Effective Software for Ripping Your Games With Ease

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If you want to learn how to rip Xbox 360 games then there are a few things you need to overcome in order to make perfect working copies of your games.

Ripping console games today is not only possible but so simply and easy once you get your hands on the reliable and effective software. In the past the only way to rip 360 games and get them to work on your Xbox 360 was to mod your console, those gamers who went down this path were banned from the Xbox Live community by Microsoft.

Thankfully you don’t have to do anything silly like modify your hardware or any other hacks in order to copy your games and get them working on your console.

The fastest and more reliable way to make working copies of your games is to download specialized software made to rip them within minutes.

You may already know that every game you own has copyright protection (encryption) on it by game developers in order to protect themselves from piracy and other unauthorised duplication issues.

This is the reason that regular dvd burning and creation software does not work for burning console games, you first must bypass the data encryption.

Thanks to some clever software developers and engineers you can now rip not only your Xbox 360 games but virtually every single console game on the market in a few quick clicks.

There are so many game copy software solutions on the market today and some work extremely well while others fail miserably to deliver or require modifications and other hacks in order to work properly.

If you want a no frills, simple and straight forward then you need to get your hands on Easy Backup Wizard.

Software to Backup Console Games

Title: Easy Backup Wizard

Website: http://www.easybackupwizard.com

Price: $29.95

Easy Backup Wizard is one of the most reliable and simple to use applications on the market that can create perfect 1:1 rips of your 360 games fast. What I love about the software is that it can be safely rip almost every single console game including older consoles;

• Xbox & Xbox 360
• Sony PS2, PS3 & PSP
• Nintendo Wii, DS (DSi)
• and more  for the full list of supported consoles visit: www.easybackupwizard.com

Ripping Xbox 360 games with Easy Backup Wizard couldn’t be any easier, all you need to do is;

If you want to learn how to rip your games on your home PC or Mac then you can’t go past the great tool and service offered by the Easy Backup Wizard team.

20 Years of Sonic

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Sonic Generations celebrates 20 years of the blue hedgehog gracing the video gaming world with his super speed and charming ways. Most of us have grown up with Sega’s blue blur and have fought many battles against Robotnik, sorry, Eggman! However, let’s admit that since Sonic leapt into the 3D world, things just haven’t been the same. Glitches, Big the Cat and more glitches, have unfortunately ruined the Sonic games of recent years. Thankfully with Sonic Generations, Sega listened to their fans and have created a game to wow the pants off just about any Sonic the Hedgehog fan.

Story

Sonic and his charming little buddies are having a nice little birthday party for our blue hero, when suddenly a mysterious smoke monster steals everyone away and traps them in different time zones. It’s up to good old 1990’s Sonic and modern gangly Sonic to rescue everyone by revisiting the past and eventually tracking down this big bad smoke monster that is tearing through time and space. Admittedly the story is a little far-fetched, but c’mon, since when have lighthearted platformers ever stuck to a heart pounding serious plot?

Gameplay

The main focal point of this fantastic game is the fact that gameplay shifts between 3D and 2D. One minute you’re taking control of 1990’s Sonic, where gameplay is pretty much the same as Sonic 4. The next you’re speeding through the zone with modern Sonic who can do all of the awesome moves that have been seen in Sonic Unleashed.

A nice little addition to the game is the skill shop, which as you can probably guess, allows you to purchase skills and assign them to Sonic. You’ll also acquire skills upon collecting red stars or simply finishing the game which nets you the Super Sonic skill. Some of these skills are particularly handy when you’re coming to that point where you want to prove your worth and bag some S ranks. Thankfully, S ranks are nowhere near as challenging as the 2006 Sonic the Hedgehog or Sonic Unleashed!

The best thing about the gameplay in Sonic Generations is that it sticks to its original platformer characteristics and doesn’t attempt to incorporate any sort of RPG elements into it. This is brilliant because when we play a Sonic game, we don’t want to spend half an hour aimlessly wandering around a city filled with humans, looking for a specific character we must talk to before progressing, we simply want to be thrown into the next action packed stage!

