[UPDATE] What's in the Works!

Just wanted to give you all a heads up: We're upgrading GTAL and launching a new look site, with a whole lot more content. It'll be much easier to get around, and looks awesome. Unfortunately, it's taking a little longer than I'd like, but it will happen. We'll let you know when it's all done and dusted. Until then, Happy Gaming, and keep on Expericooking!

- Jiggsy

[Tech] By the power of Greyskull...I have a network!!!

I was very pleased this week when this bad boy landed on my desk.

What is it? It's gypsy magic that will change my life forever.

Life is like layers of meat, cheese and pasta... AWESOME MNMM #9

I realise that many of my posts start this way but, I effing LOVE lasagne! How can you go wrong with meat, cheese and pasta baked in such a way that the AWESOMEness of the total far exceeds the sum of awesomeness of the parts? Nowhere, that's where. I've looked, trust me. My recipe here for you tonight isn't something special or over-the-top or anything, just a good, trusty, simple recipe with the odd little tweak here and there to make this an awesome meal with stuff all effort. All you need is a little time, patience and a big appetite!

Get your coat, you've pulled! MNMM #8

Time for another treat! Tonight I'll share with you a super-easy, but super tasty favourite of my friends and colleagues - my world famous (at my house) american-style Pulled Pork! Also, this picture looks like Pac-Man gettin' his pork on!

[Unboxing] Hatching an Alien(ware)

I had a very nice surprise turn up on my doorstep this week in the form of an Alienware M14X which I am reviewing as part of a competition from our friends at Gamespot AU.

 

There will be more reviews and information to come as I put it through its paces and run the hard yards of playing games on it and calling it work, but first up lets do an unboxing! Full pics after the break!

 

 

[REVIEW] Cutting to the Core: Fruit Ninja Kinect

I woke up this morning, almost unable to move my arms. My shoulders ached, as if I'd been climbing mountains. It seems hard for me to believe that swinging my arms around, slicing fruit in colourful arcs, could have been so strenuous, though in hindsight, I was puffed after my first round (definitely more a criticism on my physical state then anything else).

Fruit Ninja Kinect is almost nothing like playing it on a phone.

[REVIEW] Float like a Butterfly: Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet

So I must start this review with a quick confession - I haven't beaten the last boss yet (or what I think/hope is the last boss) yet and I'm almost at the point of tossing this game into the abyss of shame and never completing it. Yet I refrain from doing so as the game has the capacity to provide great feelings of triumph and satisfaction.

Read on past the jump to find why this game is so frustrating and at the same time so engaging...

Monday Night Man Meals #7

I fricken love wings. I love wings A LOT. I first had decent ones last year when my wife and I went to Hooters in the USA (which was amazing BTW). I was amazed at just how easy they are to cook and there is absolutely no denying that they are AWESOMEly manly! Hit the jump for the super-simple recipe as well as a run down on some of the usual accompaniments!

[REVIEW] Tracing the bloodline: Dragon Age 2: Legacy

Dragon Age 2 was, in my opinion, a mixed bag of a game. On one hand, there's an epic storyline that runs throughout (something we've come to expect from a BioWare game), beautiful scenery, and some of the funniest companion dialogue since KOTOR's HK-77. On the other, however, it's marred with repetetive  side quests, copy/paste map areas, and plot choices that didn't quite fit with the character you'd been playing throught the game. Also, with essentially only 2 endings, there wasn't much in the way of replay value.

Thankfully, that's where the latest DLC, Legacy, shines.

[PODCAST] Get your AWESOMEcast fix right here!

For this edition of the GTAL AWESOMEcast, Jiggsy2point0, Tinmut, Jeffois and Robeywan got together to talk the usual food, games, more, including the upcoming SciFi Channel (Australia) Doctor Who Tweetup/Clustr Launch and Insert Coin(s) in Sydney

 I won't lie to you, this edition was a little bit more... off-colour than the previous one, but that's just how these things go sometimes... I'm still not entirely sure why we kept finding ourselves referring to Red Dead Redemption, either...

