BRE Software's Video Game Store

Wii Need Quality

noreply@blogger.com (BREMikeware) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 19:43:00 +0000

It's been close to two and a half years since the launch of the Nintendo Wii and you are barely starting to be able to find them regularly in stores. Moms, Dads and kids alike can't seem to get enough of that little white box. With how versatile, exciting, and involving the system is for people of all ages, who honestly isn't in love? Actually, most gamers aren't; anymore at least. Let me explain what I mean.

If you're someone like myself, who plays video games more than you probably should and own a Wii, chances are you haven't touched your Wii (no, not like that) since your last Smash Bros or Mario Kart party however many months ago. You've opted for the better selection of quality games the 360 and PS3 have to offer. Only seven of the couple hundred Wii games available have averaged a rank of 90% or better (gamerankings.com). That says a lot about the quality of its library. I've heard it over and over again from plenty of gamers; there just aren't a whole lot of appealing games for people like us.

The system is littered with heaps of crap (excuse my French). Games like Chicken Shoot, Balls of Fury, and NinjaBreadMan are among the countless game titles the Wii has to offer which keep me, and gamers like me, dissatisfied. I understand we aren't the target market anymore. The infantile controller schemes and pretty pictures can't win us over like they can the parents. With the DS practically printing money and the Wii selling like hotcakes, I would hope that Nintendo partners with some top developers to come up with the kind of awesome and high quality games that just might win me back.

I may sound like the typical angry gamer whose standards are so high that nothing can ever satisfy my never-ending thirst for perfection, but that's definitely not the case. I just want to be able to play my Wii and feel good about it. I just want to be able to play my Wii, period. I want to be able to view the Nintendo Wii as a core gaming system again, and not just as an entertainment system.

Skulls and Headaches

noreply@blogger.com (BRE Dan) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 20:17:00 +0000

Skulls and Headaches

For those of you that have either got the Mystic Maps through Halo Wars or purchased them yesterday, 4/10, on Xbox Live and want some new achievements, here are some tips. Mainly on finding the skulls on each map. They all should be found in monitor mode on forge. Orbital and Assembly are relatively easy to find when flying around since these two maps are small, close range maps. The other map, Sandbox, is the map that will take some thought to obtain the skull once you find it. Again, you should play these three maps on forge and fly around as the monitor.

Have fun hunting!

Nintendo DSi: Worth the Investment?

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon Sharp) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 20:12:00 +0000

Nintendo DSi: Worth the Investment?

***Short one today, but the DSi is getting ready to hit North America, so here we go!***

Maybe not. It all depends on what you want to get out of your Nintendo DS. Below is a link to IGN's Nintendo DSi Starter Guide. I encourage you to read their guide before you read the rest of my article, so that your opinion is not skewed right from the start:

DSi Starter Guide from IGN.com

Now that you have read about all of the cool features and all of the 'new' things that the DSi can do, let me try to help you save a few bucks before you go out and buy the system on impulse.

First off, if you purchased this system for the long road trip to keep the irritants (read: children) quiet in the car, then stick with the DS or DS Lite. The new DSi has a shorter battery life by up to 5 hours as compared to its predecessors.

In addition, there is no slot for GameBoy Advance Games! While I understand that Nintendo is intending to bring the DSi more in line with the Wii and the Wii Online Store to download games and store them to the console to play for decades to come, let's not forget that while on the road, you probably are not going to have access to a WiFi connection while you trek through the Mojave Desert just as your AC decides it doesn't want to work anymore and you get a flat tire just as you travel out of range of the nearest cell tower.

Right now, I do not see any GBA Games available in the DS Game Mall, so I think Nintendo may have missed the boat on this one.

There are some added benefits to having the DSi as compared to the previous two models in terms of all of the cool technical aspects and added functions that it can perform. I intend to address these in a special article on Saturday, April 4th.

Until then, I felt the need to get this out to prevent unhappy customers on launch day.

