This is the Launch week of PS3 and Wii!

Review:

Tony Hawk's Project 8
For Xbox 360

Some companies have a habit of making yearly updates to their games with little to no changes to the formula. Usually this happens with sports franchises such as Madden Football, or NBA Live. So, with the newest installment of the Tony Hawk skateboarding game franchise arriving earlier this month, the question is raised: is this merely a roster update? Well, to that, the answer is a resounding "NO". With Tony Hawk's Project 8, we are given a fresh take on the franchise, and that is a good thing. While past versions were all filled with fun and addicting gameplay, they pretty much just offered incremental improvements from year to year that didn't really help differentiate one game from the next. Project 8 is an upgrade in all aspects, in a big way.
The controls in the game are as easy to pick up as ever, and the challenge levels are always catered to your ability. If you are familiar with skateboarding, the controls are easy to master, and you will 'get it' right away. If you aren't familiar with the series or skateboarding in general, it won't be long before you have a good understanding of how the game works, as the tutorials are effective and fun.
The graphics have been totally rebuilt from the ground up, and the controls on the Xbox 360 work well. Your character will move smoothly and more realistically with the environments he or she is interacting with, and the rag doll physics make bailing a lot more entertaining than it was with previous games. The level design in this game is much like a Grand Theft Auto game, with sandbox-style gameplay allowing you to go anywhere, and new portions of the game world are introduced and unlocked as you play through the career mode. Another key feature is the 'nail the trick' mode, which allows you to slow down time and control your board with your feet, moving each foot individually with the 2 analog sticks. Sounds complicated, but in practice it really is a lot of fun, and it is easy to activate during gameplay.
As far as skateboarding is concerned, this game features tons of skate celebrities including Tony Hawk, Jason Lee (of NBC's My Name is Earl Fame), and Bam Margera, along with other heavy hitters that may surprise you.
The graphics for the Xbox 360 version seem to be a bit better than the PS3 versions, (more effective normal mapping and bump mapping) and the 360 version has a smoother frame rate and online play that the PS3 doesn't offer. The one advantage the PS3 does have is the familiar controller and the ability to use the motion sensor for balance, but this feature just doesn't translate well in this fast paced game. If you have to go next-gen, I would recommend the Xbox 360 version of this game this time around. If you don't have or plan on getting the 360 or the PS3, the Playstation 2 version is a good game, and there is an Xbox version, as well. Whichever one you go with, you are sure to enjoy it. I mean, if you are "extreme" enough, that is.


Stevie Williams in Tony Hawk's Project 8


New Releases This week:
The Playstation 3 launches on Saturday the 17th. This is a big deal!! Though most people will probably admit that they are standing in line to buy this thing just to make more money selling it on eBay, some hardcore gamers will have theirs as early as this weekend. Be advised, GameStop and EB Games released a memo online that they will probably not receive enough systems to meet their preorder demands by the 17th. For more info on that, check out the GameStop/Ebgames website. For best results, I recommend camping out at a place like Best Buy, Circuit City, or Sears if you absolutely have to get one. Actually, don't camp out. It makes you look like a nerd with no friends. I'd just wait on this one. Retail price for the PS3 is $499 or $599, depending on which model you want. The more expensive model boasts a bigger hard drive and more input ports for various types of memory/media cards.

On Sunday the 19th, the Nintendo Wii game console will surface. Nintendo advertises that they will not have the same limited launch numbers that the Playstation 3 will be dealing with, so walking into a store to pick one up shouldn't be an issue. We can't wait to get our hands on one of these! Retail price for this item is set at $249.