Fans of the Harry Potter world will know that sometimes you need a little Hogwarts in your life.  With the release of Lego Harry Potter: Year 1-4, I decided that it was simply not enough to just play the game, I had to put myself in the mood.  I did this by making one of the yummiest treats in the Harry Potter universe.  Butterbeer.  And since I care for all of the other Harry Potter fans that frequent this site, I thought I’d share.  So here’s how you too can enjoy a warm glass of butterbeer.

Ingredients:

- 1 Cup (8 oz) Club Soda or Cream Soda (Dana’s Note:  If you go the cream soda way as I did, choose a clear one.  A pink cream soda makes it look funny.)

- 1/2 Cup (4 oz) Butterscotch Syrup (Ice Cream Topping)

- 1/2 Tablespoon of Butter

Directions:

1) Measure butterscotch and butter into a 2 cup (16 oz) glass.  Mircowave on high for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, or until syrup is bubbly and butter is completly incorporated.

2) Stir and cool for 30 seconds, then slowly mix in the soda.  Mixture will fizz quite a bit.

3) Serve in two coffee mugs or small glasses; a perfectly warm Hogwarts treat for two!

A word of warning:  This drink is INSANELY sweet.  You will want to double the recipe (I did too), but the recommended amount is more than enough.

Cheers!

 
We may need one more person to complete the roster for our mini-league. Watch the video above of me loosing, be un-intimidated, and go to the link below to sign up. Do it!

http://forum.ezmodeunlocked.com/index.php?topic=2258.msg18471#msg18471

Hey everyone! The first week was a great success regardless of how crazy it was. A HUGE thanks to all who showed up and I cannot wait for next week. (I will be posting the team list in the next few days)

The raw data of the points for the first week is below. After much thought, and discussion with some people, I have decided that instead of everyone getting their straight points, there will be a percentage/ranking system put in place. So, for example, the first week will count as a lower percentage than the second week. This is just another layer to help keep things fair, give everyone a chance at the trophy, and keep the emphasis on fun. Stay tuned for details about the scoring system updates.

Xenocide (7,100)
Yummy Flaquito (5,950)
fatboy01 (5,100)
Mr Doom (4,950)
Los (4,500)
VillainVII (4,350)
docStrangluv (4,300)
Geekboy2424 (4,100)
CanadianDana80 (3,800)
spydersvenom (3,800)
Oatmeal25 (3,400)
Franklloydwrong (3,300)
Adam.S.S (2,800)
Gunhaver (2,350)
Quark60 (2,000)
techieq (1,850)
Duke (600)
JillyDad (0)

Thanks to Oatmeal for the help with spreadsheet and organizing some ideas.

(apologies for the low quality graph, the next one will be nicer)

Submitted by Los

With Mass Effect 2 in sight, I thought about taking the original Mass Effect for a refresher spin. 3 playthroughs later I strangely found myself wanting more and somehow still excited for the sequel when any lesser man would have been happy never hearing the name Mass Effect again. Afterwards I started thinking not everyone has the free time to play through this massive universe again, or for the first time for that matter. So I figured, why not give my own little “Mass Effect in a nutshell”.

So here it is, only I’m just going to go through the basic story and not dive too deep into the who’s who and what’s what of things. If you know the game, you would know that if you’re getting into details you’re basically doing the opposite of a “nutshell”. And if you don’t know the game, what a coincidence, I just so happen to be talking about it.

You are Commander Shepard. You begin on a top secret mission to retrieve a Beacon, an unearthed piece of technology left by the Protheans, an ancient race that lived throughout the galaxy 50,000 years ago and whose Mass Relays, a network of connected mass transit devices that allow interstellar travel, are the main reason for the discovery and advancement of all species in the galaxy. You are accompanied by Nihlis, an agent who works for the Citadel Council, a board of 3 council members who each represent their own species and who are the head political force in space surrounding the Citadel, a massive space station built by the Protheans that is the central hub of the Mass Relay network and the place where many alien species come to seek political power.

