I know it's like beating a dead horse, but I just am becoming more and more impressed with Little Big Planet from Sony.

Today I got to actually play a hands on demo before show hours of the game at Sony's booth, and it really made me want to steal the dev-kit it was running on.

LBP is a side scroller at it's core, with multiplayer racing game mechanics on the facade. You create a puzzle level, and then post it on the PSN or simply play it on your system. The game supports up to four players, and is a downright hoot! I was privileged enough today to play two levels, the "Skulldozer" level and one that the developer had just created earlier that morning.

In the "Skulldozer" level, we had to get to the finish line of the level without being touched by a bulldozer made out of skeleton bones that gave us chase...and from the rear no less. While you do have a limited number of times you can respawn in the game, being able to watch others play is a huge piece of the game play. At no point in time during the day today was the line for LBP shorter than a 45-1hour wait, and that I think says a lot about the game.

One of the first things that strikes me about the LBP demo is that the level creation is ridiculously deep. LBP has it’s players moving left to right through each level on three planes of existence depth wise, which is really the only difficult piece of the game controls to get used to. Everything else in the game deals with you jumping, grabbing, pulling and pushing objects in the level using the “X” and “R1” keys making LBP an easily picked up and played game. It will be a game that I think I can even get ESH Mom to play when she comes to visit. Now back to the level creator, and it’s being deep.

LBP does need some way to rank you though for finishing the race, and that's where bubbles come in. During the levels of the game you have to collect these bubbles as they are the equivalent of points in the game, and she who has the most points laughs last... or something like that.

There is not firm ship date on LBP yet, but I'm not going to work on whatever day it is.

More news to come

Finish What You Start...

It's another all-videogame podcast, but, as usual, the Sistahs careen dangerously toward the profane and near-profane.

While Ninja proclaims the goodness of the Pure and Braid videogames, Panda admits her love for retro games, particularly those that can be found through XBox Live. It all leads up to a future topic for the podcast: How to Turn Your Wii Into a Micro-brewery.

I think we all have to admit that would be quite effective in selling the Wii to hardcore gamers.

So please enjoy Episode 109 of the ElectricSistaHood podcast, How Do You Play Where's Your Pickle?

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Today is the day people. Are your thumbs ready? Did you do your exercises? Were you able to decide between the path of the Jedi or the Dark Side? I hope you have, because today is July 29th which means that Soul Calibur IV has hit the shelves.

To say that I am excited for the release of this game would be an understatement of gigantic proportions. I have missed playing a fighter worth the rental fee for over two years now. The last new release fighting title that I would even dare to put into the "good" category was DOA:4 which is now nearly 4 years old. Four years is way too long of a drought to suffer through, but I take solace in the fact that I am not alone in my misery.

Now before the naysayers and fanboys get up in arms, I know that there have been many versus games based on the Dragonball series, and they have not all sucked. In earnest, the Budokai series has some great gameplay going on in the game itself. That said, the Dragonball titles to me have never really felt like a fighter game title. They are a franchise that appeal to only an existing anime fan base that potentially game as well. The Budokai games have not been able to bridge the game and draw the casual gamer in to join their "legion of the loyal." In many cases, the exact opposite happened; people that would normal pick up every and every fighter title initially shied away from the title. So because DBZ:Budokai focuses on such a small piece of the market of the fighting genre I do not believe it fair to use it as a representation of the whole genre. If you don't like it, you can suck it.

You may say, "...Ninja? Didn't NamcoBandai release an SC title for the Wii? Wasn't that good?" My reply would be "Yes! And it sucked more wind than a brand new Dyson." [And the commercials for that thing say it never loses suction.] SC:Legends was a waste of time and money, and I'm sure NamcoBandai felt that way as well which is why it looks like they worked so hard in order to redeem the title's reputation. NamcoBandai press releases promise that,

"Soulcalibur IV has been retooled from the ground up to provide a true next generation experience."

And then go on to say,

"...the wages of battle are shown as protective armor can be broken off and visible lacerations of clothing can be seen with the inclusion of the equipment destruction feature. Adding depth to the unrivalled combat system, players can unleash Critical Finish moves to defeat opponents in one stunning blow."

The game sports an "improved" character creation mode that allows you to customize the hell out of an existing fighter or even create an original warrior. Oh yeah, it has online versus play as well.

