It certainly has been some time since there was a Lara Croft title worth playing. But Xbox Live’s “Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light” breathes life into the franchise that featured a leading lady most pre-teens drooled over. Considering that it has nothing to do with “Tomb Raider” in style or game play, one could be a little concerned with this new gaming experience. But it’s safe to say that this game is a pleasant departure from previous installments and a welcome addition to any gamers library.

Let’s get the bad out of the way first, the game’s story is complete nonsense and only present to give you a reason to play. Ms. Croft uncovers an ancient mirror in the Yucatan Peninsula that unleashes an evil demon. The Guardian of Light, Totec, awakens to assist Lara on her quest to save the world from the demon. It’s pretty lame but it doesn’t hurt the gaming experience.

The game employs an overhead camera – reminiscent of Gauntlet or Diablo – as Laura explores, shoots, jumps and figures out puzzles. It’s pretty straightforward but is still a lot of fun to play. A second player can join the fray as Totec (who looks utterly ridiculous as an Aztec warrior burning down enemies with a flamethrower, but whatever) and that’s when the game really gets fun. The dynamic duo have to help one another to get through many of the game’s puzzles. Totec can toss spears that the lightweight Lara can hop on to get to certain areas. Lara has a grappling hook that assists Totec across chasms. It’s all pretty interesting when put to work. The only drawback is that the co-op feature is only offline.

The visuals are handled very well. A tremendous amount of detail is paid to the areas that Lara has to explore. With the exception of destroyed towers vanishing once they hit the ground, this is a good looking game.

What makes the game even better is its replay value. The levels have secondary tasks that will make you want to play over and over to complete. They range from relatively easy to mildly difficult but it extends the life of the game well after you get past the goofy footed story. As you complete puzzles you’ll get an upgrade to your arsenal. Although you and Totec start with pistols and spears (respectively), you’ll soon be blasting at monsters with flamethrowers and M-16s.

Ultimately, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is a fulfilling experience. Aside from the lame story and no online co-op, the game is a good reason to have extra room on your hard drive and the $15 price tag is quite tempting.

Pros

- A great departure from the “Tomb Raider” series

- Clever puzzles that work well with co-op mode

- Great replay value for $15

Cons

- The story is terrible.

- No online co-op mode

- Did I say the story was complete nonsense?

Rating: 3.75 out of 5

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 a few weeks ago, Nerdlike had the chance to personally experience Microsoft’s Kinect with the guys from Konami. Even from the sidelines, it was clear that what we were seeing was not your typical video game experience. It allows you to be completely engaged, immersing all five of your senses in the game, taking it from being handheld, to what we often see in the movies. Kinect could very easily become the future of gaming.

Now I know many of you are going to say “What about the Wii?”and that is a very valid argument. While I can say that the Wii did serve as inspiration for this device, it is more than Microsoft playing catch up. It is Microsoft once again taking the lead.

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As J7 and Jazzy posed for Kinect, I couldn’t help but think of how much work was going on in the background. If this small device that looked like the head of a Hammerhead shark was going to map their movements, it needed to be pretty accurate for the experience to even be enjoyable. Little did I know that not only was it accurate, but it allowed us to feel what it is like to PLAY a game. It took interaction beyond a vibrating controller….it made Jazzy sweat.

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I don’t fully understand the technology behind Kinect, and I probably will not understand it, but that is not really the point of it all is it? I know that it has a 3D sensor, a video camera, and some microphones. All of which combine to allow me to play a game with my entire body, tell my Xbox to play a movie, and to video chat with my brother in college.

It is this, it is those three elements, that puts Kinect on the forefront of video gaming. It is the execution of those experiences that make this product revolutionary. Revolutionary,not for what it will be at its launch in November. Revolutionary for its potential.  We are at phase one of Kinect. What would be amazing is if Microsoft would treat this like a start-up. Approached it with a vigor and fearlessness that we often worry is lost within a major corporation. The creative possibilities are sure to be through the roof when this hits the mass market and more game developers begin to create for a full gaming experience.

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J7: “If you jump, it jumps!”

Kutty: Are you serious? No way!

J: Try it!

M: Oh Sh!t

J: Dope Right?

M: Incredible! Look! When you lean forward, it goes faster. This is insane.

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It is hard to experience Kinect and not be excited about what is to come. Imagine being able to control your TV with the flick of your risk, or working out in front of your TV and begin shown exactly how you should lift the weight, or how far you should stretch based on you body. This could easily turn video games into an actual playtime for children. Imagine being fully immersed in a FPS game.

I remember when i was first teaching my mother to play a video game, she spent a lot of her time moving her entire body instead of the controller. When going left, she physically tried to turn left. It almost feels like a natural extension of video games. After playing a few different titles on the system, those movements are not so funny anymore. They are a reality. They are what we can come to expect starting in November.

