Getting Out Of Debt

Team Fortress 2, the long awaited sequel to the popular QuakeWorld mod from 1996, does its predecessors more then enough justice. Like the original, TF2 uses class based combat and pits up online players against each other in a number of different game modes, but this time in a very cartoon like fashion.

Probably the most appealing aspect of the game is the overall look and style. If you were to have both TF2 and Team Fortress Classic (TFC) playing beside each other, just by looking you would never figure that they were related. TFC had a very simple, basic army style; nothing special. As for TF2, the graphics are such a huge presence and are pulled off extremely well. Its "living cartoon" style, as I like to call it, is not only appealing to the eyes, but also adds a lot of humor to the game. If you were splattered into pieces by an enemy rocket, then you are treated with a properly labeled snapshot of your disassembled body parts. Even small things, like an engineer setting up one of his 4 gadgets, are enough to make you stop and watch as they are automatically assembled before your eyes.

As for the actual game play, there may not be any single player mode, but TF2 offers a lot in terms of variety online. There are 9 very different classes to choose from and switch between at any point during a match. The 9 character are split into 3 categories; Offence, Defense and Support.

In the Offensive category you'll find the Scout, the Solider and the Pyro. The main role of these characters is to charge right into the enemy base without any support. Under Defensive, you'll find the Demo Man, the Heavy, and the Engineer. Obviously, these characters were designed mainly to defend control or capture points. All three are able to lay down loads of damage over a long period of time - the Demo Man with his sticky bombs, the Heavy with his chain gun and the Engineer with his sentry - but still require lots of support. This brings us to, well, the Support characters. First we have the Medic. The Medic has low health, and can't dish out much damage, but if you want to do more helping then harming, the Medic is for you. His Medi Gun is used to heal allies up to 150% of there starting health and can also grant temporary invincibility to both the Medic and his healing target. Next is the Sniper, whose name says it all. The Sniper uses his Bolt Action Sniper Rifle to pick off enemies one by one. His machine pistol and Kukri knife are used to defend against close range attackers who are tired of constantly being reminded that they are a victim of a head shot. And last, but certainly not least, is the Spy. The Spy's main objective is to get in, and get out. Using his cloaking and disguising abilities, the spy can infiltrate the enemies defenses undiscovered, and use "Electro Sappers" to knock out all of an Engineer's gadgets, then finish him off with a backstab with his butterfly knife.

As you can plainly see, there's something, or someone rather, for everyone in TF2. Each character has there own feel and personality which opens the game up to more then just the hardcore FPS audience. All of the characters voices are very distinct and memorable; you'd never mistaken a distant ally Pryo for a Medic when he yells to warn you of a nearby enemy Spy, because the Medic has a strong German accent and the Pyro...well who knows what the Pyro's saying. Enough about the characters, what about the environments? One thing that can be said about TF2's level selection is that it's few but still fantastic. At release there may have only been about 6 different levels to play in, but all of them were and still are extremely fun to experience, and now with so many user generated maps there's even more reason to keep playing, not to mention the fact that Valve is preparing new content to be released in the near future, including new maps, weapons and game play modes.

Overall

Fantastic art direction, unique characters and weapons, and overall excellent game play. I truly feel that TF2 will be the most fun people will have playing a FPS since "Goldeneye 007"; and let me tell you, I played a lot of Goldeneye back in the day. With its eye catching visuals and character based humor, this is a must have for any PC gamer looking for some online multiplayer action and a hell of a good time.

8.8 out of 10

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AP - Hollywood had a happy holiday with a huge Christmas weekend as movies from Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson, Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett and Adam Sandler all opened strongly.

Quite overpaying for all your xbox 360 needs. Thanks to the internet, we are now able to download xbox 360 games an unlimited amount of times for FREE!

Why are you still driving to your local video game store and spending an average of fifty dollars a game. The fact of the matter is that you are able to download xbox 360 games for free. Understand this, downloading games over the internet is not completely free.

A legit downloading site will require a very low one time membership fee. The great part is that after this fee is paid, you will be able to download as many xbox 360 games you want. This even includes newly released games. All the downloads are considered to be free because of the value. For approximately the cost of one game, you will then be able to own whatever game you want for free.

Understand that all sites that offer torrants are still considered to be illegal. All downloads will be at your own risk. You will be risking several things. Such as downloading spyware, adware, pop-up or even worste, a virus. Being that the sites are not legal you will also run the risk of any copyright laws. This means the possibility of being prosecuted for illegal downloads. A legit downloading will guarantee that all downloads will not only be legal but completely safe from all viruses. All games will be scanned to ensure that the downloads are safe to run.

