Sports games are annual events. Each year a new sports title is rolled out, and diehard fans scoop it up without question. For a long time, I was not like this, but nowadays, I indeed plunk down the cash for the newest baseball or basketball game. NBA In The Zone '98 was the first five on five basketball game on the Nintendo 64 way back in the day. For years, it was the only console basketball game I had owned. My preference on simulated basketball was the NBA Live games for the PC, beginning with the awesome NBA Live '98. With so many sports games out there to choose from, some do indeed stick inside ones mind and memory forever, and In The Zone '98 is a prime example of such.

     I remember quite clearly that my brother and I saved up our allowance just to buy the newest basketball game. Mind you, games back then cost an exorbitant 70 dollars. Yes, $70. In today's day and age, most games are $60, and we complain about the price. $70 is just insane, but we all went for it. We couldn't resist! The games looked so intriguing!

     It is now 2011, 13 years after the In The Zone '98 was released, and I still for some reason play it today. With some of the best basketball games of our generation at my fingertips like NBA Live '10, and the amazing NBA 2K11, I still take the time to revisit In The Zone '98. It must be the sentimental value. It must be the incredibly blurry graphics. Maybe it is my pure love of the game of basketball. Maybe it's the legends that are featured in the game - Patrick Ewing, Clyde Drexler, Hakeem Olajuwon, Allan Houston, Charles Barkley, and Roster Player. Who? My mistake, I mean Michael Jordan...just not to confuse you, Roster Player is a white guy with #99, but is also the starting shooting guard for the Chicago Bulls. Either way, it's all awesome!

     The gameplay is pretty basic, and the features are practically unplayable without sapping an entire controller pak to save it all. It doesn't matter though. It's all about the exhibition in this game. It's pure fun. No glitz, not a whole lot of razzle dazzle, just a simple game with big time players. It has its own unique charm.

     Nowadays, you can find In The Zone '98 in retro game store bargain bins for a dollar or two - a long way from 70. And though it is a game that is largely forgotten by most by now, it will always have a special place in my heart.

-Kurt L.

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     The newest Ethos Video is here! Time to play a bad game for a change! Enjoy the newest video (and I use the term "enjoy" loosely, as this game is pretty awful)! Thank you always for watching!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuepStE9nrY

-Kurt L.

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     Naturally, like any other game out there, Fallout 3 does indeed have a story that progresses you through the game, but ultimately how you reach that destination is up to you. The premise is simple and quite endearing - you are a young man in search of his father (brilliantly voiced by Liam Neeson by the way). Amazingly, you start off as a little baby, and I've never seen a FPS game starting you off as a toddler! As brief as that is, it is still quite a welcome surprise. I digress.

     The true brilliance in Fallout 3 lies in the unknown - and what I mean is how things exactly will play out. From the early goings, you realize that essentially every action you take, or any word you say, will reflect how people react to you as a person. There is a "Karma" rating. If you rob or kill someone, you get "Bad Karma." If you save someone, or do generous or gracious acts, you get "Good Karma." Based on how your overall Karma rating is, the world around you perceives you to be as good as your actions are. It is a fascinating system. I generally prefer to have as much Good Karma as I possibly can, but that if I need to do something a little dangerous, or something outrageous, I will not hesitate, as I am simply following my own path.

     One of my favorite moments early on as I was just understanding the game was when I first emerged from the Vault in which my character was born and I first travelled into the depths of the Wasteland. I came across this small, ramshackle house and went inside. I spoke to the innocent homeowner about the Wasteland to gather more information, and when she went into the other room, and I wandered into her kitchen in search of food or a weapon for survival. I remember seeing a knife on the table and wondered if I should take it. If I did, that would be stealing, but I needed a weapon to survive out there - at least to start. I ultimately stole the knife because my primary goal at this point was to survive as best I could. I got a little Bad Karma from that action, but over the course of the game it obviously blew over. But the very idea that I pondered so much about robbing a knife is something I've never done before. What other game could make you think so much?

