Battlefield 4 Screens!

So some images have leaked online of EAs newest Battlefield game. This is ahead of a major reveal scheduled in San Francisco later on tonight. Word is that one of their servers were hacked which is bad, but we have these 3 screenshots to show which is good! They look like they might be from a single player element of the game...

Flashback Friday - Super Mario Bros

One of my fondest memories that I haven't lost is Christmas when I was 5 years old. Dad asked my brother and I to go help out in the kitchen where mum was making breakfast. As we helped mum set the breakfast table we heard something go "Ding!" My brother and I rushed into the living room to see that Santa had brought us a Nintendo Entertainment System, and he was nice enough to set it up. This was the day I discovered video games, the day I became a nerd. So what was the first game we got? Ninja Turtles, but then we also got this unknown game called "Super Mario bros..." Welcome to flashback Friday readers.

Super Mario Bros was a game that was built purely for gameplay. It is a side scrolling platformer where your objective is to collect as many coins as possible and reach the end of the level within 300 seconds. Along the way you will fight Goombas, Flying turtles and an annoying cloud that throws spiny enemies at you. Apart from the latter, you defeat enemies by jumping on them and to assist you you can also get some out-there power ups such as a mushroom that makes you big and a flower that allows you to shoot fireballs.

The game features about 8 different colors yet the sprites are vibrant and well drawn. The levels are designed well while some are easy and others, particularly the underwater ones, push you to your limits as you dodge cheep-cheep fish and avoid currents that pull you into the abyss. The game features a two player mode where players take it in turns finishing the levels as Mario and Luigi.

This game delivers the fondest memories for this old gamer and it paved the way for many modern franchises we see today. It's available on the 3ds and Wii/Wii U eShop and if you own one of these consoles is an essential purchase.

So What's It Like?
Since it was the original I'll compare it to something it inspired, Take Sonic the Hedgehog + 2d Platforming = Super Mario Bros.
I Give it 9/10.

-Sarge

Nerd Vs Wild - Better than Expected

First stop, Woombah Woods. Woombah Woods is a small caravan park and camping ground just off the Pacific Highway near Iluka. I remember camping with my parents when I was younger at Woody Head near Iluka, great fishing and right on the beach it had everything! As a child it was my favorite camping spot. I remember educating my parent’s circle of friends on the lunchtime economy. What’s the lunchtime economy you ask? Well it takes a while to explain but I got a whole book so what the hell.

The Lunchtime Economy: A system derived in the schooling years of my life, born from the desperation of refusing to eat another Vegemite sandwich. Do you have kids? If so I want you to keep this in mind. Say you send your kids to school with a sandwich, that’s worth next to nothing on the lunchtime economy. What are high value goods? Cans of soft drink, tiny teddies, tim tams and the ever so elusive Space food sticks. Low ranking goods are Fruit, Sandwiches and anything remotely healthy. So how it works is like this… If you are sent to school with a can of soft drink, that’s a free pass to trade for anything, including high value items. I remember I once traded a can of cola for 2 packets of tiny teddies and a roll up. Those were the days when the economy was good. Then came the devastating Health kick credit crunch… Kids were sent to school with healthy foods such as muesli bars and apples. Suddenly kids couldn’t get tiny teddies for a banana or *shudder* tofu roll. Devastating times. It was tough but we managed to pull through.

So back to the trip. Anyways we pull in to Woombah Woods and it was nothing like we expected. Now don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad place it’s just there is nothing nearby… except the highway. The beach is a solid ten minutes’ drive away and our spot is in between 2 rows of permanent residents. The 4WD pulls into the park and we see the guy running the show, “park it anywhere” he says, “plenty of room here!” He’s right, there are only 2 other populated sites out of about 15. “Should we pay now?” my wife asks. Old mate points up the road, “When the missus gets back.” I flash back to our phone call which went something like this…
“Hi, it’s Joshua Hawthorn, just wanted to confirm our booking for the 16^th?” *long pause* (I’m guessing he was pointing up the road) “I’ll have to get the missus to call you back.”
Back in the present I give him a knowing nod. I know what it’s like to be the assistant manager in a marriage… I know.

I’m guessing fate decided to laugh in my face because as soon as we moved the van onto the site, or in-between two sites (I’m still not sure, plenty of room here) its starts to belt down rain. No big deal Court and I say, and we decide to charge out and set this caravan up like the experts we are! First step, unhitching the van. Yep, we got stuck right here, turns out there’s plenty of space here but we decided to park on the only uneven terrain in the entire park. After about 10 minutes I manage to unhook the van and we start unpacking. “Court you go inside and I’ll unpack things outside.” I say. Then I hear a loud tearing type noise which turns out was the caravan’s idea of adding a new window. I look at the 45cm gash in the side of the canvas and laugh, at least the wheels didn’t fall off (Right here I’m not trying to be humorous; I am actually quite surprised the wheels didn’t fall off.) After about 30 minutes of monsoon rain and hitting my head on pretty much everything I possibly could, we had the van set up and it was time for lunch.

