Now as of today, finidng the newly released World of Warcraft card game is quite difficult. In addition, the inflation of the cards has gone up. I bought my starter for $20 and my packs at around 5 bucks each.
Difficulty: 3 out of 5
WoWTCG is very quick to learn and play if you have an extensive card game history. Basically, its just Magic and the Vs. System mashed up into one huge brawl. Health, damage, and cost of cards are indicated very beautifully. The art is simply amazing and they do a very good job at recreating that character or event (Did I mention Todd Mcfarlane does some artwork for the game too?).
Presentation: 5 out of 5
When you first buy the starter it is unlike any other starter. First of all, its in a thick box and comes with 3 oversized hero cards, one 31 card deck, rulebook, 2 boosters, and a place to set 2 of your decks in, 1 deck if you have em in sleeves...and yes it fits very nicely with a little room for the card to breathe. The case comes with a plastic closing case with the UDE logo on it. Everything snaps into place nicely. So now it doubles as a deck holder too! =)
Balance: 4 out of 5
Of course there is the usual power rare cards in the set, but with over 300 cards in the 1st set and a raid box with similiar play to old school D&D, it is pretty much balanced between the classes you can choose from. Plus as an added bonus, you can redeem points to get exclusive in-game items ranging from fireworks to tabards.
Quality: 4 out of 5
The quality of the cards is great. And if you get the rulebook, you can feel its glossy pages. The box looks amazing and really friggin big. I got a warrior deck and I was suprised to get some rare stuff for a hunter (which is what I'm looking to build now).
Replayability: 5 out of 5
No doubt in my mind that you will play this again with a friend or group of friends raiding Onyxia for epic items and other fun treats via Need and Greed roll. Leagues should be established in November and tourneys should be comming up real soon. And also professions will be useable in the next set, so UDE got ahead of themselves.
Buy or Save?
I would see if your friends have any interest or if your local card game store has a league in the works. But if you live on the west or east coast, pick up a big starter and get a friend into it becuase this could very well topple the Vs. System and keep Wizards in competition with the WoWTCG.
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
PS2 Deadhault
I like the PS,PS2, and PSP (yes I will go that far to say the PSP is good) ever since I stumbled upon it after returning a highly saught after Nintendo 64...complete with green controller. The PS was my machine of choice...after trading in tons of Super Nintendo games and the system, the PS came to 20 bucks...great trade off.
The games back then took FMVs and greenscreens to a whole new level, making the games real and movie-like. Now, am I the only person who enjoys the acting on a greenscreen thing? I mean it sucks and all but having the actor actually there makes the game worth it. Then again, it would be the classic b-movie actor or the new actor who is in the role.
Towards the middle of the PS history, we see more computer generated movies, one classic example is FF7 with its revolutionary graphics for that time. And followed with tons of other games following the example.
At the end of the PS library, the games haulted for the PS2 obviously. But all that was coming out was shitty game after shitty game. "E" rated games and a bunch of crap.
Flash foward to the PS2 era and the same thing is happening. All because of the PS3 and its power. If some low budget game company comes along, you'd be certain that they would pick the PS2 over the PS3 simply becuase the cost of the game would be lesser and you'd still have more than enough room for one killer, kickass game. No fancy graphics or FMVs which will set you back 10 million, plus the game can be marketed for 40 bucks instead of the 60 bucks the PS3 game will be around (I dunno if they have the price of the games but if its still 50, more power to them).
Put some ad power behind it and you got yourself a cheap game with the buying power of those who still have a PS2...which will be, I'd say, 9 out of 10 houses. You would automatically have the fanbase for the game and customers would be happy with the content given it is a good game.
What I'm trying to say is, if you're making a game and the company or director/producer is new, start them off in PS2 land becuase I am pretty sure the power of all next-gen systems would be a little bit too overwhelming for them and it would stop the PS2 Deadhault at the end of the PS2's life and put some hope into the obsolete console.
Cause if we have too many fucking shitty games on the PS3 then we are sure enough that the companies who make these games would go bankrupt or simply look at the PS2 for a means of finding their fanbase. Trust me kids, its not all about the graphics, its about the gameplay and what you get for your money.
The games back then took FMVs and greenscreens to a whole new level, making the games real and movie-like. Now, am I the only person who enjoys the acting on a greenscreen thing? I mean it sucks and all but having the actor actually there makes the game worth it. Then again, it would be the classic b-movie actor or the new actor who is in the role.
Towards the middle of the PS history, we see more computer generated movies, one classic example is FF7 with its revolutionary graphics for that time. And followed with tons of other games following the example.
At the end of the PS library, the games haulted for the PS2 obviously. But all that was coming out was shitty game after shitty game. "E" rated games and a bunch of crap.
Flash foward to the PS2 era and the same thing is happening. All because of the PS3 and its power. If some low budget game company comes along, you'd be certain that they would pick the PS2 over the PS3 simply becuase the cost of the game would be lesser and you'd still have more than enough room for one killer, kickass game. No fancy graphics or FMVs which will set you back 10 million, plus the game can be marketed for 40 bucks instead of the 60 bucks the PS3 game will be around (I dunno if they have the price of the games but if its still 50, more power to them).
Put some ad power behind it and you got yourself a cheap game with the buying power of those who still have a PS2...which will be, I'd say, 9 out of 10 houses. You would automatically have the fanbase for the game and customers would be happy with the content given it is a good game.
