The Blog for the Sports Gamer

Some observations about Tiger Woods 2006 (PC):

- Without realizing it, I wasted more than an hour just trying to create my golfer using the Game Face feature. I skipped TW last year, but there are more options now than there were for 2004 when the feature debuted. It’s almost overwhelming in that you can specify the degree of facial blemishes, lines, scars, etc. The only thing I couldn’t tweak to my liking was my player’s eyes. There’s a very soft look to the actual irises (almost anime-ish) that I don’t care for. Not that it matters one bit. It’s just that there’s really nothing left to say about Game Face because you have such a sick degree of control over everything else.

- I think if EA is going to have, I don’t know, about a billion different pieces of apparel and equipment for your golfer then they should at least let you sort it more than one way. I actually found it frustrating to try and choose a new iron set and golf glove, for example because I couldn’t sort them based on price. Again, not a biggie. It’s just something that gets in the way of getting your stroker ready for the links.

- Advanced mode, using the vertical True Swing, is sickly difficult using an amatuer golfer. I haven’t tried a pro yet, but my poor schlep has a rough go of it just trying to hit for 200 yards with a driver off a tee. And god help me should I have to clear a hill. It’s all over at that point. The nice thing is, I actually mean that as something of a complement. They may have gone a touch too far with making an amatuer golfer suck rocks, but it’s a refreshing change from 2004 where a low-skilled golfer could pretty much hit every fairway at will. The number of times the swing meter has told me I not only didn’t hit a ball pure but flat out toed or heeled the sucker occurred more over the course of 36 holes last night than in all three prior editions that I’ve played combined.

- Putting has me flummexed. I hit short when I think I’m putting right on, I’ll hit long when I think I’m using a fair degree of touch. I’ve never quite struggled this much with it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad putting is finally a challenge, but I thought I had read that greens were supposed to be easier to read this year and as far as I can tell the grid and green shading are pretty close to the same as they’ve always been. In any case, I think I five-putt three holes last night because I’d get so frustrated after two consecutive bad puts that I’d just start smacking the ball around like I was at putt-putt. Come to think of it, this makes it a much more authentic experience for me than in prevoius versions.

- Hitting from the rough or a slope has a *huge* impact on your ability to hit a quality shot. This combined with the increased difficulty of hittng fairways with regularity really all combines to successfully add to the difficulty in this game.

As a whole I think this is a phenomenally improved game. The question is whether or not the degree of difficulty slopes downward too much if you play with a skilled golfer rather than an untrained hack. If you can just stick it out, max out your attributes and then start sinking birdies every hole then I think that’s a problem. But I’ll worry about that point when and if I get to it. For now I’m having a blast with this game.

Onto the Tour mode. Again, I don’t know what EA/Headgate did with the Tour mode in the 2005 version, but I was supremely underwhelmed with the 2004 version. In that one they did away with a true calendar and instead made the amatuer tour like a series of challenges that you could pick from a list, play and replay until you’d racked up enough attribute points to play in more advanced competition and eventually qualify for the PGA Tour. I never even made it to the PGA portion after getting too bored to continue with it.

This year, the calendar -mercifully- is back. But I think EA/Headgate made a rather bizarre choice in having your golfer start out as a completely raw “hack” that hasn’t even qualified for amatuer competion. Basically, I’m to believe that my 24-year old golfer is stepping onto the course for virtually the first time and will, within a year or so make it to the amatuer tour and then the PGA? Not to put too fine a point on it, but what were they thinking?

I like the idea of having to build up your golfer and earn your stripes. I like the idea of having to first qualify to reach the PGA Tour. But there’s a line. I don’t think it’s really good gameplay to have your golfing career start from the beginning of time. And if you’re going to go that route, why not at least be marginally plausible with it by making your golfer no older than a high school kid with high school (and later, college) competition. Yeah, that’s a route that’s rife with pitfalls too, but this whole hacking around the golf course with my “buddies” eventually leading me to the PGA tour just doesn’t have a toe-hold on reality. (At least in my opinion.) Regardless, I’ll stick with it and hope that advancement comes a little faster than it seems to have after four 9-hole “hack” rounds last night.