If there’s one thing I love more than space food sticks in my lunch its Tuna sandwiches. Not being the guy who parks in the same spot and eats the same thing at a restaurant I have a particular way of making what I like to call, my “Sammiches.” I drain the excess water out of the tins, then divide the tin up as if I’m drawing a tic tac toe, butter my bread and then spread the tuna. So I do this as I always do, make a coffee and eat my “sammich” pouring the salty water from the tins down the drain. We do the dishes and empty the sink. Turns out, the sink hose isn’t attached so we ended up effectively pouring tuna and dishwater all over our clothes. Believe it or not, I Still think things went better than expected!

So there you have it! Finally on the road and already wanting to go home. Next stop is Pelican Park! Stay tuned for the next adventure of Nerd Vs Wild!

The Computer Medic - Essentials

The Computer Medic Part 1 - Essential Programs

There have been so many time a relative or friend or friend of a relative for that matter have called me asking for help in regards to a computer problem. Moat problems are easily fixed but unfortunately some people in the industry see you coming a mile away and next thing you know, you end up paying a small fortune to get it fixed.

This is where I come in. You see before I became a kick ass Sarge type guy, I fixed computers for a living. In this 3 part guide I will tell you exactly what you need to know to not only protect your computer, but fix problems quickly and easily.

The first thing you should get is an anti-virus program. There's no need to pay hundreds of dollars as one of the best anti-virus programs on the market is Avast!Free antivirus.

To make things easier for you here's a download link... 

http://download.cnet.com/Avast-Free-Antivirus/3000-2239_4-10019223.html

Avast automatically updates its definitions daily for free and runs in "Silent mode" allowing you to go about your business without the slowdown or interruptions of other anti-virus programs.

Next for when the crap hits the fan you need Malwarebytes Anti-Malware. This program removes malicious programs such as keyloggers and email spammers.

Download from here..

http://www.malwarebytes.org/lp/malware_lp_form/

This program only needs to be run once a fortnight just to be sure your computer is clean and free of malware.

Last but not least is another free download called "Spybot S&D." This handy application scans and removes spyware left on your system from everyday web browsing. 

Free download link here... 

http://www.safer-networking.org/mirrors16/

This program should be run before you run Malwarebytes Anti Malware once a week.

Ok guys so get these programs and be protected! If you already have an Anti-virus program feel free to stick with it. If you wish to replace it however, make sure you uninstall the old program before installing Avast.

Stay tuned to our site for the next Computer Medic where we instruct you on how to remove viruses after installing all these programs. Even the toughest viruses can be removed easily. 

-Sarge (The Computer Medic)

Nerd Vs Wild Part 6 - D-Day -1

6. D-day - 1

It was the eve of our trip. I had only been out of hospital for about a week and still wasn't feeling my best but we had work to do. A sane couple would have postponed the trip, but we weren't entirely sane... The gas bottles were filled, the batteries charged and the fuel tank was full. Only one thing remained... Just where in the hell were we going? I siggest to Courtenay we head to Woody Head near Illuka, It's only 3 hours away so we could see how well Ruby travelled and how well our car towed the van. I was nervous but I knew I had Courtenay by my side. Now, you may think “How romantic” or “That's lovely he's confident in his wife” but I think we were both filled with the kind of courage you have when you drink alcohol. A crazy sense of courage. We sat under the carport with our van up, It was as ready as it was going to be. We drank coffee and tea while sharing camping war stories with our parents and neighbors. Tomorrow our adventure would begin.

So there you go. Last day at home. Tomorrow we hit the road! Will it be smooth sailing? I'll save you the suspense... it was a disaster! Stay tuned to find out what happened on the next Nerd VS Wild!

You Can Review Games for What's it Like!

Ever wanted to be a games reviewer? Yes? SAME! Well now you can! Submit your Review, or topic you want to talk about to 308.ps3@gmail.com

Not confident writing? Don't be! Below is a guide that you don't have to follow, but may help some people when it comes to writing. Also if you have any thoughts or questions I would be more than happy to help you write an article. Everyone has a story or opinion to share so share it!

Firstly, You need to introduce the game. What's its title? Who makes it? Is it a sequel? Does it open strong? What's the story? Game type (Action, FPS, RPG?)

Then you want to cover the graphics. Graphics don't just mean what it looks like. It includes... Are the levels designed well? Are the characters interesting? Is it an immersive setting? Are the weapons and enemies fun to fight?

Then we cover the gameplay. This includes things like puzzles, controls, combat, and variety. Are there many different enemies or obstacles to overcome? Does the game get repetitive? Is it fun and exciting? Does the game play well?

If the game has multiplayer, talk about that. Does it vary from single player? Does it have Co-op play? Is it online only? Does it have split screen? Can you rank up? Is it balanced?

Then we cover the sound and music. Are sounds clear and crisp pulling you into the game world? Does the music help set the scene? Are the ambient background noises well done?

Then you should close your article with a well thought out conclusion summarizing the review.

Scoring. What do you give it out of ten? Also we like to include our "What's it like?" where we compare it to similar games of the genre.

So thats it. You can review new or old games and if you don't want to review, why not send us a topic of discussion?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on gaming!

-Sarge

Battlefield 4 Teaser Released

Just when I thought I was done for the night we continue with all things Battlefield! EA have just dropped a Battlefield 4 teaser trailer! Check it out here...

