Byte Size Reviews

bsawinski: THROWBACK video game art showBelle Isle Yacht...

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 18:22:50 -0500

THROWBACK video game art show
Belle Isle Yacht Pub
7521 South Orange Avenue
Orlando, FL

January 14th @ 9pm
Nostalgic video game art, something that spans generations, something everyone can relate to. Come and support independent artists in the Orlando area.

Artists:

Cade Mikaels

Ileana Rincon

Chris Saupp

Jacqueline Tombari

Paul Defrin

Jason D Ault

Chris Redmon

Alexandor Leith

Tara Renee

and many more …

Above image by Jason D Ault

VidRhythm for your iDevice This video was made with a fun app...

Sat, 29 Oct 2011 01:54:44 -0400

VidRhythm for your iDevice

This video was made with a fun app created by Harmonix called VidRhythm. Yes, that’s the same Harmonix that can probably be called the father of the music rhythm genre as we know it today. This app is not so much a game as it is an interactive toy but it’s pretty entertaining. Basically you just follow the directions, making the appropriate sounds when prompted, and watch the magic unfold. There’s 20 songs to choose from and I’m sure if the app sells well, they will add more. No need to be a musical genius, Harmonix handles all of that greatness for you. The app is $1.99 in the App Store and works on any iDevice that has a camera.

iTunes Link

Byte Size Reviews QT: New iPad Keyboard Feature If you use your...

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 10:00:05 -0400

Byte Size Reviews QT: New iPad Keyboard Feature

If you use your iPad as much as I do, you probably hate the on-screen keyboard as well. You can’t type like a real human being with it at all. This new feature fixes that somewhat but I’ll still probably rely on my Bluetooth keyboard for any serious typing.

Byte Size Reviews: 72pins.com Now to collect them all!

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 15:45:00 -0400

Byte Size Reviews: 72pins.com

Now to collect them all!

Tiny Wings Review

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 10:00:06 -0400

Let’s go ahead and get this out of the way first: Tiny Wings is not Angry Birds. It doesn’t look like Angry Birds, it does not play like Angry Birds, and IT IS NOT ANGRY BIRDS. Okay? Are we still cool? Good. Read on for the reviews…

So what is Tiny Wings? If you’re like me, you have noticed this game at the top of the App Store charts for quite some time. If I was forced to describe the game in one sentence, it would look a little something like this: Tiny Wings is an auto-run game that you can fly in. That’s pretty much what the game consist of more or less. You have control over, get this, a bird with tiny wings. You control this tiny winged bird, who I will now name Francis, with just a touch of the screen. Touching the screen allows Francis to start moving to the right traversing over hills on his epic journey to flight. In order to fly, you will simply lift your finger off of the screen and use the hills as ramps to get Francis in the air. Naturally, the more momentum you have, the higher Francis can get and the farther he will fly. The game is that simplistic but don’t confuse simplicity with easy. This game gets intense fast.

The game is broken up into islands in which Francis is frantically trying to get to. Each island can be considered a stage in the game. You also have a timer that is represented by a day/night cycle. You must get to the other islands quickly because night is attempting to put you to sleep. The look of the game also changes from day to day, giving you a new look for each stage thanks to the procedural generated graphics. So you can play the game on Monday and have it look completely different on Tuesday. I have no idea how many stages are in the game because I don’t have the skills to get past Island 6.

This game is only a buck in the App Store and it’s well worth the price of admission. If you have an iDevice, you will not regret spending the money on this title. This game highly addicting and you will not want to put it down.

iTunes Link

Byte Size Reviews: Vindictus Interview Here’s a video that...

Sat, 25 Sep 2010 13:30:21 -0400

Byte Size Reviews: Vindictus Interview

Here’s a video that Chanh and I shot while we were in Seattle. It’s for the upcoming game Vindictus which will be a free to play MMO. You can get a chance to play it now if you have a early access beta key, which I so happen to have a few. From what we played of the game in Seattle, it is pretty impressive but I’ll let you watch the video to determine that for yourself. This will probably be one of the only MMO games that I get into in my life time. Plus free is always an attractive price.

