MAFIA II just hit this week and I have to say that I enjoy the game quite a bit. It’s gameplay is a great mix of brawling and third person shooting. It has a lot of mechanics that work, and it all takes place in a lively, gorgeous, ever changing open world version of New York. Too bad it’s completely wasted.


Mafia II has an incredibly linear story telling style that pushes you from mission to mission. There’s no wandering to be done in the game. You’re not going to find some long lost friend from the old country on the side of the road the way you did in GRAND THEFT AUTO 4. Sure there’s trouble to get into in the game. You can drive around and start hitting pedestrians, killing people with random street shoot outs, and get in trouble with the cops in the process, trying to evade them. But isn’t this gameplay kind of worn out? Is there really still an appeal to driving around and killing everyone in site in modern gaming? I’ll admit I did it in GTA4 simply because that’s the only way I knew to play a GTA game then I grew up and started playing story missions, which I enjoyed quite a lot. The open world map served a purpose in those games of making the city feel alive. You could play any way you wanted. Same goes for RED DEAD REVOLVER.



Along comes MAFIA II and there’s none of what makes an open world game great. The city feels plenty alive, but it’s it’s incredibly linear gameplay elements it feels unnecessary, and actually it feels insulting in a way. The game makes you drive from mission to mission, padding out the gameplay, but there’s no reason for this since the story is linear. This is just adding something for you to do, that’s not fun, not interesting in any way, and gets rather boring by the 8th mission where you have to wake up get some clothes and then drive to a place. Why not just have a mission at that place? You already know where you want the character to go, you’ll save space on the disk, your programmers will be happier because it’s less work, and the gameplay will be paced much better.



There are some things developers seem to think they have to put in a game to make it successful. Things like tacked on multiplayer that no one will play, a promise of DLC, and now I’m guessing they feel the need to make a game open world. So to you developers I say, don’t. If it’s not going to directly affect the gameplay, then make a linear game. Don’t be afraid to just tell an incredible story from start to finish and leave gimmicks behind. If you want to make an incredibly well paced linear story then make sure the characters are interesting, the story is good, and the gameplay elements you have work. Trim the fat.



Having said all that, I still feel that Mafia II is a really cool game. I enjoyed it a lot, and I’ll probably play through it one more time, if for no other reason to find all the hidden issues of Playboy Magazine scattered through it. It’s definitely worth checking out, but don’t be surprised if you find yourself bored, driving, listening to Bing Crosby sing about how it’s a White Christmas or some nonsense. It gets old fast.

Since Rock Band 3 will be coming out soon I’ve been making the necessary switch from focusing most of my time on Street Fighter to now focusing on Green Day: Rock Band. I really enjoyed this version of Rock Band since I’ve been wanting to see Green Day songs in Rock Band since Rock Band 1.

Due to the popularity of my Beatles Rock Band post I wrote last year on the gold star cut offs I’ve decided to dedicate another post to Green Day Rock Band gold stars exclusively. Here you’ll find my pictures of the songs I’ve gold starred as well as videos if I can get them uploaded.

Feel free to ask me any questions you may have and if you have a request for a video that I haven’t yet posted please feel free to comment below and I’ll get to you as soon as I can! Thanks!

StarSlay3r- GD: Rock Band Song: “Basket Case” 100% Full Combo Gold Stars from Ciji Thornton on Vimeo.

StarSlay3r- GD: Rock Band Song: “Murder City” 100% Full Combo Gold Stars from Ciji Thornton on Vimeo.

StarSlay3r- GD: Rock Band Song: “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” 100% Full Combo Gold Stars from Ciji Thornton on Vimeo.

StarSlay3r- GD: Rock Band Song: “Burnout” 100% Full Combo Gold Stars from Ciji Thornton on Vimeo.

StarSlay3r- GD: Rock Band Song: “In The End” 100% Full Combo Gold Stars from Ciji Thornton on Vimeo.

Maybe you’ve heard of “that 14 year old kid that kicks everyone’s ass at Street Fighter”, but you’ve never known what his name is… well it’s Joshua Spoon and this “kid” is a Street Fighter prodigy that has been taking the fighting community by storm lately. After starting to play SF4 on a serious level only 9 months ago, he is already placing top 8 in tournaments, giving the top players a run for their money and is definitely a player that everyone should keep a close eye on! Here’s a video of Josh “RagingravenSRK” Spoon in action at the Lake Erie Summer Slam SSF4 tournament from a couple months ago.



Name: Joshua Spoon

Gamer Tag: RagingravenSRK

Age: 14

Location: Knoxville, TN.

