A return coming!

Hey guys!
Just wanted to drop a heads up that I'll be returning to blogging soon. Just been busy with school and TWIG and the like.
Birdman returns soon!

Virtual console or why I'm 13 years old again

The biggest reason I got a Nintendo Wii last year was for the virtual console and its library of older titles that go all the way back to the earliest days of the NES. I'm an old school Nintendo player and have been since 1986 and the first game I ever got was Rad Racer and Lode Runner and I still have my original games somewhere too.

The Virtual console I see it is a time machine for myself to go back and revisit some of my best childhood memories of sitting with my best friends on a Saturday with a game rental and trying to beat the game in a sitting. Nintendo really knocked the ball out of the park with the Virtual console because it reaches further back then any of it's competition in alot of ways and really is capable of touching something important to gamer's....memories.

The collection of games on the virtual console is something of a surprise because ot touches off on so many that are considered classics and a few classics that have yet to be discovered by the general population that are the wii's new consumer base. The wii is still being bought by many new to the gamer mindset like your mom and Dad and even grand parents and I think it's great that we can expose them to something that is like a virtual looking glass into video game past...like the hubble telescope for video game nerds. I know that if I still lived at home I'd be playing Super Mario Brothers with my 80+ year old grandmother because its what we grew up together doing. I wonder how many others have similar experiences to mine and are able to share that with the younger generation.

The wii in some ways come as close as I can hope to re capturing the old memories of being able to enjoy what I would call an "innocent Saturday night" and that very thought seems lost on this generation with Grand Theft Auto and Modern Warfare's being easily available and online services replacing the sleep overs of old. The wii has that going for it and thats why I won't ever sell my Wii because it does remind me of a simple time in gaming.

Its no huge secret that I'm not a wii fan but I can appreciate what has been done with the console and the VC and especially with the release of titles like Super Mario Kart and Super Mario RPG and lastly the collection of Super Star Wars games. My childhood game collection at one point reached nearly 100 games for my NES and close to something like 40 for my SNES and I loved all the great times it gave me. I can remember staying up late playing Mortal Kombat or skipping school to beat Final Fantasy 3 and lastly mending a broken heart over Illusion of Gaia and the like. However some of the aforementioned games have yet to make their appearance of the VC as of yet but kinda doubt they will except for maybe Illusion of Gaia but I'm not going to complain as things have really opened up in the last little while with some real surprises coming out like Mario Kart and even Super smash brothers from the n64 era.

As the VC continues to grow so does my appreciation of what once was and where it lead me along the way. For all the crap I give the wii I have to remember what it gives me on days when I feel down in the dumps, it brings me memories of my best friend, my grandmother and why I got into this whole video game journalism thing.

Some of my favorite video game GUNS!

I'm ready, man, check it out. I am the ultimate badass! State of the badass art! You do NOT wanna fuck with me. Check it out! Hey Ripley, don't worry. Me and my squad of ultimate badasses will protect you! Check it out! Independently targeting particle beam phalanx. Vwap! Fry half a city with this puppy. We got tactical smart missiles, phase-plasma pulse rifles, RPGs, we got sonic electronic ball breakers! We got nukes, we got knives, sharp sticks...
Private Hudson
Aliens

Guns, I love guns as you know,it's no real secret and sometimes video games give us some seriously awesome weapons of destruction to play with. I've been inspired by Destin's armory on Screwattack and so I decided to do up my own list of weapons of destruction that I feel deserve mention.

So let's lock and load and see what would be in Birdman's armory of awesome of firepower or as I call them toys....

The M41A Pulse Rifle from various Aliens games

If there ever was a gun that I was more thrilled to fire in a game, it was this gun from ALIENS. I am just a huge fan of this design built from a FRANCI SPAS 12 and a Thompson SMG and it screams of a used future that you DO NOT fuck with. The first time I played with this was in the PS1 Aliens trilogy game and then later on in the very cool Aliens vs Predator game for the PC. Every game where I get to play as a marine I play with this gun as my default and even above the Smartgun or the Flame thrower simply because of the SOUND, it makes when it fires. The sound that the Pulse rifle makes is unmistakable and just one that lays waste to xenomorphs wherever they hide.10mm explosive tipped caseless never tasted so good when firing off a full clip!
I am looking really forward to using this in the new AVP game this winter.


