areaseven

From the Anime News Network:

Just when you thought it was safe to speed on the streets of London... 2007 Caparo T1 RRV

Check out this custom TF by Jin Saotome: Custom Unicron

I miss the good old days of Windows 3.1.

Contrary to all the rumors posted over the past few months, the new Hyundai coupe will not receive a V8, which will be exclusive to the Genesis Sedan. Edmunds - No V8 for Hyundai Genesis Coupe

Correct. First Look: Hyundai Genesis Coupe

Pop Quiz: Name the manufacturer of the car behind the Mustang pictured below: (Anyone over at AP, don't answer this.)

The race version has been revealed. 2008 Nissan GT-R GT500

Any bets on how many rappers pre-ordered those to replace their out-of-style spinners?

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock ( ギターヒーロー3 レジェンド オブ ロック ) Neversoft/Budcat Creations (PS2)/Vicarious Visions (Wii)/Aspyr Media (PC/Mac)/RedOctane, Inc./Activision, 2007 For the Sony PlayStation 3/Sony PlayStation 2/XBOX 360/Nintendo Wii/PC/Macintosh Rated T (Teen) for mild lyrics. (Review based on PS2 version) Lowdown The most popular music game out there is back, but with a new twist. A major shakeup occurred when original developer Harmonix was acquired by MTV networks. As a result, Harmonix parted ways with the Guitar Hero team to create Rock Band. In response, Activision commissioned Neversoft (Tony Hawk series) to develop Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. Not only do you rock to a killer playlist, you get to jam with master guitarists Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave) and Slash (Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver). In addition, PS3, XBOX 360 and PC/Mac versions feature Poison's Bret Michaels as a guest vocalist. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock comes bundled with a wireless Gibson Les Paul controller (wireless Kramer Striker for the PS2; wired USB Gibson X-Plorer for the PC and Mac). Now get ready to rock! Gameplay: A- If you're a veteran of the Guitar Hero series, then you already know the basics of this latest iteration. You simply play the song by matching the frets and strumming along to win the crowd. If you fail at the song, the crowd will boo you out of the stage. (At least they won't throw rocks at you like they did to Nickelback.) However, even the most experienced shredder may get frustrated the first time around. Most of the songs are much more difficult to play. There are probably a couple of songs described by many as impossible to play on at least Medium difficulty, such as DragonForce's "Through the Fire and Flames." There are numerous additions in the gameplay. First off, Career Mode can be done either on solo or co-op modes. Second is the introduction of Guitar Battle Mode. In Solo Career Mode, you are challenged by Tom Morello, Slash and Lou (an original boss character). The objective is to make your opponent fail by using Battle Power attacks such as Amp Overload (flashes opponent's frets), Broken String (opponent must tap a broken fret button rapidly) and Whammy (opponent must push the Whammy bar rapidly). In the past two games, Career Mode was simply about you playing guitar and sending your band to superstardom. In Guitar Hero III, though, there is a story. You answer a classified ad posted by a band looking for a guitarist. You prove