Get thee to thou localist GameStoppery and pick this game up. SCIV is available on the PS3 [Dark Side, Vader style] and XBox 360 [Path of the Jedi].

You know the gamertag, let's star playing.

Finish What You Start...

Who doesn't like new podcast episode Monday? Productive people that's who. Let us help you start your week off on the unproductive tip with this episode of our podcast.

Sans MagicMystic yet again, the sistah's stick to the gaming topic covering both the new and upcoming starting with Panda's take on the game Project Origin and Ninja sharing some of what she was able to take away from the assorted E3 coverage.

From talking about the survival horror game genre to specific experiences with titles like Manhunt and Silent Hill to the thriller-chiller types including the "I don't think NinJa is ever going to finish it" BioShock game. Ninja talks God of War 3, Animal Crossing: City Folk, Star Wars: Clone Wars, Portal 2, and Oneechanbura.

It's another one of our lively podcast episodes people, here are some of the titles we decided not to use to name it:

• Don't. Stop. Waitin' Fer RockBand 2, Yeah
• Who? Guess Who?
• Don't Sell Your Soul For Tic-Tacs
• The New Animal Crossing Lets Me Be Mii
• Kratos Makes Ninja's Gamer Boner Hard
• Kratos Was A Red-Headed Step Child
• Panda's Birthday Is Another 11 1/2 Months Away
• Killing Me Softly with Her Sword
• We Will. We Will...Flock Ewe
• Videogame Word of the Year: Booty
• E3 Didn't Want Me? Well, They're Not Invited to My Place Either
• We Have Nothing To Fear But the Sequel to Fear Itself
• This Guy's Full of Beans, and That Is a Bad Thing
• Don't Ever Attend a Zmbie Reunion
• and finally
• Brain Exlax, I Like that

If that hasn't told you everything you need to know about this week's podcast, then saddle up and give a listen to ESH podcast episode 106: Did I giggle That Outside Loud?

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When a Mommy RockBand and a Daddy RockBand love each other very much...

Hey Hey Hey...Pandalicious on the scene bringing you the goodness that is. Rock Band 2! Now I know what you are thinkging.... ::cues flashback wave things::

You: Panda....I know Rock Band is the hottest thing since pancakes on Saturday morning. But What makes this Rock band as awesome?

Panda: Well Let me tell you. First let me tell you about the new gameplay changes. Remember how when we wanted to play online through XBL (XBox Live) and you were still a noob and didn't know how to invite me. THEN when you finally managed to invite me we could only do quickplay songs and it was just hours of masss hysteria!

You: Yeah....

Panda: Well not anymore. There is a new mode in Rock Band 2, that allows us to make a band with not only our local rockers but with outside rockers on the XBL interwebs. You know what that means right?

You: You are never going to let me sleep?

Panda: That's right! The Gameplay is still the same though. Same color nodes. Same overall feeling of rockitude and swagger. There is still single player mode however it is now extended to a solo bassist! Thats right, so now the sexiest component to a Rock Band (IMO) gets their chance to rock out with their COCKS out. [Yes I said cock, deal with it]

You: What about for drumming? You know we all were exicted about being drum masters and realized that we all really sucked...

Panda: Speak for yourself ! However if you weren't like me who went back into the drumming tutorial to help train my foot better to use the kick pedal, there will be something called the "Beat Trainer" which will generate beats to help you hone your rocking skills.

You: Well Panda that sounds niffty and all but am I going to like the play list? Am I going to have to buy all the songs, load them to my iPod so I can learn them so I don't make an utter fool of myself when I come to your house?

Panda: Well...Let me tell you the ones that I'm looking forward to and if you a GIANT loser and haven't been following the coverage of E3...the internet will be your friend and check out places such as. IGN, joystiq and of course, us, DUH. If you are new to the interwebs you should try www.fuckinggoogleit.com [Just kidding, Wikipedia.org is a nice place to start]

In terms of the songs i'm looking forward to guitaring they are
1) American Woman~ The Guess Who
2) Down with the Sickeness~ Disturbed
3) Chop Suey- System of a Down
4) Lump~ Presidents of the United States of America

In terms of Singing...
1) Master Expolder~ Tenacious D [FUCK FUCK FUCK YES!]
2) Everlong~ Foo Fighters
3) Round and Round~ Ratt
4) White Wedding~ Billy Idol
5) My Own Worst Enemy- Lit

You: ....

Panda: I love our little interludes like this. I'm out of here!

