LEGASISTA Review PS 3

Western games have peaked in the last decade, with each new franchise revolutionizing graphics, gameplay, and bringing the world of gaming closer to cinema. Games like Halo, Gears of War, Call of Duty, and Skyrim have opened doors to possibilities that I could never have imagined as a gamer growing up. But, there are times when I reminisce the days of ZELDA, Secrets of Mana, and Dragon Warrior, times when I wonder where all the quirky Japanese titles have gone - times when I'm glad for games like Legasista. This title serves as a reminder of a genre that shaped the industry, a trip down memory lane to fundamental gaming elements that bred life to video games we know today. What you'll notice right away is the Japanese charm that envelops Legasista, a nostalgic nod to 90's gaming humor and an artistic style that anyone who's ever played old school RPGs will immediately embrace.

The Good
- Fantastic throwback to old school dungeon crawling
- Charming style
- Equipment and item management is exceptionally strategic
- Soundtrack is catchy

The Bad
- Visuals, while charming, could use more variety and detail
- May be too old school for some gamers

Legasista takes place in a futuristic world where knowledge and science are myths of the past; they're seen as curses and witchery. You play as the Sonic-haired Alto who sets out on a journey to discover hidden secrets of the mysterious Ivy Tower, a palace housing ancient relics of the lost art of science. His sister Mari is captured in a crystal-like object and Alto believes the tower holds answers that'll break the crystal's curse. You meet hilariously bizarre characters on your travels, like the cyborg-guardian girl who goes by the name, ehm, Ms. Dungeon, or the talking bean sprout that continually proposes to you - yea, that's right... a talking bean sprout is in love with you.

Legasista is a dungeon crawler at its core, but the gameplay has a bit of a learning curve. You'll spend the first 10+ levels playing through tutorials that slowly introduce new gameplay mechanics. It's never too overwhelming, but to succeed, you need a good deal of strategy and equipment optimization skills. When you're not fighting inside dungeons, you find yourself in a place called the Railyard. This is Ms. Dungeon's home base and your place to upgrade and equip various weapons.

Dungeons in Legasista are randomly generated, so you're never crossing the same layout. If you die, or choose to retreat, you return to a completely new level terrain, which keeps things exciting and challenging throughout. Legasista resembles Nintendo's 8-bit ZELDA at first, but you quickly discover that navigating the cutesy dungeons is not as easy as it sounds. Battles become increasingly challenging early on and every minor tweak to your equipment counts. When striking enemies, your HP (hit points) and durability gauges deplete, and if they both reach zero, you're carried back to the Railyard by one of the talking beans, losing all equipment found in the level. (You also gain only half the EXP). It's imperative to keep the durability of your weapons and armor in check, because if they break, you lose the benefit from its effects. You don't get penalized for losing HP, but of course you die if it hits zero - however, reaching zero on your durability bar doesn't kill you, but makes your equipment unusable until repaired. Returning to the Railyard refills all gauges back to 100%.

You can find valuable items in dungeons, but you have to keep them safe until you return to the Railyard to repair them, otherwise they're gone for good. You also find items with golden writing, meaning they're not broken and you're able to equip them right away. BUT, using these weapons before taking them to the Railyard means they're lost forever if they break. Your best bet is to take everything back in order to ensure it's ready for battle. You can apply found objects to your equipment for performance boosts and such and you'll spend a good deal of time upgrading and equipping the most effective armor/weapon sets before venturing out.

In dungeons, your single-use items (like the edible bean sprouts) deteriorate as you advance through floors, so it's important to strategically implement your inventory. Lanterns are particularly precious when venturing the dark corridors. Equipping a lantern zooms out the camera and lights up the area so you get a better overview of upcoming enemies - but beware, lanterns have limited fuel, so use them sparingly. Every dungeon is filled with a ton of traps: poison gas, spikes, fireballs, explosions, you name it. Dodging traps while fighting quick-moving foes is tricky, but if you're savvy enough, you can use traps for counter attacks. Combat is smooth and precise, but because of the traditional top-down view and grid-like movement, the d-pad functions much better than the analog stick.

