Well it’s certainly a chilly evening here in San Diego. Though everyone’s out in full force for New Moon!! My Wife, myself, Nelson and Jessica are currently waiting in line for the 12:01am showing. Well we have plenty of pictures to show the fans support for the latest addition to the Twilight Saga. Be sure to check out the gallery after the break.

Battlecry prizes have arrived, and rather swiftly after we “exposed” their failure to remit any type of information.  I guess even your large gaming corporations just need a kick in the pants every now and then!  Above is the license plate holder, properly sporting the Horde emblem upon it, as well as the allusion that my other ride is, in fact, quite sweeter and faster than the one this will be strapped to…  Also arriving in the prize package was…

This lovely Horde J!NX tshirt. I must say, one of the most beautiful shirts I’ve seen them produce, I’ll wear it to Blizzcon next year with great pride.  Again, thank you to ALL the folks who helped us get the word out about the contest, and of course, thank you Blizzard for the lovely prizes! =D

Oh, and there was one last thing in the prize pack.  An autographed picture of the Worgen development team leader!

LOL JUST A LITTEL MOAR WAREWOLFZ PLZ

You’re the proud owner of an Original or iPhone 3G, but you just can’t help but ogle your mates 3GS ever since he got it. With it’s fancy new compass, voice recognition and video recording, your Original/3G is starting to look a bit tired. Problem is, you’ve got at least another couple of months on your contract left and the networks are charging extortionate amounts for early upgrade. You could try buying a PAYG iPhone 3GS and sell your old and busted iPhone taking the hit on the difference, but that’s probably just as much as the early termination/upgrade fee O2/AT&T wants from you. So for the time being you’re stuck with an iPhone 3G.

OK, it’s not like that’s the end of the world, it’s still an incredibly capable device, plays some great games and can use almost all the apps that the 3GS can. But what about those features that set the 3GS apart? Well with a few apps and tweaks you too can get your 3G to do almost all of the new tricks the 3GS has and give your old trusty an extra burst of life.

First up, voice control. There’s not much in the new 3GS has that means it’s the only iPhone capable of using voice control, it’s just that Apple wanted to really set the 3GS apart from the 3G and Original iPhone with some unique features, voice control being one of them. Never fear though, because through the magic of the App Store your 3G or Original can also rock voice control. Vocalia, an app that essentially replicates the control and voice search functions built into the 3GS, is available for the pultry sum of £2.39. Featuring a HAL type eye which acts as your input button and indicator, the app translates your garbled speech into contact names, music tracks or even bookmarks. You can even use it just by lifting the phone to your ear just like the Google search app. With a quick vocalisation you can be calling your mate’s phone, playing an album, individual track or artist or browsing your favourite Geek site, at least that’s the premise.

Does it work? Yes, it does and pretty well. With a bit of prompting you can get it to narrow down and play whatever track you can remember, or pick any contact in your address book and call them. Is it useful? Simply put, No. I’ll elaborate on that a little, it’s as useful as any other speech recognition app for controlling computers or devices. Nine times out of ten, it’s easier and quicker just to reach over and hit a button. The voice control is the same on the 3GS, most people don’t use it because it’s not as quick as using your fingers and therefore is resigned to the ‘gimick’ side of things rather than being a real feature. The only exception I’ve found to the rule is the Google Voice search app, which normally saves me time, but even that I don’t use very often.

So don’t get me wrong, if you’re a fan of voice control then Vocalia works admirably, but I just don’t think it’s useful.