But now seriously guys

Finish What You Start...

Playstation 3 owners rejoice! Kratos is back to offend the gods even more.

At their E3 '08 press conference, Sony released the God of War 3 trailer. This ALMOST makes me want to get a PS3...ALMOST.

Finish What You Start...

It's Monday again, and it's time once more for a new episode of the ESH podcast.

I hope you guys and gals from the land of ESH had a happy and safe holiday weekend. I know I did, and I'm pretty sure that Panda did. Today we have another NinJa/Panda podcast episode where NinJa goes a bit in depth on the video game GRID and Panda shares some of her first impressions on the Diablo 3 announcement. It's a nearly all video game fun-packed episode, that you should totally pick up right now.

Don't believe me, here are some of the titles we decided not to use that came from the episode:

• Do You Question My Skills? (When don't I?)
• You Shouldn't Rape Your Tech They Can't Say "No."
• The Story of a Ninja Called Spanky
• ESHDog Cannot Be Controlled
• Lik eSands In an Hourglass, These Are The Races of Our Lives
• Ive Got Anal Leakage, But I'm Not Anxious About It.
• When ESHMom Ain't Happy, Ain't Nobody Happy
• Omnipotent Does Not Equal Omniscient
• Never Trust Cheese That Doesn't Melt
• In Diablo 4, He Fights That Super Boxer From Russia
• If She's Got Multiple Boobies, Who's Looking At Her Face?
• If You Think That Anal Leakage Is Bad, Guess What Her Armpits Do
• Is It Time For A WoW Siesta?
• WoW Craves, Diablo Saves Saves
• and
• Coming Soon: Smackdown! Diable VS Bobby Flay

It's a good episode, so grab your coffee and enjoy ESH podcast episode 104: My Senses Are There, My Balls Are Not Inert, Lock & Load, Let's Go!

Finish What You Start...

I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the game Little Big Planet since it was annonced last year. I'm almost captivated by it. I obssess over every screen, youtube video and demonstration of the game that I see. I'm not a huge "The Sims" fan, but do enjoy the majority of simulation game titles available here in the US.

What grabs me first about a sim-game is the level of control it gives me over my environment. When I can affect the world I am about to play in it let's me explore areas of my imagination the I would otherwise avoid during my day job. It gives me a free pass on being constrained to a single plane of thought and ultimately let's me be a kid again. When you add to that the ability to create the people/creatures/things that will then live in that world or explore them, I get even more excited. Creativity to me is one of the most undervalued traits that a person has or can have. That being said, it should be no surprise that games like LBP or Spore never drop off my radar.

The problem I have is that I lack patience. Severely. Anyone in my family can attest to this. So to have to wait until October to get my hands on this game, and right now I'm having a hard time with it. Sure, I've had the Spore Creature Creator to keep my company, but I find that the Creature Creator has become a poor substitute for the full title, and of late does not quench my thirst. Here and there I play another round of Sid Meier's Civilization: Revolution, but like Creature Creator, Civ:Revolution is a demo, easily completed or timed out and I am left alone again clawing at my own flesh trying to tear my mind away for the unbridled desire for this game. I'm sure that Sony is tired of getting my emails about this game, but right now we are barely starting July... October is three torturous and agonizing months away. I mean, look at this stuff I found on the LBP Wiki, and from a Sony press release I got a while back:

"There are limitless ways to play. Players craft their own individual experience based on their own creativity.

Unlimited possibilities for user-created content – players can customize everything: their characters, the landscape around them and their own patch on LittleBigPlanet.

Players learn new skills and discover new items to aid them on their creative journey. Explore the massive single player game or go online to find user-generated content.

LittleBigPlanet will change every day as players contribute their own levels.
Online and offline multiplayer modes – play alone, work as a team with up to four friends or get competitive.

LittleBigPlanet global community for players to get involved with: includes player comments, rankings and easy communication with new and existing friends."

C'mon, look at the main characters... THEY ARE SOCK PUPPET PEOPLE!!!

I'm going to have to call out sick from the day job when this game finally comes to market.

Finish What You Start...

The videogame industry is packed with news these days, but I'm sure you must have read about some of this stuff:

Didja see? There's a new Blackberry case from Otterbox.

It protects the Blackberry from the iPhone!

Didja see? Square Enix says Final Fantasy XIII is still intended to be exclusive for the PS3.