To recap, if your primary reason for buying any of the Nintendo DS portable systems, is to keep the munchkins occupied on the long summer road trip, the small weekend trips, or just occupied at home in general, the DSi is probably not the system to go with.

With the shorter battery life and virtually half of the video games no longer playable due to the elimination of the GameBoy Advance Slot, the Nintendo DSi will end up being one of the most expensive paper weights that you have ever purchased.

Instead, stick with either the original Nintendo DS or the DS Lite. Both of these systems are readily available used from BRE Software in Fresno, CA. Or, if you are outside of the Fresno, CA area, check out the BRE Software Online Store.

Resident Evil 5: Survival horror sellout.

noreply@blogger.com (BREmitch) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 22:52:00 +0000

Resident Evil 5: Survival horror sellout.

Now before everyone reads the title and gets all huffy and puffy, I never said Resident Evil 5 was a bad game. It just isn't much of a survival horror game, trading in its slow monotonous puzzles, long treacherous story lines, and terrifying zombies for car chases, large upgradeable weapons, and gun wielding infected. Personally, I just think the Resident Evil apple has fallen far from the survival horror tree. (Take a moment, try and picture a Survival Horror tree!) Resident Evil, dare I say it, used to be my favorite series of all time; now I feel it's trying to cater to the masses with fast, action packed levels, wild gun play and large explosions.

When I first placed my RE5 (Resident Evil 5) in my Xbox 360, I was astounded by the graphics, which had given me high hopes, but now that I am only minutes away from the ending, I still have yet to see a zombie. If you would have told me five years ago that the fifth RE wasn't going to have zombies in it, I would have laughed my ass off. Yet the atrocious reality of it has finally hit me. There. Are. No. Zombies. Yeah, I said it, Resident Evil has no zombies. And I'll leave you with this: Can Resident Evil truly be a Resident Evil without zombies?

New Maps for Halo

noreply@blogger.com (BRE Dan) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 22:26:00 +0000

New Maps for Halo

It has been months since Halo 3 released new map packs and everyone has been waiting for the mystic maps. When you purchase the Halo Wars Limited Edition game, it does come with 3 of the 7 maps for Halo 3. Bungie decided to help out this company, as well as introducing the RTS system for Halo. If you are one of the "impatients" then buy the game so you start playing the new maps.

Head Tracking For Desktop VR Displays Using The Wii Remote

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 17:42:00 +0000

Connect Your Xbox 360 to Your Wireless Network

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon Sharp) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 17:23:00 +0000

Connect Your Xbox 360 to Your Wireless Network

***Programming Note: This is a departure from my current series of articles. I have been getting a lot of questions as of late on how to connect a Microsoft Xbox 360 to a wireless home network. Instead of repeating myself over and over again, I thought it best (and more productive) to post a video tutorial on the whole process. Don't worry, my regular article will appear later today.***

Click on the link below to the video on how to connect your Xbox 360 to your home wireless network:

How To Buy And Set Up Your Vintage Atari 2600

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 17:20:00 +0000

Video: Setting Up Nintendo DS WiFi Connection

noreply@blogger.com (Editor) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 17:20:00 +0000

Down, Down Forward, Forward Punch

noreply@blogger.com (BREMikeware) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 21:30:00 +0000

