Before I do the miniview, lemme tell ya something--

Miniviews are a new idea for reviews that I'll be making after I get a game and wish to impart knolwdge that I have from its gameplay thus to the public. Like the title says, its a "mini" review. So yeah. CAW!

Coded Arms, the original, I got it when I got the PSP. While I wasn't impressed it was pretty fun, but the shortcmonings were obvious: Lack of Story, screwy scenerios, and the ****-awful controls. Well, while the controls haven't changed, this game certainly has gotten much more depth to it. For instance, now there seems to be a nice story (Im 2 hours in ) that blends well with the Coded Arms franchise, ya know, the virtual world thing? Great cinematics, and the voiceovers are near top notch. New guns, new enemies, and something really cool--

The upgrade system. You will get points in the game and throughout it that allows you to continually level up your weapons fire rate, damage, clip, ect. You are even able to upgrade your health, your scanners battery life, among other things, with these upgrade points. In this game, though, you actually hack. When you find a turret or door you can hack it through a series of number coded hacks. (Turret and door, sound fumiliar? Cough cough Bioshock.)

Overall its been a great game for the PSP so far. I'd give it somewhere around an 8.5-9/10
If you liked Coded arms, then you will like this even more since its everything Coded arms SHOULD have been.

THE MINIVIEW HAS SPOKEN!!! ...

Quake 4
Publisher: Activision
Developer: id Software
Genre: First Person
Players: 1

Quake 4 is produced by id Software inc. for the PC and Xbox 360 Computer Entertainment system.



Quake 4 may not be as well known around as Doom 3 (even though they were made by the same people and company), but that doesn't keep it from being an all-around better game. Quake 4 looks to have incorporated all the needs that Doom 3 didn't have fullfilled, such as the flashlight-on'a-gun for one. Quake 4, when first shown at the 2005 E3 convention, fans flipped out of their minds for this game. The graphics, gameplay, and classic scenerio had many people, me included, waiting on the edge of their seat for this incredible FPS. We were waiting for gold...and we got platinum. The graphics, AI, weapons, and pretty much anything else incorporated in this game were much more advanced then the best up to this point. The gameplay becames highly repetitive after a while, though. The multiplayer is also a bit overused for various reasons.

The graphics for Quake 4 are the best I've seen until the time I bought it in 2006 as the first 360 game I got. I was stunned at the level of detail on each individual level. Textures were different for almost every part of the level, none repeated themselves through consistancy. Even when looking close to walls and sides, weapons and pretty much anything, the textures didn't became grainy or pixaled, for lack of a better term. They retained their smooth and shiny display from point-blank to distances half-across the level. The characters were almost life-like, having individual features such as a larger nose, bigger jaw, different eye colors, and whatever else there is to have on physical featuring. Such as the detailing in the next screen-shot:

The lighting is often very dark, which makes the light attachment for the guns come in very handy.

The AI in the game, both enemy and ally were nice, to say the least. It wasn't what I'd call an AI revolution, but the enemies often knew when to dodge and when to shoot, as did the allies. What amazed me is how id made the allie's movement. They used actual people with motion sensors to replicate movement into a virtual "skeleton". They used that skeleton as a basis for the movements of your buddies in-game. They add in textures and physical features of the characters and put them in-game. The result? An artificial ally thata replicates the same movements in the same style that the actor performed in reality.

Gameplay is the real deal in Quake 4. The gameplay features the standard shoot-and-get-shot style that all good FPS have and has made id Software famous. You, as corporal Mathew Kain set out with Rhino squad to break through the Strogg enemy lines to take out their central system called the Nexus. While along the way, you confront the Makron, the leader of the Strogg whom Mathew Kain killed in Quake 2. How hes standing in front of you is another story. You are shipped to a Strogg processing facuility where you are turned into a Strogg--literally. But before they have time to implant in your head the chip to make you obey they're every command, the remaining Rhino squad busts you out. Thus you, in your strogganized state go with the rest of Rhino squad to finish the job, and take Quake 4 features a great variet of weapons from both Quake 2 and Quake 4 introductees. This can range from the Rotosaw and the Nuclear pistol, to the clip-loaded shotgun and dark matter cannon(the Quake alternative to Dooms BFG9000) which creates a black hole, sucking in furnature and enemies alike.
While writing this my friend next to me said "I'd hate to be on the recieving end of that" when I showed him a shot of what it can do. Try being on the recieving end in multiplayer. It's not too fun I'll bet...