     Another brilliant time was when I was negotiating with a group of vampires who were terrorizing this town I wandered into, and being a good samaritan, I wanted to help this town out. I thought to go in guns blazing against these blood thirsty vampires, but decided not to, but rather use my own intelligence and speech to influence them not to attack the town any longer. I remember it being a sketchy and uneasy conversation, but eventually we came to an understanding and the vampires left the town alone. Wow. Since when can that happen in a video game?!

     There are countless times in Fallout 3 where I have taken the diplomatic approach. Sometimes I did not, like at this slave camp. I remember not caring for the way the brusque guard was talking to me, so I blew his head off with my shotgun and rescued the slaves. It was awesome.

     There really is a lot to say about Fallout 3, and I know I haven't discussed every facet of the game, and without going on and on for pages on end about it, let me just say that this is a truly incredible game. Graphically, it is a powerhouse. The action is pretty tight with a wide variety of weaponary. While this game may have the occaisional bug or hiccup when playing (once or twice it froze on me), 99.9% of the time, this game plays flawlessly and it just blows you away every step of the way.

     Believe me when I tell you this game is incredible. If you've never played it, you simply must! It isn't overly complicated with its leveling up systems and all that stuff in some more conventional RPG's, Fallout 3 is relatively easy to understand, and it becomes a supremely fun game to master.

     Fallout 3 is on my list of Top 10 Favorite Video Games of All Time. It was my pick for the 2008 Game of the Year, and it still leaves a tremendous impact on me to this day as much as a game can impact you. This game sort of reminds me of that quote from the Terminator films..."No fate but what we make." Brilliant.

-Kurt L.

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    Being Jedi Outcast was such a success in my book, I was pretty excited for Jedi Academy and bought it day of release. That doesn’t mean I didn’t have my doubts however. One of my biggest concerns was the fact the face of the franchise, Kyle Katarn, wasn’t the main playable character of this game. Instead players will be able to create their own Jedi to be, Jaden Korr, from a slew of different create a character options. These options include the typical items such as male and female, facial feature, and clothing design. The more interesting aspects are you can also choose from a variety of different races, like the Rodian for example. Another nice feature is you will have the ability to create your own lightsaber, by choosing different hilts and blade colors. In the later levels, you will also gain access to dual wielding sabers, and the ever popular double bladed variety. That means players won’t have to go through several average levels just to get their lightsaber, you’ll have it from the start of the game, and odds are it’s the only weapon you’ll want to use.

    Having the ability to create your own character isn’t necessarily a bad thing for this game, but it does have some draw backs that docks a few points from the overall feel of Jedi Academy. For starters, Jedi Academy’s plot isn’t as nearly well polished as its predecessor’s. Jedi Academy’s story revolves around Jaden Korr learning the ways of the force, and of course the fate of the galaxy is at stake. After Jaden, and his (or her) friend Rosh are assigned to their master, Kyle Katarn, the cookie cutter adventure begins. I know that sounds harsh, being as a whole Jedi Academy really isn’t terrible, but Jaden’s quest to become one with the force doesn’t have the emotional impacts Jedi Outcast had. Although it does have decent moments, Jedi Academy’s story lacks the overall maturity that the Jedi Knight series has been known for. Mainly do to the fact players have control over which mission they will complete next out of 3 series of 4 possible missions instead of having a standard linear experience. Another flaw to Jedi Academy’s story is in the voice acting. For the majority of the time, the voice acting is fine, but being players can choose between a male and female character, that ultimately means there must be a male and female voice actor for Jaden. Any time Jaden speaks, no matter what the sex is, the characters lines feel like they have simply been copied and pasted into place. On occasion, some character’s lines even slightly overlap one another, and this just take a player out of the entire experience.

    Jedi Academy’s game mechanics are where this game really comes to life, as it builds on the foundations set in place by Jedi Outcast. The main focus here is pure action from start to finish, and its pretty rewarding. As to be suspected, Jedi Academy is also a mix of 3rd and first person perspectives. While using the large array of blasters, bow casters, and other authentic or unique Star Wars weapons game play transfers into a first person shooter. Using ranged weapons can have its advantages, but in terms of this game feels a bit unnecessary being players will have access to their lightsaber from the get go as I mentioned earlier. Being the lightsaber is going to be the main weapon of choice, the game will almost exclusively be a 3rd person adventure. Unlike Jedi Outcast, the ability to enter a first person view for saber combat has been removed. Some might miss this feature, but Jedi Academy has plenty of new attacks and character animations to take its place which makes fighting feel much more diverse. These new attacks and animations only become even more unique once the player is given the choice to upgrade to using two lightsabers or the double-bladed lightsaber. The addition to these two choices really brings the action to life, as your character will be able to do more devastating attacks.