Vindictus Early Access Beta Did you like what you saw in that...

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 13:51:00 -0400

Vindictus Early Access Beta

Did you like what you saw in that video? Want to play something like that right now? Well today is your lucky day. I will be giving a way beta codes to play Vindictus until I run out of them. Later this month I should have an interview that was conducted with Chris G$, an Assistant Producer of Vindictus. He’s last name isn’t G$ but you’ll see more on that when the interview hits the site.

All you have to do in order to receive a beta key is:

*Reblog this post
*Follow Byte Size Reviews because that’s what Tumblr is for.
*Use the ‘Ask’ function of the site to send me your email along with your Tumblr account name so I can make sure you did the first two things.
*Then I will use a complicated algorithm to determine the receivers of these beta codes. Or I’ll just give you one.

After all that is done, you will be on your way to some hack and slash MMORPG goodness. The great thing about these beta keys is that they mutate. Basically your 1 beta key will turn into 2 beta keys that you can then use to share with your friends. The process keeps happening until everyone in the world is playing Vindictus.

Byte Size Reviews: The Incident I did a quick reviews of the...

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:00:00 -0400

Byte Size Reviews: The Incident

I did a quick reviews of the game The Incident. You can purchase the game from the App Store for $1.99. It’s a universal app which means it is optimized for your iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. Overall I wasn’t too impressed with the game. It looks awesome and has a great 8-bit art style complete with a pretty decent chiptune soundtrack. This is a case of style over substance. What you see in the video is what you get the whole time. While most iPhone games have that addictive nature, this one did not for me.

Kinect: A Flop in the Making?

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:00:00 -0400

Not enough room for the Kinect

According to the official Kinect page, located here, you need at least 6 feet between you and your TV. Judging from this awesome video over at Giant Bomb, the 6 feet requirement does not seem to be the an accurate amount of space needed to actually play a game with Kinect. In fact, I would go so far as to say that Microsoft is being somewhat deceptive and careful with their wording. I can see why - if they just came out and said that this setup would require anywhere from 6-10 feet of space, I’d guess that most people would write it off in a heartbeat. I personally do not have 6 feet of extra space in the room I game in. That is the single reason I will not be buying the Kinect anytime soon, or probably ever. This is also the number one of the reason why I think the device is going to fall flat on its face. Most of the gamers I know, do not do their gaming in the living room. They either have a setup in a dorm room, bedroom, or in an office space. Parents, on the other hand, are a different story.

Judging from the marketing of the device, we all know the Kinect is being pushed hard to families. For the most part, Microsoft has the hardcore audience in their back pocket and they are setting their eyes on the Wii fan base. This is all fine and well, but I don’t think they realize why the Wii was such a huge hit. I believe it was partly because the way you interact with the Wii is pretty intuitive, which the Kinect does have going for it. The other part, which is arguably a much bigger factor, is the price point. I’m not going to get into the numbers game, but the Kinect is going to be a bigger investment than the Wii, simple as that. Price won’t be such a big factor with the hardcore audience, but Mom isn’t about to drop an extra 100 bucks so Jimmy can jump around the living room acting like a raging demon.

Wow! Look at all these awesome and exciting games!

So we have the price factor and the space requirement hindering this device from being something potentially awesome. Do you think I’m missing something else? Oh that’s right, there’s no software worth buying this thing for. Ok, I’ll give you Dance Central, that might be okay for parties. I will also admit Child of Eden looks very intriguing, but I see nothing that makes me want to move my gaming setup into the living room.

So, to keep it simple for the TLDR crowd, the Kinect is most likely never going to appeal to the hardcore audience due to the space requirements and parents will hesitate to pick it up because of the price barrier. Also, there are no software at launch that will really push the device.

