Tech & Games

News about cool technology and Video Games

Its Only June and Apple is ‘Back to School’

Last modified on 2011-06-18 01:43:43 GMT. 110 comments. Top.

Incoming freshmen! As the time draws closer and the graduation parties slow down and you start getting nervous to enter a new stage in your life Apple can help you out. After much speculation on when it would start the Apple ‘Back to School’ deal has returned but has made adjustments. Either Apple figures everyone has an Ipod or they actually are trying to help out college students by offering a free $100 App Store gift card. Since the App Store opened it displayed how helpful apps can actually be and apps are not just a bunch of stupid 99 cent games or photo manipulators. Apple has geared a lot of these helpful apps towards students, developers and graphic designers alike. For example you can but the who iLife suite right from you new MacBook. the deal is open to any college student, faculty memeber, and parent of college student. Here is the best part you get the new OSX Lion for FREE. It is a great deal that in reality is throwing a $130 value in your face. This is a great deal and I would have much rather gone on a $100 shopping spree on apps for school that got a 1st generation Ipod touch I am sure my GPA would have been much higher fresmen year. Deal is good thru September 20th.

Tiny Wings: iPhone App Review

Last modified on 2011-02-27 23:23:00 GMT. 244 comments. Top.

by Nick Caramico

Flying up the iTunes Charts, Tiny Wings has become the most popular app in a very short time. Beating out favorites like Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja, Tiny Wings is a relatively simple game that is great for occupying your time.

The idea of the game is very simple, you play as a bird who had tiny wings and therefore cannot fly. In order to feel like a real bird, your character has to slide down the slopes of hills, into the valleys, and propel up into the air off another hill. This bird is very little so it is also running from darkness that is creeping behind.

The controls are extremely simple: touch and hold the screen with one finger and your bird will slide down the hill. Release your finger while ascending a hill and the bird will fly. Timing your holds and releases just right will give your bird big air and fly farther across the hills. While it may seem too basic to be enjoyable, it is addictive and fun. While there is no real “winning” you want to try and farther and farther each time.

While sliding on the mountains, and bouncing from island to island (the equivalent of a level) your bird can collect yellow coins that give you extra points as well as blue orbs that will shoot the bird higher into the air. Get several jumps perfectly in a row and your bird will go into a “frenzy”, gaining massive points if you can maintain it. Propel the tiny bird high enough and you will touch the clouds.

The most impressive part about this game is its visuals. Each island changes every time you play. Crazy color combinations and backgrounds will be unique each time you turn it on so you will never get bored of looking at the same thing twice.

In the bottom corner is your daylight meter which is constantly creeping closer to night time. Performing big jumps and completing an island will give you a few more rays of sunlight to keep your bird and adventure going.

This simple app has the ability to become the next big iPhone gaming craze. Hopefully future updates will give players a little more incentive to keep coming back to play, but it is hard not to get caught up in this visually spectacular game with just enough story to keep you occupied. Tiny Wings is available for $0.99 in the iTunes App Store.

[iTunes Store Link]

Review: Rock Band 3

Last modified on 2010-10-26 20:07:48 GMT. 377 comments. Top.

by Nick Caramico

At a time when the rhythm game genre may be stale, Rock Band 3 brings a fresh new take on how you can interact with music through a video game. With the addition of Keys and Pro Mode, You can actually learn the basics of how to play a real instrument. Where Rock Band 2 brought needed improvements over the first game of the series, Rock Band 3 redefines the very genre.

With Harmonix taking about 2 years to make this game, you can really tell the detail that went into it. It is totally redesigned over its predecessor, and in all the right ways. The menus are well organized and visually appealing, dropping in and out of play is easier than before, and sorting through the 2,000 plus available songs has never been easier.

Gameplay

By now, everyone should know the basic gameplay of any music game. In Rock Band 3 the normal 5 color lane style play returns, with tighter timing and responsive hammer-ons and pull-offs. What makes Rock Band 3 so innovative in the gameplay area is the addition of “Pro Mode”. For the new “Keys” peripheral, the standard play is available where a player only uses 5 Keys. Where the new peripheral really shines is in Pro Mode, where all of the keys are fair game. When playing Pro Keys, the player is actually hitting the correct note that the original artist played. So in theory, you could learn a song on Pro Keys in Rock Band 3 and then sit down at a real keyboard or piano and the notes would be correct. Pro mode has different difficulties as well so while there is still Easy-Expert, there is also Pro Easy-Expert.