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While I have plenty of praise for Kinect, there are some issues with the device. One of the main components is the lag. Though it is close to real-time, it is not. Not a deal breaker, but something people will definitely notice as they get better at games and start to anticipate movements. The next issues is that is requires a sizable room. Many Xbox 360 users have a system in their room, with very little “extra space”. It is recommended that you have at least 6 feet of space. That is something that is just not going to happen in a 16 year old kids room. The third issue is Microsoft itself. With the recent demise of the Microsoft Kin, and the so-so support of the Zune, you are left to worry about the support Microsoft will throw behind the product. Will this be Microsoft’s next HD-DVD? Only time will tell. I personally hope it is not!

In the meantime, I am excited about what the future holds for gaming and the Xbox 360. Microsoft has taken a leap forward, and I am glad to be a part of it. Once we get our hands on a unit, we will put together a full thorough review and give you our final thoughts. Until then, enjoy J7 and Jazzy playing Konami’s Dance Masters. As you can see, they had a bit of fun and Jazzy clearly dominated J7.

While caught up in the hustle and bustle of Comic-Con, there were a few choice moments of pure joy and hilarity. One of those moments came from a demo of the new Wii game Karaoke Revolution: Glee when we visited the Konami Suite.

Glee has been a break-out show for Fox and now they are teaming up with Konami to bring the show to your living room via the Wii. In addition to fans being able to sing along to their favorite tunes from episodes 1-13, they will also get to see footage of the show running in the background.

So to play the game, you sing along with the song and the more accurate your timing and pitch, the better you score in the game. Their is a story mode, which plays you through the story of  Glee, and then there are the regular singing modes. While we were there, we tested out the duo singing mode, and it very well. Being that we were on an unfinished version of the game, I will hold off comments on the UI and the movies in the game, but suffice to say that when it is polished, Glee fans will definitely be excited and pleased with the outcome. Check out some game play footage below

If you are at all into karaoke on gaming consoles, KRG should be an easy game to pick up and play. As a bonus, the game will also come with extras from the show that can be unlocked based on certain achievements in the game. Considering Glee fans can not get enough of the show, this looks like a no-brainer.

Karaoke Revolution: Glee is set to hit store shelves this fall and will be exclusive to the Nintendo Wii.

For anyone who has tinkered with the Castlevania series since the good old NES days, you’ll probably jump for joy once you get your hands on Xbox Live’s next chapter of the series – Castlevania: Harmony Of Despair. Bringing back all of the side scrolling, annoyingly difficult action from the past, Castlevania is a great throwback to a legendary series. However, if you are a newbie to the game, you may want to save your loot and try something else.

Review

First things first, Castlevania looks absolutely nothing like a game you would find on Xbox 360. What you get is a pixelated look that is pretty lousy if you are attempting to compare it to anything on the 360. But it’s an honorable throwback to those who truly care about the series. It’s nothing more and nothing less than that.

If you are still interested once you get past the obvious, it becomes all about the gameplay. It handles like your typical side scrolling game. You jump, attack and throw stuff. That’s about it. Again, if you’re familiar, this is fine. Where the game becomes a headache is trying to figure out exactly what does what in the game. There’s no real instruction manual. You just fire up the game and are hacking and slashing. You’ll come across weapons, magic and gear, but trying to figure out how they work is a nightmare. Eventually – after much trial and error – you’ll figure out what is what and it is all smooth sailing. That is, until you realize that playing this game by yourself is an absolute no-no.

Castlevania: Harmony Of Despair was made specifically for six players to play together online. Each level is pretty large and you’ll have 30 minutes to get to the end and defeat the boss. By yourself it is almost impossible and simply no fun. But with friends, it’s pretty interesting. There will be certain items you won’t be able to access without a partner. The bosses are increasingly difficult and it will take a team to defeat them. On the single player mode, if you die, it’s a wrap. Whereas when you are playing with others, if you die, you will become a skeleton that can still fight until someone revives you with the “Water of Life.”

Recommendation

Simply put, Castlevania is for the die hard side scrolling gamer who has been enamored with the title over the years. Playing in online with a time is pretty fun and offers a good bit of challenge. But if none of this appeals to you, steer clear.

Pros

- If you like old school Castlevania, you’ll love this

- Multi-player is a blast

- Pretty challenging

Cons

- Graphics leave much to be desired

- Not for newbies to the series

- Instructions? We don’t need no stinking instructions (actually we do…we really do)

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

As an older more refined geek, it is still hard for me to pick up a hammer without the thought of Thor running through my head. While at Comic-COn we got a chance to look at some footage of the the game and the trailer. They trailer is now live online and I am every bit as excited as I was when I saw it at Comic-Con.