RC-P90 from 007:Goldeneye n64

This weapon was so overpowered that it was insane but also one of my absolute favorites in Goldeneye. I remember the first time I got this gun and heard it cycle up to full firing capacity and it literally ripped bad guys to shreds. One of the things that I used to do was use this gun in multi player to shred body armor and spray from cover to lure people into proxy mine traps. This gun is absolutely bad ass in terms of what it can do for your game and can tip the balance of play if used in the right hands. The RC-P90 is one of the guns that I think really defined what a machine gun could do in a game. Seriously Rare created one of the coolest guns ever in a video game and is my favorite weapon of the N64 era.
Using it's spiritual successor in games like Modern Warfare is still satisfying but not as cool as the N64 era gun.

The Laptop gun from Perfect Dark/Zero

Now this is a gun that I found out it's secondary function by accident and never looked back on what it could do for me after that. Perfect Dark introduced alot of really cool weapons but this was one that just stood out to me because it was a strategic weapon if used in sentry mode. Joanna Dark had herself a really excellent weapon when it came to this gun and it deserves mention on this list. This gun also kind of reminds me of the sentry guns used in the director's cut of Aliens :) However I almost put on the PSEC pistols but the Laptop gun was just cooler because it could hide in plain sight. I'm really looking forward to the Xbox Live port next year and it'll be pretty awesome.

The Needler-HALO (all games)


The pink death that is the Needler! There is something tremendously satisfying about sending exploding shards into an enemy and watch him flail helplessly before death. This is one weapon that I thought absolutely sucked at first but as I played more and more matches online I got into it more and more and began to love the pink mist. The thing that I used to love was dual wielding in Halo 2 and leaping down from a ledge and letting it all go flying into one target. I think the Needler gets a bad rap because I haven't seen it used too much online but then again I don't play much online due to the 11-teen year olds.

The Lancer from Gears of War 1/2

So someone got a brilliant idea and crossed a machine run with a chainsaw...and it kicked ass! I've been playing GoW for a few years now and I never get over just how cool it is and love chainsawing Locust in half. The COG forces certainly armed themselves with one of the most memorable weapons in video game history and there is even a prop replica of it available for sale. The reason this makes my list is become it can be multi functional such as busting open doors and other areas but pumping people full of lead and then dismembering them.

Well guys, these are some of my fav video game weapons but I'd love to hear some of your pics for weapons and why they are.
Anyway, next blog post will be after Christmas so until then, have a happy holiday and most of all make sure you have a safe holiday

Live free or die hard guys!

Birdman's Holiday gift guide-The Final chapter

Christmas aka free stuff day!

Well boys and girls, here is my last entry into my holiday gift before I post my other choices in our annual TWIG holiday gift guide which will be up later on this week @ http://www.thisweekingeek.net

So over the last few entries, the stuff has been pretty cheap and easy to find so now we're gonna ramp it up and we're gonna hit the big boys and some of the harder to find stuff but trust me, it's awesome and so totally worth it in the end. So crack open the wallets and get the credit cards ready for a shopping spree of the nerdiest kind!

Let's rock and roll!

First up.... DVD box sets

YO JOE!
The battle cry of the top secret organization who saved the world many times over, GI Joe. Shout Factory recently compiled one of the best box sets I have ever had the pleasure of owning. The box set spans 17 discs and has tons of special features from documentaries to behind the scenes with the voice actors and my personal favorite, old toy commercials. This set is tremendously well put together in presentation because it's a small military foot locker made from metal and wood and includes a fake GI Joe control panel. Other cool things include a flash drive that has extras on it and it's shaped like a dog tag and it's a nice touch to overall feeling of the set. The set includes everything except the GI Joe movie but to Shout Factory's credit; they actually left a spot open in set for you to put your copy in. Seriously GI Joe:The complete series is one of the best buys available right now if your into the classic era of 80's animation.
Click here to buy from Amazon

