A month later I picked the Wii up after deciding I wanted that as well as the PS3 and then would sell my 360. Quite frankly, the Xbox 360 was the next-gen console I wanted the least. A friend had one and I wanted something to keep me going until the PS3 came out which is the only reason I purchased one. I wasn’t a fan of the original Xbox either.

Since then though, I’ve sold my PS3, despite how much I wanted it before release. Yet I still have my 360, and many more games. This isn’t some 360 fanboy or fangirl post about how great it is. It’s an” ex” Sony fangirl praising the 360.

Remembering my mindset back then, it makes me realise, how great a console the 360 really is. I love my 360 now but used to “despise” it. If it can turn someone from disliking the 360 so much to loving it, then I’m sure I’m not the only one, perhaps even other Sony fans turning to the “dark side”.

So, what does make it so great and what changed my opinion on it? The great games, such as Gears of War, Halo 3, Saints Row, Call of Duty 4. Yes Call of Duty is multi platform, but is also why I have my 360. Some other games which may not be considered great to some, are amazing to me, such as Crash Bandicoot, which to me, has always been a Sony brand. Ultimately, it was the last thing that made me sell my PS3. All the games I wanted were on the 360, some of them not even on the PS3.

The other reason being live and multi-player. Having tried on-line on all three next gen consoles, and the PSP, it was clear from the very first moment, that the 360 was made for that. Maybe I tried the wrong game on the other consoles, but first impressions really do count. While they were OK, I found the 360 to be much more fun on-line then off as opposed to the Wii and PS3, which I preferred off-line.

I may get a PS3 again in the future, because don’t get me wrong, I still do love Sony, my PS2 and PSP are close by my side, but I feel for now, they’ve let us down. With Little Big Planet and Resistance 2 though, it could turn things around, but it isn’t enough to convince me to buy another PS3 just yet. Not until it’s at a more competitive level to the 360 anyway price and games wise.

While many look at the genre of games to determine their next game, for me, split screen co-op campaign or on-line is one of the key factors when choosing my next game. As my partner and myself are both avid gamers and love gaming with each other, as opposed to watching, it makes it an extremely important factor.

Of course, we do still play single player campaigns and multi player, but it isn’t the same. Call of Duty 4 for example, great as it is, would have been even better with at least one split screen option (apart from custom games). So naturally, Gears of War, Halo 3, Unreal Tournament 3, are games we play frequently.

Rainbow Six Vegas and other games have been tried as well, so I have a fair amount of knowledge and experience of co-op split screen games. With the release of Gears of War 2, again naturally, this was a game we had to have as we love shooters and it offers split screen play.

It’s clear from the first few chapters, that this game was made for co-op and even split screen. A lot of thought went into the co-op campaign.

With other co-op games, I’ve believed it was more of an added option as well as a lot of fun. Gears of War 2 raises the bar on co-op campaign. You really have to work as a team in this game. As you progress further in the game, this becomes clearer. From moving in time and with co-ordination to carry the explosives to the security door, to driving together. With one driving and the other on the gun, team work is a must to complete the chapter with it becoming more difficult when the lights go out.

With missions like that, where working together is essential, it makes the co-op campaign so much better than others I’ve played. Gears of War also offered the same type of experience, however, Gears of War 2, in this gamer’s opinion, blows it, and every other game, out of the water in this area.

We’ve just finished Act Three, and I can’t wait to see what other missions are ahead, Gears of War 2 doesn’t fail to impress with such enthralling game play.

BEGINNING:

Ninja Gaiden II begins in a plethora of action once you’ve chosen your difficulty level, Acolyte or Warrior (Mentor and Master Ninja levels are unlocked later in the game). Warrior is more for the hardcore players and Acolyte is more of a training ground to begin with but, it isn’t a walk in the park either.

STORYLINE:

The storyline you can imagine, it’s been done before, it’s the ‘ninja story’. Your main mission is to restore the Demon Statue to the safety of the Hayabusa Village. The statue has been under the supervision of the Dragon Blood lineage and it’s your job to get it back. Unfortunately, The Black Spider Clan has other ideas as they aim to use the statue to raise an arch fiend to help them take over the world (or something like that, you know the score). Ryu is the only one that can stop them apparently (with the help of the CIA of course). That’s the jist of the storyline and it doesn’t really matter, a more complex storyline wouldn’t enhance the game, it’s fighting, it’s fun, the storyline is slightly absurd but, it’s easy enough to follow.