Features

Unfortunately the game lacks any sort of multiplayer and the closest you’ll come to competing with friends, is uploading your speed run times on a worldwide leaderboard. Thankfully, what the game lacks in multiplayer, it soon makes up for in other ways. There are plenty of fun little side missions to get stuck into once you’ve finished the game, as well as the opportunity to unlock artwork, videos, music and even the original Sega Mega-Drive/Genesis Sonic the Hedgehog game.

Graphics

Much like any other Sonic game, the colouring is bright and some of the stages are absolutely gorgeous to look at. Most glitches, bugs and painful camera angles that you’re used to in 3D Sonic games have been ironed out and you’ll rarely die from something that isn’t your fault. Playing through revamped previous 2D levels really is awesome and there is nothing more satisfying than racing through Sky Sanctuary with the Death Egg prominent in the background.

Sound

The music in Sonic Generations nods its head to some memorable classics and modern favourites. From an auto-tuned dance remix of City Escape, to a drum and bass remix of Stardust Speedway, the music in Sonic Generations is absolutely incredible and makes the game that much more enjoyable to play. Of course the voice acting is a little over-dramatic and at times a little on the cheesy side, but it’s Sonic so what do you expect?

Downsides

Aside from the signature stage you wish didn’t exist (i.e. Planet Wisp) and a nonsensical final boss, the game is near enough flawless and a gem to any Sonic the Hedgehog fan. Sure, it could have done with a few more stages to add length to the game and perhaps more unlockable classic Sonic games, but hey – we can’t all get what we want!

Overall

Sonic Generations is a must-have for any Sonic the Hedgehog fan and definitely won’t disappoint those of you who love a good action packed platform game. Banished are all of the unimportant, tedious, Big the Cat types and instead the game is full-on, fast paced action stage after stage. Here’s to the future of Sonic games!

Sonic and Sega All Stars Racing

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Sonic and Sega Racing is essentially Mario Kart for Sega fans. There is no real story to the game – you simply race against various characters from the Sega world.  It’s a game designed for people who don’t want to take racing too seriously and it goes without saying that if you enjoyed Mario Kart or Sonic Drift, then you’ll love Sonic and Sega Racing!

Tell Me More…

Much like the Mario Kart games, the main aim of Sonic and Sega racing is to win races by any means necessary! Whether it’s firing rockets at opponents along the way, planting bombs on the race track or shooting confusion stars at unsuspecting drivers, there are plenty of fantastic ways to win each race. Each character also has a special ‘all stars’ move which is tailored to their background or history – for example Sonic will turn into super Sonic and Shadow will use chaos control. This is definitely a handy thing to have but it’s also a pain since players will easily be able to knock you out of first place. Of course each race course has a nice selection of shortcuts to help you reach first place, but they are also filled with disastrous obstacles to ruin your day! Though most of these obstacles are avoidable with a little skillful driving, you can’t help but rely on lady luck to avoid certain obstacles which literally pop out of nowhere.

As I mentioned earlier, you can choose from a nice selection of Sega racers. This ranges from classics such as Sonic, Tails and Alex Kidd, to more recent characters like Ryo, Beat and Shadow. Much like any competitive Sega game, most characters are locked and you’ll have to win certain races to unlock them.

The best thing about gameplay in this game is that you’ll rarely come across a dodgy camera angle or glitch that costs you the race, meaning it’s all down to skill and a little luck!

Graphics?

The graphics aren’t exactly the most life-like you’ll see on the Xbox 360, but what can you really expect from a whimsical racing game? Each level is bursting with colour and each character is smooth and detailed. The visuals won’t blow you away, but they’re definitely easy on the eye and nice to look at, especially in levels such as Seaside Hill and Shibuya Downtown.