    And what would a Jedi Knight game be without force powers? Well, it wouldn’t be Jedi Academy that’s for sure. Jaden’s greatest ally, the force, has also undergone some changes since the last installment of the Jedi Knight franchise. The force is just as powerful as it was in Jedi Outcast, there are just more force abilities players can take advantage of. There are both light side abilities, and dark side abilities. The light side powers, which include Force Healing, Force Protection, Force Absorption, and the Jedi Mind Trick are generally defensive abilities that are used to aid Jaden. The dark side powers are a little bit more interesting. They include Force Grip, Force Lightning, Force Rage, and Force Drain. These are Jaden’s offensive abilities, and are pretty darn cool. The biggest change to the force in Jedi Academy, is the fact players will have control over which abilities they want to focus on. That means if you are the master of your own destiny, and Jaden will truly reflect your personal play style.

    Multiplayer has also returned with Jedi Academy, which added a lot of life to the overall replay ability of the game. All of the same modes that were offered in Jedi Outcast are still intact, and players can choose to use a pre-made character like Luke Skywalker or Kyle Katarn as their online avatar. Of course, their Jaden Korr is also playable online. Like Jedi Outcast, the amount of gamers still playing online has diminished over the years although some still remain. In its day, I spent many hours playing Jedi Academy’s multiplayer and it is a blast. If you can’t find a human opponent, you can still play against Bots. Although its not the same as playing against someone else, its still worth playing.

    Graphically, Jedi Academy isn’t drastically different than Jedi Outcast. Being Jedi Outcast had some pretty decent graphics, I’m not too disappointed in how Jedi Academy looks although it would have been nice to see a little bit more in terms of that “wow” factor. I also ran into compatibility issues Jedi Academy while running Window’s Vista (what else is new right?), so setting this game to run with in Windows XP mode will definitely save you a lot of heartache is trying to run Jedi Academy with a newer operating system.

    Sure Jedi Academy didn’t take a huge step forward for the Jedi Knight franchise, but I can say with absolute certainty that I had a lot of fun playing this game. When you want some intense lightsaber action, and feel like tossing some storm troopers over a ledge with Force Grip, Jedi Academy is definitely a worthy investment.

Written by RB

Over and Out

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https://www.youtube.com/user/EthosReviews?feature=mhum#p/a/u/1/IkMxuWfxrXs

-Kurt L.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4HQ1nhXgl4

-Kurt L.

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    Halo: Reach tells the tale of the planet Reach, before the events that took place on the Pillar of Autumn and Master Chief’s awakening from his cryogenic sleep in the original Halo. Reach is invaded by the Covenant, all human life on the planet is being systematically, brutally executed. Obviously this doesn’t sit well with the super soldier Spartans that call Reach home, and Noble Team is going to fight back, hard.

    For the entire game, players will take the perspective of a rookie Spartan known only as Noble 6. This time around, players will create their own Spartan from the ground up. They will choose either a male or female soldier, and pick from a variety of customizable and upgradeable armor options. Like other Halo games, players will also design their emblems and color palates for their armor. These customizable options appear in full in the game’s amazing cut scenes, as well as online play.