It doesn't take too long before the dungeons become more colossal and complex. Yes, it's quite possible to get lost if you're not paying attention, but it never feels unfair. Sometimes you're required to flip several switches to open a door, and they are oftentimes scattered throughout the entire level. Certain enemies will drop bronze keys that unlock special areas with tougher enemies and rare collectibles, but since you can't predict the dangers lurking ahead, it's wise to proceed with great caution.

Soon you'll have a party that consists of up to three members, but only one can be active at a time. You're able to switch back and forth between them in the midst of combat by flinging the right analog stick up and down - strange, I know. Secondary characters can have advantageous traits, like poison immunity and such, so switching back and forth instantaneously can help your assisting character recover from certain damages. Since the supporting characters can't attack, you can use their magic commands to help your active member. You frequently encounter mini bosses that hold keys and they can be quite brutal. Several regular enemy-types and dozens of traps usually surround them. Considering their massive size and oftentimes-small rooms, things can get uncomfortably hectic. What makes Legasista so great is that you're given considerable upgrade choices, so you're never unfairly overpowered. There is a crazy amount of loot and you find yourself checking stats every single time you exit a dungeon. Everything works quickly, so it never feels like a chore. What's also unique is that you're upgrading your heroes through weapons rather your typical leveling up of character stats. Once you have a general grasp of the menu system, it's easy to pick the best available equipment, without driving yourself crazy.

Legasista is a massive game, with some dungeon floors reaching triple digits. The combat is surprisingly diverse and challenging, and there's even a character creator that let's you shape endless, bizarre-looking, anime-warriors for your party. It's a rare little title that shouldn't be overlooked because of its simple premise. Behind the simplistic, old-fashioned RPG influence, lays a complex dungeon crawler that I recommend to anyone with an itch for gaming nostalgia.

Flight Control Wii Review

There's no denying that Firement is a gaming studio that knows what they are doing. Flight Control is another masterpiece they've been working hard on. Now they are distributing it on as many gaming platforms as possible.

The iPhone was the first device to get Flight Control. The controls were designed specifically for touch screens and it worked perfectly. Then the game morphed to other platforms and the controls were adapted, and this didn't do the game much good.

If you play the game on Wii you control the plane with the IR. This doesn't give you the same smooth control experienced with the iPhone. Direct input on the iPhone meant you could react faster and when you were swarmed with enemy aircraft you could stay in control and dodge every enemy plane that came at you. But not so with the Wii remote. You will find yourself overwhelmed by enemy aircraft and a control that doesn't give you the ability to counter them. The game is just too hard to play on the Wii. Your reflexes will be slower.

The advantage is the Wii version has multiplayer mode and in this mode, the game becomes easier as you have help from other players. The game is still hard, but now you have others to take care of some of the enemy units. This is a godsend which at least gives you a fighting chance. Another fun factor is that you're not alone and with other people present you can coordinate and plan attacks. The iPhone version could only be played in single player mode and made many a gamer lonely.

So Flight Control isn't really a bad game for the Wii after all. Who would have guessed that a grave disadvantage could become one of its greatest assets? You can also help each other in multiplayer mode and mess with your friends' brains, adding more fun to the game. For example, you could send your plane on a collision course with theirs and turn around just at the last moment, but don't try this with your old man, his ticker won't take the stress and he could end up having a stroke.

Playing the game by yourself will be a bad choice, so stick with multiplayer mode and you've got yourself a great game. The game is really an immense pleasure to play and will give you hours of fun and entertainment, just include as many friends as possible to join you. They'll love you to bits for it.

Naruto Shippuden 3D - Another Great Game for Nintendo

The Nintendo 3DS console has opened up a whole new line in gaming, particularly the challenges it poses the designers to either modify their existing games to 3D where appropriate, but also to come up with new ideas that support a 3D format. Naruto Shippuden, The New Era has just done that, it follows on from a long line of successful titles from Naruto providing much action to this new scenario of adventure.

