OVERVIEW

It has been a good number of years since the first Tekken Tag Tournament, but here comes Namco firing back with this great follow up. The last time a Tekken Game came out I was fairly disappointed. Tekken 6 was a bleak and horrible let down compared to the previous games in the series. I dare say it was the worst of the bunch. With that being said Tekken Tag Tournament 2 made sure to get everything right this time around and in the process return the King of Iron Fist Tournament to its full and rightful glory. If you have never played Tekken I dont think you can call yourself a fighting fan (LOL!) Tekken (like many other fighting games) is about a group of fighters from around the world lured into a tournament to not only gain fame and riches, but ultimately to prove who the best is. This time they do it tag team style, and with great success.

GRAPHICS

Once you fire up the game youll see that TTT 2 doesnt waste time proving its graphical prowess. The series has always impressed in the sight department. The game gives you lush and rich CGI segments for the opening sequence and for each fighters prologues and endings. It goes above and beyond with excellent fighter models, beautifully designed costumes, brilliant menu designs and layout. Fighters perform their moves with a visual flair no other fighter this generation can touch (Sorry SSF 4). Hair flows, water splashes, and dust and rocks are kicked with great accuracy. There is no clipping, no draw in, and best of all very few drops in frame rate. Add to all of that that there maybe four fighters on screen at any given time, and things still dont wavier. Needless to beat this horse to death, the graphics more than achieve the desired effect.

STORY

Fighting games or fighters as they are called usually follow the same trend. Some all powerful guy or corporation has a nefarious plot and in order to achieve its lofty goal sets up an elaborate (and often empty) fighting tournament to lure the greatest fighters from around the world to compete. Tekken is no different and has the aforementioned corporation and the evil guy to boot. The King of Iron fist tournament once again calls the names of great fighters to compete. This time around it seems to be about finding out whos the best and ties into some crazy side story about nature. The other story (oh did I mention that there are sort of two of them?) encompasses a complex tutorial which tells the story of Lee Chaolain (AKA) Violet trying to build the ultimate fighting robot named Combot You may remember Combot from, previous installments of the game. Lee or Violet is trying to make the ultimate fighter to over throw the Mishima Zaibatsu Corporation ran by Heichachi, Kazyua, Jin, and Jinpachi depending on what previous squeal was played. You play though 5 main stages and train Combot towards this lofty goal all the while learning the most basic of moves up until you are performing like a prohopefully. This mode is often silly and nonsensical as Lee and his female assistant say and do crazy things while having Combot fight strange and sometimes familiar fighters who may or may not be from the Tekken series. Over all its a good distraction and a fun way to teach newbies the ropes.

GAMEPLAY

The game performs like its predecessors and in that case it works great. This game is one of the closest to real fighting styles that you will come across. You have the face buttons which operate youre for limbs: Right punch, Left punch, Right kick, and Left kick. Put them all together and you will be doing combos in no time. The fighters move great as they can dodge, walk up and down the 3D playing field, jump, run, and roll. Throw in a tag button and your partner is there to back you up at a moments notice. Matches are fought in the traditional best 2 out of three set up although you can change this along with the time length of the match. TTT 2 also has varied modes of play too. Standard tag in which you can fight two on two. You can switch that up and fight one on one. Furthermore, you can fight 2 on 1 if you need help and vice versa if youre just that dang good! Couple that with the different modes of: Arcade, time attack, team battle, survival, and practice. You should be busy for quite some time. A side note worth mention is that you can practice online with a friend and just mess around like that. This hasnt been done before to my knowledge and adds a wealth of depth to the game. The roster of characters in the game is staggering clocking in at around 40 with more coming via DLC. I think almost every character to ever appear in a Tekken game is included which is nothing short of amazing.

SOUNDS

Awesome, awesome, and more awesome as every blow, yell, shout, and bone crunching sound effect is put out there like sweet music to your ears. Speaking of music the stage and back ground music will have you humming the tunes and wanting to go back just to listen to them. Aside from that the voice acting is great and most fighters speak in their native dialect which would only make sense.

CONTROL FACTOR (REPLAY)

The replay factor or the things that will have you coming back for more are endless. After all this is a fighting game and no two fights will ever be the same right? The aforementioned variations of game modes alone will give you reasons to keep playing. There is a great rank up mode, and items to unlock so you can customize your characters if youre into that type of thing. There is also the online mode which as everybody knows is the real money maker.

ONLINE

I really dont play many games online, but Tekken tag not only feels good online, but it performs well. Although it takes a while to find an opponent in some cases the games solves this by letting you practice with your character while its looking for someone for you. Fighters are always matched to their relative skills and if the game figures that you are out of each others leagues it solves this with point awarding. You wont get a lot of point for beating up on lesser fighters and likewise you wont get point for beating more skilled players. It pushes you to play those more your equal which is great. Whereas Street Fighter 4 did a poor job in this area this system may solve those cheaters or those guys who like to find lesser fighter and beat up on them. I can see this game earning its due through online play just fine.