When using the Keys for the first time it will feel like the first time you ever picked up a guitar controller back in the first Guitar Hero. There is definitely a lot to get used to with Keys, but it’s hard to deny how cool it is when you nail a song on Pro Keys. Pro Guitar is much more complex, making a whole new system of displaying notes and chords. For even someone who knows how to play the real guitar, it would certainly take a lot of time to get used to the way the game displays it.

Menus and Organization

One of the biggest downfalls of Guitar Hero is the cluttered menus and lack of sorting through songs. With Rock Band’s music catalogue increasing exponentially, things needed to be done a little different. There are very detailed sorting options in the Quickplay mode which make finding the exact song you are looking for very easy. You can sort by things such as Genre, Decade, Song Length, and Keys Support, among many others. This is especially helpful if you have a full band so you can sort out which songs have keys and harmonies support so no one is left out.

There is a constant menu on the bottom of the screen that will let you drop in or out, sign in to Xbox Live or PSN, calibrate the system, turn no fail on or off, and basically any option or modifier you can think of can all be accessed quickly while not interfering with the normal menu. For example, if you are picking a song and someone wants to change their character, you dont have to back out of the song selection screen. Each person can control their own settings without having to quit or make everyone wait. This is a huge improvement in a group setting where people may be constantly pressting buttons.

Road Challenges

Instead of a true dedicated career mode, Road Challenges let your band progress from a local band to worldwide stars in a much less structured fashion. While the RB2 World Tour was very linear, there is so much more to do with Road Challenges. There is much more to accomplish that would keep you coming back and wanting to get a better score or play more songs than there was wit the World Tour style that got stale once you beat it. There are little challenges with each setlist such as maintaining a note streak or deploying Overdrive a certain amount of times that get you more points, unlock new clothes or venues, and let you advance in the story. These challenges give you “spades” as well as stars which get added up for your total song score.

There are also a large amount of “Goals” to achieve. You can view what you have already accomplished and whats still left to do. From the goals menu, you can jump right into a song that would fulfill that specific goal, no more jumping around from menu to menu finding the right song or remembering what goal you wanted to do.

Trainers

With the new peripherals comes a greatly expanding Training session. For Keys, you can actually learn the basics of the piano. Things such as finger placement, chords, and scales are all addressed in the Keys trainer. This part of the game is very detailed and it will be hard to jump straight into Pro Keys without checking out the very helpful trainer. For Pro Guitar or Pro Drums, it explains all the new features and gets you started with those instruments. Overall the trainers are immensely detailed and you could truly get the feel for a new instrument with them. You could spend hours having fun and learning to play a new instrument with this game.

Hardware

The new Keys peripheral is really top noch. MadCatz took over the hardware development for this release and that gave Harmonix more time to focus on the very polished software. The Keyboard has great response and the individual keys have just the right resistance and feel to them. The Keys can be worn with a strap “keytar” style or on a stand, lap, or table as a regular keyboard would. The actual keyboard buttons do not control anything in the menu, so you have to use the dedicated A,B,X,Y buttons on the top rather than the corresponding color key.

The new Rock Band 3 cymbals allow for the drummer to play Pro Mode as well. In Pro Drums, the cymbals are actually differentiated from the pad with a new circular gem rather than the traditional rectangle. The cymbal quality is a giant improvement of the RB2 cymbal kit. The RB3 cymbals are sturdy, responsive, and feel like the attach better to the drum kit.

Visuals

While most of the characters and venues you have come to love from RB2 return, the graphics in Rock Band 3 are leaps and bounds better than any other rhythm game. It looks much more realistic and detailed down to the stains on some characters pants. New music video style venues are added and are really second only the The Beatles: Rock Band animations. Characters appear to move more naturally and interact with each other in a less robotic manner.