You are being reviewed to become the first human Spectre, a chosen force of elite individuals who act on their own or in small groups and are tasked to carry out various important missions set out by the Council. While on the mission Nihlus encounters Saren, a top ranking Spectre who has turned his back on the Council and has gone rogue and is now working with the Geth, a race of synthetic machines who have been in hiding for centuries. Saren kills Nihlus. You then have to report back to the Council and explain how their top agent just turned on them all. You find proof and expose Saren and then become the first human Spectre with your first mission being to find and stop Saren. After tracking Saren through several planets and systems you find a facility being used to breed an army of mercenaries. During the infiltration of the facility you find Sarens private laboratory where he can communicate with Sovereign, the massive alien ship that Saren has been traveling in which turns out to not be a ship but a Reaper, an antient race of machines who every 50,000 years or so come out of deep space via a hidden Mass Relay and destroy all life in the galaxy.

It is discovered that the Reapers are the ones that built the Citadel along with the Mass Relay network and the Protheans just discovered it all. The Reapers leave just enough behind after every cycle so that the next batch of races can fall into the same trap. You also figure out that Saren along with the Geth are being controlled by this Reaper. You blow up the facility and head to report to the Council about the Reapers. You are not taken seriously. It is too late and the invasion is starting. Souvreign must activate the Mass Relay in the Citadel in order for the fleets of Reapers awaiting in deep space to come in. Trying to stop him you are confronted by Saren and you kill him. You order your fleet to attack Souvreign and after a large aerial assault, Souvreign is destroyed. You have proven that humans have earned a seat as the fourth member of the Council. You then make it clear that there are more Reapers out there just waiting to come and complete the cycle that has gone on for who knows how long and you have to stop them. You cut the celebration short and march off to finish what they started.

And that’s the just of it. Leaving out all the races you’ve met, the allies you’ve recruited, and choices you’ve made, this is the main story “in a nutshell”. Hope it does some good for someone, if it doesn’t all it shows is how much of a loser I am for knowing all this from memory.

Submitted by docStrangluv

I always need a class that allows me to sneak around and prey on the unsuspecting. This is said class, and I use it A LOT.
The primary weapon changes based on what guns I need to complete silencer challenges with. The SCAR-H seems to be my go to though.
I recently switched from a silenced PP2000 to the Ranger shotguns because I felt like I should give them a shot. I hate seeing people run around akimbo with them (they look like they have things inserted in their rear bathing-suit areas), but they are pretty damn effective when you get caught in a tight spot (get it?).
I have Frags equipped for no particular reason as I could easily rock the Tactical Insertion to give myself a boost in the element of surprise.
Scavenger is my first Perk because I tend to get some good kill streaks with this class. There is nothing worse than kicking ass only to die because you ran out of ammo.
Coming in at number two, Cold-blooded is essential for being sneaky. Not only does it allow you to stay off the enemy radar, thermal scopes, but enemy air support and sentry guns don’t see you either.
My last perk is Ninja Pro. This keeps you from being found by the Heartbeat sensors, and with pro, gives you silent footsteps. Coupled with Cold-Blooded, you are practically invisible. I used to use Scrambler here, but you jam the enemies radar based on proximity. This sort of defeats the purpose because they know someone with scrambler is around.
Lastly I have Martyrdom equipped. I find that many times I am up close with my prey. So if they end up coming out on top, chances are they will be close to my saintly boom boom ball. Take that you dirty heathen.

That concludes what will be a series of class studies. Feel free to add your own. Some classes to come include: Snip Snip, The Heavy, One Fish, Two Fish, and I wanna riot. Stay tuned.

Submitted by Los

There are few games for the PS3 that have left a mark on the mind the way Uncharted: Drakes Fortune has. Some say it was the first true “next-gen” game. The praise and buzz that it continues to get today, almost 2 years after its release, should say enough about the legacy the Uncharted name has brought to the PS3. But fortunately for the world, in roughly 20 days of this writing, the highly anticipated sequel that fans have been frothing at the mouth for will be released, and will bring with it a thousand and one reasons to make you wish you were a treasure hunter all over again.