I guess if no one plays it, no one will know how badly it sucks.

Didja see? In order to save tens of millions of dollars on the Xbox 360, Microsoft designed its own chip for the thing. Then when the chip red-ringed everyone's Xbox 360, the recall cost Microsft a billion dollars.

As the politicians say, a billion here, a billion there, pretty soon you're talking real money.

Didja see? An analyst says that the reason we can't get Wii Fit here is because Nintendo is sending them all to Europe because of the strong Euro.

That, and that the only people who want to become fit are already fit.

Didja see? Lucas Arts laid off 100 people last week.

It means Ninjasistah won't see her Wii lightsaber game for a while longer.

Didja see? Take Two has announced BioShock 3 -- even though BioShock 2 isn't even out yet.

What's next, BioShock: The Musical?

Didja see? Scientists have discovered an algorithm that solves the Rubik's Cube in only 23 moves.

Or, just one move if you have 46 hands.

Didja see? They're coming out with a Metallica version of Guitar Hero.

Unfortunately, while on your network it checks your computers for copyright-infringing music.

Didja see? Sony has quit development on two games for the PS3 and one for the PSP.

They're taking their football and going Home. Oh, that's right, Home is still vapor, too.

Didja see? Game developers are taking advantage of the accelerometer in the iPhone to make some really great games.

How much is that Nintendog in the window?

Finish What You Start...

You know I like to share upcoming titles with you that I think may be fun, so here's another one for you.

I have always been a fan of racing games. I can't tell you how many hours I wasted away during my youth playing games like Pole Position, Gran Turismo, F-Zero, and WipeOut easily come to mind, so when I got the email that Koei was about to bring Fatal Inertia EX to the PS3, I took notice.

Think of FI:EX as a WipeOut for the next-gen [I guess we can finally start calling them "current gen" now right?] FI:EX features a new environment exclusive to the PS3. Along with offering a restructured training curriculum, the game boasts a new gameplay mode, "The Proving Grounds" which is also home to 8 new racing tracks.

The flight model has been re-designed, and is said to improve handling and achieve higher speeds. Which I'd love to see. FI:EX is the type of title that makes me just play over and over again. I finish the game [in that I win all the races] and then just go back and play again in order to check out the scenery or catch the little things I might have missed on the first run through. The DualShock 3 wireless controller can be used with this title as well as the optional use of SIXAXIS motion sensing technology. FI:EX aims to deliver,

"...heightened visuals which include new weather effects, significant scenery enhancements, and an overhauled garage for racecraft customization."

Sounds pretty don't it? Koei also promises at least 59 courses in seven "exotic" environments including rainforests, glacier fields, and razor-sharp canyons.

FI:EX will be delivered in 720p and feature in-game Dolby Digital audio. The multiplayer mode features include split-screen two-player races, online and LAN races for up to eight players, leaderboards, and will be available in May.

Finish What You Start...

Hey y'all, guess what? That game that looked freakin' sweet at E3 for the PS3, Haze... yeah, there's going to be a playable demo available on the PSN in early May.

Haze is a FPS set in a post-apocalyptic future "...where war is never quite what it seems." You play the character of Shane Carpenter, a newbie to the PMC.

Haze is exclusively to the PS3, and the demo will include fully functional single-player campaign as well as allow four-player drop-in drop-out co-op play online. So I've given you a reason to jump on to the PSN in May, and a damn good reason to head over to your local GameStop on May 20th.

Happy fraggin!

Finish What You Start...

With Anime Boston coming up this weekend, the Sistahs are excited as they can be. And that excitement shows in this week's episode of the podcast.

In addition to a preview of Anime Boston, the Sistahs discuss all facets of gaming. NinjaSistah talks about EA trying to take over Take Two, makers of the Grand Theft Auto series. And Pandalicious goes on and on about dating sim games -- particularly focusing on the question, "why aren't girls the protagonist in these games?"

In any case, it's well worth your hour and seven minutes to listen in. And in case you were wondering, here are the titles they rejected for this week's episode:

EA's So Rich, Their Cash Is Brown

ET Listens to This Podcast

EA Shows Take Two Who's the Bully

That Sound Emanating From Ninja's Guitar: Shake, Rattle and Roll

Was That Terriers or Derriers?

