What’s better than a late night 7-Eleven run for a Slurpee and some snacks after a long night of gaming? DLC of course for your purchase! That’s correct guys, 7-Eleven and Slurpee are teaming up and offering Playstation DLC for Killzone 3, Little Big Planet 2, and Playstation Home. Every Slurpee you buy comes with a redeem code for either Killzone 3 or Little Big Planet 2 depending on which cup you put your beverage in. The promotion runs till March, LBP2 comes out January 18 and Killzone 3 comes out February 22. More information can be found here.
7-Eleven Offering Exclusive DLC
Angry Birds Hitting PSN
As if we haven’t been addicted to Angry Birds enough in 2010, Sony has decided to bring the birds and the bad little piggies over to the Playstation Network this week. Hard to believe that no one has played this game, but there are believe me, the point of this game is to slingshot a bird across the screen to destroy green pigs while racking up points by destroying their protective housing. Think big bad wolf (bird) meets three little pigs. Prepare yourselves to fling birds on Playstation 3 and PSP this week!
Update: Recoding the Heart: Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded
One of the newest installments in the Square-Enix/Disney franchise for the Nintendo DS came out in Japan this past fall and will hit U.S. shores January 11, 2011. Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded is actually a full remake of another DS game titled Kingdom Hearts coded which was also a remake from a mobile phone version of the same name. Like Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, Re:Coded is an action puzzle game only instead of cards, the player will be using blocks. Kind of like Tetris…
The game is said to take place after Kingdom Hearts II has ended right where you see our three protagonists: Sora, Riku and Kairi hanging out on the beach. Our little journal-keeper, Jiminy Cricket, was going through his notes of the previous adventures and noticed something a little out of place.
“Thank you, Namine…”
King Mickey, Jiminy and our three heroes then discover a note that was not written by Jiminy and they must get to the bottom of it to find out what this is all about. Mickey creates a digital world out of the journal Jiminy kept and it’s up to Sora and his friends to go into virtual space and find the answers they seek.
You’ll meet up with old characters and many new ones in this virtual journal all while trying to solve puzzles, getting to secret areas and fighting off those nasty Heartless. I also hear that there is an exclusive secret ending for ReCoded, so be sure to look out for it!
LVLONE’s Best of 2010 Games Part 1
This was a great year for the video game industry. The growth in titles, sales and people playing just keeps rising and rising. The staff here at LVLONE have had some of our greatest gaming moments this year. This doesn’t mean all games that are released are good, not by a long shot so the least we could do is share with you our top games from 2010. The decisions weren’t easy if that’s what your thinking. We voted, argued, screamed, yelled and called each other names but have made our decisions of the best of the best. Here is part 1 of our LVLONE’s first annual Best of 2010 Games Awards.
[Link to Part 2 here.], part 3 here and part 4 here.
[Click on the box below “and the winner is” quote to find out the results]
Best Platformer of 2010 Nominees
Mario Galaxy 2, Epic Mickey, Sonic Colors, Donkey Kong Returns
And the Winner is…
[Click on the box below]
Best action platform game of 2010 Nominees
God of War 3, Assassins Creed BrotherHood, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, Splinter Cell Conviction, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow.
And the Winner is…
[Click on the box below]
Coolest Moments in a Game 2010 Nominees
Mass Effect 2, Call of Duty Black Ops, God of War 3, Halo Reach, Final Fantasy 13
And the Winner is…
[Click on the box below]
Best DLC In a Game 2010
And the Winner is…
[Click on the box below]
Best Racing Game of 2010 Nominees
Gran Turismo 5, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, Split/Second, Blur, Modnation Racers
And the Winner is…
[Click on the box below]
Best Fighting Game of 2010
And the Winner is…
[Click on the box below]
Epic Mickey Review
Mickey Mouse used to be a very big mascot in video games but he hasn’t seen much action in the past few years. But Disney looks to make a brand new adventure for the Mouse with Epic Mickey. Not only is Mickey back in the spotlight but now he’s in a darker toned adventure that will appeal to both kids and adults who remember the famous mouse from their childhood.
The overall story of Epic Mickey is that Mickey finds himself in a warped version of Disney World called Wasteland, here Mickey’s brother Oswald rules and causes many problems for Mickey. Along with all the problems in Wasteland Mickey has to destroy the Blot a creature that causes a lot of mischief himself. Once Mickey gets into Wasteland he realizes that the place is not only a twisted place but home to forgotten and abandoned characters. Here the story actually gets pretty deep and makes players really think about these characters that they probably never heard of or seen in any cartoon. One of the more interesting aspects of the game is the cutscenes which play usually when showing a new area or character to advance the story. The art style is very unique and fits in well with the overall setting of the story.