"Autobots,Transform and roll out!"
The immortal words of Optimus Prime have echoed across a generation and finally we have the best version of the 80's toon available to own in one set. Shout Factory has once again done a kick ass job of bringing this adventure home to you. The series is spread across 16 discs and enclosed within an openable Matrix of Leadership box which is kinda bad ass; also included are magnets and a booklet. There are some pretty informative documentaries included with some of the producers and voice actors from the series and thats what I really wanted because I love learning more about the series. The video and audio are better then what has been previously released via Rhino and Shout Factory really wanted to make sure the fans were happy and well, they did an awesome job. If you want the best version of the series then this is a really good investment for your time and money.
Click here to buy from Amazon

Collectibles

I am a huge fan of things that look awesome and movie accurate in detail or just things that look very pleasing to the eye. I collect a few things that are high end and here are some of my pics for this year's gift guide that I think should be in your collection


"This is the weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy or random as a blaster; an elegant weapon for a more civilized age"

Hasbro acquired one of the coolest things of all time when it got the Force FX line from Master Replicas. A Force FX lightsaber is a in scale prop replica that actually ignites like a lightsaber with sequential LEDs and you can actually do some light dueling if you know someone with another FX saber. I've collected them when they were with MR and was impressed and I have to say that HASBRO has continued on the quality that I have come to expect. The MR saber that I received for consideration was the Darth Vader Episode 5 Empire Strikes back version but according to my knowledge, the saber was actually a new hope model but thats a simple misprint. The saber details are still pretty spot on and make for an excellent addition to your collection, you have to love the response these things get when your show them off for the first time. The Hasbro Force FX saber is a worthy addition to your collection and definitely should be under the tree and make sure you make your choice wisely and own a piece of the Star Wars universe.
Click here to see a selection from Amazon



While Terminator:Salvation may not have been the best movie of the summer, it did produce some fantastic items from Sideshow Collectibles. This little bad boy is quite impressive and it pretty bad ass because it's the T-600 and part of the machine force that helped exterminate humanity. Sideshow's attention to detail is second to none when it comes to their 12 inch figure line. Terminator is the perfect starter collector for many because it looks awesome and is easy to maintain and relatively easy to find as well. There are alot of options within this line such as the T-600 with battle damaged and John Connor and Marcus and other Terminators. Seriously collecting Sideshow is well worth it and this should be under your tree.
Check out Sideshow for more options

Misc collectible of the year!


Yes, the Bumblebee voice changer helmet!
I had a blast with this toy because it made roleplaying toys fun again and is alot more comfortable then the previous offering of Optimus Prime. It's a nice sculpt from the ROTF line and has ALOT of voice options like random clips but none from the movie itself which is odd. The main reason I am recommending this is because it's alot of fun to play with your kids or goof around with your college buddies. I could see alot of kids having fun with this as well and that doesn't mean it should not go into your nerd lair of awesome, just don't do anything weird with this helmet on that would make Bumbleebee cry okay?
Click here to buy from the Hasbro Toyshop

So guys that does it for my blog edition of the holiday gift guide!
Take it from what you will and enjoy this holiday season!

Video game music: A creation of love,memories and more

One of the things that I've come to appreciate in the last generation of consoles is really the music of video games and especially the theme songs thereof.

Video game music has really come into it's own in the last few years especially with websites like OCRemix and the like really showcasing to the world what alot of gamers have known for years. My first real musical experience within a video game comes from the SNES classic, Chrono Trigger and the theme of Zeal and how much I would play that over and over again. I really started to pay attention to what was going on and so here are some musical pieces I'd love to share with you.

One of the themes that really struck me as actually beautiful is the theme from EA's Mirror's Edge called "Still alive" sung by Swedish pop star Lisa Miskovsky.Its just such a pleasant song to listen to and infact is song that I used to listen to every night to fall asleep when I was college. It's rare that a song catches like "Still alive" and instruments especially the piano really make the piece for me. I get so many mixed feelings when listening to it and thats what I think really makes the song unforgettable because it has that power to conjure up so many emotions and memories.
Take a listen this and enjoy something a little different


