Wii Zapper with
Link’s Crossbow Training
ESRB Rating: E
MSRP: $24.99
BUY IT NOW!

Santa Says: Since the Wii already has a system in place to point and shoot at the screen, it was only a matter of time till we saw some sore of lightgun attachment. Though this one looks nothing like a gun (more like the Super Scope from SNES days) it nevertheless does a bang-up job holding Wii-mote and nunchuck together to provide a cool way to interact with the screen. The game also includes Link’s Crossbow Training which, while not a full fleshed out game, will keep you entertained till more compatible games hit the shelves. True it’s just a hunk of plastic, but it does look cool.

Super Mario Galaxy
ESRB Rating: E
MSRP: $49.99
BUY IT NOW!

Santa Says: Bringing Mario back to top form in his latest platformer almost seemed too easy for the experts at Nintendo. Everyone’s favorite plumber is tasked to save the extremely kidnappable Princess Peach in an adventure that spans the universe. Perfect controls, trademark humor and plenty of pick-ups are just a few reasons why this Mario adventure is not only one of the best Wii titles, but one of the best Mario games since Super Mario 64.

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Later this afternoon you’ll be treated with a very special feature we’ve been working behind the scenes on, our Holiday Geek Guide. We teamed up with some other sites to bring you this guide that acts as a “what-should-I-ask-for” wishlist guide.

Thanks go out to our friends at Siliconera and This Week In Geek for joining us on this feature.

Since I’m officially not starting my new position at WorthPlaying.com for a few days I’ve been going back into my library to play some of the older releases to prepare for theBBPS.com’s Best of 2007 feature… which is all I’m saying about that.

So I’ve tinkered with The Orange Box, BioShock, Call of Duty 4, Halo 3, Ratchet & Clank Future, Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3 and a whole mess of PSN and XBLA releases.

But with recent rumblings of a DreamCast 2 (dear jeebus I wish) I dug out my old favorite console and threw down in some fighting action.  Playing such classics as:

• Marvel vs. Capcom 2
• Street Fighter III: New Generation
• Dead or Alive 2
• Project Justice
• Soul Calibur
• Super Street Fighter 2X: Grand Master Challenge Edition

The former being my personal fave, a tournament only disc that I found online oh-so-many moons ago.

Lastly, I spent the better part of the evening playing Unreal Tournament III on the PS3 and I have to say I am quite impressed.  While the Unreal 3 Engine isn’t as impressive at first glace as it was a year ago… it’s a gorgeous title.  Running smoothly at a locked 30 frames in all its high-octane glory, the game is insanely entertaining.  I have had a few crash bugs, three in one night actually, so if anyone else has been having issues let me know.  Also, if you have a PS3 and plan on picking up UTIII - feel free to add me and maybe we can get some good games going.

The name’s Snypz - but enough about me, what’cha playing folks?

Okay… we don’t actually have an office or desks, so I’m not really packing anything right now. But as I transition from theBBPS to my new industry job– I’ve had a little time to play some games and *gasp* none are on my Xbox 360.

This week I focused on other titles, such as the PlayStation 3 exclusive; Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune.

The Tomb Raider meets Gears of War mash-up was an engrossing experience in both game play and storytelling.  However, one glaring issue stuck with me while I was playing the game; if you’ve just discovered a secret cave that’s been desolate for hundreds of years, how the fuck did the enemies in the game get inside and ahead of you?

There’s a part when you uncover an area that hasn’t been visited in hundreds of years, Drake says as much to another character and yet, the militia group trying to kill you is in the cave and waiting around to ambush you.  Did they discover the ancient electric-stone elevator moments before?

It just proves that sometimes design and concept don’t mix.

That’s like in Return to Castle Wolfenstein where the enemies consist of Nazis AND demons.  What, Nazis aren’t evil enough for you I need to fight the shit that looks like it was ripped from a designer’s grade school trapper-keeper?

Or back in the day when the last boss WAS Hitler, but not regular ass Hitler… it was Omegaton-Adolf who was fused with some MechAssault reject.  Do I need anymore excuses to hate Hitler?  Really?  Voltroning up a chaingun-wielding mecha-Adolf isn’t really going to make a fucking difference!

