Another quick game review. I will leave the 2,000 word epic reviews to the professionals, I just finished this game and thought I’d share my thoughts with the few people who pop-by this site (thanks Mom!).
Even in a fictional setting there is something sad about this image.
Very quick review.
This game is garbage. Buy NHL 06 for a few pennies and download the updated graphics, rules and rosters here for free.
System Requirements:
The game asks for a Vista Windows Performance Index score of 2.3. If your PC is newer than three years old and will turn on, then you can play it. This level of scalability is great when there is a high end setting too. But in this case you only get the basics. If you have a hot rod PC this game will not use any of that power.
The game is 3.1 GB installed. You will also be prompted to install EA’s pathetic attempt at a Steam rival, the EA store download manager. Ignore the threats of no patches and skip installing it unless you enjoy having spy ware installed on your system.
Gameplay
Skill stick is poorly implemented on the PC version, but its there. Otherwise this is the same game you have been playing since the late nineties. The only challenge is can you score 20 goals in three accelerated periods? Ten is easy. The same play almost always works.
Some of the new rules of this NHL season are missing, namely when a team is penalized the resulting face off is always in their zone. This is how much contempt EA has for you.
Online play is a joke. You actually need to know the IP address you want to connect to. Yes, EA wants you to kick it 1995-style. I think the first time I installed Gamespy was in 1996 to play Quake II. Lobby technologies have been available for longer than some EA customers have been alive. What idiot at EA decided to leave it out? Why even put ‘online play’ on the box?
Maybe in NHL 10 they will provide an API and a C++ programming guide with the expectation that we will write our own network code. Why not? After all EA fully expects a bunch of volunteer modders to deliver the full NHL09 experience; why not task them with more?
Graphics
It is not the next gen version in terms of visuals. Some player models are good, but without advanced settings like AA its hard not to be distracted by the roughness and lack of polish.
Barf
Audio
Do people actually buy this music? It’s utter crap. There must be millions of grunty Nickleback cover bands out there because each edition of NHL has fresh patches of this garbage music. Thankfully you can turn it off.
Jim Hughson’s commentary is well-read, although the volume needs to be normalized as some comments are louder than others. They must have been recorded at different levels. But hey, PC users don’t need polish on the software.
Final Conclusion
I am surprised that you have to ask. This game is heart-breakingly bad. It has no business being sold as a commercial boxed product. Any of the free mods for NHL 08 are superior. Yes, that’s right I am saying that freeware mods are better than an EA Sports game.
Verdict
Avoid. Buying this game is the consumer equivalent of being prison raped.
Gaming notebooks have been around for a few years now and getting a good one has been easy assuming you have heaping piles of cash. For those of us on a budget, we were stuck with mid range GPUs and big compromises in the visual settings of our games until Gateway’s FX line came out last winter. Brainwashed sheepish press will tell you that PC gaming is dead, but there must still be a few of us PC Gamers left because Gateway had a hit on its hands and soon most of its rivals followed suit by marketing gaming as a selling feature of notebooks. Today we’ll be looking at Toshiba’s Qosmio X305/300 gaming notebook.
Intel’s dominance of the notebook market the last few years has made reviewing a little less interesting. There are only so many ways to heap praise on Centrino. As we near the end of our wait for AMD’s long overdue response to Centrino, Intel has fired another salvo; Centrino 2. This Toshiba Satellite A300-02C is my first notebook using Intel’s latest bits and I am giddy like a school girl to test it out.
My review of the VX3 is up.
It took some work for the boys at TR to get my submission up to their standards - it was a painful experience and then I got called away on business (the day job i.e. what keeps the family fed).
Writing for me is a classic ‘don’t quit your day job’ proposition. I love doing it, but it will always be a hobby. Treating it like real work makes it tedious and not worth doing. Armed with my new-found appreciation of the attention to detail required to be a pro, I think I’ll stick to being a part-time hack with a good paying day job.
What’s with all the Acer reviews lately? As a value-conscious consumer with a weakness for technology I am drawn to a good deal. Have a quick look at what Staples is selling for $697.00 CDN (while supplies last).
Hardware Highlights:
Turn off the lights and this is what you see... it isn't as cool though
Based on specifications, this looks like a bargain but sometimes looks can be deceiving.
My review of this fine little netbook is up. Please head on over to the Tech Report for the details.
Next up is the Asus Lamborghini VX3 and Gateway M-6864FX. Stay tuned!
This simple $30 hard case for the iPhone feels like it would add some needed protection. It’s interlocking plastic shell snaps together cocooning the 3g in an extra mm or two on impact resistant plastic. A clear hard shield offers screen protection, held in place by the tight fit of the shell.
Installation is easy, be patient positioning the screen protector or you may crease it. Likewise, mind your greasy fingers or you will get annoying marks on the inside. A disposable cloth is included to wipe away grease prior to install.
With the Wave installed the 3g becomes a ponderous ipaq like brick. Congrats to Griffin on transforming an elegant device into a geek totem. The hard screen protector instantly forms distracting bubbles that ruin the screens readability in daylight.
Verdict: Avoid. Get a gel skin and don’t drop your iPhone.
Every year as back to school season approaches Best Buy teases consumers into their stores with loss leader notebooks. Usually they sell out pretty fast. It probably isn’t the typical PC users that buy them, but rather tweakers who are looking for a decent kit to experiment with. What kind of experiments? Linux distributions and other hacked OSes.
I thought it would be cool to pick one up when my monthly Best Buy Credit Card statement arrived with a ‘$50 off any notebook’ coupon attached. This years Best Buy attention grabber is priced at $399 CDN ($349 after coupon).
What does $350 get you these days?
Montevina notebooks are popping out everywhere and that means there are deals to be had on Intel’s previous platform; Santa Rosa. This is great news for value-centric consumers.
Gateway has been on a roll since being acquired by Acer last year. Acer’s aggressive pricing for decent specifications combined with Gateway’s newfound sense of style makes the $599 Gateway T-6321 a notebook of interest.
Hardware Highlights:
