Trails HD ftw!

This post is all about arguably the most addictive video game I have every played (yes, even more than Fable 2) & it's called Trials HD.

Originally just an Internet game, but envisioned to be something much more smooth & intuitive when using the xbox controller system. It's a an amazingly simple premise - guide a bike & rider though a series of tracks (platform style) using 4 controls only; power, brake, lean forwards & lean backwards.

But the tracks, that's the hard part - things start simply enough, but an impressively fast learning curve is the order of the day - things start to look more & more impossible - how is it possible to do a standing jump of 20 feet & not hit the floor - no idea!

So to help you...slightly, there are a series of unlockable bikes with more power (or in the case of my favourite monkey bike - silliness!) ratios which help you power of some chasms, etc.

Even if you manage to conquer the beginner, easy, medium tracks, then there's also hard & extreme to give you some nice impossible ones to try your hand at - overall there's 50 tracks. Then more, if necessary, in the shape of some DLC (more coming soon) so new tracks & challenges.

Oh yes, there are some challenges as well - as if the tracks weren't hard enough - there a load of specials designed to get you even more addicted: ski jumping (on a bike) ride a giant cage ball (inside & out) use your bike with a rocket pack on it, giant bike pinball, pull a wheelie with the front wheel falling off & many more.

It's 1200 MS points (about £10) but you can get a demo version for free of course! It's the best thing I've seen on Xbox Live so far & it's super addictive a well worthy addition to any gamer's collection & surprisingly the more alcohol content in your blood, the better you drive - super-epic-win!! Check it out here over on Xbox Live

PS  & if you feel really keen, you can do tournaments - multiple tracks where your overall time dictates how well you do - epic

Emulator for Traktor Pro running on big multitouch screen.

Bon Vacances

So once again I have not been blogerifying (am I ever going to get a regular blog going...probably not methinks!), but this time I've been away for the past 3 weeks - another trip to Poland (more dentistry - more to follow...) & then 2 weeks with Madd Thoughts & her extended family (13 of us all told.

I think this blog might well turn into a bit of an epic one, but hey ho - we continue.....

Firstly, Poland & more dentistry, after the exploits of the last time I was in Poland, I had a felling there will be a lot more fun/pain/work to be done...I was right! This time 12 hours were planned & more rebuilds, fillings & an epic 5.5 hour root canal happened & then to top it off an extraction - definitely the most trouble so far. So a big burly polish surgeon firstly drilling hard with what felt like a regular industrial drill, then using what I can only presume (I kept my eyes tightly shut) was a corkscrew, then opening my eyes he had a scalpel (to open my gums up to let my wisdom though). When it was all over, my jaw as swollen, I couldn't eat properly for days, I was bleeding for a long time, oh & I had some stitches as well....


But next  fun (actual, much more real, fun) in France! So after the pains of Poland, I drove about 500 miles with Madds to northern France - a small village in rural Brittany, called Le Gouray. It was a long old journey, & so needed a couple of days rest, but it was all well worth it, when we eventually got to the house. It was simply huge, 7 bedrooms on 2 stories a massive garden & drive, all in the picturesque locale.

The beaches were no closer than 30 minutes, but were really good, sandy & not (completely freezing cold), but I was quickly struck with an idea - snorkeling! So after a great deal of searching, we found a pair of snorkels each, which just happened to come with some flippers as well - Madds got the hang of it very quickly - me, not so much! It was great to do not too much for 2 whole weeks & spending some quality time with Madds & her family. We swam nearly every day, went round great markets, had a hog roast, Nerf wars & I learned how to swim with flippers...underwater!

The only slight issue was my Kodak camera broke, which was expensive to replace, but a new Panasonic Lumix DMC ZX1 (here it is on Amazon) was acquired, which was a far superior machine & took some much better photos.



OK now onto other (arguably more boring) things - my whole department has moved into a new office - for the first time in it's short history (since 2002/3). It's a totally different environment - more professional & office-based & much less like a call centre - much better if you ask me. The only issue is that it's rather quiet, but when everyone comes back from holiday/training I'm sure it will get a little bit busier & more...homely.


I seem not let too many blogs go, without some form of wedding update...therefore: The Wedding has not really formed much of conversation recently, because of certain things getting in the way - my 30th birthday party, Madd's birthday, the holidays, etc. so not much has happened.

However, discussions have begun again - we might well bring the date forward & the budget may well become a little smaller was well - there is the possibility of ditching a formal reception, in favour of a much less formal affair - inviting all guests, rather than just the preferred selected dignitaries/necessaries. I think the reality is that because neither Madds or myself have a massive budget & I know that my family do not have the capacity to help in a financial way - therefore the budget is going to be seriously linked to what I can save myself.

