Crash Team Racing

If hard core metal and classic songs gets irritating to the ears, there’s alternative music to light things up. It’s same as playing computer games. If we are fed up with bloody and adrenaline pumping plots, why don’t we try playing some feel good and light games such as the Crash Team Racing? Yup, this is one of my all-time favorite games!

The Crash Team Racing was introduced during the debut of the PS1 (Playstation 1). Crash Bandicoot Racing is a racing game published by Sony Computer Entertainment and developed by Naughty Dog for PlayStation. Crash Team Racing is the fourth episode in the Crash Bandicoot video game series which started with Crash Bandicoot in 1996.

If you haven’t tried this one, I think it’s about time for you to start the adventure with the CTR. It’s fun... and it’s worth playing!

Game Daily Presents: Boobie Fest!

Whew! It's been almost two months since the last time I posted here. I'm kinda busy these past months upgrading my auto parts like Acura fenders, and now I'm back to give you guys the freshest updates and interesting articles about the gaming industry.

Anyway, browsing through Game Daily's website, I got bugged with this hot feature. Guys at Game Daily selected the boobie-licious characters of the several PC and console games as their "Babe of the Week." Check them out!

1. Christie Monteiro (Tekken 5)
Despite of her gracious Capoiera dancing moves along with her boobie weights, Christie doesn’t get tired after all. She even kicks some ass… well, it depends on the player if he focus on Christie's moves not on her sexy thingy.

2. Lara Croft (Tomb Raider)
Our beloved Lara Croft. We've seen her portrayed by Hollywood hottie Angelina Jolie and did some death defying stunts with her bouncing assets. How amazing!

3. Dead or Alive Girls
The Asian hotties! These anime-like girls really look awesome. According to Game Daily, "You don't need to go back to the first game to enjoy these girls' assets. Dead or Alive 4 for Xbox 360 features these girls (and their girls) in all their bouncing glory."

4. Rachel (Ninja Gaiden)
"The best part of Ninja Gaiden Sigma is playing as Rachel, though we're not sure how much that skimpy armor can protect her. From us."

5. Soul Calibur Girls
"Normally, oversized assets would get in the way of fast action sword fighting. However, the Soul Calibur girls prove otherwise, using their accentuated features to distract opponents."

6. Elexis Sinclaire (SiN)
After spreading a genetically mutating virus from her lab, what more can your ask for this evil boobie-licious hottie?

7. Mai Shiranui (Fatal Fury)
Another hard hitting babe. Mai Shiranui kicks ass when doing some high kicks and flips despite of the weights on her chest.

8. Tala (Darkwatch)
Creepy and sexy. These two words are the best adjectives to describe this vampiress from Darkwatch.

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Preview

Although Sony and Polyphony Digital did not yet release the details of the upcoming Gran Turismo 5 Prologue game for the PlayStation 3, initial details from various websites continue to surface.

Surprisingly, demos of the Gran Turismo 5 Prologue will be available for download this holiday season. GT fans can get the game from PlayStation Network on the PlayStation 3. Sounds good eh?

According to a recent post from GT Channel, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue will feature a total of seven new car models. They include the 2008 Lexus IS-F, 2009 Nissan GT-R, 2008 Mazda Atenza, 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STi, 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X GSR, 2008 Daihatsu OFC-1 and 2009 BMW 135i coupe. There are also numerous new race tracks in the game, but the demo will only allow players to use the Suzuka circuit.

Check out below for the other details of the Gran Turismo 5 Prologue demo version, according to PS3central.net.