Preferred Console: Xbox 360

Did you always have a passion for gaming (grew up gaming), or was that something that developed later in life?: I’ve had a passion for gaming since I first picked up a controller! I was around 3-4 when I first played a video game, it was Super Mario Brothers on the NES, since then I’ve owned a ton of consoles and have been addicted for a long time.

When did you decide that you were ready to compete in tournaments?: It wasn’t necessarily a matter of thinking I was good enough to compete, it just sounded fun to do, I went to my first tournament sometime around December of 2009 and just had a lot of fun, so I’ve continued to compete.



When did you start playing SF4?: I got Street Fighter IV the same month that it came out, I was really bad and didn’t really know anything about what was going on, about 3-4 months later my friend introduced me to the competitive scene (I never entered anything, but I was always reading about Daigo and Justin), so I was interested in it and started learning the game on what was still a casual level, I suppose I only started taking the game seriously around November or December of last year.

What character do you play as in SSF4 and why did you choose him/her?: I use Rufus! He is really the only character that fits my style 100%, he is a complete rushdown character! Well, not entirely, but he is the closest thing to it

What are you currently playing?: Outside of SSF4 of course, I have been working on completing Knights of the Old Republic 1 and 2. (these games are AWESOME!)

How many hours a week do you spend gaming?: Entirely too much, on average about 20, but if I’m preparing for a tournament I play around 40, it can really turn into a full time job if you want to be at a high level.

How often do you compete?: As often as possible, here over the past few months I have been attending at least 1 tournament a month.



What do you enjoy most about competing?: The competition, it’s just fun to always be against good players, I am always learning something new at tournaments, which helps me to improve.

What was your hardest competition to date and why?: Final Round 13 in Atlanta, this was my second tournament and it just so happened to be a tournament with 200+ people, it was definitely a wake up call, at this point I just wasn’t prepared, I didn’t even have a character that was my main, I ended up placing 129th which was really upsetting, since then I’ve prepared myself for tournaments a lot more.

Where would you like to see yourself go in the Video games industry? Do you want to have more involvement such as creating games or do you just want to play them as a profession?: Well, I would like to become one of the top players in the U.S in SSF4, but it’s going to take a long time, I doubt I will ever really choose gaming as a career path, just a hobby.

Being so awesome at SF at such a young age is a HUGE advantage. Do you think you’ll follow in Justin Wong’s footsteps to be the next consistent top fighter in the US?: I hope so, I’m going to try hard to get to where he is, it’s not an easy thing to do though!



Since you’re still in school, do your parents ever give you a hard time about playing video games a lot, or do they support you?: My parents are really supportive of it, I’m always approached by people telling me “Your parents are awesome for taking you to these events!” I suppose I just recently realized how awesome it is, my parents are AWESOME!

Do you think that being high level at such a young age is an advantage or disadvantage, and why?: It’s both an advantage and a disadvantage, it’s an advantage because at such a young age I still have a long time to learn and improve, it is a disadvantage because it makes it much more difficult to travel.

Do you currently have any sponsors?: Nope, not planning on having any either!

What event can we watch you beat down the competition at next?: Aside from some local tournaments, I will be at Seasons Beatings 5 in Ohio! That’s going to be in October.

Do you have any social networking sites that people can go to if they want to contact you?: http://www.facebook.com/RagingravenSRK or you can contact me on XBL which is RagingravenSRK

Thank you for your time Josh! I look forward to seeing you dominate EVO next year! Good luck in your endeavors! Justin Wong… watch out! ^_~

Early this morning the XBox Live Dashboard was updated with next weeks “Play The Pros” event which features StarSlay3r playing Super Street Fighter 4! Some of you may be wondering… “Why Super Street Fighter 4? Isn’t she a pro rhythm game player?”. Well here’s why… The XBox Live events coordinator talked to StarSlay3r about trying to play a game that would get lots of people in one session at a time and where everyone can talk to each other. Unfortunately Rock Band/ Guitar Hero is only 4 people at a time and no one can watch and you can’t exactly hear people talking over the music. For this reason Super Street Fighter 4 was chosen. StarSlay3r will be playing Endless Battle mode so that she can get a chance to talk to as many people as possible at once and also those who are waiting their turn to play can watch the battle in progress. Seems like a much better idea eh? Plus, we all know Super Street Fighter 4 is a much better game than Rock Band and Guitar Hero combined… so no complaints right?

Also… Thanks to Gunnar Optiks they will be giving away a pair of Gunnar glasses to one lucky twitter user. For more details on how to win, check your XBL dashboard!

To all participants… have fun and good luck!