The story centers on several characters from previous series like from Sage Mode where Naruto attempts to become more and more powerful (which is registered on a special gauge). There are new appearances from the 5 Kages and Malice a girl ninja where they attempt to cross the terrain through 9 different sites over unpredictable obstacles. The game makes full use of the console features of motion controls and 3D images since many of the plays involve moving around objects and sliding side to side to avoid damage. This is where the console gyros come in allowing the dipping and diving since if Naruto fails to avoid hitting something he will take on damage. To summarize some of the features of this 3D game:

• The game makes full use of the console motion controls particularly the gyro with the tilts feature
• Special combination codes are needed called Sharingan Codes, get them and you can release objects and characters
• As mentioned, the game involves characters from previous releases in the series so you can find other Ninjas and other support characters, up to ten of which can defend you as you pass each level in the game

One of the hidden features is the whereabouts of a character called Sasuke in all the stages, if you are able on your mission to discover any and all of his covert hiding places or dens you can make him a playable character to support you on your quest.

Naruto Shippuden 3D is available from many specialist gaming shops and most high street electronics retailers. It is often advisable to surf the net for games and other electronic goods, as retailers seek to reduce their high street presence, due to cost, and increase their e-commerce activity so more and more bargains are available. Many other 3D games are coming online very fast, which is proof of the success of the console amid concerns from may buyers of headaches and effects from the 3D visuals.

Nick Plant is a market observer for consumer electronics and home appliances. He works as a consultant with comparison and blogging sites on what new products are coming to market and where to find the best deals.

Gears Of War 3

The gameplay in Gears Of War 3 is what you would expect in a Gears game. It revolves around taking cover, and blasting your enemy before they do the same to you. You annihilate your enemy, with weapons such as the sawed-off shotgun, the retro lancer, and the vulcan cannon. Not much more can be said about the gameplay. Expect a fast paced style game, with lots of action. Team work and strategy also plays a big role. It makes it easier to maneuver through the game.

The story of Gears Of War 3 takes place on a fictional planet, known as Sera. The war takes place between the humans, and ugly creatures called Locust. The human race is on the verge of being wiped out. Soldiers or "Gears" as they are called in this game, look to prevent the extinction of the human race. The main character, Marcus Fenix, leads his squad on a mission to set the Lightmass bomb in position. This is done to kill off the enemy, and end the war. As you move through the game, you learn more about Marcus Fenix past, and the men who have fought beside him.

Multiplayer is the reason many people continue to play the Gears Of War series. Multiplayer is back, and is better than ever. Lag issues, found in previous Gears games ruined the flow and enjoyment of the game. So far it seems the lag issues have been fixed. Many of the modes players loved in Gears 1 and 2, are back. A new mode, Team Deathmatch has also made its way into the series. In total, there are six multiplayer game modes, which include: Warzone, King of the hill, Execution, Wingman, Capture the leader, and Team Deathmatch.

Warzone: In this mode each player has only one life, and no respawns. The goal of this mode is to kill the enemy team, before they kill your team. The first team to successfully win 3 rounds, wins.

King Of The Kill: This mode is just an upgraded version of Annex, from previous Gears Of War games. The object of this mode is to defend a certain area on the chosen map. The team who does, wins a point. Once that round is over, another objective will spawn.

Execution: This mode is almost identical to Warzone. The goal of this mode is to kill the opposing team before time runs out. The only difference in this mode is, when a player is downed, they will revive at the end of the bleed out time.

Wingman: In this mode, players receive points two ways. Points are awarded to teams who kill their opponents. Points are also awarded for surviving a round. Four teams of two team up with each other, as the same character. The first team to reach 15 points wins.

Capture The Leader: The concept of the mode is the same as capture the flag. Your objective is to capture the opposing teams leader, instead of a flag. You do this while defending your own leader. The first team to hold the opposing teams leader hostage for 30 seconds, wins the round.