Down, Down Forward, Forward Punch

It's been about 10 years since the last 2D Street Fighter game was released, and oh has it been a long wait. Since the late 90's up until now, consoles have been plagued with mediocre 3D fighters with not many developers going the retro 2D route. Street Fighter even tried to tap into that market with the "EX" series which went downhill from the start. Sure, you had the Marvel vs Capcom games which indeed raised the bar for 2D fighters, but they were so short lived and you can't find one without dipping into your savings. It was time for a change. It was time to take it back.
The long awaited Street Fighter 4 finally hit the market, giving avid fans that nostalgic feeling of being 8, sitting around the old TV with a bunch of friends, and getting the infamous "Street Fighter Thumb." It is the game we remember. Right off the bat you realize that this is not an easy game, as it has always been, but after a few rounds and pauses to check your character's move-list you start to get the hang of it. While the game play may be easy to learn, it takes years to master. Someone new to the series will have a difficult time playing against people who've been playing for years. One of the few draw backs to the game is that it is not too welcoming to people who have never played a Street Fighter game. The training mode is helpful to some degree, but it's not an efficient method for learning basic offensive and defensive techniques. That comes with just trial and error or learning from a friend who's been playing for awhile. What is helpful is the challenge mode which teaches you button combinations for doing combos which will definitely progress your ability as a player.
The visualizations are amazing. Plenty of time and effort went into all the character models, animations, and backdrops to make this the prettiest Street Fighter to date. The color is vivid and the frame-rate is very smooth. The game was released on both the PS3 and the Xbox 360. In terms of controls, I feel the PS3 has somewhat of an advantage due to the design of the D-pad. The 360's D-pad resides on an axis while the PS3 does not, which makes directional inputs a bit more accurate. You can, on the other hand, use the 360's left joystick instead of d-pad, which took a while to get used to, but proved to be just as efficient in the end. Both systems do offer an arcade style joystick accessory that substitutes the use of a controller for those who prefer that.
All in all Street Fighter 4 has indeed carried the torch of its predecessors and has not drifted too far off path. If the Super Nintendo and Genesis had the technology consoles do today, this is what it would have played and looked like. It met the needs of both long time fighters as well as people new to fighting games. If you're a Street Fighter fan, this game is a must have. If you're looking just to try something new, renting it first would probably be the best option. Either way, it's worth the experience.

Get your PlayStation 3 Online with a wired connection

noreply@blogger.com (Brad) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 18:19:00 +0000

Here's a quick video to explain how to connect your PlayStation 3 to the internet.

Battle of the Bands

noreply@blogger.com (BRE Dan) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 22:18:00 +0000

Battle of the Bands

First came Guitar Hero and things were great. The makers incorporated a more interactive way to play a game by making a guitar controller that hits the note when you play the different color frets. They made a playlist of great guitar songs that anyone would easily know and made it fun by playing the songs with the controller. When you play it, it feels like you are the Guitar Hero.

Then they made a second game which had a new playlist of songs. But when they came out with a third game, another company decided to make a game which includes a band like scenario. They released the game Rock Band, which had the guitar controller, another guitar used as a bass, a microphone for the singer and the drum set. A lot of people would choose one over the other. Guitar Hero can get boring since it only deals with the guitar position and Rock Band was hard because they try to fit every players' notes on the screen making it difficult to see. Both had their pros and cons for a while.

Rock Band 2 was released and Guitar Hero World Tour came out with a band like scenario as well. They added cymbals to the drum set for Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero WT came with them by default. Now the two games seem like the only difference is the playlist for each one.

"Kid Friendly" Games For The PS1 Series

noreply@blogger.com (CaleBREgamer) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 19:53:00 +0000

"Kid Friendly" Games For The PS1 Series

There are several games out there that parents would not deem appropriate for their children. Any of the Grand Theft Autos, Gears of War, Halo...All of which I really couldn't see a seven year old playing anyway. That is why I am starting a series of Kid Friendly games for the original PlayStation system. Sure the system may be out dated but the amount of kid friendly games is right up there with Nintendo. So lets get started.

The Crash Bandicoot Series.

In these games you are a wily little bandicoot named Crash. In this kid friendly adventure you are doing multiple things varying from smashing mystery crates, to collecting crystals, to swimming, to doing your bandicoot spin to knock out the baddies, to riding jet skis, and so on... This is one kid friendly game that I have had much fun with and still do to this day. Its rated E for Everyone for Comic Mischief. Comic Mischief is basically short for "Kid friendly violence". Violence without the violence. Even adults can have fun with this one and you can have fun with out having the large "M" on the case.

