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  • 100 Grand Theft Auto 4 Screenshots

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I was just playing some Grand Theft Auto IV and randomly remembered how awesome the GTA 2 intro movie was. Here it is for anyone who has never seen it. No modern GTA game can beat this.

And by the way, you can get Grand Theft Auto 2 for free straight from Rockstar Games.

This list sure is different from every other top 10 games list out there, isn’t it? Yes, yes it is.

10. Need for Speed Underground 2 (PS2)

So many car choices, so many modifications, so much potential for fun. A drift mode where you actually get to control the car. This is one of the best Need for Speed games there is, and certainly better than any NFS game released after it. This is the best racing game to play with two players (not over the internet), at least for this type of gameplay.

9. Half Life 2 (PC)

One of the best storylines and great gameplay. One of the most immersing single player campaigns of any game I’ve played. The graphics and physics are excellent for its age.

8. Portal (PC)

The only game with nothing really wrong with it. I just can’t find anything I dislike about it. The gameplay is pure fun, and the storyline is short and to the point. A puzzle and action game in one, with a new and unique style. I can replay it over and over and not get bored. Plus, the cake was not a lie.

7. Counter Strike Source (PC)

If you like this type of gameplay, you can play this game forever. Not counting the hundreds of free mods to CS:S, the stock game itself can be played for years if you enjoy competitive, serious FPS. And if not, then you can always play zombie mod, gungame, or any other incredibly fun and free mods. Plus with the awesome game engine, you can play on a Pentium 4 with no problems at all on medium settings. And even though the game is old, if you have a dual core with a decent video card, you can unleash the full potential of Counter Strike’s graphics and be amazed considering the game is 5 years old. The graphics are amazing for the age, and the gameplay and style is the most precise of any other game I’ve played.

6. Halo (PC)

The first Halo game was better than the rest. The story was interesting and the gameplay was fun. The graphics were good for its age. Sure there were about 20 completely identical levels, but it was still very fun to play.

5. Battlefield 1942 (PC)

This is better than any other Battlefield game so far. No, it’s not “just another World War II game.” BF1942 has style and it’s very unique from other WW2 games. The different types of vehicles is what made is special and so fun. There is no World War 2 game that has this type of gameplay with cars, tanks, motorcycles, airplanes, ships, and jetpacks. I consider this the best multiplayer WW2 game ever.

4. Road Rash (PC)

Road Rash is another game that’s very different from other games in its genre. Racing and fighting combined make for great fun. The movie clips were badass. Wacking riders with chains and watching them get hit by a car while running back to get their bike never gets old.

3. Need for Speed 3 Hot Pursuit (PS1)

Most fun racing game ever. Not realistic but it sure was fun. The cars were all exotics (and a Corvette) and there were video clips that told you about each car, its history, performance, specs, etc. I had more fun going 210mph in a Lamborghini Diablo SV in that game than any other racing game.

2. Medal of Honor (PS1)

Best single player FPS with best WW2 FPS storyline. This game was just epic. From the bush mazes to the underground tunnels to getting to actually launch a German V2 rocket with the target being YOURSELF while you were sitting safe in a bunker, it was fun and epic.

1. Worms Armageddon (PC)

There’s nothing wrong with this game. Graphics still look good after 10 years because it’s 2D. It’s still being supported and has been patched to work on Vista 64 bit. The online play works as good as ever, and there are still thousands of people who play online daily. This game is the definition of fun. You have teams of worms killing themselves with bazookas, flamethrowers, old women with bombs strapped to them, skunks, and banana bombs. You can easily make your own maps, there are thousands of customizations you can make to your teams, and the map editor is the easiest of any game ever (that might be in part because it’s 2D). Plus there are custom game modes that extend the fun. This is truly the best game ever.

Feel free to comment on how I didn’t include Mario or Zelda or any other game that everyone else considers the best ever. Check the Latest Video Game Consoles, reviews of Sony Playstation 2, Playstation 3, Nintendo Game consoles and X box 360 at Game Console Exclusive website.

For your enjoyment, here are ten random technology-related things that piss me off. I am not bashing products here, but rather pointing out incredibly bad and annoying things about them. Here are ten things that came to my head as soon as I sat down to write this post.

1. In Microsoft Flight Simulator X, when playing multiplayer, clicking on the “Players” tab doesn’t actually sort the sessions by number of players.
2. No search feature to find sessions in Microsoft Flight Simulator X.
3. The incredibly ugly menu screen with Windows 95 era bevels and designs in Flight Simulator X.
4. People looking at youtube videos while chatting with 10 people through IM at the same time.
5. People using Twitter for self-promotion.
6. Games taking away your mouse shadow once you exit, making you go to control panel / mouse and re-enabling it.
7. Being autokicked from a Counter Strike Source server because of Steam connection problems as you’re about to win the gungame match.
8. Flight Simulator X constantly opening on the wrong monitor.
9. Firefox opening on the wrong monitor if you ever maximize it on that monitor.
10. The new Comcast webmail that I have to use at work.