But I digress… oh and for a game called Uncharted there are certainly a lot of fucking maps of the places you need to go.  But, that’s sort of deliciously ironic I guess.

Lastly, my roommate and I hit 15 stars in Super Mario Galaxy and as we slowly creep closer to the 120 mark I think it’s safe to say that Super Mario Galaxy is one of the best games I’ve played in 2007.

‘Nuff about me, what’cha playing peoples?

A year ago a GameSpot user named jimmycanuck sent me a message via the site’s internal messenger telling me he enjoyed my work as a comic writer in the gaming industry and the website he works for, theBBPS.com, wanted to interview me.

Fast-forward a few months and DanZuke accepted my application for employment based on some forum chatter I started.

Later, after scoring some decent interviews at the FanExpo, X07 and the PlayStation Holiday event I was proud of the fact that theBBPS.com was quickly becoming the blogging industry’s best kept secret and I could be a small part of it.

Nowadays I have a great sense of accomplishment when I visit this site and see how its grown-up and into its own– carving out its spot in the vast game blog market.

Since joining this company in May of 2007, I’ve been introduced to some of the best, funniest and sometimes craziest (looking at you Jimbo) people in the gaming world and today I’m saddened to announce I’ll be stepping down from my position as public relations ninja and senior staff writer.

While I won’t be leaving the industry (can’t get rid of me that easily!), I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you to all the readers, listeners and staff for an amazing experience. Working here and being able to entertain you from time-to-time has been a dream come true and I know that where I’m headed now has a lot to do with my experience here.

Once our Holiday Guide (hinted at during BitCast #31) launches; I may pop my head in from every now and then to say hello, but that seems like it will be the extent of it.

So thanks theBBPS.com.
Thank you Dan, Kevin and Jim and thanks to the new guys/gal Santos, Dex and Hawty McBloggy for being so great at what you do that people have already forgotten who the hell I am!

So, as a last little fun idea… Jump into this post for a few choice memories I have had working with all these crazy kats.

[Ed. Note: This has nothing to do with my review of Kane & Lynch: Dead Men; which I scored two kittens out of an entire kaboodle]

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With 2007 being known as the Year of the Shooter it’s difficult for newer experiences to crack the sales charts.  If it isn’t named Halo, Call of Duty or Half-Life, chances are you might have skipped it.

One of the titles lost in the shuffle this year has been Clive Barker’s Jericho and while the game isn’t a triple-a marketing hype monster like Master Chief’s latest adventure, it has some very interesting story ideas that might deserve your attention. Continue Reading »

Happy Thanksgiving US of the A.

Although you’re a little LTTP (late to the party) on that, Canada knocked out that National Holiday in October, I’m sure it’ll be that much sweeter playing Rock Band.

When the Canadian version hits in December– probably re-titled Le Rock Band– we’ll be able to join in on the fun.

This week my gaming consisted mostly of driving around Southern Ontario nailing non-BBPS related work (interviews and proposals). Although the driving on the highway game is fun, I find the graphics to be sub-par and am upset at its lack of achievements.

Tonight, since the weather decided to give Canada an early winter, I’m sticking indoors and plan on finishing Call of Duty 4, Jericho and Assassin’s Creed.

That’s the plan at least.

Problem is, we have a few features we’re working on– one of which will hit tomorrow– and my time is dedicated to throwing new content you fine ladies and gentlemen.
One great thing to take note of is the inclusion of two new BBPS family members.

Dexie Oblivion and Hawty McBloggy are the newest members of our team and promise to entertain you with their own brand of wit aimed at gaming culture.

So we know the Old Big Boss, DanZuke, has been playing the hiring game (and after that comment probably the firing one) and you now know my time is GONZOS, we ask… what’cha been playing?

Few developers can claim to push the boundaries of every platform they create for time-and-time again– the good people at Team Ninja are one of those rare developers.

In March, Tomonobu Itagaki and his team revealed Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword for the Nintendo DS and promised to push the portable to limits unlike gamers have ever experienced.

We had a chance to play the, unfortunately short, demo of Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword and have a complete breakdown on how it looks, how it plays and if it will affect your holiday wish list for Nintendo’s portable powerhouse. Continue Reading »