Yet again WCG Ultimate Gamer reveals an initial trailer that shows who most of the cast is, reveals games, and teases with a bit of drama. A couple people and I have been talking back and forth about who we thought was on the show and the trailer confirmed a good majority of these people.



I CAN NOT WAIT for this show to come out. One reason why… EDITING! You can tell ALREADY from how the show was edited that they are going to show LOTS of drama. They show a well known DOA player Vanessa crying in the trailer… just like they did for me. Basically this is going to go one of two ways… Either people will just stupidly believe that that show accurately portrays everyone on it.. OR People will finally realize how “reality” tv can portray ANYONE to look like ANYTHING they want as they see their favorite gamers in a new light. I really think people need to realize people were made out to be the “bad guys” in season one when in actuality they are very nice. People like Rob were made out to be the quiet type when he’s very outgoing, talkative and fun to be around, Chelsea was the innocent girl on the show and she was the one creating most of the drama… so editing is going to play heavily on how you perceive this new batch of gamers on the show… so keep that in mind before you start talking crap again people. Ok… now that you trolls ignored ALL of what I just said… read on.



Before I get started I wanted to touch base on a couple things. The intro… only pay attention to the people’s faces in boxes… ignore anyone that had a speaking part in the beginning…that guy followed by an asian girl you saw in the beginning of the trailer. NO, they are NOT on the show. How do I know? Lets just say I was personally told that she was the 1st person sent home from the final auditions hence why she ran home and wrote a nasty little blog with the following blurb…



1st- I dare you to tell that to Mark Smith, Season 1 winner who’d laugh in your face while flashing $100 bills. lol 2nd- Didn’t everyone just see you on that video AUDITIONING for a show that’s purpose is to find the BEST ALL AROUND GAMER? *Facepalm* Can you say “SALTY”? I actually saw a few ppl who talked smack about Season 1 at auditions for Season 2 also so it goes to show, people will do anything for fame and money… luckily the cast they picked had a handful of passionate gamers who were doing it for more than just the attention. Well… what you REALLY want to see starts at about 0:35 in, so go ahead and fast forward to that.

Now I’m going to start telling you a bit about the gamers that are on this cast. (AND PRODUCERS… DO NOT CALL ME YELLING AT ME AGAIN! YOU RELEASED A VERY REVEALING TRAILER!)

Let’s start with the winner of the voting contest…

GAMER: Jake aka Thirstee321 Jake won the popular vote to earn his spot in the house and that is something that will hurt him BADLY! Why? Well Basically everyone else who was a candidate for the show saw the voting process, and if they were smart, would have researched his background to see that he is a very well rounded all around gamer that is part of a group called Countdown321 along with Season 1 cast member Jamal aka Zophar321. Speaking from experience, I told Jamal to tell Jake that he needed to put his xbl profile on friends only because Amy from season 1 was watching all of us like HAWKS before the official cast was announced to see who was good at what games. If anyone did that to Jake all of his weaknesses and strengths would be exposed making it easier to take him down. On top of that, since he’s the only one that all 11 other members will be familiar with, he will probably be deemed “the threat” and they will try to take him down ASAP.

STRENGTH: Multi-Genre Gamer

PORTRAYAL: The Threat

PLACEMENT: Top 3

GAMER: Yaz aka Clown- A well known Counter Strike player formerly of Team OPTX who has CLEARLY stated to me several times he does NOT own an Xbox 360 and has only touched a console a few times. He was supposed to be on Season 1 but was screwed over by CGS right before the company bombed. He was promised a spot on this season, and they clearly came through with their promise. How far can he go? Well, honestly it depends SOLELY on his ability to make friends, and do well in the physical challenges because he’s going to suffer in the isolation room.

STRENGTH: FPS games on PC

PORTRAYAL:The likable jock

PLACEMENT:Bottom 3

GAMER: Vanessa- A well known top DOA player, former CGS Team OPTX member and girlfriend to the well known MASTER. While I don’t know her personally, I have witnessed first hand that she is a very emotional person since I followed her progress in DOA while she was competing in the CGS series. She’s a very strong player but takes her games to heart. At world finals I saw her break down in tears for about 30 minutes when her team lost while MASTER consoled her. Does that make her a bad person? No, but it DOES mean you’re going to be seeing a lot of tears as long as she is around. Her skills in other games is unknown to me. I have never heard her mention playing other games, but I also don’t follow her too closely anymore since CGS went under. I imagine she is good at ALL fighters, other strengths are unknown.