Note: despite all the small things that piss me off about Flight Simulator X, I still like the game.

PC Games Hardware has 15 screenshots of the upcoming sequel to Stalker, Stalker: Clear Sky. These screenshots are apparently from the DX10 version of the game. Click on the preview below to see all 15 screenshots.

Although not many people may know about this game, it has been around for a few years now. The first versions of Redlynx’s Trials games, back then known as Trial Bike, were available as a Java version online. They helped start the 2D flash bike games you see on every flash game site now.

The latest version of the Trials series is called Trials 2 Second Edition, and it was just released on Steam. Trials 2 SE only costs $9.99, which can make it the perfect game for those lazy evenings, or when you don’t have the time to play a whole round of CoD4 or CS:S.

Another thing regarding Trials is that it doesn’t belong into any familiar category of games. It’s a 3D game with 2D gameplay. Meaning the controls are still only the arrow keys for controlling the bike, yet the graphics are 3D. This makes the game kind of hard to judge, so it can’t be compared to any other game. The price also makes it seem like a mini-game, but it’s not.

Trials 2 Second Edition has great graphics. It incorporates 3D dynamic lighting effects, volumetric particle effects, bloom, motion blur, and shadows. It looks really good, and all of the effects give it a realistic feeling. You can take a look at the official screenshots, but the game looks better when you’re playing it. Sounds are much better than in previous versions of the game, but they’re still not the best.

The gameplay is the same as in previous versions of the game. However, this version of Trials is 3D. The gameplay just doesn’t seem to fit a 3D game. The bike doesn’t act realistically, and that is something that is expected of most good-looking 3D games. The game looks realistic, but doesn’t feel realistic. To go uphill you lean backwards. If you’re going uphill and lean forwards, you will slam your face on the ground, even though you’re going uphill. This type of gameplay is great for a game you play in your browser through flash or java, not a game you play fullscreen in 3D. It just doesn’t feel right.

The online part of Trials 2 Second Edition is stats and achievements. You can show your stats to your friends, and the top scores are listed on the game’s website.

Overall I have to say this game is great. This is one of the best arcade games I’ve played in a while. And with a $9.99 price tag, it is definitely worth the money. If you want to try it out for yourself, you can download the demo.

Sony has announced that they will be allowing third party advertisements in-game for the Playstation 3. Many people are complaining about this, although the truth is that most in-game ads actually make the game more realistic.

First, gamers do have a legitimate reason to be upset. We are paying upwards of $50 a game, so it shows that in-game ads would just be greedy from the publisher’s side. Some are saying in return for in-game ads the game should be cheaper. This would be nice, but most companies are greedy. They want additional profit, not a lower price for gamers to pay.

A positive side to in-game advertisements, however, is that they make the game more realistic. In an urban environment, would you rather see an advertisement from a real company or some fake ad? Same thing for racing games – on the sides of the track, ads from real companies would make it more realistic than fake ads. In these settings the ads can play a good role by making the environment more realistic. If you can relate more to the environment in the game, it seems more realistic.

The best solution for everybody would be to cut games’ prices in exchange for in-game ads. That won’t happen for the majority of games however, so gamers shouldn’t be expecting it. So people should stop complaining about in-game ads and take a fresh look at them and how they add to the environment of the game.

My favorite game of all time is Worms Armageddon. Released in 1999, it fit on a CD, didn’t need more than a 100MHz processor and 32MB of RAM, and was pure fun. It was a different level of fun from today’s games.

You didn’t need to be good at reflexes, good at aiming, or have a good computer. It was a simple turn based 2D strategy game with about 50 crazy weapons and a team of worms. You fought against the computer, against a friend, or online against others. It was simple, and that made it so much more fun.

If you haven’t played Worms, I suggest you try out one of the demos. You will see that the latest Worms titles for PC are 3D. The first 3D Worms game was, well, Worms 3D. It was a huge change from the classic, simple 2D gameplay of previous Worms games. I however enjoyed the 2D Worms games more. The 3D ones are fun and look much better, but the classic simplicity of Worms games such as Worms Armageddon is lacking.

