Build Your Own Dark Knight

Batman is part of DC Comics trinity. Alongside Superman and Wonder Woman, Batman defines many aspects of DC’s comic universe. Despite his recent poor movie characterizations, Batman remains one of the most popular heroes of all time. Traveller’s Tales Games, creators of the incredibly successful LEGO Star Wars Series, latest project is LEGO Batman: The Video Game. The game will be released in Fall 2008.

TT Games

TT Games LEGO Batman will be big. Its style is based off of Batman: The Animate Series. The game draws from the DC comic book universe’s rich history. The game takes place in Gotham City and features all of the LEGO Batman construction sets. Plot details are sketchy at the moment. Arkham Asylum residents escape plaguing the city and its up to Batman and Robin to return to the asylum. Joker’s girlfriend, Harley Quinn, will play a big role in the story line. She began as an Arkham psychologist who was assigned to treat the Joker. Unfortunately she was not up to the task of rehabilitating the Crown Prince of Crime. Instead, Harley fell under his control becoming mentally insane. Out of all his foes, Batman has the most sympathy for Harley Quinn whom he views as one of the Joker’s victims.

Not only do you control the Dark Knight and all of his gadgets (including ones which you build with LEGO) but you get to see how the other half lives. You can play such Batman foes as The Joker, Harley Quinn, Catwoman, the Riddler, Mr. Freeze, Killer Croc and the Penguin and many more. Each character is unique and possesses the powers or abilities that made them infamous. Each character has several costumes that can be unlocked and built within the game. The game includes a Villain Mode that allows you to match wits and fists with the Dark Knight. LEGO Batman offers 36 levels - 18 heroic and 18 villainous. Each level that you defeat as Batman can then be replayed from the villain’s perspective.

Pricing information is not available for TT Games LEGO Batman. The game will be available for the PC, Nintendo DS, Xbox, 360, Nintendo Wii, PSP, Play Station 2 and Play Station 3. TT Games LEGO Batman should be as successful as its LEGO Star Wars series.

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The End of an Era

Some video game companies run a franchise title until consumers are wearied with the repetition. Konami is not one of them. The Metal Gear Solid Saga will end on June 12th with Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Konami will release two versions: a standard edition for $59.99 and the ever so popular limited edition for $84.99. This rather steep even for a Play Station 3 game but fans will buy it. The limited edition includes the “making of” documentary and a Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Soundtrack CD. Konami has arranged for the limited edition game to be sold exclusively at Game Stop. Other than those two extras, the limited edition package mirrors the standard.

Konami’s Metal Gear Solid 4: Gun of the Patriots features the final adventure of Solid Snake. Snake squares off with his arch enemy Liquid Ocelot in final battle. Unlike earlier games, MGS 4 is nonlinear. You have more leeway in choosing which areas Snake visits first. Konami puts a lot of nice features in this last game. The use of the cut scene is one of the best. There are many moments in MGS 4 where Snake will remember an event from an earlier game. These scenes provide the back story for new franchise players and a “Do you remember when” nostalgia for die-hard MGS players. Similar to classic TV shows, Konami closes out the Metal Gear Solid Saga with style.

Konami

MGS 4 is one of the few games that admits their lead character is getting older. Snake not only has to watch his stamina meter. He has two additional meters to monitor - Psyche and Stress. Snake’s Psyche meter reflects his mental reactions to the horrors of war. When Snake’s Psyche is high, he is brutally effective on the battlefield - making the hard shot look easy. This changes as his Psyche meter declines and mental fatigue sets in. Snake will begin losing his concentration and feel physically tired and worn down. Snake’s Stress Meter measures how long he can keep going in high gear. As this drops, he will eventually fall into the “zone” and go Rambo on his enemies. This effect is temporary. After that last adrenalin surge, Snake will crash physically and emotionally. (Psyche and Stress Meters will bottom out) Snake’s health is now in danger and he is more vulnerable to enemy attack.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is a must buy game for lovers of the franchise. Mind boggling graphics and awe-inspiring music and sound effects draw players into the game world. Nostalgia and action meet in this game and fun is to be had by all.