The gameplay is where Epic Mickey begins to have some drawbacks, the paint and thinner mechanic that’s been talked about before is interesting but limiting, things can only be painted and thinned in predetermined areas and most times its obvious where the action needs to be done on. There are many choices that players can make in the game that will later make a difference but none of them are that major that the overall story or world will change, most of the differences that are made are fairly small. Also the actual combat is not very exciting, its standard platforming action but there could have been a lot more variety. The bosses are exciting however and add much needed variety and the way you fight them actually has a fairly big impact on how the world gets saved.
The control is also a little loose and doesn’t always work the way you want it to work and can actually hurt the gameplay. This can also be because of the camera, it is one of the main broken parts of Epic Mickey and almost makes a big enough impact to the gameplay that it would hurt it a lot, but thankfully the camera and controls don’t get too bad, but they are noticeable.
The 2D platforming was another main draw to Epic Mickey, players would be able to play through some of the most classic cartoons Mickey had been in. These parts are actually really interesting at first but after a few times they start to lose their interest and eventually becomes just another part of the game. The effort put into them though is apparent however and definitely deserves points for effort.
Overall Epic Mickey is an above average platformer and one of the best games for the Wii this year. There are some technical issues that get in the way sometimes but almost every other aspect of the game is solid. The overall concept of Epic Mickey is really a unique twist, and the graphical style is high up there with some of the best games even outside of the Wii’s library. However it never adds up to being an instant classic which many were hyping the game to be, instead we have a really solid game that many people of all ages can enjoy especially if they are fans of Mickey Mouse.
[starreviewmulti id=2]
Overall = 8.4
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Review: Dead Nation
What’s the holiday season without zombies? Well not fun of course. We all know Dead Nation came out a little while ago, but with all these block buster games flying around I finally decided to take a breather and play something different. Something that would give me a break from all the rage quits of Black Ops or strains of leveling up the correct route in New Vegas. Unfortunately I was wrong, Dead Nation was everything but calm, but then again when was anything that included zombies ever calm?
Dead Nation copies the old school, top down, trigger finger friendly shooter with zombies added into the fray. Zombies seem to be what’s hip nowadays, sorta like you know that Youtube thing. Housemarque and Sony Computer Entertainment has created a beautiful chaos. Levels are detailed enough to show that the zombie apocalypse has taken place. Abandoned buildings, broken down cars, and devastation are scattered throughout each dark and gloomy level, along with great lighting effects from flashlights, flares, and molotovs that radiate brilliantly. In the game you either play as Jack McReady or Scarlet Blake, two of the rarest people who are immune to the zombie virus. You’ll blast and smash through ten levels of zombies spanning from infested hospitals, roof tops, and graveyards all the while picking up armor and earning loot to purchase and upgrade different types of weapons.
Controls in the game took a little time to get used to. Move with the left aim with the right simple enough, but mix in L1 as use item, L2 as dash, R1 as fire, and R2 to melee then comes the button mashing with at least 4 fingers all at the same time, oh and did I mention that R3 was for reloading? As hordes and hordes of zombies rush at you, finger fatigue will be at it’s greatest. Hand cramps will most likely happen if you’re playing on the harder difficulties, trust me, take it from experience.
Whether you play solo or co-op, games are always challenging. For solo games you can play at your own pace, while co-op you’re either pulled and dragged along the complete opposite direction because of the limited oval shaped battle area. In all honesty though, co-op is the only real way to play this game. There’s nothing better than the feeling of having your back up shoot a rocket launcher and blowing you up to smithereens or lighting you on fire with the flamethrower. Online leaderboards from around the world gives each country a goal to shoot for based on time of completion, zombies killed, money gained, and difficulty of level. Surprisingly North America is not in first place, our friends over in Finland are currently taking the gold. I guess Finland has a greater love of killing zombies than North America.
All in all Dead Nation is a great game, and for a $15 price tag it’s pretty worth it. Plenty of replay value with multiple difficulties to keep your eyes glued to the screen. The nation is calling, and the dead need to be put down, so why not download a copy and help me put North America in first place.
