Top 5 Surprises of E3 2008

5. Killzone 2 Multiplayer - Ok, Killzone Multiplayer was expected, but did anyone predict the extensive features? The Badge/class system sounds sweet, great clan support, squadrons, 32 player, medals, trophies, online stat tracking, etc. This game definitely is going to have it all.

4. Bungie Bumped from E3 - This is just a WTF screw-up by Microsoft. Something is definitely brewing in the Bungie Offices and I'm not sure it's in Microsoft's best interest...after all, they're not a Microsoft Owned Studio any longer. Bumping Bungie in favor of all the casual game stuff Microsoft showed seemed to be a mistake.

3. Rock Band 2 ...500 songs by 2009, Import RB1 tracks - While I am uber excited for Rock Band 2...I wasn't surprised about the announcement or seeing the game at E3. My excitement was taken to the next level when they announced 500 tracks for the game by the end of the year, 84 tracks for RB2, and the ability to import nearly all the songs from the RB1 disc over into the new game.

2. FFXIII for Xbox 360 - Microsoft's courtship of Square Enix was definitely a surprise, but it culminated in the Final Fantasy 13 announcement. How has Square Enix...long time Japanese Developer for Nintendo and then Sony jumped ship to Microsoft? Well, Sony is still getting FFXIII so they haven't jumped ship completely...but still surprising.

1. Mirror's Edge - Where did this game come from? Had anyone heard of it prior to E3? This game was not on my radar at all, but after it gained some pretty damn good momentum at E3 and the more I see of it, the more I think Mirror's Edge can really be an innovative and refreshing new title.

Honorable Mentions (but ultimately leaked or expected):

Xbox 360 Dashboard Update, Avatars, Netflix partnership, etc.

Resident Evil 5 Co-Op

God of War III Announcement

Metal Gear Solid Series - Top 5 Boss Battles

5. Olga (MGS2)

For anyone who's played MGS2 on Hard, the Olga battle is intense and incredibly challenging. On hard, She becomes a head shot sharpshooter and the battle elevates to Wild West Shooter proportions. Of course this isn't even taking into account the amazing atmosphere, graphics and weather effects.

4. Fatman (MGS2) An incredibly fun and new boss battle where you had to fight the boss and defuse bombs, plus Fatman was on roller blades.

3. The End (MGS3)/Sniper Wolf (MGS1)/Crying Wolf (MGS4)

Yes, it's a little cheap to group all the sniper battles together, but at least I've ranked them from left to right. Obviously, The End which gave players several ways to fight was genious. Sniper Wolf started it all, and Crying Wolf brings a whole new atmosphere and intense situation where you are hiding from Frogs and fighting a boss.

2. The Fury(MGS3)

Visually, this boss battle was breathtaking and truly showed off the power of PS2. It's also an incredibly fun fight where you are constantly hiding in the shadows, setting traps, and firing at the man in a spacesuit.

1. Psycho Mantis (MGS1)

Nothing beats Psycho Mantis when it comes to memorable boss battles. Not only did he read off all of your save files, but he was also unbeatable unless you switched to controller port 2. This trickery definitely goes down in history as one of Kojima's best.

5 reasons why I returned Quake Wars Enemy Territory after ~30minutes

5. Graphics were bad...some original xbox games look better
4. Training taught me....how to fail the first mission
3. I never was a Quake fan...and apparently never will be.
2. Clunky Controls
1. Gameplay sucked...there are sooo many FPS and all are better choices. Even if you like class based soldiers go with Team Fortress 2 over this dud.

The Next 5 Games I'm going to Purchase

5. World of Goo - Gotta support the indie studio 2d boy. I've previewed this title and it has a solid premise/gameplay and interesting art. I'm very impressed that these guys are going to get this game on the Nintendo Wii - that could make it very successful.

4. Little Big Planet - This game could be a huge hit with an immense online community. It looks like a solid enough game, but looks to bring community features never before seen in a console video game.

3. Castle Crashers - This game is officially done (as of last Friday via the Behemoth's devlog). I am a huge fan of Dan Paladin's art style, love the 2d brawler genre, and am thoroughly impressed with the shear amount of content jammed into this game. I can't wait till this baby is released!

2. Killzone 2 - Probably the best looking graphics I've seen in a video game.... I liked the original, love the art style, and hope that this puppy lives up to the hype.