More importantly though, we have a name! Thanks to AnchormanMazda, this podcast will now be known as the AWESOMEcast! Thank you to everyone for their suggestions! As always, if there's something you want us to cover, let us know in the comments, tweet us, or on our Facebook page!

Hit the jump below to stream or download the second instalment!

[REVIEW] The Particle Theory: From Dust (XBLA)

Let's get this straight up front. I didn't cook this game. But hey! I'm still a gamer at heart and I've been lucky enough to give this fabulous little XBLA game a look.

I was a big fan of Black & White from the epicly eccentric Mr. Molyneaux's Lionhead Studios. At first glance, you wouldn't be blamed for putting From Dust into the same "god game" bucket. To be fair, I thought the same for the first couple of levels. However, it didn't take long for me to realise it's really something different. Find out just what after the jump!

Monday Night Man Meals #6

Ok, some people will whinge and claim that this is MNMM #7 as the open sausage tar...PIE was actually #6 but that was a quickie and doesn't count. At least that's what Bill Clinton told the jury, right? Anyway, I kinda like creating the idea of people at a GTA-Con in the future arguing over which episodes should be counted and which were just sidelines. That's if they can count in future of course... I'm sure kids already think it goes something like: 4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9.

Anyhoo, I've just come back from a very short trip to America (fricken missed ComicCon by this much). There's very little I love about America than the AWESOMEly manly food on offer. Don't get me wrong, there are so many things to love about the U.S. (tattooed chicks, sheer scale and their economy), but at the same time there are so many things to loathe (bigots, starbucks and their economy) - but I particularly love the absolute melting pot for culinary styles a place like Southern California can be. I hear the same about NY, Florida and so many other places as well - but this recent trip took me to LA, so guess what that means? Something quntissentially American... YEP! Mexican food. Strap in and hold on, 'coz Papi's makin' Chimichangas!

[REVIEW] A Simple Equation: Fallout: NV's 'Old World Blues'

The next instalment of DLC for the 'not-so-buggy-now' Fallout: New Vegas has arrived, and it's a formula for success!

Old World Blues kicks off with a cryptic message, inviting you to the Midnight Science Fiction Theatre at the Mojave Drive In, so after ditching as much unnecessary gear as possible, losing the companions, and a quick fast-travel, that's exactly where I headed. The interesting thing about a Midnight show is that it kicks off (you guessed it!) at Midnight! Once the clock ticked over, a crashed satellite projected an image onto the remains of the Drive-In screen, and a quick inspection launched an all-too familiar (and still frustratingly unskippable) Slideshow Intro.

[REVIEW] Standing on the Edge of the Earth: Limbo (Steam/PSN/XBLA)

With it's release on Steam coming on August 3rd, what better time for another look at one of the most loved and praised indie games in recent history.

When I think of platformers, I think of Shinobi, Alex Kidd, Gunstar Heroes, Sunset Riders and Splosion Man (to name a small selection of my favourites). These are all games in which you already have, or are given the tools to make it past various obstacles, environmental or otherwise. Platformers are mostly filled with double-jumps, bottomless pits and crazed enemies that all require careful timing or a spamming of the power button to negotiate. Once these obstacles are dealt with, we are usually left with a sense of power and control over of our environment as we look back on the impossible tasks we have just performed.

Introducing the GTALCast!

We've been tossing up the idea of doing a Podcast for a while now, and this week we all got together and recorded one! This will be the first of many to come, hopefully weekly, and we want your feedback! What do you want to hear us talk about? More importantly, what do you want us to call it? We're opening it up to you to decide, so throw a Name down in the comments, vote for one, and the most popular name as voted by you guys (and girls) will become the Podcast name!

You can download the Very First GTALCast right here (MP3 ~60Mb, Right-Click, Save Target As), or hit the jump to stream it inside your browser!

