VIDEO GAMES: Get off the fence!

Well we're here folks. Tonight marks the release of Mass Effect 3. The final installment in the Mass Effect trilogy, and most peoples' most anticipated game of the year. There's a lot riding on ME3 as the first two entries in the trilogy helped build an immersive story filled with characters that gamers have come to love. I can't imagine anyone is really on the fence about getting the game because you fall into 1 of 2 camps. Either you're like me, and never really got into the ME series so you won't start with the third, or you've played the first two and you're at home playing ME3 as I type this (minus Hawaii). But in case you were wondering, here's a roundup of some top game sites' reviews. IGN gave ME3 an incredibly strong 9.5, Gamespot gave it a 9.0, 1UP stamped it with an A, it currently sits at a 93 on Metacritic, and G4TV gave it a perfect 5/5. So yea, it sounds like ME3 not only lives up to the hype, but exceeds it. Enjoy.

VIDEO GAMES: Is it Christmas yet?

Well I continue to get more and more excited for the release of Mario Kart 7! It's another 3DS title that I am forcing myself to wait for until Christmas rather than rushing out and buying it on release day. The reviews are starting to roll in and it sounds like this is the best Mario Kart to date! Some of the more notable reviews thus far are a 9 from IGN, 8.5 from Gameinformer, 4.5/5 from Joystiq and an 87 on Metacritic. I was already looking forward to another great game to play on the 3DS but it sounds like this Mario Kart will offer more to love than ever. With some new implementations like an in depth Kart customization system, gliders and underwater capabilities on your Kart and the reintroduction of coins to be collected on the courses it appears that although the game will play the same as past titles, there is plenty of material to set it apart. But what has got me most excited is the apparent awesomeness of the online play. This is something that has been missing from previous Mario Karts. The chance to link up and play with people from anywhere in the world for some good old fashion Mario Kart. Because that's what made the older versions the best, playing with friends. There are also some cool features with Street Pass which allow you to see another person's profile and even race against their best times once you pass them on the streets. All in all it sounds like this will be just one more reason for people to go out and buy a 3DS and I hope it helps to continue Nintendo's righting of the ship over the past couple of months.

Mario Kart 7 hits shelves on December 4th!

VIDEO GAMES: The Wii's Last Hoorah!

Wow, for the first time in a long time I actually kind of regret selling my Wii. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is getting incredible reviews. And by incredible reviews I don't mean like really really good reviews, I mean like best of any game of the year type reviews. The game currently has a 10 from IGN, 10 from Gameinformer, 4.5/5 from Joystiq and a 95 from Metacritic. Wow. I mean seriously, wow. I expected the game of the year to have the word "Sky" in the title but I'm going to be honest that it sounds like Skyward Sword is going to be a much more serious contender than people expected. Now there's no doubt that sales wise it's likely that Sword won't do quite as well as its GOTY competition but the fact that Nintendo has finally stepped up and made a title for the Wii that can be taken seriously gives me some hope for the company's future. It's definitely too little too late for the system and it makes me sad for what the Wii could have been. But still, it's nice to see that they didn't write it off as a failure and start completely focusing on the Wii U. Speaking of the Wii U, I'm hoping that Skyward Sword does well so developers realize it may be worth the time to develop a game specifically for Nintendo's unique systems. I really hope they get back on track. So if you have a Wii it sounds like you'll want to grab Skyward Sword as soon as it hits shelves on November 20th!

VIDEO GAMES: Prepare yourself.

The reviews for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim are in. This has been my most anticipated game for about 6 months now and tonight when the clock strikes midnight we will all finally have the chance to wander aimlessly through the world of Skyrim. If the videos, interviews, articles and all that weren't enough to convince you that this is likely the top contender for game of the year, perhaps a 9.5 from IGN, 9.5 from Gameinformer, 5/5 from Joystiq, 9.0 from Gamespot and an A- from 1UP will persuade you. This is a game that promises over 100 hours of gameplay without breaking a sweat. A world that you can completely become a part of packed to the brim with discovery, adventure, betrayal, crafting and of course...dragons. This is going to be the longest day ever.

VIDEO GAMES: The results are in!

Well it is past midnight and people across the country can finally start killing eachother in Modern Warfare 3. All game sites were embargoed from releasing their reviews of the game until the clock struck 12 tonight and now we finally have all of their opinions. I don't think anyone was waiting for the reviews to determine whether or not they would get the game but in case they were here's some of the results. Modern Warfare 3 was given a 9 from IGN, 9 from GameInformer, 4.5/5 from Joystiq, A- from 1UP and an 8.5 from Gamespot. Most of the reviews seem to agree that although the formula for the game is somewhat familiar by now, it is still something that works. The multiplayer sounds like it will be by far the best yet and although the main story line will wrap up, it may not be the perfect ending. I'm just as excited, if not more so by these reviews as the multiplayer is obviously where most of the time with the game will be spent. Unfortunately for me I only have 3 days to try and finish the campaign before Skyrim comes out so I likely won't be able to dive too deep into the multiplayer for at least a couple of weeks. Oh well. So get out there and kill some noobs cuz Modern Warfare 3 is officially here!!!