Another great tune is the theme song from Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. Snake Eater is a throw back to the 60's era musical ballads that are similar in tone to the James Bond themes of the day and really hits it out of the park. Singer Cythia Harrel belts this theme song and while some of the lyrics are references to the game such as "feed on a tree frog" but occasionally some really heartfelt lyrics such as "I give my life, not for honor, but for you.". The aspect that really brings "Snake Eater" as a video game classic song is the feeling that it really invokes about the game and it's context of themes. Snake Eater has one of the best soundtracks of the series and this vocal theme song really set it apart from the other entries in the series and thats why it's up on my list of tunes. If you haven't had a chance to play Snake Eater and experience that then I highly recommend that you do.
Take a listen and see what you think


I have never thought of the Street Fighter series that particularly strong music when I was younger and alot of the changed when I heard some of the themes remixed such as this GREAT version of Ryu's theme Seriously check that out. I had all of but forgot about Street Fighter till Street Fighter 4 came out this year and my love of all things Hadoken came back a thousand times stronger then before. The Japanese band EXILE got the gig to do the SF4 theme song and when it came out and i saw the intro movie to go with it, it was like going back to the arcades and days of "I've got next". The theme is definately into that whole J pop / rock thing and I honestly love letting the game play it out everytime before I start into fighting with SF4 and rawking my Ken out on XBL or PSN.


Lastly on my list is one that will likely not be expected at all. I love alot of licensed games because I love playing as my favorite characters and one of those universes that I absolutely go nuts over still to this very day is Dragonball Z. Last year we got our first next generation Dragonball Z game called Burst Limit. Burst Limit wasn't anything super special and wasn't particularly great but I did think it had a cool theme song. Its funny how much I still enjoy alot of the Japanese music and occasionally even the English version still sounds pretty solid. However I will also love and dig the "Rock the dragon" DBZ style song used in the intro of the show
Still, this is fun little song and feels like it totally belongs the Dragonball universe


I'd love to hear what other suggestions are out there and grab some great new video game music.
On my next blog entry, the last installment of my holiday gift where we go all out and break the bank across all sorts of madness!

Birdman Holiday gift guide part 2: Electric bugaloo

ZOMG!
It's Christmas time and of course that means spending money we don't have on loved ones, ourselves and getting some really cool stuff. In my last edition, I talked about toys and clothes and some electronics and this time we're coming back with digital fun of all sorts before I do the big close out next week sometime.

So without any more screwing around, let's get into this and get started with DVD's and Blu rays!


Star Wars: The Clone wars the complete first season on Blu ray
I'll be the first to admit that I misjudged this series when it first came out and now that I've had to chance over see some stuff,it's bad ass. The series is a continuation of the movie that came out last year with Anakin Skywalker and Obi Wan Kenobi fighting pre Episode 3 battles with alot more of the SW universe explored. I've always been a fan of the Clone wars era from the battle droids to the way that galaxy is torn apart by Count Dooku and his armies and it's great fun all together as well. The thing that really makes this set awesome and worth your $$ is the sheer amount of extras your getting such as TONS of featurettes and behind the scenes stuff and a pretty cool little booklet if you go with the Blu ray version. However Asoka still sucks and that is the only real downside of the series itself but if you can move past that, then it's worth adding to your own jedi temple this holiday season
Click here to buy on Amazon.com


It's no lie that I am a huge Dragonball Z fan and boy was I surprised when this arrived in my mailbox a few weeks ago. The Dragonbox is available for the first time in North America and is originally from Japan from the uncut masters of the original series and it looks fantastic. This is the way the series was meant to be seen, uncut and in the original Japanese audio (dub is included as well) and everything left intact like openings and closings and more. I've only ever seen the dubs before and this was certainly a new experience for me as a DBZ fan. The thing that really makes the set complete in my eyes is the Dragonbook that is included that has all kinds of neat background information on the characters. It's a little strange to see the series in it's original aspect ratio but, it still looks great as the day it was broadcast.
This is a recommend if you didn't get the orange sets from a few years ago or if your a DBZ purist at heart!
Click here to buy from Amazon



Yes, I am recommended this for my Holiday gift because It's Transformers BUT one of the best blu rays I've seen this year. There's enough reviews out there that I'll leave the movie summaries to the pros but let me talk about why you should get this movie who is a info buff. The features across this two disc set really make it worth for someone who is a transformers nut such as info gallery on the characters which includes clips from the G1 cartoon and toy galleries spanning from g1 to current incarnations. There are also HOURS of extras and they are in glorious HD as well which was a real surprise, the Michael Bay featurettes on the making of the movie is really indepth and interesting.There is also quite the wealth of knowledge of what this movie could have been coming from the writers during the features as well which really surprised me.The usual commentaries are there as well and are worth a listen to if your a fan of movie making.
Trust me, its worth it when you get a chance to dig into this movie and it's even got a feature where you can make your own Transformer.
Click here to buy from Amazon

Now we're moving onto something else entirely and something that you know me well for, video games :)
I'll be taking a look at a variety of games from the past year and some ones that are definitely worth checking out.