I do, however, love that they have finally separated experience from earnings. In the past you made money from tourneys and could use it to improve your golfer or buy new stuff for him. This year that money can still be used to buy training to learn new kinds of shot, but improving as a golfer is dependent on accumulating experience. Each of the four hack competitions in which I competed last night, for example, netted me about 1,000 experience points (based partially on performance, I believe). Those points are what you use to improve your golfer’s abilities, which consist of the usual chipping, driving, shot mastery, putting, etc. At one point I hit a 20-foot putt (ironic given that I’d been missing six foot putts with alarming regularity) and got an automatic 2-point bonus to my putting ability. Frankly, I think that’s better than dolling out experience points because your increase in skills is based on something you actually did rather than just using points instead of dollars to buy them up. Regardless, either method is preferable to the old way of buying up your points with cash earnings. That was just silly.

There’s a ton more I could get into as Tiger Woods 2006 is an incredibly deep game this year, but this is probably more than enough for now. At this point there are certainly things to quibble with, but based on a first impression this is by far the best version of Tiger Woods to date.

(By the way, is there a way to set this thing so you don’t have to watch AI golfers in your party actually hit there shots? I know you can skip to thend once they hit each shot, but I’d rather not even have to seem them swing. Takes too damn long.)

Well I was up last night until 3am playing Blitz. I played 7 games. I won 3 games. Washington, led by Michael Vick’s alter ego Ron Mexico, is definitely the hardest team to play against.

Each team does play differently, and I like that a lot. I still don’t feel as though the game hits me with NFL Blitz cheat logic..all of it seems legit. Even when the other team goes into their special bullet time mode, it doesn’t feel like say NFL Street where it’s blatant.

I can say–bet early and often on the games — especially if you’re the underdog and you’re not playing Washington.

I’m trying to hook up with Steve Noah from OpSports to try an online game. Even though it’s not really Xbox Live, I just want to bitch slap Steve and prove he’s a little girl. LOL

I’m still finishing up my trek through Fable: The Lost Chapters, but I did get to play some NBA 2K6 last night and um…wow.

Based on a 1 hour impression, this game is really, really good. Thing is, I have never been a huge fan of this series but this version plays like a totally different game. Much more to come as I get some other work done. (Breeders Cup stuff is coming guys, promise.)

I received Blitz: The League for Xbox and PS2 today. The disc says “Preview” and therefore may or may not be close to final. There was no embargo or known issues in the package, and until I’m told otherwise I’m going to write things up here as I go through the game.

Tonight I started a campaign mode. First you are given the storyline: your team has been relegated to Division 3, right after your QB’s thumb was broken after a defender snapped it off his helmet (the thumb was caught in the helmet). Pretty! Anyway, you are then shown a video of the owner cleaning house and talking to the mayor. The deal is: win the championship and get the bonding issue passed. Lose and the mayor gets money in her re-election campaign.

After the video, you are then asked the city/location that you wish to play. I chose New England (duh). Although the location isn’t editable, the team name is. You then choose a logo and that is from a set of logos. You can edit the colors, etc of the logo. You then edit your players uniforms, helmets, socks and so forth.

You choose one of 3 stadiums to play in. You then choose a coach, an offensive coordinator, a defensive coordinator, a doctor and cheerleaders(!). Each position gives you 3 choices.

You then pick your players. You then select what to train those players on. Not everyone can use the same machines, so train wisely. You then decide whether to get the players on performance enhancing drugs. Of course, the more potent the drug, the more it costs and the more susceptible to injury the player is.

Once you’ve done all that, you then play your game. You find out what the spread is for the game and then you make your wager. You are shown an intro movie going over the team you’re playing’s strengths and weaknesses. As the game loads you’ll have various screens of information — league history — helpful gameplay tips, etc…just like Blitz of yore..

Lots of swearing in the game (more realistic of course). Graphics are very smooth and most camera work is at ground level although you can customize the cameras. This is one game where ‘gamebreaker’ should be used — but it’s not called that. You fill that meter up and then it really gets violent. As you play the game, and the hits get rougher, you can start up a fight. If you win the fight, you get extra dirty play tokens…

The game isn’t all about fighting and it’s more football that WWE title. I will say, having played Blitz in some way since 1998, it’s a little odd to use actual football strategy in the game (ie calling time outs, going for field goals, punting). Playing 2 minute quarters I lose 38-34. Ugh.

