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	<title>Opinion Unlocked</title>
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	<description>Trusted opinions for gamers by gamers</description>
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	<itunes:summary>Trusted opinions for gamers by gamers</itunes:summary>
	<itunes:author>Bryan Fleming &amp; Brad Wiswall</itunes:author>
	<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
	<itunes:image href="http://opinionunlocked.com/podcasts/OU_Banner1.jpg" />
	<itunes:owner>
		<itunes:name>Bryan Fleming &amp; Brad Wiswall</itunes:name>
		<itunes:email>bryan@opinionunlocked.com</itunes:email>
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	<managingEditor>bryan@opinionunlocked.com (Bryan Fleming &amp; Brad Wiswall)</managingEditor>
	<copyright>2008 - 2009</copyright>
	<itunes:subtitle>A gaming podcast about video games, from the gamers themselves to the sites that cover them, for all gamers</itunes:subtitle>
	<itunes:keywords>video games, consoles, talk, opinions, sony, nintendo, micrsoft, xbox 360, wii, ps3, psp, ds</itunes:keywords>
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	<itunes:category text="Games &amp; Hobbies">
		<itunes:category text="Video Games" />
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		<title>Indefinite Leave &#8211; OpUn Off The Podcast Airwaves</title>
		<link>http://opinionunlocked.com/2010/04/07/indefinite-leave-opun-off-the-podcast-airwaves/</link>
		<comments>http://opinionunlocked.com/2010/04/07/indefinite-leave-opun-off-the-podcast-airwaves/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 07 Apr 2010 21:51:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bryan Fleming</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Console]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://opinionunlocked.com/?p=1480</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Dear fans and readers of OpUn,
It is hard to say this but this website will be taking an indefinite leave as Brad and I have major changes in our lives that need to be attended to. For both Brad and I, it has been a wonderful experience to make a site, develop podcasts about video [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Dear fans and readers of OpUn,</p>
<p>It is hard to say this but this website will be taking an indefinite leave as Brad and I have major changes in our lives that need to be attended to. For both Brad and I, it has been a wonderful experience to make a site, develop podcasts about video games and meet some wonderful people through our experiences.</p>
<p>This was a tough decision to make for both Brad and we thanks those who listened to us over the past 2 years. We appreciate your support and I hope we can come back again with better material and more experience under our belts.</p>
<p>We wish you all the best and our game pads are off.</p>
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		<title>Brad Wiswall&#8217;s Top Ten Games of 2009 (and 15 runners-up)</title>
		<link>http://opinionunlocked.com/2010/01/14/brad-wiswalls-top-ten-games-of-2009-and-15-runners-up/</link>
		<comments>http://opinionunlocked.com/2010/01/14/brad-wiswalls-top-ten-games-of-2009-and-15-runners-up/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:08:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brad Wiswall</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Console]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Editorials]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Handheld]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://opinionunlocked.com/?p=1424</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Got your hate mails ready? You're about to be puzzled!]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h1 style="margin: auto 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">Apple iPhone</span></span></em><em></em></span></h1>
<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><em><span style="font-style: normal;">This being the new platform that was being covered, the Apple iPhone had a surprising amount of great games from up and coming indie developers. Sure, companies like PopCap, Square Enix and Taito made quality games as well for this handheld, but it was clear that the shining examples of great games this year came from more independent developers.</span></em><em></em></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><em><strong>11. Drop 7</strong></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;"> – How can such a bite sized game capture hours and days of my time this year? When it’s </span>Drop 7</em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">, a puzzle game that has you getting rid of falling balls by the amount of balls in a row or column. If the number on the ball matches the amount on a row or column, they disappear creating chain reactions. This simple premise and clean interface makes </span>Drop 7</em><em><span style="font-style: normal;"> the perfect game to play for a few minutes while on the go.</span></em></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>19. <em>Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor </em></strong>– Portable games aren’t want you would expect to bring new experiences in the platform genre, but <em>Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor</em> does just that. By simple pressing on the spider and flicking on the screen, creating intricate webs to ensnare enemies becomes a satisfying and unique experience that can only be done on this platform.</span></span></p>
<p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-size: small; font-family: Times New Roman;">Nintendo DS</span></span></strong></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small; font-family: Times New Roman;">While every other year before it was a year that the Nintendo DS flourished with dozens of quality titles, 2009 proved to be kind of a snooze fest for the venerable dual screened handheld. Sure, mainstays like Zelda, Layton, Kirby and Pokemon had their releases, along with a new version of the Nintendo DS (DSi), but something still seemed rather lacking for the handheld.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong><em>24. Knights in the Nightmare</em></strong> – The Nintendo DS is almost a dumping ground for JRPG’s this generation, but some of the more unique games are finding its way to the dual screened system. The most unique, and unbelievably complex, games to be released on any system is <em>Knights of the Nightmare</em>. Blending shmups, strategy and RPGs, learning the rules and the strategies of this game is well worth the investment in time…if you’re willing to sink your teeth into it.</span></span></p>
<p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-size: small; font-family: Times New Roman;">Sony PSP</span></span></strong></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small; font-family: Times New Roman;">In a year that Sony put more attention to its video game handhelds and consoles, the PSP ended the year on a slight whimper even though it started off surprisingly strong. Many quality titles were released, including <em>Resistance: Retribution, Pangya: Fantasy Golf </em>and <em>Rock Band: Unplugged</em>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small; font-family: Times New Roman;">That being said, no PSP games made it to our honorable mentions category.</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-size: small; font-family: Times New Roman;">Sony Playstation 3</span></span></strong></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small; font-family: Times New Roman;">More than any other year, this was THE year of the Playstation 3. A new “Slim” model, plus a price drop and a new foothold on the market thanks to some high quality games. Both the PSN side and the retail releases had some of the best games released this year, so for these honorable mentions to make this list shows the high quality these games have.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong><em>16. Flower</em></strong> – In what may be one of the most devisive games to be released this year, <em>Flower</em>’s blend of gorgeous visuals, unique storytelling and very capable (and controllable) Sixaxis controls makes it easily one of the games every PS3 owner has to try out. After the 4 hour adventure is complete, you’ll grow a great appreciation of the relaxing and beautiful world thatgamecompany has created. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong><em>22. Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time</em></strong> – Not only a stunningly animated and beautiful rendered world but a well imagined and very well produced game. All of the platforming and weapons are excellent in one of the best games in the vaunted <em>Ratchet and Clank</em> series. </span></span></p>