Multiplayer isn't near as good as it could have been. Still gun, don't get me wrong, but it doesn't utilize some of the nicer features of Quake 4. For instance, its maps are directly ported maps from Quake 2 with better graphics. There are very little parts of Quake 4 multiplayer that are original to Quake 4 and not the rest of the Quake series. Another bad let down is the fact that Quake 4 cannot be played multiplayer by 2 or more people on one Xbox 360. You can system link up to 8 Xbox's though for a game of up to eight players. You can also play online multiplayer through Xbox Live. The sad part is id seems to have forgotton all about co-op, which would be very nice in Quake 4 considering its dim storyline and levels. Heres a screenshot for the masses, although its shrunk so it doesn't show good detail.


Now onto ratings:

Graphics: 5 out of 5
I couldn't really ask for anything better. For its time up until this day, its graphics have proved amazing. Those shots aren't even in HD!
...

Klonoa: Empire of Dreams
Publisher: Namco
Developer: Namco
Genre: Action
Players: 1

Klonoa: Empire of Dreams for the Game Boy Advance Nintendo handheld game system



Now this was the first Klonoa game I bought. After playing it, I was hooked. This game set a gold standard for GBA games for me, platformers specifically, and this was a definate before-its-time, being one of the first GBA games to be released.

As with all Klonoa games, its a standard platformer. Unlike its earlier relatives, it is full 2D, as a GBA able to emulate 3D would be a miracle. The sprites a well done, they fit together very well, fully articulate design spaing no pixel of Klonoa's character and essence in attacking, jumping, and the other things a game character basically does. The enemies are particularly something, as they reflect the lighting effect that would be present in a 3D game. The background is not as intricately designed, often being a single landscape. The level design is a bit more detailed on most maps, despite the glossy background. Here is a screenshot of ingame play:


While not showing much in foreground, you can plainly see the glossy land-scaped background, but it isn't very noticable during in-game play, despite its obvious nature. Cut-scenes have nicely rounded textures, showing obvious work in detailing most parts of the character and background images, with touch ups to the already nicely drawn and created sprites. Heres another screenshot for the good nature of adding them:



The sound is perfect for the levels...but sometimes the levels are a little too fluffy for their own good, much like in the Kirby game series. This makes some levels music both vexing and calming, which usually makes you tune them out. This doesn't mean the music is bad, its simply not very noticable when indulged within the addicting gameplay. The music in the cutscenes usually fits the scene to the best I would think possible. Again, like in the other Klonoa games, they speak they're own, un-interpretable language. For the music type the GBA is able to chug out, this is a good addition to the game.

The battle system remains the same in this Klonoa game as all others; sucking in enemies with your ring and expounding them to other enemies or into a walls or to gain distance. Although this style has gotton a bit old, hte Klonoa game series is still holding to it strong. With that effort they also make it continue to remain interesting. In this game, like Door to Phantomile, your ring is powered by the spirit which dwells inside it, namely Huepow.

The story begins as you, Klonoa, find yourself in multiple visions where you are not sure where you are, or whether theis place even exists or not. Soon you find out that the King of this land has put a law out which claims that no one may sleep, or dream more importantly as the law states. So now I know what your all thinking: "So what if they dream? Whos gonna stop them?" In answer to that: the guards. They, even though made miserable from this law, go and arrest anyone who they find sleeping, even breaking into homes to perform the arrests. The king's reasoning upon the law? The king is having a sever case of abnormal insomnia. He has not been able to sleep in days, and will not permit others to sleep. So comes Klonoa, the "dream traveller". Not really sure what he's doing, he fights through the visions to find out why the King is having insomnia and to liberate the land from this dreaming deprevation.