Now, seeing how the lack of a multiplayer mode in Drakes Fortune did not hamper the amazing experience that the game ultimately delivered, consider us spoiled rotten that Uncharted 2: Among Thieves has a very robust online that not only delivers the feel and gameplay you get from the single player, but is so satisfying and engaging it makes you want to come back to it again and again.

Unfortunately, due to the short amount of time I have to play I only found myself playing mostly Deathmatch, and one session of the co-op mode which gives you a sweet tease on how exciting the single player will be. So after getting a few hours in on this Exclusive Multiplayer Demo (which will be open to everyone on the PSN September 29) I’ve come to the conclusion that the folks at Naughty Dog know what they’re doing. They’ve done their homework as far as knowing what ingredients to use to make a good multiplayer experience. Everything is there from a Leveling Up system to a store to buy skins, taunts and boosters (us Call of Duty veterans know these as “Perks”) and the ever favorite, so simple yet sometimes forgotten on the PS3, Party System, where you can form a little clique with your friends and not have to worry about shooting those annoying 12 year olds in the head next round without them.

The maps that are available for the demo give a pretty wide variety as far as layouts go. A wide open room with little to hide behind to a cluttered street with plenty of buildings and alleys and balconies to pop out of, it’s all there. Also, once the room is full, before teams are chosen you have the option to vote between two maps, each with different circumstances to the match. For instance, you can vote for either a regular deathmatch or one using only RPG’s or only pistols and sniper rifles which some may think that it’s more of a pain in the ass, I however think the rounds that limit your weapons are more fun and entertaining.

With so much praise flowing out of every nook and cranny of the gaming industry, there are a few things for me that can be improved upon. Very minor things that don’t mess up the experience, but would just make it easier to enjoy. Like something to tell you when you’re going to unlock the boosters you see listed. And the ability to go from round to round without having to leave the room/team you just played with.

The good certainly outweighs the bad, with the “bad” not even being all that bad. The gameplay that is unique to Uncharted is a sweet experience when utilized the way it should be which is all about cover, cover, cover. Running and gunning will only make it easier for the other team to put one in your head.

With games like Halo 3: ODST and especially Modern Warfare 2 looming on the horizon, the multiplayer of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves will most likely get lost in the mix with the hardcore online players. But thankfully, you’re not buying a multiplayer game, you’re buying an amazing single player experience that is well worth its wait and praise, that will also have a well put together, balanced, and most importantly, fun multiplayer.

Time to turn this phrase into a drinking game.  I am a total sucker for hype.  I can’t get enough of the hype surrounding games. So it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone reading this that I was totally and completely swept up in the media surrounding  the DS’ new release Scribblenauts.  In fact, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that Scribblenauts was my most anticipated game coming out within the fall/holiday season!

So did it live up to the hype, or did it disappoint me like so many hype machines have in the past?   Before I answer that, allow me to walk you through the pros and cons of Nintendo’s media darling.

If you don't know, google it!

Scribblenauts boasts that you can solve the puzzles within the game simply by typing in any object you can think of into the in-game keyboard and having it appear in the world for Maxwell to use.  In this regard they do not disappoint.  In fact, I think it’s easy to say that this feature (and yes I know.. it’s the MAIN feature) is almost overwhelming.  Overwhelming and totally fantastic.  Spaghetti Cat?  He’s in there.  God?  Check!  T-rex?  Yup!  I could go on for days, but the point is, if you can think of it, it’s probably in there.

The art design is simple and charming, which is a plus when you start dropping in as many objects into the world as you can fit.   As you complete puzzle levels, you earn ‘ollars which can then be used to change your avatar into a zombie, or a ninja, as well as change the background of the title screen.  You can also use the ‘ollars to buy more music tracks, which play through the menus.