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A Classic Revisited

It is rare for a video game to reach classic status. Yes, you have some long running game franchises but a classic game will cause players to stop playing Halo 3 or Guitar Hero and spend hours playing down memory lane. Nintendo’s Super Mario Brothers is a classic game. First released in 1985, Super Mario Bros was the first side scrolling game. Nintendo revisits this classic for the Gameboy DS. The new game is appropriately called, “New Super Mario Bros.” Today’s portable game systems have much more power than the original Nintendo game system. Unlike most new games on the market today, New Super Mario Bros did not set out to break new graphic records. The game is well within the DS system specs. Nintendo designers perfectly captured the feel of game play on the original Super Mario Bros or Mario World with this new game. Nintendo particularly focused on exciting game play. 3D versions of both the classic plumber and his foes are the major changes in the game. You will also find new powers, foes and worlds in Nintendo’s New Super Mario Bros.

Nintendo’s New Super Mario

This time, Mario needs to save the Princess Peach from Bowser Jr. Playing New Super Mario Bros is like walking down memory lane. Like the original game, you will hold onto a flagpole to advance to the next level. This new game is also a side scroller. Green mushrooms still grant you an extra life. What is excitingly frustrating about this game is that so much new content is mixed with the old. Mario can change sizes from Giant Mario who fills up the DS play screen down to Mini Mario who is no bigger than a mouse and able to fit through small crevasses. Both sizes play a critical role in game play. Nintendo also included a number mini-games. Although the games are simplistic, they do a good job of entertaining younger players and introducing them to the world of the Mario brothers.

Nintendo’s New Super Mario Bros costs $34.99. Anyone who remembers the original Super Mario Bros must get this game. You get to relive the past while thrilling to all of the new game options in the New Super Mario Bros. This is also one of the few games that is designed for a wide range of ages. Likewise, New Super Mario Bros allows you to compete wirelessly with a friend with only one game cartridge. This is a phenomenal move on Nintendo’s part. Get the game and revisit a classic.

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Active Gaming Coming Soon!

This new concept of active gaming will be released in the form of a “SWINXS” console that will talk the children through fun, new games.
swinkx

In the trend of the Nintendo Wii, game companies are recognizing the alarming rate of childhood obesity. The need for physical activity is not being met by traditional game manufacturers. Sitting in front of a television playing video games will soon become a thing of the past.

This great new technology is a great way to get kids up and moving. It will be first introduced in the Netherlands on April 17th of this year. Hopefully it will become the next must-have toy and be offered in all areas of the world.

The games are designed for children who are at least 4 years old. They center on a console that is powered by a long-lasting battery, making it a great travel toy. There are 4 bracelets that come along with the console that contain microchips that are readable by the console. Each player has a different colored bracelet and an individual profile on the console.

New games will be available online, and are easily downloaded via a USB cable connected directly to the console. Players can also record their personal data onto the site to keep track of their accomplishments. They can challenge other players, learn new games, and talk with others about their success with the games.

It is easy to find a game for each specific child in the home as well. Games online are categorized by age and type. For example, there are games listed for children that are 8 years old, or higher, that are quiz questions or adventure games. That means that several children can share the console, and still have a personalized profile to suit their needs.

When purchasing the SWINXS, it will come complete with the console, 4 bracelets (sized extra small), a USB cable, and a USB adapter. There are no batteries required in addition; the unit carries its own long-life battery.

This incredible, open-ended investment is surely to be worth whatever retail value is assigned to it at release time. Look for it online after April 17th, and hopefully there will be some available for toy stores too!

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New Life for a Classic?