Boston Winos Will Be Heading for Rehab This Week

A MILF Would Bring a Whole New Dimension to Paperboy

The Discussion Degenerated to Talk About the Roughness of Sticks

The Only Come-On Line a Girl Needs Is "Hi"

So there you go. Let us know what you think about Episode 90: The Best Little Whorehouse On the PS3.

Finish What You Start...

This is getting ridiculous. It seems that if you want to improve sales of a product, all you have to do is put an iPod Dock in it. The latest example is the Razer Pro|Type keyboard, shown here. But that's not what would get me to buy a new keyboard, so I mocked up a picture of what would sell me on a new keyboard.

What are we likely to see in 2008? Well, one answer is certainly more products with iPod Docks in them. Here are some products I expect to see an iPod Dock added to this year:

Microwave oven
Lawnmower
Microsoft Zune
Electric toothbrush
Cuisinart food processor
Playstation 3
4GB thumb drive
Glade Plugin air freshener
Wii Nunchuck

Finish What You Start...

The number “13” has always been known as an unlucky number and that just may be the case for me as far as SquareEnix's Final Fantasy XIII is concerned.

I’m at a crossroad right now. I’ve been pretty firm on my decision not to purchase a Playstion3 because I detest the price of the next-gen system. On the other hand, I’ve been a huge fan of the Final Fantasy series since FFIII. Seeing as how Squaresoft/Enix has had a longstanding relationship with Sony, I figured the chances of the series coming the the Xbox 360 was slim, but with the release of FFXI Online on Microsoft’s system and the announcement of another possible mmorpg by SqareEnix in the future, my hopes were high. I always knew in the back of my mind that I would have to make the decision to either pony up the cash for the PS3 or bid farewell to the series that I love so much. The time for the decision is now.

The long time character designer of the Final Fantasy series, Tetsuya Nomura, not only swears by a 2008 release for FFXIII, but also teases at a playable demo on the Playstation Network a while before the game is released to show off the revamped battle system. Either two things are going to happen this year. I’ll either eat my words and breakdown and purchase the overpriced system or say goodbye to the FFXIII and /wrist when every PS3 owner sinks their teeth into the demo and then the full game. No matter the choice, you guys will probably see an grown gamer cry.

Decisions, decisions.

Finish What You Start...

There's a new trailer up for Condemned 2: Bloodshot and it definitely keeps in line with its predecessor.

Not only does the trailer bring you a grim and creepy feeling, but it's got the whole "WTF is going on vibe". That was an all to familiar feeling that came with the first game in the series, Condemned: Criminal Origins.

The new game picks up where the first left off, with the main character, Ethan Thomas, who has degenerated into a depressed alcoholic. I can't say I wouldn't have a similar fate if I'd gone through what he did. Despite this, he gets pulled back into the police force to investigate another series of bizarre happenings.

Check out the trailer here to see if you're up for another hellish ride. (Age verification may be required.)

Finish What You Start...

Just before NinjaSistah flew out to Las Vegas for the annual Consumer Electronic Show this weekend, she and Pandalicious recorded a new podcast.

Pandalicious talks about a creepy new anime called "Ghost Hound." It doesn't contain ghosts (at least, not Casper-style ghosts) and it doesn't have any hounds, either, but Panda insists it's worth watching.

NinjaSistah discusses several topics, including last week's Xbox Live outage, some free Rock Band tracks (but Playstation players are out of luck), God of War 3 and the HD movie format wars.

And, as usual, there are plenty of rejected titles for this episode:

Three Guys, a Girl and Their Suicidal Thoughts

Anime's Psychic Friends Network

Alien Butt Babies Make You Make an Ass of Yourself

It's Like an Oreo Cookie for Your Ears

There Be Dragons in HD&D

The Farmer's Gettin' a Dell, Dude

So, while Ninja's workin' her butt off in Vegas, you can sit back and enjoy Episode 81: Can Kratos Survive a Third Daddy?

Finish What You Start...

I thought that I would take a look at what was going on in the realm of online on the next gen systems.

I started with the PS3, headed over to the Wii, and finished out the night with the XB360. I'm exhausted.

I started out with the PS3 because I have high hopes for the system this year. I am hoping that the kick ass, "you're going to have a life changing gaming experience..." game will be hitting the shelves of the local big box stores leaving me bereft of funds in the old wallet. I am hopeful that games like Echochrome, Little Big Planet, and Haze make me glad for dropping $600 bucks on the thing. Add to that Super Mario Galaxy, Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Wii Fit on the Wii and Fable 2, Mass Effect, and Lost Odyssey on the XB360.