On to the second feature to replicate, Video recording. Now this one’s not quite as simple as just downloading an app. It’s not that it’s hard, but it certainly takes a little longer because to get video recording on your 3G or Original iPhone you have to jailbreak it. OK, before we start on this one, I have to admit I’m a huge fan of quite a few jailbreak only apps and features that Apple simply wouldn’t allow in the App Store. Whilst it is true that jailbreaking makes App Store piracy possible, it’s by no means the sole reason one would jailbreak their iPhone and so it’s unfair to label it with that moniker. With that bit of spiel out the way, I’d like to introduce you to Cycorder. Jay Freeman, the man behind many of the best jailbreak features and functions including Cydia, has authored a nice, free, ad-supported (pretty unobtrusively I might add) video recorder for the Original and 3G. While the quality of the recording is fairly limited by the relatively weak hardware available on the non-3GS iPhones, Cycorder makes the best out of it and in decent lighting you can get pretty good 15fps mobile phone videos out of your iPhone for free. We’re not talking movie quality here, but who really uses their phone for anything more than short clips of your mate bladdered out of his mind with a marker pen all over his face after an epic night out?

There are of course alternatives for pretty much everything on the iPhone and it would be unfair to talk about video recording and not mention Video Recorder for 3G. It’s billed as ‘a powerful iPhone orientated video recorder’ that can record to .mov and upload it to YouTube. Sounds great, but there’s a snag and it’s a pretty hefty $19.95 price tag. For the kind of videos you can actually get out of your iPhone I think $20 is pretty steep, especially when Cycorder gets the job done in a very Apple like, minimal fuss, maximum enjoyment kind of way.

So we come to the final feature that really stands out as being different between the iPhone 3G and the 3GS, the compass. OK, you’ve got a faster processor and slightly (and I mean slightly) better battery life, but the compass is truly something different. Unfortunately this is where software alone cannot make any difference. The onboard compass allows you to know which direction your facing (when it works) in the maps app and here’s where a little dosh can help iPhone 3G users out (sorry Original users I’m afraid the lack of GPS kind of rules you out of this one, mind you I understand raw skyhook isn’t all that bad if you can read road names). For the cost of a cheap cup of coffee, you can purchase yourself a handy dandy Pocket Compass, which combined with the Google Maps app should see you to your destination no problem.

OK, that doesn’t help you out with augmented reality apps I admit, but if you sense of direction is as shocking as mine, a pocket compass can really come in handy for a 3G user like myself. You’ll probably find that a decent pocket compass is going to work better than a magnetometer anyway.

So that’s it, now your iPhone 3G, and to some extent your Original iPhone, has almost feature parity with Apple’s latest and greatest. At least it should help some people stave off the massive upgrade charges that networks are asking for and give your portable friend of choice some extra longevity. Myself, I’m going to hold out till the 4th Gen iPhone gets released because for me, the 3GS was just a spec bump. I’m expecting something bigger out of Apple this time round.

Today, Capcom issued a Press Release, announcing that they would be releasing the first three entries in the Nintendo DS Ace Attorney series on Nintendo’s, starting with Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney in January, with Phoenix Wright: Justice for All and Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations to be released in the following months.

To read the Press Release, go past the break.

CAPCOM^® UNVEILS CLASSIC ACE ATTORNEY^® SERIES FOR WiiWare^TM

The beloved Ace Attorney series featuring the most exciting courtroom dramas of the digital decade are headed to Nintendo’s popular download service in 2010

SAN MATEO, Calif. — November 18, 2009 — Capcom® Entertainment, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, today announced that three classic Ace Attorney® games are scheduled for digital release on Nintendo’s WiiWare next year beginning with the one that started it all, Phoenix Wright™: Ace Attorney® followed by Phoenix Wright™ Ace Attorney®: JUSTICE FOR ALL, and Phoenix Wright™ Ace Attorney®: TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS. Gamers can expect the deliberations to begin January 2010. These games will cost 1,000 Wii Points, $10.00 USD.