Some games take the gaming world by storm. Some element in their design fascinates players and encourages them to create hundreds of mods to breathe new life into a favorite game. Quake III: Arena is one such game. Quake III is almost 11 years old and it is still much loved by some gamers. There are both active servers and mods that make this first person shooter an enduring classic. Its continuing popularity is due to both nostalgia and simple economics. Many gamers can’t afford to get the latest gaming computer to play today’s newest games. Quake III is old enough that it can be played on just about any system in operation today. It was originally designed to run on Pentium 233 MHz with Windows 95/98.

quake-III

Quake III Arena has a simple story and it might have partly inspired Russell Crowe’s Gladiator. You take the role of a gladiator in the Arena Eternal. You face tougher and tougher opponents until you must face and defeat the ultimate warrior - Xaero. If you meet defeat, it is not over. Autodocs quickly repair you to fight again. Quake III offers a simple strategy - Shoot everything that is not you. The various arenas make this a bit difficult. Teleporters, Lava, Fog, Slime, bounce and acceleration pads and many other devices make each arena as hazardous as your opponents. You will face 32 different opponents in Quake III Arena. Each has a detailed history and a unique fighting style. Like most first person shooters, Quake Arena features many power ups, weapons and armors which are scattered throughout the arenas. These, like the aforementioned arenas, can easily change the tide of battle.

Recently it was announced that iPhone will translate Quake III Arena to make it compatible. A large part of Quake III Arena continuing popularity is its multi-player mode. By Quake III being ported to the iPhone, the game gets to use the phone’s awesome networking abilities for multi-player battles. Quake III Arena will use the iPhone’s accelerometer to control direction and tapping the touch screen controls shooting. These simple controls will give iPhone gamers a reason to cheer. An exact release date has yet to be announced.

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A Real Kick in the Pants

 

Okay, so its really a punch in the chest with the new gaming vest available from TN Games.

fdvgsdv

This new gadget is a full upper body vest that connects via USB to your shooting game, and allows you to feel like you are really there in the middle of the action. The software that comes with the vest links to several games already available on the market. Then as you play your game, you will feel each “hit” and even feel it WHERE you are “hit.” Next time you take a “bullet to the shoulder” you will feel a punch from your gaming vest!

The most recent convention that this vest was shown at left players with indelible smiles as they left the display booth. They were shocked at the realistic feel and the inherent adrenaline rush they got from playing such a realistic version of their favorite games.

The question remains, though, who truly wants to get beaten up by their video game? There are bound to be millions. Of those millions, there may be many that have actually lived through the situations, and are still just as interested in playing the games using the vest.

An interview of an avid game player, and decorated Army combat veteran revealed that the soldiers coming home from serving for the United States in Operation Enduring Freedom in Iraq are just as willing and eager to try this device. This may appeal to them as well if they have a few friends or relatives who do not understand exactly what they had to deal with in the war zone. This incredible technology puts the player into the game, rather than having them play as a spectator. What better way to understand your loved one than to virtually step into their Kevlar and experience it for yourself.

The Air Force veterans will also get a kick out of this vest. That’s right, not only can you feel bullets hit you, switch over to play a game that has you flying fighter jets and you will feel the “g-force” of the plane as you fly. You will also feel the shake of the plane if it is struck by enemy fire.

This new toy is available already, and can be used with 11 popular games that you may already have in your game library. Check them out at the TN Games website!

 



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C-Jump - Winning Educational Tool or Wipe Out

C-jump Factory’s latest game, C-jump Ski and Snowboard Race, is a “Computer Programming Board Game.” C-jump Factory designed it to teach young children the basics of computer languages like C++, Java and C. C-jumps game designer describes game play. “The child calculates number of steps in the move, including addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication of small numbers. The game helps to develop understanding of a complete computer program, formed by logical sequences of commands… By moving around the board, entering loops, branching under conditional and switch statements, the players gain physical experience of a complete program. Understanding of the internal action of a computer is essential to understanding what software is. Static program causes dynamic process in the computer. By playing the game, players see this process as physical and spacial motion.” Good communication is the core of any teaching endeavor. C-jump fails to communicate its idea to parents and teachers with language like this.

