The California African American Museum is running a very cool exhibit on the history and legacy of Black Skaters. If you’re a fan of skateboarding and this cool things in general, you most certainly want to Roll Thru and check this out. Continue Reading

It’s August and that means that it is Madden season. This is the time of the year that girlfriends and wives make travel plans with their lady friends because their men become mutes as they indulge in their favorite pastime.  But this year, Madden finds itself getting sacked behind the line of scrimmage when it comes to advancements.

Graphically speaking, the game looks remarkable. The animations are crisp and really give the game a television feel. The new animations for wide receivers are much more than a visual enhancement as well. Wideouts will drag their feet when catching a ball by the sidelines and will reach and bend in ways that are very much like their NFL counterparts. It’s a very pretty game to say the least.

The commentary has also received a boost thanks to vibrant Gus Johnson coming in to relieve the snore inducing Tom Hammond. Johnson’s first year giving play-by-play is solid and adds a bit of excitement to the game. However, you can tell it is his first time as some of the audio sounds very choppy. I anticipate that to be improved upon by next year.

The game modes are your standard fare for the long running franchise. Franchise is still the same, online play is similar to last year and the Superstar mode has seen zero enhancements. That’s not a major issue given that the game has been around for as long as it has. The play calling system has now been tempered to the casual gamer who could care less about the X’s and O’s of football and just wants to pick up and play. Gameflow is where the AI will select a play for you with one button press and the gamer can focus on the action on the field. If you are a die hard Madden player, this addition doesn’t mean much. But as Madden looks to appeal to a broader audience, it is a solid addition.

But what the game does well is immediately shot down when it comes to game play. Madden is simply maddening. For Madden experts, you’ll find that the difficulty is either too difficult or too easy. Although there are sliders put in place to assist fine tuning, there is far too much trial and error to find the perfect setting. Playing a few games on All-Pro, I easily managed to rack up over 200 yards rushing with 5 minute quarters and deliver 20+ point thrashings to the CPU. But the All-Madden setting is like allowing the Saints to play against Division II college. Simply put, it’s cheap. On offense, the CPU is able to shed multiple tackles with ease, complete 3rd and longs at any time as your defense is rendered useless and the only way to keep up is by scoring at a pace that is ridiculously frantic. When the CPU wants to win, it will. There’s really nothing you can do to stop it.

Even though the game is still enjoyable when played with friends or online, Madden 11 is a step backwards for the long running franchise and perhaps the game is in need of some competition in order to right the wrongs done to the series.

Pros

- It’s Madden!

- The game looks gorgeous.

- Gus Johnson is awesome.

Cons

- Not many enhancements to the gameplay from last year

- The AI is cheap

- Gameflow is useless

Rating: 3 out of 5

While at Comic-con last week, Nerdlike got a chance to sit down with Rob Dyrdek and catch up on some of the things he has been doing lately. From his Wild Grinders toy line (which he moved to Mattel), to breaking world records, to the voice of Meaty, we get it in with the skateboard pro.

For more information on Rob’s toy line and to get a look at the animated shorts he mentioned in the video, check out: www.wildgrinders.com or go cop one at Walmart or Toy R Us.

Rob on Twitter: @robdyrdek

The Miz walked into the WWE & Mattel panel giving us the show we are used to seeing from him.  He is The Miz, and folks, he truly believes he is awesome.  If you remember him from the Real World, then you know that he has a touch of ADD mixed with long winded speech, proving to be an interesting combination for a press panel.  He was all over the place, going from talking shit about Ryan Seacrest to the future of his career;

When I went on the Real World, it really expanded my mind.  I mean, when I got home I was having fun in college, but lets face it, the classes got in the way.  So I started training, and I was the underdog.  I think it was until I won [the MITB] that people took me serious.  And you know what?  I will be bigger than Hulk Hogan.  I will be bigger than Steve Austin.  I will be bigger than the Rock.  I am The Miz, and I AM AWESOME.”

However, even with the three piece suit and the Money in the Bank Briefcase, he far from overshadowed the beautiful Eve.  Almost demure, Eve spoke very little, but entertained a bit of banter between her and the Miz.

We also got to see the teaser trailer, inclusive of the new line of toys to be released in January, known as the Defining Moments series.  The first action figure to hit the shelves is the Randy Savage joint, showcased by the jerky eating wrestler himself.  I think it’s important to note that the figurine is a replica of Savage in his hayday, with the release being a true Defining Moment, since he has not had an action figure released in more than 12 years.

The Defining Moments pack will come out bi-monthly, with each one featuring 2 figures.  Check for the debut on January 11th.

For years, EA Sports’ NCAA Football has been the stepchild of Madden. But this year, the NCAA Football series sets itself apart from Madden by providing enough features to stand on its own and no longer be a one month tease before the NFL product hits the shelves. NCAA Football 2011 is different than Madden in just about every way and captures the college experience like no other. You have got to give kudos to that.

Visually, NCAA ‘11 is stunning. The player models and lighting give the game an even more realistic look. The animations are on point and the view of the stadiums is breathtaking. The attention to detail is remarkable and you truly feel like you are playing a college football game rather than a minor league version of Madden. Each college team provides a certain level of authenticity that die-hard college football fans will truly appreciate. From rubbing the rock in Clemson to

But who cares about how the game looks if the gameplay is horrible? Thankfully, that is not the case in NCAA. Quite honestly, this is one of the better playing football games I’ve ever touched. The control mechanics are simple enough but it takes true dexterity to get it down pat. This year finds a new usage of the analog stick. Instead of flicking the stick left or right to juke, the amount of lean that is put on the stick influences how hard each player plants, shifts and leans. It’s pretty sweet to watch in action and makes all the difference between a short gain and getting those extra few yards for a first down. All 120 college teams have their own playbook so you’ll be busy dissecting which one works best for you. Teams like Nevada utilize the “Nevada Pistol” while Georgia Tech masters their patented triple option.