Join the rest of Americans and download xbox 360 games for FREE!

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AP - First lady Laura Bush says she disagrees with critics who say her husband's presidency was a failure.

In general, there is one thing that separates the video game industry from all other entertainment industries. Based on the title of this article, take a guess on what that might be? Right, the cost! Let's face it, video games are expensive. Look no further than the release of the Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, and Nintendo Wii as an indication of this. Not only that, but sales prices have actually increased over the cost of video game consoles the previous generation.

The Nintendo Wii may have the benefit of the doubt here, but there's no denying the increase of prices for both the Microsoft and Sony consoles. We're talking about investments here. Typically, people that want to be entertained are not looking forward to taking out a bank loan just to do so. Unfortunately, these high price tags aren't limited to console hardware. In fact, even the software that's available for each console can cost upwards of sixty dollars or more. Pretty crazy, I know! This is where the true value of purchasing used games come in.

The great thing about used games is that it's not difficult to find them for very cheap prices. Over the last 5 years, the library of used games has increased quite a bit. Taking note of this increase, it should not be difficult to find a game in particular that you may be looking for. From personal experience, I've found games of virtually every genre. You may remember a game that you really wanted to play, but simply didn't have the budget or whatever the case may be, to purchase that title. Head on over to your local game store, and see if you can find it in the used section. Chances are, you'll also find it for heck of a lot cheaper.

There are a lot of places that sell used video games. Some of these places include retailers like Blockbuster, Micro Play, EB Games, etc. - Virtually every game related retailer carries them. You may find deals along the lines of purchasing two titles for the price of one. In my case, I purchased two games I never got the chance to play, for ten bucks - Yes, ten dollars! There may be other deals along the lines of buying two titles, and getting the second one half-price. Again, it all depends on where you shop. Generally speaking though, it's not hard at all to find games for cheap, and in some cases (I've personally had many cases like this), really cheap.

It's a great feeling. You walk into your local Blockbuster, and "boom", your hit with this intense view of all these games you've always wanted to play, and for really low prices. Games you forgot that you wanted to play, and now you can. In the video game world, you may sometimes hear this word, "hidden gems." Essentially games that have been given great reviews, but somehow didn't catch the attention of the general public. Now here's another reason to go back and look for those titles.

Some people may wonder about the quality of the games. In my case, I'm usually given a thirty-day money back guarantee. Basically, if within those thirty days something is wrong with my game, I have the option of returning it. I've purchased a ton of used titles, and had only one incident where I had to return it. So I would suspect, based on personal experience, that the titles you end up purchasing should be working fine. With the rise of increased game sales, which includes prices for both hardware and software, there has never been a better time to take a look at the used-games section at your local video game retailer. You may just find the game you've always wanted to play. Good luck!

Andre Garcia loves video games and has been involved with the game industry for many years. People that enjoy playing video games can learn if it's actually possible to get a job as a video game tester and be paid for it. For all your latest video game news and more, visit: Your Gaming Source

AP - Summerlike storms pounded the Midwest on Saturday with hail, high winds and even funnel clouds, helping to thaw the ice after days of a deep freeze and threatening floods.

This game was made popular in the Arcade but was still a hit on the Nintendo Entertainment System. The controls for this game were easy to pick up but there are still tricks you need to know. If you hit A and shortly after hit B you will do a powerful hit with your character. You jump with A and attack with B. If you hit B while jumping in a direction you will do a jumping kick.

You can choose from any four of the Ninja Turtles Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo. They all basically fight the same but people have favorite characters. This game has the same story as any other Ninja Turtles story. April gets kidnapped by Shredder and the Ninja Turtles have to save her.

It is also a popular two player Nes game. When you play two player mode there are a lot more enemies and the bosses have more health. The games original instructions came with a free Personal Pan Pizza Coupon because Ninja Turtles endorsed Pizza Hut in their Movies.

This was the most popular and highest selling Ninja Turtles game for Nes. It was due to the fact once again that it was on the Arcade as well like most other Nintendo Nes hits. The game was fairly easy to beat and had some codes to warp levels.

The levels enemies were very repetitive making the game easy after awhile. Shredder at the very end has a finishing move that can kill you in one hit and can lead to Game Overs. So have fun to anyone playing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 for Nes.

Play Nes Games Online Free at http://www.originalnintendo.net

World Record Speed Run for Mario Bros. 1 at http://www.originalnintendo.net/mario-bros-1-online/2008/05/mario-bros-1-speed-run.html

AP - The Arab world reacted with outrage at Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip on Saturday, launching scattered protests and calls for retaliation against Israel.