Giant 3DS AR Card

A couple of people in Japan have made their own giant AR card. AR cards are those little Augmented Reality cards that the Nintendo 3DS can read and project 3D models on, like a Mii.

They made a huge one in order to generate a Mii the size of the 1/1 scale Tetsujin 28 that is on display in Kobe, Japan.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1wU7iBHXz0&w=480&h=390]

Source: Destructoid GoNintendo

EA Sports helping the Earth, ditches printed manuals

The days of the printed instruction manual may be numbered. EA Sports has joined the likes of Ubisoft in ditching printed manuals altogether, the publisher has confirmed.

The change started with the release of Fight Night Champion, which shipped only with  a slip containing an online pass code (and a Crysis 2 ad on the flipside), along with small warranty pamphlet. A complete digital manual can be found on the game disc by selecting "Manual" from the game's main menu.

"Thank you for supporting our efforts to significantly reduce paper in our products," the pamphlet reads.

Considering how flimsy EA's instructions manuals have been for years, this probably won't impact consumers all that much. Of course, folks who yearn for the days of old and those thick, full-color instruction manuals (first-party Nintendo games were always tops back in the day), this is a sad sign. However, the trade off -- reduced waste -- seems worth it.

But really, when was the last time you actually read an instruction manual anyhow?

From: Destructoid

Source: Kotaku

Next Minecraft Update Will Feature Wolves [Video]

Wolves are new mobs set to appear in Minecraft Beta 1.4, which may also be considered pets as you will have the ability to tame them. They are said to be rare, but they will not despawn once tamed. Once tamed, they will become friendly and will protect you, follow you around and attack mobs that you melee'd. A red collar will indicate that a wolf is tamed and you can tame more than one wolf.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9Lp9p5yjuo]

Review: Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light

Lara Croft, is back to explore lost tombs, discover treasures, fight monsters, and save the world. Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is the name of the newest Lara Croft game. Developed by Crystal Dynamics; this game tries to separate itself from the previous Tomb Raider games. A noticeable difference is that the game does not bear the “Tomb Raider” title, it no longer has the third person perspective and it focuses on cooperative playing. However, don’t let this change fool you, this is still one hell of a game and the cooperative gameplay is a very sweet addition.

General Information

Developer: Crystal Dynamics

Platform: PC, Playstation 3(PSN), Xbox 360(XLA)

Genre: Fixed-camera 3D action platform

Release: 18 August 2010

Rating: ESRB – T

Story

The game opens up with Totec, the Guardian of Light, battling it out with Xolotl, the keeper of darkness game. Xolotl decimated Totec’s army with the use of an ancient artifact called “Mirror of Smoke.” Totec was able to find a way to imprison Xolotl in the Mirror of Smoke and in turn he became a statue destined to watch over the prison of Xolotl. Centuries later Lara Croft was able to discover the location of the Mirror of Smoke; but unfortunately she was tailed by a group of Mercenaries who are also after the Mirror. The mercenaries take the Mirror which caused Xolotl to be set free and also releasing Totec in the process. Lara Croft, together with Totec, must stop Xolotl before the light of dawn or else he would be unstoppable.

Gameplay

The game has several unique features that separate itself from the other Tomb Raider franchise. The first and major difference is the fixed 3D camera with an isometric view, similar to the “Diablo” franchise. Another new feature is the addition of a cooperative player; you could choose between Lara Croft and Totec. The cooperative mode allows players to effectively utilize the unique skills of the two characters to solve puzzles and defeat the hordes of enemies. Some features from were also retained, like the single player mode, dual pistols with unlimited ammo, and the grappling hook.

In single player mode, you are limited to Lara Croft. Totec will be behind the scene providing pretty much no help at all. Single player mode is basically the same as the other Tomb Raider game except of course it is not in third person.

The cooperative mode is, in my opinion, the reason to play this game. In this mode you get to choose between Totec and Lara Croft, take note that the other character cannot be controlled by an AI. Teamwork is the key in this mode because the maps, although similar in single player, will have different a different layout. An example is that Totec cannot use the grappling hook so Lara will have to hoist him up. Another is Totec has a shield which he could hold up allowing Lara to jump on top of Totec therefore giving her an extra boost.