yourself at a small night club before a music producer named Lou signs you a recording deal. You and your band tour around the world and sell millions, but find out that you're royally screwed by Lou, who turns out to be the Devil. As a result, your band must battle Lou in his backyard in Hell for your souls. A game like this doesn't need a storyline, but this one actually works out fine. Most of the characters from the first two games return for this installment. Gone are Clive Winston (the British guy), Eddie Knox (the tattooed rockabilly) and Pandora (the Goth chick). Midori, a Japanese chick, is a new character that's playable in all versions of the game. Each system also has a different set of unlockable characters. The Wii and PS2 versions have Metalhead (an alien robot) and Elroy Budvis (a washed-up Elvis impersonator). The PS3 and XBOX 360 versions have the God of Rock and the Grim Ripper (originally from the first two games). Perhaps one of the biggest annoyances in the game is the unnecessary product placements. Brand names such as Axe Body Spray and Pontiac have no business in this game at all. The new wireless controllers are a huge improvement over the old SG controller and RedOctane's Guitar Hero II wireless controller. They use less batteries (two AAs instead of RedOctane's three AAAs) and look more like real guitars. (Of course, Rock Band's Stratocaster controller annihilates them in detail and accuracy, but its poor quality kills it.) Those who have the Les Paul controller can customize theirs with detachable faceplates. A notable feature is the detachable neck, which makes the guitar more compact to store on the go. Gameplay-wise, it does take the difficulty level to 11, but doesn't improve much to the original formula. Nevertheless, it's still a fun game to Rock and Roll All Nite and party everyday. Graphics: B- Guitar Hero III sports more polygons than its predecessors, but is marred by cheesy-looking character designs. Also, the layout is somewhat disorienting compared to the previous games. A Streak Counter has been added to the scoreboard, which is darker and not as legible as the old one. The Rock Meter functions as it should, but the Star Power meter is replaced by glowing blue Christmas lights. Even more frustrating is the fact that Star Power wears out faster - even on full capacity. Soundtrack: A What's Guitar Hero without a rockin' playlist? For Guitar Hero III, more original songs appear on the playlist than its predecessors. Yes, there are still a lot of cover songs, but that doesn't compare to shredding to original versions of Aerosmith's "Same Old Song and Dance," Muse's "Knights of Cydonia," Metallica's "One," and Guns N' Roses' "Welcome to the Jungle." And just for this game, The Sex Pistols returned to the studio to re-record their legendary smash "Anarchy in the U.K." PS3 and XBOX 360 versions have the advantage of online access to downloadable content. Gamers can purchase songs by Foo Fighters, Velvet Revolver, Marilyn Manson and Linkin Park and test their skills with them. XBOX 360 owners can also jam to the Halo theme (Mjolnir Mix, as performed by Steve Vai). The Bottom Line Rock Band may have more bells and whistles, but Guitar Hero III is still the music game everyone's banging their heads to. Links Official Guitar Hero Homepage Reference Wikipedia