CHARACTERS AND GAMEPLAY:

Enemy character design is excellent, better than previous NG games. Each character has a different mode of attack which includes group strategies that blew me away at times (literally if I wasn’t concentrating). The bosses however, I found to be inconsistent in difficultly and none of which really threw me a huge challenge if I’m honest.

The combat is very fluid and fast paced, Ryu still has his signature moves of course and by using the in game ‘stores’ you can level your weapons up nicely and become a more efficient killing machine. There are power attacks/fast attack combinations that can include jumps and a variety of weapons so experimenting is the key, you need to change strategies at times to defeat some enemies by finding their weakness and pouncing on it (with a huge scythe preferably!).

There is a good choice of weapons on offer, some deal out death in an incredibly brutal manner which is great fun. The new weapons include the scythe which is powerful with some awesome swinging combos and the boomerang shuriken which can make charged attacks. All in all I was more than a little excited by the choice of weapons.

My only gripe with the gameplay is that close quarter combat in confined areas can get hectic and at times the camera is frustrating, I hoped the developers would have improved on this from the last game but, it doesn’t spoil the game play too much, it’s just something I hope will be improved next time round.

GRAPHICS AND SOUND:

Graphically, everything that matters looks amazing. Combat looks stunning with blood gushing from wounds and from severed limbs and with sparks trailing from steel on stone encounters, it’s all just a tad mesmerising. The level design is great and looks a lot like Ninja Gaiden Sigma with an increased range and quality of textures. As expected, Ninja Gaiden II is ‘spot on’ graphically.

To compliment the graphics in Ninja Gaiden II the sound effects had to be good and that’s just what they are. There are gory blood splattering sound effects and the sounds of clinking swords and explosions that bring the game right through your speakers and into the room around you.

FINALLY:

There are some problems with the game, some things to complain about. One problem being that the frame rate can be choppy at times, there’s a little slowdown if there is a lot happening on the screen. It isn’t a huge problem but, it can be frustrating when you are face to face with an opponent (or ten) in battle. There are also a few ‘glitches’ throughout the game, I had to reboot my 360 a few times due to freezing or recurring glitches that meant I couldn’t progress in the game. Hopefully those glitches will be patched. My final issue with Ninja Gaiden II is the camera movement which is limited and I had hoped this would have been ‘rectified’ from the last game to this but, it is something I learned to deal with and it didn’t spoil the game.

If you enjoyed other games in the Ninja Gaiden series then you’ll love Ninja Gaiden II. If you’ve never played Ninja Gaiden before then, what’s stopping you, buy Ninja Gaiden II, you might just love it as much as I did!!

SCORE:

As great as the game is I can only really award it a score of 8/10 which is a great score but, it could’ve been better. Roll on Ninja Gaiden III for that 10/10!

Review by: 360Crazy

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If you need to be convinced here are a few reasons why you must buy the Xbox360.

1.    There are games galore for the thirsty. Kameo elements of power, Project Gotam 3, Perfect dark Zero, and many more. All unique, with great effects and gaming wizardry.

2.    The Xbox360 has wireless controllers as well as internet connectivity. The premium pack presents great delights offering freedom of movement and a superb range of over 30 feet. Ergonomically designed the controller has skip wires, tangles and boomerangs.

3.    With an aim to please even the most discerning palate, the Xbox360 has an amazing variety of games. Some are exclusively designed for the box like Condemned, and Dead or Alive. Titles that have been widely acknowledge by expert gamers are: Call of Duty 2, Project Gotham Racing 3, Kameo, King Kong, and Condemned.

4.    Amazing and most welcome is the fact that over 200 Xbox games will be backwardly compatible with the Xbox360.

5.    Xbox 360 brings with it the arcade marketplace. Imagine free games, cheap games, and addictive non-stop games. The possibilities are endless and thrilling.

6.    The Graphics are stupendous and bring to life the games in virtual reality. Xbox360 has three 3.2 GH processors that run with a 500MhzATI graphics processor. Whew—let’s bow to power.

7.    Endless possibilities with the Xbox360. Games, CDs, movies and customized music. It even connects to the Microsoft media center for a complete media sensation. You can let your creativity and innovativeness take wing.