    After players settle on a look for their Spartan, Noble 6 is quickly acquainted with his (or her) new squad mates. It doesn’t take too long for things to turn sour, and Noble Team to discover that the Covenant has indeed invaded Reach when they find farmers have been brutally murdered. Unfortunately for them and the planet, things only continue to get worse from there. As Noble Team progresses through Reach’s darkest days, their true characters begin to show. The formula in how each member of Noble Team is presented is similar to that in Halo: ODST, as Noble 6 will often be partnered up with one of the other five Nobles during each mission. That is where their similarities end however. Noble Teams world is literally being torn apart around them, and each character sets itself apart in the chaos that ensues. In their own way, they tell a story of courage and sacrifice when things are bleakest. Players will have no problem identifying with this cast, as they add a layer of humanity to the super human mystic of the Spartans. This helps concrete Halo: Reach as one of the best told stories in the franchise. For anyone who picks up Reach as their first Halo experience, they will have no problem following the straight forward plot. Hardcore fans will obviously find the experience deeper, as they will notice some of the more subtle moments that foreshadow events to come. There are also plenty of familiar faces that pop up and revelations that occur in reach that will please everyone, but I’ll leave it at that as to prevent any spoilers. This story really needs to be experienced first hand, and its well worth the investment.

    When it comes to game play, Halo: Reach is surprisingly rich. Reach is a culmination of everything that was great throughout the entire course of the franchise, along with some new additions that make those great elements even better. Before I even picked up the controller, Reach was a guarantee to be an outstanding first person shooter, and the first person aspects are indeed rock solid so there is no need to go into too much detail on that. New comers and veterans alike will have no problem popping off headshots with the good old M6G-Magnum pistol. There is also a large variety of alien and human weapons, with each having several new additions like a Grenade launcher or Needle Rifle just to name a few. Unfortunately, dual wielding weapons has yet to return to the Spartans. It is a missed opportunity, although really doesn’t effect the game. Reach’s AI as with many Halo games is spot on when it comes to the Enemy AI. The Covenant are cunning, lethal killers that will stop at nothing to take you down. The fact the Elites are back in action with the Covenant this time around makes them all the better. The human AI, isn’t quite as sharp for some reason although is better than what it was in ODST. The two most refreshing additions to Halo Reach however, is the use of armor abilities, and assassination attacks.

    Armor abilities are special items that are either issued at the start of a level, or picked up in the field. They allow your Spartan to have key skills that can give you the upper hand against those nasty alien invaders. The armor abilities are used with the LB button, and players will begin with the basic Sprint ability. Sprint obviously allows your Spartan quick bursts of speed, which can either save your life or thrust your straight into the heat of combat. Possibly the most interesting part of these armor abilities is there is something for every play style. Stealthy players who want to sneak up on enemies will probably want to use Active Camouflage the most, more aggressive players might enjoy a drop shield or Armor Lock that will protect them from incoming damage. All of these Armor abilities change the scope of game in Halo Reach, and each player should spend some time experimenting with which one they like best because these abilities now transfer into other modes of play.

    Easily the most entertaining addition to Halo: Reach is the use of assassination attacks. In every Halo, players have had the ability to give an unsuspecting grunt a good swift pistol whip to the back of the head. Alone, this was highly entertaining. Bungie has finally decided to develop this a bit more, and add a flashy animated kill to those who sneak up and take their enemies out silently. This seems like such a simple addition, but feels right at home in Halo. Its actually hard to believe that stealth kills are just finally showing up now this late in the franchise, but I digress. There is one draw back to these stealth kills. Players will still take damage, and can possibly be killed themselves while trying to pull this off. So choose when you want to sink that knife into an alien wisely, especially in firefight or online play!

    It goes without saying at this point, that Halo: Reach has extensive multiplayer options. The campaign can support up to 4 friends to join in either through a LAN network or Xbox Live. Although I can’t verify this myself being the game is still new, the campaign will apparently adjust its difficulty to the number of players that join into your game. So heroic or Legendary difficulties will remain just that. Firefight mode has also seen a dramatic revamp from its introduction in ODST. It is much more customizable, and features different equipment kits for players to choose from. In terms of the fights themselves, they feel much more dramatic and live up to the full potential of what this mode can be. I can say with absolute certainty Reach’s Firefight mode will get seriously more play time than its predecessors. And then there is of course the competitive online scene, where players join one another to see who really is Top Spartan. Many of the usual match ups remain the same, although they are on a much grander scale. Anyone who has played Halo online competitively will tell you it is incredibly addictive, and the quality of play hasn’t changed at all in Reach. One downside is, that several of the multiplayer maps players already have from the other Halo games have been recycled in Reach. There is nothing wrong with this per say, although it does feel kind of cheap. This isn’t just something that is tied to Halo however, and is something that is becoming common in all franchise that feature competitive online modes.