What I'm trying to say is, if you're making a game and the company or director/producer is new, start them off in PS2 land becuase I am pretty sure the power of all next-gen systems would be a little bit too overwhelming for them and it would stop the PS2 Deadhault at the end of the PS2's life and put some hope into the obsolete console.
Cause if we have too many fucking shitty games on the PS3 then we are sure enough that the companies who make these games would go bankrupt or simply look at the PS2 for a means of finding their fanbase. Trust me kids, its not all about the graphics, its about the gameplay and what you get for your money.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
ESRB..I'm Sorry but What's the Point?
Now back then MK hit the arcades along with a game on the Sega CD called Night Trap. A very interesting game which I have never played. With Liberman urging a ratings system for games and more violent games being produced it was only a matter of time.
Now the ESRB back then kept a good watch on games. There was no real "M" rated games that was on the top of the ban list. Mainly "K-A" games with cartoon violence. Everything is peachy. Wrong. While console games were cutsy, arcade games were the norm of blood, violence, and other random acts of punishment. Street Fighter, MK2, and a slew of other games I found as a child popping quarters in the arcade. The arcades were a hip area, lines around the building, quarters stacked on the machine...MK2 boards being stolen....yeah you remember those days too.
Around the time of the PS, games became more mature and serious. Thankfully for technology, we now have 3-D games instead of the sidescrolling 2-D action. With the coming of GTA is where we can see a decline of dedication of the ESRB
Now my bitching part. Now on th eback of the box, every FUCKING game has about 2 to 4 things about the games content...the most common is blood+ violence, sexual themes, etc. But with Vice City, the back of the box didnt have "use of drugs" or whatever it had in the game that shot "under the gun". I despise the ESRB for shooting games under the "AO" gun.
AO is the grand rating of all games. Getting games to that platform is where games should be, okay well some games should be. An example would be God of War. The game had its lovely bloodshed and its 1st glimpse in pixelation boobs! But wait...are those boobs AO worthy? nope. I think, as many others would agree, that those boobs are a piece of art rather than a turn on. Remember, not much clothing back then so there's something to ponder.
So why does the ESRB exist if it always gets game under the "M/AO" gun? I feel that the companies pay the ESRB to overlook certain areas so that they can squeeze in the game. The hot coffee issue comes to mind. How could they pass that by...wouldnt they have seen something if the ESRB does go through the program? I dunno how the process works, but I'm sure its around that radical.
But I feel that it has been a failing company with enforcing these games. The yearly report has seen the card go from a C to like a F now (like most of my college grades lol).
But I'm sure if my game gets looked at, I'm sure it'll get a "M" rating. (Did I mention the use of the word "fuck" and "motherfucker" in San Andreas? Too MUCH cursing for it despite it being in the early 90's...I'm sorry the game should have been AO) .
Now the ESRB back then kept a good watch on games. There was no real "M" rated games that was on the top of the ban list. Mainly "K-A" games with cartoon violence. Everything is peachy. Wrong. While console games were cutsy, arcade games were the norm of blood, violence, and other random acts of punishment. Street Fighter, MK2, and a slew of other games I found as a child popping quarters in the arcade. The arcades were a hip area, lines around the building, quarters stacked on the machine...MK2 boards being stolen....yeah you remember those days too.
Around the time of the PS, games became more mature and serious. Thankfully for technology, we now have 3-D games instead of the sidescrolling 2-D action. With the coming of GTA is where we can see a decline of dedication of the ESRB
Now my bitching part. Now on th eback of the box, every FUCKING game has about 2 to 4 things about the games content...the most common is blood+ violence, sexual themes, etc. But with Vice City, the back of the box didnt have "use of drugs" or whatever it had in the game that shot "under the gun". I despise the ESRB for shooting games under the "AO" gun.
AO is the grand rating of all games. Getting games to that platform is where games should be, okay well some games should be. An example would be God of War. The game had its lovely bloodshed and its 1st glimpse in pixelation boobs! But wait...are those boobs AO worthy? nope. I think, as many others would agree, that those boobs are a piece of art rather than a turn on. Remember, not much clothing back then so there's something to ponder.
So why does the ESRB exist if it always gets game under the "M/AO" gun? I feel that the companies pay the ESRB to overlook certain areas so that they can squeeze in the game. The hot coffee issue comes to mind. How could they pass that by...wouldnt they have seen something if the ESRB does go through the program? I dunno how the process works, but I'm sure its around that radical.
But I feel that it has been a failing company with enforcing these games. The yearly report has seen the card go from a C to like a F now (like most of my college grades lol).
But I'm sure if my game gets looked at, I'm sure it'll get a "M" rating. (Did I mention the use of the word "fuck" and "motherfucker" in San Andreas? Too MUCH cursing for it despite it being in the early 90's...I'm sorry the game should have been AO) .
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Check your e-mails PSP Fans!
Because you might just have gotten the new beta version invite for Ratchet and Clank for the PSP. I already completed part 1 of the whole beta invte process and I am looking foward to hear back from Sony in a few days.
It sounds like an awesome game, seeing how R&C never ceased to amuse me, plus its all online! Online battling...fun! The first PSP beta for me was Socom which I discussed about several months ago. I missed a beta after that one, frogot what the game is, but now I got on quickly seeing as the PSP beta games are hot tickets for those who own a PSP.
It sounds like an awesome game, seeing how R&C never ceased to amuse me, plus its all online! Online battling...fun! The first PSP beta for me was Socom which I discussed about several months ago. I missed a beta after that one, frogot what the game is, but now I got on quickly seeing as the PSP beta games are hot tickets for those who own a PSP.
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