Team Deathmatch: This mode is new to Gears Of War 3. This mode is similar to Warzone, except you get 20 respawns. The team who destroys the other team, and kills the remaining players, wins.

You can get Gear of War 3 here

5 Best Xbox Games of All Time

Im sure all of you know what Xbox is. If not, you must come out from under that rock you've been hiding under all these years because you have missed out on a lot of things. Out of the sheer fact that the Xbox is now dead because of its predecessor and some other competitors, I will be compiling a list of the top 5 best Xbox games. You might be asking why just 5 and not 7 or 10. Beats me, but I personally think these 5 games mentioned will be enough to give a proper representation of what was - the Xbox fever.

#5- NBA Street Vol.2

Published by: Electronic Arts

Developed by: EA Canada

Without a doubt, EA's NBA Street got much of its "idea" from NBA Jam. Good thing they didn't just go and copy everything and instead they made a game pretty much unique in itself. It features a deep and challenging gameplay, a complete roster of both NBA legends and fabricated characters with a stellar multiplayer capability. The only real downside of NBA Street is that it lacks online connectivity. Nevertheless, EA Canada composed all the necessary stuff to make this game a must-have for any Xbox enthusiast.

#4 - Project Gotham Racing 2

Published by: Microsoft

Developed by: Bizarre Creations

This game was originally under Sega with the name Metropolis Street Racer. Albeit this, Project Gotham stayed true to its arcade racing roots. Better yet, it upgraded itself by having over 200 different vehicles while lavishly bestowing detail to various city streets where you race. The only real drawback of PGR 2 is the onboard soundtrack. This can easily be remedied by using custom soundtracks where it allows gamers to use their own racing music. The Kudos system is also another feature of PGR 2 that garnered much commendation. Simply put, the game rewards you for driving with style. Can it get any better than that?

#3 - Ninja Gaiden

Published by: Tecmo

Developed by: Team Ninja

It's almost a known fact, everybody thinks ninjas are cool. The first 3D version released in the Ninja Gaiden series, it was not perfect, yet it was badass in its own way. Move over posers, this is assassination at its finest. Ryu had a multitude of weapons with different capabilities and combos that made the game more engaging than most action games. Instead of providing different characters, you can just swap weapons and you have an entirely new character to boot. Never has killing been this fun.

#2 - Knights of the Old Republic

Published by: LucasArts

Developed by: BioWare Corp.

The RPG genre failed to make a good impact on the Xbox throughout all these years. KOTOR was the only RPG that was actually good enough to be included in this list. In KOTOR, you get to choose to become, join either the good or evil faction and change the course of history in the process. KOTOR combined sound, graphics and epic gameplay into a deep, engaging story and thus landed him the number 2 spot in my list.

#1 - Halo: Combat Evolved

Published by: Microsoft

Developed by: Bungie Studios

'Nuff said...

But really, Halo took the whole Xbox public by storm. It would be stupid to just mention all the great things about Halo and not consider the hype it's acquired ever since its first release. The story was legendary, engaging and it makes perfect sense. As a first-person shooter, you could practically do everything you ever would want to do in a first person shooter game. Use all the weapons you want, drive all the vehicles with ease and carry 2 weapons of your choice. Halo is far from being perfect. But you can't think of Xbox without thinking of Halo.

The Era of Video Games!

Since the birth of Pong, video games have rapidly gained popularity among people of all races, cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds. Currently, there are a variety of games to thrill nearly anyone, ranging from first person shooter games to real time strategy and even role playing games. This huge variety of games available has given rise to a gaming culture, and with the exponential rise in technological advancement, this evolving culture has taken root among society with influences reaching as far as popular culture and television. One of the signs of this rising gaming culture is the vast number of sites built upon video game reviews and video game cheats on the internet. This culture shows no signs of slowing down. Moore's law states that computing power doubles every 18 months, which means new games are evolving and improving so rapidly that the future of gaming is unimaginable.