So there's not much to go on but I can make out some tank treads and that's about it. The date in the video is for when the full trailer drops on March 27th!

End of an Era for Battlefield 3?

This week saw the release of the final expansion for Battlefield 3 titled "End Game" and what a way to celebrate this fantastic game. Recently I posted a report from the field describing the changes Battlefield has gone through to make it the game it is today. With End Game, players are treated to fast and frantic dirt bike combat and full on aerial combat once again pushing the game to it's limits and further increasing its playability.

So is this the end of an era? Well yes and no. It's sad we won't be seeing any further expansions for BF3 but at the same time the franchise will only grow from here. Back in the early days of Battlefield, the theater of war was set in WWII. It featured a few expansions that added new vehicles and weapons in the game and paved the way for Battlefield Vietnam. Vietnam learned from BF1 and added faster gameplay and better ways to fight your enemy. Battlefield 2 saw its entry into the modern combat era, it featured several expansions which added new maps and vehicles.

Enter Battlefield 3. An ambitious title that combined only the best of the previous series, adding high definition graphics that pushed current hardware to its limits and sought to win over the Call of Duty crowd. In the modern day of DLC, EA and Dice weren't happy with simply adding maps, they were after the game changer. Gamers were taken back to the glory days in Back to Karkand. We fought on our favorite fields of battle from Battlefield 2. We stormed desert strongholds and patrolled war torn cities. We were introduced to Close Combat, a mode that featured incredibly detailed destruction as players fought through office blocks and construction sites. Then once we had mastered close combat tactics we were thrust into the world of Armored Warfare in Armored Kill. Suddenly, we were more strategic, going for air support sites while letting less important flags be captured. Armor support was the key to victory but soldiers weren't forgotten. Then when the dust settled, we fought in the ruins of Aftermath, scrounging for weapons in an earthquake ravaged city. Guerrilla tactics were used as we sought to claim these ruins for our team.

Now we have End Game. Finally we have more than two jets on our side and the Battlefield has changed once more. Combat is faster and in turn, we have to fight better to keep the edge over our opponents. The best thing about all this? Everything EA and Dice have learned will be featured in Battlefield 4. We will have to fight harder and smarter as the game evolves while we play. So is it the end of the Battlefield Era? No comrades, the war has just begun...

-Sarge

Simcity Gamers Rejoice!

So it's no secret that Maxis and EA's Simcity had a rocky launch, which is a shame because it's a fantastic franchise. But EA have decided to compensate gamers who had to deal with a few teething issues with the always on connection DRM by giving gamers the choice of the following titles.

Battlefield 3
Bejeweled 3
Dead Space
Mass Effect 3
Medal of Honor Warfighter
Need For Speed Most Wanted
Plants vs. Zombies
SimCity 4 Deluxe Edition

So there you have it, a lot of quality titles on offer here. Most companies just say sorry for the bad launch and leave you on your merry way, EA says sorry with games. And that's the best way to say sorry!

-Sarge

Nerd VS Wild 5 - The Silly Brain

5. The Silly Brain

Alright so I have 3 days left of work and a lot of tidying up to do. My store that I’m running is a mess from the big Christmas rush and I’m finding it hard to catch up since sales are still going great. My boss thinks I’m just being lazy and there’s no convincing him I’m not. “That’s the thing about me” I say, “you can have great sales or a tidy store, but you can’t have both.” He then informs me that the state manager is going to visit and I’m also missing about $15k worth of bank deposits… Thanks mate.

So I get to the bank to investigate the missing deposits and the Teller informs me in a voice that suggests she thinks I’m a 4 year old child. “I’m sorry but we can’t tell you that information sir.” She tilts her head as if I asked her a really tricky question. Now as I said I usually avoid confrontation but I didn’t have time to stuff around. I put on my game face and said “Ma’am, here’s the deal, my wife and I are packing up and pissing off in 3 days. $15k is missing. It’s really important I don’t get arrested for suspected theft… Throw me a bone.” The teller tilted her head back to a level position,
“I’ll see what I can do.”

Finally after about an hour of buggering about at the bank, I get back to my store to phone our banking department. “Hey mate it’s Sarge from Robina. I talked to the bank and they are looking into it. I clearly remember making those deposits personally 2 days ago.” The banking tech types away on his computer and then informs me that they found the deposits in the system about 5 minutes after they informed my boss. I just hung up the phone in frustration, in shock and awe about the breakdown of communication. The rest of the day was uneventful, selling a few games, tidying up what I could. Then it was home time.

So this is where the fun began. I had just finished eating dinner and went to take my plate to the kitchen (which is unusual in itself) and something just popped in my head. Not an idea, but something literally popped in the back of my skull! The room started spinning and for some reason all I could think about was splashing water on my face. Courtenay and my parents were trying to hold me still but I pushed them away and made it to the bathroom and got some water only to collapse again.