The Value Proposition

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 12:00:00 -0400

Only four of these games was worth full price IMHO. Guess which ones.

More than any other group of people who consume entertainment, I believe gamers are one of the largest group that are always on the hunt for bargains. With websites like Cheap Ass Gamer and PC Game Deals, it’s even easier for us to find great games on the cheap. For some reason, most reviews leave out the value proposition all together. “Is this game worth $60?” is a question I get all the time from my peers. This crucial tidbit of information is something that needs to be addressed for all games and I intend to educate you on why.

There are only three things that will ultimately sway your decision on buying a game; how much you are looking forward to a game, what your friends think about the game, and how much it cost. If you are really excited about the next installment of Halo, then it really doesn’t matter how much it cost because chances are you have your mind set on buying it day one. If a ton of your friends are buying a game that is multiplayer heavy, you tend to forget about the price at that point and pick it up to engage in the festivities. Reviewers don’t really get the chance to give an input on these factors but price is a different story.

If you keep in mind that all reviews are someone’s opinion, then price can easily be a part of that review process. Everyone has their own price point at which they are willing to pay for certain type of games. If we have more reviewers including the value proposition in their reviews, we will get a larger opinion base to make our decision of whether the game is worth the money. If enough people are saying that a game is only worth a purchase at $30, then chances are that’s the truth. We all know there are a ton of games that we wouldn’t buy for full price but would actually consider it when the price dropped to something more reasonable.

Case in point, 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand is a game that is not worth full price. It received a 71 on Metacritic and was generally poorly received by most reviewers. While this game did have its fair share of problems, this game is a great purchase at $20 or lower. Same goes for Conan. If you can find this game in a bargain bin for $10, I would highly recommend you pick it up. Playing this game at that price point, you can forgive the mechanical issues with this game and just enjoy playing it. At the end of the day, enjoyment is what matters. I know I can’t enjoy a game that I paid full price for if it’s riddled with bugs and horrible control issues.

Also, stop whining about $15 Xbox Live Arcade games. If you don’t want to pay that price, don’t play the game. It’s as simple as that.

Byte Size Reviews QH: Xbox 360 S So like many gamers across...

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 11:41:11 -0400

Byte Size Reviews QH: Xbox 360 S

So like many gamers across the world, I broke down and upgraded my old 360 for the new hotness. I have to say, I’m really happy with my decision. Not only is the new 360 smaller in size but it is damn near silent. I wouldn’t have did the upgrade if I could get away with doing it for little to no money.

If you still own a Xbox 360 without a HDMI port, you should probably look into upgrading. Actually, just wait until it breaks down before you jump to this console. I mean, it’s only a matter of time before your console blows up. Trust me, I’ve seen things.

No Wireless Love from OnLive You may not be as shocked as I am...

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 19:09:58 -0400

No Wireless Love from OnLive

You may not be as shocked as I am but the fact that I can’t jump on a Wi-Fi connection to use OnLive is bananas to me. I understand it’s in beta but they need feedback and I’m giving it to them. I’m still not positive on what market that OnLive is striving for but I guess time will tell.

Byte Size Reviews: iPhone 4 I had to make a quick video giving...

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:27:00 -0400

Byte Size Reviews: iPhone 4

I had to make a quick video giving my thoughts on the iPhone 4. Overall, I love it. I was ready to jump ship with the announcement of the EVO 4G until I realized the battery life on that phone was horrible. I’m not having any issues with the iPhone that most people are claiming to have. If you have any questions, feel free to get in contact with me and I’ll help you out.

I wanted to see what kind of video the iPhone 4 would spit out,...

Sat, 26 Jun 2010 00:22:24 -0400

I wanted to see what kind of video the iPhone 4 would spit out, so I shot a little of my game room. The first thing that was very apparent to me was the lack of image stabilization. I do not and probably will never have steady hands but I’m not THAT bad. Overall I’m pleased with the video that came out of the phone. People need to remember that it’s not some top of the line camera and align their feelings accordingly.

