Need for Speed: Most Wanted

Whoo!

First I bought NFS: Most Wanted on the PS2 and my first thought was "Damn, the graphics look terrible!" But soon, I was absorbed into the gameplay and (surprisingly) I got used to the graphics and it did not really bother me. Until now...

I got myself the PC version of NFS:MW and with 1GB of RAM and the Sapphire X800Pro equipped, I could max out all the graphical settings, except for Anti-aliasing (which was down by half). The frame rates I got was an average of 25-30 per second. And the game looks GORGEOUS!!

Pictures speak louder than words, so here you go. These screenshots are from the game itself. I really am impressed on how good games look these days...

Rockfire Wireless PC/PS2 Controller

For RM99, I got this wireless controller that can be used for the PC and the Playstation (PS and PS2). For the price, I think it is a very good buy compared to the Fountech Airstyle Wireless PS2 controllers I purchased sometime in April, which cost RM120 and malfunctions quite often (pissed off).

PROS
- Works up to 20 feet (approximate)
- Strong vibration
- Turbo and Macro function
- Same shape & layout as a PS2 controller

CONS
- Analog stick responds like the D-pad i.e. when you tilt it to the right, it responds gradually from the centre to the right instead of an immediate right. (I hope I make sense).
- Prolonged use made me feel like my hands were still vibrating even after I stopped playing.

Conclusion: If you want a wireless controller but you have a tight budget, this one is good enough. Everything works perfectly well, except for the analog stick response.

Games, and being selective.

As of now, I've set aside a number of PS2 games. These games include those I have already finished and those I've tried and have no interest to continue. The number of games in these two categories is SIXTY! One-third of the games were given to me by Jerry (my uncle) and the rest were bought, usually out of impulse. Think of all the money that went in, especially for those that I have played only a moment. It is such a waste and I'm feeling regretful now.

Therefore, I am striving to be selective in the games that I purchase from today onwards. So before purchasing a title, I will:
- Check and see that the game is highly rated.
- Make sure I truly like it.
- Not rely solely on the opinion of others and judge for myself.
- Read a review of the game in well-known websites i.e. Gamespot or IGN.
- Try it out and make sure its good.

Of all the games I own for the PS2, there are only a few titles that I have thoroughly enjoyed so far, and these are:
- Burnout Revenge
- Dragon Ball Z Budokai 3 (latest DBZ:Tenkachi sucks)
- FIFA Street
- Final Fantasy X
- Final Fantasy X-2
- God of War
- Lego Star Wars (perfect for family)
- Need for Speed: Most Wanted
- Prince of Persia (since Sands of Time)
- Shadow of the Colossus
- Tekken 5

Other games for PC (and other consoles) that I strongly recommend are:
- Black & White 2
- F.E.A.R. (Best FPS ever!)
- Star Wars: Jedi Outcast
- Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
- Star Wars: Republic Commando

Episode III Roadshow

On 12 November 2005, the DVD of Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith was released in 1-Utama. There was this roadshow there and various people dressed up as Star Wars characters were there. The costumes worn there were "SELF-MADE", asked them myself. Hats off to you guys! I really like the one 'Anakin Skywalker' was wearing. The lightsabers there look cool too, especially the blue one.

From left: Anakin Skywalker, Darth Maul, Emperor's Red Guard, Darth Vader, Pregnant Padme, Random Jedi (Luke??), and Master Plo-Koon.

Needless to say, I was there and even purchased the ORIGINAL DVD. 2-DVDs for RM70 wasn't so bad, PLUS the fact that I had a free (big) poster and many other goodies too from the quiz that was held. Staff from Canon were there to take photographs and print it there and then.

Before I left, the roadshow staff mistook me for the press (possibly because I was holding those bulky-type cameras) and told me "Please come in and join us for refreshments." I thought "Wow! This is so cool." and made my way in. Then I saw the room where the refreshments was served and saw all the people in their costumes and other staff, so I knew it was a mistake.

To end it all - Darth Vader RULES!

FX Lightsabers for 2006

The MR (Masterreplicas) Pre-toy Fair 2005 have revealed the new FX Sabers for the year 2006 - Darth Maul (Episode 1) and Obi Wan (Episode 3). The following links will show photographs of the lightsabers and also numerous and various products that has already been, or has yet to be released:
http://www.rebelscum.com/gallery/mr-pretoyfair-05/
http://photos.sirstevesguide.com/showgallery.php?cat=4433

Here is a picture of the Obi Wan FX from Revenge of the Sith. The neck is fatter than the original prop because it is not possible to incorporate the slim neck and still ensure the durability of the product:
Here is what is Steve (from Masterreplicas) has to say about the Obi Wan FX:
"You guys KNEW it was gonna have that obnoxious neck! I don't like it any more than you do...believe me. However, until we can defy the laws of physics, we can't put a one-inch blade into a half-inch neck. Since this is a semi-mass item, we HAVE to make sure it follows numerous federal and international guidelines for safety. If we make the necks too thin, they could break when little Johnny whacks the willies out of his sister and we would then get in trouble.Bad JuJu. Everyone screamed about the neck when the Luke ROTJ came out, but we sold so many that we had to put them back into production after we retired them. I guess people got over it."

And here is a picture of the Darth Maul FX, which looks very good and true to the movie hilt:

"Again, you are looking at a prototype. Of course, the finish will be much better on the production units. It is almost exactly 1:1 scale with the LE (maybe a TEENY bit bigger in some of the diameters) and all of the details are pretty-much identical to the LE, so it is not "off".The Maul and the Obi have "Next Generation" electronics. Better impact resistance on the blades, Obnoxiously loud, improved sound range with new speakers and pre-amps, better power management, etc.I have swung the Maul around and if you use it indoors, you can't play with it without hitting a [insert noun here] eg; wall, priceless antique, cat, wife, child, etc...It is 7 1/2 feet of Sith goodness. There is not much we can do about the knob alignment as the threads can't be "indexed" for the entire production run. We are currently looking at possible solutions for that. The coupling is steel for durability and we have beat the CRAP out of the test samples, with no breakage. That is a good thing.Since each half will be identical, once you connect them, you will have a spare adapter and two end caps, and one covertech clip to set aside. We may provide a plug for the one resulting covertech screw hole. Not sure yet."

So far, these are only prototypes and will be released next year. There will be changes for the better (hopefully). I'm not too sure how true this is, but the Darth Maul is scheduled to be released in February 2006 and the Obi Wan FX is scheduled to be released in May 2006. Releasing is one thing, ordering and receiving it is another - which will probably take around 2-3 months.

Once again, do take a look at the links and see the various toys available. There will be various products from the Star Wars series including Jedi Robes. There are also stuff from X-men as well. Cheers!