<p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-size: small; font-family: Times New Roman;">Microsoft Xbox 360</span></span></strong></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small; font-family: Times New Roman;">In terms of quality exclusives, the 360 recieves a venerable “meh”. The year sounded like it would be exciting for the system, but towards the end it’s the Arcade offerings of the 360 that truly stood out.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong><em>12. &#8216;Splosion Man</em></strong> – Xbox Live Arcade’s best game happens to also be the best platformer this year: <em>‘Splosion Man</em>. Featuring a hilarious main character and some of the toughest and most nerve-racking platforming, <em>‘Splosion Man</em> caters to a specific set of gamers, but it fully satisfies their need of platforming.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong><em>17. Shadow Complex</em></strong> – Think about how strange this concept is: Let’s make <em>Super Metroid </em>for the 21<sup>st</sup> century…only we won’t change anything about it. It’s this admittedly simple yet impressively executed concept that drives home what is one of the best values in gaming in 2009.</span></span></p>
<p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-size: small; font-family: Times New Roman;">Nintendo Wii</span></span></strong></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small; font-family: Times New Roman;">The Wii’s popularity hasn’t made it a favorite amongst the hardcore gamers. However, this year proved to be a fantastic year for a Wii owner who considered themselves dedicated gamers.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong><em>21. Punch-Out!!!</em></strong> – It is easy to condemn <em>Punch-Out!!!</em> as just a simple port job or “re-imagining” of the original <em>Punch-Out!!</em> of the NES. Yet, it’s exactly that reason why this version is so charming and lovable. Little Mac’s conquest of defeating these diverse and somewhat racist set of characters rings that nostalgic bell hard, but you’ll definitely like the tune it plays. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong><em>14. New Super Mario Bros. Wii </em></strong>– Speaking of some hard nostalgic ringing, what could possibly be called <em>Super Mario Bros. 4</em> is simply one of the most delightful games on the Wii this year. Behind one of the harder <em>Mario</em>’s to be released is a clever carry and multiplayer mechanic that makes the game more chaotic, but that much more engaging.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong><em>18. Rune Factory: Frontier</em></strong> – As <em>Harvest Moon</em> starts to grow tiresome, <em>Rune Factory</em> seems to bring that series to a new level. Featuring a great dungeon crawling game, along with satisfying farm simulation, <em>Rune Factory: Frontier</em> gives fans of both farm simulators and dungeon hacking a place to co-exist and to enjoy it both of their quirkiness.</span></span></p>
<p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-size: small; font-family: Times New Roman;">Multi-Platform</span></span></strong></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small; font-family: Times New Roman;">A recession and a bevy of delays didn’t stop some of the best titles from coming out this year on any platform. In fact, it’s safe to say that this year might be one of the better years in gaming overall.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong><em>23. 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand</em></strong> &#8211; Never before has solid gameplay mechanics and absolute stupidity meshed so well. A lot about <em>Blood on the Sand</em> should be poked fun at and teased for years to come, but the gameplay is a great mash of <em>Gears of War</em> and hip hop that ends up being a good deal of fun.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong><em>13. Street Fighter IV &#8211; </em></strong>The comeback of the year, <em>Street Fighter IV</em> brought back everything that was great about the original <em>Street Fighter II</em> and made it relevant and new for this generation. The tried-and-true gameplay, along with subtle refinements that add more depth and strategy to the game, make <em>SFIV</em> a nostalgiic fighting game lover&#8217;s dream cone true.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong><em>15. Battlefield 1943 </em></strong>- Easily the best multiplayer game of 2009, <em>Battlefield 1943</em> pares team based gunplay into a simplistic, but very well crafted gelatonous mixture with great controls, strategy and maps. More maps would have been great for this game, but the 4 provided is enough to sate your cravings. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong><em>20. Red Faction: Guerilla</em></strong> &#8211; Open world games aren&#8217;t known for their innovation and penchant for new gameplay experiences, but <em>Guerilla</em>&#8217;s completely destructible world creates a unique twist in the open world game that hasn&#8217;t been touched since <em>Crackdown.</em></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>25. <em>Assassin’s Creed II &#8211; </em></strong>What <em>Assassin&#8217;s Creed II</em> lacks in new features, it more than makes up for in ambience, atmosphere, diverse gameplay and a great story. Ezio&#8217;s road to redemption, plus the very story that spawns from the game, will you keep you engaged and into the story until the very end.</span></span></p>
<p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-size: small; font-family: Times New Roman;">Top 10 of 2009</span></span></strong></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong><em>10. Shatter</em></strong> – Making an <em>Arkanoid </em>clone isn’t a hard feat; taking what <em>Arkanoid </em>did an improve upon it is something different entirely. <em>Shatter</em> does that with a clever multiball bonus mechanic and one of the best techno soundtracks you’ll hear in a game. For $8, PS3 owners have the best downloadable title this year.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong><em>9. Space Invaders Infinity Gene</em></strong> – As the iPhone exploded with quality titles this year, one stood above them all and used everything the iPhone has to create a unique and beautiful experience you can’t play anywhere else. <em>Space Invaders Infinity Gens</em>’s mix of <em>Space Invaders</em>, <em>Galaga</em>, gorgeous technic visuals and excellent music gives an audio/visual experience that will capture any on lookers or gamers attention. The constant stream of unlocks makes you want to play each level constantly.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong><em>8. Batman: Arkham Asylum</em></strong> – It almost seems like <em>Batman: Arkham Asylum</em> is this year’s game version of <em>Sideways</em>: it automatically is on every Top Ten list. <em>Arkham</em> is the prime of example of how to make a game with great mechanics, character development and atmosphere that will be a testament on how to make stealth, action hero and character driven games for years to come.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>7. </strong><em><strong>Excitebots: Trick Racing</strong></em> – You get to be a Frog racing against a Bat, while kicking a field goal during a race.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small; font-family: Times New Roman;">Oh, you need more reasons? How about a game that brings speed to <em>Burnout 3</em> proportions, level design to the likes of <em>Pure</em>…while bringing crazy mini-games during the race? How about a surprisingly strong online component and its ingenious Poker Race? </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><em>Excitebots: Trick Racing</em> may seem like a kids game or some cheap standing for a “real” racing game, but it ends up being one of the most intense and exhilarating games to come out this year.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong><em>6. UFC 09: Undisputed</em></strong><em> – The fighting game came back in full force this year, and while Street Fighter IV was the most popular, UFC 09: Undisputed was the high watermark of fighting games this year. Combining a very responsive and brutal physics engine, gameplay that is diverse and strategy heavy and a very solid and clean look that makes every knockout look painful, UFC 09: Undisputed is a shining example of not only how to do a new franchise right, but to do a great fighting game right.</em></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong><em>5. Dissidia: Final Fantasy</em></strong><em>- If there was one game that seemed to sound like a complete and utter disaster, Dissidia: Final Fantasy was the game to do it. Yet, with its amazingly complex RPG system, along with its simplistic but intuitive fight mechanics, Dissidia turned into a game that not only any fighting game fan would enjoy, but anyone with a good 10 – 20 hours to kill would sink their teeth in and never let go.</em></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong><em>4. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves</em></strong><em> – Creating movie-like experiences is something that the videogame industry has toyed around with for years. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is the first game to ever create a great game with a great movie combined within it. The personality from the characters help you want to go through every single area in this stellar adventure.</em></span></span></p>
