VGF Magazine on Sale!!!!

Yes its been on sale for over a week now, but now it really is On Sale!!!!!

Order your copy of "VGF Magazine" today for only $1.60 thanks to MagCloud's holiday sale. All magazines are 25% off and that of course includes "VGF Magazine."

Place your order and support VGF.

VGF 2009 Holiday Gift Guide

Happy Thanksgiving everyone and like I was told by a source earlier in the week "Gobble Gobble."

Hopefully you're awake from your turkey nap and ready to get back to bed from some of tomorrow's "Black Friday" doorbuster deals.

That being said, make sure you are prepared with the knowledge of this year's hottest video game for the gamer in your life. To lend you a helping hand, below is a list of biggest games this holiday season by console and genre:

Wii Exclusive
New Super Mario Bros. Wii










Poor Wii owners haven't really had much to celebrate this year, but leave it to Nintendo to release at least one must-have Nintendo title per year. "New Super Mario Bros. Wii" is not only that title this year, it is one of the hottest games across all consoles this holiday season. Young gamers and older Mario fans will have an amazing nostalgic trip playing Mario in his original 2D glory in an all new game.


Xbox 360 Exclusive
Halo 3: ODST










Sure it's not Master Chief, but it is Halo. Halo 3: ODST focuses on an "Orbital Drop Shock Troope" unit as you traverse an open world first-person shooter environment. Although it did not receive as high marks as other games in the "Halo" series, "ODST" is sure to please any Xbox 360 and "Halo" fan - and there are a lot out there.


Playstation 3 Exclusive
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves









This sequel to the 2007 PS3 action-adventure title is also one of the year's most critically acclaimed games. "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves" does everything a sequel should by being bigger, longer and more beautiful. Couple that with a thematic style fully integrated with gameplay and you have the biggest Playstation 3 exclusive holiday release of 2009.


Nintendo DS Exclusive
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks







Although this title is not available until Dec. 7, "The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks" is certain to be a game DS owners will love this coming holiday season. This time series hero Link is a train conductor traveling across Hyrule. The game is sure to utilize many of the same gameplay mechanics of the DS the same way it's predecessor "Phantom Hourglass" did in 2007.


Playstation Portable Exclusive
Little Big Planet









If you're not a PS3 owner, but have a PSP you need to get your hands on "Little Big Planet" for the PSP. It's PS3 brother own numerous awards last year including "Game of the Year" from the Interactive Achievement Awards and this year's PSP version of the 2D side-scroller is certain to light up your PSP very soon.


First-Person Shooter
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Xbox 360, PS3, PC










Breaking the world record for the biggest entertainment release with over $550 million in sale the first week "Modern Warfare 2" is on the top of every first-person shooter's wish list. Blending a solid story with a deep multiplayer experience and new co-operative modes and you have a golden release already enjoyed by millions across the globe. Remember to click here for VGF's preview-review of "Modern Warfare 2."


Action-Adventure
Assassin's Creed 2
Xbox 360, PS3, PC










Early reviews are showing that this year's sequel to the 2007 action-adventure title builds on the city-scaping thriller. Italian assassin Ezio Auditore di Firenze (like you need to be told he is Italian) races across rooftops, streets, and waterways to seize his pray in this open world, time traveling title. Like "Uncharted 2" this sequel is bigger and better than its brilliant predecessor.


Rhythm Game
The Beatles: Rock Band
Wii, Xbox 360, PS3










Sure it's a band-exclusive game, but it's "The Beatles." Showcasing one of the world's greatest musical groups in a game that is well polished and meets gamers with a non-abrasive difficulty, "The Beatles: Rock Band" is sure to please. Add two full album track packs - and another in December - and you have a game that will continue giving beyond 2009.

Order "VGF Magazine" TODAY!!!

It's up and it's live!

You can now officially order your copy of the very first issue of "VGF Magazine" today!!!

For only $2.00 plus shipping and handling you can can order the inaugural issue of the published supplement to VGF!