So I have this history of high blood pressure and I think it finally caught up on me. Usual readings can be in the vicinity of 190/100 when the average person is at about 140/70. Court rushes me to the after-hours doctor who then informs me I have to go to hospital urgently. We rock up to the emergency department and the nurse looks over my vitals with wide eyed horror. “We better rush you through love!” she says to me, followed by the words no-one wants to hear “We suspect you have a bleed on the brain.” So by now it’s 8pm on the Tuesday night, and when the nurse said they would rush me through, that meant they would take forever while I decided whether to have a stroke or not. Now before you think I’m having a whinge about the staff, I have to say that the people of Gold Coast hospital are among the best, but they aren’t given the resources they need to be able to do their jobs to the best of their ability. So I was rushed through a series of exams and x-rays and got a bed at 6am on the Wednesday morning.

Playing Nintendo in hospital. Win!

Something the nurses do in the neuro ward is they have to ask you questions to make sure you don’t have brain damage. I hadn’t slept for going on 48hrs and this bubbly nurse comes in and asks me if I knew where I was. “Gold coast Hospital.” I reply. She then asks,
“Do you know who the prime minister of Australia is?”
“Lady, I know, and I’m not happy about it.” I joke. She informs me that that is an acceptable answer and so is “Julia Gillard or Ronald McDonald.” I instantly like this one.

Another test they do is they get you to stand up and ask you to push or pull on them to check your motor function. A new nurse walks in who looks about 12 years old and asks me to stand up. Legs still like jelly, I rise to my feet towering over her. She puts her arms out to catch me if I fall and I tell her, “I’m 115kg, if I fall you won’t be able to catch me so I suggest just letting me hit the deck.” She laughed assuming I was attempting humour even though I was serious.

The most memorable experience of my hospital stay? The MRI. Now I’m no expert on medical equipment but the MRI is designed to be the most uncomfortable experience ever. A male nurse picks me up in a wheelchair to take me down for an MRI. “Have you had one before?” he asks.
“Can’t say I have.” I reply nervously.
“Well,” he says “You’re in for a treat!” and he continues to wheel me down to the MRI department. When we get there, I see two solid, sound proof doors that the nurse knocks on then wishes me luck. I felt like he was sacrificing me to the MRI gods to appease them or something like that. A doctor opens the doors and wheels me in. “We need to give you a drip.” She informs me. “Do you have a problem with needles?” Now this question has always baffled me because who in their right mind is going to answer that question like this? “Hell yeah Doc, Stick me up. I love needles!” No-one. I tell her I’m fine with needles and as long as I look the other way while they insert the drip I’ll be ok. Turns out I wasn’t as ok with needles and I hit the deck.

The MRI procedure is basically this… Take one average sized guy, cram him into a tube, then scare the crap out of him with the loudest of noises. Seriously, the noises that machine produces was like banging on pots and pans with the occasion nails on a chalkboard or as kids these days refer to it, Techno or Dub-step music.

After another day in hospital and some much needed supplies (Nintendo and Chocolate) I was informed that the blockage in the base of my brain was gone and I could go home. My little holiday in hospital had taken up precious time in preparation and D-day was looming around the corner. The worst part was that I thought this was all over, we had no idea how serious this problem would become...

Battlefield 4 Definitely Coming!

So what was a maybe is now a yes. EA have been busy sending out invites for an unveiling to be held in San Francisco. We will have all the news as it breaks on the 26th of this month.

Sarge's Intel Report

What's going on in Gaming this week?

Hello Readers, welcome to my first intel report that lets you guys and gals know what's going on in the wonderful world of gaming this week.

Firstly, Nintendo have announced that Donkey Kong Country 3DS will be swinging into stores May 24th. It's quite surprising that this game is one of their latest announcements and it's coming out so soon. It could either be the best kept secret in the industry or a quick rush job, time will tell...

There are quite a few new games coming out this week. Keep your eyes peeled for...

The Walking Dead : Survival Instinct.
I'm not going to lie, the footage I have seen of this looks awful. I hope for the fans it's a great game but judging by in game footage it's something that should have come out on PS2...

Gears of War : Judgement.
This game should be the AAA title all us fans have been waiting for. The Gears series always delivers on visceral combat and deep story lines.

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate.
This is what keeps me awake at night lately. I can't wait for this game! I'm looking so forward to it I have it ordered on both Wii U and 3DS

Need For Speed Most Wanted Wii U edition.
So it's a little late but Criterion games assures us this is the definitive version of the game. Instead of being ported from other consoles they used the PC engine to deliver a slick racing experience.

Resident Evil 6 PC.
So the latest entry in Capcom's running horror series was a let down to some. Love it or hate it, the PC entry is finally here.

Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory.
A hardcore JRPG probably best left to fans of the series.

So gamers what can't you wait for? Let us know on our Facebook Page!

-Sarge

Nerd VS Wild 4 - Preparation

4. Preparation

We needed to gear up, and quickly. There's not much time left before we hit the road and our caravan looks like it has been used as an Air Force bombing run target. First off, we need extra batteries to power the van. We managed to get our hands on a new 120 amp hour gel cell battery that should last 3 days without charging. Next with the help of my dad, we installed Anderson plugs into the van and back of the bumper which connected to a solenoid to charge our batteries while we drive. Then to charge the battery when we are at powered sites we got a decent battery charger so now it looks like we are all powered up. We have 4 crates for clothes (half of one for me and three and a half for Court.) We pack board games, Nintendo's and DVD's for rainy days and not to mention my fishing gear.

