Saturday, November 03, 2012

Sneaks on the AVE: Sneaker release day reminder



Here we are world, that time of the week when sneaker heads hit the nearest Foot Locker or they're favorite shoes store to cop the latest pair of kicks! In case you've been under a rock or lost at sea, here's the latest kicks in stores now !! Check em out, and shout out to sneakernews.com for all the release date info. Peace !!!



Nike Roshe Run Trail
Black/Black-Anthracite-Volt
537741-017 $85




Sneaker Release Dates
Sneaker Release Dates
Nike Air Penny V ‘Phoenix’
Dark Grey/Black-Rave Pink-Court Purple
537331-070
11/03/12
$160



Sneaker Release Dates
Sneaker Release Dates
Nike Zoom Kobe VII
White/Court Purple-Black-University Gold
488371-103
$140
11/02/12



Sneaker Release Dates
Sneaker Release Dates
Nike LeBron X+
Black/Chrome-University Red-Cool Grey
598360-001
$200
11/02/12




Air Jordan Release Dates
Air Jordan Release Dates
Air Jordan IX
Black/Photo Blue-White
302370-007
11/03/12
$160

Friday, November 02, 2012

In theaters NOW



Sorry I missed this last week, just didnt get a chance to post it ! Here's the latest batch of films in theaters today ladies & gents !!

Wreck-It Ralph




The Man With the Iron Fists




Flight



We'll see you guys on monday with the box office results. Until then, enjoy !!!

Games on the AVE: Gamespot REVIEWS Medal of Honor: Warfighter

Also on PC & PS3




Upon completing Medal of Honor: Warfighter's campaign, you are met with a heartfelt dedication impressing upon you the heroism of the men in uniform the game depicts. The attempt at sincere emotion is commendable--but it rings hollow, coming as it does at the end of a bog-standard military shooter that celebrates the killing of hundreds. The battlefield fantasy itself offers a few surprises, but they're crowded out of your psyche by the indifferent hours of shooting and military chatter that surround them.
"Linear." The word is commonly used to identify any number of shooters that usher you along a narrow path, interrupting your progress with a bit of sniping, the shooting of a turret, or an explosion-heavy cutscene. Warfighter's issue isn't that it fits this common modern-day shooter template, but that developer Danger Close doesn't use the linearity to the game's benefit. By directing the experience so tightly, a developer can build momentum, giving the action an arc that develops tension and ultimately reaches a zenith. When a game intends to be a playable action film, as so many do, managing that arc is key to delivering a memorable experience.
Medal of Honor: Warfighter doesn't craft such an arc, and thus feels more like a pastiche of shooter tropes than a self-contained experience with its own identity. Yet there's something worthy here--the glimmer of a Medal of Honor that might yet hew its own path if the right elements are cultivated. The basic shooting and movement models are a good start, not because the guns are that remarkable, but because there's a sense of weight to your sprints and your leaps. You're given the ability to take cover and lean or peek before taking aim, lest you get pelted with lead; at times, this encourages you to consider your surroundings and preserve your own well-being rather than rush forward, spraying the room with bullets.