1. Metal Gear Solid 4 - the MGO beta was great (minus the registration), initial reviews for this game are coming in very high, graphics look incredible and it's being praised as living up to they hype and being the best in the series. I'm a complete Metal Gear fan so this is a no-brainer.

5 Thoughts on the Gears of War 2 "Assault" Gameplay Video

5. Is chainsaw dueling really a feature needed in this game? In Gears 1, I always felt the first chainsawer won the battle and didn't really have any problems with it. Dueling is going to work well in multiplayer or make it a button mashing toss-up.

4. Control-wise and gameplay wise it doesn't look like much is changing. Still hold 4 weapons, Y still looks at stuff, aiming/firing mechanic looks the same, and stop-n-pop is still there.

3. Epic's playing it safe, but there's some new stuff in there: Holding a Locust hostage is very Metal Gear-esque and could be REALLY cool in multiplayer. There's also some new weapons in the trailer and the aforementioned chainsaw dueling.

2. Graphics are still very impressive- Yes, everyone in Gears is on Roids or HGH, but this trailer shows a lot going on and really looks to capture the feel of a human-locust war much better than the first Gears of War. Is it just me or is this type of gameplay with all the vehicles very reminiscent of Halo?

1. Campaign looks to be a lot more fleshed out and way better. Even in Cliffy B's intro, there seems to be more depth with the tactics and story surrounding GOW2. Hopefuly the dialogue and story will live up the action in these new scenarios.

Top 5 Best Multiplayer or FPS Game Guns & Weapons

5. Gears of War COG Machine Gun with Chainsaw Bayonet

Nothing beats sneaking up behind someone to terrify them with the revving of a chainsaw to the throat. This visceral reimagination of melee combat added to Gears' hype and success

4. Red Faction's Grenade Launcher / Missile Launcher
Explosives in this game rocked! Nothing beats blowing a hole in someone's base with a rocket and then toasting them. GeoMod Technology where are you!

3. Goldeneye 007 Remote Mines

Nothing embodies the gadgetry of 007 and the skill of the player than remote mines. Skillfully booby trapping a room and screen watching could lead to round domination...all with a click of a wristwatch.

2. Halo's Elite Energy Sword
Clearly, Sniper rifles are a big deal in Halo as well, but a lot of games have snipers. Only Halo, has the energy sword and in Halo 2 there wasn't a more fun weapon to wield.

1. Doom's BFG

This is the ultimate over powered badass gun. It can clear a room and toast any foe. If I was fighting legions of demons, I wouldn't leave home without the BFG.

HALO ESPN Top 10

Top 5 Games with Longevity (NextGen)

5. Warhawk
4. Hot Shots Golf 5
3. Puzzle Fighter HD

*huge gap*

2. Rock Band
1. Halo 3

Gears of War 2 Official- My 5 thoughts

Watch out Sony, Microsoft may have blown their load of AAA titles early, but they still have some tricks up their sleeves. Gears of War 2 is officially coming to the 360 in November. Here's 5 things I think about the matter:

5. The only thing surprising about this announcement is the fact that the game is scheduled to release this year.

4. Locking Chainsaws would be a cool addition.

3. Gears of War 2 gives Xbox a much needed hyped game. Fable 2 and Halo Wars is not enough against: Metal Gear 4, Killzone 2, Little Big Planet, Resistance Fall of Man 2.

2. Gears of War really needs to step up the Multiplayer Balance in order for me to get excited about it. The game exists as a glitch & bug fest currently.

1. The trailer doesn't reveal anything! The models even look they're from the 1st game.

The 5 Things I think about Playstation 3 after having it a week

5. The SIXAXIS controller if very light, but instantly comfortable and familiar. Not having a battery pack strapped to it is an appreciated feature and the USB charge interface is the same for my Digital camera which means no purchasing of needless accessories.

4. I feel stupid for admitting this, but I do miss Achievements. Then again, achievements have chained me to games that I didn't want to play in the past and for what? a higher Gamerscore? Something happened to me over the past year, Microsoft got me with those damn achievement points! I thought they were stupid when I first got my Xbox...then I liked them...and now I'm just not sure...

3. Not including an HDMI cable (~$50) is really annoying...ok, maybe that would be ok if Sony included another type of HD hookup...nope. I can understand not including an HDMI cable but come on! only a basic video hookup! not even S-video? Really annoying.