• A first for the franchise, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue supports online racing with up to 16 drivers racing simultaneously on a beautifully rendered race track.
• Race 30 high-performance and exhaustively detailed cars, including vehicles from Ferrari, Lotus, Nissan and Mitsubishi.
• Race on five stunningly realistic tracks, including the Eiger Nordwand, the London City Track and Suzuka – then race them in reverse and with alternative routes.
• A new physics engine delivers next-generation vehicle handling. True to the heritage of the Gran Turismo franshise, this new physics engine provides unprecedented realism and authentic handling specific to each car.
• A new in-cockpit view provides a unique perspective for racers and features a customized dashboard for each of the cars in Gran Turismo 5 Prologue
• All-new and improved opponent AI for a nail-biting race experience
• Access to Gran Turismo TV: a world of great motoring TV programming online through PLAYSTATION Network.
• My Garage is a personalized homepage feature with a friends list, chat functionality and personal game records to expand the interaction between car enthusiasts in the world of GT.
• Quick Tune facility allows you to adjust power, tires, suspension and much more.
• All in stunning High Definition at 1080p (race: 1080p-60fps, replay: 1080p-30fps)
• Photo Mode gives players the opportunity to photograph their car during the race where they can take advantage of zoom, depth of field and motion blur.

Watch out for this demo to be released anytime soon. Anyway, I wish Gran Turismo 5 Prologue could also feature Saab sports car models equipped with Saab wiper blade.

Most Controversial Games According to Yahoo!

While checking the web for some quality BMW catalytic converter, I bumped on this article from Yahoo! Check this out.

Ben Silverman, writer for Yahoo! Games also created his list of the most controversial console and computer games of all time. This is similar to GamesRadar.com's top 10 banned games I posted last June.

Anyway, check out Silverman's list of most controversial games.

Night Trap
(1992: Sega CD)
Well, this game is too "sexist or too violent", according to several groups. According to Silverman, " Senate hearings led by Joseph Lieberman called the game's content "sick" and "shameful," and while they inaccurately claimed that players were encouraged to trap and kill the unfortunate starlets the damage was done as the game was quickly yanked from retail shelves."

Mortal Kombat
(1992: Arcade)
Night Trap and this bloody gruesome game paved the way in developing the ESRB game industry ratings systems, and other similar organizations. Actually, Mortal Kombat is one of my fave games. This game was a big hit in the 1990s with its unique finishing moves like "Brutality", "Fatality", "Animality", and others. There are several versions of this game and I love each of them!

Doom
(1993: PC)
Whoa! The birth of first person shooting (FPS) games! This game is quite good enough for me without its lousy graphics. Anyway, Silverman also commented, "When fledgling developer id Software cobbled together the landmark Martian monster mash Doom back in 1993, they were simply building on the success of their previous game, Wolfenstein 3D. But Doom took off like a bat out of you-know-where, quickly becoming the most downloaded PC shareware program of the era."

SimCopter
(1996: PC)
Honestly, I am not familiar with this game. Let Silverman comment on this. He said: "Before Rockstar was scalded by Hot Coffee, sim developer Maxis was burned by Hot Guys In Speedos. Upset with what he considered unfair working conditions (i.e. too many hours, not enough margaritas), a SimCopter programmer named Jacques Servin decided to play a bit of a prank by making a few alterations to the game code just before it shipped: on certain dates, scads of shirtless male sprites (dubbed "himbos") would gather in great numbers to hug and kiss. When word of the unauthorized code leaked, sales skyrocketed and Servin was summarily fired. Where's the love?"

Postal
(1997: PC)
Shootout and killing spree! This game was banned in 13 countries with its violent contents. What could be more violent than shooting people with no reasons at all? Bang! You're dead.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
(2004: PS2)
Another freaky and violent game. Like Postal, player of GTA: San Andreas can kill innocent people with no reason. But the exciting and controversial thingy is... this game features some sex games by downloading the required patch or mod. Hhhhhhot.

Bully
(2006: PS2)
This game caused controversy among parents and educators. Bully was also developed by Rockstar games, same with GTA and contains violence and some sexuals themes. Is this imply that developers at Rockstar are... pervs? LOL!