C-jump Ski

C-jump endeavors to teach children such concepts as “goto,” “if-then,” “if-then-else,” variables, loops and the break command. The game board gives a clear description of each term when a player reaches it. This is the core of the game’s problem. Looking at the board is like standing at the bottom of Mt. Everest and looking up. Most children will ask, “Do I have to play that?” C-jump more closely resembles the Periodic Table of Elements than a game board. C-jump might be successful if a child played it for months. Repetition, questions and answers would help the concepts to sink in.

The idea behind C-jump is a sound one. Children need to be exposed to computer programming at an early age. A game that teaches children computer programing is an excellent idea. It would be a lot more effective if it was released as a game for the PC or one of the portable game consoles. Children could write small programs and see the programs run on the screen. If a company like C-jump Factory could negotiate a deal with Disney, Pokemon, Sonic or some other game franchise to lend their characters to an educational game, that game would be a lot more successful. The franchise characters will draw attention to the game and sound game design will educate children in game programming. It would be a win/win solution.

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Save the Universe in Style

Mass Effect

One of Microsoft’s latest games is Mass Effect. It is a science fiction role-playing game that is developing a huge following. Like most good RPG’S, Mass Effect gives you a lot of tools to create a unique player character. Character customization continues after the game begins since you can customize the looks of your vehicles, armor and appearance. Mass Effect allows you to play six character classes and your initial choice determines your character’s later options. Mass Effect’s character classes include biotics specialist, soldier or tech specialist. Each class gives you unique abilities that make Mass Effect one of the few science fiction RPGs that can be replayed several times. It is also one of the few games that frequently requires you to make moral choices. You get to see the effects of your choices as your progress through Mass Effect’s storyline.

In Mass Effect, you take the role of Commander Shepherd of the SS Normandy who is the leader of a commando squad. Your team has been assigned to stop an ancient machine race from destroying the entire universe. Microsoft made the Mass Effect universe ripe for exploration. Besides the main storyline, many subplots allow you to interact with many unique characters in the Mass Effect Universe. Microsoft also secured top voice talent to add further richness to the game. Each character within Mass Effect is so detailed that their facial nuances echo their dialogue tone.

Mass Effect features real-time combat. You can still configure the game to pause at the end of a round so you can issue new orders to your squad. As your character gains experience new weapon choices open up. For example, you get different types of rifle rounds that are more effective against certain opponents. Your character class places a huge role in how you can ultimately win battles, and if you are skilled enough, how you will save the universe.

Mass Effect is available for both the Xbox 360 and the PC. It costs $59.99. It is an incredibly addictive game and you have hours of fun just exploring its depth. Mass Effect is the first in a game trilogy.

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Tengu? No Thank You

tengu

With today’s high stress environments, there is a market for fun gadgets. The Tengu could be one for you. The Tengu is a rectangle with small feet and a big digital cartoon face. Its dimensions are: 7cm x 4.5 cm x 1.4 cm. Like the USB Boxer or the Dancing Rolly, the Tengu resides on your desktop. The Tengu connects to either PC or the Mac via any available USB port. It can work with Windows, Linux and Mac operating systems and requires no software for installation.

tengu

The Tengu’s facial expressions change in response to sounds. It has more than 14 different facial expressions. If you play music, the Tengu will lip sync along with the song. It will also lip sync while you talk or even when you are typing. That’s all it does. It does not play music, dance, and backup information, provide portable storage or even truly sing. The Tengu just makes faces at you all day long. It can get boring sitting in front of a computer typing all day. Gadgets like the Rolly or the USB Boxer, provides brief diversions. The key to their success is that you interact with them. The only interaction you can have with the Tengu is that you blow on it to wake it up. It goes to sleep if it gets bored. If you get an extender for its 1 meter USB cord, you could set it on your night stand. Maybe the Tengu could at least help you go to sleep.

Tengu’s face is a simplistic cartoon-style LED display. Psychologists have determined that humans can easily bond and identify with the simple geometry of cartoon faces. There is a possibility that the Tengu could grow on you. It was first introduced in Japan last year. Tengu sold well enough there to encourage a European and US product launch.