Here’s where Scribblenauts loses me.  You control Maxwell by tapping on the screen. Maxwell will then decide on his own to jump over gaps or onto higher platforms.  You also tap on objects to interact with them, ride in them, alter the world with them, etc.  What results is mess.  Instead of getting in a car, Maxwell with jump into a shark pit.  Instead of digging a hole, Maxwell with hit a peaceful NPC with the shovel, thus failing the level.  When the controls work, they work well, and when they don’t, it’s very frustrating.

Given the massive amount of words to chose from, you would think that I would have all kinds of ideas on how to solve different puzzles.  It turns out that most of the puzzles can be solved with the same handful of items.  Need to get in a higher spot?  Wings.  Need to hold down a button?  Boulder.  Need to rid of some bees quickly?  Black Hole.  In the cases where I fail a level a lot, I find that it is a result of too many ideas to chose from.  Some , if I may say, that have been brilliant, and should have worked, simply didn’t, and that was a bit heartbreaking.  For example, to dig a big hole I pulled in a backhoe.  It didn’t work, so I went with a plain old shovel…. again.  In other words, for success, keep it simple.

Did Scribblenauts disappoint me?  No.  In fact it was pretty much what I was expecting.  It’s cute, clever, and works your brain.  What more can you ask for from a DS game? Sure, I get frustrated at times, but it’s worth it just to watch a bear and a bear hunter fight at the title screen.

Be sure to save your Scribblenauts stories for an upcoming episode of EZMU where we will discuss how some of the puzzles were solved.  See the forums for details.

A slight Spoiler:

Type in Teleporter and have Maxwell hop on.  See where it takes you.  One of the best uses of developer recognition I’ve seen yet.

Submitted by Kyle E.A.

Hey Hey Dana, the way I got through Oblivion was a mix of a lot of things.

Now note that the first RPG I ever played was Knights of the Old Republic for the original Xbox. I was late to the game, as they say. note also that Knights is a game totally different than Oblivion yet still an rpg.

So,I got the 360 but before the system’s release I had been getting ahold of every gaming magazine with next gen features in them. I got super hyped for the system and all the first-day game releases. Oblivion was supposed to be a day one release but later got pushed.

So, focusing on oblivion, I read enough previews about the game to keep me hooked. But also, the previews didn’t give so much away that I couldn’t still imagine game elements in my head and dwell on them. This is bad for gamers to do, as you may know.

So when Oblivion finally came out 3 or 4 months after the 360 released I picked the game up on day one.

Now let us note, I bought an HDTV for the 360 which was hooked up to 5.1 surround sound. I became so engrossed in the graphics, and animations, and general beauty of any game’s aesthetics. Saints Row really pulled me into it’s world too, I mean really, I couldn’t go for an hour without thinking of the game when i was in school. The 360’s first and second year of release I was on the system a massive amount due to how bright, new, and shiny the game’s were on my tv, plus I was in high school with nothing to do.

So when I bought Oblivion and popped it in and walked out into the Province of Cyrodiil I was literally mesmerized by it. I could go to cities! I thought. See that way the fuck away!? I can go there! Look at this sunset! Look at the stars! Everything blew me away. I wanted to live in the world, like literally I thought that would have been bad ass to do for a little bit.

Once I delved into the story and guild quests I fell deeper in love. I could be bad and join this group of assassins! Or I could go to this other city WAY over there and join these band of thieves and sneak through the city in the dark! I had so many choices and situations on my plate. The feast in front of me made my mouth water. You know what they say, hunger is the best spice. I didn’t know it until it came but I was starving for Oblivion.

As soon as I knew this I did something crazy, I bought the oblivion guide, with map, and did every single side mission in the book. The book is very thick by the way. That racked up my hero massively and as I started leveling up I became engrossed with that aspect of the game as well, which was also something virtually new to me. Again I had so many choices with magic and weapons and potions, etc. etc. Doing every side quest and just plain exploring the world racked the hours beyond the 100 hour mark.

The next 100 hours were spent doing something insane. Here’s the map of the game world.

Do you see every icon? I not only discovered every single one but I went into and explored every single one. I found every chest, every gold, every potion, killed every enemy. i followed that map and marked off each icon after I went over the entire locale, clocking my hours of gameplay at 200 or so.