Overall = 8.1
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Castlevania Getting Two DLC Packs
Konami keeps kicking out the goods for Castlevania. Due out early 2011, the two DLC packs have been labeled as “Reverie” and “Resurrection”. In Reverie, players will return to the Castle to help Laura, the former servant to the vampire Carmilla, in destroying the unruly evil that was previously kept in check by the recently slain Queen. The second DLC entitled ‘Resurrection’, which continues the story directly after the end of the original game and gives a deeper look into the dramatic epilogue seen by players upon completion and Gabriel’s ultimate destiny.
Astro Gaming A*STAR In-Ear Headset Review
Before I get into this, I’ve gotta come clean that I’m not a big fan of earbud headphones. That doesn’t mean I don’t use them. Whether its going to the gym, out on a bike ride or just traveling in general its hard to find an earbud headphone solution. This is especially because they never stay in your ears properly, seem to give you the best equal balance of sound, bass and style without having to spend a sizable amount of cash on it.
Astro Gaming has been in the game for sometime now, making headsets and MixAmp solutions for pro/hardcore gamers. While their A30 line was the all purpose headset for not only gaming but to use for anything else. They plan to have the same success with their new line of earbud headphones dubbed A*STAR In-Ear Headset. How does it compare to other in-ear headsets? Does it live up to the Astro Gaming name? Read on to see how it stacks up.
When we got our’s in we were immediately drawn to the packaging of the product. Once again I have to hand it to the packaging and design of the A*STAR In-Ear Headset. It comes in a fold out box which has the in-ear headset on one end and accessories on the other. Astro gets an A+ (See what I did there) in product design on this.
Here is an overview of everything it comes with.
A*STAR In-Ear Headset
Y-Adapter for PC use
Interchangeable Earbuds
Astro Multi Function Carry Case
Hardware/Style
Astro Gaming have not spared any expense to the design of their new in-ear headsets. The A*STAR’s come in one of three colors black, silver or white. With the end piece that goes in your ear being very stylish and can only be described as possibly Thor inspired. The in-ear headset also features non tangle flat cables which is a very smart choice as its not impossible to tangle but makes it very difficult to. I can’t tell you all the wires I have tangled from my electronics right now, it’s a fire hazard to say the least so other companies should take note but enough about me.
The A*STAR’s also have a in-line medallion with mic, volume dial and answer/hang up button. The mic can be muted for voice chatting and even has a dedicated volume control. Tapping the square box on the bottom will either answer or hang up for phone calls. While tapping the square once for music playback will pause or play, double tap will skip the track. It even works for iPod and iPhone devices. The mic has also been designed as a windshield for wind and other incoming noise. I also found the carry case to be something I really liked as it could easily fit any mobile device along with the headset to travel with.
Our only gripe with the design is just a knit pick if you want to call it that. We can’t help but think that since the A30’s-A40’s were made with the users personal style in mind. That the A*STAR’s could have received some sort of interchangeable color or design scheme for the Thor like blade for your ears. Again with the fact of the matter still remaining that these still look better then most in-ear headsets and especially in this price range it is nothing to cry home about at all.
Quality/Sound
The A*STAR In-Ear Headset have some of the best audio for in-ear headsets around. lows and mids sound great, with enough bass to give you an overall superb quality in sound. Of course the bass also depends on your audio source but can easily get up there without any distortion. We could distinctly hear separate noises from games like Halo Reach, Mass Effect 2 and Need for Speed Hot Pursuit. WIth the Y-Adapter for PC use the A*STAR can easily be used for a skype conversation, recording or other forms of chat on the PC which all came in and out clear. This thing works with music devices, handhelds, pc and consoles. The in-ear headset gave a good range of sound that could easily pass for 5.1-7.1.
Highs seem to make sounds a little to sharp for our ears however. While music seemed fine to us, having a call with audio problems from either side or playing games came in kind of rough. We took notice that when you started to get the headset volume up to a higher then normal setting for playing games, one of the sound effects would distort a bit. We also took note that while we could hear things crystal clear and even we were clear to the person we were speaking to from calls, chatting over Xbox live wasn’t as clear. While it wasn’t bad, when compared to the sound of their Astro Headsets or even the official wireless mic, it wasn’t as clear as it could have been. This isn’t anything crazy and our suggestion is that if your using a MixAmp, in particular one of the Astro MixAmp’s that you balance the volume control of the mic with the MixAmp itself to get the best overall sound you can.
We’ve gotta say that the design/quality for an in-ear headset that is made and marketed by a gaming audio company can easily pass as some of the best for use anywhere. The A*STAR In-Ear Headset are very stylish, comfortable and comparable to any of Astro Gaming’s products. A*STAR In-Ear Headset is sold for $79.95 and while you may think thats steep, it maybe some of the best investments you made for an all around quality in-ear headset. Pairing these up with one of the Astro MixAmp’s for the best sound you can get from them as well. For those looking for an all in one solution, want great quality in-ear headset without breaking the bank this won’t steer you wrong.
