Author - Ripper71

Yaiba Ninja Gaiden Z Review (PC/Steam)

2014/03/22

News, Reviews, Windows PC News, Windows PC Review

I’ve always had a soft spot for the Ninja Gaiden series – I remember sitting in a very cluttered bedroom with no concern in mind but the next level for a little side scrolling ninja (ed. note: Jaquio!!!). Luckily, this is a series that instead of fading away has adapted and managed to stay fresh even after its many installments over the years. There always seems to be another story to tell and, in this game, the story is of Yaiba, a ninja master gone rogue with a less straight and narrow approach to his arts.

Description:
The ninja are the most elite of warriors, exercising unparalleled skill, precision, and lethality for centuries. Only the most deadly candidates are given the rare and coveted opportunity to join the clan.

The final test of a ninja’s training is to face a true ninja master in combat. For years, Yaiba was that final ninja. But after suffering the indignity of serving a clan led by the weak-willed and spineless, he decided he had had enough. It only seemed natural to him that he should claim the spines they had no use for. Among his confederacy of cowards, the weakest of all in Yaiba’s eyes was the “legendary” Ryu Hayabusa.

Fifteen dead ninjas later and Yaiba found himself face-to-face with the straight-arrow poster boy. A vicious battle ensued and when the dust cleared, Ryu Hayabusa stood victorious — for the moment. But that’s only where the story begins…

What Hayabusa took from Yaiba with the Dragon Sword — his eye, arm, and life — technology restored. Due to the intervention of the mysterious benefactors, Yaiba reawakens as rage-filled as ever. Only now, a zombie outbreak threatens to plunge the world into darkness. Literally and figuratively armed with cutting-edge technology, he’ll have to carve a path through legions of grotesque and deformed undead to reach Ryu Hayabusa. With Hayabusa racing against time to determine the source of the infection, Yaiba must leave his own parallel trail of destruction if he’s to exact his revenge.

Hands On:
This title had brought up some controversy back when it was still just a trailer at electronics shows. Some praised its sense of humor, some denounced it as sexist but just about everyone saw it as a departure from the series. There is adult language, suggestive propositions and mature gestures which all scream that this is a game that is not for kids and does not take itself seriously. The developers wanted to make a game with the elements of swordplay and action you have come to expect from the Ninja Gaiden but with all the commentary of a bunch of (possibly drunk) guys sitting on the couch joking around. The jokes aren’t politically correct, they glorify sex and violence so if these are things that you might find bothersome this is definitely not the game for you.

Now if four letter words and crude humor don’t bother you, there are a lot of things Yaiba really has going for it. The game’s graphics are the place really to start, every second of it is gorgeous to look at and seems to step right out of a comic book. To enhance this feeling, the cutscenes are comic book like panels, and when you receive video messages the video doesn’t move it instead just shows a still panel of the person whose voice you hear. More often than not this is Miss Monday, a techo genius with physical attributes that tend to bring on much of the adult discussions as they are barely contained in a catholic school girl uniform. Don’t be surprised if she becomes a popular cosplay replacement for Lollipop Chainsaw. She’s your guide as well as hint giver so definitely listen close when she shows up, she isn’t just there to be more eye candy. This game in a lot of ways feels like you are controlling a full length anime movie which is pretty sweet.

You start out with a couple moves and build up combos as you go with a customizable skill tree that allows you to tailor the gameplay to your personal style. The moves show off more and more swordplay and techo prowess from your new arm, which with it’s chain and hook system makes me think fondly of the comic book character Lobo. I found myself using it every chance I got. Killing bosses rewards you with a temporary weapon, usually ripped right off of or out of the boss themselves. The first boss doesn’t have much in the way of skills so you use his arms as nun-chucks, then the bigger the boss the bigger the bonus weapon.

The fact that this game takes place during a zombie invasion really adds to the diversity of enemies that Yaiba faces on his hunt for Ryu, add to this a corporation with secret experiments and the enemies become down right creative. You have your standard stiffs but then you have just about everything under the sun from bridezillas to sidesplitters which are zombie clowns with meat cleavers and balloons. You learn to dread when certain enemies come on the screen because even though you develop techniques on how to fight them during initial battles with them there is usually a new twist that makes them a fresh challenge next time around.

This is one of the places the game could have done with some different working, even if it was simply in the save locations. I’ll give an example of an actual fight in the game without giving any details to spoil the story. Two spawns of bridezilla show up right after a save point. Nearby also in striking range is three spawns of mini bosses you have faced. So you are fighting five tough opponents which all have powerful range and melee damage, the bridezillas even have stuff they put on the ground that you don’t want to be in that can cause damage over time. After a number of trials and plenty of deaths you get yourself through this section. You think that you will get a save point but you don’t, instead two bosses of one type and a sidesplitter spawn with a bunch of grunt zombies. Unless you manage to keep your health pristine against the bosses before these ones take you down and you have to start all over again with the previous ones. One of the things that could have made this situation tolerable would have been a save point between the two waves, the fact that there is no save point and instead of giving a new powerful boss the game heaps on old bosses in a dog pile gets frustrating quickly as you spend time trying to tighten up the already hard battle of the first wave so you can have a decent chance at the second. If this was an isolated incident or even if a check point was between the waves this wouldn’t be a biggie, but it happens throughout the game where instead of getting a new boss you get a dog pile.

The other issue with the Steam/PC version of the game is that it is an obvious port, one where all the instructions tell you what button to press on your controller no which one to press on a keyboard. If you go in and check the control choices you can find out what the keyboard choices are but when the hints on the screen are telling you to push down on the right and left sticks to perform a move in the middle of a boss fight and you have to pause the game and scroll through the control options to figure out what you need to do it can throw you off a bit. At one point I tried to do some acrobatic moves as part of the game and I couldn’t land on a platform. I kept thinking I was hitting the wrong button combination and kept checking the control menu only to eventually realize it had to be a glitch in the game, a reboot was the solution. The game can be played using a controller and seems to actually have a much more fluid gameplay but that brings up the point of possibly buying it on a console in the first place. PC gamers experience this type of porting issue from time to time and most dedicated gamers are used to rolling with it.

