Got to spend some "quality time" with the 360...

[Toper]

A friend of my who works for Namco gave me a call and invited me over to check out his new 360. I had the chance to put in about 5 hours worth of time with the games he got (madden, nba live, tiger, and cod)...here are my impressions, FWIW (playing on a 50" Sony HDTV):

Hardware:
-The 360 is huge and built like a rock

-Friend hooked up his ipod to it to demo custom soundtrack option, and it worked seamlessly

-Discs were VERY HOT after use, so make sure that wherever you decide to place your 360 that it's WELL ventilated

-Controller feels great with the 2 new shoulder buttons...I'd rank it right up there with dualshock

-Eject button on console was hard to use...my friend ended up using remote for everything.

-On a side note, if you want to make money on accessories, stock up on the wireless controller...my friend could not find an extra one ANYWHERE...I'm pretty sure that an extra wireless controller will be the one thing that everyone tries to hunt down this holiday season, aside from the 360 itself.




Madden (I enjoyed it, but I did not share the same enthusiasm as the Madden forums' guy):
-Graphics were gorgeous (but I was disappointed by the closeups of the player faces...some of them look absolutely hideous)

-Animations were good, although it seemed like I saw more variety on the xbox versions of madden/ncaa...crowd is fully polygonal and animated (although animations were canned...they definitely look better from a distance)

-Announcer sounded "phony", but seems to have alot more lines of commentary than madden/michaels ever did.

-Controls did not seem as tight as xbox madden/ncaa...hard to explain, but it felt like you were "guiding players" instead of "controlling them".

-We could not find the option ANYWHERE to change the camera angles!?!?!?

-I couldn't run inside at all using the steelers or colts...almost all my gains on the ground were outside runs...I hope I can tweak this with sliders (we played on default everything).

-Passing was fun...no need to use cone if you don't want to (whew for me)...deep ball coverage is done well, couldn't complete anything deep with double coverage.

-Playbook seemed to be missing plays from xbox version (I couldn't find the "stretch run" play I like to use...although I may have overlooked it).

-Still couldn't return punts at all.

-Kick meter is blatant ripoff from 2k series, albeit works better.

-Turbo button is R trigger?!?! I hope this can be changed...actually, ALOT of buttons are different from the xbox/ps2 version, so expect a learning curve.

-If you zoom out before the play, you can't zoom back in (don't know if this is good or bad).

-Overall, this was my most highly anticipated launch game, and I came away mixed...after the graphics "whoa", I really didn't feel like it was that much of a "next gen" upgrade in gameplay that was being touted...with that said, I'm still looking forward to spending more time with it next week.




NBA Live:
-If you're still on the fence between this and 2k6, don't bother...this game is absolutely HORRENDOUS. I can safely say that if 2k6 plays even remotely close to the xbox version, it won't be ANY contest at all.

-This one has multiple camera angles, but NONE of them work...the camera is TOO SLOW and many times could not keep up with the ball during fastbreaks. We tried just about EVERY combo of camera angles, zooms, and heights and we could not find ONE that worked out.

-Speaking of too slow, the players move like sloths in mud...we maxxed out the speed slider and it was still too slow (and yet the camera still couldn't keep up with them!).

-Graphics look nice from a distance (players, stadium, crowd...all excellent)...up close, players look freakish...they look more like clay zombies than humans...EA also overdid the "sweating" IMO.

-Animations are nice, but jerky...cut scenes were repetitive and oft recycled...there are no replays unless you QUICKLY click the L thumbstick after a good play (you have about a half-second to do so).

-Free throw shooting was ripoffed from 2k6, as well, but done worse (have to use R stick down then up, but we couldn't get the timing down at all).

-Probably the best part of the game is the "shootaround" screen during the loadtimes (as mentioned in IGN review)...we had more fun here than in the game itself.

-This effort reminded me of Nba live's first game on the ps2...good graphics, no gameplay. I predict that you will see ALOT of these traded-in at EB/GS for 2k6. I have NO intention of ever playing this dud again, and look forward to selling the copy I'm getting as part of my 360 bundle. My friend is actually going to return this one and get 2k6 (which is a surprise to me, as he's been a "live guy" forever...which should tell you how bad it is).




TW2006:
-Front-end/menus are terrible....also, just about EVERYTHING is locked (we could only play as tiger vs tiger at pebble beach).