Many speculate that we are only several years away from virtual reality games; if true, this will have a huge impact not only on culture and society, but also in the way we perceive life. In the future, perhaps everyone will be avid gamers and build virtual societies, essentially creating alternate realities through a video game. The internet has been a huge facilitator for this change in gaming. From anywhere around the world people can connect and communicate within a new reality. New games such as WoW are a perfect example of this. As technology and interlinked gaming realities increase, video game cheats become more and more outdated and video game reviews become more prominent because of the competitive nature of online video games.

For many, this rapid evolution is terrifying and for others liberating. Our society will undergo a paradigm shift in the way we view reality, eventually the technology of new video games will become so advanced we can not only see and hear these realities but also smell and taste these created societies in such quality and definition that it will be inseparable from everyday life. These games will have the ability to not only be used for recreation but also educational use, as virtual reality simulators able to place people in situations that are normally too dangerous or expensive. It is estimated that in 50 years all of the current computing power available in the world will be able to be placed in a contact lens and as cheap as a sheet of computer paper. The future form and function that video games will take is currently unimaginable, no one knows where this new technology will lead mankind so brace yourself and prepare to, "Do a barrel roll."

Gaming Info And Deals is located in Central New Jersey. We started out as a bunch of friends that loved the gaming experience. Hours a day we spent trying to be the best at whatever game we were playing at that time. Searching the web for blogs or information that would get us to the next level was a daily occurrence. Tired of searching the web, we decided to pool our knowledge and create this site. The site is for the serious gamer. Daily blogs and discounted gaming sites are our main focus. Hope you enjoy the site and all of it's content.

BF3 Tips - 3 Important Battlefield 3 Tips To Improve Your Game

If you are like many of the other people that have just started playing Battlefield 3 online, you are probably getting somewhat frustrated sometimes because you just can't seem to rack up many kills or keep getting killed yourself. Well there is good news and bad news for you. The bad news is that you are not very good at the game, which you probably already know. The good news is that you can dramatically increase your skill level by using some of the latest tips and secrets that have been figured out by the pros and passed down to beginners such as yourself. Here are three of my best tips for learning and winning Battlefield 3 matches.

Tip #1 - Teamwork is very important:

Battlefield 3 is unlike any other first person shooter game out there. You can't just run out there and "pray and spray" the enemies hoping to get some kill points and rise up through the ranks. You really must focus on teamwork with this game as it is one of if not the most important factor in the game. You have to be able to play the class you have selected, you can't be a medic and just run around not helping to heal people, this is a crucial role and you must play it exactly as if you were in a real war. The same goes for all of the other classes. Whichever class you decide to be will change your in game experience to a larger degree than most other first person shooter games on the market.

Tip #2 - Learn the classes:

I usually recommend beginners stick with the assault / medic class mainly because this class is well rounded and easier to understand. Some of the more difficult classes to play are the recon and engineer classes. These classes take much more experience to use and understand. If you are not familiar with the maps and levels, you will not get much use from these classes. So as a beginner, pick the assault class so that you can get used to the game play and learn the maps. This will allow you to rack up some kills and you will enjoy the game a lot more.

Tip #3 - Get a decent BF3 strategy guide:

I cannot say this enough. By getting yourself a good strategy guide, you will learn all of the tactics and techniques the pros use to dominate. You can quite easily become this good by knowing the proper strategies and class / weapon builds that the pros use to wipe out everyone in their path. A decent guide should contain a guide to all of the classes and how to properly build your class to be as powerful and effective as possible. It should also contain map strategies for each individual map and level in the game showing you exactly where the best places are to set up. Another thing you should look for is a guide that will show you the best strategies for dominating your enemy as well as how to become a leader. When you become a leader, your teammates depend on you to tell them where to go and what to expect, so a guide that teaches you leadership skills is a must for any serious Battlefield 3 player.