Last Call:
Yaiba Ninja Gaiden Z was a true departure in it’s more mature and at the same time immature approach but has many of the strong fun parts that makes the series great. The graphics are amazing, the gameplay and developing combos is fun and the creativity with the enemies is terrific. The game is not perfect and I’m not sure I would recommend it on a PC as opposed to a console, but Yaiba is a great ninja game that only takes itself serious when it comes to the gameplay itself.

[easyreview title=”Yaiba Ninja Gaiden Z Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”3″ ]

X-Doria Defense 720 Hybrid Phone Case Review

2014/03/10

Ripper71

Mobile News, Mobile Review, News, Reviews

We hear at Gamingshogun.com love to bring you cell phone case reviews because we know that nowadays just about everyone uses them. They are our desktop from ten years ago shrunk down to fit into our pockets and carry such vital information as our medications to whether or not Lindsey is flaking out on dinner tonight. In the case of techies like our team it is even taken up tenfold, we might do final drafts on Word Press on our mobile wonders or try out the latest port to iOS or Android while we wait at the DMV. We can choose our seats and pay for them at our local theater, tweet about the great new seats and check our FB events to see if anyone else planned to catch that showing of the Lego Movie. In short plenty of us wake up reaching for the phone and listen to it while going to sleep at night. It needs protection and in the case of klutzes like yours truly it had better have a screen guard too. That’s why it is a safe bet that the X-Doria Defense 720 Hybrid Case would catch my eye.

Features:
– Full screen protection, full touch control
– Protects your device, front, sides, and back; with an added bumper for drop protection
– Two-piece shell design easily snaps on for a secure fit
– Patented polycarbonate front shield provides maximum protection for your screen

Hands On:
At first glance this case isn’t that exciting to look at, but that is because it’s key is in potential. It is designed to protect 720 degrees of the phone so it has a thicker colored bumper around the outside with transparent casing on the front and back. Created with the color schemes of the iPhone 5/5s in mind so that you can show your phone’s color through the case while accenting it with bumper I see the real possibilities in the clear case being customization. Instead of just having your phone show through the back you can put one of your favorite photos or shrink down a print of your favorite poster and put it in there. You can save your favorite fortune cookie messages in there or tuck stickers that you don’t want to stick to your phone inside it. What these cases really represent with their clear back is self expression however you choose to do that while at the same time keeping your phone safe.

In the area of keeping your phone safe the bumpers are solidly designed to help protect from edge impacts which can really ruin your phone and your day and have a simple pattern carved into them that accentuates the edge just a touch. Almost as importantly though is the removable front shield which is very solidly designed and I can’t stress the enough, the front screen has excellent connectivity. Being a phone gamer as well as needing to do social media I can’t tell you how frustrating a front shield can be if it lowers the touch response. If it is a little you might weigh the value of the protection versus the frustration of response issue typos or game mistakes, if it gets so that you audibly are hitting your screen for each letter of a tweet you may get as aggravated as I did the time I ripped the shield off the case and actually cut it up with scissors so that it would no longer darken man’s domain.

Last Call:
The X-Doria Defense 720 Hybrid Phone case is simple in appearance and design but solid in construction and possibilities. If you use your imagination this case could easily be the one that shows who you really are, it is a blank page simply waiting for your touch.

[easyreview title=”X-Doria Defense 720 Hybrid Phone Case Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”4″ ]

Turtle Beach Ear Force XP Seven Headset Review

2014/03/10

Ripper71

News, Reviews, Tech News, Tech Review

Turtle Beach has long been a benchmark in the consumer audio market and among gamers as gear to strive for. Their headsets are famous for their quality and customization, there are people out there that just buy the headset interchangeable plates to mount them on the wall as art, Turtle Beach even had them displayed at CES 2014 in a shadow box artfully done. Looks mean nothing though if the product itself isn’t effective and comfortable so the question of the day is whether or not the Turtle Beach Ear Force XP Seven Headset is worthy of being the Major League Gaming official headset.

Description:
The Ear Force XP SEVEN, our newest premium console headset, offers the ultimate in game tournament and lifestyle performance. The official headset of Major League Gaming (MLG), the XP SEVEN is the perfect headset for the elite e-sports player or any gamer seeking a pro-audio gaming experience, featuring Dolby Surround Sound and a fully programmable digital signal processor (DSP). The programmable DSP allows gamers to enhance and personalize the entire audio experience with fully customizable game, chat, and mic signals. On-the-fly audio preset switching, independent game and chat volumes and more are now at players’ fingertips thanks to the Audio Control Unit. With a sleek and distinctive new design, gamers can now also customize the look and feel of the XP SEVEN thanks to its removable mic boom and easily interchangeable speaker plates; it’s the ultimate audio weapon for competitive console gamers.

Features:
· Programmable presets that change your sound environment and allow you to hear sound cues you’d normally miss the Advanced Sound Editor tool to download, manage or create presets for your headset.
· The XP SEVEN uses Dolby Digital surround processing technology – the industry-standard format for encoding multi-channel game audio. Dolby Digital processing recreates 5.1 channel surround sound using the XP SEVEN headset so you can hear the sound all around you, as if you were listening to a 5.1 speaker system.
· Adjustable surround sound angles for the optimum surround sound experience.
· Auxiliary line input for use with a digital music player or mobile phone.
· The Audio Control Unit (ACU) is fully compatible with the Turtle Beach TM1 Tournament Mixer facilitating multiple player communication.
· Durable 4-pole, 3.5mm breakaway cable connects to the Control Unit, portable game systems and mobile devices for great sound across all your gaming and digital media.