-The course graphics look stunning...we watched flybys of just about every hole (when I would just normally skip it on the xbox version).

-Analog swing is WAAAY more sensitive in this version (which is a good thing)...we hit ALOT of balls off line, and it felt really good when we hit one straight.

-FINALLY there's a gallery watching you...you can even hit them and they'll react to the ball...unfortunately, they don't "headtrack" the ball, so it looked kind of dumb when the ball is moving around, but they just stay facing forward...they look nice, tho.

-This is pretty much the same tiger in HD clothing (with tougher analog swing)...I liked it, and I'm probably going to end up getting this one...although I think online is only 2 players, which would suck big time.




Finally, Call of Duty 2:
-Graphics looked the most "real" out of all the games I tried...very lifelike

-I played through the original COD (on PC) and this one is pretty much more of the same (which is a good thing).

-Not much more I can say about this one...I mean, it is what it is: a very fun, chaotic, WWII-based FPS. I couldn't try it online (friend doesn't have xbox live yet), but with only 8 players supported online, I'll probably end up passing on this one.




Overall, I came away satisfied, but not "blown away". The games had a "first gen" feel to them, albeit with awesome graphics. I may sound like I'm "let down", but I'm still very much looking forward to Tuesday, especially towards 2k6, Perfect Dark, PGR3, and more time with Madden. At least I can trim my launch library down a bit. Anyways, I hope these impressions help you guys out...fire away with any questions.

[Sudz]

can u create yr own person in tiger and play a tour?

is madden worth picking up at all?

can u just import some tracks off the ipod?

thanks

[MizzouRah]

Thanks for the impressions!

Might be next year before some really next gen games do come out.. well, besides COD 2 which seems to be the system launch "must buy" game.

[jondiehl]

-We could not find the option ANYWHERE to change the camera angles!?!?!?

-If you zoom out before the play, you can't zoom back in (don't know if this is good or bad).

I'm pretty sure that I've read somewhere, that you can hit a button at the line and switch to "classic" camera view, without pausing and going to the settings. Perhaps this is what you were doing? Or, did you hit the coaches cam (that shows the diagram of your play)?

In all of the videos that I've watched online, my biggest complaint is that camera angle. It's too low, and too zoomed in, especially for those of us playing on HDTV's. I have always played on the classic cam, it really helps out with the extra field of view that you get on HDTV's.

Not having the ability to change as a setting would absolutely suck, any way you can check on that again with your friend? Hitting the button to switch the camera, everytime coming out of the huddle, is going to SUCK.

[sportdan30]

Thank you for reassuring my feelings that I'm making the right decision on passing on buying the 360 at launch.

[Inuyasha]

Thank you for reassuring my feelings that I'm making the right decision on passing on buying the 360 at launch.

Nobody cares about you trying to justify your non-purchase!!


I got to try out madden too and wasn't impressed with the gameplay. The graphics are great, but the overall game felt like they needed a few more months to complete it.

[anchester]

thanks for your review. In your short write up and time w/ the games, we have all learned a lot more about gameplay than the reviews coming out of IGN. As suspected, EAs big games (football and bball) are disappointing.

[Boom]

Here's gonna be the deal with Madden. It's very simple, yet we all tend to make it much more difficult than it really is.

If you like Madden and have been praising it throughout the years, you're gonna like Madden 360. If you've been bitching endlessly about Madden, it's just not gonna be for you.

I haven't even played it yet, but it's clear that this is how it's gonna be.

Toper,
Thanks for your impressions. I wasn't even remotely interested in TW, but now I'll at least give it a rental and see how it plays.

[seanmac31]

Thanks for the impressions, Toper. You really hammered the lid on NBA Live, which I had been interested in at one point but was starting to be leery of. I'm very excited about Madden, COD2 and NBA 2K6 (not to mention being able to play some Halo again after trading away my Xbox last month).

On the zoomed in Madden camera angle- I'm okay with it for the most part, but I would prefer if EA went essentially with a hybrid FPF approach where the camera was perhaps a bit behind and over the shoulder of the quarterback, and you could swing the camera left and right to look down to either side of the field. I'd prefer that approach to zooming out on every snap.

[bdoughty]

Thanks for the impressions, Toper. You really hammered the lid on NBA Live, which I had been interested in at one point but was starting to be leery of.

There is a demo of Live available for download on the 360. You can at least give it a try for free before nailing the coffin shut.