Monday Night Quickie

I'm a bit torn on this one... Firstly, Jiggsy has given me the night off (we're doing our first podcast tonight), secondly this is more of a snack than and meal and third, I'm wondering if this really is very manly. But hey, I gotta eat and I don't always have to eat a kilo of steak, or try and turn your average meal inside-out or even nosh on miscellaneous pig parts. As for the questionable manliness of this dish, as long as no one mentions that it's a tart (which sounds a bit girly) and sticks to my description of an 'open pie' we'll be sorted! So, keep reading after the jump for a quick easy snack or entree or plate to bring to your next potluck dinner (do people still do those? I would LOVE to do one!) - my very own Cheesy Spicy Kolbasz Open Pie (DON'T mention the tart).

[REVIEW] Something Wicked this Way Comes: Shadows of the Damned

Have you ever played a Zelda game, and thought to yourself this needs more penis jokes? Or wished that Navi could transform into a gun? Yes? Then you're in luck, because Shadows of the Damned makes those dreams come true.

Hang on... What!? Zelda & Shadows of the Damned? Read on to find out what these two games hold in common...

[REVIEW] 2-Hit Combo- Cthulhu Saves the World/Breath of Death VII

In a world overrun breathtaking facial animation, serious character acting and more-than-linear idiot-proof shooters, it's definitely a relief to know that there's developers out there making clever, funny, and (above all else) fun titles still... throw those three adjectives into a blender, add half a pint of Old School RPG style, 2 cups of sprite (not the drink) graphics, and a pound of Sierra-esque humour, and you've got two of the most entertaining games I've been lucky enough to play (and replay!), Zeboyd Games' Cthulhu Saves The World & Breath of Death VII.

[VIDEO/PICTURES] HTC Sensation Launch Party w/ The Vines!

On a Wintery Monday night, Tinmut, HiJacker, and myself headed out to Sydney's Oxford Art Factory for the Australian Launch of the HTC Sensation. Hit the Jump for our video coverage, including a sneak peak at some of the awesome features of the HTC Sensation, and a MASSIVE Slideshow of all the action from the night, including The VInes!

[REVIEW] Hands-On with the HTC Sensation

At first I wasn't sure what I thought about the HTC Sensation. On the surface it appears just to be another Desire HD-esque device - Android on a big screen, wrapped in HTC Sense.

To judge it like that, however, would be doing both the device and myself a disservice, as when you get to know more about it and actually hold it in your hand, the device comes to life and impresses you like no previous HTC phone I've used.

Monday Night Man Meals #5

Pudding time! And before you lose your shit and complain that dessert isn't really a man-meal (unless it's more meat), this pudding is a Steak & Kidney Pudding! Not really one for late after work on a Monday night, but hey, this just goes to show my commitment to y'all! Warning: this recipe contains miscellaneous animal parts.

[OPINION] Paying to Play: A look at the Online Pass Model

With Sony announcing that online play will be restricted to users with a 'PSN Pass,' and the internet in an uproar as a result, I thought it'd be worth taking a look at why companies like EA and THQ are moving in this direction.

It's a known fact that Developers and Publishers make no money on pre-owned or rental sales. Yes, they've made their money on the original purchase, but is it fair that retailers can sell a second-hand copy (often similarly priced as a new one), and they don't see a cent of it? I'm not convinced.

Monday Night Man Meals #4

I was sitting on the couch last night, talking about what I was going to make for this edition of MNMM. I've been keen to try a burger out, especially after watching an old episode of Ever wondered about food? (great show by the way... watch it if you can find it). I was toying with the idea, thinking it over and over and came up with something that I was pretty sure would be impressive. Then, suddenly... BOOM out of nowhere ^this idea comes up - INSIDE-OUT BURGERS™!!

Monday Night Man Meals #3

Grab a pen, you'll wanna write this down. Tonight, I am sharing with all of you my Ribs recipe (yeps, there will be an actual recipe...more or less). This is one of my signature dishes and easily one of my favourite to serve. It's a dish that you could bring to a BBQ and be guaranteed you get invited back. Make it for a love interest and I guarantee you'll to be invited to stay. *shiftily raises eyebrows* Take a squizz after the jump to learn the secret of ribs good enough to create approximately 49.8% of the population from.