<p><em><span style="font-size: small; font-family: Times New Roman;">Plus, the multiplayer is a lot of fun to play, thanks to its great level design and ingenious use of verticality. </span></em></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong><em>3. FIFA Soccer 10</em></strong><em> – One of the deepest interpretations of any sports game ever, FIFA Soccer 10 provides the depth in both management and pitch play that stat junkies and footie heads will get months of game time out of. The implementation of the Virtual Pro and the updated controls and visuals help FIFA Soccer 10 shine about all of the other sports games.</em></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong><em>2. Borderlands</em></strong><em> – </em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">In a year that felt more safe than innovative; more familiar than daring, </span>Borderlands </em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">was a big breath of fresh air. Sure, the concepts are familiar: shooting enemies in the head and loot and level grinding are common staples in a FPS and an action-RPG. </span></em></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><em><span style="font-style: normal;">Yet, it’s the nearly seamless blending of both game types that makes </span>Borderlands</em><em><span style="font-style: normal;"> so refreshing. With a visual appealing art style and a quirky, demented sense of humor, </span>Borderlands</em><em><span style="font-style: normal;"> quells both itches with a style and feel that is distinctly unique and full of a new type of flavor. </span></em></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><em><span style="font-style: normal;">Shooting random enemies in the face can get boring in most games, but when you add a progression system that is worth moving through and a reward system that really makes you feel like your accomplishing goals and becoming stronger, </span>Borderlands</em><em><span style="font-style: normal;"> has an addictive quality that few, if any, games this year possessed. </span></em></span></span></p>
<p><em><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: small; font-family: Times New Roman;">Creating multiple characters until I hit level cap and downloading every bit of DLC is very plausible and likely for me, because of how completely satisfying the game is.</span></span></em></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong><em>1. Wii Sports Resort</em></strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"> – Why go to an urban wasteland where the most fun you can have this year is Wahu Island? In a surprise that may shock some (including me if asked about this in the beginning of 09), <em>Wii Sports Resort</em> is not only a vast improvement on the <em>Wii Sports</em> franchise, it’s an even bigger improvement on the mini-game collections that are released in the system. More importantly, <em>Wii Sports Resort</em> finally shows one of the inherent strengths of the Wii and improves in every way what the Wii can do.</span></strong></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small; font-family: Times New Roman;">Sure, you may complain about the fact that it needs the Wii MotionPlus to even play any of the games, but when you attach the peripheral to your Wii Remote and let it rip, you’ll always want to play games with this type of tactile feel and precision. Having the remote respond to the twist of your wrist or how hard you swing and in what direction becomes immediately satisfying.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><em>Wii Sports Resort</em> is also one of the only mini-game collections that require actual skill to play the game. There is no simple shaking of the Remote or random waggling, all of the games require you to be precise, calculated and trained in order to win the game. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small; font-family: Times New Roman;">Previous <em>Wii Sports</em> games like Bowling and Golf are vastly improved with the Wii MotionPlus. However, the real highlights in this package are Frisbee, Table Tennis, Swordplay and Basketball. Each game utilizes the Wii Motion Plus in different ways to make the game more engaging and fun to play, for any type of gamer no matter how new or jaded. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: small; font-family: Times New Roman;">In a year that was more familiar than risky, due to an economic downturn that closed production of various games, delayed key titles into the next year and shut down various studios, video games were a kind of comfort that many went to for solace, piece of mind and escape. <em>Wii Sports Resort</em> defines the pinnacle of 2009.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &amp;amp;amp; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">Yes, it’s comforting. Yes, it’s safe. But in a time where we could you some optimism and good clean fun, a day at Wahu Island may just be what Dr. Mario ordered. And there really was nothing better to play this year than <em>Wii Sports Resort</em>.</span></p>
<p><a href="http://www.addtoany.com/add_to/delicious?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fopinionunlocked.com%2F2010%2F01%2F14%2Fbrad-wiswalls-top-ten-games-of-2009-and-15-runners-up%2F&amp;linkname=Brad%20Wiswall%26%238217%3Bs%20Top%20Ten%20Games%20of%202009%20%28and%2015%20runners-up%29" title="Delicious" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img src="http://opinionunlocked.com/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/icons/delicious.png" width="16" height="16" alt="Delicious"/></a> <a href="http://www.addtoany.com/add_to/google_reader?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fopinionunlocked.com%2F2010%2F01%2F14%2Fbrad-wiswalls-top-ten-games-of-2009-and-15-runners-up%2F&amp;linkname=Brad%20Wiswall%26%238217%3Bs%20Top%20Ten%20Games%20of%202009%20%28and%2015%20runners-up%29" title="Google Reader" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img src="http://opinionunlocked.com/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/icons/reader.png" width="16" height="16" alt="Google Reader"/></a> <a href="http://www.addtoany.com/add_to/digg?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fopinionunlocked.com%2F2010%2F01%2F14%2Fbrad-wiswalls-top-ten-games-of-2009-and-15-runners-up%2F&amp;linkname=Brad%20Wiswall%26%238217%3Bs%20Top%20Ten%20Games%20of%202009%20%28and%2015%20runners-up%29" title="Digg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img src="http://opinionunlocked.com/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/icons/digg.png" width="16" height="16" alt="Digg"/></a> <a href="http://www.addtoany.com/add_to/twitter?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fopinionunlocked.com%2F2010%2F01%2F14%2Fbrad-wiswalls-top-ten-games-of-2009-and-15-runners-up%2F&amp;linkname=Brad%20Wiswall%26%238217%3Bs%20Top%20Ten%20Games%20of%202009%20%28and%2015%20runners-up%29" title="Twitter" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img src="http://opinionunlocked.com/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/icons/twitter.png" width="16" height="16" alt="Twitter"/></a> <a class="a2a_dd addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fopinionunlocked.com%2F2010%2F01%2F14%2Fbrad-wiswalls-top-ten-games-of-2009-and-15-runners-up%2F&amp;linkname=Brad%20Wiswall%26%238217%3Bs%20Top%20Ten%20Games%20of%202009%20%28and%2015%20runners-up%29">Share/Save</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<item>
		<title>Opinion Unlocked Episode 57 &#8211; The Best of 2009</title>
		<link>http://opinionunlocked.com/2010/01/11/opinion-unlocked-episode-57-the-best-of-2009/</link>
		<comments>http://opinionunlocked.com/2010/01/11/opinion-unlocked-episode-57-the-best-of-2009/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 12 Jan 2010 01:04:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bryan Fleming</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Podcast]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[best of 2009]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[opinion unlock]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://opinionunlocked.com/?p=1473</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Brad and I discuss the top games of 2009 and a twist at the end for the #1 overall game of the year. You might not believe your ears.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>After Christmas, egg nog, New Years and more egg nog, we have come back to discuss our top 10 games of 2009. We will laugh, cry, and argue about what games have <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">touched</span> given use much joy over the last year.</p>
