Unbelievable

That's all I can say. Just watch the video and you'll see what I mean.

More Reasons To Love The Onion

Hot New Video Game Consists Solely Of Shooting People Point-Blank In The Face

Financial Crisis Explained: Video Game Style

Finally, someone explains what the hell is going on with this global financial crisis in terms that even I can get. Thanks to Laura for the link.

Guitar Hero Text Based Game

This is so damn frustrating. Guess I never played enough text-based games. Thanks to Art for the link.

YouTube Street Fighter

Pretty Amazing to be sure. Thanks to Mark for the link.

Left 4 Dead - 8 Bit

I plan on doing a Gamer Dad review of Left 4 Dead in the coming days, but in the meantime, enjoy this java version thanks to Mashupman Sebastian.

A Gamer Dad And His Guide To What To Games To Spend Your Money On: DEAD SPACE

I've been twittering my thoughts on the space-themed horror game, Dead Space, but I haven't really put my thoughts into any cohesive form. So, with the advent of my other gaming post (and it being a week before Christmas and there still being time to purchase some last minute gifts), I thought I would give a formal review of the game.

First off, if you have played another game called BioShock, you will like this game. Dead Space utilizes some of the same storytelling techniques as BioShock including movies, text logs and audio tapes to lay out the tale of what looks like a medical experiment gone very wrong. There are a lot of nods to horror movies like The Thing and Aliens, and you will definitely be nervous as you turn corners.

I had read another review of this game that said I would be scream out loud while I was playing it. I originally thought that was an editorial exaggeration. But they weren't kidding. There are moments in this game when I found myself yelling out loud from being startled so bad. Things pop out at you and fall on you at the most inopportune moments and some creatures also sneak up on you, making it even worse. It definitely has captured the feeling of watching a good horror movie, which loud sounds and skittering unseen monsters adding to the suspense.

As of this writing, I'm about 70% through the game and it's still keeping my interest. The difficulty factor isn't much of an issue if you continue upgrading your weapons as you go along. One nice thing is that the story is set up in chapters and each one takes about an hour or so to complete. So if you have limited gaming time, you can finish one chapter in a sitting. If you're still having issues, however, there are multiple save stations. Plus, getting lost on the sprawling ship is close to impossible thanks to a very detailed three-dimensional map.

FAMILY TAKE: Dead Space will startle you. My teenage son loves the game, but it still scares him. There is a lot of blood and dismembement, but my kids see it as cartoony and not frightening. If your kids can handle the blood, it should be fine to let them check it out with parental supervision. Do be aware that some of the audio logs that your character picks up can contain some salty language, and watch out for bad language scrawled on the walls of the ship.

A Gamer Dad And His Guide To What To System To Spend Your Money On

EDITORIAL NOTE: I'm trying a little something new here. If you like it, I may continue...but here we go.

So, here we are: One week before the big Christmas Holiday. Hopefully, you've finished all your shopping and you're getting ready to settle in to enjoy the season. If not, however, I thought I'd share some of my vast knowledge and give you some suggestions on what to give your geeky loved ones.

As you may or may not know, I am a huge video game fan. I thought that last Christmas was tough to decide on videogames to ask for (or if you're married to a gamer, what to choose for your significant other.) I'm sure that most gamer dads have a huge list of games on their list. But what to choose? What's will be fun for your kids and what makes the most sense for family gaming?

I started thinking a bit, and realized that I am in a perfect position to give some advice on gaming choices. The age range of our six kids run the whole gamut from teenager to toddler and I feel that gives me a very unique perspective on gaming. So as a public service, here is my (hopefully) quick snapshot on some recent games and advice on systems - from a gamer geek dad's point of view.

One of the questions I get a lot is which system should I choose? Having all three systems: the XBOX 360, PS3 and Wii, here is what I see as the pros and cons of each:

THE SYSTEMS:

Nintendo Wii: Ok, here's how I see it. A few Christmases ago, the Wii was the must-have system. Up until recently, they were almost impossible to find and the motion-sensing wiimote made the system a shining star in the console war.