Tunes:

The music in Sonic and Sega racing is brilliant and there are a number of familiar tunes such as Sweet Soul Brother and even Green Hill Zone, which easily put a smile on your face whilst you’re putting pedal to the metal. Unfortunately dialogue isn’t one of the games strong points and more often than not, the in-game commentator will frustrate you to no end.

Downers:

Despite Sonic and Sega Racing being packed with extra missions to complete, it won’t take you long to finish them all and there really is only so much racing you can do before it becomes laborious. It’s a brilliant game, but it’s definitely better to play it multiplayer rather than singular.

In The End:

Sonic and Sega racing is a top notch, lighthearted racing game that is guaranteed to provide you with lots of enjoyment. With plenty of recognizable characters and an array of fire power to see you along, Sonic and Sega Racing easily manages to rival the likes of Mario Kart. Racing on Xbox Live is the key to enjoying this fantastic game and if you’re not set up with a gold account, then you may tire of single player a lot sooner than you’d like.

Modern Warfare 3 Vs. Battlefield 3: World War FPS

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For months now, people have relentlessly been arguing over which highly anticipated first person shooter is the best. With sides being taken even before either release hit the shelves, it’s hard to gain an unbiased perspective. Well, since I’m neither a fanboy of the Battlefield games or the Call of Duty franchise, my loyalties will simply lie with which game is better, not which game is supposed to be better. So strap yourself in as this article explores what each game had to offer and which of them wins the battle!

Looking Good

As we all know, there was massive hype around Battlefield 3 utilizing the Frostbite 2 engine. In fact, it’s all you heard about when the word “Battlefield” was mentioned. Upon downloading and installing the 1.5 GB HD texture pack onto my Xbox 360, it was obviously a hint as to what to expect! Thankfully, I was relieved when I found that the game lived up to the hype in terms of graphical content. The game was absolutely stunning and at times it was hard to stop myself from drooling!

Modern Warfare 3’s graphics were definitely a step behind. Don’t get me wrong, they weren’t terrible, but they definitely weren’t on the same level as Battlefield 3. Explosions, water and action scenes were all fantastic to watch, but more often than not, the graphics felt a little too familiar. Therefore, Battlefield 3 wins this round.

Single Player Campaigns

Battlefield 3’s campaign was a little too short and mildly exciting. The game had its moments, such as the skydiving in the Kaffarov mission and high speed chases, but it just felt a little too stale in comparison to what Modern Warefare 3 had to offer. Not to mention the fact that it nodded its head to Black Ops in terms of storytelling and lacked a good solid plot.

Modern Warfare 3 on the other hand, had a campaign that was a little far fetched and James Bond, but also incredibly exciting to play through. There was a constant variation in gameplay and more often than not, you were on the edge of your seat. Comparing it to actual modern warfare is ridiculous since the game is more Hollywood than anything, but that just adds to the enjoyment. This victory goes to Modern Warfare 3.

Multiplayer

Thanks to the support package of Modern Warfare 3, newer players can actually stand a chance since they receive killstreaks, or “pointstreaks”, even after death. Unfortunately, newer players will also suffer from not receiving perks and game modes that would usually be available immediately in Modern Warfare 2. Instead, new players now have to sit and wait to gain a higher rank before actually having fun. Points seem to be given out like nobodies business and new modes Elite and Vault, are okay, but nothing special. On the whole, multiplayer is fine but not outstanding and things are of course made worse by the community – but that’s a whole other story.

Battlefield 3 incorporates huge maps with vehicle combat to make things more interesting – and believe me, it is more interesting! At times you’ll actually find gameplay switching into vehicle mayhem. Of course it’s not really realistic, but it’s a lot more fun than what Modern Warfare 3 has to offer. New players aren’t penalized for being a lower rank and the leveling up is just as fantastic as ever. On the whole, Battlefield 3 wins the multiplayer war by a long shot!