Now onto the ratings:

Graphics: 4 out of 5Nicely drawn sprites and eneies, and great front-gound scenerio textures. Now we get to that screwy-looking background. Sheesh...good thing its not very noticable.

Sound: 3.5 out of 5
Very calming music, which fits the levels. Unfortunately, sometimes you just wanna start smashing stuff to some jamming music, but oh well, this is second best!

Replay Value: 4.5 out of 5
Im not sure just what it was about this game that made me want to play it about 3 times over before I got bored. All I know is that it is wicked fun from start to finish and back again.

Gameplay: 4.5 out of 5
Another well done, good-to go platformer. What makes this one special is its the first best I've seen for GBA, AKA handheld.

Overall: 4 out of 5
As GBA games go, this one has held out to me as one of the strongest een since its release at the beginning of the GBA saga of gaming.

Score:
...

Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil
Publisher: Namco
Developer: Namco
Genre: Action
Players: 1

Klonoa. Probably the most woefully underrated game series out there. Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil for the Sony PS2 went almost unnoticed on the greater scheme of PS2 gaming. Another reason why it may have not gained recognition is because it came out around the time of Sonic Adventure 2: Battle. Talk about bad timing, huh? In any case, the 3D platformer has gained the respect of most who've played it.



Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil gameplay revolves mainly on its 3D set up as a platformer, with a few twists. As with all games in this genre, it is a side-scroller adventure with you fighting baddies along the way. Unlike most platformers, though, you don't simply run through each level hitting anything that moves along the way. You also must solve certain puzzles along the way with each level. These puzzles seem complicated when you first run into one. However, by the time you finish, you'll be smacking you head, thinking "Oh! It was so simple! Why didn't I think of that..." The game isn't all about puzzles, not at all. While there are many challenging puzzles there is also the classic smack-around-the-bad-guy feel to it, as you often use enemies to solve puzzles, among other things. The battle system is unusual and rather original. Not the effect of smashing bad guys, but the way you do it, and how they can never really be destroyed.

Rather the a shooting, jumping, or smashing way of fighting, Klonoa 2 uses an original-classic pulley battle system. Pulley may not be a good word, but the idea remains the same, as you take in enemies into a special weapon, and use them to unlock puzzles, or smash them into other enemies, or use them to propel to new heights.

The story is a classic "Save the world scenerio" with a couple of new and old ideas. You play as Klonoa, Namco's half-mascot, waking up into a different world, which leaves a lot of the WTF feeling in the air. They still use they're own language, much like in Animal Crossing, so even if you know Japanese you won't be able to understand what they're saying, despite the accent similarities. Woken up by a apprentice priestess and her dog, they instantly dub you the "dream traveller". You are almost tricked into helping the girl earn her priesthood, but all is well, as that was apparently neccesary for the plot. You learn that only the so-called "dream traveller and his sacred weapon" can save the land of Lunatea from a destructiv force. You embark on a journey along with the priestess and her human-like dog to ring the four bells to seal off the evil that will reveal itself in the King of Sorrow.

Onto graphics. Unlike the first few Klonoa games, this game is rendered in full 3D, no sprites involved. The first Klonoa game rendered 2D objects in a 3D background. Klonoa 2 has what players called "awesome visuals" for its time. The cutscenes were among the best of the graphic moments, when the visuals were nicely mixed 2D-3D. The gameplay graphics weren't too far behind, making this game a for-its-time(not before) in that department. Posted is a screenshot of in-game play during a sentry boss-battle:

The textures in that screenshot are smooth due to the circumstances, much of all boss battles run graphics in a much smoother fashion then during Vision gameplay(levels). Here are some screenshots of the natural side-scroller level play:




The music track isn't one you'll be likely to hum to, but its definately one you won't hold your ears hoping for a bomb to come before the end of the track. For the type of game, its considered a nicely, well rounded soundtrack, that (I've never really noticed it during gameplay, but I've never really listened)will keep either a calm or rushed mood, depending on the levels circumstance. The OST was even demanded enough to be created and released a few months after the game being released.