STRENGTH: Fighting games on console

PORTRAYAL: The drama queen

PLACEMENT: 6th-9th

GAMER: Faye aka PrincessAura Faye is known in the Street Fighter 4 and Brawl scene for… well I believe she was a top placing SSB player, but as far as Street Fighter goes, she’s just a competitor. You may notice her at every event with her friend MarkMan, she’s the girl with the blue streak in her hair. Knowing her on a somewhat personal level I have seen that she has some skill in the fighting genre and is also good at vocals for Rock Band. Where her talents extend outside of that I have no clue. While she has always been nice to me, I have heard from multiple people in the gaming industry that she is a … well… a persuasive person I’ll say. She can easily obtain what she wants, and if she took that into the house with her she could end up in a situation very similar to Chelsea from season 1 who skated by to the finals by making friends with the right people.

STRENGTH: Fighters on console

PORTRAYAL: The cute “innocent” girl that everyone will overlook while she skates to top 6.

PLACEMENT: 4th-6th

GAMER: Sebastian aka Chosen1 I don’t know too much about Chosen1 but I definitely know the name. He is another Multi-Genre gamer and he doesn’t take crap from ANYONE as you can see from the trailer. I really think that he’s going to be taking charge in this house and starting a fight or two. I don’t think he intends on being friends with anyone to make it to the top and will dominate purely on his skill.

STRENGTH: Multi-Genre Gamer

PORTRAYAL: The trouble maker

PLACEMENT: Top 6

GAMER: AJ aka HatPerson While most of you will be saying “who is this guy?” I know him pretty well. AJ was the tech guy for the Rockathon charity Rock Band marathon that I did in Houston last year along with Prod1gy X. When we needed an extra person because someone fell asleep or just couldn’t do it anymore, AJ would step in as an expert guitarist, vocalist or drummer. His strength in Rythm games is well known to me and he is also a very strong Street Fighter player. On top of that I remember him telling me that he’s a pretty well rounded gamer before he auditioned and obviously, it’s true if he made the show because unlike the first two gamers I mentioned, he does not have a huge name for himself… YET. Since no one in the house will really know who he is, I think he’s going to be the biggest threat to everyone without them knowing it.

STRENGTH: Multi-genre gamer

PORTRAYAL: The quiet shy type that will be quietly planning his plot to destroy everyone behind the scenes

PLACEMENT: Top 6

GAMER: Justin Wong aka Jwong THE MOST recognizable player in the fighting game community, I believe Justin Wong is going to be the most well known gamer on the show. While he’s top in the nation for various versions of Street Fighter, TvC, MvC and more, no one has ever seen Justin attempt to go pro in another genre. Does that mean Justin is ONLY a fighting game player? Well, yes, he is, but that doesn’t mean he’s not multi-talented. I talked to Justin while he was practicing for auditions and he passed all of the game auditions with only a short amount of time to practice each game. While he did not like having to do cramming practice sessions, apparently they paid off. While my initial instinct was that Justin was going to bomb and be the first person out unless Game 1 was SSF4, I now think he’d make it just a bit further after seeing the rest of the cast. Justin being on WCGUG2 will either make or break his career either further boosting his already huge success, or in the event of poor portrayal, can cause him to lose a large amount of his fan base and respect in the community, especially if he gets knocked out in the first episode. Here’s the twist though… Justin is good friends with Faye Mata in real life. I predict an alliance between them DAY 1.

STRENGTH: Fighting Games on console

PORTRAYAL: The cocky one who will probably say things to start trouble because he knows how to work those mind games!

PLACEMENT: Bottom 3 (Unfortunately. I <3 you though Justin. Prove me wrong please!)

GAMER: Rachel aka PMS Seltzer This gamer is not one I’m very familiar with. I know OF her but don’t know her well. Apparently she’s a FPS console player. My friends and I believe that was her in the opening shot where it shows the boxes around peoples faces. You can see her next to the well known Guitar Hero pro WitWix. Not knowing much about her but only a bit about her personality and going off a few things I heard about her strategy in the house… I see her as the type that will turn on a few people to get to the top.

STRENGTH: FPS games on console

PORTRAYAL: The backstabber

PLACEMENT: 6th-9th


GAMER: Katherine aka Mystik I don’t know much about her but was told the following: She is a pro gamer, and was a member of the Carolina Core team for the Female DOA4 division in the now-defunct CGS league. That makes 3 players from CGS.

STRENGTH: Fighting games on console

PORTRAYAL: Nobody has really told me much about her personality so I don’t know how she’ll be portrayed.