From the beginning, my attitude was that I wanted not too much fuss, not too much pomp & ceremony & definitely not too much esxp- I am most interested in getting married to Madds - not in how good a party we can throw for people!


The final bit of this blog update has to relate to my plans to visit New Zealand next year. My good friends Doodles & Alan are due to be married in early March 2011 & I feel that I really need to be there for my friends, as does Madds (who is to be a bridesmaid...proved we can get there). The plan is to not go on another holiday till then - a long old time, but totally worth it methinks - skiing vs. New Zealand = no contest really!! But the big question that surrounds this whole idea is how on earth am I gonna pay for that?!

Even thinking as laterally as possible - £1k for flights another (conservative) £1k for spending, then £500 on car hire & then accomodation on top, unless I can do something like crash at various places/camp in places. That coupled with saving up for the wedding makes it look almost impossible...however, I think some deals will need to be done to try to fix it all up - seeking help wherever I can get it - say if flights/car hire could be taken care of that would take a serious amount away & speaking to some of the locals to see how much I really need when I'm out there & which sofa I might be able to blag - we shall see, or even could I do without a car. Finally - how are me & Madds gonna both be able to afford it - it's not going to be an easy ask/task methinks - expect updates...if things get going!

We continue.....

CoD6 MW2 DLC & Prestiging

OK a little random geekery for a Monday Tuesday - there have now been 2 lots of  downloadable content (DLC) for Call of Duty 6: Modern Warfare 2 & let's be honest - it's not been the most cost effective waste of my time I have ever know - 1200 Microsoft (MS) points for 5 maps, followed by another 1200 MS points for another 5 maps! Total 2400 MS points, at 85p/MS point = £21.25 for just 10 'new' maps. The most irritating part...the maps aren't even new - half of them are re-hashed versions of CoD4 MW! However, attempting (bitterly) to put this aside for a minute to concentrate on the gameplay - what do the new maps add? Variance, simply put, which is not necessarily a bad thing!

What I (& TC + Sparky, etc.) have all done is to 'prestige' - this is where you reset all unlocks (weapons/perks/equipment) in multiplayer, to progress further & unlock different badges. There is no real advantage (no new guns/perks are unlocked) but you get some new badges & the pleasure of starting from the beginning & using more basic weaponry & learning to love going back to the start, but this time with skills! All in all this has all lead to a little added value to the game & has kept people playing.

However, I think many people want to see either some new weapons or spec-ops/single-player missions - that would lead to some actual replayability.

Rant over...we continue

Crackdown 2

I love the original game - it was different to most of the other games of its genre (open sandbox/3rd person shooter). Several things set it apart - the cell shading look of the game &  he power-ups.

The cell shading made the game look like a comic-book or a cartoon-is, but not childish. It was a very accessible game & not unreasonably difficult to complete. 

This was aided by the power-ups (skills) which quickly gave the Agent's super-human traits: 

• "Agility", which increases the Agent's ability to jump, run, and swim;
• "Driving", affecting how well he can handle a vehicle; 
• "Explosives", which affects the power and range of explosive weapons; 
• "Strength" that increases the Agent's strength, namely by increasing his ability to lift and throw, as well as how hard he can strike an opponent;
• "Firearms", which improves the character's aptitude with weapons.

It really was an immensly satisfying game, with few limitations - mostly repitition & enemies (even bosses) which could be defeated in a few seconds (if you ignore the 30-40 guys guarding them & go stright for the boss) - where you could literally leap over a building in a single bound (Superman) or punch a car & spin it over your head (Hellboy) or smash/throw everything (Hulk). So imaging my gratitude for one of my young people from North Leigh 'borrowing it'...forever - fail!

But now there is a second game...Crackdown 2! Here's the low-down on this game:

A trailer was unveiled at E3 2009 revealing that the player-controlled Agent roams over Pacific City, which has become infested with urban-gang warfare, assisting the Agency in the battle for Pacific City against numerous crime lords who control the city. A recent article from Game Informer magazine stated that Pacific City is infested with mutants from the research facility in the first Crackdown. These mutants have over run most of the former Shai-Gen territory and completely over run the city at night. The remaining civilians, forming a group called The Cell, revolted against the Agency and the mutants. The Agents are tasked with sabotaging key Cell structures and raiding underground mutant tunnels."

Now I have had my hands on the game for a few weeks,  & it is not too dissimilar to the first game, but they have done what the best games do - add to the original, rather than reinvent the wheel (Gears of War, Call of Duty, Halo - we're looking at you!). It's a joy to play, but much more of a challenge - because this time the enemies get more tough - as tough as you when you begin to level up your character.

It's not a 5* game, but it's a load of fun - I would give it a strong 4* out of 5 - good times