Instead of still loading screens with song facts on it, Rock Band 3 uses short cutscenes involving your band doing different activities such as catching a bus or subway, loading a van, or walking down the street. The more you complete in Road Challenges, the more cool band animations and cutscenes you get. Until you unlock more venues in Road Challenges, it is likely to see the same animation over and over, but at least it is more visually appealing.

Wrap Up

Whether alone or at a party, Rock Band 3 delivers so much content it’s hard to put it down. Whether its unlocking new outfits for you band with Road Challenges, Learning a song on Keys, or browsing the expanding music store for new songs, there is so much to do in Rock Band 3. The trainers section add hours of potential play time and it does it in a fun way. The 83 song setlist is just incredible and spans many genres and decades. Every aspect of RB3 integrates previous downloadable content and exported setlists from RB1, RB2, Green Day, and Lego Rock Band seamlessly. If you like music this game is a must buy. Rock Band 3, while not absolutely perfect, is certainly the most detailed music game ever made.

FPTV Wraps Up NY Comic Con 2010

Last modified on 2010-10-11 19:00:36 GMT. 245 comments. Top.

FPTV members spent the weekend at the 2010 New York Comic Con at the Jacob Javitz Center. We got interviews with developers of upcoming video games, attended press conferences, interviewed con goers in costume, and got a lot of footage. Here is a compilation summing up our time at Comic Con.

Comic Con: Bomberman Live Battlefest

Last modified on 2010-10-10 00:11:56 GMT. 2369 comments. Top.

Following the popularity of Boberman  Live,  comes Bomberman Live Battlefest. Battlefest was being shown at New York Comic Con and features up to 8 person multiplayer and over a dozen new levels. The objective is fairly simple, blow up your enemies before you get blown up yourself. The last person left is that rounds winner.

Bomberman Live Battlefest will be available this winter on Xbox Live Arcade. More downloadable maps will also be available after its release.

Comic Con: Donkey Kong Country Returns

Last modified on 2010-10-09 23:58:54 GMT. 129 comments. Top.

The Nintendo booth at New York Comic Con was filled with new game demos and people waiting to try them out. Donkey Kong Country Returns was one of the main attractions at the booth and is a revival of the classic series on Super Nintendo. DK Country Returns features the same general gameplay as the original but a whole new story and some updated features. The familiar mine karts, bananas, and barrels make a return mixed in with some new challenges.

Our reporter Mat Overdeput got a change to talk to a Nintendo Representative about the upcoming game exclusively on the Wii.

Comic Con: Captain America Super Soldier

Last modified on 2010-10-09 12:17:20 GMT. 245 comments. Top.

Captain America: Super Soldier won’t be released until July 2011, but SEGA was showing off an early build at New York Comic Con. The spokesman for the game stressed the fact that there are an extensive array of animation built into this to make each move feel and look unique to the player. Captain America is able to use his shield as a weapon in many ways, such as throwing at enemies and even deflecting bullets back at them. The brief demo that was shown included Captain America in close combat with several enemies. There is also some exploring to be done in this game, as Captain America is capable of climbing out of windows and around the town.

A SEGA spokesman gave some more details to our reporter:

Comic Con: Blood Stone 007

Last modified on 2010-10-09 12:05:00 GMT. 169 comments. Top.

The newest James Bond games hopes to reinvigorate the franchise with Blood Stone 007. While the game features the likeness and voice of Daniel Craig, it is the first Bond game since 2004 to have an original story. The plot has Bond trying to track down a famous researcher, while encountering a group of terrorists who is thought to have killed Bond’s target.

The game features a unique hand-to-hand combat mechanic and an advanced take-down system. There are also occasional boat and car driving sequences. The level we played had bond driving a boat around a harbor and sneaking onto terrorist boats. There is a good amount of stealth used in this game to hide behind walls and objects while Bond was on these boats. The combat system was something different and added a nice contrast to the usually shooting gameplay.

We were able to get an interview with a spokesperson from Activision about this game. Blood Stone 007 will be available November 2nd for Playstation 3, Xbox360, and PC.

Comic Con: Disney Interactive Booth

Last modified on 2010-10-09 11:48:50 GMT. 114 comments. Top.

While at Comic Con, we were able to get some hands on demos of upcoming games from Disney Interactive, Epic Mickey and Tron: Evolution.