Hands On:
The Ear Force XP Seven puts us in one of the strangest but probably most wonderful situations we at GamingShogun.com have faced when it comes to a headset review: this product is designed to go with pretty much every system. If it has a stereo jack or USB output, odds are this system will work with it. To try and try and give this product its due justice we will first do an overview of what you get with the XP Seven then break it down on how it works and how well it works with different systems.

The Ear Force XP Seven System:
To make it compatible with all these different systems it comes with a bunch of varying cables, but breaks down into three distinct sections. The first section is the console interface, this part is used exclusively for the console you are playing. I found when trying it out on the PC, laptop, iPad and iPhone I just left this section plugged into the last console I was using it on. At this point in time a majority of games I am playing or reviewing console-wise are on the Xbox 360 so that is where it is, especially with the XO Seven hitting the market soon for the Xbox One. The console section basically serves as an adapter between the console and the rest of the system.

The main diversity and interactivity with the system lies in the next section, the Audio Control Unit. This is a small device with buttons ringing it and a knob on the top. The back has a clip to attach it to your belt or shirt while playing as well as some small peg legs to rest it on a surface if you choose. The audio control unit is used in all interfaces except “portable/mobile”, it is also the only section that requires a learning curve. If you start off using this system with a PC the accompanying software and more detailed user’s manual help this curve a lot. If you jump in on a console, this will take a little bit longer. The Audio Control Unit does what its name implies, controlling the levels and routing of audio to and from your game, your chat, your mobile phone and to your stereo speakers. It has 8 presets so that you can have saved audio configurations for different games and systems and with a push of a button you can configure how the surround sound “speakers” are set up around you.

The final section is the Headset and headset cable. This can be used and plugged into anything with the right size aux output jack (or adapted). The cable has a mic in it so that you don’t have to use the detachable boom mic if you are on the go as well as a breakaway cord so that you can disconnect the headset from the system about six inches from the ear to enable you to leave the headset on when you need to leave the system or in case you forget you are wearing it and get up and walk away it won’t be torn off your head (hence the name “breakaway”).

There is also detailed software involved with the hardware but that will be covered under the PC section.

Console Use:
The console interface system allows for optical audio cable use as well as a digital input, USB input and digital input with a nine pin and USB going to the Audio Control Unit. This makes it adaptable with with all the systems and since we have most of them I was able to give it a run on them. The Xbox 360 was one that had digital out (earlier models didn’t) and the game sound was absolutely amazing. In shooter games where it is crucial to know where the enemy is by listening for footsteps or opening fire, this headset performed like a champ. The padded and sewn headset arch and memory foam ear cushions were extremely comfortable even after long periods of use (exceeding eight hours) and blocked out any external noise very well. I found when someone wanted to talk to me and I didn’t want to take the headset off, I would point the boom mic in their direction to hear what they were saying as long as I wasn’t in team chat. Opening and closing your mic is as simple as brushing a spot on the control unit and mixing game sound versus chat was a matter of turning a couple of dials while adjusting the overall sound involved cranking the main knob. After a little getting used to, it was easy to do on the fly in case you had your chat turned up to listen to a quiet spoken teammate and suddenly a burst of obscenities came screaming through the channel from a dead team member.

If you do feel like taking off the headset and you have a speaker system hooked up to the control unit you can hit the mode button and make it so that the sound starts playing through the speakers. If you are worried about a phone call or text or want to play your own music you can plug your mobile into the control unit. This can be used with any audio source with an aux output but if you decide to pick up a call the phone mic on your cord can be handy and used to talk both to the phone or in team chat. Personally I liked the boom mic for each since then it can be adjusted directly to your mouth and give perfect speaking clarity.

The PS3 was a similar experience though I have it on a different part of my entertainment center so I was able to utilize the cable extenders provided to give me a little more length between the console unit and the audio control unit so I could reach the extra distance. The extender didn’t seem to weaken or degrade the audio quality any so it might just become a standard part of the console connection to give more leeway.

One thing to note about the system is that if you use it with the Xbox One you won’t be able to hear team chat except through your Kinect which by now you are probably used to yelling at anyways. Also the headset system can be used plug and play but for the best experience and control follow the directions in the manual and go into the console systems and perform a proper setup.

PC Use:
The XP Seven works great with consoles but it truly shines when on a PC with the proper software installed and a decent sound card. The software alone could be a 20 page story loaded with techno-babble, graphs, diagrams, and charts that would make the common gamer’s head spin and the professional gamer geek out. I know this because that is how long the user guide is for it and it has all that information. The real keys are you can adjust every aspect of the sound and how you hear it from every source, pitch, frequency, complete equalization. You can download audio presets the Turtle Beach community has come up with so that if you want to sit down at a game and play it without messing too much with the controls you can download a preset designed specifically for that game, and use it immediately. If you want to go in and build a custom setup you like you can save it to a preset or even upload it to the community for others to use.

If you are a gamer gal and are tired of all the smack talk you can morph your voice into a guy, a robot, a little kid, you can play with pitch to make yourself sound like whatever you want. This has been a particularly popular feature and I’ll admit to a certain fondness for robot voice, I blame the movie “War Games”.

Really when it comes down to it with all the things you can do with this headset the most important thing is you are getting amazing quality sound exactly how you want it whether or not you are plug and play or a Major League Gamer who has precise settings you have found the performance of this headset will only further the Turtle Beach name.

Mobile:
This is where the headset gets simple but still has some customization. You just need the headset and cable, remove the detachable boom mic, plug into your phone or other aux output device such as an iPod and away you go. It has a fashion style all its own yet fits nicely in with the popular full cup headset culture. Some might not be fans of the black and white subtle color scheme but with the removable speaker plates you have dozens of options on how you can make them look, jazz them up. Personally I love the Halloween Pumpkin speaker covers but I know Marvel fans who like those covers so much they are now wall decor.