Following the link below to order your copy through MagCloud.com:

"VGF Magazine"
issue 1. November 2009
http://magcloud.com/browse/Issue/41743

Included in this issue:

"The Best of Video Game Freedom"

REVIEW: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
FEATURE: Six Health Care Solutions from Video Games
OPINION: Motion Controls Alienate Core Gamers
MOVIE REVIEW: Milk


Delivery usually arrives in about a week and please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments when you receive your copy.

Please order and support an independent video game journalist!

Preview-Review - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Yes, it sold over 40 million copies the first day of its release.

Yes, there is a mission where players can choose to massacre innocent civilians in an Russian airport.

Yes, you can choose to bypass that mission with no penalty.

Finally, yes, it is likely to receive several video game honors and awards.

Just in case you haven't heard any of the pervasive hype surrounding this year's biggest video game release, I'm talking about Infinity Ward's and Activision's "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" the direct sequel to 2007's "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare."

In a series first, "Modern Warfare 2" continues the story of its 2007 predecessor with the formation of a new Russian ultra-nationalist Vladimir Makarov as he rekindles the throne of the fallen Imran Zakhaev to cause more havoc and destruction in another go around.

The strange thing about the "Call of Duty" series is that the plot of any given title takes a backseat to its intensive and explosion happy gameplay although many of the games' most dramatic cinematic moments are fueled by the basics of what's happening in the story. As a result, you don't find yourself paying much attention to the finer details of the story although what's going on can have a profound emotional impact when intense, emotional heart strings are picked.

With that being said - and without my completion of the game - "Modern Warfare 2" doesn't seem to break any ground in a narrative sense even though the game has received a lot of publicity from it's risky "Russian Airport" scene.

Thankfully, the same great gameplay from the series returns.

Anyone familiar with the previous two installments of the series can literally pick up and play the game from the title screen. It's refreshing to experience a series built on consistency rather than trying to reinvent its gameplay - I'm looking at you Final Fantasy.

Veteran's of the series can expect the same great campaign and multiplayer experience with the addition of two-person "Special Op" missions. However, I don't know if it's just me, but I can't seem to figure out how play with another person online in a tactical mission without inviting someone from my friends list.

I've personally spent the majority of my time in the game's in-depth online multiplayer matches. A few added upgrades make the experience a more balanced bout with "death streaks" which allow you to even the playing field after being killed a consistent number of times. There are also new challenges, a customizable emblem tag, and new "kill streaks" to keep things interesting in the same great experience millions of "Call of Duty 4" and "World at War" fan have enjoyed.

However, it seems as though these additions may be a little too forgiving. I understand there are some real..."gifted players" that reached level 60 by the time I purchased the game last Saturday (giving them 5 days to do so), but the average level of players is in the 30s. I haven't really played the game that extensively and I am already at level 11.

You are given a wide array of bonuses from things such as taking revenge on a player that just killed you or by saving another teams mate. This yields quicker level progression and makes the acquisition of those levels feel less rewarding.

Nevertheless, "Modern Warfare 2" is more the same.

It's the same great gameplay, brilliant visuals, dramatic presentation, and rewarding multiplayer. In this case more of the same is a good thing.

However, this consistency does not move the series much further and "Modern Warfare 2" seems to ever so slightly dissatisfy its monumental hype.

Resident Evil 5 Review

8.5 out of 10

The "Resident Evil" franchise has been hailed as the inaugural title in the survival horror franchise with the release of the original "Resident Evil" on the Sony Playstation in 1996.

13 years later, the series takes the genre in a new, not as scary, but incredibly fun direction in "Resident Evil 5" for the Xbox 360 and PS3.

RE5 returns to the story of Chris Redfield a Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance (B.S.A.A.) agent 10 years after the Raccoon City incident from the original "Resident Evil." This time, Chris is sent to Africa to investigate potential biochemical arms deal in the remote city of Kljuju. There, Chris meets African B.S.A.A. agent Sheva Alomar and the two reluctantly team-up in the investigation of the potential threat. What results is an experience filled great gameplay, beautifully crafted visuals, familiar characters, and a new way of playing: teamwork.

