GameSpoon: Magic: The Gathering XBLA

Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers was recently released on Xbox Live Arcade to provides us with a great opportunity to play this iconic card game.

Magic: The Gathering is a trading card game that was released in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. MTG is a highly addictive game that involves two (or more) players who assume the role of a spell-casting "planeswalker" in a battle of strategy, skill and luck of the draw.

It was around 1994, the time MTG Revised was released, when my friends and I began to explore the card game. A good friend of mine introduced a few of us to MTG and taught us how to play. It took a while for me to grasp the concept of the game, but it didn't take long for my friend to take advantage of my lack-of-knowledge in order to swindle me out of some good cards. "Sure, I'll trade you this one card for 5 of yours!" I thought he was the sucker...I miss my "Force of Nature."

Don't worry folks, I got my revenge. After I picked up the game, I started investing all the money I had at that time into buying cards and building decks. The game consumed my life with an obsession that could not be tamed. I poured over catalogs of MTG cards and looked for ways to build the most effective deck that I could possibly imagine. A different friend of mine and I would spend hours playing against each other, trading cards, strategically building decks and traveling to our local hobby store to challenge others. It all paid off, when we both challenged our card-swindling buddy. Match after match, he failed to stand a chance. He loved his green and blue decks - one which was a stasis deck that backfired on him horribly against our hand and land destruction decks; sometimes revenge is sweet.

Anyway, time passed on and I started to drift away from MTG. The obsession fell into a deep slumber, occasionally awaking, but only for short times. Then Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers on Xbox Live Arcade stepped into my life.

Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers is a great experience. It captures the feeling of playing with the real, physical thing. As you play through the campaign, you unlock cards and decks to further expand upon your arsenal. The game play is smooth and smart - when you encounter one of the many complex situations that arise during play (i.e. what rule happens first and when does this take affect), you'll find the results to be satisfying; expected resolutions.

I've spent many hours playing the Campaign mode - both single player and co-op. I look forward to experiencing the Xbox Live matches too, but I'm saving that until I find the deck that is right for me.

My only complaint is the deck customization. I wish there was a DLC or inherit feature that allowed you to build a deck from the ground up; to be able to specify the number of cards you want, the type of cards you want and how many of each you want in your deck - total deck building freedom. Currently, preconstructed decks are the only type available to you. You do unlock cards to add to your decks, but the customization is restricted to just those bonus cards (meaning, you can only add/remove those unlocked cards). This is the one complaint I have on the game, but it is not something that would cause me to stop playing; I love this game.

Check out Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers on Xbox Live Arcade; for only 800 MS points the game could be yours! If you are new to MTG, there is a learning curve for mastering combos and strategies, but it is easy to pickup the basics! I highly recommend getting this game, try the demo or just buy the whole thing. If you like MTG, you can't go wrong.

TubeSpoon: The Pacific

Maybe it is a guy thing, maybe it actually transcends gender, but whatever it is, Band of Brothers has it. That miniseries changed my life with the story of the brotherhood of the US soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division, 506/2 PIR, easy company.

I think I speak for many, when I say that this series is one of the, if not, the best miniseries that has ever been made. As much as I love it and as much as I wish there was more to watch, there is only the series...until 2010!

The Pacific is not a sequel to Band of Brothers, but rather it is the next story being told of the second World War. This time the story will follow the US involvement in the Pacific theater, focusing on the US Marines (1st Marine Division).

I am looking forward to this series very much. I am not expecting it to be the next Band of Brothers, it will be different, but I do expect it to trigger the same type of feelings and in depth understanding of the life of a Marine during the pacific theater.

Our grandfathers, great grandfathers for some, were part of a special generation; one of the bravest generations in the history of the US. Many people may be tired of movies, tv and games that are set during WWII, but their story should be told.

Look for The Pacific on HBO in March of 2010.

GameSpoon: The Next Xbox Rumors

Gizmodo posted about a rumor they heard regarding the next xbox. They learned that the next xbox will not only have Natal built-in, but it will also support a fully immersible 3D environment.

Gizmodo's post referred to a Team Xbox article, which stated, "in addition to built-in Natal tech, a key feature of the next Xbox would be full HD stereoscopic 3D visuals similar to 3D movie theatres" (Team Xbox). Also, according to Gizmodo, "TeamXbox claims that the 720 won't be launched until 3D television solutions go more mainstream" (Gizmodo).