Well, this is the pink elephant in the room that we all need to talk about and well, it's AWESOME!
Seriously, Modern Warfare 2 is a game that really takes what an FPS can be and improves upon the perfection that was Modern Warfare. The action pretty much grabs you right by the bits and never lets up at all. The mulitplayer is where this game really shines and will make a gamer out of you damned right if you play online and are dedicated to learning but beware, you will get bitch slapped if your not ready for serious online play. The sheer amount of enjoyment you'll get from the firefights in this game will really make you appreciate quick reactions and killstreaks when you can make them happen.There are also quite number of licensed controllers and headsets from Mad Catz and they really do enhance the experience and besides they glow green and thats just cool :) I'll talk more about this in my next gift guide installment.
However in closing Modern Warfare 2 is a great addition to your collection and even if you don't like playing online, it's an experience that should not be missed.
Click here to buy from Amazon


This was an unexpected surprise in this year's entry into the racing genre. Dirt 2 is a rally racer that puts you on and off road and really makes the whole experience akin in my opinion to Tony Hawk but with cars.The driving in this game really feels natural and all the cars and trucks have their own distinct handling and that really adds to the experience.The soundtrack really stood out to me and make the game come alive that much more to me. I had alot more fun with this game then I thought I would and I think if your looking for a new racing experience for someone this Christmas then you can't do much better then this. Give Dirt 2 a try and I seriously think you'll make someone super happy
Click here to buy from Amazon


Its no secret that I'm not a huge Wii fan but this was one that surprised me when it came out. Dead Space:Extraction happens before the first Deadspace game and act as a prequel to the first game but as an on the rails shooter. The game looks really good for a wii game and that says something that the hardware can be pushed to do more. The Deadspace game really lays on thick with atmosphere and really does do it's part to make you feel isolated, alone and most of all somewhat helpless in the face of danger. Its one of the best rail shooters experiences you can have on the wii right now and is totally worth it for someone who has a wii and loves action. I'd recommend getting a Nyko perfect shot to go along with the experience because it'll add layers of more fun to the game play experience.
Click here to buy the game from amazon

I recommend this to go with the game

Click here to buy from Amazon

Well that does it for Part 2 of the gift guide. There's alot of stuff I didnt mention but you likely already have it like Batman:Arkham Aslyum or Halo:ODST so thats why I didn't include it. However the next edition of the Gift guide will include my personal picks and picks for the collector and will be of a higher end of stuff so prepared to have your credit card's maxed out.
Till next time!

Birdman's Holiday Gift guide-Part 1

"Ho, ho, but no matter. Christmas was on its way. Lovely, glorious, beautiful Christmas, upon which the entire kid year revolved. "
Ralphie

So boys and girls, its that time of year again and it's time to raid the shelves of all sorts of cool stuff and hope it makes it under the tree for Christmas day. I've decided to do an audio and blog post for what I think kicks ass and what you should check out this holiday season. Let's start some with some kick ass toys!

TOYS!
One of the coolest RC vehicles I've ever had the privilege to own, The NKOK Halo RC Warthog. Sure, it's not super high powered and not gonna easily cross your backyard but for chasing the cat around in style, it's perfect :) Nicely detailed and comes with a Master Chief and another Spartan,it's pretty bad ass all things considered and runs off 4 Double A batteries. Get this for the Halo fanboy in your life!
Check it out from Amazon.com

What kid didn't want this when they were younger and who didn't regret when we lost this vehicle to childhood garage sales or destruction? Playmates toys brought this back for the 25th Anniversary of our heroes on the half shell and thank God, cause now can truly appreciate how awesome this actually was. It's already got the stickers pre applied so no worrying about messing it up and making not show accurate. Make sure to pick up the 25th anniversary turtles to go with it. This is a total must be if your into Turtles and want to relive some childhood memories
Check it out to buy it from Amazon