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Costume Quest: Grubbin on Ice DLC Review
It’s been two months since Double fine delivered one of the most adorable yet instantly loved downloadable games, Costume Quest. While a bit short it was some of the craftiest work we’ve seen for a downloadable title with alot of thought put into it (Original Costume Quest Review Here). Fast forward and they have now released a DLC expansion story dubbed Grubbin on Ice. What you get is new things all around but is the jump back into Costume Quest for this latest DLC worth the trip and buy?
The story for Grubbin on Ice sets you up a little bit after the events from Costume Quest. [SPOILER ALERT] After Reynold saves his sister from the monsters with the help of his friends (or Wren depending on who you picked in the beginning), Lucy wants hard evidence that the monsters actually existed. Everett and Lucy go out to get proof of this when they come across a portal. A monster then captures Lucy and takes her to the new enemy Araxia on the other side. This all happened before Everett could express how he felt about Lucy, so determined to get her back you now team up with Reynold, Wren and Everett to rescue her.
The first thing you notice is that you now get to play with both brother and sister together unlike Costume Quest since you were trying to save one or the other. We’re pretty sure that everything you had in the original Costume Quest carries over, however we had all the battle stamps, costumes and level cap, we can’t be entirely sure since they left us that way.
We do have to note that anyone thats looking for a completely new experience won’t find it here. The game retains all its concepts from the original, like the fighting and going door to door but this is not a bad thing. The additions to the DLC were seen right away though.
The new monster world of Repugia looked great and had such a nice feel compared to the original three places in Costume Quest. In the prospective of a monster village you are the monster looking in, so it was great to see that take on it. The new costume additions with abilities were the pirate costume with a zipline ability that allows players to slide down wires using the hook hand. The Yeti costume which has the ability to shield the entire party and is geared more towards strength. The last is the Eye ball, a little harder to retain and will reveal secrets within the new world. You also get new battle stamps and cards to collect that give different buffs during battle. They did go ahead and fixed an issue from the original game which was saving the game. There is now a dedicated save spot in the DLC which is nice to have.
Like Costume Quest your not only getting a pretty game with some addicting aspects but writing at its best. The DLC has all its witz and charm like the original. The feel of Costume Quest being released on Halloween and this being released near christmas sets the tone tremendously. I love the way they set up the story on how you must find new monster recruits by going door to door. Double Fine really knows how to put quality work in its game no matter how big or small.
Our biggest gripe with the DLC is that its short … real short, this thing can be beaten in a single play through of three hours or so.
While it is short you will fall in love all over again. If you’ve played or own CQ then the 400 MS points or $5 on PSN is a no brainer. If you’ve never played the game then getting the entire thing for $20 is something to consider. While the DLC is short it does fit right into the world and leaves a desirable cliff hanger at the end which leaves us wanting more of this game. More costumes would have been nice but this looks like its just a set up of more to come from Costume Quest itself.
Overall = 8.1
Astro Gaming 5.8 MixAmp Review
Who would have thought the day would come when any sort of headset technology could come close to a surround sound theater unit. Who would have also thought that, that it could be enjoyed from home. While it’s no surprise that companies have been delivering a headset home theater experience for years, it catered to the PC market. With console gaming not only rivaling the best of PC gaming nowadays by visuals, it is also doing it by sound.
Astro gaming has been bringing hardcore and pro gaming quality MixAmps for quite sometime. For those who don’t know what a MixAmp does well your in luck. A MixAmp channels both game sounds and voice-communication into one headset while it is also the only way to listen to certain headsets via consoles. While we’ve been experiencing this for several years it has never been in a wireless flavor, or at least not a good one. Astro gaming sets to change this with their latest entry of MixAmps, the 5.8 MixAmp but does it still deliver the standard of what we get from wired ones?
The first thing we noticed when we received the 5.8 MixAmp was the packaging and design. Astro knows that when you pay for quality, they give you quality on all expects. The art and style of the packaging is some of the coolest we’ve seen around.
Here is an overview of everything it comes with.