2. While PSN is not nearly as robust as Live Marketplace, the caliber of downloadable games is fantastic. Not having a size limit certainly opens things up. Calling All Cars and Everyday Shooter are among the best downloadable games I've played. While the store interface sucks compared to Xbox Live...It's Freaking FREE! and you don't have to buy points...you can just pay for things exactly...Thanks Sony. Did I forget to mention the PS3's built in wireless? Great!

1. The Graphics on PS3 PWN Xbox and Wii. You really don't apprecaite the power of a Playstation 3 until you get your HDMI cable and hook it up on an HD set....WOW! First Party Games make Gears look generic. Bravo Cell Processor

Top 5 Games to Watch for in 2008

5. Devil May Cry 4 (PS3, Xbox 360)
Devil May Cry 4 Jumps the ship from Dante to Nero...which definitely bums me out and makes me sceptical. If they follow the DMC3 formula, here's a winner. If they mess with it too much (DON'T Get Rid of Styles!) then we may have DMC2 on our hands. Perhaps only odd #ed DMC are good.

4. GTA IV: Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, Xbox 360)

GTA IV returns to Liberty City. The story looks good, dealing with Eastern European Immigrants and them trying to establish some criminal power in Liberty City. Graphics are OK and what else do we really know about GTA IV? If they don't have some kind of online element...been there done that...but still it's GTA so you have to anticipate it.

3. Castle Crashers (Xbox Live Arcade)

Gameplay: Old School Arcade Beat-em-Up + Great Unique HD visuals + 4 Player Co-op = One helluva a Live Arcade Offering. You have got to love the Behemoth (they made Alien Hominid). A great Indie Studio to keep your eye on for sure.

2. Super Smash Brothers Brawl (Wii)

This game has been plagued by delays, but they're for the right reasons...options, options, and more options. You can play this game with every freaking controller imaginable and it offers Halo-esque online features such as movie creation and level creation. Definitely an Online Contender.

1. MGS4: Metal Gears Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3)

Sony has held onto this exceptional game. As of this writing and despite all the rumors, MGS4 Remains a Playstation exclusive. With tremendous graphics, an epic story (which will hopefully shed light on MGS2), and the same innovative stealth action with a couple new tricks, MGS4 is looking to be fantastic. It's already a system seller, since I'll be picking up one of those reduced price PS3s specifically for MGS4 and Metal Gear Online come this Spring.

Parents Don't Make these Mistakes! Top 5 Games to Avoid this Holiday Season

5. The Simpsons Game (Xbox360, PS3, PS2, Wii) - While this game is not a total bust, it is a very short lived experience and hardly worth the $60. Unless the person is a super hardcore Simpsons Fan and collector, pass this one up and get then a blockbuster gift card so they can rent it for the weekend.
4. Blacksite: Area 51 (PC, PS3, Xbox360) - Generic First Person Shooter Please!...that's all you'll get with Blacksite. The game oozes mediocrity, but what makes this such a bad purchase is the fact that you have options such as: Halo 3, The Orange Box, Resistance Fall of Man, etc. open to you.
3. Bleach: Shattered Blade (Wii) - Yes, all the kiddies love this anime show, but even rabid fans will hate this casual and completely botched fighting game. Fans will actually leave liking the anime less than when they first booted up the game.
2. Lair (PS3) - One of the most hyped Sony Gems is one of the biggest flops of the year. While the game is nice to look at, it is a nightmare to play and control. The lesson: just because a game has big cool dragons doesn't make it good.
1. Transformers: The Game (Xbox360, PS3, PS2)- Yes, I know the Movie was great, but the game is utterly pathetic. You'll scrap these tranformers robots faster than you can say "Cybertron."

Nintendo Wii Holiday Buying Guide - Top 5 Games to Gift

5. Super Paper Mario - Perfect for the RPG fan and the more casual gamer alike. This little gaming gem started on Gamecube, but has solid gamepla and a unique "pop-up" book art style. It also lacks many of the "Wii" gameplay gimmicks.

4. Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess - Perfect for the Nintendo Loyalist and the Adventure/Action fan. Twilight Princess is another solid entry into the Zelda story and offers a good mix of classic N64 Zelda action with some great Wii Control innovations.

3. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption - Yet another Nintendo franchise carried over to the Wii, Metroid offers is a great mix of adventure, FPS, and puzzle solving gameplay. Plus this guy wraps up the Prime Trilogy.

2. Super Mario Galaxy- Perfect for anyone with a Wii, this game marks the triumphant return of Mario. With an amazing critical reception, this game is the successor of Mario 64.