As Silly Bandz continue their takeover, hitting shelves at Hallmark, Children’s Place and mall kiosks across the land, they also announce their latest collection: The Silly Bandz Marvel Avengers! The pack includes four Spider Man, Wolverine, Hulk, Iron Man, Captain America and Thor. Buy it here And if that’s not enough, look out for a Silly Bandz inspired video game this holiday season.

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

How Los Angeles, California was left off of this list, I will never know, but if you are in one of these other cities, it looks like you can get your 360 on next week. On July 15th, 13 Macy’s stores will be hosting Kinect demos.  [ChipChick]

Personal rant: Really, in three different cities in California, and nothing in Los Angeles!!!

Herald Square, Manhattan, New York
South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesta, California
State Street, Chicago, IL
Pleasanton, California
Roosevelt Field, Garden City, Long Island, New York
Lenox Square, Atlanta, Georgia
Valley Fair, San Jose, California
Dadeland, Miami, Florida
Tysons Corner, McLean, Virginia
Easton Town Center, Columbus, Ohio
Scottsdale, Arizona
Bellevue, Seattle, Washington
Galleria, Houston, Texas

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

A few years back, Crackdown was the surprise hit for Xbox 360. Combining an open world environment with the ability to become a super cop, the game delivered violence and fun like no other. It’s three years later and the sequel is here to give fans of the first game more. But what Crackdown 2 offers is more of the same rather than bringing anything new to the table. It’s still an extremely fun game, but feels more like an expansion pack rather than a brand new game.

Just like the original installment, Crackdown 2 takes place in Pacific City and features your character as a cop with upgradable super powers. So the entire rooftop jumping, car tossing and crazy arsenal of weapons shtick from the first game is back. But now the city is a little worn down with mutants now taking over the city at night. And…well…that’s about all that is different with Pacific City. Your job is to restore order to the decimated city. But the meat and potatoes of the game revolves around blowing sh*t up and chasing ability orbs scattered throughout the city. The orbs will beef up your agility powers and by the end of the game you’ll be jumping 30 feet in the air and launching vehicles at enemies with ease.

Although the hunt for orbs is fun, the story is not. Let’s just say to even say that Crackdown 2 has a story is an insult in itself. Your job is to clear Pacific City of mutants called “Freaks” by activating homing beacons and then setting them off inside of the lair of the “Freaks.” You do this nine times and that’s pretty much it. Yup. That is all. You can do some side missions which consist of occupying “Cell” territory but it is literally the same old same throughout the entire game.

The game mechanics are a bit wonky as well. Targeting is a pain as you can get locked onto a close enemy and detonate a bomb meant for someone off in the distance and find yourself blown up. Driving mechanics are solid but some of the vehicles handle far better than others. Jumping from building to building is cool. That is, until you think you can grab a ledge but you can’t and plummet to the pavement below. It’s annoying as hell but doesn’t completely deter you from the fun aspects of the game.

The melee attacks are cool but nothing spectacular. You’ll spend a majority of your time jumping in the air while using your rocket launcher blow up the bad guys. Don’t get me wrong, it’s fun, but you wish the game had a little bit more to it.

The multiplayer aspect is solid as up to four people can cooperate on the campaign mode and run around blowing sh*t up together. The multiplayer modes like deathmatch and rocket tag are a little ho-hum and just feel like a missed opportunity to make Crackdown 2 stand out.

Missed opportunity is the name of the game with Crackdown 2. While fun, the sequel feels like nothing more than a minor league upgrade to a game that had major appeal three years ago. Have fun while it lasts because throwing cars will get old sooner or later.

Pros

-          A vast assortment of weapons to pulverize civilians and baddies is always fun

-          Lots of in-game achievements and orbs to keep you busy even after the directionless campaign ends

-          Remains fun and entertaining because of jacked up abilities

Cons

-          The story is non-existent and basically consists of doing the same mission over and over and over again

-          The graphics don’t offer very much in terms of “wow” factor.

-          Seems more like Crackdown 1.5 rather than a sequel

Rating: 3 out of 5

I’m not afraid to say I want one of these blankets. Unfortunately, these handmade, game-inspired quilts are for the babies. Etsy seller GeekUnique will stitch you a 36×36 quilt ($80) for the crib. She’s got Mario, Ms. Pac-Man, Q-Bert, Donkey Kong and a few more up her sleeves. And if you really want a Lil Geek 8-Bit Video Game Quilt for yourself, GeekUnique makes a throw blankey for $110. That’s a lot of coins, Luigi.

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