I've been wanting an HK since the Terminator 2 toys came out in the 90's and finally my wishes were made true. The thing that really makes this toy kick ass is the amount of detail put into the mold and it's a nice display piece on it's own or could be part of an awesome diorama if you have the time. It also shoots missiles and has it's fans able to rotate and a little t-700 included as a pilot as well. It's pretty cool and definitely a cool thing to have this holiday to run around the house shouting "Pew! Pew!"
Check it out from Amazon

ELECTRONICS

Electronics power my life in almost every aspect to the point where I wonder if I am apart of the Matrix or a cyborg. Here are some of my picks for this holiday season for the gadget freak in your shopping list

Who doesn't want to see in the dark? Seriously NIGHT VISION goggles that work and at an affordable price...well technically its a toy but it's seriously bad ass. There was a version included with Modern Warfare 2 that looks more like a military version but still it actually works. This could actually have some neat applications for you in practicality like power outages or seeing around your car if it's dark and it breaks down or something similar. I want a pair of these so bad I can taste it
Check it out on Amazon

GP2X Wiz MAME/Amiga/Console Emulator
Now this sound tremendously cool because of what it can do. This thing can be play so many ROMs and other things that it's pretty amazing and is something that I'd love to see other companies put into their handhelds. This thing can play....Atari ST games, Commodore 64, NES, SNES, Gameboy, Gameboy Advance, NeoGeo, Flash Games and more. The fact that I could bring Super Metroid or something like Megaman 3 makes me jones for this something awful :)
Now here is something directly from Thinkgeek.com's site description on this item
Important Note
The Wiz does not come with any emulator software or game roms pre-installed. Out of the box you can play some built in Flash games, but that's it. You'll need to download the freeware emulator for the console or computer system you want to emulate. Then you'll need to unzip the emulator software, and copy it to an SD card along with some game roms you've downloaded. Then start-up the Wiz, go into the "launcher" option and run the emulator. Inside the emulator you'll choose the rom you want to load and then the game can begin. Each emulator software interface is a bit different and most give you the option to overclock the Wiz to get the best performance. Remember you are running emulator software... most games work perfectly, but some may run slow or be glitchy. You may have to configure the controls to work well with the game you want to play. Documentation is not always the best, so you might need to put in a bit of effort to figure things out. If any of this scares you, then you may want to reconsider your purchase.
Check this out on Thinkgeek.com

The Nzxt Avatar gaming mouse is a surpringly little entry into my gift guide because I thought all mouses were built the same but I was dead wrong. I got my hands on this a few months ago and been playing games like Left 4 Dead and Fallout 3 and it works like a dream. It's got adjustable sensitivity and all sorts of other customization options so if your FPS or a MMO player, it's got you covered. One of the things I like about it how comfortable it is in your hand and since I do alot of audio editing on my PC, it's nice to have something that won't cramp your hand. Totally worth it for your work or gaming needs.
Buy directly from Nzxt

Apparel

Without clothes we would be naked and while I enjoy naked people, we do need clothes to go outside or less we be arrested. So I looked around the web and found some cool clothes for the nerd in your shopping list
I normally don't care about shoes but seriously after seeing this posted over at Carol Zara's website, I had to know more.
These shoes are customized or off the rack awesome sauce, seriously having a pair of Megman shoes or something like that just adds oodles of nerd cred.
They are expensive but hey, its the price of cool
Check it out here and order a pair

Want to be ready when the zombie apocalypse hits? Well you'll be set with these threads on your back. I am most impressed by these shirts simply because they look awesome and especially with the little in-universe nods like the health pack slapped onto the back of them. The website Glitchgear has some pretty cool stuff like hats, wristbands and all sorts of other shirts from Left 4 dead and some other cool shirts as well. Totally worth a browse around the site
Check out the website and see all sorts of cool stuff

So guys thats my first part of my Holiday gift guide and in the next installments will include video games and movies and some other items that you may not expect.
Feel free to comment and let me know what YOUR picks are