<p>And you will never guess what was the overall #1 game of the year for both Brad and I.</p>
<p>Grad a seat and some pop corn, Opinion Unlocked is on now!</p>
<p>Subscribe to the <a href="../2009/12/21/2009/12/13/2009/12/06/2009/11/14/2009/11/09/2009/10/26/2009/10/17/2009/10/09/2009/10/02/2009/09/28/2009/09/14/podcast">RSS feed</a> or through <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=290593918">iTunes</a> today.</p>
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			<itunes:keywords>best of 2009,opinion unlock,Podcast</itunes:keywords>
		<itunes:subtitle>Brad and I discuss the top games of 2009 and a twist at the end for the #1 overall game of the year. You might not believe your ears.</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>Brad and I discuss the top games of 2009 and a twist at the end for the #1 overall game of the year. You might not believe your ears.</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Bryan Fleming &amp; Brad Wiswall</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>1:12:34</itunes:duration>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Opinion Unlocked Episode 56 &#8211; Games of 2009</title>
		<link>http://opinionunlocked.com/2009/12/21/opinion-unlocked-episode-56/</link>
		<comments>http://opinionunlocked.com/2009/12/21/opinion-unlocked-episode-56/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Dec 2009 05:16:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bryan Fleming</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Podcast]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Games]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gaming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[opinion unlock]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://opinionunlocked.com/?p=1462</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Come and see which games make the cut in their respected categories.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Opinion Unlocked comes at you for the final time in 2009. On this episode, we relive our 2009 gaming expirience and give our best of the best in multiple categories.</p>
<p>This is Opinion Unlocked.</p>
<p>Subscribe to the <a href="../2009/12/13/2009/12/06/2009/11/14/2009/11/09/2009/10/26/2009/10/17/2009/10/09/2009/10/02/2009/09/28/2009/09/14/podcast">RSS feed</a> or through <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=290593918">iTunes</a> today.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.addtoany.com/add_to/delicious?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fopinionunlocked.com%2F2009%2F12%2F21%2Fopinion-unlocked-episode-56%2F&amp;linkname=Opinion%20Unlocked%20Episode%2056%20%26%238211%3B%20Games%20of%202009" title="Delicious" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img src="http://opinionunlocked.com/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/icons/delicious.png" width="16" height="16" alt="Delicious"/></a> <a href="http://www.addtoany.com/add_to/google_reader?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fopinionunlocked.com%2F2009%2F12%2F21%2Fopinion-unlocked-episode-56%2F&amp;linkname=Opinion%20Unlocked%20Episode%2056%20%26%238211%3B%20Games%20of%202009" title="Google Reader" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img src="http://opinionunlocked.com/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/icons/reader.png" width="16" height="16" alt="Google Reader"/></a> <a href="http://www.addtoany.com/add_to/digg?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fopinionunlocked.com%2F2009%2F12%2F21%2Fopinion-unlocked-episode-56%2F&amp;linkname=Opinion%20Unlocked%20Episode%2056%20%26%238211%3B%20Games%20of%202009" title="Digg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img src="http://opinionunlocked.com/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/icons/digg.png" width="16" height="16" alt="Digg"/></a> <a href="http://www.addtoany.com/add_to/twitter?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fopinionunlocked.com%2F2009%2F12%2F21%2Fopinion-unlocked-episode-56%2F&amp;linkname=Opinion%20Unlocked%20Episode%2056%20%26%238211%3B%20Games%20of%202009" title="Twitter" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img src="http://opinionunlocked.com/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/icons/twitter.png" width="16" height="16" alt="Twitter"/></a> <a class="a2a_dd addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fopinionunlocked.com%2F2009%2F12%2F21%2Fopinion-unlocked-episode-56%2F&amp;linkname=Opinion%20Unlocked%20Episode%2056%20%26%238211%3B%20Games%20of%202009">Share/Save</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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			<itunes:keywords>Games,gaming,opinion unlock,Podcast</itunes:keywords>
		<itunes:subtitle>Come and see which games make the cut in their respected categories.</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>Come and see which games make the cut in their respected categories.</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Bryan Fleming &amp; Brad Wiswall</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>1:01:09</itunes:duration>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Opinion Unlocked Episode 55 &#8211; How&#8217;s Your Reflex Edition?</title>
		<link>http://opinionunlocked.com/2009/12/13/opinion-unlocked-episode-55-hows-your-reflex-edition/</link>
		<comments>http://opinionunlocked.com/2009/12/13/opinion-unlocked-episode-55-hows-your-reflex-edition/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 13 Dec 2009 17:30:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bryan Fleming</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Podcast]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[iPhone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Might & Magic: Clash of Heros]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MX vs. ATV: Reflex]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[opinion unlock]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PSN]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://opinionunlocked.com/?p=1449</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Think you got what is takes? Listen in!]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>On this episode, Brad and Bryan go indepth into games like <strong>MX vs ATV: Reflex</strong>, <strong>Might and Magic: Clash of Heros</strong>, two PSN exclusives and two iPhone games.</p>
<p>This is Opinion Unlocked.</p>
<p>Subscribe to the <a href="../2009/12/06/2009/11/14/2009/11/09/2009/10/26/2009/10/17/2009/10/09/2009/10/02/2009/09/28/2009/09/14/podcast">RSS feed</a> or through <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=290593918">iTunes</a> today.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.addtoany.com/add_to/delicious?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fopinionunlocked.com%2F2009%2F12%2F13%2Fopinion-unlocked-episode-55-hows-your-reflex-edition%2F&amp;linkname=Opinion%20Unlocked%20Episode%2055%20%26%238211%3B%20How%26%238217%3Bs%20Your%20Reflex%20Edition%3F" title="Delicious" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img src="http://opinionunlocked.com/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/icons/delicious.png" width="16" height="16" alt="Delicious"/></a> <a href="http://www.addtoany.com/add_to/google_reader?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fopinionunlocked.com%2F2009%2F12%2F13%2Fopinion-unlocked-episode-55-hows-your-reflex-edition%2F&amp;linkname=Opinion%20Unlocked%20Episode%2055%20%26%238211%3B%20How%26%238217%3Bs%20Your%20Reflex%20Edition%3F" title="Google Reader" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img src="http://opinionunlocked.com/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/icons/reader.png" width="16" height="16" alt="Google Reader"/></a> <a href="http://www.addtoany.com/add_to/digg?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fopinionunlocked.com%2F2009%2F12%2F13%2Fopinion-unlocked-episode-55-hows-your-reflex-edition%2F&amp;linkname=Opinion%20Unlocked%20Episode%2055%20%26%238211%3B%20How%26%238217%3Bs%20Your%20Reflex%20Edition%3F" title="Digg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img src="http://opinionunlocked.com/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/icons/digg.png" width="16" height="16" alt="Digg"/></a> <a href="http://www.addtoany.com/add_to/twitter?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fopinionunlocked.com%2F2009%2F12%2F13%2Fopinion-unlocked-episode-55-hows-your-reflex-edition%2F&amp;linkname=Opinion%20Unlocked%20Episode%2055%20%26%238211%3B%20How%26%238217%3Bs%20Your%20Reflex%20Edition%3F" title="Twitter" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img src="http://opinionunlocked.com/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/icons/twitter.png" width="16" height="16" alt="Twitter"/></a> <a class="a2a_dd addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fopinionunlocked.com%2F2009%2F12%2F13%2Fopinion-unlocked-episode-55-hows-your-reflex-edition%2F&amp;linkname=Opinion%20Unlocked%20Episode%2055%20%26%238211%3B%20How%26%238217%3Bs%20Your%20Reflex%20Edition%3F">Share/Save</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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			<itunes:keywords>iPhone,Might &amp; Magic: Clash of Heros,MX vs. ATV: Reflex,opinion unlock,Podcast,PSN</itunes:keywords>