The game play was fast. You have to make decisions quickly — especially with the camera lower than in say Madden. Right thumbstick does ‘evasive’ actions like juke. A button gives you a stiff arm if need be.

I saw quite a few fumbles and INTs in my first game, but my team in week 1 are a bunch of losers and that’s to be expected. It didnt’ feel like it was NFL Blitz Cheat in full effect — it felt like I fumbled becuase my guy sucked. The ‘clash’ mode (aka bullet time) is a very interesting feature. You don’t play the whole game with it (you are limited) but when it’s on, you can see running holes much better and evade leaping defenders.

There seem to be quite a few options in the game. you still have ‘messages’ from your coaches and owner, but instead of the Madden like crap you actually get information, such as “we’ve found a new drug available to give our players”

The kickoffs are made using a game of simon says — instead of using a kick meter you’ll have to hit buttons as they show up on screen — so you’ll see “X” and you have a limited amount of time to press X. If you do press X, you fill up the meter a little way. If you don’t press x, your kick won’t travel as far. The bar is usually 4-5 button presses. It’s a unique way to do the meter. So far, I’ve always hit 100%. I’ve hit FGs around 40 yards. I haven’t tired a Blitz 60+ yarder yet.

Again these are HUGELY early impressions of the game. So far it is fun, challenging and there seems to be a decent story intertwined. Apparently you have to be signed into Xbox Live in order to save your team (you can play as your custom team online) but in the beta mode, I cannot test this (there is no Xbox live on beta — it’s called something else, and my experience is that it’s not like XBL anyway).

I’ll keep playing. If you have any specific Q’s put them in the forum. Please note I will not answer OpSports like questions (ie: Can you write down the name of every city, roster name and whether or not they are black or white or hispanic and if they have the shoulder pads that they use with the Dallas team. Nor will I answer is East ButtFuck, Montana in the game because I did it with a girl there. Finally I will not answer Can you give me the dislocation rating for Quentin Stront, the imaginary linebacker for the ShreveportStorm?)

The good thing about having a wife who used to at Suncoast and liked that small plastic card in her wallet a little too much on some days is that we have about a dozen DVDs or so still in the shrink wrap. SoI rounded up a few and headed to Wal Mart today. Goodbye Day After Tomorrow and First Daughter, hello Tiger Woods 2006 (PC Version). Now that’s a trade I think anyone would make, eh?

I’ve got a ton of TiVo catchup to do, but I hope to squeeze in a few rounds tonight and get some impressions up tomorrow. I’m very excited to finally have something new to put my new graphics card through its paces (see the the “sidebar”).

Sidebar: When we got our direct view HDTV in August I wanted to hook up our small form factor PC to it, but Windows looks like hell when run through S-Video. I did some digging and it turns out ATI has a VGA to component adapter that works with their All-in-Wonder 9600 series, which just happened to be what I used in my primary PC so I moved that there. I was going to put my old GeForce Ti4200 in our main PC, but it turns out the card gave up the ghost at some point while sitting in a box I keep full of cables and old PC hardware. Since you can’t run a PC w/o a graphics card I managed to score a GeForce 6800 from NewEgg for $150. I know, I might have done better to spend a bit more on a Radeon X700/800 (or whatever), but frankly, I had nothing but driver hell with the AiW9600 and $150 was really the very most I could spend so I’ll take my chances with the 6800. (This is also why my gaming budget has been zero for the month of September.)

Speaking of all things Tiger. The Detroit Tigers did pretty much the opposite of what I’d hoped they do this season and actually did quite a bit worse than I thought would be a worst case scenario of a near .500 season. Instead they’re around a dozen games under after one of the most horrific September swoons I’ve seen. Two eight game losing streaks in one month? Ack!

To be fair, injuries have really taken their toll on this team, but I think the consensus is they still underperformed (badly). And it appears that Alan Trammell is going to get the boot at some point in the not so distant future. While I’ll understand if he gets the axe, I don’t really count myself among the fans who are eager to see him gone. The guy got sucked into managing a club in 2003 that would struggle to win in AAA and the team did improve by about 20 games last year. Unfortunately, the way the Detroit beat writers talk about it, most of the players have really tuned him out at this point and if that’s true then I’m not sure what else can be done but to bring in someone else. It’s disappointing though, as I think any true Tiger fan really wants to see The Tram (and his coaching staff of ’84 heroes) make this thing work. Ah well. Fans of the punchless kittens will just have to wait and hope that 2006 brings better results.

ps – Ted, if you’re reading, sorry I wan’t on Live on Sunday. I fell asleep on the couch within about 15 minutes of The West Wing ending.