We had to repair the van as best as we could, checking all power connections and the roof for leaks. Looks like we are good to go. Courtenay got a nice underwater camera and a good GPS which turns out to be a homicidal robot, but I'll tell you that story later. You may think that this chapter is short, but it's simply because we weren't prepared for anything. We were just a Nerd, his wife, and a dog, about to embark on an epic adventure. We were as ready as we were going to be, but then something came along that had the potential to ruin everything...

Sunday Roast : Ninjabread Man

Welcome to the Sunday Roast! This week we have celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay reviewing the baking themed game, Ninjabread man. Over to you Gordon.

Ever since Conspiracy Entertainment entered the kitchen, they have been out of their depth. I had the unfortunate displeasure of them serving up a copy of Ninjabread man to me, here's my thoughts...

Where do I start with this mess? I have had a two year old toddler poop something better than this game. The presentation is !$&@ing awful. It looks like someone got some takeout, left it in the !$@&ing sun for a week then passed it off as their masterpiece. There is no $&@!ing fun to be had here. The gameplay is missing like one of my apprentices after they dropped burning oil on themselves, and about as fun as receiving third degree burns. You essentially walk around with a machete attempting to cut your way through uninteresting bad guys. I'm sure if the controls weren't overcooked into oblivion this would be $&@"ing ok to play but as it stands you fight the controls like you would fight salmonella you got from a dodgy street $&@"ing vendor who sold you chicken from the back of a van.

The menu screen is $&@"ing ridiculous bouncing around a clunky cursor over
Impossibly small buttons. The graphics resemble raw chicken, just terrible. It's not too hard for a game to look decent on Nintendo's Wii console but somehow the developers managed to $&@" that up to.

So in conclusion, this game is an undercooked, salmonella inducing meal that may have had potential which was soon stamped out by making everything exceptionally $&@"ing terrible. Avoid it like my wife's cooking!

-Gordon

Flashback Friday - Ocarina of Time

I wrote this review with trepidation. I know this game was a huge part of my teenage years in the golden N64 era, yet due to my memory it's a blur. I remembered it was good but I couldn't remember why. I remembered the basic plot but couldn't remember the intricate details. So to be sure I delivered an honest opinion to my readers, I dove into The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time to relive the adventure.

I don't think there are many people who haven't played this game but for those few who haven't, the story goes something like this. A young boy is woken from a nightmare by a fairy called Navi. Now I know what you're thinking "Fairy?" rest assured its not a kids game. Navi instructs Link (the hero of the game) to report to the great Deku tree. A short introduction dungeon later, The player is sent on an epic quest spanning the wonderful world of Hyrule.

The graphics engine was so advanced for its time. It ran on a heavily modified Super Mario 64 engine that displayed such a variety of environments. Link consisted of a high polygon model and dungeons displayed eerie Gothic artwork and design. The game featured things we take for granted these days such as a day/night cycle and an open world to explore. This was made easy to explore by including Epona, Links horse to traverse the land of Hyrule. Puzzles and enemies were a blast to tackled and aside from the infamous water level, it had a balanced learning curve.

The game didn't feature speech but did include laughs and other dialogue noises that helped immerse the player in the game. And Immerse it did (and still does) This timeless classic includes side quests and mini games that are rewarding and entertaining. Characters were fleshed out with quirky humor and well thought out animation.

The gameplay was somewhere between a hybrid of an action hack and slash and an RPG making it accessible for gamers of all skill levels. This is perhaps why it was so successful. There wasn't the worry about upgrading your character, crunching numbers and statistics. Ocarina of Time simply wanted to take you on an adventure. And what an adventure it was. The game not only spans the world of Hyrule but time itself and in order to avoid spoilers, I'll leave it at that.

So how can you enjoy this game these days? Well you could pay a premium for the N64 cartridge. Or you could spend 1000 points on both the Wii and Wii U eshop. Alternatively, you can get the 3DS remake which gives the game a fresh lick of paint while keeping the entire game in its original form.

So What's it Like?

I would say mix Mario 64 + Banjo Kazooie + JRPG story = Ocarina of Time.

Its a game well worth your hard earned money, I give it 9.8 out of 10.

Transferable Gaming Skills

Let me paint the scene for you. My squad mates and I were pinned down behind a barn surrounded by hedges and rocky outcrops. We were taking heavy fire. I checked my rifle, I had only 26 rounds left and none of my squad had any to spare. A voice comes over the radio "Be advised you have enemy infantry moving to your location bearing south!"
I took a deep breath, raised my rifle and peeked around the corner. There were 3 soldiers and they were heading straight for us closing in at about 200 meters. I look to Luke, sweat beading down his face. "What do we do Sarge?" He asks. I frantically think of a plan. "Ok, you and pimpdaddy86 head to the rocks on the right. Ill draw their fire and when they return fire on me, you light them up!"
I lean out and squeeze off a few rounds "go go go!" I command my troops. As expected, the enemies returned fire on me, I get hit but nothing I can't shake off by ducking behind cover next to a medikit. I give Luke the order to fire, he engages the enemy neutralizing both tangos. A third soldier appears and Luke is hit, the rest of the squad secures the area and thus winning the battle. I found out later Luke respawned, and he was ok.