But new "console exclusive" titles are not the most fair or balanced way to compare the level of enjoyment one can have on the various systems. The way I see it, the console with the most diverse online content will end up being the ultimate victor.

When it comes to retro game titles, all three of the console systems are equally balanced in what they offer. Just about every game that becomes available on the Wii Virtual Console shortly thereafter becomes available on the Playstation Network and XBLive Marketplace. With title availability being equal, the deciding factor will be playability, and online extras. XBLive as well as some PS3 game titles offer direct player to player interaction while the Wii has [of yet] no direct PvP action. Both the XBox and PS3 offer other downloadable online content in the forms of video game demos, TV show episodes, and feature length films.

We've seen it with the success of games like World of Warcraft and EverQuest, and we will see more of it going forward on the gaming front. It won't the amount of polygons thrust at the player that will determine the king of gaming but the social networking piece of gameplay that will establish the victor in the video game arena.

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It's hard to look at Midway's and John Woo's video game creation, Stranglehold, and not think ''another Max Payne rip-off" which is ironic because Max Payne was a tribute to John Woo's classic Hong Kong action flick Hard Boiled with its slow-motion and heavy-action. Both games revolve around a badass cop dodging, diving, and shooting all over the place in slow-motion. Stranglehold manages to incorporate the gameplay mechanics that made Max Payne such a huge success while throwing in its own Hong Kong flare.

Fans of Hard Boiled will enjoy seeing Chow Yun-Fat reprise his role as Inspector Tequila, a rogue cop on the Hong Kong police force. Stranglehold takes place many years after Hard Boiled, and when a member of the force is murdered by one of Hong Kong's major gangs, Tequila steps up to put a lot of bullets in a lot of people and somewhere in there, Tequila's former girlfriend and daughter both end up being held hostage.

A lot of people get shot in Stranglehold. The body count gets pretty high when enemies come flying out of every nook and cranny of each stage, and always with guns blazing. There's plenty of opportunities to use the bullet time or Tequila Time, as it's called in Stranglehold, and not difficult at all, sometimes being as easy as pushing a button.

Tequila can interact with almost every piece of scenery in a level. For instance, when running up to a table, you can choose to slide right over it, or kick it over and use it as temporary cover until it's blown to bits. When running to a wall, you can dash up it and dive even further than usual. You can run up or slide down a nearby rail. I think you get the idea. Pieces of the environment can also be shot or otherwise destroyed to use to your advantage. If an enemy is standing underneath a neon sign, shoot it and it will fall on him. Exploding barrels are all over the place. Do I even need to say more?

Pulling off stylish moves throughout the game fills up a meter that lets you trigger one of four different "Tequila bombs” which are special abilities that vary from recharging your health, to letting you spin around while still shooting, killing all the enemies surrounding you, all while doves go fluttering off into the sky (You had to know Woo would throw the doves in there.). Another is the accurate-shot ability, which lets you move a targeting reticle in slow motion to any part of an enemy's body, and then watch the bullet fly directly to its target. The next ability is an all-out barrage of invincibility and limitless gunfire that usually lasts long enough to clear the room.

I'm not sure if the last element of game play can be considered an ability or minigame. Periodically, Tequila will enter into a standoff with a group of enemies. These standoffs quickly snap Tequila's focus around from one enemy to the next. Using both analog sticks on the controller, you have to simultaneously dodge enemy gunfire and move a targeting reticle over enemies to take them out one by one. It's a lot easier than it sounds.

By no means is Stranglehold a hard game. The early portions of the game are a bit of a cakewalk at times, even while you're getting used to the different abilities. Around the third level you'll actually have to use those different abilities smartly to survive. Cover points are also helpful, though you'll rarely stay in one place for very long, as the environment around you tends to get destroyed very quickly. The Tequila bombs can be a lifesaver in a few situations, though they also tend to make a few of the boss fights overly easy. Turning the game up to the hard difficulty level fixes that some, but not by much.

In addition the short single-player campaign, there are some bonuses to buy through an extras shop. John Woo himself sits behind the counter to peddle his wares. The multi-player mode isn't that interesting and feels like it was just thrown in. You can only engage in standard deathmatches or team deathmatches with up to six players. The multiplayer is similar to the single-player game, just not as good. Maps are a bit shorter, and though you can use Tequila Time in multiplayer, its scattered execution in this mode makes it all but worthless. You can't go into slo-mo unless you and your opponents all have a full Tequila time meter. It almost becomes pointless because by the time the meter is full, you could have already taken out your opponents.

