Car Porn...

Something different in terms of YouTube awesomness this week...

First up is Rendezvous. Here is a 1976 short film of a car doing a high-speed run through the streets of Paris. He is driving very fast, and there are a few close calls with other cars, pedestrians & birds. The film car is a 6.9 Litre Mercedes-Benz 450SEL, but an odd thing about it is the audio is dubbed, with a Ferrari 275 being used for audio.

The dubbing does take away a bit of the gloss for me, but alot of respect is needed for this classic car porn.

Rendezvous has inspired many films, and the second video tonight is a fine example. Getaway in Stockholm is a very high speed romp through the streets of Stockholm in a Porsche 911 which begins with the driver being pulled over by a Volvo police car.

I hope you enjoy these videos as much as I have, and I wish you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Canuckistan Recommends...

Now that Christmas is over, alot of us would have some giftcards, or maybe have received Microsoft points/PSN credits. I was lucky enough to receive 1500 Microsoft points (space bucks), and the idea for this post was born.

In order to maybe help you spend up big, I have compiled 2 quick lists of must-have PSN & XBLA titles. You might not want to buy many/any of these games, but it definately is some food for thought.


Playstation Network (PSN)

1. Super Stardust HD - An excellent twin-stick shooter, set on a 3D 'globe'.
2. Fat Princess - Multiplayer mayhem, with surprisingly deep gameplay/strategy.
3. PixelJunk Shooter - Another twin-stick shooter... with a grappling hook!
4. Burn Zombie Burn - A top-down shooter with ZOMBIESSSSSSSSSSS!
5. PAIN - Catapult your character into targets/objects for points.


Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA)

1. Pinball FX - One of the best Pinball games around.
2. PacMan C.E. - An excellent reboot for the PacMan franchise.
3. Geometry Wars 2 - The best twin-stick shooter on XBLA.
4. Battlefield 1943 - Excellent multiplayer action. Alot of fun & variety.
5. Castle Crashers - Classic styled side-scrolling beat-em-up.

From those lists, Battlefield 1943 is the only title on both PSN & XBLA. Download the demo's for the XBLA list and try them out. Unfortunately, I don't think any of those PSN titles have demos, but you can check gameplay out by searching on YouTube.

What other titles do you think are must haves?

Impressions: Borderlands DLC

This week I finally got around to completing the first DLC pack for Borderlands: The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned. From the very vague title, this DLC pack is set on an island with zombies on it, and erm... Dr. Ned is there too. ZOMBIESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

Gameplay wise, there is nothing really new. Most of the missions are very straightforward "go kill this enemy" missions, but with a different enemy set (did I mention zombies?). The major difference is the setting, with most of the levels being set in either a swamp or beachside environment. This is a vast difference from the 'wasteland' environments in the main game.

All in all, I really enjoyed the DLC. There is enough content, and variety to make this a worthwhile purchase. It took me around 6-8 hours to beat all of the DLC missions, and I think the $12.95 for PSN and 800 MS (space bucks) points is good value. This DLC also adds trophies/achievements, which is great for the score whores like me.

People who have & enjoy Borderlands should buy this DLC.

Merry Christmas/Happy Xmas!

Today's message is a dual purpose message, catering for both Christians (who celebrate Christmas), and the Xtians (who celebrate Xmas)...


With today being Christmas/Xmas eve, I wish a very Merry Christmas/Happy Xmas to you all and your families. I pray/hope that Christmas/Xmas day is a great day full of family,food & reflection/drinking.

Due to the commercialisation of Christmas/Xmas, it is often a day that children appreciate more than the adults. With this in mind, I hope that Santa/Mum & Dad bring/buy lots & lots of presents, as there is alot of pressure for adults to 'deliver the goods'.

It can be easy to forget the true meaning of Christmas/Xmas, but I trust that tomorrow will be fun for you all. If not, you all have a long weekend to recover!


Merry Christmas/Happy Xmas!

1000 hits!

Wow. It is very humbling to know that many people enjoy reading the things I have to say, even if most of it is rubbish!

1000 hits in the first couple of months is an amazing result! A big thanks to all readers of this blog. I have received alot of positive (and a bit of negative) feedback and look forward to writing more for you all.

Thanks, without your support the blog would not have survived this long.

BILathon!

I had another gaming session with my mate Michael, and his brothers (strangely, also named Michael) yesterday. It was a hard fought battle over Call of Duty, Modern Warfare 2.

This CODathon was a much more even contest than the last, as they all have improved greatly over the past few weeks. Because of this, I enjoyed the contest yesterday alot more than previous BILathons.

The only bad thing about yesterday was me fucking up my back from sitting on the floor for 4 hours!

FREE Game With Achievements!

I'm sure the title speaks directly into that achievement whore brain of yours - it certainly speaks my language!

The game in question is entitled Tinker. It is, as previously mentioned, FREE. What's the catch (I imagine you asking inside my head)? It's not an Xbox 360 title. It is a Games for Windows title, which means all of you can try it out - EVEN you PS3 fanbois out there (ESPECIALLY you, Mr. Mu!)... For FREE!