Well that was a bit to type. Rather enjoyable, I guess. Heres my rating on Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil for PS2 Sony Entertainment System.

Replay Value 3/5 Not too much to be had in this department, once you beat the game its usually the same thing over unless you do some of the mini-quests. Replaying does give an oddly good feel compared to most games.
Sound 4/5 They matched the scenario being played upon, thus making them a good style for-the-moment music, as well as sound
Graphics 4.5/5 Not bad at all, not what I'd call a masterpiece but for its time it was a huge advance form the original 2D rendered on a 3D set.
Gameplay 5/5 There isn't much more you could ask in a platformer. Klonoa 2 is almost what I'd call the absolute perfect platformer.
Score:


If your looking for a platformer, there isn't much better ...

Redmond, Washington—With a robust library of 160 high-definition games expected by holiday, Xbox 360™, the video game and entertainment system from Microsoft Corp., will get even better today. On its one-year anniversary, Xbox 360 will digitally deliver an initial lineup of TV shows and movies to gamers in the U.S. via Xbox Live®, the online games and entertainment network from Microsoft.

As announced earlier this month, Xbox Live Marketplace will now provide gamers with easy access to hundreds of full-length TV shows for download to own and movies for download to rent from CBS, MTV Networks, Paramount Pictures, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS, Inc.), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment with more content rolled out through Xbox Live Marketplace every week. Xbox 360 is the first gaming console to offer standard and high-definition TV shows and movies via digital distribution.

Xbox 360 Experience
Since its launch on November 22, 2005, Xbox 360 has gained impressive traction fast. Xbox 360 was the fastest console to reach five million sold, and six million Xbox 360 consoles had been sold by the end of September 2006. At least 10 million are expected to be sold by the end of this holiday season.

Expected to be available in 37 countries by holiday, Xbox 360 continues to retain record game and accessory attachment rates, according to NPD. With more than 4 million members and an expected six million by June 2007, Xbox Live continues its leadership as the first and most comprehensive online games and entertainment network seamlessly integrated throughout the entire Xbox 360 experience.

Xbox 360 is prepared to have a booming holiday season, with consoles readily available at retail along with a host of new accessories such as the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel, Xbox Live Vision camera and Xbox 360 HD DVD Player, not to mention blockbuster games such as Gears of War® and Viva Piñata™.

"We're exactly where we wanted to be this holiday with Xbox 360 retail stock availability," said Jeff Bell, corporate vice president of global marketing for the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. "With an incredible library of games, more than four million gamers playing online with Xbox Live, and a growing catalog of high-definition gaming and entertainment content, why would anyone wait in line when you can get a superior experience from Xbox 360 right now?"

Examples of the download-to-own TV shows and download-to-rent movies available on the network on November 22 include the following:

CSI, CSI: Miami, CSI: New York, NCIS, and Star Trek from CBS.
Chappelle’s Show, Drawn Together, and Emmy and Peabody award-winning South Park from COMEDY CENTRAL.
Pimp My Ride and Punk’d from MTV.
Avatar: The Last Airbender and SpongeBob SquarePants from Nickelodeon.
Skyland and Invader Zim from Nicktoons Network.
Chinatown, Star Trek VII: Generations, Patriot Games, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, The Sum of All Fears, The Untouchables, and We Were Soldiers from Paramount Pictures.
Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Frisky Dingo, Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, Sealab 2021, and The Venture Bros. from Turner Broadcasting.
Some of the most intense fights from Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Breaking Bonaduce and Hogan Knows Best from VH1.
Perfect Storm, Poseidon, The Shining, Three Kings, and V for Vendetta, as well as The Nine and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip along with the CW show Veronica Mars from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.
Using the Family Settings feature, parents and individuals can choose the video content that can be played on their family’s Xbox 360. With the availability of this new entertainment content, it's easy to set controls based on movie, TV, and video ratings, or you can entirely block explicit and unrated video content for yourself or your children.

