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mikeszekely

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Everything posted by mikeszekely

  1. mikeszekely
    Ok, I bought a Wii U last night. My initial impression is that it's slow... it boots up slowly, when you pick to load settings or whatever it loads slowly, it's slow going back to the main menu, etc. It took a little over an hour to do the initial system update, then about another hour or so to transfer my stuff from the Wii to the Wii U (during which it froze). The setup process took so long I didn't actually play a game on it until this morning. I'm also a little disappointed that the Gamepad can't go further from the Wii U. On the plus side, the graphics are nice and crisp. I actually quit playing after the release of New Super Mario Bros Wii (yes, I totally skipped playing Skyward Sword) just because the Wii looked awful on my TV. And while the Gamepad is pretty large, it's pretty comfortable to hold, so I already like the Wii U a lot more than the Wii. Now I just wish there were more games for it that I don't already own on PC. It's not that the Wii U doesn't have good games... it's just that I already own Arkham City and Darksiders II, and if I buy Black Ops 2 you can bet it'll be on PC.
  2. mikeszekely
    Actually, I have a 3DS so I figure that not only will NSMBU be similar to the NSMBW, but also NSMB and NSMB2. Strangely, that's actually a draw for me.According to Target's product description, the Gamepad in the Basic set still has an AC Adapter. As long as the thing charges, I don't really care if it's a cradle or not. I've already got a power strip sitting on table piled with my phone, my wife's phone, my 3DS, my Vita, her MP3 player, and so on. So I'm leaning toward saving the $50 and just getting a basic.
  3. mikeszekely
    Aside from the greater amount of internal storage (which seems irrelevant in light of the fact that you can use external hard drives with it) and Nintendoland (which I'm pretty sure I have zero interest in) is there any compelling reason to buy the Deluxe Wii U over the Basic? Honestly, I haven't been actively hunting for one, but the last time I was at Target that had a whole pile of Basic units. At the moment, the only game I'm really interested in is New Super Mario Bros. Wii U, and the only announced game that has me really considering a Wii U is Bayonetta 2. I don't need console stands or Gamepad stands or anything like that, and I've got at least two external hard drives I can give up to the Wii U and still have three left over for backups.
  4. mikeszekely
    It's not much of an upgrade... like dizman said, I'd wait and see. Unless you never use your 360? I'm thinking about selling my 360 too, but that's more because it's one of the last-run of regular 360s (120GB) before they went to the S, and when my wife decided she wanted Kinect for her birthday I wound up getting a 250GB Kinect holiday bundle. Don't really need two Xboxes...
  5. mikeszekely
    Dragon Ball was pretty awesome. Dragon Ball Z not so much.
  6. mikeszekely
    I can't say I'm thrilled to read about this, but I'm not sure how much of a problem it really is. The reality for probably 90% of users is that they don't give a crap about what's int he computer aside from the odd "I don't want to buy a computer with an AMD because my friend's brother's son's friend said Intel is better." Laptops are outselling desktops something like 10 to 1, and Windows 8 is the schizophrenic mess that it is because Microsoft is planning for the inevitable future where tablets outsell laptops 10 to 1. For those 90%-ers, whatever is inside the device is all it'll ever be, and when it stops working or they get a virus they'll buy a new one. Now, for enthusiasts like myself, Intel integrating their HD 4000 graphics into Ivy Bridge didn't stop me from using a GTX 660 ti (and I understand that latpops with Optimus GPUs can switch to Intel graphics to save battery life when GeForce graphics aren't needed). So the biggest change that will directly impact the enthusiast market is that CPUs are going to come soldered onto motherboards. But even as I prepared to go into nerdrage mode, I realized that even that's not a huge deal. I built a computer two or three years ago with a Nehalem Core i7, then a month or two ago I built a new one with an Ivy Bridge Core i7. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't have simply upgraded the CPU in the old computer because Intel has changed the socket twice since I built it. Not to mention DDR's faster, SATA III and USB 3.0 are more prevalent, and I can't recall if the old computer had PCIe 3.0 or not. No, I was in a mindset to build a new one because I wanted newer, faster everything... otherwise I would have just bought a new video card and called it a day. So ultimately, I'm pretty sure all Intel is doing is saving me the trouble of socketing the CPU myself next time.
  7. mikeszekely
    Having finished Sleeping Dogs, I'm now playing Persona 4 Golden on the Vita... so I'll probably be gone awhile.
  8. mikeszekely
    I didn't think it was too short. I didn't do any of the non-mandatory street racing, karaoke, or camera-hacking drug busts, and I got a good 22 hours out of it, according to Steam. I'm guessing that could be extended to 30+ when all the story DLC is released.Side note: while I've enjoyed many a sandbox game, I've never really loved them and I actually never cared for GTA at all. So for Sleeping Dogs to make such an impact on me was really impressive. I did notice the Cantonese, but I can't comment on its accuracy. My strongest ties to Chinese culture are in or from Beijing, so if it's not Mandarin it might as well be Russian to me.