Last Call:
The Turtle Beach Ear Force XP Seven headset never failed me in any sound tests I threw at it and gave absolutely outstanding performance on all devices. If someone is concerned about the possibly prohibitive cost, you just need to think about how the system can replace every other headset you use for all the devices in your house. That diversity should appeal to the common player as well as those who aspire to the MLG ranks!

[easyreview title=”Turtle Beach Ear Force XP Seven Headset Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”5″ ]

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Saitek X-55 Rhino H.O.T.A.S. Review (Peripherals)

2014/03/10

Ripper71

News, Peripheral Review, Peripherals News, Reviews, Windows PC News

When GamingShogun.com hit CES 2014 this year, one of the main things we wanted to make sure we saw in person was the Saitek X-55 Rhino H.O.T.A.S. (Hands On Throttle And Stick) system. Once I got to give it a feel I HAD to know what it was like to give it a play. So, about a week ago, the Saitek X-55 Rhino H.O.T.A.S. arrived that was still so prototype in packaging it didn’t include any of the papers – just the peripherals themselves. Like a kid at Christmas I had it unpacked and hooked up in no time, popping open games and running it through its paces.

Description:
The Rhino features brand new, fully programmable drivers, enhanced 16-bit hall-effect sensors in the axis, swappable springs for the joystick so you can dial in your preferred stick tension, twin lockable throttles and a friction adjustment that can be set on the fly.

The throttle and stick have their own dedicated USB allowing more freedom of customization and compatibility with some of your favorite classic games. Saitek’s new software provides the ability to completely customize all of the X-55 Rhino’s axes and buttons. On the axis side, you can adjust deadbands and response curves to fine-tune axes to respond just like an aircraft’s real-life counterparts. On the buttons and toggle side, you can assign any number of in-sim directives, such as speed brake, flares, target lock and pickle weapon. The software also allows programability for an array of mouse and keyboard commands – from basic single-key inputs to very advanced, timed, and macro commands.

Hands On:
I had to give it a run in some of the games I have been playing a lot. War Thunder was the first thing I tried it on, since it was on the list of games that would be compatible. At the time of this review, most of the profiles aren’t set, so I went into settings on every game I played and built my own profiles. If you have never done this I would highly recommend it, just be in your “Zen place” and in a good humor. Nothing like going to start a dog fight and finding your yaw is entirely stuck to the left so all you can do is fly in circles. This might be fine for sight-seeings, but not so good when someone realizes that is all you are doing and easily shoots you down. Or the controls didn’t register the pitch axis and you find yourself only able to fly up to max altitude, stall, then shoot anyone who happens to be below you. In some cases it still maintains keyboard instructions and I just had to jump on that real quick but in a lot of cases it over writes them. So if you happen to not program a gun/cannon fire then you just go ramming speed into another plane or the ground.

Once everything was nicely programmed I played War Thunder on a couple different modes, one that was arcade and one that was more realistic controls. It was only my second time playing War Thunder and my first time playing the new system but what amazed me was how quickly I felt comfortable with the separate throttle. It felt so natural to pull back on the throttle as I pulled an evasive maneuver then go into a dive to hit a ground target, maxing the throttle when the aircraft was about to go into the deck. I have a couple other flight sticks for different systems and each of them has a built-on lever to be used as a throttle but since that lever is so tiny and a bit awkwardly located next to the center of the stick it really took away from the experience. This system not only has the stick and throttle on separate units for placement in your personal cockpit (in my case TV trays and cardboard boxes) but it also has extra toggle switches, buttons, dials and mini sticks all over the two sections to allow programming for the more complicated sims. With an arcade style game you only need the buttons on the stick for the most part along with the throttle handles to do all the commands. The system also has a know to adjust the tension on the throttle and a complete spring system to adjust the force required to move the stick.

When you get in a full system flight sim you need to assign toggles for starting each power supply, engine, flaps, brakes and plenty of other stuff which the Rhino H.O.T.A.S. can easily accommodate. The dual throttle levers can be locked as one unit or you can even throttle up the left and right engines separately which in some flight sims and games greatly increases your capabilities. You can even build three separate profiles for the same game, save them down to one of the three event memories and turn a dial to choose between each. So if you see yourself jumping into a black hawk you are probably going to want an entirely different control scheme than a fixed wing aircraft like an F-16. Doing your profile building before hand means just turning that knob for seamless play.

After building a few profiles you really get the hang of it. Saitek expects to have a decent collection of profiles at launch with the community no doubt creating more as it goes. Don’t feel you have to be limited to what the site or paperwork states as compatible games, if you think a H.O.T.A.S. system will enhance your experience on any game feel free to give it a try, you might be surprised. I tried the system with listed ones such as arcade style play like World of Warplanes where my D/K ratio showed immediate improvements to serious sims like the realistic mode on War Thunder and DCS World. I didn’t let that stop me though, I got onto Battlefield Play 4 Free and built profiles for the planes, helicopters and even the land vehicles such as the Humvee and tanks. There is a satisfaction to pulling pushing the throttle forward on a tank while using the stick to turn and aim the guns. It felt a bit like operating an automatic transmission, I put the throttle back to back up and forward to speed ahead, especially in “technicals”, weaponized civilian vehicles. I think the only time it didn’t feel quite right was when I set it up for first person shooter just running around, then the WASD and mouse just felt better but that may very well be because of decades of using that setup for that.

Some games weren’t friendly towards control customization or recognizing a separate throttle system but those were in a tiny minority – usually older games and really only a couple. Most games are very friendly to changing the key settings and peripherals that you might want to bind them to. There is even a system on the side of the throttle that can be used as a mouse so that if you are able to program the interface outside of matches to choose vehicles and matches you may be able to play games without the use of a mouse as well as a keyboard.