Resistance: Fall of Man
(2006: PS3)
According to Silverman, "This well-received first person shooter was one of the few PS3 launch titles worth the price of admission and served as the troubled console's high point through much of its debut year."

BioShock
(2007: Xbox 360, PC)
"By all accounts, this unnerving first-person action game is a diamond, a commercial hit and a shoo-in for countless game of the year awards. A few notable issues plagued the game's launch but it's BioShock's central moral dilemma - whether or not to harvest "Little Sisters" for the precious material ADAM - that makes it a case study for Ethics majors," said Silverman.

Manhunt 2
(2007: PS2, Wii, PSP)
Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Last but not the least, the infamous Manhunt 2! I definitely agree with Silverman that Manhunt 2 is the most controversial game. I mean this game stirred the industry when ESRB changed the rating from AO (Adults Only) to M (Mature). Manhunt 2 is also banned in several countries as it contains explicit violence. Again, thank Rockstar for developing this controversial game! Thumbs up! LOL!

Another Halo 3 Update

The biggest names from the hip-hop music industry including Lil Jon, E-40, Bonecrusher, Bobby Valentino, Fabo of D4L, Lil Scrappy, Ying Yang Twins and more had a chance to play Halo 3 with each other ahead of the game's official release on September 25th.

Halo 3, the much-awaited game of this year has already posted more than 1 million preorders in North America for the Xbox 360 gaming platform. Anyway, going back to these hip hop freaks, the artists got the Xbox 360 Special Edition Halo 3 Console with Zune - Halo 3 Edition that is why they are able to play the game. Hip hop and gaming website Konsole Kingz (www.konsolekingz.com) also introduced the game's publisher Microsoft to other well known hip hop artists like Big Boi of Outkast and Mr. Collipark. Konsole Kingz and Microsoft will also host a private Halo 3 party.

CJ Peters, CEO and founder of Konsole Kingz commented:
"We couldn't be happier with the industry's response to the Konsole Kingz - Halo 3 party. Gaming is a multi-billion dollar industry and growing fast. Our goal is to bring the influential world of hip-hop to the video game space; events like this are the start."

Big Boi also commented:
"My guys came through from Microsoft with some gifts. I got the brand new Halo 3 special edition Xbox 360. The biggest entertainment release ever! They told me the numbers for the first day opening, you won't believe it."

In addition, Bungie Studios and Microsoft also released some details about upcoming Halo 3 launch events in September 25. The two companies responsible for the game will conduct the Halo 3 "Midnight Madness" sale featuring four regional retail stores hosting the event across the U.S. including Best Buy in New York and Seattle, Miami, and GameStop in Los Angeles.

Buyers of the Halo 3 game can have a change to bring home some freebie items including:

* Halo Action Clix from WizKids
* Collectible trading cards from Topps
* Halo Ghosts of Onyx by Eric Nylund from Tor
* Frag Fest t-shirts from Mighty Fine
* Accessories and hats from Changes
* Messenger bags from Enmon Accessories
* Console sling bag and hardware organizers from BD&A
* Halo Graphic Novels published by Marvel
* 2008 Halo calendars from Trends International
* Halo Uprising Comic (issue one) from Marvel
* Halo soundtracks from Sumthing Else Music
* Weapon replicas from Master Replicas
* Zune Halo 3 edition from Microsoft
* Limited-edition figurines from the diorama created for the "Halo 3" ad campaign

Whew! September 2007 is really a Halo 3 month!

GameDaily's Top 10 Most Influential War Games

Bring on the tanks, warships, fighter planes, missiles, guns, and ammunitions. It is time to determine the most influential war-themed games of all time. And to do that, I need a help from GameDaily, one of the leading websites dedicated to the gaming industry.

GameDaily's staff compiled the hundreds of war video games out there and selected the top 10 most influential games among them. Here is the list along with a brief description from GameDaily.