1. Super Smash Brothers Brawl- While this game is not technically going to be around for Xmas, Peoples should still take the time to preorder this game. This game has been delayed numerous times, but for the right reasons. Every delay comes alongside the announcement of some great new features. Nintendo is making this THE online brawler, giving it many additional community features a la Halo 3 to keep people playing this game for years to come.

Playstation 3 Holiday Buying Guide: Top 5 Games to Gift

5. Assassin's Creed - Perfect for the Adventure enthusiast and Graphics whore, after all PS3 is the more powerful machine.
4. Motorstorm - Perfect for the Racing nut who likes to get down and dirty and enjoys a little more action over finesse in his racing.
3. Rock Band - Perfect for the whole family. Read our review about this MUST BUY game.
2. Rachet & Clank: Future Tools of Destruction- I haven't played this particular Ratchet, but have played all the others. They are solid games that deliver on their gameplay and humor. Always enjoyable for all ages, plus they're great platformers.
1. Uncharted: Drakes Fortune - Made by Naughty Dog, one of the premiere Sony developers since PS1 (Crash Bandicoot, Jak & Daxter) they always seem to create a new trilogy for a new Playstation. This game looks to be a fantastic adventure with spectacular animation and a variety of run/gun and platforming gameplay.

Xbox 360 Holiday Buying Guide - The Top 5 Games

5. Assassins Creed - Perfect for the Adventure Fan who loves gorgeous graphics and animations.

4. Call of Duty 4 - Perfect for the Action Nut who wants to solve political problems with bullets rather than words.

3. Mass Effect - Perfect for the SciFi Nut and RPG nerd, but approachable for others. Mass Effect has an incredibly engrossing story and has gameplay that offers some broader appeal than the typical RPG.

2. Rock Band - Perfect for the whole family! Rock Band is an amazing achievement. I have only had it for a week and have found that the game is approachable to everyone from young kids, to gamers, to adults, even to the skeptical female who hates games. With 3 different instruments to master and multiple difficulty levels, everyone can find something they can handle/enjoy in Rock Band.

1. Halo 3 - The perfect gift for anyone with an Xbox 360. Simply put this game is a must have, an instant classic, and insanely fun to play.

Top 5 Best Video Game Systems EVER

5. Xbox 360 – Modern Graphics, Awesome Online, and the current next-gen console with the most and best games.

4. Playstation 2 – While PSone came out of nowhere and took command of the market, PS2 took the Sony to new heights. Nearly every great next-gen franchise (GTA, DMC, RE, MGS, etc) started on Playstation 1 or 2 and since PS2 has backward compatibility and sold a whole lot of consoles (~120 million rivaling Gameboy)…it’s better.

3. Gameboy – One Word: Tetris. If that’s not enough, this puppy is still the most sold game system of all time and it created the handheld market.

2. Genesis – I am going to go on the record and say the 16-bit era of gaming was one of the best eras ever (with some of the greatest controllers ever). Never have the 2 prevailing systems been so close with graphics/sounds and quality of games. The 16-bit era also lasted among the longest (6 years from the release of Genesis to Saturn vs. 4 years from NES to Genesis). The Genesis saw the proliferation of classic franchises such as Madden, Sonic, Mortal Kombat, and Street Fighter II. Some games where features on both Sega and SNES, but which was better was of constant debate. Genesis and SNES created the term “console wars” and saw the closest competition to date (approx 49 million to 29 million)

1. SNES – since this guy was the champion of the 16-bit era, it is king. While some may fuss that NES started it all and is the better system, I say this, go play Metroid and then play Super Metroid, go play SMB and then SMB World, go play ??? then play Mario Kart or Star Fox. SNES stands the test of time. The Graphics are more tolerable than PSone (if you ask me) and the gameplay is better than comparable NES titles. SNES probably has the most games featured on best games of all time lists. Look at many of the games on LIVE Arcade and Nintendo’s Wii channel. Many of the great classics are from the 16-bit era of gaming and have stood the test of time.

Top 5 Best Power-Ups of all Time

5. Red Turtle Shell (Mario Kart) – while some may argue that some of the newer power-ups usurp the red turtle shell, nothing beat it back in the original Mario Kart. It was the prized possession in nearly every race and battle. In fact, Battle Mode in the original Mario Kart was little more than a race to get Red Turtle Shells.

4. Rings (Sonic) – How great was Sonic the first time you played it? The only way you could die was to get hit without any rings! Sonic’s Iconic Rings (unlike Marios Coins) gave you more than just an extra life, they provided protection, allowed you to reach Bonus Stages, and ultimately lead to Sonic’s true potential: Super Sonic.