The shooting is occasionally put to good use, too, such as in a noisy showdown during a raging rainstorm, the palm trees waving and bending in response to the heaving winds. Other levels are just as visually impressive, like an on-rails boat shootout during which fires rage and floating debris threatens to ram you. Elsewhere, you use the blazing shine of your enemies' flashlights as beacons for your violence in various locales. The Frostbite 2 engine that gave Battlefield 3 life is used well enough here, occasional visual glitches and distracting screen grime notwithstanding. These visuals are much more effective on the PC than consoles, but on any platform, Medal of Honor: Warfighter isn't always just a sea of brown, though you can still expect plenty of dusty roads and crumbling hovels to fill your field of view. If only the gameplay could consistently uphold the promise of the most atmospheric levels. To Warfighter's benefit, it's not as much of a turkey shoot as its 2010 predecessor, though enemies still pop up in the most predictable places, inviting you to gun them down. The excitement is also undercut by your AI teammates' unlimited supply of ammo; there's never any need to scrounge the ground for enemy weapons, which diminishes the sense that you are in imminent danger. (A little improvisational spirit could have gone a long way.) But it's the moments you most expect to deliver the brightest sparks that are most devoid of them. The aforementioned boat chase requires no skill, neither from a driving nor from a shooting perspective. Ditto for the obligatory helicopter gunner segment, in which you mow down nameless grunts from above. Without challenge, there needs to be something else to keep excitement levels high--but there aren't enough foes to shoot or other sources of thrills to compensate.
Warfighter checks other paradigms off its list, too. There are the parts where you sneak up on enemies from behind and gruesomely stab them, and the parts where you snipe the baddies lurking in distant windows. There are the parts where you call in airstrikes to annihilate entire buildings, and there's the bit where you shoot down a helicopter with a rocket launcher. There are seemingly endless door breaches, in which time slows to a crawl while you and your AI teammates charge into a room and litter the floor with corpses. Things explode real nice, but these sequences are all segmented sharply from the surrounding gameplay. The game signals "hey, here's the part with the sniper rifle," and you dutifully perform the necessary actions so you can continue.
There are several scripted set-piece sections that stand above the rest, however--and in fact, stand above the campaign in general. All of them involve vehicles. Some of these driving sections are ridiculous and entertaining, directing you to incite crashes, and then showcasing the destruction in slow motion, Burnout-style. The camera that so lovingly caresses the chaos flies in the face of Warfighter's meager attempts to identify the drivers as everyday heroes, but the tension of avoiding oncoming traffic and the joy of watching your four-wheeled victims flip with abandon are both guilty pleasures. The game's most surprising turn of events is a vehicular stealth sequence in which you must slip into designated safe spots to avoid prowling enemy drivers. It's a neat idea, executed well, that generates tension and has you fearing your possible discovery. It's not difficult to succeed, but even so, this portion is elegant and imaginative.

Games on the AVE: Gamespot REVIEWS JUST DANCE 4

Also available on PS3 and Xbox 360



If Dance Central is the slick, trendy, and expertly choreographed hipster of the dance game world, then Just Dance is its annoying, Glee-watching sibling. It embraces cheery bubblegum pop and coats it in a thick layer of bright lights, neon colors, and a whole host of insane dance routines. Subtle it is not, but that's all part of Just Dance 4's charm. This is a game that begs to be played with others, its eclectic pop soundtrack blasted out at the highest volumes and its hilarious, thoroughly enjoyable routines performed without a modicum of self-consciousness--and if you can sneak in a cheeky beverage or two along the way, all the better.
Getting the party started is easy. There are just two modes to choose from: Just Dance and Sweat. The former is where the bulk of the action is, letting you and up to three other friends get together for a dance-off. Simply grab a Wii Remote, choose a song, and mimic the actions of a virtual dancer onscreen. Like in previous games in the series, the scoring system is very forgiving (there's no way to fail out of a song), and before long you find yourself racking up points for your moves like a pro--you certainly don't have to perform each song perfectly. Just Dance 4 rewards enthusiasm more than it does accuracy, and while that might seemingly lack challenge, it fits within the context of the game's party-hearty vibe.
Concessions have been made for the score junkies out there, though. You're awarded stars during each routine, which are totaled up and added to your mojo, which is Just Dance 4's form of experience. That goes towards unlocking new playlists, electro mash-ups, and alternate dances, but thankfully not the core songs themselves, all of which are unlocked from the get-go. There are also dance quests to complete for each song that unlock bonus content, such as earning five stars, getting all "good" moves, or landing the perfect pose when the chorus section of a song is sung.



That might not be an epic, progression-led career mode, but let's face it: if you're playing Just Dance, you're not in it for the challenge. Where the game excels, and where most of its talents lie, is in its absurd routines. And in Just Dance 4, the routines are more absurd than ever. Fancy trying to replicate the moves of a dancing crustacean to the wacked-out grooves of The B-52s' "Rock Lobster"? Or pretending to be a superhero to Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" while a toy Godzilla wanders past? Or even dropping wrestling moves as a luchador to Europe's "The Final Countdown"? Nothing's too crazy for Just Dance 4. 
Even better are the four-player routines, which have you linking arms, leaping through the air, and spanking each other on the butt to tunes like Will Smith's "Wild Wild West" or One Direction's "What Makes You Beautiful." Even if you don't feel like participating, it's hilarious to watch your friends perform, while onscreen lyrics let you sing along too. The excellent 44-song tracklist caters to most tastes from pop, to rock, to funk, and an online store lets you download more. And with Psy's "Gangnam Style" being one of the first to hit the store, you'll no doubt be hitting that buy button sooner rather than later.
Complementing the routines are some great visuals that often follow the theme of a song, such as the app icons and ringing phones of Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" and the robotic characters of Skrillex's wub-laden "Rock n' Roll." Other times they're completely and wonderfully random, throwing all kinds of eye-blinding neon colors and flashing lights onto the screen to back up your dancing. If you want to do more than dance, then Sweat mode takes you through different playlists that mash up your favorite tracks. There's also a seven-day challenge, which does a great job of keeping track of your performances and how many calories you're burning over the course of the week.