Alienware Gaming Rig

Look at this thing. LOOK AT IT. This is what a $50,000 gaming rig looks like. No joke.

5 Life Skills I Learnt from Video Games

We all love a good list, and as Australia seemingly draws nearer to an R18+ rating for video games, I thought I'd throw together some of the positive things I've learned in my (many) years of playing video games.

Hit the Jump to start with Number 5!

[REVIEW] A Little Late to the Party: Duke Nukem Forever

IT'S TIME TO FINISH MAKING DNF AND CHEW BUBBLE GUM, AND WE'RE ALL OUT OF GUM.

The new Duke Nukem from 3D realms and Gearbox Software has finally launched after seemingly forever (har har). The Ass-Kicking hero is back, and is the same as he always was; More manly than you will ever be.

[REVIEW] My Beautiful, Dark, Twisted Fantasy: Alice:Madness Returns

I must confess that I'd never heard of the original American McGee's Alice in 2000, 11 years ago. Around that time I was busy playing Diablo II, Thief 2, NFS:Porsche Unleashed and THPS2, and hadn't quite worked out what my preferred gaming style was. Upon reflection, it's probably a good thing: I never had a taste for platformers back then, and to be fair, I'm not the biggest fan of them now. They all seemed to be generic Sonic-type characters, all with attitude, and all doing something... good... and it's for that reason that I LOVE Alice.

[PREVIEW] SW:TOR Intro Cinematic

The intro cinematic for Star Wars: The Old Republic has recently been released and I have to say, I'm getting pretty damn excited about it! Read on after the jump and prepare to have your mind blown.

AWESOMEsauce

So I'll go ahead and admit this... I'm pretty much mental ape-shit for sauces. Most food is just a vehicle for sauce for me. Don't get me wrong, I'm not the sort of heathen that'll stick tomato sauce on pretty much everything. I truly believe in the right sauce for the job - much the same way my dad has a different spanner for just about any plumbing job. (I made that last bit up. I have no idea what kind of spanners he has. I'm far too busy drinking lattés apparently...) As such, my sauce collection is quite large. And I use pretty much all of them and am more than happy to share what's, why's and how comes of my ever growing collection after the jump!

[PHOTOS/VIDEO] Supanova 2011 Photo Gallery and Round Up

UPDATE! Day 2 Footage is here! Hit the jump and check it out!

So Sydney's Supanova 2011 is all done and dusted. We had a ball on both days, and grabbed heaps of footage from some amazing people. Seriously, if you haven't been, and are even slightly interested in Anime, Comics, Video Games, or Sci-Fi, get out there next year.

Hit the jump for our Highlights Photo Gallery, and Weekend Coverage...

Caped Crusaders, Costumes & Doctors: Supanova 2011

UPDATE: Hit the jump for our Day 1 Coverage... Day 2 coming soon!

The first thing I noticed as we walked up towards the Dome, the location for the 2011 incarnation of Sydney's Supanova Pop Culture Expo, was the array of colour. Everywhere I looked were people dressed up.. I counted 4 10th Doctors, 6 11th Doctors, at least 3 Chell's (The Protaganist from Portal) a detachment of Umbrella Corp soldiers, and a few Stormtroopers. We hadn't even got inside, and you could feel the atmosphere.

[REVIEW] Precision & Powerslides: Shift 2 Unleashed

As soon as I loaded up Shift 2, I knew it was going to be good. I was a fan of it's predecessor, NFS:Shift,  as I have been with just about every racing game EA has put out, so it was interesting to note that they'd dropped 'Need for Speed' from the title (yet retained the logo). For me, that sent a clear message. This isn't a Need for Speed game anymore. It's a full-fledged Racing Simulator, much along the same lines as your Gran Turismo or Forza franchises. Even still, the heritage is clearly there.

Monday Night Man Meals #2

Wow, so the pressure is on! I'm feeling the heat, Jiggsy2point0 has been breathing down my neck for another post, mates have been telling me they like the posts and want to see what else I can cook and the wife has been hassling me to put up some recipes. In that case, I thought I'd jump straight to one of my surefire winners - EPIC TOASTED SANDWICH!