PLACEMENT: 6th-9th

GAMER: Ryan aka RyBu Oh boy! I got all giddy like a school girl when I found out Ryan was on the show. I had the pleasure of meeting Ryan at the Los Angeles casting call and he was instantly one of my favorite people. If you remember my video from Day 1 casting calls you’ll remember a guy saying “Ryan Burnett Portland, Oregon WCG Ultimate Gamer right here baby!” Well… he definitely had the right mentality going into it and I know first hand that he is very good at Rhythm, FPS and Fighting games. It appears as though the only areas he has problems with are Sports and Racing.

STRENGTH: Rhythm, Fighting and FPS games on console

PORTRAYAL: The nice guy that everyone overlooks as he takes top 3.

Placement: Top 3 (I wouldn’t be surprised if he won actually)

GAMES EXPOSED: NHL 10 (Euw), Tekken 6 (awww did Capcom say no to SSF4?), Forza Motorsport 3, Battlefield Bad Company 2, Mario Kart (WTF?). I’m not super surprised by this set of games… the only one that threw me off was Mario Kart, but I guess that goes to show they DID take our recommendations to include more systems not just Xbox 360 this time around. I was surprised, however to see what looked like Wii Sports resort or something which looks like a multi part challenge. That… looked… STUPID. It also appears as though Wii Sports Resort will be the first game in the series. Also they more than likely WILL have one PC game on the show and our guess is that BFBC2 will be played on PC. Other then that, the real life challenges are pretty similar to what we did for season 1 and OF COURSE someone doesn’t know how to drive and almost killed people again. Dammit! Did they put Dante back on the cast?

NEW RULE: I was also told about a new rule to this years show. Apparently the winner for each game/real life challenge overall is NOT allowed to place themselves against the last place person. This new rule will make the show a million times more interesting since TWICE on season 1 we had to deal with 1st going against last which resulted in the last place person going home both times. With everyone knowing that THEY could be placed against the last place person at any point in time, that adds some extra tension and will make the show that much more interesting. Good call guys, but wish that was implemented in season 1!



The most interesting part to this show is that the final 2 people have not played yet. We have NO idea who won the show because they don’t play until WCG grand finals in Los Angeles, CA this year. This is an AMAZINGLY smart plan by their marketing team to get more people to attend the WCG World Finals. Kudos marketing experts… I applaud you. What else does this mean? This means that the two finalists get to practice their ASS off all the way up until that point. I think that’s a bit unfair because on Season 1 we could only practice each game 1 day before we were expected to play it for isolation and they also kept to that system for the finals between Mark and Rob. If they didn’t already have experience with that game then they literally had one night to learn the game. I believe THAT was a true test to how good these gamers are, now these guys get to sit at home and practice? Well guess what WCG… you messed up there. Why? Well because anyone who knows these people’s gamer tags is just going to watch which 2 cast members are practicing the same games every day and we’ll be able to tell who is in the top 2 from that. If you haven’t already started trying this theory out… good luck on that because I’m sure the producers are going to tell them to put their stuff on private once they read this. lol



Well… I look forward to Season 2. It’s supposed to August 19th and I’m DEFINITELY going to watch. I can’t wait to see how they dealt with experiencing what we went through. They’re lucky however… I heard filming was only a couple weeks for them. We had to endure a whole month of living together. -_- I will be posting updates as I find out who more people are. KEEP CHECKING BACK and COMMENT! I would wish all of you who are on the cast good luck… but the time has passed. So good luck to the top 2 people and to the rest of you… prepare for hatemail. :p Sad… but true…

OH! And don’t try to call your friends who are on the show and asking them what happened because if they DO tell they’ll get in big trouble and we all know you can’t keep your mouth shut… so leave em alone. ^_~ You’ll find out what happened soon. I know it’s hard to contain yourself… but if you get your friend sued they’ll hate you forever. -_-*

STOMP
Verb

Infinitive
to stomp

Third person singular
stomps

Simple past
stomped

Past participle
stomped

Future participle
immastomponchu

1. (transitive) To trample heavily on something or someone.
2. (transitive, slang) To severely beat someone physically or figuratively.

Hey, at least she made that her gamer tag so that she could give you fair warning before your match! Like most of you, I heard the buzz around this amazing gamer because of EVO and I just had to try to get a chance to talk to her and find out more about the one known simply as “Bison girl”. Since I couldn’t meet up with her in person I did a short written interview.

Name: stephanie tran

Gamertag: immastomponchu (psn)

Location: norcal, CA

Occupation: college student/dictator (full-time)

Interests: scissor kicking people in the FACE and stomping on people’s HEAD

System of choice: playstation 3

Favorite game: tough to say.. i guess it depends on genre.