Firebox.com could have greatly improved their Tengu success potential by marketing it as an add on product for children’s computers. Small children could be amused by the Tengu’s cute little faces. The Tengu is a front runner for the lamest gadget of the year.

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Run onto Victory

Physical enhancement steroids and other drugs rob many sports of the fair play and the joy of competition. The drugs allow players to oftentimes exceed the capabilities of natural athletes. Southpeak Interactive’s latest game, Iridium Runners, is a futuristic foot race between iridium enhanced athletes for the PlayStation 2. The characters race on tracks of varying difficulty and are required to jump ravines to continue racing. Southpeak Interactive’s Iridium Runners must have been inspired by the movie “The Running Man.”

Southpeak Interactive’s Iridium Runners

Iridium Runners is a budget title with an average cost of $15. Unfortunately it often plays like a budget title as well. There is nothing in the game graphically that will stun you into speechlessness. Ditto for the sound effects. Iridium Runners excels at game play. Fans of Knights of The Old Republic will find some similarities between swoop racing and the racers in Iridium. Power boosts are scattered along the track which can give both a burst of speed. This is the core of the fun factor with Iridium Runners.

Although you have several different characters to select from there are only minor differences in game play between the characters. In Iridium Runners you will be selecting your character almost exclusively for looks. Your racer tires rather quickly during a race. The power ups not only increase your speed but it replenishes your stamina. The power ups are frequent enough that it allows for many come from behind wins. Like most racing games, you can also pick up weapons to attack the other racers. The weapons mostly play a minor role in most races. Nudging fellow racers, on the other hand, can sometimes lead your character to victory. A strategic nudge just before a jump can cause your competitor to miss their mark. Iridium Runners attention to small details like this make it a good bargain game.

Southpeak Interactive’s Iridium Runners will probably not be a game that you will play for hours on ends for several days. It will however be a game that you can play with friends when you are taking a break from “A-list” games. It is an excellent first game for the Southpeak. Iridium Runners could be a herald of better games from the company.

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Have You Answered the Call?

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare for the Xbox360 has been #1 in video game sales for the past 4 months. The storyline for Call of Duty 4 is straight off the cliche shelf - retrieve nuke stolen by terrorists. Infinity Ward, the creators of the Call of Duty line, takes the cliche and makes it nail-biting exciting. Call of Duty 4 is probably the finest shooter available for the Xbox 360 today.

Call of Duty 4

Incredible graphics, awesome sound and detailed realism play major roles in the phenomenon called Call of Duty 4. Bullets, grenades and bombs fill the area around your character. Each level is introduced with a cinematic video with quality voice over artist. Call of Duty 4 allows you to partake in amazing scenarios. These include: firing a grenade launcher from a Marine helicopter, leading an M1A1 Abram through a town, and avoiding the spotlight from an enemy helicopter. Like earlier Call of Duty games you can play more than one character. Call of Duty 4 allows you to play a US Marine and a SAS. The balance among all out Marine action and the stealthy movements of a SAS allows you to take a breather between the pulse pounding action. An A-list movie soundtrack accompanies the action in Call of Duty 4.

Infinity Ward is to be applauded for their attention to detail. They have greatly improved the AI for both your friends and foes. Your allies will take cover, throw grenades and alert you to enemy locations. The bad guys have received extensive marksmanship training and are now sharpshooters. They will also take cover when necessary. This is where Infinity’s Ward attention to detail plays a huge factor in game play. In the real world, not many obstacles (wall, trees and so forth) can stop a high caliber bullet. In Call of Duty 4, you can switch your M16A2 on full auto and blast enemies through walls.

Call of Duty 4 does an excellent job of capturing the mass chaos on a battlefield. The number of friends and foes that can be on screen at the same time has greatly improved since Call of Duty 3. Firefights can easily include more than 40 participants. Add vehicles, weather effects and terrain challenges and you have such an awesome display that it’s possible to get lost watching the events instead of remembering that you are the star of this movie.