Eric Taverna was able to get an interview with the Design Director of Tron: Evolution. This game is a prequel to the upcoming film Tron: Legacy. Players follow the main character Flynn through a not-so-utopian world and get to use vehicles such as light tanks and light bikes. The game will be available early December for all major consoles.

The other game at the Disney booth was Epic Mickey. Putting a very different spin on Mickey Mouse, this Wii exclusive has Mickey trapped in an alternate world by his older half-brother Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Mickey’s main tool is a paint brush that he can use to construct or destruct the new world around him, while encountering forgetting Disney characters that were left on the cutting room floor. Epic Mickey will be available November 30th only on the Nintendo Wii.

Hands-On: Red Dead Redemption Undead Nightmare

Last modified on 2010-10-09 11:51:14 GMT. 225 comments. Top.

by Nick Caramico

While at the New York Comic-Con, I got a hands on with the newest downloadable content for Red Dead Redemption called “Undead Nightmare. The downloadable pack features a completely new stand-alone story mode as well as multiplayer.

While, Rockstar would not let us photograph or video in the booth, I was able to play the demo they had set up. The stage being demoed was called Graveyard Mode in which main character John Marston shows off some new weapons to take out zombies that are coming out of the ground. This pack includes plenty of new weapons which were included in the demo. Marston makes use of a new melee weapon, a Torch, to set caskets and zombies on fire to ensure they won’t return. The demo also featured a new shotgun that was extremely powerful but took very long to reload.

The entire map is transformed into a zombie wasteland with survivors holding out in the towns and settlements. Marston must survive long enough to find a cure and restore order. Four unique zombie classes are included, each with their own characteristics. There is even zombified animals and mythical creatures, though none were on display at Comic Con.

The pack also includes: New multiplayer modes, 8 new multiplayer characters, new gameplay mechanics, and a secret location. The Undead Nightmare pack will be available later this month on Xbox360 and Playstation 3.

Android Keyboard Comparison

Last modified on 2010-10-06 16:14:58 GMT. 304 comments. Top.

by Nick Caramico

One thing I personally enjoy about having an Android phone is the ability to change the on screen keyboard. This does create the problem of deciding which one to use. There are some great alternatives available in the Android Market as well as some preloaded keyboards that stand out. I will be looking at 3 different keyboards that I shuffle through, and give some insight on which might be best for you.

Swype:

Swype keyboard is currently in beta stage, but is also available preloaded on some devices. Out of all the “soft” keyboards i have tried, this is definitely the most unique. The whole idea is to trace a path through the letters of the word you want to type, without lifting your finger. For example, to type the word “hey”, you would start your finger on “h”, slide your finger to “e”, then to “y” and remove your finger. This certainly feels strange at first, and does take some time getting used to.  For a word with two of the same letters together like “hello” you would draw the path normally, but while your finger was over the “l” key, you would either scribble or make a loop. This is also very untraditional and takes time getting used to. Even with the biggest learning curve, you could be typing full sentences very quickly using Swype. There was even a commercial for a Samsung device preloaded with Swype that broke the world record for fastest typing not too long ago. When held horizontally, this keyboard can be a little strange as your finger has to travel farther across the screen to hit the letters. This is probably one of the best vertical keyboards and it’s easy to type quick messages on the go.

Droid 2/Droid X keyboard:

For now this keyboard is only available to those who have the Droid X or Droid 2 phones. This is the keyboard that I am currently using and enjoying. It is a true multi-touch keyboard, which may not sound like much since you will never be touching 2 keys at once, but this does make it much quicker and responsive. I can quickly and carelessly type away on this keyboard with nothing to worry about. It’s word correction is great, and even accidentally a few keys in a message, it is able to correct them and type the right message. Vertically or Horizontally, it is a breeze to type on. This keyboard even integrates Google’s voice-to-text feature that is also usually accurate. When held horizontally, the keys are spaced out nicely and large enough even for those with big fingers. Hopefully this will become available through the Market as it is really quick and easy to use.