CLOSING

If you arent into fighting games I think youd be hard pressed not to at least try TTT 2. With its ease of controls, diverse roster, and fun play style I dont see how you wouldnt like it. If you are a fighting fan and furthermore a fan of Tekken this is the fighter to own!! I mean that in a big way. The developers thought of almost everything for this game. With customizable characters, lush graphics, easy to play tag system, and the list goes on and on. This could be the consummate fighter on PS3 and Xbox 360, and with games like SSF 4, Street Fighter X Tekken, and Mortal Kombat out there that is saying quite a lot. Its not big on story like MK, its not as flashy as SSF 4, and it may not be as bouncy a DOA 5, but if you want a game that performs as a fighter should then this is the one for you. Pick up this game today!! I would have to give this game a resounding 9 out of 10. The King of Iron Fist is back, and in a huge way babyenter the Tekken TODAY!!

Max Payne 3

OVERVIEW

Max Payne is back for his third and hopefully not his final installment of what is a tortured and almost always hard luck story. For the uninitiated Max Payne is an ex-cop based in New Jersey whose tragic story began with the death of his wife at the hands of drug dealers. In the third chapter Max leaves behinds those roots while still continuing his hard luck life.

GRAPHICS

Lets face it, after a while when consoles, and or PC games have been around for a certain number of years games wont pop like they initially did. With that in mind Max Payne 3 is no visual tour de force, but it does a fantastic job of giving you what you need and want: Carnage! Bullet time has your bullets whizzing at enemies with awesome trails showing velocity. The bullets fired at you also come through and are clearly visible. The violence is just right and not over done. Enemies vary and are not just cookie cutter. There is a visual presentation for the stories once done in a cartoony graphic novel style in his previous games, and now are done in cut scenes which blend into the game itself. There is zooming for sniper rifle bullets, and my favorite when the last enemy is dispatched the game freezes and shows you taking him or her down in slow motion and can be controlled by the gamer to view as long or short as you want to see the kill. In this area the game once again delivers.

STORY

Max finds himself in the middle of South America where he is now a body guard for a rich and powerful family of three brothers, and their associates. As usual what starts off to be simple becomes quite complex as Maxs special skills, and dead pan humor are put to use, but sometimes fail in his new career path. Max starts off protecting the wife of his new employer with a degree of success, but what ensues is a repetitive and escalating plot against the family as a whole. By the end of his new adventure he as revisited his past, become plagued by his present, and reached redemption so to speak by the tales end. Max is forever haunted by his aforementioned past (which fits nicely into his new tale, but doesnt become over done), and all the while fights it off with a what else can I do? flair, and attitude. The story is done in a gritty style often through flash backs that connect quite well. It doesnt require playing his past two games to understand, but having played them would bring a better appreciation of the characters tortured tale. Great presentation and a surprisingly fresh take on an old character.

GAMEPLAY

This volume doesnt stray too far from its roots as a third person, bullet time, visceral shooter. Max is a bit tricky to maneuver as you may have to press up to three buttons at once to get him on target, but his bullet time mechanic works like a charm. It works particularly well when he executes single leaps and jumps. The buttons all respond well, and Max never feels overwhelmed with the task at hand. He is also never left wondering where to go next, or a lack of enemies to tackle. Even on its easy setting you will be given a challenge, but with time and mastery of his controls you can beat the hardest of settings. Max can twist and turn in multiple angles to reach his target; creating a very nice style of play. Those points aside his biggest enemy is the camera. As it is in most games the camera has a pension for zooming in at wrong angles and trapping our hero in the wrong place at the wrong time. There is a cover system present, but could us some work as you may be shot even when behind solid objects. Bottom line is that the controls accomplish their goal and give you an overall satisfying sense of fun and mastery of your character.

SOUNDS

From the music used to the sound effects to the brilliant voice acting this is one of the best areas. The music keeps your blood pumping and kicks in at just the right times. Every gun pops with an almost real quality. The sound of the rounds firing gives you that feel of being there just as they should. The voice acting is brilliant and at no time corny or B-list like. Max is awesome at delivering his deadpan and often grim humor. My favorite line of his, I may have written the book on bad ideas, but my partner sure wasnt afraid to quote from it! Along with a plethora of other lines he delivers ensures you know that this is his game. The supporting characters give their lines with the needed vigor, but none shine as brightly as Max himself. Not for the lack of trying, but Maxs voice actor just nails him to a Tee. Put it all together, and you cant beat this area.

CONTROL FACTOR (REPLAY)

Next to Game play this is probably the most important area of a game, and Max Payne 3 doesnt disappoint here either. The main story may clock in at about 9 hours which isnt a lot these days. Factor in that he can find Gold Gun pieces, New York minute mode, and varying degrees of difficulty ensuring you wont be lift high and dry with the single player mode. Now take all that and put it into the online modes which lets you use bullet time in a fair and manageable sense and you will be coming back for more and more with this title. Max Payne 3 can keep you busy easily until the next big thing arrives.

