Halo 3 Multiplayer Maps
Having been a fan of Halo since it the original first came out, I was eagerly anticipating the release of Halo 3.
Having been playing it for a few weeks now, I can tell you it’s by no means perfect, but it’s among the best XBox 360 games out there.
Many people seem to be complaining about the short single player campaign, but for me this is a positive thing, not a negative. Too many games these days want to be as epic as the Lord of the Rings trilogy. No bad thing?
Perhaps. But I can tell you, I watched the Lord of the Rings trilogy once, thought it was fantastic, and have never watched it again.
God of War is a bit like that too. I finished it, loved it, but have no urge to play it again.
So far, I’ve completed Halo 3 on normal difficulty, and I thought it was far more enjoyable than Halo 2. I’m now attempting to run through it again on both Heroic difficulty (solo) and Legendary difficulty (co-operatively). It has massive replay value for me, and when you add into the mix the online modes which can be customised in a staggering numbers of ways, the game represents fantastic value.
The main problem I have with Halo 3 is that the multiplayer maps are not as good as those in Halo 2.
Bungie, please remake “Blood Gulch” (remade as “Coagulation” in Halo 2), “Headlong”, “Ascension” & “Waterworks” (and any other Halo 2 maps you wish to convert).
Xbox Live Port Forwarding
I ran a network test in the Xbox Live dashboard today and it showed my NAT status as “Moderate”. I researched it quickly and it turns out there’s a good reason why I would want this working correctly.
Microsoft insists that I need to buy an “Xbox Live Certified Router”.
I love my little Netgear DG834. I’m sure that’s just Microsoft speak for “we don’t want to tell you the technical way, we’d rather just sell certification logos to hardware companies”.
2 minutes of Google research confirmed that you simply have to forward a couple of ports to the Xbox internal IP: 3074 (UDP+TCP) & 88 (UDP).
Hey presto! The connection test is now showing as open, and I’ve saved myself from having to buy a new router.
12 Games For Windows
This is a reposting of an old entry from 2005.
With all the of today’s high powered games consoles and hyped-up PC game releases, it is easy to forget that there is an active shareware game development community online who are making some incredible games. These games are usually priced somewhere between $0 and $20, and offer just as much entertainment, if not more, than the commercial games seen on the shelf of your local store.
Showcased here are 12 of the best, though there are plenty more out there that are just a download away. These games are all Windows based, but some have Mac & Linux versions available too.
Solsuite 2005
Homepage / Download for Windows
Solsuite is a complete collection of solitaire card games (currently 424 variations). With customisable decks & backgrounds, and a detailed analysis of your previous games, Solsuite is a perfect time filler, or simply a nice way to unwind and relax. Mac users, check out Solitaire XL or Solitaire Till Dawn X.
n
Homepage / Download for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux
‘n’ is a fantastic and original 2d platform game, reminiscent of Lode Runner. It combines an awesome physics engine with simplistic (but very effective) graphics to make a highly addictive game that will have you pulling your hair out in frustration at times. Even more amazing is that the whole game is made using Macromedia Flash.
Enigmo
Homepage / Download for Windows, Mac OS X
Enigmo is a 3D puzzle game where you move various streams of flowing liquid so that the droplets get to their destination. Liquids (water, oil, and lava) fall from "droppers" and will bounce around the walls of a mechanism. You move and rotate into position various types of bumpers, sliders, accelerators, and sponges in order to divert the flow of the falling droplets.
Kyodai Mahjongg
Homepage / Download for Windows
Kyodai is one of, if not the best Mahjongg game ever to make it onto computer. Presented in either 3D or 2D, with loads of customisations, gameplay modes and the ability to create your own tilesets. The purpose of the game is to remove all the tiles from a board, which must be be removed in pairs. Any tile that is removed must be free on either the left or right side. The rules are simple and the game is extremely addictive!
D U O
Homepage / Download for Windows
A completely original (and somewhat abstract) 2D shooter. There’s nothing else like this out there. The graphics, sound and overall presentation is amazing. It has 3 different gameplay styles, and an array of configurable options. Download it today! Did I mention it’s free?
Gish
Homepage / Download for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux
Gish is a game with incredible physics and totally original gameplay. You take on the role of Gish, a ball of tar out to save his girlfriend (WTF?). Despite the premise, it’s an incredibly addictive game with loads of hidden secrets and many different modes of play, including a VS. mode.
Hamsterball
Homepage / Download for Windows
Hamsterball is basically Marble Madness meets Super Monkey Ball, but manages to be better than both. Guide Hammy through a complex series of obstacle courses while playing against the clock. Includes multiplayer races and party games.
Break Quest
Homepage / Download for Windows
Remember Arkanoid/Breakout? That’s the closest relative to this game, but that description does not do Break Quest any justice. Incredible presentation, music, graphics, sound and completely original gameplay throughout makes Break Quest a keeper. Mac users should check out DX Ball.
Mario Pac
Homepage / Download for Windows
Mario Pac is Mario Sunshine meets JetPac, in 2D. If you enjoyed the ZX Spectrum Classic, JetPac, you’ll love this. A great fusion of two completely different games into one.
Pocket Tanks
Homepage / Download for Windows, Mac OS X
Pocket Tanks is a modern remake of the older turn-based tank games that involved calculating and adjusting force and trajectory in order to strike your opponent (seen more recently in the 2D "Worms" series). Although it has a single player mode, it’s better playing against a friend.
Cosmo Bots
Homepage / Download for Windows, Mac OS X
A modern remake of Qix / Jezzball. Cosmo Bots is one of those games that you just can’t stop playing! It’s fun, easy, yet takes skill to master, and has over 500 levels of gameplay.
Revolved
Homepage / Download for Windows
Revolved is a unique puzzle game derived from an old idea. The basic aim is to rotate the fuses so that they make a complete square of the same colour. You’re working against the clock, to generate enough power to complete the level. Addictive, gorgeous, fun.. get it now.