BT Calgary Blogs

Ten years ago Midway made waves with Hydro Thunder. The speedboat racer was not only a hit in arcades, but in living rooms everywhere after getting ported to the Dreamcast and ultimately to the N64 and Playstation. Now, more than a decade later, Vector Unit is breathing new life into the classic with a full-fledged sequel.

The original was well-known for its high tech boats and zany tracks (arctic circle, flooded New York City). Vector Unit is promising to bring back what fans loved “with top-notch visuals, brand new over-the-top themed environments and dynamic water-based racing”. Does it deliver?

(more…)

It’s the eerie black and white puzzle-platforming adventure that has gamers buzzing. Right in the middle of the summer gaming drought, Playdead is getting ready to unleash Limbo to the Xbox Live Arcade community. It looks unlike any other title we’ve seen before. An eerie grey shaded puzzler with morbid humour thrown in for good measure. But is the gameplay itself as good as the game looks? Let’s just say you’re in for a treat.

(more…)

So you got yourself an iPad! Congratulations! Now you need the accessories to make the most out of it. From keyboards to covers, there are plenty of add-ons for Apple’s little wonder tablet. I took the time to try a few out and give my opinions on them. Check out the video above!

Hard to believe it’s been almost three years since Mario last took to the stars. Super Mario Galaxy was a huge success for Nintendo, so it really didn’t come as a surprise to hear at last year’s E3 that a sequel was in the works. Now one year later we finally get our hands on the latest Mario game. Does it live up to my expectations? For the most part, yes.

(more…)

You’ve seen the infomercial, you’ve heard the claims, but does Montel Williams Living Well HealthMaster really live up to the hype? I had to find out. A blender that can make smoothies, dessert, and cook hot soup as it blends? Sounds too good to be true. Mix direct, the company behind the Living Well HealthMaster offered up one of the machines for me to test out. I ran it through its paces. How well did it work? Click on the link to find out!

(more…)

There are two types of racing games hitting the market. You have the ultra-realistic racing simulators such as Forza Motorsport 3 and Gran Turismo 5 (if it ever comes out), and then you have your arcade style racers like Need For Speed. I, for one, have never been a big fan of either. While racing games are fun, I just find I get bored with them. I have no interest in pimping  my ride with high end shocks, spoilers or neon lights. And I really don’t care if I can outrun the cops over and over again. I admit it, I’m a racing snob. So when Split Second arrived on my desk I’ve have to say I wasn’t exactly over the moon thrilled to try it out. Could a Disney racing game really hold my attention long enough to enable me to write a full review? Thankfully… yes.

(more…)

Creating a good suspenseful video game isn’t easy. Just ask Konami, the publisher of Silent Hill. There’s a fine line between cheese and suspense. You need to set the right mood, you need to have believable characters and most important, you need to have a compelling story. That could be why so many suspense / thriller games have failed in the past. Suspense is a hard genre to pull off, especially when it comes to videogames. But it is possible. In fact Remedy Entertainment seems to have almost perfected the formula with its latest game Alan Wake.

(more…)

I’ve got to admit, I usually don’t hold out too much hope for a game when I hear it’s been delayed. As soon as I hear the release date has been pushed back, I tend to fear the worst. The game must be bad if the publisher is choosing to hold it back, right?

It’s no secret Splinter Cell: Conviction has faced its share of delays. Originally the game was slated to be released back in November of 2007, but was taken “back to the drawing board” on more than one occasion. In fact, the game was delayed a total of three times before finally seeing store shelves.

Can a game that has been re-imagined three times over still come through the other side unscathed? Can fans of the series put faith back into a game that has been resurrected from the dead? The answer to both questions is yes.

(more…)

Mobile internet is nothing new. We’ve seen devices on the market for a couple of years now, which can give us high speed internet on the go,  as long as we have access to a 3G cell signal. At one point those devices had to be either plugged into the wall, or hardwired to your laptop to give you internet access. But things are changing. Rogers has started offering the Novatel MiFi 2372. But is this wireless personal WiFi hotspot much better than the other devices already on the market? Check back later this morning for my full review!

Canon has launched the ultimate scanner for professionals on the go. The official name is the Professional P-150 but it goes by the nickname of Scan-tini. I put it to the test to see if this 2 pound scanner can really compete with some of the bigger scanners on the market. Check back here soon for my full review!