Video Game Freaks

While the high tech geek in me can love the Avatar movie for the colorful, wondrous work of technology that it was, I can’t help but be brought back down to Earth by the overwhelmingly disappointing tie in game. Everyone knows that movie tie ins are vastly hit or miss, and when they miss, they miss big. Never was this more true than with Avatar, which takes what was already a thread bare plot from the movie and beats it to death. Although in this version you’re offered the choice of staying with ecoterrorist group RDA or siding with the peaceful blue Na’vi, neither path will lead you anywhere interesting.

A bad script and even worse voice acting strips any sense of magic from the plot line, instead leaving you with an overlong, fairly basic first person shooter game. In Na’vi mode, you can use a variety of melee weapons that offers some entertaining combat options. However, in RDA mode, the completely lack of interesting choice only points out the technical glitches the game is prone to with even more stark clarity. AI characters often make moves that offer no logical sense, and even you can end up stuck in weird positions.

The scenery, although impressive at first, quickly becomes about as humdrum as the game, offering little but monotony and distinct sense of deja vu. It might be helped by decent vehicle play, except that when you’re in a vehicle the camera bounces so violently that all you’ll want is the monotony of walking through the jungle back. While the 3D aspect of the game is a nice feature (if you have a hi-def TV, anyway), it certainly doesn’t make up for the variety of ways in which the game fails to be anything interesting.

Thrusting you directly into the action where its prequel left off, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 immediately immerses players in a thrilling and adrenaline-pumping battle to keep the world safe. With rotating characters, exotic locations, and creative battle sequences, game play is intense, rewarding, and thoroughly addictive. The main campaign is a bit short, clocking in at around five hours. While it’s a bit disappointing to be able to blow through it so fast, the smooth game play helps console you. Challenging enemies mean that winning actually offers a sense of satisfaction missing in so many of today’s games.

What I do sort of wish was missing, however, were some of the more disturbing undercurrents that the occasionally muddy plot offers. While I suppose the ethical questions raised by the infiltration of a terrorist cell (during which you must behave as an actual terrorist) are worth examining, I can’t help but feel that the tightly paced plot doesn’t allow the proper time for a full resolution and processing of the issues the game is trying to examine. The result is a dark, occasionally disturbing muddle of ethical gray area that makes victory a little less sweet – fine for a TV show, perhaps, or a movie, but maybe a bit much for a video game to handle properly.

The Special Ops Mode subverts all of these problems by concentrating solely on single campaign based missions you can perform solo or with a friend. Varied in both nature and the different skills required, this mode allows a lot of excellent action without all of the confusing emotional fallout. Playing with friends is a rewarding experience that can really enhance the game play. What’s more, the tried and true Multiplayer function made so successful in Call of Duty 4 is still a shining star in this game. With loads of new perks, features, and weapons, this aspect of the game will keep old fans thrilled with both its consistency and its improvements.

The PDP N-7345 Nintendo DS Lite Licensed Duo Case and Stylus Pen may be a mouthful to say, but it’s an outstanding way to keep your Nintendo DS games and stylus safe when you’re on the go. It comes with separate compartments to hold up to six games and a stylus, making it very, very convenient.

If you’re worried about not liking the ’style’ because of the picture we have of the PDP N-7345, rest assured that this Duo Case (with included stylus pen!) comes in a wide variety of colors and a choice of characters on the case.

Now that we have that out of the way, you should really be interested in this Nintendo DS game case. You don’t want to be “that gamer” who has game cartridges falling out of pockets, into couches, etc. The PDP N-7345 makes it super easy to keep your games safe and all in one place when you’re on the go.

There’s nothing to say you can’t use this Nintendo DS game case to store your games at home. In fact, it’s a convenient way to keep your game area tidy while protecting your games from dust and other contaminants. And at the price, it’s easy to get enough cases for ALL your games, not just the ones near and dear to your heart. Smile.

Seriously, this is an economical and stylish way to carry or store your Nintendo DS games whether you’re on the go or chilling out at home. With so many different styles available, there’s a PDP N-7345 that’s sure to please everyone.

If you own a PDP N-7345 Duo Case, let us know what you think! What design did you go with? Are you as happy with it as most people seem to be? We want to hear from YOU!