Pads & Panels

Title: Operation: Anchorage and The Pitt DLC for Fallout 3

Platform: 360 (Also for PC)

Publisher: Bethesda

Developer: Bethesda

Review by: Bill Jones

Fallout 3 is an amazing game, but at a mere 50 to 100 hours of gameplay, who can blame gamers for craving more? The title has two bits of downloadable content on the market, with a third announced on the way. Pads & Panels has played through the first two DLC offerings – Operation: Anchorage and The Pitt – and has the scoop. They each retail for 800 Microsoft Points on Xbox 360 or $10 on Games for Windows LIVE. (more…)

Sony announced today PlayStation 2 Computer Entertainment System will be repriced at $99.99 tomorrow, April 1. The company hinted at the global announcement last week.

This is a price drop from the PS2′s prior price tag of $129.99.

Out of curiosity, how many readers already own a PS2? How many without them would still consider buying one with the PlayStation 3 already on the market?

Title: Fallout 3

Platform: 360 (Also on PC, PS3)

ESRB Rating: M

Publisher: Bethesda

Developer: Bethesda

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

It’s hard to figure out where to begin with a game like Fallout 3. It is a first/third-person role-playing game by the makers of Oblivion centered around a character exploring the wastelands of post-apocalyptic Washington, D.C. and fending off its dangers – human, animal and…other. (more…)

We’ve all seen random YouTube clips of gamers riffing about their Halo exploits, compiling gameplay footage with background music of late 1990s to early 2000 nu-metal, and occasionally original (but usually horrible) fan songs. That all changes with this little ditty that’s quickly making the rounds with the hardcore Halo crowd.

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So, this week we’re working on scouring the Internet for our favorite, lesser-known webcomics and considering which ones we want to syndicate here at Pads & Panels, as well as going over ideas for the possibility of starting our own. We’re also focusing a little bit more of our coverage on comics this week, starting with Joe’s review of Joker, posted this morning. We’re big fans of a lot of the books Dark Horse Comics has been working on lately. We had an extra copy of of Mitch Clem’s Nothing Nice to Say book around the office, and wanted to throw that up for this week’s contest, but Dark Horse has decided to sweeten the proverbial booty for you guys. (more…)

Title: Joker

Writer: Brian Azzarello

Artist: Lee Bermejo

Publisher: DC Comics

Rating:

Review by: Joe Anderson

If Frank Miller is responsible for the grittier, darker reimagining of Gotham with Batman: The Dark Knight Returns back in 1986, then it’s safe to say Brian Azzarello’s Joker continues to carry that same torch. Filled with eye-catching grit and violence, and equally eye-catching artwork, Joker is a dark reimagination of the villain of the same name that Batman fans shouldn’t hesitate to look into, even if it is only to see what direction Azzarello spins the character. (more…)

Thanks again to everyone who helped make our launch week successful. Please take a few minutes to help us out and tell a few friends.

We wanted to acknowledge the participation on our site and thought we’d post some of the comments we received this week and answer certain questions and requests. Keep it up. We love to hear from all of you, and hope to do these comment posts on a regular basis. (more…)

Title: Blitz: The League II

Platform: 360 (Also on PS3)

ESRB Rating: M

Publisher: Midway

Developer: Midway

Rating:

Review by: Dan Braun

Blitz: The League II offers a brutal, offensive and burlesque take on football that is extremely enjoyable on the surface, but its overall quality suffers from too many nagging penalties called against it. (more…)

Title: Tomb Raider: Underworld

Platform: 360 (Also on PS3, PC, Wii, PS2, DS)

ESRB Rating: T

Publisher: EIDOS

Developer: Crystal Dynamics

Rating:

Review by: John Gustafson

Lara Croft has been in a bit of a predicament over the years. Her overall relevance in the American gaming world has decreased in comparison to Europe, and her sex appeal became a parody to when she burst onto the scene in 1996. That’s right, Tomb Raider really has been around that long. With the release of Legends and Anniversary, Crystal Dynamics appropriately adjusted Lara’s appearance to that of a more realistic proportion appealing to a more diverse audience and centralized the gameplay on level exploration and puzzle solving. Tomb Raider: Underworld continues this tradition and expands on those two characteristics that keep gamers returning while at the same time hoping to expand its appeal. (more…)

Title: Lips

Platform: 360

ESRB Rating: T

Publisher: Microsoft

Developer: iNiS

Rating:

Review by: Kevin Haverty

Microsoft takes on Sony’s SingStar karaoke series with Lips, which comes with two motion-sensing, wireless microphones that light up and pulsate to the music. These microphones are solid and run a long time on only two AA batteries.

The core of Lips is pretty simple. Pick a song, pick a mode and sing. A second singer can jump in by simply shaking the other microphone. Other players can participate in the action by using Xbox 360 controllers to add percussion to the song. (more…)