Ace Attorney’s massive popularity and appeal in Japan has caught on in the West and the franchise has now sold well over 3.7 million units worldwide. For the first time ever, this beloved handheld series is making an appearance on a home console, giving gamers access to three of the classic Ace Attorney adventures from the comfort of their own living rooms. Fans and newcomers alike will have a chance to star as the most popular defense attorney in videogames, Phoenix Wright – a man driven by principles and his ability to separate fact from dubious fiction. Each game in the series presents twisting storylines and intriguing gameplay with comical anime stylings. Players will collect evidence, weed through inconsistent testimonies and overcome corrupt agendas to ensure that justice prevails! Present evidence with the wave of the Wii remote or press suspicious testimonies by wiggling it. These games can be played via single-player and has multiple save slots.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (Episode 1 through 4) is the first release hitting in January. The story kicks off with Phoenix Wright defending his childhood friend Larry Butz from a murder charge. But this is only the beginning drama for the tenacious legal eagle as Wright faces unexpected tragedies that will test the limits of his incredible deductive prowess. In May, owners of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney will be able to download the bonus episode that appeared in the original Nintendo DS™ version of the game. It will cost 100 Wii Points.

In March, Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: JUSTICE FOR ALL arrives. Phoenix Wright has six months experience and five court victories under his belt. But none of that will do him any good against the ruthless new D.A. in town. Franziska von Karma wants revenge and she’s ready to take Phoenix down at any cost!

In May, Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS arrives. Phoenix will face the toughest prosecutor yet as the mysterious hard-boiled “Godot” is gunning for him with extreme prejudice. Get ready for the most intense courtroom standoffs of Phoenix Wright’s career!

For more information, please visit http://press.capcom.com and http://capcom-unity.com

Welcome to Pandora, a wasteland planet full of hostile bandits, mercenaries, and alien wildlife. It is also home to a legendary wellspring of wealth and alien technology known only as “The Vault,” something that many people believe is a myth…and something many desire to find. This is the setting to 2K Games and Gearbox Software’s First-Person Role Playing Shooter, Borderlands. Having had the chance to play it at PAX 2009, albeit very briefly, I had a few vague ideas about what the gameplay would be like. First-Person Shooters are a dime a dozen these days, but I was under the impression that Borderlands would be a whole different experience. And, I am glad to report, it didn’t disappoint. I spent a good 20+ hours taking on the main story and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Gameplay:

The core gameplay of Borderlands consists of a hybrid of First-Person Shooter and Role Playing gameplay, referred to in promotional materials as a “Role Playing Shooter.” If you were to take Fallout 3 and tip the gameplay scales in favor of the shooter elements of the game, as opposed to the RPG elements, that would pretty much describe the type of gameplay you’d find in Borderlands. The game does not have the standard FPS stage progression, but rather places you in an open world that expands the further you are in the game. The mission structure of the game is comprised of a quest system, undertaking missions in exchange for XP (Experience Points, which are necessary to level up your character), money, and loot (such as weapons and equipment). These missions are usually given out by friendly NPC’s, though different areas in the game’s world contain Bounty Boards, which allow you to take on additional missions and odd jobs for additional rewards.

Gathering XP allows you to level up your character, as is standard in any RPG. Every mission is ranked by experience level and difficulty, with missions becoming easier the closer you are to reaching the experience level listed, ranging from trivial, if your character has surpassed the required experience level, and impossible, if the opposite holds true.  As such, the game requires you to undergo some XP grinding, killing enemy creatures and bandits, as well as undertaking non-mandatory side-missions, usually given out by NPCs or found on Bounty Boards. Each enemy also has their own experience level. Enemies that are at a higher level than you take less damage from your attacks. The higher the enemy’s experience level is, the harder it is to kill them, with enemies that clearly outclass you meaning certain death. However, dying doesn’t mean game over here. If your HP is brought down to zero, you’re given a brief window while as you’re bleeding to kill an enemy, which, if successful, gives you a second wind, restoring your shields and some of your HP. If you fail, you are revived at the last New-U Station you passed, losing a small portion of your money as a result. New-U Stations are everywhere, so dying doesn’t really set you back too far.

At the start of the game, you are given the opportunity to choose from four different characters, each with their own unique character class, defining their specialties and abilities, including a specific action skill, which is unlocked once your character reaches Level 5. Once your action skill is unlocked, you begin receiving a skill point after reaching a new level, being able to strengthen and unlock new skills. Each character has three skill trees, each with its own set of abilities. Furthermore, there are a ton of different weapons to choose from across seven different weapon types, each with its own stats and attributes. Using weapons of a certain type increases your proficiency with that weapon type, which, as you reach higher proficiency levels, grants you added bonuses such as extra damage and faster reloading types.

