Papi Trampoline

Photo Credit: Sunflat Games

Have you seen dozens of students glued to their computers lately? Well, they are probably playing Papi Trampoline. This addicting game has captured the minds of innocent teenagers for hours at a time. So what makes this game so amusing? Vegetables.

You are Mr. Papi, the red ball guy. Your objective is to jump on the monsters, which are vegetables. It starts out easy with onions and progresses to pumpkins, carrots, and tomatoes. You use the arrows on your keyboard to jump up, to move to the right, and to move to the left. Onions are the easiest to jump on and are worth the least points. Tomatoes are the hardest to jump on and are worth the most points. To gain more points you hop on several vegetables without touching the ground. These are called chains. The higher the chain, the more points you receive. The number of chains you get depends on how many veggies you jump on before touching the ground.  If you crash into the monsters from a side or the bottom, the game is over. It’s like jumping on a trampoline, hence the name.

Online you can submit your scores and see how you compare to the rest of the Papi jumpers. It tells you your grade, like an A+ or a C, and has your highest score listed. There are two worldwide ranking lists, a ranking of the last 100 people and top 100 of the month. There is a button on the game after you have died that says, “submit score.” To submit your score you click on it, and it brings you to the rankings online. You can enter your own username and can change it at anytime.

Papi Trampoline is a free game that can be downloaded on an iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, almost all Apple computers, Windows 8, the Windows phone, and Androids. To download the app you either go to the App Store or the Google Play Store. Papi Trampoline was created by Sunflat GAMES. Sunflat GAMES has dozens of other fun games. So now you know that most teenagers glued to their computers are probably jumping on some vegetables.

What Will Make the New COD Be The Best

As most gaming enthusiasts know, Call of Duty Ghosts will be coming out November 5, 2013 for the new generation of consoles. This will be the tenth installment of the multi-million dollar franchise and as many people agree, the series is growing stale. It seems like after Modern Warfare 2 that there seems to be a cycle players go through. The first three months every is saying the game is the best, the next three months the game gets boring, but everyone still plays it, the next three months everyone goes back to playing the game released before it saying it was much better, and then the last few months everyone gets pumped for the new COD that everyone forgets about the old COD. What COD Ghosts needs to do to keep players into it is something we’ve been asking for a long time. They need to run dedicated servers for each game mode. This reduces lag to almost nothing, which means if you don’t pull host you’ll have just as good as a connection as the person who did pull host. If Infinity Ward and Activision put as much time into this as we assume, it will revolutionize the way we play video games.

MLB 2K13 Review

Baseball is a very complicated sport. There are so many little details that are hard to simulate into a video game. But for years it has seemed that the MLB 2K series hasn’t been able to get the major details right. As a Xbox 360 owner, the 2K series is the only one available. MLB The Show is the best sports game available, but it is only on the Playstation 3. So when I picked up my copy of MLB 2K13, I was not expecting much from the game. What I got was even worse. Here is my review of the game

Graphics: 4/10

The MLB The Show series has every little detail possible for the graphics. So when you compare it to 2K13, you feel like you are watching a comic from the 70s. The Graphics are the same exact thing as 2012. There are no improvements to the player faces or ballparks. There are many details on the parks that are not even there anymore in the game. The players still show emotions though, and although they are not very realistic, they still add a element of fun to the game. The swings and batter stances look pretty detailed as well. Overall though, they need some major updating. 

Gameplay: 6/10

The one bright spot of the game is the pitching mechanics. You have to think about where you locate your pitches. For example, if you are using a left handed pitcher and leave a curveball hanging to a right handed batter he will hit a homerun. The AI remembers where you throw pitches and punishes you if you make the same mistake twice. It gives the game a somewhat realistic feeling. The hitting isn’t terrible, but it is not good either. It it very simple, and feels like a sort of arcade game. Any ball hit near the warning track is caught. Every outfielder has great speed, even guys like Nelson Cruz. 

Commentary: 7/10

The commentators are very detailed. Every pitcher is thoroughly explained by John Kruk and his crew. It is nice to hear commentary when you bat, as The Show is just dead silent during ABs. I have learned many things from listening to the stuff they say in the game, and don’t often hear the same thing more than once. 2K did one thing right at least

 Overall: 5/10

Honestly, all MLB 2K13 is is a copy of MLB 2K12. So if you want a baseball game for your Xbox, just go out and buy an older 2K game for half the price. Because I guarantee that it will play the same.