Fans of 2005 release of "Resident Evil 4" will feel right at home as the same gameplay and basic control scheme returns. The quasi-first to -third person gameplay from RE4 finds its way into RE5 and hasn't lost any of its charm.

The controls are intentionally clunky and frustrating at times - yielding a slight learning curve - to created added suspense when the player is faced with a limited viewpoint and a series of equipment commands while a hoard of biochemically altered zombies attack from all sides.

However, this time around you're not alone.

The new buddy system allows Shiva to tag along with you every step of the way. You can control her actions via quick commands such as "cover" or "attack" and often the two-person system is utilized in several high-tension and puzzle sequences.

RE5's new gameplay scheme reaches its peak when that same two-player cooperative play is taken online. Playing through the game's campaign modes, players can either allow other players to join their campaign at any time or aid a friend in their campaign. The best part is that players bring with them all of their items they have collected throughout the game.

If you are a newcomer to the campaign, a friend can join-in and bring with them all of the items they've collected after completing the game themselves. That certainly makes some of the game's more challenging sequences easier to complete with an experienced player on-hand.

Nevertheless, this also leads to some potential issues when RE5 veterans join a newcomer's game and push them along the chapter without allowing the newcomer to explore the game's environments. To make matters worse, players tend be annoying on headsets and often impatient with newcomers. Commands are also present when playing online, so some gamers may receive a constant barrage of "hey" and "come on" commands from impatient veterans.

By simply having another person with you throughout the game makes RE5 less of a survival horror game and more of a survival third-person shooter. Yes, there are a few frightening moments, but having a friend there with you provides enough comfort to make this a title focused more on cooperative gameplay and less on sending chills down your spine.

The visuals of RE5 are incredible. Environments are brilliantly vivid and character models have a surprising level of detail with no glitches. This is perhaps one of the best looking games of the current console generation. I just wish the game's cinematic scenes were built in real time rather than noticeable, pre-rendered video files. Also, those sequence usually offer poor sound at a lower volume than the rest of the game.

The game feels a little short in length even though there are a few additional gameplay options and a lot of unlockable content. However, in order to attain added goodies it would take a lengthy and repetitive trip through the game that a lot of gamers will pass on.

Overall, "Resident Evil 5" is a solid addition to the "Resident Evil" franchise with a few cameo appearances from series characters and a story that is just about par for the course - no more. Nevertheless, two-player cooperative gameplay is a satisfying and refreshing addition to the series when you're playing with a civilized individual.

Modern Warfare 2: Countdown to Hysteria

The release of this year's biggest video game release "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" is just hours away.

I was even asked to write a brief for my local paper "The Saginaw News" about what's going on in my area.

300 expected at Saginaw County's GameStop for 12:01 a.m. Tuesday release of Call of Duty

With the possibility of the game setting new records for sales, it might not be a bad idea to check this one out.

A Mario Marriage Proposal

One imaginative fellow decided he would surprise his video game loving - or at least video game playing - girlfriend by proposing to her while playing "Super Mario World."

Actually, the game sort of proposed to her.

He used the the program "Lunar Magic" to create new levels in "Super Mario World" by altering the ROM file and playing the game through an emulator.

The result?

"Will you marry me Lisa?" written in coins in one of the most geeky marriage proposals ever imagined. And she did indeed say yes.

Checkout the video below:

VGF Magazine Issue 1. November Coming Soon

Very soon you will have you chance of ordering your copy of the first issue of "VGF Magazine."

The 8-page magazine is the "Best of Video Game Freedom" issue and features of the best content from "Video Game Freedom" thus far and is complete with stunning layout and design.

You will soon be able to order your copy - and some for your friends - at MagCloud.com at a low cost of $2.00 plus shipping!

Shipments will take about a week to arrive.

Be on the lookout for purchasing information here on VGF in the near future.