description.

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"Boom Boom Rocket" (EA and Bizarre Creations) Bizarre Creations is a hypnotic rhythm music game that will launch this spring, priced at 800 Microsoft Points.
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“3D Ultra Minigolf Adventures” (Sierra Online and Wanako Games). The first outdoor sports game on Arcade, “3D Ultra Minigolf Adventures” lets players putt their way through 36 holes on wild courses that include settings such as the Classic Carnival and the fantastical Outer Space.

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“Eets: Chowdown” (Klei Entertainment Inc.). A revamped version of the popular PC title, “Eets: Chowdown” is a puzzle game with 120 new levels.
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“Jetpac Refuelled” (Rare Ltd.). This is a new take on Rare/Ultimate’s 1983 space blaster with enhanced graphics and XLA features; players must clear a path through aliens to refuel their ship and amass a fortune over the course of more than 100 levels.
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“Pinball FX” (ZEN Studios Ltd.). A pinball game with realistic ball physics and 3-D tables. Also features real-time, head-to-head competition over Xbox Live and Xbox Live Vision camera support.

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Is there any news besides 360 news? - No, so quit whining.

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And finally - On Tuesday Microsoft proudly announced that 6 million gamers are now connected to Xbox Live. You may remember that our man Bill projected that number at the last E3 and figured to reach 6mill this June. Just goes to show how great a job the 360 does with its online service. In case you're curious, below are some interesting Xbox Live stats as of March 6.

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Top worldwide Xbox Live Arcade titles on Xbox 360 (full game downloads)
1. Street Fighter II' Hyper Fighting
2. Bankshot Billiards 2
3. Marble Blast Ultra
4. UNO
5. DOOM

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Top Xbox Live Titles on Xbox 360
1. Halo 2 (Duh!)
2. Gears of War
3. Hexic HD
4. Call of Duty 2
5. Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter
6. Call Of Duty 3
7. Oblivion
8. PGR3 (Still?)
9. Rainbow Six Vegas
10. Perfect Dark Zero (Why?)
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Random Stats:

Following the launch of the Xbox Live online gaming network in November 2002, gamers have spent over 2.3 billion hours on the network playing games online with their friends around the world. This is equal to 95 million days of gaming or over 260,000 years. On Halo 2, which is being played on both the Xbox and Xbox 360, gamers have spent over 710 million hours playing online with over a half a billion games played.
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An average of over 2,000,000 text and voice messages sent every day between members.
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The average Xbox Live Gold subscriber has 22 friends on their Xbox LIVE friends list.
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Xbox 360 owners have unlocked nearly 300 million Achievements. All of those unlocked Achievements have created a total combined Gamerscore of nearly 7.5 billion. (And yes, I completed my Old Spice Challenge and reached 1,500 Achievement Points and its not even close to the April 12th deadline. Not that I didn't sell part of my soul to do it. Look for an article on that next week.)
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terry.terrones@gazette.com

The Review: Crackdown

Bouncing around like an Olympic long jumper on steroids, I scale a skyscraper Ninja-style. Once on the roof I sneak up on an armed goon and proceed to kick him 20-feet in the air and off the building. The gang leader I’m hunting down doesn’t stand a chance.
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Welcome to the world of “Crackdown” – a straight forward, addictive romp as a super powered cop in a city filled with endless opportunities to kick ass.
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Most gamers are aware that the purchase of specially marked “Crackdown” boxes holds the last golden ticket into the “Halo 3” beta. Don’t let that fool you into thinking you should buy this game out of desperation to be included in this elite club, this game stands tall on its own. In “Crackdown” gamers play as a mute, nameless law enforcer genetically enhanced to handle the rough gangs in an equally anonymous crime filled city. You work for The Agency, a big-brotherish organization set within a huge building in the heart of the city.
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Your mission is to eliminate 21 gang leaders from three different gangs and your body has been designed to do just that. Enhanced strength, body armor and the ability to out jump Michael Jordan are just a few of your talents. Incredible physical abilities combined with a variety of weapons and supped up Agency vehicles make you a formidable opponent.
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While its great being a jack rabbit who can lift a car, it gets even better. Throughout the course of the game your powers can be increased, making you just about invincible. This might seem like a bad thing but because your powers are such a blast to use, trouncing goons is even more fun.
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Because of its violent content and sandbox style of play “Crackdown” will inevitably be compared to “Grand Theft Auto” and “Saints Row” but a fairer comparison would be “Spider-Man 2.” Jumping around the tops of buildings and clinging to ledges and windows is much more reminiscent of Peter Parker than San Andreas’ CJ.
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The game presentation, while solid overall, can be a mixed bag. The audio is forgettable and occasionally downright annoying. The Agency has an omnipresent voice that acts as a tutor, giving you tips on how to play the game. Unfortunately, it never goes away, even when you’re close to beating the game. There is a soundtrack full of licensed songs (from artists you’ve never heard before) but you won't hear them because jumping around the city is much more appealing than driving around vehicles with wonky controls.
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Thankfully “Crackdown” is so stunning to look at, its easy to forget about this weakness. Its like dating a swimsuit model who looks like Heidi Klum but sounds like Fran Drescher, you quickly get over it. The game does have a few other annoying problems: no plot to speak of, a crummy targeting system and a very average map to get around such a large world…but again, think swimsuit model.
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“Crackdown’s” shortcomings will hopefully be fixed in its guaranteed sequels. In the meantime, this game is a blast to play and a fun way to pass the time while waiting for the ever precious “Halo 3” beta to start.
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Crackdown
Players: One (2 online)
Price: $59.99
Formats: Xbox 360
Category: Sandbox Shooter
Rating: M (Mature 17+)
Grade: B+
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Top 5 Cracks I Would Hate to See
1. Windshield
2. Bone
3. Television (due to Wiimote hyperactivity)
4. Foundation
5. Plumber/Carpenter
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Coming up next week: "NBA Street Homecourt"
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terry.terrones@gazette.com

GTA IV baby, yeah!

Late yesterday afternoon I received a rather cryptic message from Rockstar with nothing but this logo and a clock counting down the days until the trailer for Grand Theft Auto IV is going to be viewable on the Rockstar website. The big day? March 29th. The rather simple email had the desired effect, I'm super curious and more desperate than a reality show contestant to know what the new GTA game is going to be like.
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With no game cover to analyze like, my mind is left to wonder about the infinite possiblities my favorite franchise can bring to the next generation consoles. Needless to say (in a Dieter from "Sprockets" voice), I'm as happy as a little girl and looking forward to March 29th.
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terry.terrones@gazette.com