[PHOTOS] Trackside at the Creek: Australian GT Round 3

I've been a bit lax with my love of Motorsport for a while now... I forget to watch the F1 races when they're broadcast, don't pay much attention to the V8s, and I haven't been out to a racetrack for years. When I'd heard that an old friend of mine, Formula 3 Champion Peter Hackett was out at Eastern Creek to put his brand-new Mercedes AMG SLS GT3 through it's paces, I knew I had to get out there and see it.

Windows 8: First Impressions

Since before Windows 7 was released the rumour mill was already rife with speculation on Windows 8 and at this years All Things Digital D9 conference Microsoft have now taken the covers off and started whetting our appetites with solid details and releasing the first in a series of videos called Building “Windows 8”

It doesn’t take a genius to instantly recognise that Windows 8 has taken some cues from its little brother Windows Phone 7, big colourful ‘live tiles’ and a very Metro looking interface make you wonder if Microsoft have gone too far. Are they going to alienate the core business and education markets by ‘dumbing down’ the OS in an effort to compete with a more and more tablet and touch centric marketplace.

'Beasting' some baked goods

So... baking kinda weirds me out. To me, baking is more alchemy than chemistry - oh and maths. And NO ONE wants to do maths when cooking, least of all me. But for reasons I will explain later, the urge took me and I thought I'd give it a crack.

Monday Night Man Meals #1

So, this is my very first post on GTAL and I am pleased to share with y'all something that's quite special to me. It's a little something I have dubbed "Monday Night Man Meal". Basically, for 3 out of 4 Mondays each month, my wife buggers off to one of her mate's place to watch her 'shows'. This allows for uninhibited bedlam in the kitchen. Let me stress, I LOVE to cook... moreover, I LOVE to eat! This'll be the first of no doubt many food-themed posts from this guy *points at self*

[BREAKING] Assassin's Creed: Revelations Unveiled! (New Screens and Trailer)

UPDATE: I just noticed that the end of this trailer mentions a Full Trailer release on the 7th June, which would put that pretty much in line with their E3 reveal... Coincedence? If I've learnt anything from Ezio, it's that nothing is true, everything is permitted...

We told you yesterday that Ubisoft was kicking things off in a big way this year, in celebration of their 25th Anniversary, and we've just got word in about one of the most anticipated games of 2011, AC:Revelations.

[BREAKING] Ubisoft Announces E3 Lineup, celebrates 25 Years of Gaming Awesome-ness

News just in! To kick off their massive E3 showcase, Ubisoft will be holding an invitation-only press conference (which will also be streamed live on Uplay and their YouTube channel), featuring unseen footage and demos of their 2012 lineup, and a few hot announcements. They'll follow that up with playable titles at their South Hall booth.

They've also just announced how hard they're hitting the market in celebration of their 25th Anniversary, with "titles spanning major genres and platforms..." including "action adventure, shooter titles, fitness games, online titles and casual games..." and I have to say, there's some big-hitters in the mix.

EA Australia's Alice: Madness Returns & Shadows of the Damned Preview

On a Friday evening, myself and the rest of the GTAL crew headed into Darlinghurst, in Sydney. We entered a quiet and unassuming door, walked down a set of stairs, and entered our own personal Wonderland. A room, split into two, black & white, walled with TVs and shiny Xbox 360 consoles. And on those, were two of the most beautiful games I've been lucky enough to see in a long time.

EA AU's Alice:& Shadows Photo Gallery

Update: Just added another slideshow featuring ALL the photos from the Event!

Hit the jump for a selection of the photos from an Awesome night, showcasing two of EA's upcoming titles, Alice: Madness Returns & Shadows of the Damned. 

[REVIEW] Unwrapping the Bandages: Fallout:NV's Honest Hearts

The second of Fallout: New Vegas' DLC hit Xbox LIVE's marketplace on the 18th of May. How does it stand up to Dead Money? Have they ironed out the (horrendous) kinks from the main game? Will I finally get to meet Joshua Graham, the feared Malpais Legate of Caesar himself? I asked myself these questions while I waited for it to download. And the short answer? Yes.