#10 Herzon Zwei (Sega Genesis)
"Produced by the same team that made the Thunder Force shooting games, Zwei combines two styles into one engaging experience -- real-time strategy and solid shooting action."

#9 Company of Heroes (PC)
"THQ perfected the art of the RTS with Company of Heroes. In it, players direct their factions into specific sections, setting them up for combat and dominating the enemy any way they can."

#8 Romance of the Three Kingdoms & Dynasty Warriors
"Players dominate China between the second and third centuries, using smarts to keep their armies alive while also defending their territories."

#7 General Chaos (Sega Genesis)
"Up to four players choose sides and then fight it out using various soldiers, ranging from grenade-lobbying grunts to flame-thrower carrying bad-asses. Players new to the game can enroll in a Boot Camp mode, to learn the basics of combat."

#6 Gears of War (Xbox 360)
"In Gears of War, a fight breaks out between the well-armed Delta Squad and the nasty aliens, the Locust Horde."

#5 Resistance: Fall of Man (PlayStation 3)
"Sony rewrote World War II with the enthralling shooter Resistance: Fall of Man, introducing a deadly alien threat that replaces those evil Nazis."

#4 Medal of Honor (multi platform)
"EA's Medal of Honor series has only gotten better and better, culminating with this week's release of Medal of Honor: Airborne. This latest chapter looks intense, with players able to parachute right into enemy territory and complete missions any way they see fit."

#3 Call of Duty
"Not to be outdone by EA's Medal of Honor series, Activision struck a chord with its Call of Duty franchise. It got attention with Call of Duty 2 on the Xbox 360, one of the better games for the system's launch."

#2 Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter
"In this game, players take back Mexico during a crisis, averting nuclear terror and taking out plenty of opposition along the way."

#1 Combat (Atari, Atari 2600)
"Packed with the Atari 2600, Combat keeps things simple, with player versus player in an all-out fight for supremacy. Using planes and tanks through multiple variations, players find themselves utilizing a number of skills to get the precious kill."

Manhunt 2 Update

The Manhunt 2 is the most controversial video game nowadays. It was originally rated AO (Adults Only) by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) and scheduled to be released in July 2007, but was suspended due to some rating controversies. As a result, the game's developer, Rockstar modified the game and rated and will be launched in the U.S. later this October. ESRB rated the game as M for Mature, and some institutions are not happy about this rating.

Take the Common Sense Media for instance. The institute's CEO, James Steyer has released a statement regarding ESRB's decision to change the rating of Manhunt 2 to M, from its original rating AO.

Check out what James Steyer's statement:

“While we have recognized the ESRB in the past for its positive efforts to increase parental awareness of video game ratings, we take serious issue with the board’s recent decision to reduce Rockstar Games’ Manhunt 2 from an AO rating to an M rating without providing any rationale for the change.

“By all available accounts, Manhunt 2 is the most brutally violent game ever produced for wide release, including intense, realistic scenes of mutilation and even castration. Unfortunately, given Rockstar’s history of creating and selling irresponsibly violent and graphic content – you need look no further than Grand Theft Auto and the infamous Hot Coffee incident for evidence – this isn’t a surprise. Parents have probably come to expect bad behavior from Rockstar – but they deserve better from the ESRB.

“It is clear that by lowering the rating, the ESRB has all but ensured that the game will be marketed and sold through channels popular with kids and teens – and, despite industry claims to the contrary, kids under 17 can and do purchase M-rated games. Before Manhunt 2 is released for sale, parents deserve an explanation – they need to know the facts about this grossly violent game before it goes on the market.

“By failing to explain their decision and, in turn, provide the transparency that consumers need if they are to trust the ESRB’s ratings, the board threatens to undermine a ratings system that has many positive aspects and that could serve as an important tool for parents.”

Whew! strong words from the Mr. Steyer. Anyway, I got to check for some Volvo window regulator on the web. Watch out for other Manhunt 2 and other gaming updates in this blog.