Black Ops 2: DLC Season 1

Black Ops 2 has been out for about three months now and has taken gamers by a storm. After a long wait, the first of four downloadable content is to be released on January 29, 2013. This is to be called Revolution and for good reason. This DLC is to offer so 4 new multiplayer maps, a zombie map and a new zombies game mode, and for the first time in Call of Duty history, a new gun.

The multiplayer player maps are called Hydro, Grind, Downhill, and Mirage. What makes each of these maps so unique is there is a key feature to every map. In Hydro the map plays normally, at least until a gate opens up and water picks you up and throws you out of the map. This is going to be a very interesting feature because if it is placed at a major hot spot for kills it will factor how each team plays. It might encourage sniping so they don’t have to be wiped away in the stream of water. The next map, Grind, shows a cool new way to build a multiplayer map. Based in a skate park, there are not the usual “square” terrain you usually see. This map has has concave walls, jumps, and so many other interesting build up. This map is going to be a very fast paced map due to the lack of head glitching spots and no long lines of sight. Downhill is the first snow map in Black Ops 2. It is based at a ski resort where chairlifts come through. If you get hit by a lift you die. This is probably going to be the worst map because the snow environment hides enemies. Lastly, Mirage is based in a Chinese desert and palace. It has a sandstorm, which is unique because it has never been done in Call of Duty before. This map will probably be bad if you rush because of the long lines of sights. Also, Treyarch is putting a new gun in the game. The Peacekeeper is a SMG-assault rifle hybrid. It has a slow rate of fire and low damage but makes up for it with range and low recoil. I haven’t used it, but I bet it is going to be a very good addition to the game.

For the first time ever, you can be the zombie. In the new mode called Turned you attack the humans and if you successfully kill them you spawn in as the human. This is going to be fun if you’re playing with friends, but if you don’t mess around in this gamemode your not going to have a good time. Also, a new map called Die Rise is incorporated into the game. It is based in China where you play in run down buildings. This is the biggest map ever for zombies, meaning there is so much to explore. 

Scuf Controller: For the Serious Gamer

Scuf is a gaming company that has skyrocketed throughout the gaming community. MLGs, famous youtubers, and even serious gamers are all purchasing these. What makes their controller so appealing is its custom features. First of all the Scuf controller offers …

Gio’s Game Reviews #2: Call of Duty: Black Ops 2

“BO2 is a non-stop action-packed shooter that will keep gamers on their toes and on the edge of their seats. It has everything a player could want in a game: great graphics, a good story, easy controls and superb acting.”- …

Borderlands 2 Review

The hook of Borderlands 2, the same one Borderlands 1 had is the loot. Guns, ammo, character skins, grenade mods, class mods there’s always something just a bit better, something you so desperately want in Borderlands 2. Just like Diablo or a number of other action RPGs, the hunt for loot is arguably one of the best parts of the game. Every firefight and boss battle becomes even more rewarding, because, though you might die a few times, you know the loot is just around the corner.

Of course that’s just the beginning of what makes Borderlands 2 the amazing game it is. The Gunplay feels fluid and polished, and the guns feel a lot less likes peashooters, and more like how they should feel. There are also four brand new classes that all feel fresh well still relatable. The Commando, Siren, Gunzerker and the Assassin. Each of these classes offer their own special ability. The commando can deploy a turret, which allows you to flank your opponents or just add some firepower to your already deadly arsenal.  The Siren can Phaselock enemies which makes them sitting ducks which you can finish off at your leisure until your phaselock runs out that is. Gunzerkers can wield two guns at the same time giving you even extra firepower, and Assassins can go invisible for a short period of time.

The New Campaign, which features both Single player and Co-Op once again, takes place on Pandora. I can tell you right away the campaign this time around is fantastic. With a much higher production than the first borderlands. The campaign now has a fully fleshed out story with some great writing and some of the best jokes and lines I have seen in a game in a long time. Unlike the first game, Borderlands 2 does have a satisfying ending. Well the single player is fun the Co-Op part of the game is where the games really comes into its own, nothing beats a group of four friends overcoming a boss or just finding some awesome loot.

