Happy New 360 Year..haha

Happy New Year Everyone!! Sorry for the late wish since this blog are very lacking in update! The reason is because I been very lazy, very very lazy to update it.

Anyway, I just got a new console, XBOX 360!!!!!!! Haha, so happy already now. I never plan to get it this fast also and still thinking about waiting it somemore. But after so many poison I get from people around me, I can't tahan and end up go get it. Actually not only people poisoning me to get it but also there is one game, one game that also make me go get the original Xbox last time. The game called.....DEAD OR ALIVE. Haha, eyup this game has done it again on me. Get Xbox 360 just to play this game. But enough with all this mumbling - lets start with the review of the console itself. This is my first time do a review on console.

Xbox 360 Review by me of course..hehe

So..the sequel of the Xbox..


Hardware: 8/10

The hardware for the Xbox 360 is good but as with all other systems it has its pros and cons. Some pros are first that it has good graphical capabilities. Some launch games have amazing graphics, and Microsoft said those games aren't even utilizing 20% of the 360's graphical power! Project Gotham Racing 3 has amazing realistic graphics already. Imagine it using 100% of the 360's power. Another pro is that there are many convenient accessories. Like the controllers. You can choose a wired controller which can be used on a 360 and a PC as well. Or the wireless controllers which can charge and play at the same time (if you buy an accessory that allows you to). You also have a remote that can access Windows Media Center and play DVDs as well as control many of the 360's functions. A third plus to the 360 is the way it's built makes many things easy. It allows wireless controllers with little fuss. It allows easy connection to the internet. It doesn't overheat easily (if you followed the directions). With the official remote you can access and control it with a click of a button. Another big thing is the harddrive. It can be removed so now you can carry your stuff over to someone else's 360 without the hassle and limited space of a memory card! The hardrive also has a whopping 20 gigs. The 360 also has its cons. One major one is that if the 360 moves, even an inch while a disc is in there, the disc WILL get scratched. That gets annoying and can also throw $60 down the drain. Another con is that it doesn't allow full BC of Xbox games and forces the developer of a game to create an emulator for their game if they wish for it to be BC. Another con is that it uses the same old fashioned disc format. That means many games may have multiple discs to play.

Controller: 10/10

The controller for the 360 is great. It's a size that's not too big, not too small. The buttons are conveniently placed and the controller has good grip. There's also a selection of wireless or wires. The Wireless can be charged and played at the same time by plugging the Play and Charge kit in one of the 360's USB ports or even a computer's. The Wired controller can be plugged in to a computer and used as a controller. The controller is very convenient and easy to use.

Graphics: 10/10

I'm not a very big graphics whore so I think the graphics of Xbox are fine. But when I saw some games for the 360, I was blown away. I saw a picture comparing Project Gotham Racing with the real life scene. The scene was made in almost exact detail. At first I couldn't even tell which one was the real life picture! Graphics on the 360 has amazing potential and can add greatly onto your gaming experience. Though I don't care too much about graphics, nice graphics is always a plus for me.

Games: 9/10

The 360 right now has a small library of games. But it still has great games such as Dead or Alive 4, Call of Duty 2, Perfect Dark Zero, Condemned: Criminal Origins and some others. The 360 now has even a wider variety of games coming to it, even Japanese RPGs. There is one Japanese RPG released for Xbox and two that were never made. Japanese RPGs coming to the 360 this early in its stage is promising. The Xbox was known also for some dominating action games such as the Halo series and Ninja Gaiden series. Both are exclusive to Xbox and both will make a return on the 360. Games have a large potential on the 360.

Online: 10/10

The online on Xbox is perfect. It works with a system called Xbox Live Silver and Xbox Live Gold. The Silver is free; Gold is not. On Silver you can chat, look at stuff and also download content for your game or the 360. Which lead to something else. The Marketplace. It's a place where you can download many things such as game content, demos, trailers, misc. objects and much more. There's also the Arcade where you can download games for points. These points can be purchased off of Xbox Live or in a card. You can also earn them through game achievements. Xbox Live Gold is where this feature shines. You can play multiplayer games online through this. Xbox Live Gold is organized, easy to connect to and fun. It also supports a headset so that you can chat while playing. Without online, the Xbox would have died long ago. Xbox Live Gold also supports custom music. Using Gold, you can play with 32+ players over the internet. Xbox Live takes "fun" to the next level.

Overall: 9/10

Definitely a good buy. It's early release also means a bigger library of games than the Revolution or the PS3. It can do MANY things from play games to watch DVDs to stream music from an iPod. It has great games, great graphics, good hardware and a good controller. It's capabilities aren't even at a fifth at the maximum capacity. The Xbox 360 has a very promising future. I suggest you buy one unless you plan to get a Revolution or a PS3. Buy all if you're rich enough. I know I will later.

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And now for Xbox 360 games review.

So far, I know own two games for 360 - Dead or Alive 4 and Perfect Dark Zero

We start with Dead or Alive 4 first.

Dead or Alive 4 Review - 9/10

Graphics: 9/10

The graphics are pretty good, the enviornments are photorealistic but the problems are constant clipping and overly smooth character models. First of all, there is next to no clipping with the first of the costumes (there are roughly 5-9 per character), so there are really no problems with that. The problem however comes during grappling, as most of the costumes will go right through you and your opponent. The other problem is that the skin is to smooth, there are few games that can avoid this however, but with a new generation of technology, the plastic look is fairly dissapointing.