So in other words, I played the ENTIRE game. I’ll get a screenshot of the hours if you want to see.

PS: Check my achievements and notice that I do not have the Thieves Guild achievement. That’s a whole other story to be told. Blog post?

Submitted by Kyle E.A.

The first thing I said when I opened to page 64 of the October issue of the GI magazine was ‘hot damn!’ I don’t doubt you’d say something similar once you saw the screenshots of Mafia II gracing two pages of the magazine.

Mafia II makes its way from the 1940’s into the 1950’s era. 2K Games and developer 2K Czech are focusing on creating a more detailed and lively world for the sequel. The originally Mafia got a lot of negative attention on this subject because it had such a sparse world. (p. 64)

“… We want the police to be period-authentic,” says 2K Games producer Alex Cox. “… So, if you dive unseen down a back alley you’ll quickly lose the heat… unless the cops noted your license plate, of course.” (p. 64)

This is just one example by 2K to create cops with real common sense. They won’t be using the standard Pac-Man approach to cop encounters. They are trying to create something more realistic, like having cops take note of your player’s clothing. And ditching a car doesn’t mean the cops continue the chase either. If they don’t see you enter another car they won’t know it’s you, unlike GTA. If you were inside a cop sphere in GTAIV they had god-like senses. 2K Czech is using the line-of-sight method to a much higher degree than other open world games, or so they are saying. (p. 64)

Alex Cox also explains that subquests in the game are like extended scenes of a movie, bonus material for the gamers who are more enthusiastic about the story and want more from it. 2K Czech is known for telling strong narrative so their subquests should only add more goodness. (p. 65)

With a promised strong story and what appears to be absolutely amazing graphics, Mafia II is a game worth noting on your calendar for 2010. The game is to be released on the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC. So, everyone go check out the GI article to see the extremely beautiful and realistic screenshots of the game that are leaving me wanting more. (p. 64)

Batman finds the bad guys but looses his art direction.

Imagine that you’re a budding digital artist at a game company, locked for hours on end in front of the blue, life-draining glow of a computer monitor. You’re in charge of textures or lighting in a section of the game that you’re working on.  For weeks you slave over the right color choices and saturation.  You rotate the angle of projected light sources or effects to match the mood.  You test your work to perfection.

None of it may matter, though, because in the game you’re working on the player can tap L1 to switch on some kind of visual effect that reveals switches, traps or bad guys by making them glow and the rest of the world turn the same color, so that they know exactly what to do next.

Dummy vision.  For dummies.

Am I railing on these visor views here because I feel bad for the texture artists?  Not really.  I’m tired of them because they suck the fun out of games for me and they usually represent lazy design.

Wolverine's feral vision oversimplifies the game, or reveals how simple it is.

Games that create a richly detailed environment and allow you to move freely through it are usually games that I enjoy.  When they do that well they check an important box on my list of why I play them.  Games like Batman: Arkham Asylum and X-Men Origins: Wolverine check that box at first, but then they uncheck it every time they force me to toggle the dummy view that washes out the details of the game world that they worked so hard to create.

Don't turn the game world into a VR mission.

What makes the dummy vision shortcut even more frustrating is that there are other ways to guide players through a game world without disrupting the visual flow so throughly.  Sound, camera movement, controller feedback, or simply a less obtrusive form of visual highlighting would be preferred and could accomplish the same kind of direction.

When these view modes are put into a game it’s obviously required at some points that you use them.  If they automatically faded in during those situations that would still be annoying, but it would be more tolerable than having to constantly flip them on and off to make sure that there isn’t a critical door or an item hidden behind a grate that you’re walking past.

The most offensive solution to the design problem is to when you’re allowed to play the entire game with dummy vision on.  That option reads like an admission of fundamental design failure, and if it’s the only solution, then it should at least be crafted to obscure the environment as little as possible.

The Nintendo Virtual Boy: truly visior vision gaming.