Pads & Panels

Product: Nintendo Skyward Sword Cap

Company: ThinkGeek

Review by: Archie Easter

As far as gaming series go, Zelda is a fairly cherished and storied franchise, so when Nintendo decides to release merchandise for the series, it’s usually pretty good.

This cap released by the company for the series’ newest game, Skyward Sword, is no exception. This fitted cap is all black with a golden Skyward Sword and Triforce logo emblazoned in reflective paint across the front. The effect works fairly well, as the logo practically glows when worn in direct sunlight. (more…)

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Product: Electric Paper Airplane Conversion Kit

Company: ThinkGeek

Price: $19.99

Review by: Archie Easter

The  electric paper airplane conversion kit from PowerUp promises to add a working motor to paper plane creations. And what person wouldn’t want to turn a boring paper glider into a genuine ruler of the skies? (more…)

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C2E2 – The Photo Gallery

Photos by Bill Jones, Matt Peters and Archie Easter

The annual Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo took place once again April 13-15 at McCormick Place in Chicago, bringing with it comic book writers, artists and celebrities who walked the floor and hosted panels, as well as a plethora of costumed attendees and plenty of merch. Bill, Matt and Archie all walked the floor over the course of the weekend. The following gallery shows some of the best images they captured, respectively. (more…)

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Product: Avatar S Gaming Mouse

Company: NZXT

Price: $39.99

Review by: Archie Easter

To the average computer user, a good gaming mouse may not seem like a worthwhile investment; but to a dedicated PC gamer, it can sometimes mean the difference between glorious victory and digital destruction. Though NZXT’s Avatar S is billed as a gaming mouse, casual users need not fear, as it strikes a delicate balance between offering precise control options and features for hardcore gamers while still being comfortable and budget friendly for everyday use. Sporting a maximum 1600 DPI, 5 programable macro buttons and a sleek ambidextrous design, the Avatar S is more than capable of talking the talk, but can it actually live up to the standards set by other gaming peripherals while still being easily affordable? (more…)

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PlayStation Vita First Impresions

By Archie Easter

With the PlayStation Vita’s Feb. 22 launch date soon approaching, a new contender is being readied in the collective battle for gamer’s pockets. I recently had a chance to go hands on with Sony’s newest portable at a PlayStation Blog Social Club event hosted in Chicago, and one thing was made immediately clear: The Vita is one serious piece of hardware. (more…)

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Game of the Year

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (360, PS3, PC)

Publisher: Bethesda Softworks – Developer: Bethesda Game Studios

The fifth game in the now well-established Elder Scrolls series, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a game that simply must be experienced. No other game released this year shares such a massive scope or breadth of gameplay. After an impressive initial sequence, players are drawn into a world that has a life all its own and in which the threat of savage dragon attacks looms against a backdrop of a bloody civil war.

Although players will find numerous quests available to them, it is oftentimes the random encounters in the game that are most memorable. Each is full of unique moments that will make for interesting discussions among fellow gamers, and this is truly one of Skyrim’s biggest strengths. The game succeeds in telling a compelling story but also gives the player just enough freedom to make each individual’s journey his or her own. Previous rough areas in the series, such as inventory management, have been given elegant solutions, while side quests are seamlessly interwoven in the main story. There are seemingly hundreds of places to explore. It all amounts in one of the best gaming experiences to be had. (more…)

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#9 Mortal Kombat (PS3, 360)

Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment – Developer: NetherRealm Studios

Who would have thought that all this franchise needed to return to the top was to take things back to its roots? The ninth iteration of the notorious franchise ditched the comic crossovers and the gimmicky create-a-character modes and returned to form in spectacular fashion . The fighting returns to a 2D space, the fatalities are even bloodier and more over the top than in recent memory, the graphics are better than ever, but more importantly, the controls are rock solid and have that easy-to-pick-up, hard-to-master feel for which the series was once known. (more…)

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Best of 2011 – Archie’s Music Picks

The Best

Evanescence – Evanescence (Wind-up)

Evanescence’s newest self titled album is more of a return to form rather than a reimagining of their sound. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as their more subdued last album, The Open Door, was a bit of a departure from what fans of the band’s breakout hit “Fallen” had come to expect. Songs like “The Change” are laced with the Amy Lee’s signature melodic vocals, heavy drum beats and rich guitar-laden tracks, all while maintaining a generally uptempo sound. While it’s great that the band has returned to their trademark sound, there are a few of songs that sound similar to each other. That being said, this is still a great album and a must-have for fans. (more…)

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Chicago Foodcast

Episode 6: The Fire Down Below

Interview with Jim Nichols of Crosstown Pub & Grill

Running Time: 60:22

Chicago Foodcast

Episode Description: Chicago Foodcast finally returns after a long-awaited break for Episode 6: “The Fire Down Below.” In the aptly-named installment, Bill and Archie – joined by third wheel Eric Stuckart – travel to Naperville to check out Crosstown Pub & Grill, in the process taking on the infamous ghost pepper in the form of a sauce that requires diners to sign a waiver, Devil’s Sweat. Luckily, the restaurant offers up some damn good wings, so the process isn’t all torture for the trio. The episode also garners its name from this edition of Happy Hour, when the guys try Jim Beam’s new Devil’s Cut whiskey. Tying things together nicely, they use that as an opportunity to give a set of whiskey stones from ThinkGeek a run for their money. This edition of Snack Break features Bacon Hot Sauce and a special PSA on ghost pepper flakes. In “Hey, Fatty! Whatcha been eatin?” Archie talks Skrine Chops, Eric makes his first trip to Chick-fil-A and Bill does some home cookin’.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Music on the episode – Issac Graham’s “Heat Exhaustion” from Empty Vessels, courtesy of freemusicarchive.org. (more…)

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Title: MLB 11: The Show

Platform: PS3 (PSP)

ESRB: E

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Developer: Sony San Diego

Rating:

Review by: Archie Easter

With baseball season in full swing, it’s also time for baseball games to make their seasonal trek to consoles. With that, MLB 11: The Show is hitting the mound this year with a few changeups to the series formula. Past entries of the franchise have sometimes been short on additions and new features, but MLB 11: The Show assuredly slides home as more of an evolution than last year’s turn at bat. (more…)

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