So why the long winded story? Victory was obtained using real world military tactics. Having studied MOUT (Military Operations in Urban Terrain) it gave our team an advantage in battle, this is a transferable gaming skill.

The reason I bring up this topic is tonight I'm set to race a friend in Forza Motorsports 4. He isn't much of a gamer, he thinks Mario is a multi format title and Master Chief is a TV cooking show. The one thing he has over me is his knowledge of racing. This friend is amazing at Forza due to his transferable gaming skill. I can't beat him even if I have a faster car and what's worse, he knows it.

So what transferable gaming skill do you have that has given you the advantage in gaming? It could be dancing in Dance Central, or racing in Forza. Leave a comment on our Facebook page.

-Sarge

Nerd Vs Wild Part 3 - Dogzilla

3. Dogzilla

Ruby Hawthorn. Our Labrador cross Husky. Court and I still debate whether she’s a Labradusky or a Huskador, either way she is one monster dog. Weighing in at around 38kg, Ruby is a big dog.

“Licence and registration please.”

Now the thing about Ruby is that Courtenay loves the dog more than me. This means Ruby and her Tyrannosaurus sized poops are coming with us and if I didn't like it, well, that’s my problem. Don’t get me wrong I love Ruby so much but she snores, farts and burps like a classic Australian yobbo.

Ruby also likes to engage in other misadventures like escaping the yard all the time. Initially this wasn't really an issue since she would basically escape to simply let us know she could. One day my next door neighbor knocks on my door and informs me Ruby has once again escape. “Thanks Kate.” I say as I grab the dog by the collar and lead her into the yard. She looks at me as if she has more to say. “I don’t mind that she escapes that much,” she starts “but it seems she has been letting other dogs out too.” Turns out, she had figured out how to open latch gates and decided to use this new-found knowledge to liberate about 5 other dogs in our street. The rest of the afternoon was spent rounding up various followers of Dogzilla and returning them to their owners.

Next chapter is Preparation for the trip. Will we have everything done on time? Find out tomorrow!

Re-inventing A Series

Have you ever tried to re-invent yourself? Maybe you recently became single and decided you wanted to be a bit cooler or edgier. Perhaps you had a make-over or new hairstyle?

The point is, it's not easy to re-invent yourself, after all, you have been you for so long people just get used to it. Game developers sometime try to re-invent their titles to help drive sales or re-ignite a stale franchise. This is also not easy to do. Sometimes I think game developers play it safe too often and even though they deliver a solid title, you can't help but feel like you want something more.

Why am I talking about re-invention? Two words... Tomb Raider.

So back in the days of Windows 95 and Playstation 1, Tomb Raider released to critical acclaim. It featured a kick-ass heroine who would shoot and somersault her way out of any problem. It was brilliant. Then came along Tomb Raider 2, then 3, then Revelations, and so on and so forth. The game started to lose its shine and with the dawning of some new kids on the block such as Uncharted and Prince of Persia reboots, Tomb Raider sales dwindled.

So how did they combat these new AAA titles? They re-invented Lara Croft.

I picked up the latest title simply to review it for my site and see what the fuss was about. Within 5 minutes of playing the game I was caught hook, line and sinker. You see instead of trying to change the premise of the franchise, they took the kick-ass heroine and made her... human.

Tomb Raider doesn't feel like an action game. It''s more of a battle of survival. Every moment I found myself clutching the controller, desperately trying to fight off the islanders inhabitants. Although the controls are slick and the gun play spot on, I found myself missing shots due to panic, firing off more rounds than necessary  Only by about the half way point was I confident engaging foes in a firefight.

The main mechanic at play is vulnerability and this makes the game oh so rewarding. Every fight was a struggle, I had to remind myself to breath in the stealth sections. The vulnerability of Lara Croft transferred to me and I felt I was trying to survive.

What did you think of the new Tomb Raider? And what game would you like to see re-invented? Share your thoughts on our Facebook Page. (http://www.facebook.com/SOGwhatsitlike)

-Sarge

Nerd VS Wild Part 2

2. Saying Goodbye...

So here’s the thing about me, I’m a nerd. I work at a video games store, play video games and when I can’t play video games, I will talk about them and if no one will talk to me about them… well I guess I just think about them. I work hard, don’t get me wrong but when I get home I love to immerse myself in the latest adventure, hunting dragons or fighting monsters. I collect games, live games and sell games. Games, games, games.

But the thing is, even though they feature photo realistic textures and amazing graphics engines, the real adventure is the one I’m missing outdoors. I crave adventure yet lock myself away in a fictitious world. I want the adventure, and I want to explore but the little me inside my head tells me to keep playing it safe. I’m assuming my wife doesn't have a little voice inside her head…

So to try to show my lovely wife I’m committed to this trip, I decided to contribute some funds for our trip. I looked at my massive collection of over 170 games on my bookshelf and decided to sell them to my work. It was harder than I thought. Now I know you’re probably reading this thinking that they are just games, but this collection was hand-picked of the highest quality and the rarest games, all in pristine condition meticulously sorted in alphabetical order. Full of gusto, I walked into my store with 3 canvas bags full of games. My colleague looked at me with defeat and said, “Please tell me I don’t have to process that?”