Previous Worms games have been released within one or two years of each other. However, there hasn’t been a new Worms game for the PC in three years. I spoke with the Design Manager at Team 17, the developer of the Worms series. He said that Team 17 is working on “some exciting things” for PC. I also asked if Team 17 would consider making another 2D Worms game for PC, to which the answer was “yes”. I am glad to hear this, as I personally would love to see a new Worms game on the PC with updated graphics and more weapons, yet still in the classic and simple two dimensions.

Did you like the 2D or 3D Worms games more? Do you think the next version of Worms for PC should be 2D? Comment below.

Call of Duty 4 will be on sale through May 27th at Steam. You can pick this game up for only $39.99 this weekend, which is 20% off the regular price.

Why do so many people buy gaming laptops? It doesn’t make any sense because laptops aren’t meant for gaming. Laptops are supposed to be lightweight and for doing things on the go. Gaming laptops are useless, and here’s why.

Gaming laptops are very heavy. They usually weigh around 10 pounds, while normal laptops weigh around three pounds. They’re also big and bulky. I wouldn’t want to carry around a gaming laptop in my backpack. It’s just inconvenient to have a heavy laptop.

A terrible battery life makes a laptop pointless. If you’re going to be gaming on it without it being plugged in, it won’t last more than an hour if you have a new laptop, especially with dual graphics cards. Laptops are for portability, and they become useless if the battery life is so low.

Gaming laptops produce a lot of heat. While normal laptops get very hot, I can still usually put one on my lap for an hour. After all, it is called a laptop. However, gaming laptops get so hot you will need a surface with fans blowing at the laptop if you don’t want it to overheat while gaming. Again, if it has dual video cards, it will produce a lot more heat, will weigh more, and will drain the battery more. SLI just doesn’t belong in a laptop.

Another factor is price. A gaming laptop will run you about $1500 or higher. A normal laptop will cost you $700 or higher. And here’s the thing – you can buy a desktop for $700 that will have better parts and will be faster and better at gaming than the $1500 laptop. So there is absolutely no point.

Laptops are for word processing, bringing on trips to stay connected on chat or email, and things like that. They were never meant for gaming. If you’re looking to buy a gaming laptop, do yourself a favor and get a desktop instead, and use the money you saved for buying a normal laptop.

Yesterday the Race Driver GRID PC demo was released. You can download it at GamersHell. So I played it today and here is my review. Remember it is just a demo and doesn’t represent the quality of the final game, and so neither does this review.

GRID has almost the same gameplay as DIRT. You can probably say that GRID is the same thing as DIRT except it’s not off road and has different cars. However, compared to the other ToCA Race Driver games, GRID has the same type of handling. GRID is an arcade type of game, and I don’t think it is supposed to be a simulator. There are physics, but they’re not realistic.

Racing is fun but can also be annoying. Using a keyboard, it is hard to turn at high speed because if you let go of the gas and then press it again your car will beg to spin out. This can be solved with tiny taps on the gas key. I haven’t tried to play GRID with my Logitech MOMO wheel yet, but if it’s going to be anything like playing with a wheel in DIRT, I won’t even try.

The sounds are good. The crowd cheers you on when you’re driving, goes “ooohhhhhhh” when you crash, and boos you when you’re messing around and doing things like going the wrong way, spinning donuts, or burning out. The tire screeching is good, and the engine noise is decent. Gear shifting though sounds completely unrealistic, almost like crumpling a water bottle. And backfires are too quiet and also soft sounding.

The graphics are great but have some flaws. The edges of everything look blurred. The antialiasing seems flawed. It runs great at 4X MSAA, but anything above that and the menu goes at 1fps, making you ALT-F4 and restart the game in safe mode, and change back the settings. But at 4x AA, the edges look jagged yet blurry. Almost as if you’re using no AA at a very low resolution. But I was running it at my monitor’s native 1440×900. The cars look great though, and so does the track. And now that I think about it, DIRT had the same problem with looking blurry.

I ran this demo on Ultra settings at 1440×900 resolution with 4x antialiasing. I ran it on Vista Ultimate x64, E6600 CPU @ 3GHz, 4GB (2×2) RAM @ 830MHz, and an 8800GTS 320MB GPU @ stock speeds. It ran at about 50FPS, dropping into the 20′s when surrounded by lots of smoke (from burning out, drifting, etc).

In conclusion: the gameplay is very arcade, so if you like arcade type racers, this is great. Controls are decent on the keyboard. Sounds are mostly good. Graphics are great except for being blurry. And no it’s not the blur that’s making them like this, because it’s blurry even if you’re not moving. Blur isn’t supposed to be active when standing still. Since it’s a demo, you should just go download it here and see for yourself if you like it.

Check out a few screenshots I took below. Check out exclusive Nintendo Wii Game Console Review, Sony PlayStation 2, PS3 reviews at game-consoles.org.