Favorite gaming related websites: kotaku.com, shoryuken.com

Hours spent gaming per week: less than 10 hrs

When did you start gaming?: around when i was 7-8 yrs old

When did you start competitively gaming?: september 2009 for sfiv

What’s your biggest accomplishment in gaming?: i don’t really have one yet.. altho i hope to achieve one someday!

Favorite moment in your gaming career: just meeting alot of chill ppl, whom have become my very good friends!! i love how we can chill and not talk about sf all the time, lololol.

Do you have a most embarrassing moment?: not really, lol.



What’s your thoughts on girl gamers in the fighting game scene? Do you think they get the respect they deserve?: i think its cool to see other girls playing! whether they’re good or bad, its great just to see them out and even trying to play. i feel like the only way we can get respect from the community is only by showing our skills and a positive attitude. without those two components, i feel like we won’t get taken seriously in the community.



You recently attended EVO 2010. How did you do in the open tournament and the female invitational tournament?: in the main tournament, i did 2-2, lost to awesomejones (dh) and yungB (gu). altho both were a fairly tough match-ups for me, the two dudes were hella chill. gah, turtles can be a real pain, but its an effective way to play. as for the women’s, i tied for 5th place with my very good friend, lexy (ch). it was fun playing and meeting new girls, i felt like i learned alot from those matches like to be more patient or to adapt faster to their patterns. i’m sure next year i’ll do better, since you can always learn and get better.

What are your thoughts on the female tournament at EVO this year?: i thought it was awesome to see girls from different backgrounds to come together to show what they got. the skills ranged all over the place, and i could tell all the girls were determined to do well. i made alot of friends with the girls, so its cool to help them out with practicing and strats. i’m sure next year we’ll see the same girls again, and perhaps even more will come!

Outside of gaming, what do you like to do?: tennis, drawing, cooking, shopping, magic the gathering, dominion, web surfing, cosplay, going out~



Do you have any social networking sites you’d like to link to? (twitter, facebook, etc): I have a facebook account

I think many people have heard of you mostly because of your street fighter skills. Who do you main and what drew you that character?: i main bison. why? who wouldn’t want to play with a character who has crazy psycho powers AND a hat AND a cape? lol, well i chose bison because i really liked his character and play style. he’s able to rushdown and turtle, its such a great mix. plus, most of his match-ups are pretty even (except for like gu, ho, dh) he was like mid tier in vanilla, so its great how he’s gotten up there now. i know match up info can mean nothing in comparison to skill because everyone plays different, but its still good to know your options.



I noticed that you had an amazing cosplay of M. Bison going on at EVO. Do you cosplay as any other characters?: haha, i have but it’s kinda embarrassing to show, but i also have a taokaka cosplay too… but i’m really proud of my bison outfit, just because i like his character and playing with him. i mean, how good can it get when you dress up as your favorite character while using him against your opponents? very gdlk.



Any recommendations for females who are considering playing SSF4 competitively?: just go out there and show your stuff. even if you’re not good, just keep playing, cuz that’s the only way you can get better. the more exposure you get to ssfiv, the better. anyone can get good as long as they work at it!

Will we be seeing you at future SSF4 events?: perhaps, nothing big tho. mostly cuz i have a lot of other responsibilities i have to take care of at the moment like family issues and school. but, you’ll see me at evo2k11 tho!

What is the next event you plan on attending?: hmmm, i guess sbo quals in san mateo,ca. i won’t be competing cuz its vanilla, but i’d like to go to support norcal and all my friends!!

Well it was great chatting with you! Thank you so much for your time Stephanie, and I look forward to seeing you at more events!

Please make sure to add her on facebook to see what she’s up to and hit her up on SRK with any Street Fighter related questions. I’m also looking forward to some videos of her being released on youtube from the woman’s invitational. Until then… GAME ON!



EVO photos from Slash5150. Check out more here.

bit·ter·sweet (btr-swt)
adj.
1. Bitter and sweet at the same time: bittersweet chocolate.
2. Producing or expressing a mixture of pain and pleasure: a movie with a bittersweet ending.

n.
1. A woody vine of the genus Celastrus, especially the North American species C. scandens and the eastern Asian species C. orbiculata, having small, round, yellow-orange fruits that open at maturity to expose red seeds. Also called staff tree.
2. See bittersweet nightshade.
3. The name of the girl that’s fragging your ass on Halo. See BiiTTERSWEET


BEHIND THE TAG: BiiTTERSWEET

Name: Celeste Anderson
Age: 20
Gamer Tag: BiiTTERSWEET (XBL)
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
System of Choice: XBox 360
Game of Choice: Halo 3
Unique talent: She can solve a rubik’s cube in under 25 seconds!
Favorite Gaming Quote: “Spartans never die, Jorge. They’re just Missing in Action.” – Halo Reach
Twitter: @BiiTTERSWEET
Youtube: MissCeleste’s Channel