Call of Duty 4 allows players to totally immerse themselves into the ‘virtual reality’ of the game. Classic games are so well designed that onlookers can have almost as much fun as the game players. Infinity Ward’s Call of Duty fits into this class - its fun to watch but even better to play.

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RC Tank and Drink Carrier

It takes something special for an RC vehicle to succeed in these game console dominated times. New computer and video games have reduced the RC market. Danbar Toys RC Amphibious radio-controlled tank can compete in today’s marketplace. The Amphibious Tank has four wheel drives with the left and right wheels independently controlled. This feature allows the tank to quickly make 360 degree turns. The Amphibious Tank has two LED headlights in the front and there is a red light above the firing turret. The turret light will give a warning blink before the Amphibious Tank begins firing off salvos.

RC Tank

The Amphibious Tank’s dimensions are: Height: 140 mm, Length 245 mm, and Width 200 mm. The Amphibious Tank’s remote control has 6 channels and a control range of 30-40 meters. It is able to fire 6mm BB pellets at targets up to 30 meters away. The tank has auto reload for when it runs out of ammo. Danbar Toys designed the Amphibious Tank so that it can transform into a powerboat. Pushing a button on the remote control causes the tank’s wheels to fold up turning the tank into a boat. This is the feature that will sell many tanks for Danbar Toys. Most vehicle transformations are slow and cumbersome requiring the user to twist, bend and turn their toy. The tank pilot will feel in total control when he can transform the tank into a boat by remote control.

Danbar Toys designed the Amphibious Tank so that it is able to carry 4 standard size can sodas. You can bring refreshments to thirsty troops on land or on the sea. Great gadgets are made by small details. The Amphibious tank has a cool factor by just being a transformer but the cargo space for sodas is a stroke of genius. This allows the tank pilot to imagine even more missions for the Amphibious Tank to go on.

Danbar Toys has a hit with the Amphibious Tank. It is a well-designed product that will make an excellent gift for any six years or older. Defend your home or office from all foes with the Amphibious Tank from Danlar Toys.

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Rainbow Six Returns to Vegas for Another Round

One of the advantages of PCs over game consoles is that downloadable game mods can breathe new life into old games. Although more and more game consoles have online function, it still pales in comparison to third party content available for PC games. Console developers acknowledge and oftentimes present new game content for an older title as either a special edition or a sequel. Ubisoft chooses the latter in its latest game: Rainbow Six Vegas 2.

Rainbow Six Vegas 2

Overall Rainbow Six Vegas 2 is a bigger version of the original Rainbow Six Vegas. This game begins 5 years earlier than Rainbow Six Vegas 1 and events progress to be concurrent with the original game. It is the details that Ubisoft packs into Rainbow Six Vegas 2 that makes this game an incredible value. The first major detail is that with Vegas 2 you can fully customize your character. Ubisoft allows you to go beyond merely selecting whether the character is male or female. You can design your facial features, hair color, clothing and weapons. If you have XBOX Live Vision, you can even add your face to your character. This custom character is playable in both single player and multi-player mode. The degree that you are able to customize your character is a reflection of the depth that you can be drawn into the game’s universe. Rainbow Six 2 will draw many players deeply in with this feature alone. Ubisoft has also dramatically improved the AI for Rainbow Six Vegas 2. Your foes react differently each time you encounter them. This stops the tedium of fighting the same foe who does the same thing all the time. Ubisoft also made your companions smarter as well. Your team will now lay down covering fire as a team mate moves into position. In Rainbow Six Vegas 2 you can feel like a leader of troops and not the cannon-fodder commander experience that you get in other games. In Rainbow Six Vegas 2, your character has all the original weapons plus eleven new models. Way stations allow your character to easily adjust his armament. Ubisoft includes some minor role-playing game elements into Rainbow Six Vegas 2. Depending on how the tactics your character uses in combat situations, different skills will progress and different weapons will be unlocked. Rainbow Six Vegas 2 multi-player elements take the game to new heights. While there is familiarity with the original Rainbow Six Vegas, Ubisoft’s sequel beats the original in many ways. Rainbow Six Vegas 2 is a must have for fans of this franchise.