SwiftKey:

Until recently, this keyboard was in a long beta stage, but now has been upgraded to an official Market release. Currently available for $3.99 or a free trial version, SwiftKey prides itself on word prediction. SwiftKey learns the way and style you type, so for the first day you use it, it may seem like its not working. However, it constantly gathers information on the way you type and the way you communicate. To enter the word it thinks is most likely, simply press the spacebar. After using this for a day, you can easily say “Hey, what’s up” simply by pressing the spacebar 3 times. This keyboard will learn how you usually text and do a rather good job of suggesting the next word you are thinking of. If it is suggesting the wrong thing, you can add a word and it will remember. While it is a kind of steep price tag for a keyboard, you will be thankful for all the time it saves you typing. Again, there is some learning to get used to, in regards to pressing space to add words, but it will pay off with the time saved. You can find SwiftKey in the Android Market by clicking this link from your phones browser or scanning the code below.

As with anything, which keyboard you use is all up to preference. Each has their pros and cons, but all three of these can significantly reduce the time it takes you to type. If you are hesitant about a phone with no physical keyboard, know that there are plenty of alternatives to the stock touch keyboard on Android.

Rock Band 3 Keyboard Stand Unboxing

Last modified on 2010-10-02 23:44:29 GMT. 533 comments. Top.

by Nick Caramico

I was pleasantly surprised when I went to a local GameStop and found the Keyboard Stand for Rock Band 3 on the shelf. The store I went to had 2 stands and only 1 Keys peripheral for the Wii. This keyboard stand is universal and can be used with the Xbox 360, PlayStation3, or Wii Keys peripheral.

Not seeing any images of this stand online prior to my purchase, I didn’t really know what to expect. The stand manufactured by Madcatz is very durable looking, even from initial viewing. The box is very slim looking, which turns out to be deceiving. The packaging, unlike all the other RB3 peripherals, is dark blue and black with the traditional Rock Band tattoo graphics. It works well being as this is one of the few universal accessories, and a color other than the Red, Green, White color sceme makes it stand out.

Upon removing the inner box, you are met with several different metal rods and a small bag of screws (9), nuts, and a wrench. There is a lot of assembling with this accessory as absolutely none of it is pre-assembled. It is quite time consuming to screw in each part to the other. Try to use a more sturdy wrench than the one included as it is rather thin and not the most comfortable to use for a long period of time.

Once assembled it is immediately noticeable that there is a slight angle to the main vertical rod. There is also an angled support piece that screw to the base as well as the vertical rod. The vertical rod is adjustable with 5 different possible heights by using a metal pin. Each space is 2 3/4 inches apart. At its lowest point it is 2 feet, 3 1/2 inches tall. Completely extended it is 3 feet, 3 inches tall.

The top piece where the Keys will be has two clips on the front and a rubberized rear support. Since the store I went to did not have the Xbox 360 Keys, I am unable to currently test how it feels while playing, but the stand looks incredibly stable and durable.

The base has groved rubber pieces on each of the three ends that does not allow the stand to move. While the stand was on rug or hard wood, it hardly moved when pushed on. It seems very likely it will hold up against normal playing.  Overall, I am very pleased with Madcatz build quality on this and the longer assembly time is acceptable to me. We will have an update on this post once we have the Keys to test with the stand.

To see all of the pictures visit our flickr site.

Review: Fruit Ninja for Android

Last modified on 2010-09-22 19:43:09 GMT. 310 comments. Top.

by Nick Caramico

Want a game to wast a few minutes of your time? Then look no further than one of Android’s newest games: Fruit Ninja. This game has been available for the iPhone for a few months but has just made its way over to Android phones.

With a 99 cent price tag, this game really has no point other than to occupy yourself for a few minutes. In “Classic Mode” you have to cut fruit with a slashing motion of your finger and try to avoid bombs. You are allowed to let only three fruits drop unsliced or it’s game over.

There is also a “Zen Mode” in which fruit just flies up from the bottom of the screen and you have to slash as much as you can. In this mode you don’t have to worry about bombs, but you only have a certain time limit. There is also a Practice mod and a leaderboard to compare your scores with others.

Fruit Ninja is currently available on the Android Market.

Android app Market Link

Review: Meet The Team

Last modified on 2010-09-30 20:22:53 GMT. 294 comments. Top.