Stranglehold is a decent game with a few shortcomings. The destructible environment is visually amazing. On the downside, character models are not especially detailed and the animations are lacking. The game does run smoothly aside from the occasionally hiccup from the camera trying to keep pace with the fast action.

Stranglehold won't revolutionize the shooter genre. It's more of a re-vamp of an idea that already exists but it's tweaked enough to succeed. It can get repetitive but there's enough exciting action here to keep shooter fans interested. It's a short trip but the journey is fun and amusing on whatever system you play it on.

Finish What You Start...

Provocative as usual, the Sistahs bring you a new podcast episode for the week bearing the title "Celibate Is Not Celebratory."

Pandalicious kicks it off by crossing the words "tantalize" with "tittilate" to form a new word: "tantilate." What's caused this strange combination? Why, it's the hard-to-get (in America) anime series, "So Long, Mr. Despair." Panda liked it so much, she says it makes nooses funny.

Meanwhile, NinjaSistah is very disappointed in the latest installments in the Dynasty Warriors series. You simply won't believe what they've done to this vaunted series -- and you won't like it on the PS3 or the Xbox 360.

So go ahead and tune into Episode 71: Celibate Is Not Celebratory.

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As the rumor mills continue to churn for the possibility of Sony's repricing of the PlayStation 3 to $399 for the holiday season, analysts were shocked today when Sony representatives announced that they instead would be selling U.S. $500 bills for the unprecedented price of $399.

"We know people are going to be calling us crazy," said Kazuo Hirai, President and Group CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI), "but, hey, we're Sony. In the past year we brought out an HD DVD player that nobody wants, some batteries that spectacularly set some computers on fire and a game system for which there are no games to play on it. We know we're crazy."

The $500 bills, which display the picture of former U.S. President William McKinley, who was shot at the 1901 Buffalo World's Fair and later died, were last printed in 1945 and withdrawn from circulation in 1969.

When asked why anyone would want to own a $500 bill that they cannot use as legal currency, Hirai said, "Hey, they already own a PS3 that they can't use. A worthless $500 bill is a conversation piece, just like that PS3. And it isn't half the fire hazard the PS3 is.

"Sure, a $500 bill can catch on fire, but it won't explode in the middle of the night and kill your whole family like a PS3 might."

Hirai added that the $500 bill costs much less to ship. "Just pop it in an envelope and stick on a 41 cent stamp," Hirai said. That compares with the PS3, which weighs approximately 38 pounds (288 pounds when you add the weight of the postman who hauls it reluctantly to your front porch).

Although selling a $500 bill would mean a $101 loss for Sony on each bill sold, Hirai said the price is much less than Sony would lose on selling the PS3 at the same $399 price point. "Think of all the money we're saving just on marketing," he added. "Heck, $500 bills practically sell themselves.

"Nothing says Christmas more than a crisp $500 bill. It's even green on the back."

Finish What You Start...

Monday brings with it yet another new episode of the ESH podcast. This episode I have to say, was kinda a weird one. Good, but weird.

It's just the two sistahs Pandalicious and NinJaSistah holding it down for episode 68. Pandalicious tries to help NinJaSistah wrap her mind around the anime series Nerima Daikon Brothers, and I emphasize the word tries. Then on the flipside of the hour, NinJaSistah glosses over some of the news from the Tokyo Game Show and shares her first impressions of the PS3 title Heavenly Sword.

Yeap, it's a fun, and weird hour this week, and if you don't believe me, just check out the rejected titles for this weeks episode:

• Don't Take Her Shoes, She Needs the Height
• It's Not The Size of Your URL, It's How You Use It
• We Were Sharing Bodily Fluids LAST Week
• Why Is The Radish Throbbing?
• The Words, "Big Throbbing Daikon" Scare Me
• The Most Forbidden Love: When Man Meets Panda
• What She Did With a Fishcake: On The Next Maury
• Sony made Me Go Dutch Then Tried To Rape Me
• The PS3 Controller Was A Pain in the SIXAXIS
• Hopefully, This Will Be the Last Sexually Oriented Wii Joke
• The Inevitability of the Response to "What What?"
• To Gank or To Frag? The Question Endures

After reading that list of rejected titles, I'm sure you want to dive into this weeks episode. So, sit back, get your a cup of joe, and enjoy episode 68: Caffeine Plus Pandalicious Equals Bad Idea

Finish What You Start...