5.8 MixAmp TX Base
5.8 MixAmp RX Receiver
AC Cable Plug-in Adapter
Optical Cable
Mini USB to USB
Y-Adapter for 3rd party headset
3 AAA Batteries for Receiver
Xbox Live Chat Cable
RX Receiver Belt Clip
Headset (Sold Separately)
PS3 Chat Cable (Sold Separately)
Rechargeable Battery (Sold Separately)
The process of the unit works by connecting any audio source sound that can be hooked up by optical cable and plugging it into the device. The base then sends a 5.8 GHz wireless signal to be heard through the receiver for you to listen to. One important thing to note is the advantage you receive from the 5.8 GHz then the standard 2.4 GHz that all of our other device normally use. Xbox 360 wireless controls, wireless routers etc. You can only imagine how difficult it would be to push 7.1 surround sound to the receiver with no loss in quality.
When setting the unit up you don’t have to worry about pairing the TX and RX device as they come pre-paired. The back of the TX Base unit has a ac plug in, two USB ports for future configurations, PS3 chat audio in setup, optical in and optical out. The RX receiver has a mini USB port to charge the unit (if rechargeable battery is connected), one for audio mics, the Xbox 360 chat plug adapter, a master volume control knob, and a game/voice split control knob. The receiver can also plug in any 3.5mm headset for your liking as well.
We tested the MixAmp with several headsets and earbuds ranging in price to test out the quality of sound. The A Star Ear Buds which are $79 (check out our review here), Plantronics $15 headset and a brief test with Astro A40 Headsets were among some of the few. We were pretty astonished at the results when comparing this to a 7.1 home theater set up as it came to close for words. Sound was crisp and on point. Crackles of grass can be heard from yourself or another person in games like Halo Reach, while the pin of a grenade when pulled can be heard from a distance in Call of Duty Black Ops. The distance in sound between objects can be significantly recognized over any other setups I’ve seen to date aside higher end home theaters.
Don’t be surprised when you go to get a snack or even head to the bathroom with the RX unit and headset on with no loss in sound quality. This thing has some incredible range and can sometimes be startling. Not to mention that the mobility of the wireless allowed us to clip the RX unit to our belt and play games like DJ Hero 2, Rockband and even Kinect.
We’ve found that with the Y-adapter included it is also seamless to connect a PC headset which sometimes have a split audio and mic plug. When using the MixAmp to chat via Xbox live or PS3 sounds were very clear and never gave any sort of distortion. We had come across a slight hissing sound coming through the audio when putting the master volume up to get the right voice and game sound we wanted. This didn’t happen all the time but rather when we mixed in-game or out music, sound and then voice it seemed to have happened on occasions. Another thing to note is when pairing the unit with the PS3 via the XMB, you may have to remove all other paired audio setups from the system to get the MixAmp to show up.
What’s good about the MixAmp is that three other RX receivers can be pared with one base to get the same sound from the audio source, turning any living room or bed room into a home theater setup without disturbing neighbors. We’ve also found that you can plug in the 5.8 Mix Amp to Astro’s original MixAmp via the optical out from the 5.8 base into the wired MixAmp’s base. Multiple set ups may work if you tamper with them.
Of course this isn’t without some things to considered about the unit itself, especially if your in the market to buy gaming audio already. When compared to their wired MixAmp is leaves out some audio inputs for obvious reasons of space, mobility and conservation. However the MP3 audio in from the original Astro MixAmp was also left out of the 5.8. For those looking to get some personal sound in their games by not tampering with the Xbox music settings or putting them into your PS3 since most games don’t allow personal playlist music override anyway will not be to happy about this. We tested a 3.5mm splitter but it degrades sound coming in all together. An optical audio signal is the only accepted audio to the unit so multiple sources are left out like trying to connect a Wii. If you have an older Xbox 360 the only way to connect this is via a component cable set up as you can’t plug in an HDMI and component plug into the system (at least not in an official way). The Xbox 360 S has its own dedicated optical port so it does not have this problem. Sometimes when you put on the bass boost from the RX receiver we would hear a slight muffle in sound to deliver the bass upgrade. Also the batteries that come with the unit to be put in the RX receiver die rather fast, or at least it seems fast while playing.
With an introductory price of $99 the question is what you may be looking for in your gaming experience? A gaming headset will need to be purchased if not already owned (Astro has packages with headsets for the unit which save money), the optional PS3 chat cable if your looking to do so and possibly a rechargeable battery. All of this aside, this of course is possibly the best Mix Amp and sound that I’ve received from any audio source yet. Playing games while getting an edge on the competition or simply wanting to be fully immersed in a movie never came easier then this. This will have you question why you haven’t invested in gaming audio sooner if you have yet to try one out.
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