The soul destroying process took over half an hour. When I sit out back, eating my grease filled fast food, I stare at my collection on the trade shelf. Some of my staff have already picked the best of the best. Vultures…

Even though I feel a sense of regret that something I worked on for so long is now gone, it also helps me realize how much of the real adventure is just ahead. We finally put the caravan up for the first time and it’s a mess. Canvas torn, fly nets ripped. It’s a rusted piece of shit to be honest. That’s why I’m writing this book. It’s easy to write about travelling when you’re an expert with a luxury caravan and a large amount of savings. Don’t get me wrong they have been where I am now, but I want to remember this moment. Hopefully when I’m older I’ll have a nice 4WD and a Caravan that doesn't look like it has been parked in Chernobyl for the past 15 years. But for now, I’m writing as a guy who only goes outside to grab McDonald's, or to drive to my job, who has no idea what he’s doing, and is pretty much flat broke.

If you want an expert opinion, you've come to the wrong place. Hopefully the caravan makes it back in one piece and I don’t accidentally burn something down when trying to make a campsite. It should be one hell of a ride.

Stay tuned tomorrow for our next installment of Nerd VS Wild!

Like and Share: A choose your own Advertising!

So as you know I was unable to update my page for a few weeks while I was sick... Unfortunately the numbers went a little south. So to help me get back on track I'm recruiting you my dear readers to be a marketing executive! Very excite!!! Now before you go thinking you aren't qualified for the position I want you take take a deep breath and say to yourself "You can do this!" Remember, whether you think you can or you can't, you're right!

"Ok Sarge, what do I need to do?" I hear you ask. Well it's simple. Just pick one of the 4 images on our Facebook page and convince your friends to share and like our page! It's that easy! You can share just 1 or even all 4 (no peer pressure!)

So my new marketing executives, go forth and spread the word that Sarge is back and "What's it Like" is better than ever!

Our Facebook page is http://www.facebook.com/SOGwhatsitlike

-Sarge

Nerd Vs. Wild!

So a few people have been asking about my trip around Australia last year. I can't remember all the details but luckily I wrote them down every day. So I will take these notes and post about my adventures around Australia in short little snippets. Don't worry, this isn't like the Hunger Games where you have to slog through  most of the book before the games actually start, I'll try to get to our misadventures quickly. so without further ado, here's my account of how things went down last year...

1. In the beginning

Let me tell you a bit about myself. My name is Joshua. I park in the same spot at work, I sit at the same seat at a restaurant and even order the same thing every time. I follow the rules, avoid confrontation and try to get along with everyone…

So who is Joshua?

Just an average guy working an average job who never steps outside the box fearing he may upset the balance of his average lifestyle.

In short, Joshua is scared.

My wife however is the opposite… Free spirited, speaks her mind and isn’t afraid to try new things. The reason I now eat sushi? Courtenay. The reason I can now swing a golf club? Courtenay. The reason I eat Ravioli Milanese? Courtenay. So if you were to ask yourself “Why did these two idiots just pack up and leave with no idea what they are doing?” I don’t want to point fingers but the culprit would be Courtenay.

So in the space of 48 hours we have decided to quit our jobs, grab a caravan, and spend the next 6 months travelling around Australia. Still deciding whether to take our lapdog, a 38kg Labrador, “Ruby” along with us. Frankly I’m shitting myself. Court on the other hand has embraced the new decision and gone at her speed which is 1000 miles an hour and I am trying to slow and steadily come to terms with it. I ask Court “Honey so where are we going?” her answer?

“South!”

That’s about as planned as it is so far. So planning to go south, with a dog, and only about $6000 for fuel and accommodation, food and water and I guess we have to get dog food as well. Considering our dog eats about as much as a Tyrannosaurus Rex I’m not so sure our trip is going to last for the planned 6 months. Oh and did I mention we have never towed or setup a caravan for that matter?

Snoring wife and dog next to me, I conclude writing this page. The introduction to our life just beginning…

So that's my first thoughts on our trip. Tomorrow I'll post about saying goodbye. Goodbye to friends and family, and goodbye to a fairly impressive video game collection... Stay tuned!

-Sarge

Assassins Creed: Black Flag

Yarr! Assassin's Creed 4 has been announced me harties! Now even a blind scallywag from Tortuga could have seen this one coming after the largely successful Assassin's Creed 3 implemented naval warfare so well. So what's it about? Long story short, Pirates.

The game follows Edward Kenway who, if you recognize the name, is Haytham Kenways father. It is set in the Caribbean during the golden age of Piracy in the early 1800's. The game allows player to free roam between the major cities of Havana, Nassau, Kingston and everything in between. Gameplay will be seamless meaning no loading screens during the transition from sea to land as you blast and cut your way to riches looting treasure and robbing galleons.

See the trailer here... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNCcPiwT2AA

Strangely Enough, Naval battles will not be present in Multiplayer which seems like a huge oversight by Ubisoft and a missed opportunity to deliver a true pirate multiplayer experience.

The game is set to release this year in October on PS3, 360, PC and Wii U. Next gen console releases have been announced but no word on when. I have a feeling Assassins will be a launch title on Xbox Next and the PS4.