		<itunes:subtitle>Think you got what is takes? Listen in!</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>Think you got what is takes? Listen in!</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Bryan Fleming &amp; Brad Wiswall</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>28:01</itunes:duration>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>&#8220;Enter Sandman,&#8221; I Choose You! &#8211; Review of Song Summoner: The Unsong Heroes + Encore</title>
		<link>http://opinionunlocked.com/2009/12/11/enter-sandman-i-choose-you-review-of-song-summoner-the-unsong-heroes-encore/</link>
		<comments>http://opinionunlocked.com/2009/12/11/enter-sandman-i-choose-you-review-of-song-summoner-the-unsong-heroes-encore/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:57:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brad Wiswall</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Handheld]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[iPhone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[iPod Touch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Song Summoner]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Square Enix]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://opinionunlocked.com/?p=1443</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I hear you, but you're really not saying anything.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Song Summoner: The Unsong Heroes + Encore<br />
</em>Published and Developed by: Square Enix<br />
For: iPhone/iPod Touch</p>
<p>I remember hearing about <em>Song Summoner</em> for the original iPod last year. The thought of a game that mixes my favorite type of RPG (Strategy-RPG) and <em>Monster Rancher</em> style collection gameplay seemed like a graet idea, especially since I miss the <em>Monster Rancher </em>series (Tecmo, a Wii version of this game would be excellent!). Unfortunately, the concept and the execution seems to vary quite differently in this case.</p>
<p>In <em>Song Summoner</em>, you play as Ziggy, a conductor who summons Tune Troopers to aid him in battle. You are out to save your little brother Zero, who has been captured by a fascist militia who strives to destroy music forever&#8230;or something like that.</p>
<p>The crux of the game is this: use your iPhone or iPod Touch and select tracks from your device. From those tracks, you create units of applicable strength and class. These units are given a letter ranking after they have been summoned.</p>
<p>Then, you go battle enemies in either the story missions, in free maps or in the &#8220;rehersal room&#8221;, where you go to battle and win Pitch Pearls, which are used to level up your characters from Bronze to Platinum.</p>
<p>You also level up your units through the use of &#8220;Play Points&#8221;. To accumulate Play Points, you listen to the songs that have created units. These accumulate points for all characters, but give more to the specific song that you listened to. However, the points accumulate moves you up in Levels, not in Bronze to Platinum rank (like is used with Pitch Pearls).</p>
<p>As you can see, just the leveling of characters seems to be confusing. And while to most outsiders, strategy-RPG&#8217;s can be considered a confusing, sometimes daunting affiar, <em>Song Summoner</em> confuses gamers who have been bred in the ways of <em>Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice</em> and <em>Knights of the Nightmare</em>.</p>
<p>Leveling and setting up your men is easily an exercise in confusion. You mean to tell me to level up my characters to be good, I have to listen to the song it came from multiple times? And all that Pitch Pearls really do is give you more abilities and level you up slightly? How do my main characters level up? Why can&#8217;t I accumulate points by defeating enemies? What really IS the point of free battles when I can only get about 15 Pitch Pearls per battle?</p>
<p>Leveling and gaining new abilities are easily the most fun mechanic from a Strategy-RPG, and <em>Song Summoner</em> does this all wrong, resulting in a confusing system that doesn&#8217;t seem rewarding and all that interesting to dive into.</p>
<p>Compounding the problems with the game is the actual battles. Played like a paired down, very simplistic version of <em>Final Fantasy </em>Tactics, battles are over fairly quickly with not much of a challenge involved. In fact, there is nary a recollection where actual strategy played into the game itself, which defeats the entire purpose of the battle system in the first place.</p>
<p>In fact, the biggest problem the game has is that it doesn&#8217;t feel like a whole game, even though they added to the game from the previous version. To progress or really enjoy the game in some form, it seems like a majority of your experience has to be done outside of the game itself by listening to the music attached to your army. This makes the game feel like more an add-on or a companion piece to your music, rather than a game that uses your music to fleshen out the game itself.</p>
<p>With a lackluster story, decrepid visuals, controls that are annoying and unresponsive and a rather disheartening feeling of being incomplete, <em>Song Summoner: The Unsong Heroes + Encore</em> simply fails in both the basic design and in its ambitious and unique concept.</p>
<p>The game seems to have too many systems that do very little in the way of progresssion and the fact that you are better at succeeding in the game when you don&#8217;t play it seems very disheartening to someone who wants to dive head first into a long, deep RPG.</p>
<p>Unless you want an add-on that allows you to do something different with your music, this game is best left out of your iPhone or iPod Touch. I&#8217;d tell people $4.99 is too much for the game; $9.99 is highway robbery.</p>
<p><code><a name="review"></a><div class="review">
		<h2>Review</h2>
		<div class="mainbox">
			<div class="procons">
	<table>
			<tr><th>Pros</th><th>Cons</th></tr>
			<tr><td>- Something to do after you listen to your music</td><td>- Leveling is confusing; not rewarding<br />
- Aesthetics are dull, lifeless<br />
- Battles require no strategy<br />
- Constantly replaying songs is annoying</td></tr>
			
			</table>
			</div>
                        <table class="review_grid">
                                <tr><td class="review_label">Rating</td><td><div class="rating_bg" style="width: 450px"><span class="rating_bar" style="width: 193.5px;"><span class="rating_bar_content">43%</span></span></div></td></tr>
                        </table>
		</div></div></code></p>
<p><code>Brad Wiswall<br />
www.twitter.com/gamakarmica</code></p>
<p><a href="http://www.addtoany.com/add_to/delicious?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fopinionunlocked.com%2F2009%2F12%2F11%2Fenter-sandman-i-choose-you-review-of-song-summoner-the-unsong-heroes-encore%2F&amp;linkname=%26%238220%3BEnter%20Sandman%2C%26%238221%3B%20I%20Choose%20You%21%20%26%238211%3B%20Review%20of%20Song%20Summoner%3A%20The%20Unsong%20Heroes%20%2B%20Encore" title="Delicious" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img src="http://opinionunlocked.com/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/icons/delicious.png" width="16" height="16" alt="Delicious"/></a> <a href="http://www.addtoany.com/add_to/google_reader?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fopinionunlocked.com%2F2009%2F12%2F11%2Fenter-sandman-i-choose-you-review-of-song-summoner-the-unsong-heroes-encore%2F&amp;linkname=%26%238220%3BEnter%20Sandman%2C%26%238221%3B%20I%20Choose%20You%21%20%26%238211%3B%20Review%20of%20Song%20Summoner%3A%20The%20Unsong%20Heroes%20%2B%20Encore" title="Google Reader" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img src="http://opinionunlocked.com/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/icons/reader.png" width="16" height="16" alt="Google Reader"/></a> <a href="http://www.addtoany.com/add_to/digg?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fopinionunlocked.com%2F2009%2F12%2F11%2Fenter-sandman-i-choose-you-review-of-song-summoner-the-unsong-heroes-encore%2F&amp;linkname=%26%238220%3BEnter%20Sandman%2C%26%238221%3B%20I%20Choose%20You%21%20%26%238211%3B%20Review%20of%20Song%20Summoner%3A%20The%20Unsong%20Heroes%20%2B%20Encore" title="Digg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img src="http://opinionunlocked.com/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/icons/digg.png" width="16" height="16" alt="Digg"/></a> <a href="http://www.addtoany.com/add_to/twitter?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fopinionunlocked.com%2F2009%2F12%2F11%2Fenter-sandman-i-choose-you-review-of-song-summoner-the-unsong-heroes-encore%2F&amp;linkname=%26%238220%3BEnter%20Sandman%2C%26%238221%3B%20I%20Choose%20You%21%20%26%238211%3B%20Review%20of%20Song%20Summoner%3A%20The%20Unsong%20Heroes%20%2B%20Encore" title="Twitter" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img src="http://opinionunlocked.com/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/icons/twitter.png" width="16" height="16" alt="Twitter"/></a> <a class="a2a_dd addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fopinionunlocked.com%2F2009%2F12%2F11%2Fenter-sandman-i-choose-you-review-of-song-summoner-the-unsong-heroes-encore%2F&amp;linkname=%26%238220%3BEnter%20Sandman%2C%26%238221%3B%20I%20Choose%20You%21%20%26%238211%3B%20Review%20of%20Song%20Summoner%3A%20The%20Unsong%20Heroes%20%2B%20Encore">Share/Save</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Shut up, Kid! &#8211; A Review of A Boy and His Blob (Wii)</title>