Last week, I went to Best Buy and tried out Rock Band. Playing the guitar section is no different from Guitar Hero. The drums, on the other hand, are pretty difficult (unless you really know how to play drums) - even on Easy. Here are some sample videos: Official Trailer "Wanted Dead or Alive"

In late 2005, Harmonix and RedOctane rocked the gaming world with Guitar Hero, which has gone to sell over 1.5 million copies and win numerous awards. A year later, after RedOctane's acquisition by Activision, Guitar Hero II was released. It went on to sell more than three million copies on both PlayStation 2 and XBOX 360. And the game was followed by the spinoff Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s, which didn't really improve much to the gameplay and was criticized for its high retail price. This year, things have changed. Upon its acquisition by MTV Networks, Harmonix parted ways with RedOctane and Activision. As a result, Guitar Hero finally has something it was missing over the past two years: competition. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Neversoft/RedOctane/Activision, 2007 For the Sony PlayStation 3/Sony PlayStation 2/XBOX 360/Nintendo Wii/PC/Macintosh Rated T (Teen) for mild lyrics With Harmonix out of the picture, RedOctane and Activision commissioned Neversoft (Tony Hawk series) to develop the newest Guitar Hero game. While GH3 plays like its predecessors, the visuals are very different. The Rock Meter and Scoreboard look more organized, which somehow take away the soul of the game. The Star Power meter bar has been replaced with blue "Christmas" lights, which can be both very confusing and frustrating. While GH2 introduced the two-player cooperative mode, GH3 takes it up a notch with a career mode. In addition to the traditional Face Off Mode, Battle Mode puts a new twist on the Star Power feature. Using Star Power enables you to disrupt your opponent's guitar solo and gain the upper hand. Attacks include Amp Overload (which causes your opponent's chord bar to flash), Broken String (your opponent must tap the broken fret button), Whammy (your opponent must use the Whammy Bar rapidly to get their notes back in alignment) Double Notes, Lefty/Righty Flip and Difficulty Up (not effective on Expert Mode). And then, there's the playlist. RedOctane and Activision have managed to secure more original songs for the game. This means less covers and more of the real thing. Fans of Aerosmith, Rolling Stones, Iron Maiden and Metallica will certainly jam on this game. And just for this game, Bret Michaels (Poison), Sex Pistols and Living Colour have re-recorded their songs. GH3 also features guests appearances by Michaels, Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave) and Slash (Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver). (Bret Michaels' performance and likeness are not available on the PS2 version.) Guitar Hero III comes bundled with a wireless Gibson Les Paul guitar controller (Kramer Striker for the PS2, wired Gibson Xplorer for the PC). The Wii's controller requires the Wiimote to play. While it's not as memorable as the first two, Guitar Hero III is still an enjoyable game on its own. Just try and play DragonForce's "Through the Fire and Flames" on any mode. Rock Band Harmonix/MTV Games/EA Games, 2007 For the Sony PlayStation 3/Sony PlayStation 2/XBOX 360 Rated T (Teen) for mild lyrics Harmonix succeeded in making the most popular guitar game series in history, but were they going to stop there? Absolutely not. Rock Band is seen by many fans as both a worthy successor and the evolution of Guitar Hero. Not only do you get to play guitar and bass, but you can also play drums or sing lead vocals. Up to four players can jam on one song at the same time. Gameplay is similar to GH, only that it uses bars (similar to Konami's music games) instead of buttons as notes. Seasoned players may take a while to get used to the game's new layout. The graphics on the background feature realistic-looking people as opposed to GH's cartoonish characters, but the framerate is rather low. For the songs, Harmonix went all out. Five record labels have supplied master recordings for the game's 45 original songs from The Ramones, Bon Jovi, Rolling Stones, KISS, The Clash and more. Plus, you'll be able to download complete albums from Metallica, Grateful Dead and The Who. While GH retains the Gibson license for their guitars, RB uses long-time rival Fender for theirs. Unlike GH's Gibson controllers, RB's Stratocaster controller features five additional frets and an effects pickup switch; not to mention that it looks more like a real guitar. The drum kit is similar to Konami's DrumMania, wherein it consists of four pads and a kick pedal. And if you're a fan of Konami's Karaoke Revolution (which was developed by Harmonix), you'll most likely be familiar with RB's USB-powered microphone, which also doubles as a tambourine or cowbell on non-vocal parts. Set for release on November 20 (December 18 for the PS2 version), Rock Band retails for $169.99 ($159.99 for the PS2 version) and will come bundled with a guitar, drum kit and mic. And with both RB and GH3 in stores for the Holiday season, it'll be very hard to leave home this Christmas.

Here's one from the old MW Forums:

The world's most overrated supercar takes on Europe's newest fighter plane. Top Gear - Bugatti Veyron vs. Eurofighter Typhoon

Here's one for David H. 2007 Pontiac G8

I was never a fan of modern Benzes, but this custom bodywork makes the SLK 55 AMG look so much better. 2007 Kleeman GTK Based on the Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 AMG

The Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano is not a Ferrari you'd consider as "good looking." But there is a company that'll make it look as good as the classic 1962 250 GTO. That is, if you're willing to fork over $1.4 million... 2006 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano 2009 Vanderbrink Ferrari 599 GTO

"Honey Flash!" - What may probably be the only good thing about this show.

I'm surprised no one mentioned this... Cutie Honey The Live premiered in Japan earlier this month. Has anyone seen this series? And how does it compare to the movie? Cutie Honey The Live Cutie Honey The Live Opening Theme Cutie Honey The Live Ending Theme

IMO, traffic should not be an excuse to not drive stick. When I first got my license in the Philippines 15 years ago, less than 5% of the cars in Manila were automatic. Take into consideration that rush hour traffic there is 4-5 mph. The only time I'll ever own an automatic is if I'll ever lose an arm or a leg.

Kakizaki all the way. No one really cared about Physica.