I had a chance to catch up with BiiTTERSWEET at the Tritton booth where she was one of the pros to beat in the “Beat-A-Pro” challenge for Galaxy4Gamers.com and do a short interview. BiiTTERSWEET is considered one of Canada’s top female gamers in many games. BiiTTERSWEET traveled across Canada on the first ever National Video Game Tour (AMP Your Game), and has also worked with Axe, Rogers, Toshiba, Gameology and MLGCanada/AMP for gaming content, appearances, writing reviews and blogs. This girl has some game, and I hope that we see more of her at events here in the US!

Energizer is giving away 5 smart chargers to some lucky Tweeters. Want to win one? Here’s how to qualify!:

1) Take a pic with StarSlay3r and upload it to Twitter. You must use the #EnergizerE3 hashtag

2) ReTweet: “To power your XBox controllers, try the new Energizer rechargeable batteries.” #EnergizerE3

3) Tweet anything about how Energizer powers your life (as long as it is positive). Just make sure to use the #EnergizerE3. You don’t have to be at the show for this one!

About Energizer Smart Chargers:

New Smart Charger Communicates Current Battery Power and Remaining Charge Time

Gone are the days when consumers have to guess how much power is left in their rechargeable batteries, thanks to the introduction of the Energizer® Recharge Smart™ Charger. Developed in response to consumer interest in understanding more about their batteries’ charging status, the Energizer® Recharge Smart™ Charger features a large LCD screen with a countdown clock displaying remaining charging time and a fuel gauge indicating the current level of power in the inserted NiMH rechargeable batteries.

“We are committed to listening to our consumers and providing solutions to help make their lives easier,” said Jim Olsen, Vice President of Marketing for North America. “We know that people have more battery-powered devices than ever before, and are looking for ways to keep them powered up so, for example, they don’t miss that perfect picture because of a drained battery.”

According to a survey conducted by Impulse Research, 74 percent of parents long for a “fuel gauge” on a battery charger indicating the current level of power in their rechargeable batteries, while 68 percent want a charger that will let them know how much charging time remains — both key features of the new Energizer® Recharge Smart™ Charger.

The ENERGY STAR®-certified Energizer® Recharge Smart™ Charger also features a slow charge rate, which extends the number of battery life cycles, and a bad battery alert that automatically indicates if the batteries are no longer useful or if a disposable battery has been inserted by mistake, also a feature that will help make consumers lives easier. Sixty-one percent of the parents surveyed believe an ideal battery charger would indicate when your battery is no longer worth charging.

“Knowing more about the charging process can help people avoid running out of power at a critical time,” said Olsen, Vice President of Marketing for North America. “Parents, in particular, rely heavily on battery-operated toys and can get frustrated when their child is upset because a toy runs out of battery power. They are looking for ways to be prepared and the Energizer Recharge Smart Charger is a solution.”

More than half (60%) of the parents surveyed say they’ve had to cope with an upset child when a battery-powered toy or electronic device would not operate because of drained batteries. Fifty-two percent of parents have been exasperated when they have attempted to replace batteries and found that the replacement or spare batteries were drained.

The charger, now at most national retailers for a MSRP of $19.99, will charge two or four AA or AAA NiMH batteries. This latest innovation in battery chargers comes right on the heels of new and improved Energizer® Recharge NiMH AA batteries. These 2300 mAh batteries can now be charged up to 250 MORE** times, and will last up to 4X longer* in digital cameras.

For more information visit www.Energizer.com/Smartcharge.

*vs Energizer® MAX® AA, results vary by device and/or usage patterns.

**vs Energizer® 2450 mAh Rechargeable AA battery.

About Energizer:

Energizer Holdings, Inc. [NYSE: ENR], headquartered in St. Louis, Mo., is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of primary batteries, portable battery-powered devices, and portable flashlights and lanterns. Energizer is a global leader in the dynamic business of providing power solutions with a full portfolio of products including Energizer® brand battery products Energizer® MAX® premium alkaline; Energizer® Ultimate Lithium; Energizer® Advanced Lithium; Rechargeable batteries and charging systems; and portable flashlights and lanterns.