		<link>http://opinionunlocked.com/2009/12/08/shut-up-kid-a-review-of-a-boy-and-his-blob-wii/</link>
		<comments>http://opinionunlocked.com/2009/12/08/shut-up-kid-a-review-of-a-boy-and-his-blob-wii/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 08 Dec 2009 07:16:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brad Wiswall</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Console]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[A Boy and His Blob]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Majesco]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nintendo Wi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wayforward Games]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://opinionunlocked.com/?p=1438</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Click here for the review...and a hug!]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>A Boy and His Blob<br />
</em>Developer: Wayforward Games<br />
Publisher: Majesco<br />
For: Nintendo Wii</p>
<p>If there&#8217;s one thing I will never get is why any developer would willingly let Majesco publish their games. Majesco, publisher of such prolific bombs like <em>Advent Rising</em> and <em>Psychonauts</em>, know a good game and they know to let the original vision shine through. However, when it comes to marketing and sales, it never really gave the games the sales they deserve (in fact, their only recent hit was <em>Cooking Mama</em>).</p>
<p>Wayforward Games decided to partner up with Majesco in the remake of <em>A Boy and His Blob</em>: <em>Trouble in Blobolonia</em> with their Wii exclusive title <em>A Boy and His Blob</em>. And while sales have been middling at best (rumor has it selling less than 40K since its release), it doesn&#8217;t exactly match with the quality of the game itself.</p>
<p>The story is quite simple: You are Boy, some strange child who lives and sleeps in a treehouse and is only capable of saying &#8220;Blob&#8221; and &#8220;Get Over Here!&#8221;, like he was predestined to being useful in only this type of instance. You find Blob, a white gelatanous Goo-Ball that can morph into different objects when he&#8217;s fed Jelly-Beans from your pouch.</p>
<p>The story remains simple with no need for dialogue and story narrative. You are Boy, your friend is Blob and you two help each other get through the end of the level. While some might find that a bit annoying and pointless, it really adds to the charm and children&#8217;s book story of the game.</p>
<p>The game has a vibrant, colorful and very well animated art design that is beautiful and at times distracting to watch. The game has a <em>Babar the Elephant</em> kind of look to it: it really becomes hard not to fixate on the animation quirks and the detail it has been put into the game.</p>
<p>The two characters, Boy and Blob, bring in its own cute little charms and loving asides. There&#8217;s really something endearing about the characters: it&#8217;s just purely wholesome and enjoyable in a very basic, very kid-like sense. The addition of a hug button just adds to the simplistic and lovable charm to the game.</p>
<p>The platforming and puzzle solving is well done as well. Unlike the original <em>Boy and His Blob</em>, the game is a lot more accessible and enjoyable, since you have an unlimited supply of lives and jellybeans in the game to get through the levels. Some of the platforming elements are cakewalks, while others tend to tax you after a few lives. However, the puzzles in this game won&#8217;t keep you stumped for long.</p>
<p>There is a slight issue with hit detection when it comes to the enemies and Boy. Boy&#8217;s jump arc is very low and while it isn&#8217;t an issue all fo the time, it needs to be said that the hit detection can be spotty at times. Jumps that you have made and could make easily before suddenly miss, leading to your death.</p>
<p>Also, jumping over enemies is something you will have to do throughout the game and the hit detection really becomes a pain in this sense. Because of Boy&#8217;s low arc, you have to time your jumps really well when it comes to going through enemies. This becomes infurating at times, since one hit from an enemy means you start all over.</p>
<p>Also, the game does two things: it holds your hand through the game or leaves you completely on your own with no hint as to what you do next. It does become annoying, since it&#8217;s fairly obvious what you have to do when the signs are there and it&#8217;s not very clear what you do next when its not there.</p>
<p>There&#8217;s also really no big pay off to defeating levels and getting boxes, except to jazz out your tree house. Those who enjoy the art style will appreciate the look of the treehouse, but it holds nothing special if you don&#8217;t get all the treasures.</p>
<p>Finally, Boy can be incredibly annoying. Remember that spoiled brat in Elementary School who was loud, shrill, annoying and got everything he or she wanted because her parents spoiled him/her half to death and didn&#8217;t appreciate it a day in their livse? That&#8217;s what Boy sounds like at times. Hearing him scream &#8220;Blob!&#8221; &#8220;Get Over Here!&#8221; and &#8220;No, Blob, No!&#8221; can be very annoying and kind of brings the charm of the game down.</p>
<p><em>A Boy and His Blob</em> is the right kind of remake. It takes the things that made the original memorable, creates a new game on them but makes it relevant to these consoles. $40 for the game, however, it a bit pricey in my opinion. Wait until it drops to $30 and enjoy: It&#8217;s got a great heart with some nice puzzle and platforming elements.</p>
<p><code><a name="review"></a><div class="review">
		<h2>Review</h2>
		<div class="mainbox">
			<div class="procons">
	<table>
			<tr><th>Pros</th><th>Cons</th></tr>
			<tr><td>- Very charming characters and animation<br />
- Good platforming, puzzle elements</td><td>- Jump arc and hit detection become frustrating<br />
! Shut that Boy up, please!</td></tr>
			
			</table>
			</div>
                        <table class="review_grid">
                                <tr><td class="review_label">Rating</td><td><div class="rating_bg" style="width: 450px"><span class="rating_bar" style="width: 324px;"><span class="rating_bar_content">72%</span></span></div></td></tr>
                        </table>
		</div></div></code></p>
<p><code>Brad Wiswall<br />
www.twitter.com/gamakarmica</code></p>
<p><a href="http://www.addtoany.com/add_to/delicious?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fopinionunlocked.com%2F2009%2F12%2F08%2Fshut-up-kid-a-review-of-a-boy-and-his-blob-wii%2F&amp;linkname=Shut%20up%2C%20Kid%21%20%26%238211%3B%20A%20Review%20of%20A%20Boy%20and%20His%20Blob%20%28Wii%29" title="Delicious" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img src="http://opinionunlocked.com/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/icons/delicious.png" width="16" height="16" alt="Delicious"/></a> <a href="http://www.addtoany.com/add_to/google_reader?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fopinionunlocked.com%2F2009%2F12%2F08%2Fshut-up-kid-a-review-of-a-boy-and-his-blob-wii%2F&amp;linkname=Shut%20up%2C%20Kid%21%20%26%238211%3B%20A%20Review%20of%20A%20Boy%20and%20His%20Blob%20%28Wii%29" title="Google Reader" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img src="http://opinionunlocked.com/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/icons/reader.png" width="16" height="16" alt="Google Reader"/></a> <a href="http://www.addtoany.com/add_to/digg?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fopinionunlocked.com%2F2009%2F12%2F08%2Fshut-up-kid-a-review-of-a-boy-and-his-blob-wii%2F&amp;linkname=Shut%20up%2C%20Kid%21%20%26%238211%3B%20A%20Review%20of%20A%20Boy%20and%20His%20Blob%20%28Wii%29" title="Digg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img src="http://opinionunlocked.com/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/icons/digg.png" width="16" height="16" alt="Digg"/></a> <a href="http://www.addtoany.com/add_to/twitter?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fopinionunlocked.com%2F2009%2F12%2F08%2Fshut-up-kid-a-review-of-a-boy-and-his-blob-wii%2F&amp;linkname=Shut%20up%2C%20Kid%21%20%26%238211%3B%20A%20Review%20of%20A%20Boy%20and%20His%20Blob%20%28Wii%29" title="Twitter" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img src="http://opinionunlocked.com/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/icons/twitter.png" width="16" height="16" alt="Twitter"/></a> <a class="a2a_dd addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fopinionunlocked.com%2F2009%2F12%2F08%2Fshut-up-kid-a-review-of-a-boy-and-his-blob-wii%2F&amp;linkname=Shut%20up%2C%20Kid%21%20%26%238211%3B%20A%20Review%20of%20A%20Boy%20and%20His%20Blob%20%28Wii%29">Share/Save</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Opinion Unlocked Episode 54 &#8211; Post-Turkey Day 2009 Edition</title>