One of my favorite factors about the X-55 Rhino is that it doesn’t feel the slightest bit cheap, no part of it. Quite the contrary it feels like it could have been pulled right from a military vehicle and had USB cables attached to it. It feels solid in every aspect including whenever you click a toggle or switch and pressing every button this system was made to last and feel exactly like the real thing (I have been in the seats of everything from Hueys to Globemasters and I know how the real deal feels).

Last Call:
Saitek’s X-55 Rhino H.O.T.A.S. performed terrifically in all the expected ways and often surprised me with its amazing versatility. The Rhino not only delivers as a great system for flying everything from arcade style games to hardcore flight sims, it enables you to use it to control just about anything your imagination can come up with. I plan on getting Titanfall on the PC simply because I can’t wait to see the Rhino in action driving mechs. I am also going to track down some other mech games just to give the system a run at them. I can honestly say that the Saitek X-55 Rhino H.O.T.A.S. has changed the way I look at PC gaming by expanding the experience.

[easyreview title=”Saitek X-55 Rhino H.O.T.A.S. Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”5″ ]

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Ballistic Tough Jacket Maxx Phone Case Review (iPhone 4/4S)

2014/03/08

Ripper71

Mobile News, News, Peripheral Review, Reviews

My latest reviews of cell phone cases could have been described as “these are a few of my favorite things”. I am a klutz, I have come to accept this aspect of myself even if I haven’t come to love it. As a result I have come to love my phone cases and have developed a system of usage. If I expect to be at business meetings I use a very slim design. If my plans take me on vacation to theme parks where I may drop my phone down some of the world’s longest escalators, I go with my bulky, “safe if run over by a car” case. Then there is everyday wear, when I am more likely to drop it than at a business meeting but not likely to drop it multiple stories. For just my everyday klutziness I often rely on the Ballistic Jacket Maxx phone case for the iPhone 4s.

Description:
In addition to HexTec Six-Sided Drop Protection Technology, Tough Jacket Maxx is equipped with a replaceable screen protector and 7ft. of high impact drop protection. Be bold, be tough, live your life to the Maxx.

Features:
– Reinforced Ballistic Corners that provide protection against cracked screens due to corner drops
– Raised lips and corners provide protection from surface shock and scratches
– 7 ft. high impact drop protection
– Multiple layers
– Replaceable screen protector
– Opening and port covers
– Rugged holster clip available

Hands On:
I became familiar with Ballistic a year ago at CES 2013 when I was walking around with a decent, but ugly as hell, case and one of the Ballistic sales reps winced when they saw it. It was quality, but at the expense of visual appeal. They offered me a trade-in deal they were doing and said that they would even sweeten the deal and go up one grade in quality of their giveaway since the case I had had a higher price tag. I thought that was probably hype, you hear a lot of it at trade shows but I liked the look of the new case so much better and it looked as solid as my last one so I thought I would give it a shot. Little did I know it would become a regular in my case rotations, something I considered as seriously as shoes when planning my next trip (anyone who ever wore the wrong foot gear to a theme park or convention can attest to that).

I’ll admit in the first week I managed to kill the two hip clips on the only two phones that had them but three of my cases soon proved themselves to be solid and reliable and rotated between to try to make them last as long as I could. The Ballistic Tough Jacket Maxx became my most used (even though I didn’t know it’s proper name at the time) servicing as a solid survivor with a fairly low profile. If I found myself on sudden business it didn’t look like I brought it in from a construction site yet if I fumbled it down a short flight of stairs it would survive.

When I went back to Ballistic this year I found out the details I didn’t know last year. Ballistic tests it’s phone cases at 6 feet instead of the military drop minimum and the Tough Jacket Maxx is actually tested at 7 feet. I did a toss test where I tossed it up in the air in my living room and let it land, it bounced off of a couple things then bounced on the ground a bit before settling. The rubber corners act almost like a Kong ball, it deflects the energy away from the phone, causing it to cartwheel and bounce wildly. This was the first on purpose test dropping I had done with the phone, over the last year it has fallen in a lot of locations and never damaged the case or the phone inside. All my favorite cases have rubber interiors with harder exteriors for shock absorbency because that is the combo I have found works best.

The only complaint I had was the screen protector requires a bit more pressure to make it work and then sometimes can be a little unresponsive. Doing everyday things this wasn’t really a problem but I did sometimes take the protector off when gaming since I need absolute responsiveness then.

Last Call:
The Ballistic Tough Jacket Maxx Phone Case will take what every day life throws at you and your phone and keep your phone safe. It’s design isn’t as bulky as many protective phone cases but provides protection a level far higher that a normal case. I liked the case before I even knew what model it was.

[easyreview title=”Ballistic Tough Jacket Maxx Phone Case (4s) Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”5″ ]

The Wolf Among Us Episode Two: Smoke And Mirrors Review (PC)

2014/03/08

Ripper71

News, Reviews, Windows PC News, Windows PC Review

The folks at TellTale Games made a smart move when they made The Wolf Among Us Episode One available for free during a limited time. Even though this is the same company that has brought us The Walking Dead episodic series, the Fables comic franchise is far less recognized. It is an easy enough premise to describe, but not necessarily to grasp: Imagine all the creatures of stories, all those “happily ever after” tales and parables were real and due to issues beyond their control were forced out of their lands and into a seedy section of New York. There, those who can pass as humans do, those who can’t either have to have a glamour or move out to “The Farm,” an isolated place where they can be the forms they are but hide from the outside world.

I really haven’t spoiled anything of the story, just a background that isn’t developed in the episodes but that any Fables fan can tell you are stories worth reading in the Vertigo comic titles the game is based from. The preview for Episode One also lets you know that Bigby Wolf, who was known back in the day as “The Big Bad Wolf”, isn’t such a bad guy for a werewolf. He is actually the sheriff of a bunch of characters who are used to being in their own limelight and not answering to an authority figure, especially one with a checkered, misunderstood past. With all that in mind hopefully faithful reader you are ready to be a faithful player of The Wolf Among Us, a game just as good and touching as The Walking Dead with a much more vast variety of characters.