Divinity Destroyed

Inspired by the Arkadi and Boris Strugatski novel, Ascaron and Nobilis Entertainment team up to release a new RPG Hard to Be a God in April. Hard to be a God is an action and adventure game which combines fantasy and science fiction adventure. With Hard to Be a God you will be able to blast away at medieval soldiers with a laser pistol. You take the role of an interplanetary spy as you journey from a futuristic earth to the alien planet of Tsurinak. Readers of the Strugatski Brothers’ novel will be delighted to find themselves in a familiar world. Ascaron and Nobilis strove to accurately depict the culture, people and monsters of the novel.

Hard to Be a God has a rogue gallery that few games can match. Your spy will face off with bandit gangs, patrolling guards, brutal monsters and the immortal beings that are often called gods. Even better than your rogue’s gallery is the awesome arsenal at your disposal. Your spy will be able to choose from more than 200 different weapons. These will include scorchers, modifiers, mini-guns, force fields and sophisticated combat gadgets. Some of your foes will attack you with swords, axes and arrows. Ascaron and Nobilis work to make things even more challenging for your spy by having many combat encounters on horseback.

Hard to Be a God has a diversified group of missions. Your spy will not mindlessly hack his way through generic foes in this game. You will get to exercise strategic planning with your combat skills on mission ranging from defeating the proverbial ruthless thieves to recovering a lost child. Hard to Be a God encourages you to develop a unique playing style. The game will adapt itself to this style as you progress.

Hard to Be a God features a nonlinear storyline. Characters that your spy encounters will have a detailed history and offer insights into Tsurinak. Your spy will need to discover the secrets surrounding this mysterious planet and answer questions as to why this world is stuck in medieval times when the universe has advanced around them. Hard to Be a God is definitely worth checking out. Ascaron and Nobilis have a free demo available at www.hardtobeagod.com.

Stay in the Game with Game Ready

Cool Systems has just released the latest version of its Game Ready Product Line. Game Ready is an injury treatment system that replaces ice packs and elastic bandages for the treatment of sports injuries. The Game Ready Control Unit was built based on the concepts of spacesuit technology. Cool Systems believed that this technology could be used to develop an injury treatment system.

Game-Ready

The Game Ready Control Unit combines cold and compression therapies. It has been designed to treat post-surgical and acute injuries to reduce edema, swelling and pain. The Game Ready Control Unit is restricted by Federal Law to by or on the order of a licensed medical practitioner. Game Ready allows you to easily adjust pressure, manage temperature and select treatment time settings simply by pushing a few buttons and twisting a dial. Game Ready Control Unit is so easy to use that it can very easily cause harm to a patient. Improper placement or prolonged use of the Game Ready Console could cause tissue damage such as frostbite.

Cool Systems based the Game Ready Control Unit on the RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation) method of recovery. This has been a proven method for treating many sports related injuries. The Game Ready Control Unit uses technology to improve on this time-tested method. By combining RICE treatment into one console, medical professionals can begin treating injured athletes much closer to the time of injury. The Game Ready Control Unit allows treatment to be done close to the action whether on the field or in a team locker room.

RICE treatment can be done in eight easy steps.

Step 1. Fill the Control Unit with ice and water.

Step 2. Connect Control Unit to the AC Adapter. Now connect the Control Unit to a grounded electrical outlet.

Step 3. Apply the selected wrap.

Step 4. Attach the connector hose to the wrap. Now connect the hose to the Control Unit.

Step 5. Press the power button.

Step 6. Set the temperature to the coldest setting. After two minutes, adjust to your desired setting.

Step 7. Select pressure and time settings in Manual Mode or select a program in Program Mode.

Step 8. Press the play/pause button to start.

Good gadgets improve on existing principles or concepts. Cool System simplifies the RICE system into one gadget - the Game Ready Control Unit. As the unit comes into greater availability, it will become a standard tool in Sports Medicine.

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