TheXboxLife

The first version of the 2kSports series I played was NBA 2k6, which I thoroughly enjoyed. After the 2k6 season, I never picked up a copy of 2k7, after I heard that there were really no big changes in the game as far as gameplay and pure-fun goes. I was a little dissapointed, but never really cared because the NBA Live series was never that impressive to me.





Now NBA 2k8 has been released, and it’s not that it’s a bad game, but that the game still hasn’t changed much. Like I said earlier, I never played 2k7, and 2k8 is exactly the same as 2k6 with small changes. First off, the game play and flow is better. By that I mean the layup motions that players make, and the actual body-movements and faces of the players are improved. This is something that did need to be addressed, at least after playing 2k6, because there were so many inside, layup shots that just didn’t make any sense. Most of the time these were caused by holding turbo down + the hit stick, and then your player would just lift off and do a cool move, but it made no sense how he actually did it. This game fixes many of those problems, which I greatly appreciate.





Of course the rosters are updated, and there were a few things that bugged me about it. First off, Shaq is still in the high 80’s, which I just don’t understand. Last year proved that he really isn’t nearly as effective as he once was. Also, players like Greg Oden and Kevin Durant have already been dubbed ‘B’ players with 80+ ratings, which even more irritates me. Sure, these ratings are based off of numbers, but seriously, what numbers? It took Kobe years to get to his dominant form, and he started out as a 70-ranged player.





As for LeBron, well he has nothing to worry about. As a player, whenever LeBron has the ball, just hold down turbo, run towards the basket, and push on the ‘hit stick’ — 9/10 times, regardless of how many defenders are guarding you, the shot will be sunk. He is just as dangerous, and ridiculously good in the game as Devin Hester is in real-life at Punt Returns (Hester on Madden 08 may be the most unstoppable player in any video game of all time).





If you’ve played the older games, the new one won’t be much of a change (if any). ESPN ran a simulated season with KG and the Celtics losing to the Suns in the championship, and a team like my Chicago Bulls don’t even make the playoffs (finish 9th in the Eastern Conference). Part of me really thought this game would be a much better tell-tale sign of the year, but it’s obvious it won’t be. The Phoenix Suns vs Celtics, and the Bulls not even making the playoffs? Yeah right. I’d put $1,000 on BOTH of those teams to not make it to the finals (knowing the Suns, they’ll get swept by the Spurs before they even know what happened — again).


Overall, not a bad game, but I really was looking for more. With an improvement in game play and graphics though, it wasn’t a bad release, and is still a great game.


8/10

John Woo, famous for his jaw dropping, action filled films, makes his first appearance in a video game with Stranglehold. This game reminds me a lot of the online game Gunz by MAET, because of it’s fast paced, jump off of anything, crazy weaponry game, which is a good thing.







Theres so much action in this game it’s rediculous, and the best part is you never have to reload. You encounter so many enemies from all directions that if you DID have to reload, you’d be dead instantly.







During the game you complete 7 chapters, which end up being extremely long battles with to many enemies to count. While jumping off any object or wall in the game, you’ll only have seconds to regain your target before you’ll be barraged with bullets. The good thing is that your character can withstand a few thousand bullets (seriously, it’s rediculous).



Along with the different guns you’ll find throughout the game, your player also encounters 4 different “Tequila Bombs” which give you special powers to accompany your bullet barrage. The bombs come in the form of health, invulnerability, and a few other “kill everyone on the screen” powers.



The few problems with the game are minor glitches, but minor enough to frustrate even the most calm headed gamer. Occasionally you’ll dive into a rail instead of riding down it, and the same goes for the walls. Overall, the bugs aren’t a total set back, glitching in the middle of battle can be annoying.







In the end, Stranglehold holds to be a very good game (even though the single player only lasts 6-8 hours), and Woo doesn’t dissapoint with his first video game, and offers a multi-player (up to 6 players) Deathmatch game mode where it is literally an all out blood bath between you and your friends.