Without giving storyline away, which is really difficult in an episodic review since it is the same gameplay as the last just new story, the title “Smoke and Mirrors” is a fitting one.

Those who played the first episode had that shocker cliffhanger ending which Fables fan or not was definitely a “Wow!” moment. The second episode picks up right where that one left off and it doesn’t take long for the smoke and mirrors to start twisting the tale. Your choices from the first episode carry over as well and you find yourself wondering if things would have been different had you made different choices, if maybe your sheriff skills had been a bit more polished (and trust me it does make a difference, I played both episodes through a few times to get different storylines and results). The characters remember how you treated them and others in previous encounters so it really makes it a personal story, if you go charging through all huff and puff your case might not go so hot.

Conclusion
The Wolf Among Us Episode Two: Smoke And Mirrors is just as good as the first one, maybe better since the characters require less establishing dialogue and scene setting and jumps right into the action. Try not to think too much about the title when playing it, you might be able to figure out a twist or two early if you do. Just enjoy the play and then look back and decide if you think it was as fitting a name as I did. Because the game is based off such a rich world, Fables could become a great source for seasons upon seasons of great gameplay if it receives the attention it so richly deserves.

[easyreview title=”The Wolf Among Us – Episode Two Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”5″ ]

AntiSquad Preview (PC)

2014/03/05

Ripper71

News, Previews, Windows PC News, Windows PC Preview

Growing up on “The A-Team” and, in more recent years, having discovered great graphic novels called “The Boys”, I like the rough rabble – the misfits that do right in their own way. That was often how I felt as a young lad, I would generally fit in with small groups of folks, I was a geek from the age of six when I got my first Atari but I always tried to do the right thing. So when I hear about a game that has these general themes I am always quick to want to give it a play, add to it that the game is under five bucks and I was really excited to get my hands on AntiSquad.

Description:
Widely known in small circles as AntiSquad, they are a military tactical response unit. These hardened military professionals, tired of bureaucracy, politics and serving the armed forces, have established a private paramilitary formation located in south United States. Being true military professionals, they periodically execute contracts for jobs that may not be considered “clean”.

The Team consists of many complex individuals with their own back story, but they do not shun mercenary applicants. Members of the team are idealists; they dwell on moral issues, as well as question blind nationalism, etc. AntiSquad strongly differ from military units. They truly are a bunch of contradictions put together – heartfelt cynics, gregarious egoists, aggressive pacifists, and phlegmatic rebels all under one banner.

Features:
• Turn-based tactics… The game is yours to command
• Stunning visuals… It pleases the eyes
• Fascinating story… To tell before bedtime
• Memorable characters… It’s hard to pass by without noticing them
• Character specialization… Choose your path
• A wide variety of gears and weapons… For each taste and colour
• Challenges and Achievements… Making it hard for you
• Atmospheric soundtrack… Hear the sound of awesomeness?

Hands On:
So, first off it is important to let you know that this is a turn-based action point game, also often referred to as a hexagonal game. These are great for pick up and play because after your turn you can set it down and come back to it easy enough and you don’t have to worry about clicks per second or a fast AI. Once you get the hang of this type of gameplay it is always relatively the same with just differing environments and interfaces. You get a certain number of action points which are divided up by your movements and your attacks. Generally, the less you move the more you can attack and if you do maximum movements you have no points left to attack. Special abilities use higher action points than standard abilities and attacks.

Once you know and get used to all of that it comes down to a game of strategy where you try to make better use of your action points than your opponent. Everything else is technically just setting and stage, but it is in the fun involved with the setting and stage that can make one turn-based strategy better than another. I have played some that were a decent challenge and enjoyable but got a bit boring after a while. That’s where games like AntiSquad shine, the fun characters and the cool looking cartoon/comic graphics keep you playing because you want to get these charismatic characters through the mission and onto the next one. It is easy to lose track of time as you set up one of the characters for their special attack or try to get the whole team past some big nasties with bigger guns.

Each character represents a different character class, which they personify with their attributes. Rose is a scout, with a high movement per action ratio – she is less of a fighter and more of a runner. Cactus is a sniper, he barely gets any movements per action at all but his attack range is huge. You also have machine gunners, explosive experts and balanced action and attack characters all of which have their own personalities to match abilities. It’s the personalities that really separate this game from others of the same genre so that you feel like you are playing a turn based “A-Team”.

Last Call:

AntiSquad is a solid game with fun characters that keep you coming back for more. These kind of games make you think without realizing it because the only way to win is by strategy but you just feel like you are trying to get Teddy, Rose, Cactus and the others past the Cartel. This is not only a great example of turn based strategy done right but at $3.99 it is a virtual steal. AntiSquad is available now on Steam Early Access, and I can’t wait to see how it turns out in its final, retail version.

World of Tanks Xbox 360 Edition Review

2014/02/25

Ripper71

News, Reviews, Xbox 360 News, Xbox 360 Review

As a gamer, I often worry when I hear a game developer is porting a game from one platform to another. Quite often, ported games falls short in some way – maybe in the translation of controls or just the experience in general. So, when I heard that Wargaming.net was coming out with World of Tanks on the Xbox 360, I got worried. I have been in love with World of Tanks on the PC and the recent release of World of Warplanes has kept me very content. So far, Wargaming,net’s titles have been strictly PC affairs, which helped me legitimize my need for my gaming PC. So how well can they port such a beautiful game as World of Tanks to the last gen Cboc 360? As it turns out, pretty darn well!

