• scissors
    May 28th, 2009EthelGames, Music
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    beatles

    Now this might just convince me to invest in Rock Band for my Nintendo Wii!

    Imagine playing John Lennon’s Rickenbacker 325 (at least as envisioned by Harmonix). The controller will be sold for $99 alongside The Beatles: Rock Band, which goes on sale on September 9. For those who want every last semblance of the Beatles experience, Harmonix is also selling the Gretsch Duo Jet guitar used by George Harrison. The $249.99 Special Edition package features Paul McCartney’s bass, along with Ringo’s drums and a microphone.

    The game apparently will allow up to three mics, enabling three-part harmonies. Harmonix is accepting preorders at The BeatlesRockBand.com. Fans who preorder will receive “exclusive news and access to exclusive game elements,” according to the company.

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  • scissors
    April 14th, 2009EthelGames, Software
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    pcadvisor_logoThanks to PC Advisor, you can now download and play the full version of Azteca for free!

    AztecaEnter the world of ancient Aztecs and retrieve long-forgotten wisdom for King Ixtos.  Solve puzzles by matching the checkered clay discs, and collect arcane letters to unravel tales of untold secrets.  Azteca is addictive and challenging, and provides hours of fun.

    You can download the game by clicking [Download not found].

    Also included in the download are trial versions of Mahjongg Artifacts and Jewel Match.

    Installation of the game also includes the PC Advisor Game Center, which offers users up to 50 game trials.  Some titles within the PC Advisor Game Center are limited to one hour of play or a single use.  Full versions of games can be unlocked from with the Game Center.

    The access to the other game trials is a nice bonus . . . but the real “gem” here is the free full version of Azteca . . . don’t plan on getting any sleep for a while, once you start playing this game.

    Have fun!

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  • scissors
    March 31st, 2009EthelGames
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    In anticipation of the soon-to-be- released F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin, Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. is allowing you to download (for free!) the full multiplayer component of F.E.A.R. (First Encounter Assault Recon)  – one of the most acclaimed PC shooters of all time.

    fearlogo

    Simply click on the logo directly above and enter your birth date to get your free game and CD-Key.

    GamePro, which gave F.E.A.R. 5 stars and it’s “Editors’ Choice Award”, gave the game the following review:

    gameproAmongst the glut of sub par, so-so and typically trite shooters that currently flood the market, Monolith’s F.E.A.R. stands as a terrifying and wonderful reminder of the amazing creative potential inherent to first-person games. Both a technical and narrative masterpiece, F.E.A.R combines elements of science-fiction and horror with a beautiful aesthetic presentation and incredible enemy A.I. The amazing end result is capable of converting even the most diehard console gamers into temporary PC FPS fans.

    Believe the Hype
    While even the best big-name games typically fail to live up to all of the expectations placed on them, F.E.A.R. is able to fully support its own heavy hype. Graphically, F.E.A.R is a sight to behold, packed with jaw-dropping lighting and particle effects as well as outstanding character animation that exploits the game’s killer physics engine. However, all this graphical goodness does come at a price, as F.E.A.R demands serious PC hardware to be appreciated in its true form. That said, if you’re able to run F.E.A.R. at its higher settings without melting your motherboard, you are in for one of the most satisfying audio/visual experiences imaginable.

    Slow-motion Slaughter
    But as the multifaceted gameplay proves, F.E.A.R. is much, much more than dazzling special effects. Assuming the role of a new recruit in the elite F.E.A.R. unit (First Encounter Assault Recon), you have a plethora of powerful weapons and skills at your disposal. In addition to your impressive arsenal, you can swim, climb, dive over obstacles, lean out from behind cover, slow down time with superhuman reactions (ala Max Payne), and perform a variety of kick-ass kung fu melee moves, all backed by a highly intuitive and responsive control scheme. All of these abilities become essential as you face off against an army of super soldiers who fight and react with bloodthirsty zeal and frightening efficiency. In fact, F.E.A.R.’s surprisingly intelligent foes put other dimwitted, duck-and-cover FPS enemies to shame, and help maintain a sense of panic and excitement throughout the game.

    Be A.F.R.A.I.D.
    The outstanding story mode is also matched by an entertaining and very fast paced multiplayer mode that puts a few interesting twists on old genre standards by incorporating cool skills like in “Slow-Mo Deathmatch” and features a solid set of map varieties and distinct game types. Simply put, F.E.A.R. is the game Doom 3 was supposed to be–only smarter, scarier and better looking. Even if you don’t normally play FPS games, anyone who can stand a few good and gory scares (and who’s PCs are up to the challenge) owes it to themselves to experience F.E.A.R… You’ll likely be frightened–but you definitely won’t be disappointed.

    Enjoy!

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  • scissors
    March 2nd, 2009EthelGames, Software, Technology
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    This is really cool!

    I’ve been a big fan of pinball machines from the time I was “knee-high to a grasshopper” (as we used to say in Saskatchewan) and could barely see the pinball table standing on my tippy-toes.

    I recall that we used to drill a hole in a nickel and run fishing line through it, so that we could quickly pull our coin back out of the old machines at the Hotel Beach Store, at White Bear Lake (Saskatchewan, of course), and play for free all day.  (I hope the statute of limitations has run!)

    That was the wonderful past . . . and now is the FUTURE!

    Behold Future Pinball!

    Future Pinball is a FREE real time Pinball Development System.  It allows you to design and play your very own pinball simulation in True real time 3D.  It uses Advanced Physics to provide the best possible Simulation of a true-to-life pinball machine.  (You don’t even need a nickel with fishing line through it).

    Pinball tables are built up out of Standard components (Plastics, Pegs, Bumpers, Lights etc..) which are placed ontomaineditor_s the playfield via the Editor. Objects like Surfaces, Lights and Rubbers are shapeable within the editor and generated real-time when the table is played.  Other objects (Bumpers, Flippers, Gates, Triggers, Targets etc..) use pre-made 3d Models (of which there is a nice selection of each type).

    The Table logic is scripted in Visual Basic Scripting (via the Microsoft Scripting Technology’s built into Microsoft Windows).  Scripting is designed to be simple but flexible enough to allow a wide varity of original games to be created. Only a limited subset of the Visual Basic Scripting Language is used as a lot of extra functionality is provided by the game engine.

    Full Sound / Music Support is also provided with multiple Music Channels to allow cross fading.

    As Future Pinball is a Game Construction Program it contains some advanced concepts which may require a little bit of time (and patience) to learn and fully understand (such as computer graphics and scripting concepts).pcworldpage26

    PCWorld magazine did a 12-page tutorial on Future Pinball, which you can download from the Future Pinball site.

    Your investment of time (and patience) is well worth it, when you get to play a pinball game that you have designed from scratch!

    If you don’t have the time (or patience), users have uploaded tables to the Web site for you to enjoy.

    Try your hand at crafting your own original pinball machine . . . and if you come up with a good one, e-mail it to me.

    Enjoy!

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