Head over to www.gamesforwindows.com, and download the Games for Windows LIVE client. If you have an Xbox 360 gamertag, you can use that one, otherwise setting up a new one is easy.

Now you can find Tinker in the Games for Windows marketplace & start to whore those FREE achievements.

... I should also mention that Tinker actually is a good game.

Impressions: Pixeljunk Shooter

This is not a review, but a brief rundown on a game. Today's impressions are for the PS3 dual-stick shooter, Pixeljunk Shooter.

The goal for this game is to guide your spaceship through caverns to rescue... erm, people needing rescue. You are doing this while dodging things like rocket turrets and lava flows.

Controls for this game are easy to learn. The left stick guides the ship, with the right stick used for aiming. R1 is to shoot (hold R1 for homing rockets), and L1 deploys the grappling hook (used to pick up rescuees, and treasures).

Not just being content with being a shooter, Pixeljunk Shooter also throws puzzle elements your way. The way that lava interacts with water and ice (lava turns to rock when combined with water, lava melts ice, and ice freezes water) means that a bit of creativity and brain power are needed sometimes to get to people needing rescue.

Here is a short trailer for this game:



I am very impressed with this game, and recommend it to fans of shooters and puzzle games. Pixeljunk Shooter is available for download from PSN and costs around $13. Due to PSN being shit (and inferior to XBL), there is no demo unfortunately.

Canuckistan needs you!

I'd like to see if anyone can assist me by lending me an Xbox 360 HDD transfer cable? The brother of Canuckistan asked me if I still have mine, and I cannot find it. Once he has transferred the stuff between HDD's, I will post it straight back to you.

If anyone can help, please post a comment or send me a message over Xbox Live.

Cheers.

Taste Sensations

This edition of Taste Sensations features an alcoholic drink: Crown Royal. I am a big whiskey fan, but usually drink Malt scotches (Dalwhinnie, or Green Label). I am rather particular in my drinking taste, and basically stopped trying new drinks when I discovered scotch.


So what made me try something new? It's Canadian! Being a wannabe Canadian, and after hearing good things about it I had to try it for myself. After looking around the local bottle shops for a few weeks without luck, I turned my attention to the internet. Again, after alot of searching I found a place which sells Crown Royal (in Melbourne too!), and ordered a bottle.

It arrived a few days later, and I was very excited to try it out. I poured a Crown n' coke and tried it out. How did it go? I hated it! I could not have been more disappointed, and felt betrayed: How could Canada do this to me? Desperate to improve the situation, I went looking through the fridge to see what else I could mix it with. I found lemonade. While, I don't normally drink scotch with lemonade (it's nice, but goes better with coke), I was determined to make things work.

I love it! Crown n' lemonade has become my drink of choice. If you do happen to come by it in the bottle shop and have a spare $80.00, give it a try. I have only come across one problem with it so far, and have demonstrated in the below picture...


... I don't have any left!

Youtube Friday!

Sorry I missed out last week, but as a peace offering I will give you FOUR videos this week. Hopefully an extra video this week will help fill the void.

First up is Mario: Game Over from comedy sketch group POYKPAC.
Next we have Sugar Lumps by Flight of the Conchords.
Third: LEGO PORTAL!!!!!!!. No need to say more.
Lastly, another video from POYKPAC: 'The Booby Trap'

-Enjoy.

Canuckistan's Top Games of 2009!

Most of the gaming websites are posting lists of their top games for the year, so I'm going to do the same.

Before I get to my Top 10, I will give out a couple of honourable mentions to Red Faction: Guerilla & Street Fighter 4 (PS3 version... the 360's d-pad is TERRIBLE!). Both of these games were very close to making the list. Street Fighter would've gotten in for sure, if they had not gimped Sakura.

10. Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising (360)

This FPS is more like a battle simulator, with it's in-depth gameplay & gritty realism. A great single player experience, but is so much more when played co-op with buddies online.

9. Need for Speed: Shift (360)

After being bored with the racing genre for many months this year, I can credit NFS: Shift for bringing back the love. An amazing game to look at, NFS: Shift truly shines in one area: FUN!

8. Katamari Forever (PS3)

A very hard game to describe, Katamari has a very 'Japanese' look and gameplay elements in it. If you have never heard of Katamari before, shame on you. Katamari Forever is essentially the 'greatest hits' for the Katamari series.

7. NHL 10 (360)

Hockeyyyyyyyyyy! More than just a roster update, EA added many features to an already awesome NHL 09. A must for fans of Hockey.

6. Killzone 2 (PS3)

Killzone 2 is an excellent shooter for the PS3. It has amazing graphics, and is a must for PS3 owners. It is a game which I haven't played too much, but am eager to play again after the 'silly season'.