Description:
World of Tanks: Xbox 360 Edition is the premier free-to-play team-based action game dedicated to armored combat on game consoles. Since its PC debut in 2010, World of Tanks has been the go-to game for epic battles featuring historically accurate armored vehicles from all over the globe, and now that excitement comes to Xbox 360. Come experience what it’s like to drive a multi-ton cannon-equipped behemoth into combat today — for free!

Features:

Massive Team Battles: The world is your battlefield. While every World of Tanks player dreams of becoming an ace tanker that single-handedly saves the day, it’s only through teamwork that you and your allies will prevail. Up to 30 tanks at a time, split into two teams, will be vying for supremacy on over 10 highly-detailed maps. Hold up your end of the bargain and your allies will work with you to coordinate an unstoppable assault against your enemies!
Customize Your Tank: Tank TLC. Start in the tiny-but-tough tier I vehicles and work your way up to the pinnacle of armored engineering. Upgrade your guns, turrets, engines, and other equipment to turn your already formidable fighting machine into a true powerhouse. Experience combat in over 100 different tanks, each with their own unique strengths and play styles.
Multiple Game Modes: Take ’em from all angles. World of Tanks: Xbox 360 Edition features three distinct game modes: Standard, Encounter, and Assault. Standard battles are intense “capture’ scenarios where both teams attempt to secure the opposing base. Encounter battles offer only one base to capture, and both teams will fight tooth and nail to possess it. Assault mode offers a pitched battle between attackers and the defenders during single base engagement.

Hands On:
Those who play World of Tanks on the PC will immediately notice that some slimming down of available units and maps has been down and even the garage is simplified. The thing PC players need to remember when they go to the console version is that Wargaming.net is always keeping their games in development, there is never a final version. Just as virtual crew members were added to World of Tanks on the PC, they have already announced they will be added to the 360. Upgrades on the 360 come in packages which I personally like better that show what parts are improved with each one. So a tank might only have two or three upgrades compared to around a dozen on the PC but the upgrades will affect multiple parts. On the PC, an upgrade might just be to the barrel of the gun whereas on the Xbox 360 one might effect speed, gun, and armor. This simplification makes sense since console gaming is designed to pickup and play and PC gaming gets much more into details.

That is most of the differences between the two version of World of Tanks. If you don’t play the PC game, it might not matter to you but is definitely an important forewarning for the PC gamer planning on trying out the console version. It is important to note every difference makes sense between the two, both in streamlining and in evolution. World of Tanks on the PC is not the game it started as and in a couple of years the 360 edition will have evolved into something else as well. This is a game we will definitely need to revisit over time.

World of Tanks Xbox 360 Edition starts you out with a training course, which is nice – though I found the controls to be fairly intuitive. One stick lets you move around and the other to look around. Right button is your trigger and left allows you the telescopic or aerial view depending on your tank. The tank types are rated as light, medium, heavy, tank destroyer, and artillery and each has its own strengths and weaknesses. These can be tweaked around by using part upgrades, additional equipment and consumable items. They start you out with a couple of tier 1 light and medium vehicles and you work your way up, purchasing in-game upgrades with in-game earned money and with real life purchased funds. It is completely possible to keep this game free-to-play, premium purchased tanks are available as is premium ammo and extra garage space, but battles can be won without them https://coc-geek.com – clash of clans hack tool . Custom aesthetics such as camouflage and emblems are also available for real money purchase but are definitely vanity items and don’t effect gameplay (except maybe a burst of morale). If you get impatient with the speed of leveling you can also get a premium time account that gives extra experience and in game currency for each battle. Purchased tanks are fully upgraded right away but don’t assume that will automatically make them killers on the battlefield, the machines are only as good as their owner. Also, upgrades often match player’s styles so an upgraded tier 3 may be a decent threat to a purchased tier 4.

As you battle, try out different tanks and if you find there is a certain type you like that fits your play style work you way up the tiers collecting those type of tanks in your garage. If you are a sniper, a tank destroyer would definitely be a way to go. If you are the air strike kind of person then artillery is your baby – though, like the tank destroyer, you do better the safer from the front line you are. Charge ahead kind of folks love the light tank that can fly across the map but watch out for the mediums and the heavies, they may be slower but one or two hits and you might be history. One of the reasons World of Tanks translates so well to the console is that the tanks classes are similar to first person shooter classes and it doesn’t take long for players to find their fit. Another reason is though the graphics on the PC are nice they are generally not to intensely detailed so that larger battles can take place which is a console mantra all the way.

Conclusion:
World of Tanks Xbox 360 will continue to evolve over time, probably the remaining life of the platform. Wargaming made sure it was a fun play with as few bugs as possible before launching, giving players a great play from the start. It is a little more simplified when compared to the PC version, but works very well on the Xbox 360 and is a blast to play. Wargaming has a real winner on their hands with World of Tanks Xbox 360 Edition!

[easyreview title=”World of Tanks Xbox 360 Edition Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”5″ ]

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SanDisk Ultra Plus 256G SSD Review

2014/02/19

Ripper71

Hardware News, Hardware Reviews, News, Reviews, Tech News

When trying to integrate a SSD card into your system, you can easily get swallowed up in techno-babble. If you like techno-babble, that’s great – dive on in, the water is plenty deep. When I got my SanDisk Ultra Plus 256G SSD, all I wanted to know is how will this effect me as a gamer and how can I really utilize this sweet piece of tech. So, I began writing this review for the laypeople out there!

Features:

Increased performance for faster boot and application load times
Increased reliability and durability over traditional hard drives
Consistently high data transfer speeds
Backed by a 3 year limited warranty
Operating temperature: -32ºF to 158ºF (0ºC to 70 ºC)
Power Consumption (active): 0.12w
Shock Resistant: up to 1500 G @ 0.5 m/sec

SSD For Gamers:
I promise to keep this simple for the non-tech heads. First things first – incorporating a SanDisk Ultra Plus SSD into your computer will make your boot-up time insanely fast. Windows just flies open so fast that at first you wonder if something went wrong. Nope, things just went extremely right. In the olden days of SSDs, when they were about the same size as the cards you put in your digital camera now, space allotment on the drives used to be very pick and choose. The overall consensus was that you should definitely install Windows on it and be happy with your “super boots”. Now that they are 256G with 6G/s transfer rates, game management definitely comes into play.