3. Super Pellet (Pac-Man) – Game Changer, that’s how you describe the Pac Man Pellet. Once Pac-Man got a hold of this power-up the game changed from defense to offense. Now the tables had turned and the Ghosts were afraid of YOU!

2. Super Mushroom (Mario Bros.) – For many, this is the very first power-up they ever received in a video game. The super mushroom actually changed your appearance on screen and allowed you to break blocks and kill enemies. You feel defenseless without it in SMB. One of the most iconic power-ups available, this one has to be near the top.
1. The 1-Up – By far the most common power-up, this old guy was found in nearly every game until the 32 bit era when game saves became standard. It still is found in some games to this day. Truly the greatest power-up of all time, 1-ups give you everything from an extra couple minutes on an old coin-op to that extra chance you need in Contra or Ninja Gaiden.

Discuss this list in our forum

Top 5 Spooky Games to Play on Halloween

5. Eternal Darkness

4. Doom 3

3. Silent Hill

2. Resident Evil 4

1. Resident Evil: Code Veronica

Top 5 Worst Video Game Sequels of All Time

All the included games in this list are Strict Sequels. All of them are the 2nd game in the series. The only exception is one...which IS the direct sequel to the prominent/defining game of the series.

5. Super Mario Bros 2 (NES)-

SMB2 while not a terrible game had absolutely nothing in common with the original Mario Bros. In fact, Mario and friends were just super imposed over the characters in the Japanese game: Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic (Dream Factory: Heart-Pounding Panic). The enemies are totally unfamiliar and many of the bosses such as Mouser and Wart have been completely dropped from subsequent Mario games, while Shyguy and Birdo have been added and originated in the good game, but off the wall sequel from Nintendo.

4. Toe Jam and Earl in Panic on Funkatron (Genesis)- This game didn't change from Japan to the US, but did completely depart with the original's style of gameplay and turned Toe Jam and Earl into a side-scrolling action game. The Graphics for this game actually look pretty good even to this day, but the gameplay and spirit just did not live up to the original.

3. Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (NES)-

Another Game that screwed with the Original's formula, Zelda II took the classic Zelda gameplay found in the original, Link to the Past, Oracle of Ages/Seasons, Minish Cap, Phantom Hourglass, etc. and messed with it. The overhead view was used solely for traversing the land, while nearly all the action happened in a 2d action/platformer setting. This change is terrible and you completely lose the pleasure of solving puzzles, finidng hidden areas and traversing dungeons. It honestly doesn't even feel like a Zelda game.

2. Devil May Cry 2 (PS2) -

This is the most modern example on the list and with good reason (it was neck and neck with 1) as it was an absolute disappointment. On paper, DMC2 seemed to be the better game...2 characters to control, new abilities (running on walls, shooting behind your back...sick!), and improved graphics. What we got was a Diesel Jeans sponsored Dante, Simplistic gameplay, crappy weapons, larger plainer environments, easy difficulty and bosses, and an additional character with a 2nd disc that just rehashed the first. As a huge DMC fan, DMC2 is just an absolute letdown especially compared to the original and then excellent prequel DMC3.

1. Bond 007: Tomorrow Never Dies (PS1) -

Honestly, every game since Goldeneye 007 in the Bond Franchise has been a letdown, but this one takes the cake. It's a shining example of the business side of the game industry ruining a game (it isn't the last either). EA used it's money and power to take control of the Bond license and produced a mediocre game in hopes of selling copies on the license and popularity of Goldeneye/Bond alone. While it was smart of them to not attempt to replicate Rare's success and FPS formula (because the game would have been even more heavily slammed), the game still stands as the worst sequel of all time. Not only did the company change the gameplay in a detrimental way, but the graphics are worse, there's no multiplayer whatsoever, and is a shameless movie/license tie-in game. Awful.

Top 5 Best Things about Storked

5. You can play any MP3 on your PC during gameplay with just a few simple mouse clicks.
4. Multiple Difficulty levels, infinite lives, rewind, etc. make the game approachable to everyone and it's completely family friendly. NO VIOLENCE, BAD LANGUAGE, ETC!
3. Level Editor allows you to make your own levels adding to the 100+ levels already in the game.
2. Milton's 6 Gadgets are particularly fun (especially the rocketpack)
1. 4 Unique Penguins who play completely different