The animations are also an enhancement from the previous year’s game. Rather than having a toss to the sideline see your receiver bolt out of bounds, 2011 finds the receiver look to keep his feet inbounds while stretching for the catch. It’s a small – but much needed – detail that helps. The blocking finally matters in NCAA as well. Sure, there will still be times the Right Tackle doesn’t pull during the counter, but more often than not, you can rely on the offensive line to pick up their assignments. The passing game still has a few forehead slapping quirks that can be pretty frustrating (dropped passes, receivers running into each other, etc) but it’s nothing that will kill the experience.

That isn’t to say the game is perfect. Many of the game modes are the same. The biggest culprit is the “Road To Glory” mode where you take your own created player from high school standout to college stud. Erin Andrews again hosts while Kirk Herbstreit gives some insight on your performance. It’s frustrating to see Andrews appearance in the game is an exact replica of what was in 2010. Pretty lame. The dynasty mode hasn’t changed too much, but the recruiting process is a brand new minigame that feels refreshing and rewarding when trying to lock down high school stars for your team before, during and after the season ends. It makes you feel like your efforts to track down a particular player are worth your time, rather than being random.

The commentary of Herbstreit and Nessler is also a bit on the boring side. Lee Corso is no longer a part of the commentating team either – for better or worse. As the game rolls along, you’ll hear the same dialog recycled and there are times where the duo’s comments come a few seconds later than they should. With a game that pays so much attention to detail, you would expect that the commentators would get a brush up. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

For the online gamers, the game is solid and is what you would want out of a sports game online. The biggest treat however is the online dynasty where you and some buddies can battle it out to see who’s the best year after year. The best part is the web-based recruitment interface where you can keep tabs on everything via PC. It’s pretty cool to try and nab the best players while away from your gaming system.

NCAA Football 2011 is exactly what the doctor ordered for those who want a game that doesn’t feel like Madden. It has taken great strides visually to bring the college experience to your living room. It’s unfortunate that some of the game modes weren’t improved upon, but that is a minor detail. Overall, NCAA Football 2011 is a game that every football fan should have. The only question now is if Madden can keep up.

Pros

- Visually stunning

- The running game feels much better

- Truly captures the college football experience and does an excellent job of distancing itself from Madden

Cons

- The passing game could use some tweaks

- Not too many changes to game modes

- Blocking is a little suspect

Rating: 4 out of 5

Wii Games: Summer 2010, a series of cross-country gaming events resulting in a national championship competition is just about on! The throwdown begins July 16, so if want to show off your game, you better hurry up and register here

In the 1st episode of the series, we got a chance to see Nigel’s busy lifestyle riding his bike through the New York  City streets at night. The second episode is a look the day grind. Nigel makes it all look easy, I really need to get a bike. Continue Reading

BMX Rider Nigel Sylvester is clearly a man about the town. If he’s not doing a Japan to NY to Beiijing turnaround in a week, he’s smashing his bike all over the world and in his native stomping grounds, The Big Apple. Continue Reading

With the World Cup sitting just around the corner, Nike has released the full length video to promote their “Write The Future Campaign”. The campaign is centered around the world’s most popular sport, football (or soccer to you Americans), and how winning or losing can have an impact on the lives of your countrymen. Football fans around the world will be able to experience the full three-minute film online at nikefootball.com from May 20th at 6pm GMT before it rolls out through global partnerships with Facebook, YouTube and QQ.com on Saturday the 22nd. The spot will then air across 32 countries, sharing the campaign with millions of fans around the world on May 22nd.

The film feature appearences from some of the world’s best players, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Didier Drogba, Wayne Rooney, Fabio Cannavaro, Franck Ribery, Andres Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas, Theo Walcott, Patrice Evra, Gerard Pique, Ronaldinho, Landon Donovan, Tim Howard and Thiago Silva. There are also special guest cameos by tennis legend Roger Federer and basketball superstar Kobe Bryant, with Homer Simpson completing the star-studded cast of appearances.

In addition to the theatrical aspect of the film, we get a good look at Nike’s supercharged Elite Series football boots. The sneakers provide new levels of performance for players during the tournament. Nike’s Mercurial Vapor SuperFly II, CTR360 Maestri, Total90 Laser III and Tiempo Legend III all feature a new performance upper to improve on-field visibility and a reengineered outsole to deliver lightweight performance for every style of player. The Elite Series is available to players at all levels and also incorporates Nike Football+, which features exclusive insider access to the world’s best coaches, players and teams for total game improvement. All four Elite Series boots to be worn by Nike players in South Africa, the Nike Mercurial Vapor SuperFly II, Nike CTR360 Maestri, Nike Total90 Laser III and Nike Tiempo Legend III, are available at retail and at www.nikestore.com as of May 22, 2010.

For additional information, check out Nike Facebook starting at 6pm GMT today.

If you are looking for a new fixie fix, or a bike to cruise around on, check out Urban’s new custom bikes. Sent to us from DuckeyC.