  9. mikeszekely
    The smokestacks move, too. If you push them down, a curved section of piping comes out of the bottom. I don't even think that was in the instructions.
  10. mikeszekely
    So everybody who was with me complaining about Hasbro's distribution a few posts back... you might want to swing by your local Aldi, if you have one. Ours is next to a pizza place. I was going to pick up a pizza, and my wife asked me to get some potatoes at Aldi. I'm wandering around, trying to find the potatoes, when I file a whole pile of Transformers Prime deluxes. I passed on Dead End and Hot Shot, since they're ugly non-show repaints (and in Hot Shot's case, of a pretty awful mold). I already had Wheeljack and Knock Out. But I did manage to grab Airachnid and Vehicon. Airachnid is competing with Bumblebee/Hot Shot for the worst Deluxe in the line, I think (and I say this as someone who's considered buying FE Bumblebee because the regular one is so awful). She doesn't look too bad in helicopter mode, although she's tiny. As a robot, she's got tiny legs that don't do much to balance her heavy back, and her poseability is basically nil. Get her if, like myself, you want to collect at least the core cast. Vehicon, on the other hand, is all kinds of awesome. He looks good in bot mode. He looks good in car mode. And he does this with a pretty awesome transformation. You basically pull the doors and rear tires out to make his arms, grab the spoiler and pull the trunk, rear windshield, hood, and front end up over the front bumper, then roll them up into his legs. Rear bumper folds down and his head pops out. Voila, robot.
  11. mikeszekely
    Hey, has anyone played the Transformers Prime video game? On a whim, I picked up the 3DS version. Of course, it's no Fall of Cybertron, but from what I played of the first level it's not bad at all. It's an original story (as far as I can tell, I haven't seen season 2 yet) that starts off pretty generically, but by the end of the first mission was starting to get interesting. There's a number of FMV scenes, and all of the voice actors from the show appear to be on board, and that really helps make the game feel like an episode of show. Graphics are... not the best I've seen on the 3DS, but they're passable. Gameplay is pretty simple. L locks on to an enemy. You can use the d-pad to switch which enemy you're locked on, or to move the camera when you're not locked onto anything. R is guard, B is jump, A is melee, Y is ranged weapon, and X is transform. Movement in both modes is done with the d-pad. The combat is more beat-'em-up than shooter.
  12. mikeszekely
    For as much as I've been playing with MP-10, even though I agree that Soundwave's alt mode is dated, I'm actually looking forward to a reasonably-priced Hasbro release, as long as his bot-mode is both detailed and faithful to the animation model (check), is as poseable as MP-10 (have to wait for reviews, but no reason to doubt it), and his cassettes look good (check).If TRU still has some after the holidays, I might grab Thundercracker so that I have all three US Seekers (sorry for those of you who want him and can't find him, but my local TRU was sitting on a pile of them last I checked). If Hasbro releases the new mold Starscream, I might be more tempted, since my original US release has a busted wing. Sideswipe's going to be a hard sell for me, though. He's barely bigger than a deluxe, and while he does look good in both modes, his transformation seems less complicated than even Grimlock's. There is absolutely nothing about him that, for me anyway, justifies the price of importing him. Honestly, even if we get a US release (which seems unlikely due to some licensing issue with Lamborghini), I couldn't see myself spending more than $30, maybe $40 for him.
  13. mikeszekely
    From my POV as a technician, Toshibas tend to be ever so slightly more reliable (I mean one out of five have a problem instead of one out of four), but when you do have a problem they're the single worst brand to deal with. I wouldn't believe I'd ever say this, but I think HP might be the way to go. Their reliability is basically average, but their service is pretty good for being outsourced.
  14. mikeszekely
    Pm'ed you.
  15. mikeszekely
    $120. I got him the last time TRU had him available online. It would have been nice to get him for the $100 he was supposed to sell for, but I think he's worth it even if you have to pay eBay prices for him. Seriously, my wife kept giving me funny looks because I was literally giggling to myself while playing with the trailer.