The controls are also different from the previous games. The recommended controller is a gamepad; since I played in my PC I used a keyboard and mouse. The keyboard and mouse, with proper mapping is great at fights although a little bit annoying when it comes to directional jumps since it has no analog. The gamepad is great when it comes to solving puzzles but not that accurate in fights due to the analog targeting. So it’s really up to you to decide what to use; I’m a keyboard and mouse person so I used them in the game, my brother used the gamepad.

The graphics is also great; the developers were able to present the lush green jungles of Central America with awesome detail. The enemies also have a great detail for an isometric viewpoint. There are also several weapons to be found, some can be awarded through finishing challenges and others are scattered all over the map.

Verdict

Being a long time Lara Croft fan, I loved the game. Especially since the cooperative mode and isometric view are a great tandem. Though the story is pretty much linear it compensates with a great game. Also, with all the challenges in the game you cannot accomplish a 100% on one run. For example, one challenge requires you to finish the game in less than 5:00 mins and another challenge would require you to complete the secret items. So in order to accomplish the two challenges, you will have to replay the stage.

The only part that I was disappointed in, well not that disappointed, is that the “movies” in the game are presented in a comic book style. Although the in game cut scenes are nice, it would be great if they added an FMV to the game. However, that is only a small setback.

I would urge Lara Croft fans to try this game out, especially the cooperative mode because you won’t be disappointed.

Score: 90/100

Pros:

+Cooperative gameplay

+Great visual effects

+Challenges require you to replay the game

+Reinvigorate the game franchise

+Abundant weapons

+Action and puzzles are well balanced

Cons:

-Game is too short if cooperative play is utilized

-Better if you could switch from isometric to third person view

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuFtLV8GUvs]

Impressions: Mortal Kombat Demo

The Mortal Kombat demo just came out a few days ago for download on the Playstation Network and Xbox live. I started downloading the 1.3gb demo to test out how the game plays and to get an idea of what the game will offer when it ships on April 19.

The demo contains four playable characters: Sub Zero, Johnny Cage, Mileena and Scorpion. The menu screen showing a picture of Scorpion giving an uppercut to Sub Zero gives you the option to pick either the one player modes or two player modes. the only mode accessible is 4 stages of ladder mode. Where you only fight the four playable characters. The fifth fight was going to be the four armed monster Goro but like any demo, it ends at the good part and shows you a trailer of Mortal Kombat and its features. in Two player, versus is the only playable mode in this demo.

This game many game modes to trip on in the full version. From what i see in the demo, They got Story Mode, Ladder Modes, Team Ladder, Online, Two Player online(which I'm curious about) and Challenge tower which consists of 300 challenges. With this many modes seen in the demo, it already feels like a full package plus their 26 Character Roster and 2 DLC characters.

The fighting mechanics seems to be exactly how it was in previous Mortal Kombat games but with more depth. it's pretty satisfying and the speed of the matches are quite fast. The concept of blocking by pressing a button is still fairly new to me and I haven't played Mortal Kombat in a long time. Defense is different because if it but a few matches and training sessions can get you pressing that block button. The moves of each character's are still easy to input but is never the same for each character. I tried all 4 playable characters and each of them plays differently so going to the training lab when this game ships is going to be a treat. With each players simple 3 hit combos and moves, I see a lot of potential juggles and combos, so it's going to be an entertaining game to watch when the pro players get their hands on Mortal Kombat.

Fatalities are crazy! it's more messed up to see up close to see the detail of each fatality. In the demo, each of the four characters have only one fatality and a stage fatality. These four fatalities is enough to show me how insane these can be. There will be over 60 fatalities in the full version, so yea..... a lot to look forward to if your into fatalities .

Graphics are amazing for the fast loading times in each fight But what i noticed in the demo is the lack of bg music. Either they took it out completely or it just wasn't implemented in this demo. Character detail though is quite impressive. As you progress in a match, depending on how beat up your character is will be shown. You can visually see wounds like slash marks, ripped clothes, blood on their body and face. As a match ends, the winner lifts his hand in victory but showing his exposed ribs and blood all over his face hinting it wasn't easy.

So during my time with the demo it seems like it will come out as a solid fighting game to live up to the Mortal Kombat name. With it's the many modes in the game, huge character roster, and satisfying fighting mechanics plus that challenge tower will keep people busy for a while. Mortal Kombat is a game to look out for when it comes out on April 22 for Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.

What did you guys think of the demo? can't wait for the full game??

Oh, and to give you guys an idea on how crazy the fatalities can get, check the video below.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFdS0PkT6-c]