Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition review

yesterday, i bought Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition and pretty quickly found out how addicting this game really can be once you know what you're doing. i tried it before on my laptop, and just couldn't get into it. i think it was the fact that unless you have a guid or something pulled up when you're crafting things, or are playing with a friend who knows what things go into what spots on the crafting window, nothing really happens too quickly.

the part of the game that really drew me in was the 360-exclusive tutorial level. you spawn into a world with quite a few things already prepared for you, one thing included is a partial shelter for the first night that you have to finish building. it tells you how to pull up and use the inventory window (pictured above)  and so much more. once you survive the first night, you are free to wander the rest of the tutorial world. there's a small village just a short walk away from your first shelter that can be used. i personally didn't keep going in the tutorial world, i jumped right into multiplayer with some friends and started doing things with them.

the crafting in the Xbox 360 edition is different than the computer version. for one, you don't have to drag the individual pieces into the crafting window; instead you simply pick from the list of things to make and if you have all the items, you press A and then it appears in your inventory.

the Xbox 360 edition is my first real Minecraft experience, and as far into it as i am i really enjoy it. not only is it a pretty fun game, it's also a good booster for your gamerscore. the achievements are simple to get and pretty much revolve around crafting/cooking items. there are a few avatar awards to unlock as well. if you have 1600 MSP to spend, spend it on this.

***RATING***- 7/5

(by the way, my gamertag is kbyyru.)

Burger King video game reviews

after cleaning out my game collection recently, i found that i still had my copies of these gems. Burger King put out 3 Xbox/Xbox 360 games in November 2006 as marketing tools. at the time, they cost $3.99 each with the purchase of a combo meal. i got all 3 from Amazon for around $6-$7 plus shipping.

first up is Sneak King. Sneak King is what happens when you crossbreed the Burger King and Solid Snake. it's a stealth game much like Metal Gear Solid or Manhunt, minus the weapons and violence in general. the point of the game is to sneak around the level handing food to the hungry people. this is where the stealth really comes into play: if anybody at all sees you, hungry or not, you lose any multiplier you've gotten (some missions will fail you if you are seen at all, or if your multiplier goes below a certain point). you can find hiding spots throughout the level, which actually give you a higher score per delivery if you give someone food while hiding in them. the people wandering around hungry don't just stay that way either; they get hungrier and hungrier until they simply pass out right where they are.

Sneak King is not like many other stealth games. beside the fact your goal is to feed the hungry people, you can wander the level and actually choose which missions you do in what order. you can even skip half the missions so long as you complete the other half. if you complete all 80 missions throughout all the levels, you unlock a stealth suit. i haven't actually gotten this far in the game yet, so i can't say what the suit looks like or if it has any bonuses to it.

***RATING***- 3.5/5

next is Big Bumpin'. this is almost exactly what it looks like: bumper cars driven by Burger King characters. there's different game modes such as hockey that can be played. on certain modes, traps appear in the arena, such as pits that you fall in and power saws that damage your car. naturally, bumping your opponents' cars damages them too. once your car takes enough damage, you're out of the game. i actually haven't played this one very much at all because the AI is some of the worst i've ever seen and is practically unplayable solo. i'd suggest getting at least one other person to go through a game or two with you so it's not so bad.

***RATING***- 2/5

last up is Pocketbike Racer. this is a throwback to the old school kart racing games such as Mario Kart. you have the same Burger King characters to choose from, as well as a few different bikes. there's 5 courses to race on, one being the parking lot of a Burger King restaurant (who'd have thought it?) powerups can be collected to use against your opponents; these vary from bottle rockets (homing and non-homing) to a disruptor that reverses the controls of the opponent that it hits. the gates on the track unlock better weapons as players go through them.

***RATING***- 2.5/5

out of all 3 games, Sneak King is probably my favorite. the other 2 are full of glitches and like to freeze a lot. also, Xbox Live players are all but nonexistent. the ones who do play i seriously think have hacked their games because the Pocketbike Racer leaders always have lap times of 0:00. if you really want any of these games, go to your local Gamestop and dig through the bargain bin. they're about $.99 a piece last i saw them.

Born Villain - Marilyn Manson review

Born Villain, Marilyn Manson's first release in almost three years, was intended by Manson to be his comeback album. this was welcome news after expecting another High End of Low-type album. when the first single, No Reflection, was released online i snapped it up (well, having a bit of Amazon credit helped) hoping for the best. what i got was something similar to the days of Holy Wood were upon us again.

as Born Villain goes on, it turns into something like a punk version of Holy Wood. it honestly sounds like Manson has found a new sound for himself that doesn't stray from the norm. this album is definitely his comeback, but i think he was a bit off when he described it as "suicide death metal". i'm not sure what his definition of death metal is, but this really isn't it. also, the bonus track at the end (You're So Vain) includes Johnny Depp on guitar and drums. i was originally thinking he was going to be a guest vocalist or something.

***RATING***- 4/5