Check out more awesome games at: http://www.xbox.com

Fable III – What went wrong?

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Fable III is a touchy subject for most gamers as it’s pretty much like marmite, you’ll either love it or hate it! More often than not though, people hate it and it’s easy to see why! It has to be one of the most disappointing games released not just in 2010, but in the entire history of Xbox 360! Sure, it’s a gorgeous game filled with luscious environments, lots of attention to detail and familiar voice acting, but the actual game itself is terrible and is a total embarrassment to RPG’s. Why?

• Virtually no originality

When Fable II was released, it was a major step up from the original title. From customization, to skills, and from story to graphics, everything about it was much more developed and improved. I probably don’t need to remind you of the hype surrounding Fable III’s release in October 2010. So you can imagine the disappointment when the game you paid $60 for, turns out to be exactly the same as its predecessor! Jobs are the same, people feel the same, weapons, spells and the list goes on. It basically felt like one big DLC, much like Fallout: New Vegas – but that’s a whole different story!

• Ridiculous plot

Fable III is supposedly split into two halves. The first sees you gathering comrades to challenge a tyrant King who rules over Albion and ultimately overthrow him. Not exactly original or difficult, but it’s acceptable. The second half then sees you ruling over Albion as King, making good or bad decisions based on what to do with the kingdoms treasure and how to prepare for an inevitable invasion. Calling this a second half is absolutely ridiculous since this poorly constructed “half” is over within an hour or so! Once the invasion begins, you’re then faced with no way to go back, upgrade or earn money since Albion is now being destroyed. In short, you’ll finish the game in around 12 hours and feel majorly disappointed. Sure, there are plenty of side quests to sink your teeth into, but let’s not forget what lies at the core of a good RPG – the story!

• Terrible navigation system

Forget using any sort of intelligence whatsoever, you simply follow a silly little breadcrumb trail which leads you directly to your next destination – that’s if it’s even there. Half of the time when you need the breadcrumb trail the most it simply disappears for no reason whatsoever. However, the breadcrumb trail is nothing compared to using the insanely bad fast travel system which is implemented in the Sanctuary’s mini-map! The game completely ignores using some sort of helpful waypoint technique and instead requires you to teleport to the sanctuary and load up the mini-map. Once on the map you zoom in on your chosen town which looks absolutely nothing like when you’re actually there, then find the building you want to go to and select fast travel. This then teleports you just outside of the town, where you then have to magically remember what the building looks like! Talk about effort.

• Loading screens

Near enough every single time you enter a new area, there is a nuisance of a loading screen to greet you! I mean c’mon, it was made in 2010! Was there really any need for so much loading time? It literally feels like half of the game is spent staring at the same posters on the same loading screens, which really is saying a lot since you’ll still finish it in less than 12 hours!

• Laborious combat system

Fighting in Fable III is like one big joke. Melee weapons are almost useless since enemies block the majority of your attacks, so what options are you left with? Well, you could use your gun since nothing can block it, but why waste your time doing that when you can mash the B button to use overpowered spells. There literally is no skill involved whatsoever and it’s almost impossible to die in the game since the B button exists. The fact that winning is so easy, makes the entire game one big chore!

• NPC interaction

As if Fable II’s NPC interaction wasn’t bad enough, Lionhead Studios went and made it worse! So how exactly do you communicate with the general public in this horrible game? You dance like a chicken or fart in their face! What logic is there in that?! It’s ridiculous and the NPC’s never actually have anything interesting to say! Every other RPG in existence, no matter how bad it is, at least has characters who say slightly interesting things – but no, not Fable III.

So there you have it! Six whole reasons why Fable III is such an appalling game! Believe me, I could go on to one hundred, but does Fable III really deserve the time? So if you enjoy toilet humor, love easy games and thrive on lackluster storylines, then you’ll love Fable III! In short, you’ll probably have more fun with a Final Fantasy or something.