Cheese & Bacon Potato Skins

This one is definitely not for the overly health conscious, but perfect for those powering through a new game, or when your D&D session runs a little later than you expected...

[PREVIEW] The Hero Complex: Infamous 2

UPDATE! Just added the Gamespot AU Crosshairs video that features the info and interviews from the inFAMOUS 2 preview event. Keep an eye out for GTAL's own Jiggsy2Point0!

Thanks to the Guys (and Girls) at Gamespot AU, developer Sucker Punch and SCEA, I woke up bright and early on a Saturday morning and headed into the Sydney CBD to check out Infamous 2. I liked what I saw.

Alice: Madness Returns Intro Cinematic

Since the first American McGee Alice game was a PC exclusive, and i'd never heard of it, I haven't played it. I have, however, followed the news and updates about its cross-platform sequel, Alice:Madness Returns, and I have to say, this latest update is all kinds of awesome. It's not overly for the faint hearted, and a little graphic (albeit in a stylised manner), but i think it will really set the tone for the rest of the story.

Hit the jump for the video!

Laziness, Xbox LIVE dropouts and Winter

I've been a little lax lately with posting, and I want to apologise. Unfortunately, due to some (suspected) hardware issues, I haven't been able to stay connected to Xbox LIVE for more than ten minutes, seriously hampering both the amount of online gaming, and the amount of playtesting the Gears 3 Beta that i've been able to do.

It's also getting pretty Wintery in Sydney (okay, not quite like the Winters elsewhere in the world, but pretty cold for Aus.), and since I tend to do most of my writing at night, outside, I've slacked off a little. I've drafted my Infamous 2 review, set up a playthrough of Fallout: New Vegas in preparation for the 'Honest Hearts' DLC soon to drop, but I just haven't... finished aything. There's also a review of POTC4: On Stranger Tides to come, so I think it's probably about time I pulled my finger out.

In other news though, I FINALLY got around to playing Portal. Not Portal 2, that'll come soon enough, especially now that I know how awesome it's predecessor is. I've never had to think so much in a game before... aside from, well... everything else that Valve has made. So if you're still on the bench, give it a shot... It's in the XBLA Marketplace for 1200 points, or available as part of The Orange Box, which also includes HL2, HL2:E1, HL2:E2, and TF2. Very much a worthwhile purchase.

I thought I might throw out a call to you guys as well... What do you want to see? More recipes? More tech news? Or hey, have you got something you want to share? Drop me a line at jess.hodgson [at] guidetoawesomelivig.com, or sound off in the comments below.

Movie Review: Source Code

I need to preface this with two personal facts:

1. I LOVE Jake Gyllenhall movies. Always have, ever since Donnie Darko, and yes, including Prince of Persia.
2. The only movies I love more are Sci-Fi movies, in particular ones that make you think.

Luckily, Source Code fits both these categories. Originally, when I first saw the trailer, I thought it was going to be very much like Deja Vu without Val Kilmer, and it is, to a degree. It's a very similar style of movie: The protagonist is thrown into a situation with ludicroulsy advanced technology, and risks everything to save a girl, but that's where the similarities end.

What We're Checking Out - 4th May 11

The web is a massive place, so we've put together What We're Checking Out to bring it to you in an easy to digest package. Seen something you want to plug? Drop us a line in the comments, or on our Facebook Page, and we'll check it out!

R18AU. A Gamer's perspective.

We still don't have an R18+ rating in place for Video games in Australia. It's an industry responsible for around $1.3B annually, and home to some awesome developer studios (Played de Blob? Fruit Ninja? Yeah... made here.), but we're stuck using an antiquated system of classification... I've been wanting to have a rant about this for a while, so i'll warn you. I'm gonna let it all spill out onto the keyboard. I've (hopefully) been careful not to lay the blame on anyone too... I merely want to show how broken our system is.

I'm a Australian Gamer... and I support R18+AU.