Gameplay: 10/10

Throw escapes, counter holds, enviornmental interaction, full 8-way run, it's all here. If you played the old DOAs, it will seem a tad simillar for the first two hours or so, but then the combined impact of all of the changes will finally hit you. The biggest is holds that are harder to pull off and do less damage, but don't let that make you think that they are useless, holds can still stop large combos, do more damage than a strike to a dangerzone. Next would most likely be increased enviornmental interaction, now animals will attack you and you can kick people over fallen branches, benches etc. without them going down a tier. One of the best examples of this would have to be the Vegas level where cars will come careening down the road and can hit you and your opponent high in to the air and can even be dodged with a wwll timed hold. One dissapointment however is that the menu screens look no different than DOA2U and most of the modes are the same (movie theatre from DOA3 has been added), even the online modes are the same. What has changed however with the online modes is an even greater degree of polish. You will no longer start lagging as soon as someone with a bad connection enters, only when they play (don't worry, you should be fine with at least an average DSL connection). There are a host of other improvements as well, there are a total of 45 achievments, most of which is through online play.

Online play is really the biggest improvement when it comes to mechanics of the modes. It still has the same excellent ranking system as DOAU and has the same handicapped and streak system, but the improvements come from things like Zack Dollars (which allow you to buy new costumes and avatars for the lobby). Some improvements are small though, such as the lobby system which has you walking around where you can do gestures like a laugh and watch whatever match is going on on the television.

For those unfamiliar with the system, you obtain a new rank for every 500 ranking points you get (C, C+ then B- etc.), you get bonuses for beating someone with a higher rank than you and getting a winning streak. When you get in the game from the lobby, you watch the match going on, talking about it waiting for your turn. The modes are winner-only (classic arcade style, the winner is a champion that stays for the next match), Kumite (the champion stays, win or lose), Survival (choose your character, jump in to fight with half defense the champion who is fighting an endless wave of opponents, the one who KOs the champion becomes the new one), loser-stays (the loser will stay as the champion), team battle (everyone will join one of two teams and when one is KOed the next jumps in until everyone on one team is unconcious) and tag battle (you tag the next person to fight, and you can even continue combos when you are tagged).

At its core DOA4 is a one on one fighter, where you exchange blows, counters and throws until one falls unconcious. Where DOA innovates are counter holds, when an opponent uses a punch or kicking move, you can grab hold of it and reverse the attack on the opponent. There is now a 4-point counter system as opposed to DOA3's 3-point system. You now have to press forward and free to counter a mid-kick. Holds also do much less damage and you have a smaller frame of time for countering. Where balances this is that an opponent can't do a rising attack when knocked down (which avoids holding on rising attacks repeatadly and a countered opponent from opening a combo as a reward for the mistake).

Another place where DOA4 excels are its characters. You can chose an entire 16 to start with (Kasumi, Ayane, Christie, Hitomi (My Favourite DOA Girl), Hayabusa, Hayate, Elliot, La Mariposa, Kokoro, Bass, Tina, Brad Wong, Zack, Bayman, Jan Lee and Leifang) and from there you can unlock Helena, Ein, Gen Fu, Leon, Tengu and Spartan-458. This makes for a grand total of 22 characters, quite an impressive amount. The characters are also very balances, sure the faster characters are easier to master, but any character can be formidable in the right hands.

Overall, this is the best, fastest, most solid feeling DOA yet.

Sounds: 7/10

The sounds are all right, the voice acting is good even if there is no English language option. Fans will recognize old tunes from DOA and even one from Halo (played in a level ripped right out of the Cairo Station level in Halo 2). Also, for better or worse, Team Ninja's trademark Aerosmith licensing is back. This is a fairly average sounding game, the voice acting is excellent, but excluding the Halo theme song, none are that memorable.

Replay Value: 10/10

There are 3 diffuculty levels (normal, hard and very hard), many characters (some with over 100 moves), and the online mode is excellent and very addictive.

Balance: 9/10

The characters are almost perfectly balanced, but the faster characters are harder to master.

Story: 8/10
Impressive when it comes to fighting games, after Ayane destroyed Genra, Helena somehow won and took her place as DOATEC's head and decides to set things right after Victor Donavan created his final project, Alpha-152. It is told through breathtaking CG cutscenes. It's a pretty good story, but great for a fighter.

Overall: 9/10

It's not perfect, but it's close. DOA4 is the fastest, most intense fighter out there and a good buy.

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Perfect Dark Zero Review - 9/10

I am a new fan to the Perfect Dark series since I never own a Nintendo 64 before.

Graphics: 10/10

This game is an excellent demonstration of the potential of the Xbox 360 graphics. Every little bit of detail is filled in and the result is amazing. As amazing as anyone could have hoped for on the Xbox 360.

Gameplay: 9/10

This is game can be compared to other FPS games very easily. It makes excellent use of the dual analog sticks. I love the fact how the developers integrated rolling and taking cover into the game. The cover makes some of the brutal fire-fights in this game more bearable. No lock on here people. In this game you must aim yourself. This also attributes to the rarity of achieving a head shot. The way the enemies die is very addicting because of how dramatically they die.

Controls: 9/10

This game makes excellent use of the Xbox 360 controllers. The controls are very easy to get used to. The weapon change system is very slick and all the controls are evenly spaced and very slick.

Campaign: 9/10

This game has a very interesting campaign that lets two people play at once. It also incorporates teamwork because the players may have to team up to turn on a switch or reach the evac. point. The mode of the mission varies deeply because some missions requires stealth while others may need you to go in guns blazing.

Multiplayer: 8/10

The mutiplayer is very good and the AI is very developed. There are many different gameplay elements that can be incorporated. There is capture the flag and killcount ect. The multiplayer is what you would expect from your average FPS game. Xbox live multiplayer is very fun with a small lag. This is where the darkopps games come into play. The games that require teamwork are the best.

This game is the best game of the launch line up and everyone who has an Xbox 360 should play this game. With solid gameplay this is an example of what we should come to expect from the Xbox 360 in the future.