Xbox 360 gamers in the U.S. can access Xbox Live Marketplace with a free Xbox Live Silver subscription or a paid Xbox Live Gold subscription and a broadband connection. Pricing is competitive and will vary based on format, media type and whether the content is a new release movie or a classic feature film.

Download Pricing
High-definition TV shows will be 240 Microsoft® Points per episode, and standard-definition TV shows will be 160 Microsoft Points per episode. New release movies in high definition will be 480 Microsoft Points, and standard-definition new release movies will be 320 Microsoft Points each. Classic feature films in high definition will be 360 Microsoft Points, and standard definition will be 240 Microsoft Points. After purchasing a high-definition TV show or movie, you can download the standard-definition version at no additional charge.

Microsoft Points can ...

Humanity is about to experience another exciting look at the world of Halo® 3, one of the most anticipated entertainment launches for 2007. Airing in North America, Monday, December 4 on ESPN's Monday Night Football and Xbox.com in Europe, the new 60-second Halo 3 trailer offers an exclusive look at the iconic Halo universe and provides telling, new hints as to what Bungie Studios has in store for the highly regarded Xbox 360™ exclusive.



Master Chief makes a Monday Night Football appearance.

Tune in to ESPN on Monday, December 4 between 5:50 and 6:20 P.M. Pacific Time to catch this stunning new look at Halo 3. Additionally, the ad will be aired that same evening on Xbox.com at 8:00 P.M. Pacific Time.

One Time Only
The ad, created by McCann Worldgroup San Francisco, includes a mixture of live action and computer generated animation, will air one time only and will then be made available online worldwide through Xbox Live® Marketplace and Xbox.com.

"Halo is a pop culture phenomenon! The Halo franchise has changed the face of interactive entertainment and it's only fitting that we take an innovative approach to how we market and advertise the brand," said Jeff Bell, corporate vice president of global marketing for the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft Corp. "This invites a new audience with a rich back story, and continues to galvanize gamers around the world for the launch of Halo 3 in 2007."

Beta Testers Wanted
In conjunction with the ad, Microsoft today unveiled further details and an official call to entry for the Halo 3 beta program. Beginning Monday, December 4, visit http://www.halo3.com and register for the opportunity to be one of the select members to join the unprecedented Halo 3 public beta program, scheduled to kick off in spring 2007. Be among the first to experience the most anticipated game of 2007!

The Xbox Live multiplayer public beta, which is a pre-release version of the multiplayer experience of Halo 3, is scheduled for availability in spring 2007 exclusively on Xbox 360. This beta also represents an opportunity for you to participate in the development of Halo 3. Through the resulting feedback, Bungie Studios will be able to further refine and hone the end result of Halo 3.

Unveiled earlier this year at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, Halo 3 represents the third chapter in the Halo trilogy, an international award-winning action series that grew into a global entertainment phenomenon, selling more than 14.7 million units worldwide, which equals nearly $700 million in sales, and logging in excess of 800 million hours of multiplayer action on Xbox Live.


Via XBox.com ...

Its still a beta, and has many animation errors that I had originally hoped to iron out before releasing. It may just be a small fraction of a peice of crap, but it took my a long time to make it, and I gave others heck in the process(sorry giz).
Im proud to say, though, that the beta testers were really impressed, so maybe its not as bad as I think
I dont know what a change-log is, so here are the current features
-Music
-battle animations(some)
-Database
-credits page
-start screen
-two selectable players






...