Aside from your standard weapons, you have other equipment, such as shields, grenades, and modifications. There are two types of modifications that can be obtained; grenade mods, which alter the way grenades work, and class mods, which are mods that give your character new skills based on their specific class. Certain pieces of equipment, including weapons, require you to reach a certain level before being able to use them, with the more powerful weapons being available at higher levels. Additionally, certain weapons, shields, and mods grant elemental damage, such as incendiary, shock, corrosive, and explosive damage, which, if successful, chips away at an enemy’s HP until it wears off. Weapons and Equipment are color coded, based on their rarity, white (most common), green, blue, purple, and orange (rarest). However, a rare weapon isn’t essentially one that’s really powerful, but it will fetch a higher price if you decide to sell. Oddly, in the course of my game, I never came across an orange weapon at all, showing just how rare they are.

In addition to the single player game, Borderlands also offers a four-player online co-op mode, as well as two-player split-screen co-op for the console versions, which allow players to team up and tackle missions together. Playing multiplayer means facing tougher enemies to avoid making the game too easy by teaming up with others. However, enemies drop better loot during multiplayer sessions as well. Unfortunately, there is no fair way to distribute loot, so if you’re playing with random people online, you may want to be quick when collecting loot, or you may find yourself getting beat to the punch by some greedy player. There is also PvP support, which can be activated by two players using melee attacks on each other. There are also arenas, in which player can fight free for all and 2v2 matches against each other. Having played this on the Xbox 360, I can’t say this for certain, but I’ve heard reports of a faulty multiplayer interface on the PC version, which is rather unfortunate, given that the online multiplayer is pretty great.

Graphics/Visuals:

As opposed to most First-Person Shooters these days, whose realistic and gritty graphics tend to mean textures and graphics colored a dull gray and/or brown, Borderlands takes a more cartoonish, cel-shaded appearance, which fits the somewhat absurd tone of the game. It’s nice to see games that aren’t afraid to be colorful, and Borderlands is definitely a fun game to watch. However, there are a few minor graphical glitches that occur time and again which causes textures to not render completely, which usually happens when traveling to new areas or loading your game. This error quickly corrects itself, but it happens more often than one would like.

Sounds:

The game’s soundtrack is pretty well composed, the music usually fitting the mood, especially when it picks up after you find yourself in a dangerous situation. That said, the music isn’t particularly memorable in the game. Aside from the in-game soundtrack, Borderlands also features two pieces of music for its opening and closing credits, which are “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” by Cage the Elephant and “No Heaven” by DJ Champion.

As for the dialogue, you tend to hear the same few lines repeated by your character and your enemies over and over. As for NPC’s, they usually get a few lines of dialogue when you see them, but not much. Most of what they have to say is told in the mission descriptions. I do have to commend a few of the missions which have you collecting audio logs left behind by a researcher, which you hear as you collect them. The dialogue in these logs is well done and chronicles the exploits of a research sent to Pandora who slowly goes insane, which results in some very morbid, but funny and entertaining lines of dialogue.

The Cast of Borderlands. From Left to Right: Roland, Lilith, Mordecai, and Brick.

Overall:

The game has a lot going for it, especially because there is so much packed into it. With a limit cap set at 50 and a variety of side-missions for you to complete, along with the online mode and the ability for face friends and others in competitive arenas, Borderlands is a game that will keep you coming back for more, especially with a new DLC campaign coming in a few weeks. The game is essentially built like an MMO, despite that it only supports four players online.