8.    The Xbox 360 is more than an everyday console. It is interactive and you can buy many things like bonus levels, episodic content, gamer specials, and gamer tag images.  You can download demos, and bonus packs from game developers. A live platform with no limits marketplace for developers and publishers.

9.    The Xbox360 is a keeper of records. It creates history. The gamer card becomes your identity with name, image, scores, games you like, and your aims and mottos. This takes online fraternities a step closer to one another.

10.    Fulfils many dreams and fantasies. The games are the best, interesting, mind stimulating, and exciting. The Xbox 360 takes the gaming world forwards and offers options like downloads, online plays, movies, as well as a touch button marketplace for games.

The Xbox360 is a must for serious gamers. It indicates your dedication as a gamer and reflects your tastes and reputation in the cyber gaming universe. Opens up endless possibilities and takes you to the next generation gaming delights.

Those of us of a certain age can remember a time when computer gaming signified all the excitement inherent in a game of Pong, that toe-curlingly breathtaking game where one or two players hit a computerized ball against a computerized wall or between tow, you guessed it, computerized paddles. While those early days of gaming were exciting enough for a generation to whom all this technology was new, today’s gamers are merely bemused by what used to pass for a good time. But then they’re used to so much more, a fact exemplified perfectly by the 2005 pre-Christmas release of Microsoft’s Xbox 360.

Computer gaming has come a long way in the last twenty years. From iconic Atari Pac-man who chomped through a screen of varying two-dimensional foes, gaming today is now barely recognizable as the same species of fun. Today an enormous variety of games include graphics that are startlingly life-life and storylines complex enough to sustain film versions of the same plot, creating a leisure activity so immediate and thrilling that it satisfies the urges of the most dedicated adrenaline junkie.

The Xbox 360 exemplifies all that is possible in today’s gaming world. With powerful graphic and audio capabilities, this console offers a gaming experience that is second to none. And as developments in the world of technology allow functional lines to be easily crossed, the Xbox 360 also offers much more than those old Atari games ever could.

With the release of the Xbox 360, Microsoft also revamped their Xbox live, the service that allows gamers to connect to the Internet and thereby to one another, creating their own personal profile and gaming history and buddy lists that allow communication between fellow gamers. As well as this high quality gaming experience, and the ability to share it with others, the Xbox 360 also acts as a larger media center, allowing users to download movies, music and pictures, on top of playing movies on DVD and music CDs.

With the release of the Xbox 360, many reviewers argue that Microsoft has set a new standard for gaming. And with a variety of functions and an enormous array of games to choose from, there is little doubt that this new standard will not disappoint.

Shane Kim, former Microsoft Game Studios leader turned Microsoft corporate VP of strategy and business development, told me that $199 is the price point where consoles do the most business.

Xbox 360 is some time off from hitting $199, but Kim said they?re on their way. When Microsoft?s console hits that mainstream price point, however, remains unknown ? and Kim wasn?t budging at a lunch today with a bunch of game journalists.

Sure, it might take a while for Xbox 360 to hit $199, but when PlayStation 2 still hovers above $99 with no change in sight, you might not blame them.

The new SKU will ship with a 60GB hard drive included and will sell for $349 USD, or ?179 GBP depending on where you want to buy it.

This new 60GB model will on on sale in the US and Canada early this coming August and will phase out the current 20GB model, production of which is now ceasing. The 20GB model will be reduced to $299 USD (?151 GBP) to help shift boxes while stocks last.

Microsoft will be bundling the new 60GB model with a wireless gamepad, a wired headset and a one-month subscription to xbox Live. The new 60GB model will also ship with an HDMI port.

“We know consumers need more and more space to store the amazing digital content Xbox 360 offers, and we’re giving it to them at no extra charge,” said Microsoft’s Albert Penello, Xbox director of product management.

“No one device offers the depth and breadth of entertainment that Xbox 360 can deliver, and now you’ll have three times the storage to manage all that great content.”

Shipping dates for the new model in Europe are yet to be announced, but Microsoft is expected to offer details in a press conference at E3 later today.

Beijing 2008 game was released to give the fans of the Olympic Games the opportunity to feel the thrill of the competition by letting them compete virtually against other gamers all over the world by means of its online functionality in the three platforms.

The Xbox 360 version of Unreal Tournament 3 was released on July 7, 2008.