    Graphically, Halo Reach is one of the best looking games I’ve seen on the Xbox 360. The attention to detail is superb, whether in character and weapon design, or level design. Reach is truly a beautiful looking game, although there is a flaw. Yeah, you read that right, a flaw. Throughout my play time, I noticed a problem with motion blurring. At first, I though it was a problem with my TV or possibly my 360 which has had issues in the past. Fortunately, and unfortunately neither one of these was the cause. It is in fact an issue with the game itself. From time to time, Reach’s beautiful graphics are marred horribly by this motion blurring that resembles the “Ghosting Effect” from LCD/Plasma TVs that aren’t really designed for gaming. Although when this motion blur does occur it is rare, it is noticeable and shouldn’t have even made it into the finished copy. Hopefully, Bungie will issue a patch to correct this. If so, I will make comment on it at a later time in this review. Finally we come to one of my favorite aspects of the Halo franchise, which is sound. Excellent sound effects, and musical scores are a staple to the franchise. Halo Reach only continues that legacy with some of the best effects and music featured in any Halo game.

    Halo: Reach is a game that truly rewards its players. Everything you do in game helps earn you points to unlock new gear, and rank. With many ways to play, players will undoubtedly be spending a lot of time on the planet Reach and with good reason. Bungie pulled out all the stops in their final moments in the Halo universe they delivered us nearly a decade ago, and now they’re going to move onto new things. With that said and done, they once again delivered perhaps one of the best Halo experiences in the franchise. Anyone who has the ability to get their hands on a copy of this game owes it to themselves to do so, as it could contend for one of the best titles of this year.  Halo: Reach, reached for the stars and it paid off big.

Written by RB

Over and Out!

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     Universally hailed as one of the greatest video games in history, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is the subject of the newest Ethos Video Review. It is my honor to review this game, and it is also my pleasure to announce that this marks the 25th Ethos Video Review. We've discussed a lot of games, movies, music albums, and even our own website over the course of 25 videos, and it has been a blast working and developing each one throughout the course of the year so far. Let's hear it for another 25 videos and beyond! To kick off the new beginning, check out the newest Ethos video by clicking the link below. Thank you all for watching!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YpM7EatnpM

-Kurt L.

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     Pitfall! is an incredibly challenging game as to beat it, you must survive all 255 different screens with only 3 lives. Unfortunately, you will never have more than 3 lives as their is no way to earn new ones. These improbable odds make the game nearly impossible to defeat, but you'll have a blast either way. It is one of the definitive Atari 2600 games, and one of the best on the system.

     One of the best elements of this game, is that is has personality. So many of these old games are just bizarre and confusing in their presentation and seem like archaic pieces of technology not able to keep up with todays uber-evolved games. Yet Pitfall! still seems so playable today. Sure, it is ancient, and games have really come a long way, but it is still fun and that is a testament to the power of this old Atari cartridge.

     Pitfall! spawned various sequels and re-makes for the NES, the SNES, the Genesis, and more modern versions on the Wii. While some of the sequels were valiant efforts, like the one for the SNES, none of them were able to recapture the magic of the Atari original. As a side note, Super Pitfall for the NES is atrocious - stay far away from it. Anyway, there is a unique charm in Pitfall!. Take the moment when Harry jumps onto vines to swing past lakes and whatnot, and you'll hear like a sort of Tarzan like cry in that old blippy sound effect glory.

     Apparently, a profound influence on this game is the great Indiana Jones adventure, Raiders of the Lost Ark. There was an Atari game based on that movie, but it was awful. Pitfall! does a much better job at capturing the excitement of a Indy-like adventure.

     A rather difficult video game, but an undisputed classic. Pitfall! is a ton of fun to play...though expect to go through a bit of trial and error to get through some of the tougher screens. Best of luck to you if you can sucessfully survive all 255 screens - the mark of a true legendary explorer and adventurer!

-Kurt L.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeUB8daNzOg

-Kurt L.

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