Next Gen Consoles and their lack of Worthy RPG's

noreply@blogger.com (BREmitch) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 20:02:00 +0000

Next Gen Consoles and Their Lack of Worthy RPGs

Next Gen systems have everything needed to make an avid video gaming fan (such as myself) drool at their capabilities, from hi-def graphics to video game download and the streaming of videos. There is just one thing they lack: games, and in particular Role Playing Games. Role Playing Games, or RPGs for short, are my gaming bread and butter.
There is nothing I love more than to sit in front of my TV on a Sunday afternoon and grind through the first few chapters of a new RPG. But recently I have been left in the dust with both my Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. The current RPGs out for both systems could be counted on both hands (Eternal Sonata, Mass Effect, Infinite Undiscovery, The Last Remnant, Culdcept Saga, Blue Dragon, Oblivion, Fallout 3, Valkyria Chronicles, Star Ocean, and even Enchanted arms and Two Worlds), and the amount of good RPGs could be counted on one hand. So I've now been forced to trek out and play games such as Resistance and Gears of War. I've even started playing a bit of NCAA 09, something I never thought myself capable of. There is nothing wrong with these games, I would just prefer a nice, well rounded, fun RPG. The future holds some promise for gamers such as myself with the release of Final Fantasy XIII, Versus, and Agito, Kingdom Hearts 3 (one of my all time favorites), 50 blood on the sa....ha just kidding, and a few others. Hopefully developers will hear our cries and put out some awesome RPGs for us to waste our days grinding and upgrading equipment on.

Why PlayStation 3 Gives You More For Your Money

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon Sharp) — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 18:55:00 +0000

Why PlayStation 3 Gives You More For Your Money

Before I get to today's topic, I'd just like to say that I have the distinct pleasure of being the first to post on the BRE Software Video Game Store Blog. I look forward to all of your comments and I hope I can do the first blog justice. Enough with that! On to the topic of the day!

***This is a multiple part series. I'm not quite sure how many weeks this will run, as I have not pre-written any of my articles yet. Next week, I should have a better idea of just how many weeks this series of articles will last.***

Part 1:
Talk to any gamer, casual or otherwise, and when you ask them what system they prefer, Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3, the answer 98% of the time will be 'Xbox 360!'. Of course, the very next question is "Why?". Answer: 'It has more games and the online play is better.'

I can't fault that argument due to the fact that if a gamer is looking for quantity of games and the ability to easily play online, then this is a valid opinion. However, the real question is how much is that response driven by the media/marketing that goes into the Xbox 360 and how much of it is derived from the never ending PlayStation 3 bashing that goes on on message boards?

Before you start jumping on me for Xbox 360 bashing (which I'm not...well, only a little bit), here are a few things to consider. The Xbox 360 was rushed to market one year earlier than anticipated and one year earlier than the PlayStation 3 (and Nintendo Wii for that matter). Naturally, the Xbox 360 is going to have a greater selection of games.

Second, Microsoft was forced to extend ALL Xbox 360 warranties to 3 years. Yes, count 'em...1...2...3 years for a problem they never really could explain to the public. Yes, you know by now that I am speaking of the Red Rings of Death. Had Microsoft taken the extra year in R & D (Gamer Translation: Beta Testing), this problem could have easily been taken care of and one could argue that the Xbox 360 would have roughly the same amount of games available as the PlayStation 3. Furthermore, for those avid Microsoft fans, the original Xbox would have had an additional year of support which would have meant more games and a longer shelf life for the system.

What ever happened to the mindset of wanting to have quality over quantity?

Yes, I know this article may be a little abstract and not too in-depth on why the PlayStation 3 is the better buy, but it is important to address this first so that you understand where I am coming from for the remainder of the series.

I look forward to your comments! A quick programming note: My articles will appear weekly on Monday beginning March 2nd.