Two years later. the Wii is shaping up to a bit of a disappointment. Only a few third party manufacturers have figured out how to really utilize the wiimote's powers. Because of the limited resources of the Wii (it's only slightly more powerful than it's predecessor the GameCube) most of the games are simply scaled back versions of the big titles that are handled more elegantly and more beautifully graphic-wise on the other two systems. And other than making and sharing miis or voting on other user-created characters, connectivity with your friends is sorely limited.

Don't get me wrong, there are some fun games on the Wii. But if you're looking for a more social experience and better graphics and sound, you'd be better off choosing one of the other two systems.

FAMILY TAKE: The Wii will make a great system for a family with small kids. But if your kids have friends who have one of the other two systems, soon they will be bugging you to upgrade to a 360 or PS3.

PLAYSTATION 3: One thing I'll say about this system: It's EXPENSIVE. The lowest priced system still hovers around $400 and some recent changes have done away with PS2-backward compatibility, meaning that you won't be able to play your huge collection of PS2 games on your new purchase.

That being said, you are getting a built-in Blu-ray player and a beautiful sound and video presentation on all of the games. (The PS3 has some of the best sound of any system I have played). Another new addition is Playstation HOME, a Second-Lifey type interface that lets you run around and interact with online friends. I recently played a Beta version of HOME and found it to be too deep feature-wise to be enjoyable. Granted most of the features such as movies and ads were disabled during the beta, but even with the other features. HOME still seemed a bit useless.

FAMILY TAKE: The kids will certainly love you for this. A gorgeous game like Little Big Planet is reason enough to invest in a PS3. And yes, it will be an investment. But if you have a good HD setup and a decent home theatre set-up, the PS3 will be a bright spot in your entertainment center.

XBOX 360: The 360 has not been without its problems. Poor early manufacturing caused major failures (read Red Ring of Death) in nearly all of the systems. In the past year, Microsoft has stepped it up and the RROD is almost a thing of the past.

As a social machine, the 360 wins hands down. Adding friends is done simply via web or console, and joining friends in a game is simple. A recent upgrade to the interface has given the 360 a beautiful, colorful look and the Mii-like avatar creation system has also added a bit of fun to the gaming process. The video marketplace is a little bit easier to navigate than the PS3 version and if you're a Netflix member, watching movies instantly from your cue couldn't be easier.

FAMILY TAKE: The 360's multiple packages makes it easy for novice gamers to get in the game. A slimmed down arcade version allows you to jump right in, while the more expensive Elite version gives you a bigger hard drive to play movies and install games. Good value. Good gaming.

Well, there ya go. Hopefully that answered some of your gaming console questions and makes your decision a bit easier. If you dig this post, I can write up some reviews of games if ya'll like.

Who Wants To Play Rock Band, Eh?

And this is when you know a trend has gotten lame.

The Ultimate Gaming Machine

This is so awesome. If only they had developed this around 1990, things could have been so much easier in my life. Thanks to Matt for this link.

Rock Band 2 Day is Almost Here!

New Rock Band 2 Drums
Originally uploaded by jawboneradio.

Am I the only one who is excited about Rock Band 2 launching on Sunday? On the off-chance that the game came in early, I checked with my local GameStop today and while they didn't have the game, they did get in the brand new wireless drum kit!

You can see all the pics at my Flickr photostream, but just a quick review. The new kit is A LOT more stable than the last one. I don't feel like the set is going to collapse under my wailing. Also the new drumheads are rubber and are much quieter than the last ones. It used to sound like someone was typing in my living room when someone would play the drums. No longer! The metal pedal is a bit of a disappointment. While the face of the pedal is metal, the pedal itself is still made from the same plastic as before. So it could crack from stress again (as mine did) and the metal face will remain intact. I guess we'll have to see how it holds up over time.

All in all, if you are a house drummer in your Rock Band group, I would seriously recommend them as an upgrade. I sense a much better experience with this set. Now I can't wait for the game this Sunday!