[seanmac31]

Thanks for the impressions, Toper. You really hammered the lid on NBA Live, which I had been interested in at one point but was starting to be leery of.

There is a demo of Live available for download on the 360. You can at least give it a try for free before nailing the coffin shut.

I know, and I intend to have a look. I'm simply not going to be buying it at launch. I'll consider picking it up down the road if the demo impresses me, but as it stands, three games on Tuesday is maxing out my budget.

[Manual-lewis]

LMAO at anyone allowing somone elses opinion or impression to determine what they will buy/purchase...be it a gaming console or specific title.

While I appreciate any review or opinion for that matter I can't fathom allowing someone else to THINK for me and make a decision for me..No matter how trustworthy or reliable thay are. BTW...much thanks to the dude who provided the feedback and information.

All reviews and impressions need to be taken with a grain of salt as we all have different likes, dislikes and things that interest us in games...Some of us even have agendas...The bottom line is you have a question rely on your own judgement and not someone else at least not to an extent where an opinion other than your own makes a decision for ya.

[Toper]

can u create yr own person in tiger and play a tour?

is madden worth picking up at all?

can u just import some tracks off the ipod?

thanks

D,

-You can create your own player, but I'm not sure if there's a tour mode or not (didn't check...we just played multiplayer)...Ea's 1st gen 360 games seem to be really bare-bones in the features department.

-Madden is still a buy for me...like I said, the control does not seem as tight (to me), but it was very fun to play and it looks great...if I had to choose between current gen or 360 version, I would go with 360 because of the graphics and the fact that there was nothing really "broke" about it (unlike NBA live).

-I'm pretty sure that you can import off the ipod...my friend just left his ipod connected while we played, and and just controlled it through the 360 interface.

Hope this helps,

Toper

[Leebo33]

LMAO at anyone allowing somone elses opinion or impression to determine what they will but...be it a gaming console or specific title.

Well, shame on me then because at $60 bucks a shot I would shy away from buying a title if someone I trusted didn't like the game and offered sufficient detail.

I've not purchased items a lot more expensive than a gaming console or game solely based on an opinion I could trust.

[reeche]

LMAO at anyone allowing somone elses opinion or impression to determine what they will buy/purchase...be it a gaming console or specific title.

While I appreciate any review or opinion for that matter I can't fathom allowing someone else to THINK for me and make a decision for me..No matter how trustworthy or reliable thay are. BTW...much thanks to the dude who provided the feedback and information.

All reviews and impressions need to be taken with a grain of salt as we all have different likes, dislikes and things that interest us in games...Some of us even have agendas...The bottom line is you have a question rely on your own judgement and not someone else at least not to an extent where an opinion other than your own makes a decision for ya.

This isn't slavery here. All a message board is, is lots of opinions.

[Manual-lewis]

LMAO at anyone allowing somone elses opinion or impression to determine what they will but...be it a gaming console or specific title.

Well, shame on me then because at $60 bucks a shot I would shy away from buying a title if someone I trusted didn't like the game and offered sufficient detail.

I've not purchased items a lot more expensive than a gaming console or game solely based on an opinion I could trust.

Thats not what I'm saying..By all means if your #1 ace in the hole friend gives you the feedback you need by all means rooll with that..But I guess I'm just the type of person who needs to confirm and verify something for myself before I shut dowen an idea, game etc before coming to MY OWN conclusion...I'd prefer to tell my friend "You were right" or hear him say "I told you so" as opposed to thanking him for THINKING for me.

I think alot of people use a viewpoint that is favorable to their predisposed decision to validate what they were not going to buy anyway..So IMO when someone uses any opinion other than their own I think that more often than not its simply a way for them to convince themselves that they made the right decision when in reality they were never gonna purchase the system or the game in the 1st place.

[Manual-lewis]

LMAO at anyone allowing somone elses opinion or impression to determine what they will buy/purchase...be it a gaming console or specific title.

While I appreciate any review or opinion for that matter I can't fathom allowing someone else to THINK for me and make a decision for me..No matter how trustworthy or reliable thay are. BTW...much thanks to the dude who provided the feedback and information.

All reviews and impressions need to be taken with a grain of salt as we all have different likes, dislikes and things that interest us in games...Some of us even have agendas...The bottom line is you have a question rely on your own judgement and not someone else at least not to an extent where an opinion other than your own makes a decision for ya.

This isn't slavery here. All a message board is, is lots of opinions.