For those of you who are tired of reading bad news about everything, today we present the first in a series of Good News/Bad News stories. For those of you who just like good news, pay attention to the left side. For bad news junkies, enjoy the right side of the page.

News item: You can't go Home -- at least not until next year. Sony announced that it's Home virtual world for the PS3 will not be available until Spring 2008. "We want this to be a worldwide service," said Sony CEO Kaz Hirai. "We want to make sure that we have a range of services which can be satisfactory to our users throughout the world... so we decided to delay the service’s launch date... Please be patient in this regard."
GOOD NEWS	BAD NEWS
It leaves more time to design Mii's on your Nintendo Wii.	It leaves more time for Sony to develop add-ons to Home, such as in-game ads, email and other things gamers don't really want.
News item: Nintendo has announced that starting with the December issue, Nintendo Power Magazine will be published by Future US, the folks behind the Official Xbox Magazine, PC Gamer, and Mac|Life.
GOOD NEWS	BAD NEWS
Future already publishes a Nintendo magazine in Britain.	Chopping down treees, turning the wood into pulp, painting the pages and shipping the results by snail mail is so 1929. Wake up, people. Magazines are dead.
News item: Kaz Hirai, CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, told the assembled audience at the Tokyo Game Show that he considers the PlayStation 3 to be "a game machine."
GOOD NEWS	BAD NEWS
After a year touting the wide and varied uses of the PS3, it was refreshing to hear someone at Sony admit that the primary purpose of the PS3 should be to play games.	From Wired: But outside of announcing the DualShock 3 controller, Hirai made no announcements of new products -- certainly nothing that would by itself represent a change in PlayStation 3's fortunes in Japan, where it is being outsold about three-to-one by the Wii.
News item: It doesn't look any different, but reports say it feels heavier. What is it? Why, the new DualShock 3, a new controller for the PS3 that brings back the force-feedback "rumble" functionality left out of the original controller.
GOOD NEWS	BAD NEWS
It'll be available in the U.S. in Spring 2008, and will replace the Sixaxis controller in new PS3 boxes. The list of games that will take advantage of the new rumble features is a long one.	Ya gotta buy a new %&*$@#! controller!
News item: LucasArts has announced Krome Studios will release a Wii version of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed that will let you use the Wii-mote as a lightsaber.
GOOD NEWS	BAD NEWS
Although some bloggers originally announced that the lightsaber action was available only in duel mode, in actuality you can use the Wii-mote as a lightsaber throughout the game.	You're going to have to push buttons to work the lightsaber in the Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP and Nintendo DS versions. May the Thumb Doctor Be With You.
News item: More anime is coming to Xbox Live. From Joystiq: "Beginning today (and continuing over the coming weeks) you'll be able to find titles from the Starz anime library like Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (Seasons 1 & 2), Street Fighter II V, Noein, Tokko, Virus and Astro Boy on the service."
GOOD NEWS	BAD NEWS
Starz has a tremendous catalog of anime titles.	I'm trying to code this item in a way that NinjaSistah doesn't see it. Between Xbox Live and iTunes, she won't even have to walk the three blocks to the local anime store to get her fill.
News item: The E for All Show shoots itself in the foot by moving its 2008 date from October to the same weekend in August at the very popular Penny Arcade Expo.
GOOD NEWS	BAD NEWS
This should put the final nail in the coffin of the badly managed spin-off of the old E3 Expo. It is a fitting end for E for All show host IDG, which killed the summer Mac Expo a few years ago by moving it from New York to Boston.	This is all everyone is going to want to talk about in the run-up to the 2007 E for All event in October (which Sony and Microsoft have already vacated).

Finish What You Start...

It was bound to happen. Nay, it was destined since the dawn of the Wii for this moment to arrive. And now that it's been made official, I feel as though I am vindicated in my total geekfoolery for desiring it.

What in the blooming, bloody, bleep am I talking about. I'm talking about being able to use the Wiimote as a lightsaber in a game. LucasArts announced today that in the upcoming Star Wars game: Star Wars: The Forced Unleased. Sure, the game is also going to be released on the XB-360 and PS3... but WiiSaber people. Need I say more?

Really?