		<link>http://opinionunlocked.com/2009/12/06/opinion-unlocked-episode-54-post-turkey-day-2009-edition/</link>
		<comments>http://opinionunlocked.com/2009/12/06/opinion-unlocked-episode-54-post-turkey-day-2009-edition/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 06 Dec 2009 23:29:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bryan Fleming</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Podcast]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Assassin's Creed 2]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Left 4 Dead 2]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[littlebigplanet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Madden NFL Arcade]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://opinionunlocked.com/?p=1430</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Gooble Gooble Gooble Gooble, Gooble Opinion Unlocked...]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>On this edition of Opinion Unlocked, Brad and Bryan take it easy after the Thanksgiving break and deliver game reviews that you won&#8217;t want to miss.</p>
<p>Games like Left 4 Dead 2, Assassin&#8217;s Creed 2 and LittleBigPlanet (PSP style). This and many other games on Opinion Unlocked.</p>
<p>Subscribe to the <a href="../2009/11/14/2009/11/09/2009/10/26/2009/10/17/2009/10/09/2009/10/02/2009/09/28/2009/09/14/podcast">RSS feed</a> or through <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=290593918">iTunes</a> today.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.addtoany.com/add_to/delicious?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fopinionunlocked.com%2F2009%2F12%2F06%2Fopinion-unlocked-episode-54-post-turkey-day-2009-edition%2F&amp;linkname=Opinion%20Unlocked%20Episode%2054%20%26%238211%3B%20Post-Turkey%20Day%202009%20Edition" title="Delicious" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img src="http://opinionunlocked.com/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/icons/delicious.png" width="16" height="16" alt="Delicious"/></a> <a href="http://www.addtoany.com/add_to/google_reader?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fopinionunlocked.com%2F2009%2F12%2F06%2Fopinion-unlocked-episode-54-post-turkey-day-2009-edition%2F&amp;linkname=Opinion%20Unlocked%20Episode%2054%20%26%238211%3B%20Post-Turkey%20Day%202009%20Edition" title="Google Reader" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img src="http://opinionunlocked.com/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/icons/reader.png" width="16" height="16" alt="Google Reader"/></a> <a href="http://www.addtoany.com/add_to/digg?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fopinionunlocked.com%2F2009%2F12%2F06%2Fopinion-unlocked-episode-54-post-turkey-day-2009-edition%2F&amp;linkname=Opinion%20Unlocked%20Episode%2054%20%26%238211%3B%20Post-Turkey%20Day%202009%20Edition" title="Digg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img src="http://opinionunlocked.com/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/icons/digg.png" width="16" height="16" alt="Digg"/></a> <a href="http://www.addtoany.com/add_to/twitter?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fopinionunlocked.com%2F2009%2F12%2F06%2Fopinion-unlocked-episode-54-post-turkey-day-2009-edition%2F&amp;linkname=Opinion%20Unlocked%20Episode%2054%20%26%238211%3B%20Post-Turkey%20Day%202009%20Edition" title="Twitter" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img src="http://opinionunlocked.com/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/icons/twitter.png" width="16" height="16" alt="Twitter"/></a> <a class="a2a_dd addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fopinionunlocked.com%2F2009%2F12%2F06%2Fopinion-unlocked-episode-54-post-turkey-day-2009-edition%2F&amp;linkname=Opinion%20Unlocked%20Episode%2054%20%26%238211%3B%20Post-Turkey%20Day%202009%20Edition">Share/Save</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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<enclosure url="http://media.blubrry.com/opinionunlocked/opinionunlocked.com/podcasts/2009_12_03_OpUn54.mp3" length="51065951" type="audio/mpeg" />
			<itunes:keywords>Assassin&#039;s Creed 2,Left 4 Dead 2,littlebigplanet,Madden NFL Arcade</itunes:keywords>
		<itunes:subtitle>Gooble Gooble Gooble Gooble, Gooble Opinion Unlocked...</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>Gooble Gooble Gooble Gooble, Gooble Opinion Unlocked...</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Bryan Fleming &amp; Brad Wiswall</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>53:12</itunes:duration>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Twist and Summon &#8211; Review of Gyromancer (XBLA, PSN)</title>
		<link>http://opinionunlocked.com/2009/12/01/twist-and-summon-review-of-gyromancer-xbla-psn/</link>
		<comments>http://opinionunlocked.com/2009/12/01/twist-and-summon-review-of-gyromancer-xbla-psn/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 02 Dec 2009 03:39:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brad Wiswall</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Console]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gyromancer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PopCap]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PSN]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Square Enix]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[XBLA]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://opinionunlocked.com/?p=1415</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This collaboration bears solid, if not bland, fruit]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Gyromancer<br />
</em>Developed by: PopCap<br />
Published by: Square Enix<br />
For: XBLA, PSN</p>
<p>It all used to be so simple. Puzzle games were meant for old ladies and people who don&#8217;t play games. RPG&#8217;s were meant to be for pasty-faced gamers who would never see the light of day or be with a woman. Now, thanks to <em>Puzzle Quest</em>, they&#8217;ve melded into one cohesive mess of item matching.</p>
<p>Then <em>Puzzle Quest: Galactrix</em> came out and said &#8220;You know what? Let&#8217;s ruin this idea before it even gets to pick up off the ground!&#8221; Sure, there were other <em>Puzzle Quest</em> like games that came out between <em>Puzzle Quest</em> and now, but <em>Gyromancer</em> seems to be the first one that&#8217;s actually captured some attention, mainly due to the two powerhouse companies that are behind the game: PopCap (<em>Peggle, Plants vs. Zombies) </em>and Square Enix <em>(Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest</em>)<em>.</em></p>
<p>In the game, you defeat monsters in a <em>Bejeweled Twist</em> like puzzle game. The difference between this and <em>Puzzle Quest </em>is how you and your opponents attack.</p>
<p>In <em>Puzzle Quest</em>, matching three to five skulls would cause a basic attack, while collecting colored gems would pool mana of that specific color. You can then cash in that mana to attack the opponent with spells or boost your stats or turn the tide to your favor.</p>
<p><em>Gyromancer</em>, however, is done very differently. Battle is done consistently through your actions. The opponent doesn&#8217;t move gems or &#8220;take a turn,&#8221; it simply feeds off your actions. The opponent&#8217;s attack meter slowly fills up as time passes, which he then releases a gem that shines with a counter. If you don&#8217;t defeat that gem when the counter reaches zero, you get hit.</p>
<p>For your offense, you match gems to build up your mana. When you mana reaches the maximum needed, it will released a shiny gem that when you break it with a combo, you&#8217;ll attack the opponent.</p>
<p>The differences in all of the battles is the beasts you bring into each and every battle. Each beasts has an affinity to a certain type of gem: if you break apart those gems, you refill your meters faster and fight more frequently. However, some affinities are weaker against others, so finding a suitable mix of beasts is a must for strategy.</p>