Not sure what Slavery has to do with anything..But getting back on subject...Opinions and Reviews should be taken with a GRAIN of Salt.

[Toper]

-We could not find the option ANYWHERE to change the camera angles!?!?!?

-If you zoom out before the play, you can't zoom back in (don't know if this is good or bad).

I'm pretty sure that I've read somewhere, that you can hit a button at the line and switch to "classic" camera view, without pausing and going to the settings. Perhaps this is what you were doing? Or, did you hit the coaches cam (that shows the diagram of your play)?

In all of the videos that I've watched online, my biggest complaint is that camera angle. It's too low, and too zoomed in, especially for those of us playing on HDTV's. I have always played on the classic cam, it really helps out with the extra field of view that you get on HDTV's.

Not having the ability to change as a setting would absolutely suck, any way you can check on that again with your friend? Hitting the button to switch the camera, everytime coming out of the huddle, is going to SUCK.

You're right, you can hit a button to switch to "classic" view, but I found this extremely annoying...I, too, REALLY hate the low camera angle at the line of srimmage, but at least it zooms out to a good distance once the ball is snapped.

Toper

[reeche]

LMAO at anyone allowing somone elses opinion or impression to determine what they will buy/purchase...be it a gaming console or specific title.

While I appreciate any review or opinion for that matter I can't fathom allowing someone else to THINK for me and make a decision for me..No matter how trustworthy or reliable thay are. BTW...much thanks to the dude who provided the feedback and information.

All reviews and impressions need to be taken with a grain of salt as we all have different likes, dislikes and things that interest us in games...Some of us even have agendas...The bottom line is you have a question rely on your own judgement and not someone else at least not to an extent where an opinion other than your own makes a decision for ya.

This isn't slavery here. All a message board is, is lots of opinions.

Not sure what Slavery has to do with anything..But getting back on subject...Opinions and Reviews should be taken with a GRAIN of Salt.

Saying your points are obvious and go without saying.....but you still said them. We aren't robots. Everybody knows when they read something it's an opinion and not the word of God. Most intelligent people can still use opinions to help inform their own opinions of things.

[dbdynsty25]

Not to mention that virtually everyone who has played Live has said it's garbage...

Occasionally I like a game that NO ONE else does, but that's extremely rare. I tend to agree with the masses for the most part when it comes to calling a piece of sh*t game, a piece of sh*t. In fact...by IGN calling an EA Sports game sh*t...you gotta believe it's sh*t.

[bdoughty]

Not to mention that virtually everyone who has played Live has said it's garbage...

Occasionally I like a game that NO ONE else does, but that's extremely rare. I tend to agree with the masses for the most part when it comes to calling a piece of sh*t game, a piece of sh*t. In fact...by IGN calling an EA Sports game sh*t...you gotta believe it's sh*t.

Escpecially when that review is written by Jon Robinson who gives EA Sports games 9's without blinking an eye.

[Toper]

Here's gonna be the deal with Madden. It's very simple, yet we all tend to make it much more difficult than it really is.

If you like Madden and have been praising it throughout the years, you're gonna like Madden 360. If you've been bitching endlessly about Madden, it's just not gonna be for you.

Boom,

Your right on with that statement...madden fans will enjoy this upgrade to the 360. It just isn't as "polished" as the current gen versions are, IMO. But as long as there aren't any "game killing bugs", I'll be happy (although the one thing I am concerned about is the inside running game).

Toper

[Toper]

In fact...by IGN calling an EA Sports game sh*t...you gotta believe it's sh*t.

Absolutely...while I'm suspicious of ALOT of IGN's games that score high, you can always rely on their scores of dud games to accurately gauge their crappiness.

Toper

[Manual-lewis]

Not to mention that virtually everyone who has played Live has said it's garbage...

Occasionally I like a game that NO ONE else does, but that's extremely rare. I tend to agree with the masses for the most part when it comes to calling a piece of sh*t game, a piece of sh*t. In fact...by IGN calling an EA Sports game sh*t...you gotta believe it's sh*t.

Escpecially when that review is written by Jon Robinson who gives EA Sports games 9's without blinking an eye.

His video review was the most inappropriate unprofessional piece of journalism I've ever seen on a gaming site...Just give me the facts about the game...Good and bad but his review was sophmoric at best...Terrible

[RobVarak]

Toper,

Thanks very much for those impressions.