Let's recap some information here -

• Project Natal, which will be available for the Xbox 360, is clearly a future that Microsoft will be exploring and improving upon


• Microsoft employee Johnny Chung Lee, who is working on Project Natal, has already created an interactive 3D environment with a WiiMote


• At E3, Microsoft announced a 10 year lifespan for the Xbox 360

So what does this all mean? First, we can assume that the Project Natal's release on the Xbox 360 will basically be a massive "beta-testing" ground for the future of that type of technology. I use "beta-testing" loosely, it will be a fully-functioning add on to the 360, but the future of the Xbox console clearly has this technology in mind. So why not test it out on the current system, get the bugs out, see what developers can do and use the time to explore more ideas around the technology?

Next, we come to Johnny Chung Lee. Seeing how he has already created an interactive 3D environment (using a WiiMote), sure sounds like it is on par with this "fully immersible 3D environment" that the 360's successor is rumored to have. Watch this video:


Last, it brings us to the 10 year plan for the Xbox 360. Now, this does not mean that we have to wait for the full 10 years before the next system comes out, but it does buy Microsoft some valuable time. Time that they may not need, but time that the public will need to adapt to "3D television solutions."

I once had the pleasure of hearing Jawed Karim, a co-founder of YouTube, speak about the success of YouTube; the success of that website directly correlated with the publics' adaption to high-speed internet - thus being able to stream video. YouTube would not have been successful if the site launched before 2005. He stressed the importance of timing and technology, basically when the masses are ready for the new technology. This reasoning sounds like justification for Microsoft's patience.

Regardless of whether these rumors are true or not, these next few years will be exciting times. The way we've known console gaming is going to change forever, but these changes will be good. They will bring us forward and offer new experiences that will change the way we game and the way we interact with our games. Perhaps this will further break down the wall between gaming and film, joining forces to breed a new way of telling stories.

GameSpoon - Just Cause 2

GameSpoon - Super Mario Galaxy 3 @ E3

GameSpoon: Jason Sudekis at E3

"Can I race as Jimmy Fallon?"

GameSpoon: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

Castlevania + Patrick Stewart = EPIC! This game looks badass! It will be released on the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3 in 2010...be prepared. This time, Hideo Kojima (Metal Gear) takes a hold of this series, you can expect only the best.

GameSpoon: New Super Mario Bros. Wii footage

The New Super Mario Bros. Wii game could, in fact, be one of my favorite titles for the Nintendo Wii. I look forward to the multi-player experience in the game; up to four people playing at once! That will be fun.

This is the type of game that the Wii needs to capitalize on; 2D side-scrollers. I'm completely biased though. I grew up with the original NES and all I ever knew Nintendo to be, was a 2D side-scrolling platformer (with various exceptions such as the original Zelda). Anyway, this game looks great!

GameSpoon: Halo: Reach teaser

Halo: Reach - fall of 2010! "From the beginning, you know the end," what could this mean? What type of game will this be? Bottom line...will it rock? I have high expectations for this next Bungie release, I hope I'm not disappointed.

Fall of 2010 might be a ways out there, but thankfully we get Halo 3: ODST this fall! Make sure you still have your copy of Halo 3 laying around!

Halo 3: ODST

GameSpoon: Assassin's Creed 2 official trailer

This looks extremely promising! I loved Assassin's Creed and I am really looking forward to this game. Look for Assassin's Creed 2 this November. Also, pick up the first game, if you haven't played it yet.

GameSpoon: Metal Gear Solid: Rising teaser

Coming to the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and the PC - Metal Gear Solid: Rising. This game will be based on Raiden, rather than Solid Snake (Raiden first appeared as the main character in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty).

GameSpoon: Doomsday Arcade catch-up

Sorry folks, fell behind here a bit, but here is the pure awesomeness of Doomsday Arcade:

Doomsday Arcade episode 8:


Doomsday Arcade episode 9:


Doomsday Arcade episode 10:

GameSpoon: COD: Modern Warfare 2

Straight from GameTrailers.com's E3 coverage, gameplay footage of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's campaign mode.