While Billy Boy is talking about NBA or whatever, I have something a little more interesting. I had a dentist appointment today and when I went home to brush my teeth, FedEx was blocking my driveway.

I waited for him to leave, and noticed the package was from Midway. It was either Arcade Treasures 3…or…wait for it…..Blitz The League!

Yeah, it was Blitz. I had to sneak in a game before I go back to work. I am getting my ass kicked, 21-0 at the half. I have zero idea of the controls — the kick meter is like a game of Simon. Their version of bullet time has potential….this is a ‘preview’ version of the game. I’ve already seen the QB hobbled but not out of the game.

Gotta go back to work, but it has potential. I have seen 2 INTs in the end zone. Passing is tough so far. Running is tougher! I wish i could play more!!!

EDIT:
Update — OMG! I just scored my first TD with 0:20 left in the 4th. I went to get the 2 pt conversion but screwed that up. My meter was full so on the onside kick I invoked the ‘unleashed’ mode…boom…separated the guys shoulder…(lovely graphic display too). Guy gets on the bench and the team decides to shoot him up so that he’s only out for 3 plays. You won’t see that in Madden!

As I enter book crunch mode, what appears on my doorstep other than the Xbox Breeders’ Cup game. Shit. With my plate full I’ll have to squeeze in some race time in between quests in Fable the Lost Chapters and book essays on the Game Boy Micro and Ultimate Spider-Man.

Impressions coming soon from Dan and Todd!

Ok actually I have no idea if they even have the game. I don’t have the game — yet. As you can see by my work list —–>

I have a lot to do. NBA 2K6 will get court time, as will NBA Live (PC) but they are on hold while I whip through some other games and hit the home stretch of the book.

I’m a little behind on my TiVo viewing so I only just watched the first two episodes of the CBS’s version of alien invasions, Threshold. It’s early to pass judgement on the series as a whole, but at this point I am certain of at least a couple of things:

1. It is way -way- better thanABC’s Invasion.
2. It’s very reminiscent of the movie Sphere (based on the Michael Crichton novel)
3. It’s about time Brent Spiner is back on TV.
4. That kidnapper guy from Lost is officially type cast as a psychopath.
5. This show has offically scared the ever lovin’ shit out of me.

Yes, I know. I’m a collassal wuss. But I’ve been sitting in the dark the past three hours, the kids are to bed and my wife is zonked out on the couch. At one point the lights flickered when the fractal signal was on screen. Despite having the nerves of puddy at that point I am proud of myself for not screaming like a school girl. I will however be sleeping with at least one light on tonight and if one of the kids wakes up screaming before dawn I’m not going in there without protection.

I’m sure Steeler fans will love this oopsie. I just played it back on my TiVo and voila, 52 seconds magically appear. Hmmm what could you do in 52 seconds with Tom Brady as your QB…hmmmm…..

Oh well, sucks to be you. As an Orioles fan, I still think about 1979. This is just a small victory. Well not really because 1979 was legitimate…oh well I digress.

I went in to the 2005 Browns season with the expectation of a 4 to 6 win season. I think that was the general consensus. The Browns were, yet again, in rebuilding mode under a new coach.

After 3 games and a 1-2 record I am very pleased with how the team has played. As a die hard fan, 1-2 still sucks, but winning @ Green bay (somewthing Cleveland has never done) and losing to argubly the best team in the league (on paper, anyway) 13-6 on the road, well, that’s not all that bad.

In three games the Browns have had THREE touchdowns called back on penalties. Against the Bengals, both an INT and a punt return were called back (in a 27-13 loss) and yesterday Northcutt took yet another punt back for a TD and it was called back on a truly phantom block in the back call. Refs never lose a game for a team, I don’t believe that, but that call hurt.

The Browns offense is not bad. I know 6 points is 6 points but Trent Dilfer is playing his ass off. After 3 games he has a 95.1 QB rating. The receivers are solid (Bryant and Edwards are both very, very good) and Rueben Droughns is a player, plain and simple.