<p>In order to gain more beasts, you have to find Gyro Codes scattered on each map and when you defeat that map, you get to summon beasts of those you captured. The beasts are little more than just stat points and a means to collect items, but it still keeps the game relatively interesting and fun while you&#8217;re playing.</p>
<p>This particular melding of genres have had a very polarizing result table lately (<em>Puzzle Quest</em> was great, while <em>Galactrix </em>and <em>Puzzle Kingdoms</em> were very bad), but for the most part, <em>Gyromancer</em> is a good puzzle game that remains fun as you play it for any period of time.</p>
<p>Detractors of the <em>Bejeweled Twist</em> mechanic, which is when four gems are moved clockwise instead of two gems switching, will want to steer clear of <em>Gryomancer. </em>The game uses everything from the <em>Twist</em> game to full effect, even its weaknesses.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s pretty annoying at times when you can&#8217;t move your gems counter-clockwise for whatever reason, which becomes a big pain later on in the game when the punishment for not matching gems in a turn absolutely murders you. However, it&#8217;s something you do get used to.</p>
<p>Also, the story and graphics are pretty bland and boring, almost to the point where the story is easily ignorable. In fact, in all honesty, I don&#8217;t remember a thing from the story and the graphics are just the gems and still photos of the beasts and characters.</p>
<p>In all, <em>Gyromancer</em> is a very competent and fun <em>Puzzle Quest</em> like game. Whether it&#8217;s better than <em>Puzzle Quest </em>is entirely up to your feelings on the Twist mechanics, but if you can handle it, there&#8217;s a good 5 &#8211; 8 hours of fun you could be having. As long as you&#8217;re okay with no multiplayer in the package, it should be worth your cash.</p>
<p><code><a name="review"></a><div class="review">
		<h2>Review</h2>
		<div class="mainbox">
			<div class="procons">
	<table>
			<tr><th>Pros</th><th>Cons</th></tr>
			<tr><td>- A rewarding collection system<br />
- Battles happen at a fast clip<br />
- Twist mechanic works well, brings in a new spin to the Puzzle/RPG hybrid</td><td>- No multiplayer<br />
- Aesthetics are bland and boring<br />
? Why the hell is this called Gyromancer?</td></tr>
			
			</table>
			</div>
                        <table class="review_grid">
                                <tr><td class="review_label">Rating</td><td><div class="rating_bg" style="width: 450px"><span class="rating_bar" style="width: 342px;"><span class="rating_bar_content">76%</span></span></div></td></tr>
                        </table>
		</div></div></code></p>
<p><code>Brad Wiswall<br />
<a href="http://www.twitter.com/gamakarmica">www.twitter.com/gamakarmica</a></code></p>
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		<title>Pop Football &#8211; Review of Madden NFL Arcade (XBLA/PSN)</title>
		<link>http://opinionunlocked.com/2009/12/01/pop-football-review-of-madden-nfl-arcade-xblapsn/</link>
		<comments>http://opinionunlocked.com/2009/12/01/pop-football-review-of-madden-nfl-arcade-xblapsn/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 02 Dec 2009 03:38:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brad Wiswall</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Console]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[EA Sports]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Madden NFL Arcade]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PSN]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[XBLA]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://opinionunlocked.com/?p=1418</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Doesn't exactly...boom?
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Madden NFL Arcade<br />
</em>Published and Developed by: EA Sports<br />
For: XBLA, PSN</p>
<p>Sports Arcade titles on downloadable services have either been a well done hit (<em>3 on 3 NHL Arcade</em>) or a disastrously ugly miss (<em>MLB Stickball</em>) or a baffling, sickeningly horrible abomination that&#8217;s worse than watching a video of Ron Artest punching an infant&#8230;in a nursery (<em>NBA Unrivaled</em>&#8230;shudder). <em>Madden NFL Arcade</em> is a $15 download that fits in the wide range between hit and miss.</p>
<p>There are some key differences between the simulation <em>Madden</em> and the <em>Arcade</em> version. First, the field is shortened to 60 yards and you must get a touchdown within 4 downs. Next, there is only 5 players on the field at any time. Also, kickers and special teams are eliminated altogether in the game. This is to eliminate any filler that would normally bog down a traditional football game.</p>
<p>Power-ups are fairly common in the game, where you can unleash &#8220;Frostbite&#8221; or &#8220;Triple Threat&#8221; on a Defense, while the D can summon Fumblitis to turn the game into a game of <em>Pigskin</em> for the Genesis. Apparently, the game is supposed to envoke the feel and fun of the arcade football games of yore.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, it doesn&#8217;t quite do it. The game fails to live to the standards that <em>NFL Blitz</em> and even <em>NFL Street</em> did. Games are fast, but not really &#8220;arcade&#8221; fast. Sure, the game lets you choose 4 simple plays at which you could control any player to design your own route. And, yes, a game can be completed in ten minutes.</p>
<p>But what <em>Blitz</em> and <em>Street</em> did so well is make every single move or play seem rewarding, challenging and fun to perform, which <em>Madden</em> doesn&#8217;t quite get right. Instead of having over-the-top tackles (<em>Blitz</em>) or a combo based juke-and-move system (<em>Street</em>), it decides to use an abbreviated version of the <em>Madden</em> controls, right down to using specific button and stick patterns to do special moves.</p>
<p>Not only that, the game&#8217;s timing is slightly off on tackles, so you may find that using special moves in running plays to be largely ineffective. This leads to a constant &#8220;Rock-Paper-Scissors&#8221; match on choosing the right plays to gain decent yardage.</p>
<p>Picking the right play should only be half of the equation. Unfortunately, it seems it&#8217;s the entire equation for this game and it ends up being less of a game of arcade skill and more of a pattern recognition game.</p>
<p>For example: If you decide to do a run play with Frank Gore, you should be able to pound into everyone and run them over. However, if the opponent guesses the right play, no matter if you&#8217;re the Steelers or my (unforutnately) favorite team the Redskins, you can stop Frank Gore on his tracks. This kind of parity makes the teams and the players basically irrelevant throughout the entire game.</p>
<p>On top of that, passing plays are way too strong in this game, leading to cheap &#8220;money plays&#8221; that plagued traditional <em>Madden</em> for years. This, of course, leads to the very annoying game of &#8220;guess which pass play he/she&#8217;s doing&#8221; to win, which becomes less and less fun after every game.</p>
<p>For a multiplayer game, however, <em>Madden NFL Arcade</em> is plain stupid fun. Play against a friend or an online opponent and its playable to the point of being fun. Online matches haven&#8217;t had many hiccups in the few games I&#8217;ve played, so they&#8217;ve ended in being fun or with the person rage quitting after getting rightfully pounded.</p>
<p>The over-the-top style of the game also has a nice charm to the game, with its quasi <em>Madden </em>look being more colorful and animated than before.</p>
<p>But for $15, it&#8217;s simply not a good game of Arcade football. As a fan of both <em>Blitz </em>and <em>Street</em>, I enjoyed the style of gameplay and its breadth of features it had to make the games fun. <em>Madden NFL Arcade</em> has none of that, resulting in a game that is meant to be strictly a multiplayer affair.</p>
<p>Honestly, EA should bring <em>NFL Street</em> back.</p>
<p>And while they are at it, bring back <em>NBA Street</em>, <em>NBA Street</em> and redo the <em>FIFA Street</em> series please.</p>
<p><code><a name="review"></a><div class="review">
		<h2>Review</h2>
		<div class="mainbox">
			<div class="procons">
	<table>
			<tr><th>Pros</th><th>Cons</th></tr>
			<tr><td>- Fun for a quick multiplayer match<br />
- Colorful with some personality</td><td>- Not a lot to sink into for $15<br />
- Core gameplay not good arcade fun<br />
- </td></tr>
			
			</table>
			</div>
                        <table class="review_grid">
                                <tr><td class="review_label">Rating</td><td><div class="rating_bg" style="width: 450px"><span class="rating_bar" style="width: 279px;"><span class="rating_bar_content">62%</span></span></div></td></tr>
                        </table>
		</div></div></code></p>
<p><code>Brad Wiswall<br />
<a href="http://www.twitter.com/gamakarmica">www.twitter.com/gamakarmica</a></code></p>
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