5. Modern Warfare 2 (aka COD6) (360)

A very good single player campaign which lasts for only about 5 hours (LOL!), but is full of twists & memorable moments. The multiplayer portion is where the real meat of the game is though. It is so much fun with mates, especially when you are pwning the n00bs!

4. Pinball: Hall of Fame (PS3)

This features a dozen or so classic tables from the 70's, 80's and 90's, all perfectly recreated with amazing physics. This game is a must-buy for fans of Pinball.

3. Borderlands (360)

Borderlands is a classic blending of the FPS & RPG genres. There is alot of variety in terms of missions and weapons, and is an excellent game when played co-op.

2. Battlefield 1943 (360 - xbla)

A great multiplayer-only game which is available for download on XBLA & PSN. There are only 4 maps, but there is alot of variety with character classes, and vehicles. Like the other Battlefield games, there are many many ways to kill an opponent. This is the best $15 I spent all year!

1. Forza 3 (360)

This game is porn for a car fanatic! Forza 3 would have some of the best physics system around, and it's graphics are not shabby either. There is so much depth with 100's of customisable cars to choose for - each with their own handling charecteristics. Add to that an amazing livery editor, custom parts and tuning setups, there is something in this game for casual or hardcore racers.

Forza 3 Tune Release: Volkswagen Golf R32

It's been a while since I have released a Tune setup for Forza 3, and this one is for the Volkswagen Golf R32. This was one of my favourite C class cars in Forza 2, and now I have tuned one upto A class this time around.

I am sporting this car with my Vancouver Canucks livery, but unfortunately I cannot upload due to having 'locked' vinyls. This is a solid car which would be very competitive on smaller/twisty circuits.

This Tune file is available for purchase off my Forza 3 storefront, and the parts for this tune should cost around $100,000.

NOTE: I currently have an A class Golf R32 for sale on the Forza 3 auction house. Starting bid at $50,000 with 24 hours to go.

Weekend Update

Just a quick post, as I'm writing this on the iPhone...

YouTube Friday may be delayed for a while, as I'm off the grid for a few days. Not much to report really, I've been very busy at work & haven't been gaming too much. I have only been playing a bit of Geo Wars 2 and Pinball Hall of Fame on the PS3 during the week. Last night I did have a great COD session with Wound though. We were pwning the noobs, so much so that I should change my gamertag to "xXx_n00bhunt3r_xXx". It's scary how much I enjoy COD online, but only when I'm winning. Normally, I find the game horribly frustrating.

That's it for now, I will try to think of more interesting things to post over the next few days.

Halo 3 is teh sux0rs!

It's true, Halo 3 sucks.... Well in comparison to Canuckistan favourite, Ms Pacman. Even when given a head start (by being reviewed against an average Atari 2600 version), Halo 3 simply cannot compete with Ms Pacman.

Here is journalistic proof of Halo 3's suckiness:



Edit Station 1 does make one excellent point about 'Pacman fever': Once you do have it, you will never get rid of it. Pacman fever is the gift that keeps on giving. The Pacman series is one of my favourites, and that is despite not being good at the games at all.

Halo 3 will be replaced by another sequel (or another hollywood-style space marine game), but Pacman will be forever.

Canuckistan: State of The Union.

The breakaway republic that is Canuckistan is in trouble. Since gaining independence earlier this year, there have been many up's and down's. In the beginning, it was celebrating independence with absolute joy, and everything was great. Now, Canuckistan has fallen into tough times. It's economy is currently the second worst in the world (after the United States), and tough decisions need to be made.

Canuckistan currently has a treaty in place which needs to be honoured. This treaty secures (or leases if you prefer?) land, and this treaty is fundamental to Canuckistan's survival as a nation. This treaty will be expiring in late April, 2010.

The tough decision which I have had to make is to not renew this treaty. Canuckistan will be rejoining with the Motherland. This is not an admission of failure, but an admission that Canuckistan had rushed into things. Put simply, it was not ready. It sought out the glory, but Canuckistan was not built on a foundation of financial security.

As leader of this nation, it was a very humbling experience to admit I could have done things better. Canuckistan is very grateful that the Motherland understands, and wants to help.

Canuckistan will regain it's independence, but knows it may take a year or two to be where it needs to be. Canuckistan will be reborn, and it will be better and stronger. I am looking forward to those times, and the end goal will be the motivation for all of the tough times and hard work which is needed.



... I am not talking about a country, or this blog. I am talking about myself. To free myself of the financial struggles of the past few months, there is only one solution. I will be moving back with my parents for a year or two, to get my finances in order - The goal is to be debt free.

This is the hardest, and most embarrassing thing I've had to do. All of the feelings of failure, and working my arse off will be worth it.

This is something which I will not enjoy, but it is something which must be done. It is a shame the financial revolution wont begin until April. It may seem strange that I'm sharing this with you all, but I feel I needed to say it in order for me to accept it, and move forward.

CANUCKISTAN WILL BE BACK, BETTER THAN EVER. THAT IS MY PROMISE.