Going into the season I thought the Browns had more holes than over processed swiss cheese. Now? Well, maybe it isn’t as bad as I thought. You give the Browns a good rush end, a playmaking linebacker, a good nose guard, and a better free safety and they would be right in the thick of things. That sounds like a lot, but remember that before the year started I thought we had a LOT more issues than that.

The defense is going to continue to be the the problem with this team, despite only giving up 13 to Indy — Cleveland has ZERO pass rush and when you don’t have the cover corners who can lock down, a lack of a pass rush will eventually kill you. When your Dline consists of Alvin McKinley (a caeer backup) Orpheus Roye (better suited as a DT), and an anonynmous nose guard (Jason Fisk) you are going to be in trouble when running a 3-4 defense. If the nose guard cannot control the middle — game over. Every great 3-4 defense has to have a NT that can take on blocks because he gets doubled nearly every play.

I still see the Browns winning around 6 games. But I think the losses are going to be more competitive than previously expected.

Well today, I started Furburger instead of Culpepper. Of course so far Culpepper is 200 for 200 with 3,000 yds passing and 23 TDs. This is my fantasy season. I’m going to start the scotch early.

On the bright side, maybe furburger will suck and the pats will win .

Boy did OSU need a game like this. Just how lopsided was the 31-6 win over Iowa today? It was so bad that the score does not reflect how much OSU dominated this game.

Total Yards
OSU: 531
Iowa: 136

Rushing
OSU: 313
Iowa: -9

OSU fumbled twice inside the 10 yard line, and had a Ted Ginn PR called back for an illegal block. This could have been much, much worse.

I don’t care how bad Louisville beats South Florida — Ohio State has to leap them again after beating a ranked team to a pulp like that. We’ll see.

Oh, and please, Cleveland — PLEASE.

DRAFT A.J. HAWK.

Here’s a great joke I keep telling my friends, pissing them off:
Q. What’s the difference between the Red Sox and Orioles on Monday, October 3rd?
A. Nothing. They are both sitting at home getting ready to watch the playoffs on TV.

Seroiusly, I kill with that. I’m watching the O’s – Sox right now. They just showed Brian Roberts breaking his elbow (which I saw already). It’s very Theismann-esque. Ugh. What a clusterfrick of a team.

Anyone hear that Raffy is saying Tejada gave him the steroids? Damn, talk about a dysfunctional baseball team. They are starting to remind me of the 1986 Patriots, with the exception that the Patriots won some games….

I’ve been playing a lot of Burnout on PSP and NHL2K6 on Xbox. Just so you know.

Since Bill started a thread, I need to post what my Shitty-No-Where-Near-The-Quality-Of-TiVo-DVR-but-at-least-it-records-HD box has set up to record:

Monday: Arrested Development, How I Met Your Mother (Doogie!), Two And A Half Men, Prison Break, 24 (when it comes back)
Tuesday: House, My Name Is Earl, The Office (come on…Tight Ass award? That ruled).
Wednesday: Lost, Alias
Thursday: Joey (It was actually pretty funny, really!)
Friday: Yeah, right.
Saturday: AHHAHAHA OMG You watch TV on Saturday
Sunday: Rome, Desperate Housewives, Extras, Curb Your Enthusiasm
Every Day: Daily Show, Dave Letterman
Occassionally: Lust At Sea: Ship Sluts, Sex Hungry Co-eds Double Feature. (Just kidding. Really. They are PPV. People actually pay for porn? OMG).

I’m watching Prison Break, but I don’t know why. I don’t like it. Love Rome. How I met Your Mother has potential. Arrested Development is just freaking awesome. You have to watch a show 23 times just to get all the jokes. Dave is now in HD, which rules. I tried watching Martha’s Apprentice. OMG that sucked. Those reality shows all blow, save for American Idol.

Discuss.

So I am doing book research this afternoon on a game called Saint’s Row, an Xbox 360 GTA clone of sorts from THQ. I stumbled across the IGN forum for the game. This thread asks: Since the character is fully customizable, what will you look like?

Fair question. In doing the research and seeing the game briefly at E3, you really can customize your look. Some of the replies, though…wow. The best has to be from a dude named DEESIEL. I’d paste it but…no, I better not.