Team Fortress 2 is a fun first person shooter game. It is a cheap buy, and though the game is small and has no story mode, it is a fun game people can join and leave for any amount of time. It’s a good game to burn twenty minutes for you’re just sitting there waiting for a small amount of time to go by. The game also comes with wide variety achievements and unlocks items that can buff your favorite classes, but, my preference is primarily to the original weapons. For those who want a free for all shooting game, this is not the game for you. It is called Team Fortress 2 for a reason. Everything is a team battle, and teams are always auto-balanced to keep up good game play. One side may be dominating for a few rounds, but, with players leaving and joining, it can easily take a hair-pin turn the other direction.  It is an incredible game and I recommend it to anyone looking for a great light weight game.

Preview: Rock Band 3

Last modified on 2010-09-09 16:47:29 GMT. 126 comments. Top.

by Nick Caramico

Let me begin by saying I am a huge fan of Harmonix and it’s Rock Band franchise. Over time I have limited my video game playing to mostly music games, with Rock Band 2 always near my Xbox. In this post, I will highlight features of the newly announced Rock Band 3, along with some of my views on the game.

Keyboards

The biggest thing to me about RB3 is the addition of a new instrument: Keyboards, or as Harmonix is referring to it simply as “Keys”. I have been waiting for a keyboard peripheral for a while and I think it is a great addition to the franchise. The keyboard controller itself is a fully functional, real two-octave MIDI instrument.  In normal gameplay, any key can be pressed in the corresponding colored area. In the new PRO mode, gameplay changes drastically, but more on that later. Physically the keyboard can be played either on your lap, on a stand, or worn with a strap “keytar” style.

PRO Mode

Harmonix has been working on RB3 for over 2 years and this feature must have been very time consuming to develop and chart. Every song in RB3 will have the traditional difficulties ranging from Easy to Expert, but will also add a PRO difficulty. PRO difficulty will be played on either the keyboard, drum controller with a cymbal attachment, and on two new PRO guitar controllers. The new Fender Mustang guitar (pictured below) is also a fully functional MIDI instrument as well as game controller. The other controller will be a Fender Squire Stratocaster guitar that is a real guitar that can be used in game. Outside of the game, it can be plugged into an amp and used as a real guitar. In PRO guitar mode, notes will be labeled as what position the players fingers must be in. PRO mode features its own difficulty tiers and on PRO Expert, Harmonix has said that a player will be playing the actual notes of the song. So for example, if you play a song on PRO Expert Keys, you could sit down at a “real” keyboard and you could play the actual notes in that song. Same goes for Guitar and Drums. PRO Drums will use a new 3 cymbal attachment to separate cymbals from drum notes.

Setlist

With any music game, the setlist is a big part of the game. Harmonix has made a point to include songs that highlight the newly added Keys, but did not select songs solely on that purpose. Some major songs include “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen, “Crosstown Traffic” by Jimi Hendrix, “Break on Through” by The Doors, and “Lasso” by Phoenix. The game will ship with 83 songs on disc with nearly 2,000 songs available through DLC and other games at launch. Out of the 22 songs announced as of this writing, most are from the 80’s but Harmonix has stated a focus on newer music, which is always a good thing to mix it up.

Everything Else

Graphic are hugely improved in this game and it just looks very polished. Instead of boring static loading screens, your fully customizable band members from Career mode will be involved in short scenarios. The band members will be walking down the street, riding in a bus, and other things that make the experience a little more visually interesting.

Sorting of potentially 2,000 songs could be painstaking to find one song you are looking for. They have added very in depth song sorting to sort by location, genre, decade, instrument compatibility, and several others with any combination of those. For example, you could filter “metal songs from the 80’s that are difficult on drums”, You can also give your own ratings to songs and sort by that. Lower rated songs are less likely to appear in random setlists.

Three part harmony vocals from The Beatles:Rock Band and Green Day:Rock Band returns here and a console controller is not needed, as an instrument controller can select vocal options as well. This allows for up to 7 people playing at once.

Rock Band 3 will be available on the Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, and Nintendo DS on October 26, 2010 . For more information on Harmonix, Rock Band 3, and news on its release go to www.rockband.com