Plus I’m sure someone will make an app…for that. I’m sorry.

Smurf view for iPhone 4 Streaming Apps

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 18:23:00 -0400

Streaming apps like uStream Live Broadcaster and Qik Live have been awesome for those who both own an iPhone 3GS and enjoy streaming their life across the Internet. Naturally, you’d think that these apps would be great on the new and improved iPhone 4 right? Unfortunately, you’d be dead wrong.

Both the Qik and uStream apps give the video this strange blue tint that is only visible to the viewers of your stream. The footage on the iPhone itself is crystal clear and shows no signs of Smurf land shenanigans. I’m guessing this is probably an issue that can easily be fixed with an update to the code of each program but as of right now, I’d have to recommend staying away from either.

Sample Qik footage

I know nothing about this comic book called Red but this trailer...

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 15:04:17 -0400

I know nothing about this comic book called Red but this trailer caught my attention. I’ll have to keep an eye out for this one. The cast stars awesome people like Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, and Mary-Louise Parker. There’s probably a ton more but I only mentioned the people that I like.

iPhone 4 GET!

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 13:54:43 -0400

Needless to say, I have issues. I’ve only paid fully for 1 of these phones because I refuse to pay retail for most things. You’d be surprised how much a 3G or 3GS goes for on eBay these days. Expect a “review” either tomorrow or Monday. Never post things on the weekends is my new motto.

Byte Size Reviews: Unthinkable

Sun, 20 Jun 2010 01:01:00 -0400

I just finish watching a direct to DVD movie called Unthinkable and my mind is blown away. The movie stars Samuel L. Jackson as a hardcore interrogator asked to question an American Muslim man about the whereabouts of 3 nuclear bombs placed in 3 different United States cities. I could go into more of the cast and the reason why the government has reason to believe that this man was responsible for the nuclear bombs but I don’t want to give away the entire plot. Trust me, what happens in the movie is well seeking out and you’ll excuse this weak synopsis.

The movie surprised me a great deal and makes me wonder why I never heard of it until a week ago. It will have you questioning a lot of your own beliefs and thinking if what took place was justified in the end. During the course of the movie I was asking myself these same questions and more. It’s not great by any stretch of the imagination but it is a piece that I think will be overlooked without any thought. It is worth watching. Trust me.

I would highly recommend every to track down a copy of this movie and check it out for yourself. There are various torture scenes in the movie but nothing to extreme in my opinion. I need more people to see this so I can have someone to discuss it with.

Download Tilt to Live Now!

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 23:55:00 -0400

Do you have an iPhone or iPod Touch? Do you enjoy free things? Do you like having fun? Then do yourself a favor today and download the FREE FOR TODAY game called Tilt to Live. I purchased this game when it was $1.99 and I’ve been addicted to it ever since. I’m not even going to go into how awesome the game is because it’s FREE! Just download it, what do you have to lose?

DO IT NOW!

You may or may not have heard but AT&T are switching their...

Wed, 02 Jun 2010 13:58:48 -0400

You may or may not have heard but AT&T are switching their data plans for iPhone and iPad users on June 7th. Essentially, there will be 2 plans:

$15 - DataPlus which has a cap of 200 MB per month
$25 - DataPro which has a cap of 2GB per month

So for some reason, I quickly checked how much data I was using in a panic. Turns out, I’m not using nearly as much as I thought. My biggest month was 694 MB and that’s probably with tethering. Then that lead me to this question: Why are people freaking out? I’d be highly surprised if anyone is using over 2GB on their iPhone/iPad but freaking out is the natural response when we feel someone is “taking” something from us. I encourage you to check your data history before you start flame wars on the internet.

Not only do I not care about this data plan change but they are also going to be saving me 5 bucks a month. For me, this is a win win situation.

Oh, they also mentioned something about a tethering plan for 20 bucks a month. Just jailbreak your phone and disregard that announcement.