New Rock Band 2 Intro

I was starting to get a little played out on Rock Band. And with the technical miscue this week on the Rush "Moving Pictures" DLC delay, I had no reason to want to jump in and play. Then this intro trailer comes along and now -- Man, I cannot WAIT to play this! Also, check out the main story for news on some upcoming full album releases this year. Stevie Ray Vaughn? More RHCP? Can anyone else smell the death of the Guitar Hero franchise?

Gamers Are Getting Younger and Younger

Baby Gamer
Originally uploaded by jawboneradio.

Proof. We put a ball and an Xbox controller side by side to see which one my daughter would crawl toward. Three out of three, she want for the controller. What does that say?

Rock Band's Competition

Well, it was only a matter of time until Guitar Hero jumped on the bandwagon and tried to imitate Rock Band. Personally. I hope Rock Band beats the pants off of GH only because in this fight between Vivendi/Blizzard/Activision and EA/MTV/Harmonix. I'm rooting for Harmonix who, even though they have made millions off Rock Band, they are definitely the underdog in this fight.

See more here. I think the Guitar Hero game will suck. But that's just me.

Run To The Hills

For those of you playing Rock Band expert drums, you know the pain that is Iron Maiden's Run To The Hills. I've often wondered if the RB chart is close to the real drum in any way. Well, this pretty much answers my question. This dude does Rock Band Expert Drum videos on The YooToob and he's pretty darn good. Oh and I should mention that if you are into Iron Maiden and love their zombie mascot Eddie The Head, you can join in the drawing fun at this Flickr group set up by my hobo buddy, Halcyonsnow.

Failing At Rock Band

I love this video. I guess it's because I'm waiting patiently for my chance to play this particular song with these guys on Rock Band. The funny thing is these guys play real music in front of real people for a living. I can only live vicariously through my friends via a video game. But I'm okay with that. At the very least, it saves me money on gas.

Bang! Bang! BANG!! BAAAAANG! BANNNNNGG!

This is a casting call for an XBOX 360 commercial. This is the original ad. It was never aired because it was considered too violent. I feel the woman's acting in the casting call is too violent. You decide.

Best Deal of the Day, Part 2

You may remember this post from a while back about how I got Super Mario Galaxy for just $3.50 new. Well, I got that beat. I picked up a copy of Super Smash Brothers Brawl (new) today at Gamestop and they paid me $1.15! Here's how: I traded in 2 Wii games thinking I could take advantage of a promotion where you could get the game for $10. As it turns out, the two games I traded in were worth more than the game itself! So they actually owed me money.

I haven't played the game yet, but I plan on playing in a few hours. If you want to play online, let me know and we can get a match going.

Woot for good video game deals!

BTW, my brawl code is 2793-0302-0057. :) Look us up if you want to play.

Assassin's Creed: Worst Game Ever

Well, I just finished the game Assassin's Creed tonight and all I have to say is what a letdown. This was a game that had a lot of hype leading up to its release and was one of the games that a lot of people were looking forward to playing. Well, I played it and all I have to say is don't bother. While the game looks fantastic and Jerusalem and Damascus look brilliant, there's not much more to say about this game. The story is lacking, it's all button-mashing and overall the story is ho-hum. In fact, I think rather than waste more space on the internets with my displeasure, I'll let this article on Wired say it all for me. I agree with pretty much everything the article says. Oh well, another 600 points on my gamerscore. Yawn...

Portal Song Will Be In Rock Band

I actually kinda knew this was going to happen, but yesterday Jonathan Coulton and Harmonix confirmed that "Still Alive", the end song from the game Portal, (which was named Game of the Year at the Gamer's Developer Conference this past week) will be part of the downloadable content for the game sometime soon. For those of you who are not familiar with the song, you see all the different iterations right here on the YouTubes. I can't wait to play this. With JoCo no less. Whee!

ON EDIT: Check this out. Coulton, Lady V (Veronica Belmont), Merlin Mann and Leo Laporte playing "Still Alive" live in SF. A great watch!