CLOSING

Once again the guys at Rock Star Games have put together a title not only deserving of their brand, but a quality Max Payne title as well. In an age of rehashed, money hungry and time crunched unfinished sequels I think Max Payne stands out nicely. Gamers will have fun with this title and it is not for the mamby pamby weak hearted gamer. While not heavy on story it gives you that awesome mix of great game play, excellent controls, and replay ability that most gamers seek. With that being said I would give Max Payne three 8 out of 10.

thought Id say hi to GS since its been a while

As far back as I can remember this site was the place to go for discussing gaming. From the time I accidently stumbled upon it until now I kept coming back here time and time again to express my love for all things gaming. Over time though things became so commercial and people on the site started to just goof off.I think its in tribute to one thing.....Money! The more things become commercial and in a sense cool they become more marketable and thus money makers. This site and society is no different. As gaming got more popular and mainstrem it became a competetion to keep not only gamer attentio, but gaming company's attention as well. Hence the banners, advertisements, and oh so many bais reviews.

At one point user reviews were thoughtful and insightful given you an honest and informed outlook on your favorite games. Now a user review consist of how good some one thinks the game is. IT usually reads THIS GAME IS AWESOME ITS REALLY REALLY REALLY GOOD!! in attempt to fill in space and make the person feel a sense of self worth. In short things started to go down hill fast. I think the remaining cool people here are around just for nostalgia purposes. Kind of like how someone who use to be in love hangs around in the hopes that the person will change and lives on the good old days.

Well just though Id pop in while I had time on my vacation to look back at some of my old post and friends old post.....sure do miss those good old days. The gamer .....true gamers are dieing off fast and giving way to this new ....THING....heck I dont even know what to call it.

PEACE

Merry Xmas yall and a non dinominal holiday celebration to yall ENJOY!!

Well nothing but gaming for me today............if Im lucky

Got some new games and they are all great: Call of Duty Black ops.....fantastic! Medal of Honor very good! Fallout: New Vegas while not as good as Part 3 its great in and of itself. Got the Kinet for 360 along with Dance Central and Im like wow not only is it family fun, but you will geta work out as well! Oh and picked up a new 360 HALO REACH Edition and its cool and somewhat fixes a lot of the old problems. Gave my old Elite 360 to the kids LOL two birds with one stone for Xmas huh?! Outside of that Its back to gaming PEACE!!

Hey yall made it back.......sitting around this morning and had a few mins to write this quick blog. AlthoughI have played some games and got some new ones like Medal of Honor, New Vegas, and reserved Black ops....Im still super busy setting up my house and working.....plus in a week or so going on vacation so gaming looks a little bleak right now. I am glad to be back in this great country again. Still proud of serivng in the US Army and being back makes you appreciate things a little more. You guys be good until next time PEACE!!

Man its like they didnt want us to leave Iraq man......shoot it has taken forever to get us a flight. Well I guess I shouldnt complain. As I sit here and waist time typing this last blog and which might be my last ever in this country I think about a lot of things I want to do when I get back. Video game are deffinately on the list. I want to do some stuff I cant post here with my wife LOL. Oh and see my kids....but to be free to roam the streets and drive my own car, and breathe better air will be a joy in and of itsself. On a side note is anybody suprised at the rating/review GS gave to Halo:Reach?! I aint...as a matter of fact Im wondering why they just didnt give the darn thing a 10 and be done with it. Well to keep this thing simple hope to game with some of you soon .....might even knock the dust off of my 360. BTW I plan on getting the HALO:Reach console version since my kids Xbox is acting up LOL! PEACE PEOPLE

Hey people or the remaining gamers that are here! I am totally bored as it is close to me going home from my second tour in Iraq. Was a hard year and once again I thought Id have plenty of time to game and I DIDNT!! I guess things could be worse though. As I sit here and wait I told myself why not post a blog on GS for craps and giggles. Dont come her much at all these days. Seems like games sites are a thing of the past. Even more people are gaming now as a legit form of entertainment. Our tag of being gamers is fading away. Heck even my wife plays games now....you know that Im bored this is for fun style of play LOL!! I got tons of games I need to brush the dust off. For goodness sake I bought Mass Effect 2 out here because it was 20$ and its still in its rapper WOW!

Well as I reflect on another year gone by I guess things could always have gone different, but in this case it was held together just barely. I learned to keep your eyes open and trust very few people no matter who they are. The saying keep your friends close and your enemies closer is true, but done let the so called friends off the hook so easy should be added. Well when I get back I see DEC as a month were I will have a good amount of time to once again tackle a back log of gaming. My wife is going to school the kids probably will be busy and I will be on vacation. If I dont get it done then ....well I may never get it done. To all those who still dwell here I guess we are stuck until a better site is invented. Things like Giant Bomb and other sites just didnt cut it for me either. With that being said let me get back to watching videos and surfing the web PEACE!!