Little is known about the game at the moment, but stay tuned to find out more as soon as we know. In the meantime retailers are already taking pre-orders so grab some dubloons and get ready to reserve your copy soon!

-Sarge

*Update* Medal of Honors cancellation

So a few weeks back I contacted Medal of Honors development team to save the title from a dishonorable discharge. Well, EA contacted me about it in what appears to be written by Mr. Copy and Mr. Paste, the original letter can be found here (http://sogwhatsitlike.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/medal-of-honor-cancelled.html)

This was their response...

Hi Sarge,

Thank you for the time you have taken to contact us and provide us with your thoughts and ideas.

We recognize and appreciate the effort that goes into game and product ideas and submissions. We have thousands of employees worldwide who are constantly generating and developing games and new game features. Some of these ideas see the light of day, but many do not. Because of our creative scope, we seldom look at product ideas or game concepts from people outside of Electronic Arts.

Regards,

Cory R.

EA Support Australia

So I'm guessing they didn't read the letter properly of didn't like being called french. Either way it looks like Dusty and friends wont be returning anytime soon. Perhaps we will update their status as MIA?

-Sarge

Memory Wipe

Doctors say that no two brain injuries are the same. For me, one of the wonderful side effects of having a stroke is memory loss. I have entire sections of my life wiped away like accidentally deleting the "My Documents" folder on your desktop. Friends are strangers, Familiar places are now foreign and Events I attended never existed. Now this is actually a positive, let me explain...

A few weeks ago, my darling wife decided I should get a new game to keep me occupied for the weekend. We went to our local game store and I picked up a copy of "Crysis 2" for a bargain price. When I got hope I popped the game in the disc tray and begin to load it up. The game started at the end credits... Either I had played and finished this game before, or my wife was a ninja gamer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX09CzfRJtc

The beauty of this was that I get to have new experiences all over again. Curious of how many games I may or may not have conquered, I browsed my save files on my PS3. There is an entire library of games on my PS3 and on my games shelf that I have no recollection of! This is fantastic!

The best part dear readers, is that my memory loss now allows me to enjoy games that may have been over-hyped in the day and I can have a fresh perspective, delivering an unbiased review on games you may have missed.

The downside? Well currently my health is about as good as Aliens: Colonial Marines but that's a story for another day!

So readers, if you could play a game all over again without the hype and experience the game anew, what game would you choose? Head to our Facebook and share your thoughts.

-Sarge

Max Payne 3 Reviewed by Max Payne

Hello dear readers. While I was away in hospital you may have noticed a lack of content on the site. While I apologize for this I decided to hunt down gamings anti-hero Max Payne to help me write a review of Max Payne 3. I found him in a rundown bar in New Jersey, this is what he had to say...

I had been sitting at the bar for 5 minutes, or 5 years depending on how you look at it, thinking about game sequels. Some are done well, some leave a bullet sized hole where the gameplay should be. Rockstar decided I should return. They wanted a good game so in return they got one. Say what you want about Rockstar but they understand capitalism, you pay for a quality title and you damn well get one. So a guy called Sarge approaches me, saying he wants me to review my own game. I decided that if I was going to do this review, I was going to do it sober...

This was it. Up until now was an exclamation mark on what I had done. A lifetime ago this would have been a cash in sequel, I had been living in the past so much I didn't even know what year it was anymore. It was time for me to come back. Come back to this existence. Come back to the chaos of my life...

My story is interesting to say the least. I'm no longer the young detective who was leaping around Hells Kitchen dealing death to the scum who would market Valkyrie. That was then, this is now. Before I moved to San Paulo you could find me in the depths of a bottle of whiskey, drowning out the loss of loved ones taken away to soon.

Passos, who once worked the beat with me comes in and offers me a job, a change of pace. I wasn't interested until like most things I do, I ended up complicating situations and had to leave. I was promised a new life, a fresh start protecting the rich family called the Brancos. Then all hell broke loose...

The city of San Paulo is a lively one. High rises of the rich look down on the poor in the favelas both metaphorically and literally. Me? I'm showing my age now. Boozing it up has made me age and I look like hell. Personally I blame the goddamn detailed high resolution graphics engine. The areas where I travel in search of the missing Brancos are full of detail. Newspapers blow through the streets carrying stories on the wind. The favelas are dirty and full of rubbish that my bullets tear through, smashing bottles in a ballet of destruction. Gamers want to see a gringo causing trouble the only way I know how, I may as well look goddamn good doing it.

I can hear the gunfights like an orchestra of mayhem, bullets ricochet all around me as I dive and dodge incoming lead death. The people in my story are well spoken and likeable (except the ones I'm shooting) and their voice acting is done well enough that I want to shoot the annoying happy guy.

The cop in me wanted to see more out of the multiplayer, but the deadbeat in me didn't give a shit. It's more of the same, feels like when you get extra cinnamon on a glazed doughnut, it's kinda enjoyable but it isn't very necessary.

All in all I feel my return to the stage is like a street vendors hotdog (with cheese,) it's dark, gritty, and will take you on a journey of ups and downs, then somehow when it's finished, you can't help but want more.

-Max Payne

So What's it like?
Like the day after a loved ones funeral... And the goddamn Matrix.
I give it 8/10