I play a lot of video games, natch, and since not all games (or gamers) are created equally I usually find it necessary to use various websites designed to give me a hand. I found a pretty good one the other day, it’s comprehensive and from what I’ve been able to discern, skips the bullcrap. I am personally tired of having to search through loads of text to find what I’m looking for. Like just the other day I was looking for GTA 4 Cheats and came across the site. I was immediately impressed with the layout of the site, it’s fun and chock full of good info you need to know.

I found myself looking around the site and digging the content for so long I almost forgot I was looking for GTA IV CHEATS. Cheat Planet is the cheat/FAQ resource section of a larger site called GamesRadar dedicated to all things gaming from news and reviews to cool polls, lists and random funny junk. The Cheat Planet side is mostly user contributed and is well organized and easy to navigate, a must for short attention span folks like me. There’s also a file download area where you can get sweet old school titles for free and even get some current-gen gamesave info for you achievement/trophy whores out there.

For those out there with a need to make your voice heard to the rest of the gaming universe there’s also a forum where you can”discuss the latest in gaming, news, YouTube videos, breakfast meats, and everything in between.” awesome. Best part? It’s free baby! Yep most jerk sites demand a signup fee or even a monthly membership to access all the really juicy bits but not Cheat Planet, all you have to do is register and you’re good to go.

I gotta say I was blown away by how good this site is. I’m usually pretty hard to impress when it comes to these things and this on really lives up to it’s potential. So if you’re like me and are looking for GRAND THEFT AUTO 4 CHEATS, or just a daily dose of all things gaming, give cheat Planet and GamesRadar a shot. GH recommended!

Keep on pwnin!

The Gamer Hero

Ok so everyone knows that most movie or TV based games suck serious wind right? Right and as a rule that still holds pretty true even in today’s next-gen gaming world. So why even bother reviewing The Simpson’s Game at all? Because it’s one of the few (very few) TV licensed games that DOESN’T suck, that’s right it’s actually pretty good! That’s not to say that it doesn’t have it’s flaws but as a Simpson’s experience you really can’t go wrong here.

So let’s hit the basics here, graphically, this is one of the best conversions from two to three dimensions that any ‘toon has received. You’ll get to roam a beautifully rendered Springfield as all four Simpsons (Marge carries Maggie on her back), and interact with the town’s colorful (sorry) cast of characters. Even the face-mapping to the dialogue is pretty good, sometimes better than the show. So no complaints here.

Sound is another great aspect of this game. All of the voice cast from the show are here to bring the residents of Springfield to life, and you can expect to see all your favorites, yes even Ralph. The writing is sharp and does a very good job of poking fun not only at the show but the gaming industry as a whole as well. You’ll collect video game cliches throughout the game reminding you that the developers were very aware of what they were creating.

Which leads to the gameplay. It’s not bad. It’s not GREAT, but it’s not bad. There are times when the camera gets in the way and the lack of vehicles is sorely felt. Any gamer worth his or her salt will find conventional gaming elements that range from classic platforming to GTA-style sandbox play, a breeze to pick up an master in about two minutes. That’s not to say that it’s a bad thing, they just didn’t break any new ground here.

So here’s what it comes down to folks, if you’re a fan of The Simpsons, get this game, you’ll love it, I did. If you’re a casual gamer looking for a light romp through a familiar world, rent it from GameFly. And if you’re a hardcore gamer looking for a challenge, you might want to look elsewhere. Just remember, easy games equals easy achievements.

The Gamer Hero

Gamer Hero Score: 7/10

A few days ago I posted a game console buying guide for those trying to decide on a new machine, but “Which games should I buy?” you ask? Well here you go I’ll lay out a few of the best hottest games for each system and a few that are on multiple platforms. All of these titles can be found at Amazon, Play-Asia, EB Games, or any of the other sites under the “Shop Gaming” category on the left sidebar.

Xbox 360

Mass Effect - An epic RPG from BioWare, the company that brought us Knights of the Old Republic, Baldur’s Gate and Jade Empire. Customizable storylines and combat system, high replay value and even an alien girl-on-girl love scene make this one a must-have for and serious gamer.

Halo 3 - Do I really need to talk about this one? Go buy Halo 3 right now. One of the best FPS titles ever released. Period.

BioShock - Dark, demented and thoroughly creepy. A great FPS that puts you in a derelict underwater city inhabited by weird dudes in old-timey diving suits and evil ghoul children. Oh yeah and this one won Spike TV’s VGA Game of the year so, ’nuff said.

PlayStation 3

Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune - In this third-person action/adventure/platforming/shooting title from Naughty Dog studios you get a real feel for the power of the PS3 and what it’s Cell processor can do. Dazzling graphics and sound, tight controls and an immersive storyline centering on the fabled treasure of El Dorado. Possibly the first must have on the PS3.

Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction - The great third-person shooter/platformer with familiar characters and storylines makes the leap into the next generation. New weapons, vastly improved graphics and an updated story make for a great next installment in the revered series. The use of the sixaxis motion sensitivity and sweet score make this a worthy entry on this list.

Nintendo Wii

Super Mario Galaxy - The portly plumber is back in his greatest adventure yet. Easily the best Mario title to date, this game has sharp visuals, stellar sound and very tight controls. You guide Mario on a quest to retrieve stars from the ever-present Bowser and his kin. The best part of the game is the creative use of physics and gravity (or the lack thereof) to affect gameplay. Good stuff here, a must-have for any Wii owner.

Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles - A departure from the traditional survival-horror the series is best known for, RE:UC is a throwback to to light-gun shooters of generations past. That doesn’t make it a bad game however, it takes you through your favorite scenes from RE1, RE3 and REzero, and let’s you experience familiar characters from a new point of view. Nice visuals and lots of content make definitely make this one worth your dough.

Multi-Platform

Some of the best games are on multiple systems, here are the cream of the crop.

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock - Available on all three new systems. The next hit rhythm game from Activision has a sweet new controller, upgraded graphics and killer track list including songs from Guns n’ Roses, Aerosmith, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Slayer to name but a few. You know you want this. We all want this. Just hope the store has some left. Available for the 360, Playstation 2, Wii, and Playstation 3.

The Orange Box - Available on 360, PS3 and PC. Best value of the season! This is a compilation of several games from Valve Software, it includes Half-Life 2, HL2 Episodes 1 and 2, Team Fortress 2 and a crazy physics-based FPS called Portal. For those of you that have already played HL2, please don’t do yourself a disservice by skipping this one. Portal and Team Fortress 2 more than make it worthwhile. And for those uninitiated in the ways of HL2, then this is the perfect one for you, the seminal FPS is here in all it gory glory, along with the two episodic expansions. Good times. Available for the 360, PC, and Playstation 2.

Rock Band Special Edition - Available on 360, PS3 and PS2. It might seem like a shameless rip of Guitar Hero but since the folks at Harmonix created GH, maybe they know what they’re doing. At first glance it seems very similar to GH in that you use a guitar controller to hit notes as they scroll toward you. End similarity. RB not only uses a guitar but also a drum kit and microphone to allow up to 4 people to play simultaneously (with an extra guitar for the bass track). It’s an outstanding game with some new gameplay elements and a hot track list. Everyone should get this, but you may have to wait ’till you save up a bit of money since this one goes for a steep $169. But hey you get three instruments. Save. Buy. Rock. Available for Playstation 3 and 360.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare - Available on 360, PS3 and PC. Pure FPS joy. Take all the goodness of previous CoD games and crank it up to 11! Stunning graphics, sound and controls make this THE FPS serious gamers are playing this season. It won Spike TV’s VGA for best First Person Shooter. What else do you need to know? Stop reading this and buy this game immediately. You’ll thank me when you finally manage to pry yourself away from the controller. Available for the 360, Playstation 3, PC, and Nintendo DS.

That’s all for now. Remember most of these games are for next generation systems, so check which system your gamer has if you’re shopping for gifts. Good luck out there and remember: new games = happy gamers!

Happy Holidays!

The Gamer Hero

P.S.: Not all of us can afford that new system or hot new title to purchase for our loved ones. That’s okay. Last-Generation systems (especially GameCube) are going for greatly reduced prices nowadays and all have huge game libraries to choose from. Get the lowdown here.

You can also buy them used games in great condition via SecondSpin - they have almost every game you can think of, pre-played and cheap.

Also, if your gamer has the system but not the games, you should consider a gift subscription from GameFly, a great online game rental service with low monthly fees and no late charges. I use it, so should you.

GH

So here it is December 9th already and I haven’t done any Christmas shopping yet. Have you done yours? As any gamer worth his salt will tell you, this season is a real good time to be a gamer. You’ve got three major consoles vying for dominance and your hard earned cash: Microsoft’s Xbox 360, Sony’s PlayStation 3 and Nintendo’s Wii. With major title releases and price drops the Holiday season is one of the best times to get on board with a new console.

All three have their selling points, Wii is the cheapest at about $250 and it has the motion-sensitivity controls that make it easy to pick up and play by a wider audience. The drawback is that it’s graphics just don’t hold up to the processing powerhouses of the 360 and PS3. Still, innovative gameplay mechanics and exclusive titles like Mario and Zelda you can’t go wrong with this one (if you can find one that is).

The PlayStation 3 is the beefiest of the three with a Cell Broadband Engine advanced microprocessor, a built-in Blu-Ray player and a 40GB hard drive. This console also supports Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1. However unlike the other models of the PlayStation 3, the 40GB does not offer backwards compatibility. But with a growing library of quality games on the horizon like GTA4 and MGS4, and a recently lowered price tag (about $400) the PS3 may just be the next big one, if Sony doesn’t eff it up that is.

Last but certainly not least is the Xbox 360 from Microsoft. First let’s just acknowledge that the 360 had a year lead on both of the other consoles so it’s only natural that the games on it are better. That said, let the praise begin! Let’s talk about the machine itself, great processor power, a removable hard drive, wireless controllers, customizable faceplates, and XboxLive online service. At about $400 bucks the price can be daunting, but the library of titles (Halo3, CoD4 and Mass Effect to name just a few) more than makes up for it.

In the final analysis I’d say the best buy of the season is the Xbox 360, the games are just better than the competition’s. That’s not to say that you should only get one, by all means get all three and don’t deprive yourself of any of the gaming goodness that this time of year always seems to deliver. They all have (or will have) exclusive games that you are going to want to play.

Trust me kiddies, save your pennies and suck up to Mom and Pop or this Christmas you’ll end up with more boring clothes and junk you don’t really want. If the ‘rents aren’t savvy enough to find what you want, and you know you can tell if they’re not, ask for gift cards to the game store near you. Oh, and if you’re the one shopping for the gamer in your family remember, gamers want games, not socks.

The best deals on consoles and games can be found at Amazon, Play-Asia (for those hard-to-find and rare games). A subscription to Gamefly is a great idea if your gamer giftee already has the console of his choice.

Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays or whatever you celebrate this time of year!

Here’s hoping you all get what you’re wishing for.

The Gamer Hero