First instincts is to put Steam on the drive – I love Steam and have about 100 games on it, but it turns out that low load speed with Steam is more of an internet relay issue than a hard drive one. A better use for the SSD is to install those monster games that have all the beautiful graphics, huge save files and take up a load of hard drive real estate. Those games that have load times when you go through doorways into new areas or after cut-scenes. They becomes smooth experiences hopping from level to level or area to area because it is all just instant access at insane speeds. If you are like me and have been gaming for decades you will really understand how amazingly far we have come.

Another benefit of having a SanDisk Ultra Plus SSD that most gamers don’t think about is temperature and noise. Thanks to the SSD being a solid state device (hence the “SS” in “SSD”), there are no whirling platters with lots of or mechanized arms to heat things up. Loading the games and system programs you use most on one of these disks actually will reduce your heat and noise levels as well as make your games play more seamlessly. It is also good to note that because there are no whirling platters, these drives are shock absorbent! If you take your rig places, bump it regularly or have a laptop gaming rig, SSDs will be less likely to error or suffer damage. Because there are no moving parts there is also no problem with moving parts breaking down, meaning the longevity of the drive is way better than a standard hard drive.

Why to Use SanDisk:
A lot of what was pointed out in this article discusses the gaming benefits of SSDs in general. Any die-hard gamer can tell you though that when it comes to gaming parts brand names do make a difference. You don’t want to trust the heart of your rig to a generic name that you don’t know if you can trust. When it comes to SanDisk, they back their products with not just years of reliable brand recognition but enough research and performance testing of their products to feed even the most hungry tech head’s tastes. The SanDisk Ultra Plus 256G SSD is a new standard for the industry and one you can trust your gaming life to, I certainly am.

[easyreview title=”SanDisk Ultra Plus 256G SSD For Gaming Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”5″ ]

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Griffin Moto TC Rally Car Review

2014/02/19

Ripper71

Gadget Review, News, Reviews, Tech News, Tech Review

The Griffin Moto TC Rally Car definitely got my attention at CES, since it was actually a decent size remote vehicle. The booth display had a closed track on a table with one open section to put cars or choppers on the track and pit. That open side wound up being one of the most interesting section because the cars would “rub” (ed. note: Rubbin’s racin’!) while racing or the driver would be a bit off and the cars would shoot off the tilted track like it was a ramp, catching at least four feet of air before landing in the booth! With most RC cars, that would probably be the end of it but not these, they just picked them back up and put them on the track. They were so durable that one of them was thrown across the booth, picked back up and put right back into use. Despite all the punishment and hours upon hours of use, these same cars were still running great at the end of the week showing a punishment test that spoke for itself.

Moto TC Rally Car Description:
This USB-rechargeable car combines real world and in-app driving excitement, using impact sensors that detect damage from other drivers and obstacles. Interact with your environment like never before! Communicate using Bluetooth, and your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch becomes your remote. That means no extra remote to lose, and no batteries to replace.

Features:

Racing alone or with friends (additional cars sold separately)
Drive using your touchscreen’s steering wheel or tilt your device to steer.
Configure and balance your car’s speed and armor for your ideal setup.
Drive solo or race an opponent, using your car and the MOTO TC Rally App to attack the other driver. Inflict virtual damage that changes the way the Rally car handles.
Earn Bonuses (Repair, Shield, Turbo) and Attacks (Flip Controls, Random and Snare) as you drive.

Hands On:
We have hardwood floors in half our house and, if you have never driven a remote controlled vehicle with some speed on a hardwood floor, you are really missing out on some serious fun. I would take the Moto TC and have it do really tight donuts then straighten out the wheel, start the car cruising into the next room then crank the virtual wheel and drift it around the corner out of sight. I then listened for a collision with a wall, throw it into reverse, then when it comes back into sight I would crank the wheel and watch it do a backwards drift, throw it into forward and watch the wheels spin as it came racing at me. I kept doing this for a full charge (around half an hour) then charged it and did it some more. The tires are designed with great grip and on the carpeted floors in our house it really stuck the turns and braking. Personally, I loved watching the loose handling on hardwood floors.

To get the true experience out of this car you really need two of them because Griffin has really done their best to make this car feel like a video game come to life. You can set virtual armor and balance it with speed then race opponents doing virtual damage to them and earn power-ups to get such things as shields or turbo or attacks that can snare the vehicle, “damage” sections of it or reverse their controls. So your vehicles start driving and performing wonky dependent on damage it didn’t really take. Then when the race is over you reset your vehicles and they drive perfectly normal. I don’t have two of the vehicles but luckily I got to see this at play as one of the cars looked like it was starting to drive a bit rough after one of the races, they reset it and it started driving fine again.

The main reason all this is possible is that sensors have been placed in the sides of the car to detect impact and the car has four wheel independent suspension. These are relatively unheard of features in a remote control car and Griffin definitely deserves props for figuring out some great uses for the technology. You can also turn on the lights and honk the horn, all with your iPhone or iPad.

Last Call:
One of these cars is a lot of fun but if you can get two the fun is more than doubled. Siblings and friends can make their own tracks, have battles that cause their cars to act all crazy but when all is said and done the cars are really tough and the body can take a lot of abuse without showing it. This is a next evolution if RC vehicles, not just the Bluetooth iOS control but the fact that you can make virtual video games out of them. I could see it becoming a new standard in RC vehicles.

[easyreview title=”Griffin Moto TC Rally Car Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”5″ ]

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