Energizer continues to fulfill its role as a technology innovator by redefining portable power solutions to meet people’s active lifestyle needs for today and tomorrow with Energizer® Energi To Go® chargers for rechargeable portable devices; charging systems for wireless video game controllers; and specialty batteries for hearing aids, health and fitness devices, as well as for keyless remote entry systems, toys and watches. Energizer is redefining where energy, technology and freedom meet to bring to market consumer-focused products that power the essential devices that help people stay connected and on the go at work and at play. Visit www.energizer.com, www.facebook.com/energizerbunny.

Hot on the heels of a new Mortal Kombat movie’s viral campaign a new trailer hits for a new Mortal Kombat game. What is some what surprising is that this game looks more like traditional Mortal Kombat than ever before. There’s no gritty real world take, and the trailer features many of your favorite characters. After MK vs DC it’s nice to see that it has Fatalities as well as brutal violence through out the game. Oh, and this is “Mortal Kombat 9″ or “Mortal Kombat: Random Extra Confusing Title”, but just Mortal Kombat. BUT there are too many characters for it to be a reboot.

The trailer starts with gorgeous graphics showing off the detail behind Shao Kahn and Raiden before they go into battle. Then the actual gameplay hits and I was impressed. Mortal Kombat seems to be in the combo game, as most of the gameplay shown in the trailer involves juggles and special moves. Favorites like Johnny Cage (with a douchey new chest tattoo that says *groan* Johnny), Kung Lao, Sub Zero, and Reptile.



Perpetual damage taken through out the the match seems to be a hold over from MK vs DC, as does their up close combat system, but this time damage during these encounters is shown with X-Rays that reveal cracking ribs, broken jaws, and mangled bones. It’s a nice touch to be sure.



What really surprised me is that the game is taking the 2.5 D route rather than full 3D like MK vs DC. All of the levels shown are on straight forward 2D planes, with no room to move side to side. Again this is a great return to form. One of the biggest complaints gamers had with MK vs DC was that special attacks and projectiles were easy to dodge with a simple side step. Levels like the sky bridge, the acid pit, and the evil forrest return, as well as levels like Shang Tsung’s throne room, an arena packed with spectators and a city rooftop. They all have great detail, and one moment in the trailer featured a man being lowered into an acid pit, guaranteed carnage, even when fighters aren’t doing anything? AWESOME!



The biggest shock may be that the Mortal Kombat may feature a tag system. There were a few moments in the trailer when other characters popped on screen to attack with special moves. This could just be an ally system, but here’s hoping we can see some crazy tag team matches.



I’m incredibly excited about this Mortal Kombat game. The graphics look great, the environments look really well rendered, and the gameplay looks solid. Honestly, I didn’t think there was much wrong with MK vs DC. I felt like it was a very well balanced game, with a lot of re-playability. My friends would come over all the time and we’d smash each other all day. The only problem was that Street Fighter IV then came out and we started smashing each other with that.

This could be the first Mortal Kombat game in years to be worth of tournament play! Here’s hoping we see a group start to support the brutal killer and that it has some long life ahead of it.

For a long time Mortal Kombat has gotten the short end of the stick as far as content outside of the games goes. Toys have sucked, t-shirts, books or comics have all been garbage, and don’t get me started on the films. While the first one was a fun take on the deadly island tournament formula that was popularized by Bruce Lee’s “Enter the Dragon”, the franchise has never taken off in a way that it deserves, until now.



A new short film called Mortal Kombat Rebirth hit the web today. It’s a 7 minute long, super gritty, real world take on Mortal Kombat that could not only revitalize the movie franchise, but also the video game franchise. It’s directed by Kevin Tancharoen, the man who was behind the camera for the remake of “Fame”, and it’s entire purpose is to show Warner Bros that a that a great movie could be made from the franchise and get funding for it.

Personally I think it’s cast very well so far. I love the real world take on these bigger than life characters. The way they handle them is just as extreme, as ever. Baraka being a made scientist who’s embedded claws into his own arms, and Reptile being a freak of nature all work for me.

Some one recently commented no the video that this approach is “fucking up” something good and original, when I think it’s almost the exact opposite of that. Mortal Kombat itself is an amalgamation of every good martial arts film of the 70s and 80s. It’s premise had been seen before. It’s story was never all that deep or involved, and when it tried to be in later games is when the series fell apart, long before the Mortal Kombat characters tangled with the DC Universe.

I think this could work, and start a cool series of Mortal Kombat films that please the fans, first timers, and set both the movie franchise and the game franchise in a new direction. Here’s hoping Warner Bros listens up and stars production right away. Honestly while I like the video I don’t want Kevin Tancharoen directing. Most of his experience is in music videos. I’d rather see some one like the Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, the men behind Crank, Crank: High Voltage and Gamer to do it.

What do you think of the seven minute promo?