9/10

The new release from EA, NCAA Football 08 has been very promising, and has had a great response from consumers. Though there are not a ton of new additions/changes, the ones that were made definitely improved the game overall. Look forward to a new Game Mode, Campus Legend, which gives the user the ability to go back to Senior year of High School, compete in the State Tournament, and basically decide your own collegiate career. Schools will offer you different options, depending on the program and specifically, your stats from the State Tournament. This is a very cool new game mode, considering if your school doesn’t offer you a spot, you can always try to make it as a walk on.



When you first start earn your D1 spot on the depth chart, you’ll move up by participating in practices to earn points. Eventually, you’ll make it to the #1 spot, and you’ll never be removed for not going to practice. As a student, you will also go to class, and take on other extra-curricular activities. This will give you the ability to gain even more points to climb the depth chart.



The Dynasty mode is still the same, so the developers didn’t touch that (thank you). You’ll have all the same options to choose your school, change playbooks, pick your schedule and play your games. There is also the mock layout of ESPN.com to display all the ‘current’ college football news.



As for the game play, it hasn’t changed. Offense is the same, while Defense offers a new Hit Stick 2.0. This may, or may not turn out to be an advantage for the Offense, because it’s a little difficult to get used to hitting a player high or low. This means that Offensive players may leap over you because you tackled low, when you really meant to hit them high. Of course, in between plays you’ll see players walking through each other, but in the end, who’s really that picky about something like that?



Overall, great game, and should do well to compete with other new college football game releases.



9/10

1991 brought not only the first of three championships for the Chicago Bulls, but was also accompanied by the Sega Genesis Console Gaming System. During a time when it was Nintendo vs Sega, 8-bit vs 16-bit, new school vs old school, the two systems, whichever was used, still amazed gamers and watchers until the late 90’s (Thanks PlayStation!). Thankfully, companies are still just as in love with their old games as we are. On that note, I’d like to welcome back Ecco the Dolphin. Yes, coming to an XBOX 360 near you, Ecco is now back and better then ever.

With improvements/smoothing to the audio and graphic scaling, this old school Sega Genesis game is making a comeback to the XBOX 360. A favorite of mine when I first had my 16-bit Sega, the game hasn’t changed a bit.



The game starts off exactly the same with no fancy intro or directions, just a Dolphin in the middle of the ocean waiting for you to lead her through the water. You will still have the same puzzles to solve, some being much easier then others, just like the old game. You will still need to match up the diamonds to pass through certain areas, and fighting the Octopi and Blowfish to get to your air bubbles/surface will still be just as difficult.







It will take some time to get used to jumping again. Sure, the smaller, less important jumps will be a piece of cake, but prepare to back up and have perfect timing for some of those longer, over the hill type jumps. Though remember, you are a Dolphin, and Dolphins have sonar! Use your Sonar to bring up the map, that way you can pick out the points where your air bubbles will be. Besides the map, the Sonar will also give out a call to other Dolphins and sea creatures. It will not just be Dolphins that respond to your distress.







Overall, you have to love the classics from the ‘good-ol-days!’. Not much has changed, and in fact, it’s much better because of the audio and graphic changes.


8/10

In 2001 the original XBOX was released along with it’s fan-favorite Halo game. For the time, the graphics of the original Halo went far beyond expectations, and gamers were left in awe with what the future held. With the new addition of the XBOX 360, graphics, textures and models have the ability to be taken to a level never seen before in the console gaming world.


Sadly, Superman Returns offers none of that. In fact, the best it matches up to is a decent looking XBOX game from 2003.





As you can see, for a game that involves the user flying around the city of Metropolis, the sky graphics is not as nice as it should be. The buildings, even up close, still look as if they were made out of cardboard. The same goes for the cars and other objects on the street. They just don’t jump out at you as well as they should.


The population of Metropolis is also very weak. The walking paths they take are very generic and always the same. Don’t think you will be flying around the city and actually see anything going on down below. Unlike the Comic or TV-Show, your excitement and action is limited to your mission objectives.





As for flying as Superman, it will take some getting used to at first. To lift off the ground push Y, and using your right and left analog controllers to steer your eyesight and flight direction.





Overall, the game isn’t that great and, if anything, is just worth renting. The game play isn’t horrible, but it’s just not worth purchasing because of the lack of graphics and actual gaming ‘fun’.


6/10