The game is well designed, but if I had to list one major problem with the game, it’s the storyline itself, which is to say it’s hardly even there. Sure, you’re on a quest to get to the vault, but even with a few twist and turns along the way, the storytelling isn’t the game’s strong point. One major issue I had with the game is the characters themselves. Despite their desire to find the Vault, the character’s motivations are never fully explained, which results in them being rather two-dimensional. In addition, most “dialogue exchanges” result in them being told everything, leaving them virtually voiceless, despite them being somewhat vocal during combat. Also, without giving away any spoilers, the ending didn’t really leave me satisfied. Still, the gameplay is done quite well and, story flaws aside, it is very difficult to find fault with the game. I highly recommend it. It’s fun, quirky, and rather enjoyable. If you’re expecting a standard, run of the mill FPS, you won’t find it here. This FPS/RPG hybrid merges the two genres in an interesting way and is definitely worth checking out.

This game was reviewed using a copy of Borderlands on the Xbox 360, courtesy of 2K Games.

We giveaway games because we love you. Check out what we’re giving away today!

[View with PicLens]

 

The prize: Yumsters 2 on Steam
Quantity: Five (5) Steam Keys.  One (1) per winner.

About the prize: Not only are these Yumsters crazy for strawberries, they can rock the bongos. For the love of fruity music, help them earn money by cleaning gardens to promote their band. To really skyrocket, Yumsters need the best equipment to win the ultimate grand prize at the fairy town music showdown. Get fruitilicious in five vibrant locations of Yumsters 2, a sweet Match 3 puzzler.

Key Features:

• Match 3, drag-n-drop
• Rhythm-based gameplay
• Adorable characters
• Win the grand prize!

Thanks to: Kranx Productions

How to win: Random drawing will be done tomorrow morning and given to 5 random people that post a comment below. Good luck!

Dear Geekster2012,

I have no idea what the big deal is. I haven’t bought the game because I’m not a fan of the super hardcore FPS type games. I’m more of a spray and pray kinda guy, hence why I love Left 4 Dead, Left 4 Dead 2, and Team Fortress 2. Now let me find out what the whole hubbubaloo is actually about.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Well damn. That is kinda crazy.  So, you’re asking what the big deal is about? Well, on one side you got people complaining that the video game is making people feel and act like a terrorist in the video game. Because of this, people might go on terrorist rampages because they might feel like its as easy as a video game.

And on the other side, you have smart people. The people who can tell virtual from reality. The people who understand that video games don’t kill people. Guns People do.  The people who, if they have children, would make sure they don’t play these types of games or teach them what the difference between virtual and reality.

The only big deal about this is that it is something new and something very graphic from an FPS game. Oh, and that it is easy bait for the media and those stupid parents that like to blame society and everything else in the world for their own bad parenting.

So, that’s about it. Yes, that mission is very shocking, but I doubt any terrorists will be born from this. Again, it’s just stupid parents and media over hyping this easy bait.

Thanks for the question Geekster2012.

If anyone else has a question, use the contact form on your right, send a tweet, or e-mail me directly at nelson ( at ) pixelatedgeek ( . dot . ) com.

The Naruto Series has been far from shy concerning Video Game adaptions. Though it seems that most were largely based around the original franchise. Well most Naruto fans have move far passed the original story arc and have branched into the Shippuden Series where Naruto and Crew have grown in age. I myself have been patiently awaiting more Shippuden Games especially after the DS Naruto Fighter. TOMY luckily was thinking the same thing with recent launch of the Naruto Shippuden Clash of the Ninja Revolution III . With the review copy in hand figured it was time to test my ninja skills.  How does this game hold up compared to the already establish TOMY Franchise of Naruto Fighting Games??