  16. mikeszekely
    Finally talked my wife into letting me open and play with my MP-10. He's not exactly perfect... it's a pain in the rear to open the matrix chamber (which seems to be necessary for transformation), his legs seem a little floppy and they seemed to add transformation steps just for the sake of it. It alt mode, no, the legs on mine don't quite stay together. And despite the needless extra folding panels on his legs, it's still ridiculously obvious that they're robot legs. Despite those nitpicks, he is the greatest Optimus Prime toy ever and handily my favorite Masterpiece Transformer. It's crazy how much of an improvement over MP-01 he is, and I didn't even have a problem with MP-01 (only Grimlock and Hot Rod surpassed him, IMHO) until I got my hands on MP-10. He's solid, without feeling weighed down with the die cast. His proportions, especially his torso, are just better. His head, while being less detailed, looks better. He's more poseable and can hold his gun better. And while his alt-mode might not be Alternators-level accurate, it's a colossal improvement. No huge gaps on the sides where his shoulder joints are. Actual side-view mirrors. His grille and windshield/chest don't stick out weirdly. His transformation is pretty good, too. Not too complicated (Hot Rod, Megatron), not too simple (Grimlock). In some ways, it's similar to MP-01. You still turn him around at the waist. His abs are still a faux-grille. You still fold his arms up like the original or MP-01 (although how you fold in his hands changed). His front bumper is still behind the windshield in bot mode, and you still pull it and the truck grille out the same way. The front tires are inside his torso, too. In some ways, it's a little simplified, though. His head goes in the other way, and is less finicky. You don't have to turn the Matrix chamber, or spin his feet around. He'd be awesome enough if, like most runs of MP-01, it was just the cab. But of course, he comes with the trailer too. I love his trailer. If you've played with the original G1 trailer, you've pretty much played with this one. It's got the robo-pod thingy inside with the antenna and the claw arm (and just like the G1 toy, it can be made to poke out the top when the trailer is closed). It's got Roller. Roller doesn't have the gasoline pump, but you can open a panel on the back to reveal a peg for Prime's rifle, or you can flip part of the rear and have Roller pull the trailer. Improvements from the G1 trailer include panels that fold up to close the square hole in the top, the back door opens and a ramp pulls out of it like a real trailer instead of just folding the back down, legs in the front like real trailers have, and those arms that swing out on the G1 toy have feet inside. When the arms are flush, the feet are retracted so they don't drag on the ground, but when you swing the arms out the feet come down to hold the trailer level. The only negative changes are that there aren't missiles to plug into the robo-pod (nor launchers), no spring-loaded launcher for Roller, and no stickers (Reprolabels has a pretty nice set for MP-10, but I don't want to pay $24 when all I really want is the "Go!" one...). Bottom line, unless you hate Optimus Prime (or just don't collect Transformers), you must get MP-10.
  17. mikeszekely
    Finally got around to playing Sleeping Dogs. I don't know why I waited so long, I think it might be my game of the year.
  18. mikeszekely
    The part of me that grew up playing the NES, Super NES, and heck, even the N64... the part of me that loved his Gameboy, Gameboy Advance, DS Lite, and his 3DS XL is curious. I want to like it, and the fact that it's got Bayonetta 2 and New Super Mario Bros U isn't hurting it. At some point along the way, I actively started disliking my Wii, though. I hate the interface. I hate the Miis. I hate the motion controls. And I hate most of the games, which is a real shame considering that there are a few gems on that system. So the part of me that remembers the Nintendo logo as red on black is at war with the part of me that thinks of the Nintendo logo as gray on white, and the stalemate is broken by the fact that I haven't played a game on a console... on any console... in months. I've got around 40 hours into Borderlands 2 on PC, though, with Sleeping Dogs and Darksiders 2 downloaded but in the queue. And I'm kind of hoping to see Dishonored on this year's Steam holiday sale...
  19. mikeszekely
    I have a Transformers wallpaper on my Galaxy Nexus. Does that count?
  20. mikeszekely
    $120 and tax, so around $127 and change. It arrived last Thursday.
  21. mikeszekely
    How about, with MP-10, instead of Takara re-releasing it as regular Optimus Prime, battle-damaged Optimus Prime, clear Optimus Prime, Nemesis Prime, dead Optimus Prime, and Paint-him-white-and-call-him-Ultra-Magnus Optimus Prime, I'm kind of hoping for an MP-10p... Pepsi Optimus Prime.
  22. mikeszekely
    You know, when I saw pictures online, I wasn't convinced for the need of a new MP Prime. But seeing him in the box in person, he just blows MP-1 away. He's simultaneously more detailed in some areas and less in others, and the result is so much more dynamic.
  23. mikeszekely
    I was starting to get nervous, since I never even received an order confirmation. Then I hear a truck, and I figure it's the mailman. I go outside to get the mail, and there's a big UPS box on my front step. Inside is my MP-10. Good times. Now I have to give it to my wife so she can wrap it and give it to me for the holidays.
  24. mikeszekely
    My wife and I went out to dinner with my parents, and they asked if we could stop at Target. I wasn't expecting anything, but they actually had Prime Ultra Magnus and Thundertron. I passed on Thundertron for now... the figure looks decent enough, but I don't have any attachment to the character. I did pick up Ultra Magnus, as there was a certain novelty in buying one that isn't a repaint of Prime (or a Leader class). I can say that I dig the head sculpt and colors. The hammer is a nice Animated homage, and I wish he had came with two guns so I could peg them onto his shoulders. There's really nothing else about him that screams "Ultra Magnus," and in fact, there's elements of him that actually remind me a tad of DotM Sentinel Prime. Posability is ok. He's waist turns and he's got ball-joints for hips, but some truck kibble on his back hampers him a bit. His shoulders are on ball joints too, but they're a little loose, which screws with his ability to hold his hammer. I guess he's kind of so-so, but since Target is still selling voyagers for $20, I'm not going to complain too much.
  25. mikeszekely
    Somewhere out there, there's a fanfic where Darth Vader and Sephiroth team up. Disney buying Lucasfilm just made that fanfic one step closer to being part of a Kingdom Hearts game.
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