Overall I have very little negative things to say about Borderlands 2 besides for the occasional difficulty spikes and some clunky driving mechanics “Mouse controlled rather than W, A, S, D” I would rate the game as 9 out of 10 and I whole heartily recommend this to fans of the series and newcomers alike.

Oculus Rift

The Oculus Rift is a VR headset designed specifically for gaming in mind and hopes to offer a low cost VR headset, with an incredibly wide field of view, high-resolution display, and ultra-low latency head tracking. Gamers are obviously eager to back this product, as it raised over 2,400,000 dollars during it’s kickstarter campaign that only asked for 250,000 dollars. One major problem with VR headsets for video games is that they get very little official developer support, but the Oculus Rift has backing from some of the biggest players in the PC gaming industry. This includes companies like Valve, who owns the largest digital distribution platform with over 32 million registered users, and from companies like ID SoftWare, Epic Games, and the CEO of Unity.

The Oculus Rift has also won a number of rewards from companies that looked at it during CES. It received awards from The Verge who stated “If you’re of a certain age, you remember the first time you sat down at a computer terminal, opened a browser, and tried the World Wide Web. It was a before and after moment. Although Usenet and other internet communications technologies had been around for years, the web was instantly recognizable as something new and powerful and different that built on all that had come before. And so is it with the Oculus Rift.” Other companies who gave it awards were IGN, PCMag, GameFront, Wired, and Laptop Magazine.

So you’re probably wondering why this piece of VR technology is so revolutionary and why it has so buzz. Well it comes down to its low price point and what it’s offering. At only 350 dollars you can have some of the most immersive experiences yet, Imagine playing a game like Skyrim where you can literally see fire popping right into your face or feel like you’re truly in the world you’re exploring. It also offers a 1280×800 resolution or 640×800 per eye. It allows for 360 degree head tracking allowing you to literally look behind you and still see everything and offers a field of view of 110 diagonally and a 90 degree field of view horizontally. The Oculus Rift will also allow developers to easily make their games VR compatibility using SDKS. It already has a major gamer known as Hawken that will be supporting the Oculus Rift at launch.

Overall I am super excited for the Oculus Rift and can’t wait to pick one up, though it will only be available on PC and Android devices on launch.

Oculus Rift: A Step into the Future

Taken by: Juns World

Every gamer has always wanted to have the experience of being in the game they’re playing. Imagine playing Call of Duty Zombies and being to feel like your life is in danger. With the Oculus Rift this is possible. The Rift is a revolutionary way to play video games. First debuting at this years CES it has wowed millions. Although it is only in its beta phases, this fine piece of machinery will change the gaming market forever.

What sets this apart from all the other failed attempts of virtual reality games is its field of view. It has a FOV of 90 degrees horizontally and 110 degrees diagonally. Also, when it comes out for consumers it is going to have a 1920×1080 display. This best part about this device is that it isn’t going to cost a fortune. For a low price of $300 it can be sitting in your living room. As of now it is only compatible with PC and Android and the games are limited. The good news is that many companies will be lining up at the doors of the company to get their games to be compatible. The Rift is set to be released for developers in April, but if you want to get your hands on it you can pre-order from their website oculusvr.com. 

The Wii U, a Desperate Move by Nintendo?

Photo credit: ForeverG5
http://www.flickr.com/photos/caitlintv/8207998837/

A little while ago, the video game company Nintendo came out with a revolutionary game system called the Wii. Since then, many companies started to make knock-offs of the Wii, but have failed. After the initial craze over the Wii died down, more and more people swapped out their Wiis for Xboxes and Playstations, mostly due to the fact that the Wii’s games are primarily party games, not fps (first person shooters).

But now,in 2012, Nintendo is making a new Wii console… the Wii U! But the question is, should you get it?

The Wii U is basically a Wii, but with different controllers, better graphics, more fps games, and the controller has a screen on it. There are 2 versions, the regular Wii U ($299.99), and the Wii U deluxe ($349.99), which comes with Nintendo Land, and more storage.

The Wii U has a new home page, which is very neat, it has Miis running around under game titles, and they comment about the game, saying real things that people posted like: I just saw my friend as a zombie… so sad. Another cool new feature on the Wii U is that on the Wii U controller, called a gamepad, is a feature similar to Skype where you can video chat with people. A fun thing about the video chatting is that you can call people with only the gamepad, so you can be talking while watching the same tv show and things like that.