Gameplay

If you have ever played any of the TOMY Naruto Fighting Games you know roughly what to expect. Those that haven’t the game is a simple game to pickup but difficult to master. The buttons are broken up into Weak Attack, Strong Attack, Jutsu (Super) and Side Step/Substitution Jutsu. Much like most fighters you have a super bar, as it fills up you can do specialized moves. That’s where the Side Step/Substitution Jutsu comes into play. If timed correctly you can side step you opponent and start whooping up. In order to use the Substitution Jutsu you get attacked then hit Side Step/Substituion Jutsu, your character will then teleport behind your opponent giving you the advantage. This costs 75% of your Super Bar also keep in mind that your opponent can do the same thing after you. This quickly becomes a very strategic game with juggling Substitutions while managing you super bar. The Game features 35+ Characters from the Naruto Series which can be purchased at the In Game Store. (Kinda like Marvel vs Capcom 2) You earn money by completing Story Missions or Fights from any of the different Gameplay Modes.That being said you do get a added perk of having played other TOMY Naruto Fighters. When I switched on the game I instantly was given 100,000 to play with :) The downside to this game is I felt the difficulty in Story Mode was a little unbalanced. Some fights would be pretty simple while others seemed unforgiving. Though it seems the game largely made up for this with it’s Multiplayer options including a Online Component. A first for the TOMY Naruto Series but largely needed.

Graphics/Visuals

Considering that this game is on the Wii this game looks fantastic. I’ve played various iterations of the TOMY Naruto Fighters and none have looked this good. Each Character model looks great and all move quickly. That being said there is little to no load times. The backgrounds were also really flushed out and everything looked great. In one of the waterfall levels I was really blown away by just how nice the level looked.

Sound

This was a mixed bag for myself. While the Soundtrack really fit the series and brought forth the environment the game features a English only Dub. Now that’s not to be said that the Voice Acting was bad. Far from it. The game features in game cut scenes with full voice acting. Most were pretty good and I was actually surprised how good Grandma Chiyo sounded. That being said my personal preference is to have both Japanese and English Dubs in anime games.

Overall

A pretty decent addition to the already established Franchise. Though it seems this game is more geared to seasoned fans of the Naruto Series. If your looking for an interesting fighter and you like Naruto this game is certainly up your alley.

So what do you want for Christmas?

Christmas is just around the corner and surely you nerds and nerdettes have already started shopping for that special someone. With so many choices, how does one make a final decision to spend your hard earned cash? With dozens of companies vying for your attention here’s a quick guide to some of the coolest gadgets and toys the market has to offer in 2009.

1:The Titanium Spork, one of the strongest metals known to mankind meets one of the most vertile gastronomic tools ever invented. Its corrosion-resistant, light weight and super strong. From soup to steak, this baby will do it all,for $8.99 you cant go wrong (via Thinkgeek)

More gift ideas past the break.

Have you ever wondered what’s inside a zombie? Do you know a zombie survivalist obsessed with the Undead? The Dismember-Me Plush zombie is for you! The perfect gift for the zombie fanatic, all of his appendages are removable, including his Braiiiiiiiins! The coolest part about this plush? When you rip him in half it reveals ultra intestinal action! only 12.99!

You know every once in a while you feel like getting Medieval on your friends and coworkers… The Wooden War Engine Kit will help you accomplish such a goal. Kits vary from 19.99 to 34.99, and you can build trebuchets or catapaults that can launch paperclips or paper balls across your home or office with ease. All you need is a little glue, some strong fingers and the weapons the shaped history can now fit on your desk.

Telling time can be such a drag, the whole mechanism of telling time hasn’t changed much in the past century; until now. The USB Flash Watch has a massive 8GB flash drive stealthily hidden inside the watch, which makes moving your secret porn collection from place to place easy. The watch has a quartz timing system built in and fits snugly against the hand for a comfortable feel. For 49.99 it’s a steal!

We all remember the scene in The Empire Strikes Back where Han Solo Saves Luke Skywalkers life from the colds of the Planet Hoth by cutting open their now dead tauntaun and stuffs Luke inside to keep him warm, well now you can experience that same sensation with the Tauntaun Sleeping Bag. Measuring 33”by 67” its large enough to fit most reasonably sized adults, has a built in head pillow and a light saber zipper to open up your beast quickly and easily. Even in the coldest conditions, for 99$ this sleeping bag will keep your young JedI Knights warm and cozy. (via thinkgeek)

Have a Happy Holiday!

A what grenade? Are you serious?? WoW, what has science doooooooone?

[via YouTube]