AltecApollyon's World

Henry Hatsworth (Nintendo DS)

I just started playing this game and I'm loving it. It's a great mix between puzzler and jump-and-run. It's the kind of quirky mix that I expect from a Japanese software house but I was surprised to see the EA logo pop-up at the beginning. (It's especially "japanese" went he transforms into his knight suit) It's got good humour too: the hero is a monoclue wearing, bowler dotting, tea drinking stuffy old british gentleman. And despite its colourful and very "kiddy" looking cover, this is one tough game!


Astro Boy - Omega Factor (Nintendo Gameboy Advance)

A really cool action game, its Astro boy! I'm finding it really tough so far (a bit too unforgiving!) but the levels are as different and strange as the enemy robots from the manga - And hey its Astro boy, so its just so rad. You meet new characters to upgrade your "soul" (different attack meters, and your life meter) - so there's a slight difference to most side scrolling jump-and-run/action games and, although Im not that far, I think its not completely linear; I met one character the first time, and then because I died and went back, I took a different way, and it seems I'll never meet that other character actually: Awesome (thats something Id really like to see from the NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. WII.


Puzzle Quest (Xbox 360)

A wicked game. I don't know why I didnt check it out sooner. It was on sale for 50% off on Xbox Live, so that comes out to about 5€ (400microsoftpoints). It's really not that much at all. The game is wild. It's bejeweled meets classic RPG. Instead of fighting monsters with swords, you fight through the bejeweled game - gaining mana by connecting at least 3 jewels of the same colour, gaining XP by connecting 3 or more XP-stars, and you damage your opponent by connecting a minimum of 3 skulls (although i think they look more like the heads of the aliens from DISTRICT 9....) Along the way, (and this is the wild part) you get spells that allow different moves and skills during the bejeweled-style battle. Plus you can get items that make you stronger, you level-up and actually become stronger and you can even build your own castle (with dungeons and towers and stables) that will allow you to capture your enemies and learn their spells, train a mount, forge new items and further customizing your character...oh me oh my...

Alright I'm sorry but I gotta let this out. Today I really hate living in Germany. First, everything was going good, I was playing the very last level on Call of Duty 5: World At War on veteran (which is a pain in the butt) and I was looking forward to having it behind me and getting a taste of the zombie-nazi levels - especially since I had bought the new map pack over XBL and there was a 2nd co-op map for the zombie-nazi level : "Verrükt" it was called.

After I beat the game, there was nothing.

It's bad enough that the game is ONLY being sold here in a dubbed GERMAN version - but this....this is another show of German censorship that I dont understand. The game is already rated 18, its already super realilistic and authentic when killing the other humans in the game. It's got intense scenes, its even got a warning cautioning players at the beginning. Then why does the mythical ZOMBIE level get cut from the german version?! And why are german XBLA owners paying the same price for the map-packs (or more since the Euro is worth more) then our American gaming friends?!

Unacceptable.

Secondly, as if that wasnt disappointing enough for one day. The ice hockey world cup is on at the moment, in Switzerland. Seems that in Germany, its DSF who's responsible for putting this on TV. Which is scary since they have some weird 'sports stripping' on at night and odd money-grabbing call in game-shows during the day. I mean is there REALLY nothing that they can show? Sports are happening constantly! I dont understand why they just dont show a a re-run of some of the games! or something geez, whats going on over there?! I already had a hard enough time with them showing an unimportant game between Germany and Austria on Sunday, when Canada was playing against Norway, but then yesterday - May 4th - Canada was playing against Finland. I mean this is a showdown. Today the IIHF webpage describes it as "A barnburner, a dustup, a CAN-FIN battle royale"

Battle Royale?! Are you kidding me? A game that went past overtime to shootouts and then even 14 of those!!! DSF where is your mind?! Oh yea I forgot, DSF is showing "Hattrick" their 2nd german league soccer game! DSF by the way, stands for : Deutsche Sport Fernseher (German Sport Television). I know ice hockey isnt on their priority list. I know. But even after the soccer game was over, they didnt quickly go to the hockey game, they were showing some report about some manager and some interviews that were in no way live....I dont get it. This Ice hockey world cup, its a WORLD event. I know its not the soccer world cup, but there are more teams in it from EUROPE then from anywhere else.

Not even Eurosport was showing the games.

I hate this.

A friend of mine was in New York during the Soccer world cup (I know its called Football just leave me alone) and he went to a bar to watch the game. They were watching when a guy came in and asked to have the TV turned to the GOLF game that was taking place. My German friend scoffed, but the bartender said : "Well, if anyone else comes in asking, we'll change it." They did and he did. And while the biggest sport event of the year was happening my friend was forced to watch GOLF.

I guess what Im saying is : AT LEAST IT WAS ON TV AND YOU COULD SEE IT! WHY ISNT IT ON MY TV?!

End of RANT.

Heres dessert : (albeit "PAINFUL dessert" if you are in Germany)