Archive for Games
I broke down and bought a new Xbox 360 Arcade unit to replace my variously failing boxes. If you remember back just a bit in time, I tried a couple of strategies to fix my machine. They all worked -- for a time. The time the fix worked, however, was variable, ranging from 5-30 hours for a good fix, and as short as 30 minutes for a bad fix.
I've spent a lot of time on the boxes, and unfortunately, the time I spent fixing seems to have eclipsed the time I spent playing.
The thing I've found most fascinating about the process is that, while buggy, the 360 hardware is quite resilient. With enough twiddling of screws, I can get a box up and running quite consistently.
Well, they’re now on the list, anyway…
Alternate titles for this post:
- How Gamestop ruined my Valentine's Day
- Gamestop Made Me Do It
- I'm an Idiot
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Fixing the XBox 360
I thought I was in the clear as far as the 3 red lights goes for the XBox 360... it happened, I was under warranty, Microsoft send a cardboard coffin, and I sent it back. End of story.
Oops, it happened again. There's no free lunch this time. Even if I paid the $100 to MS to repair it, they would only give a 90 day warranty on their work. So, either buy a new one (with a massive extended warranty, of course) or try to fix it myself. After attempting to buy a new Arcade unit for $200 at K-Mart twice, but failing both times because they were out of stock, I went the fix route.
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Podcast Rotation
I just wanted to capture the current set of podcasts I listen to. I commute two hours a day, and this set keeps me lightly stocked -- Sometimes I run out for a day or two, and I rarely fall behind.
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You’re just fooling yourself…
... that you're cool if you find yourself ever saying any of the following:
- buff
- debuff
- tank
- aggro
- DPS
- AoE
- Bonus:
- Tapping
- Untap
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Game Review: Crackdown

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Game Review: Portal / Orange Box
My wife found a cheap copy of the Orange Box, from Valve. It actually contains 3 full games (Half-life 2, Team Fortress 2, and Portal) and two large expansions for HL2 (ep. 1 & 2) -- a lot of content.
There was only one reason I wanted the game: Portal. I heard from friends and reviews about the thing, so I had a feeling I'd like it. I did. Great writing and mind-bending (but not too mind-bending) make for a fun game.
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Game Review: Mass Effect
It was brought to my attention that I forgot a game review of Portal, so I thought I'd lump several games in today that I've been meaning to review but haven't yet. This is in order of me getting each game, starting with last Christmas.
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Loose lips sink… gaming?
One less secret I have to keep: see Riot Games to Summon 'League of Legends' in 2009 - MarketWatch. That's for anyone who is curious about what my friend Scott has been up to and/or the game I interviewed to work on.
I can't believe I missed the press releases, but such is life.
The main community site is at http://www.leagueoflegends.com/
I wish them the best. The game is fun and has a lot of teamwork potential.
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Game Review: Too Human
Too Human is an action RPG for the XBox 360. Sillicon Knights developed the title on-and-off for almost ten years. The game combines features from several other well-known action RPGs. To sum it up in a sentence, Too Human combines the frantic gameplay and hordes of enemies from the Diablo series with the weapon stylings and combos of Sega's Phantasy Star Online.
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The Power of Naming
How often have you read a story where the way to defeat an enemy is to know its name? Or seen a movie where the discovery of a name leads to control over the named object? Some examples in popular culture:
- Rumpelstiltskin would be the prime example here. By learning the name, and speaking it to the creature, the miller's daughter got out of the bargain she had made (to be able to spin straw into gold, she had to give up her firstborn).
- In The Tenth Kingdom, the blind woodsman would only release his prisoner and give the heroes his magic axe if they could guess his name. (Luckily, he kept it in his hat.)
- The undoing of the Horned King in The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander was the speaking of his name.
- In Aidyn Chronicles for the Nintendo64, the main character Alaron lacks a True Name, which binds his body and soul together. Without it, he is incomplete.
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Game Review: N+
N+ is the new hotness on XBox Live Arcade, created by metanet software as a sequel to their flash game, N.
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Game Review: Super Paper Mario
Super Paper Mario is almost a good game. It has clever puzzles, excellent control, and a wide variety of levels. But it also has tedious dialog, annoying restrictions, and a lot of menu work for what is essentially an action game.
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High-quality GamerWear
I came across the Top 10 Best Game Apparel and let's just say I'd welcome any of the items there into the family. They're all pretty good, go see.
Yes, there is one pair of underwear in the list. I expect a host of jokes relating to me wearing those -- it won't be a surprise.
Pat.
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Game Review: Puzzle Quest, Challenge of the Warlords
Puzzle Quest totally rocks! Here's my review.
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