Thursday, November 01, 2012

Games on the AVE: Gamespot reviews HALO 4



Halo is in new hands. After chronicling humanity's defeat in Halo: Reach, developer and series creator Bungie passed the reins to 343 Industries, who has charted a new course for the iconic Spartan and his AI companion, Cortana. In Halo 4, the duo confronts a fresh new threat to the human race and grapples with mortality in a way the series never has before. The result is the most compelling story a Halo game has ever told, conveyed through a campaign that combines the excellent combat, pacing, and environmental design that have long been hallmarks of the series. The intriguing new cooperative mode feels flimsy, but the competitive multiplayer reasserts itself as one of the most exciting offerings in the genre. Halo 4 doesn't just take the franchise baton in stride; it sprints out confidently to keep Master Chief and company at the head of the pack.
At the end of Halo 3, Master Chief and Cortana were adrift on a derelict ship, having just struck the final blow to bring an end to the Covenant's devastating campaign against the human race. Chief then entered cryo-sleep for the next four years, while humanity poured its energies into fortifying its defenses and expanding its galactic presence. A captivating opening cutscene shows this new initiative taking a critical look at the past, foreshadowing some interesting tension later in the game. Meanwhile, Chief and Cortana are roused when they stumble upon a dire threat to humanity's existence. This foe provides the series with its first proper villain, one whose roots in previously-vague Forerunner mythology soon come into frightening focus.
These galactic machinations are dramatic and intriguing, and they are brought to life vividly by Halo 4's stunning technical prowess. From sweeping panoramic vistas to claustrophobic jungle clearings, the environments are rich with detail enhanced by thoughtful lighting and sharp textures. The excellent artistic design that makes human, Covenant, and Forerunner architecture so instantly recognizable is on display once more, helping to create a cohesive sci-fi world. Expressive facial animations bring characters to life, imbuing the cutscenes with extra emotional weight and making the story that much more engaging. It's all tied together with an amazing soundtrack that complements every aspect of the game. Alien environments ring with eerie strains, characters' emotions are reflected in plangent chords, and the intense action is driven along by urgent orchestrations.



Yet for all the excitement and emotion of the main plot, the most engrossing drama of Halo 4 takes place between Master Chief and Cortana. Everyone's favorite artificial intelligence is nearing her expiration date, forcing these two all-but-invincible characters to face the prospect of death in a way they never have. This delicate, degenerative process is handled eloquently, and great voice acting, animation, and writing combine for some poignant moments. 343 Industries delivers a compelling narrative on both an intimate and a grand scale, with a satisfying conclusion that will make you excited for what's to come.
Halo 4 is a striking step up in storytelling for the series, but when it comes to the action, things are more familiar. Halo has always been a shooter built on clear gameplay systems that combine in complex and gratifying ways. The crafty and aggressive enemy AI squads work together, adjusting their tactics as you assault their ranks. Your four-pronged arsenal of guns, grenades, melee attacks, and armor abilities fuels a variety of different battlefield strategies. And the environments both large and small provide enough space to maneuver creatively, occasionally furnishing a vehicle or two for your driving enjoyment.
These systems are a through line in the series and they continue to hold up well in Halo 4, right down to the Covenant enemies that you fight at various points throughout the campaign (apparently not everyone knows the war is over). They still make great foes, but the new Promethean enemies offer a fresh combat challenge. Canine crawlers fire from a distance or swarm up close, while hovering watchers flit back and forth, offering maddening support to their allies. The hulking knights look fearsome and put up a mean fight, teleporting both defensively and offensively to make killing them from a distance a tricky proposition. New enemies come with new weapons too, and though these guns fit familiar niches, neat tweaks like the boltshot's shotgun-esque alternate fire and the scattershot's ricocheting bullets make them feel distinct.

Featured Post

Noemi Media Group Presents... "Hip-Hop Night Moods"

  Growing up in Chicago, during the late night, r-n-b & old school radio station V-103 would have  “Night Moods”  where you could hear l...