Since it's Halloween: Red Dead Redemption Undead Nightmare Pack

Since it's Halloween, I decided to do a quick review of something to do with zombies. Thus, the Red Dead Redemption Undead Nightmare Pack came to mind.

In order to get this game, you have to have Red Dead Redemption (for now). Here are some of the main points to this pack that make it amazing!

There are 4 types of zombies, which include the Wretcher which spits acid, Bruisers which are basically like charging bulls, large, fat, and strong. In addition to the 4 types of zombies, there are also zombie bears, bats, cougars, and even your horse!

You can also now collect the 4 horses of the apocolypse. War leaves a trail of fire, Famine and Pestilence never tire, and Death makes zombies heads explode if you run into them!

In Red Dead Redemption Undead Nightmare Pack, you must use ammo wisely, or just get the Blunderbuss gun and use zombie body parts as ammo! While you are using zombie parts as ammo and riding a flaming horse, you will also see familiar characters as zombies and familiar places on fire.



As far as the game goes, there are 27 towns that you must help the survivors and cleanse of zombies. While doing this you will have some other tasks, such as Missing Persons where you must find a missing survivor. Some of the tasks might seem a bit repetitive, but it is still fun! Some of the tasks will have time limits and requirements that can be a bit annoying.

The costumes and the zombies are amazing!!

As far as Co-op...

Undead Overrun is a multiplayer survival mode. I strongly suggest finding a good high vantage point to take out the increasingly difficult hordes of zombies.
Land Grab is where players claim pieces of land and must try to hold it until the timer is up.

This game is a definite BUY!

In The News: Farmville leads to murder

I hate posting things like this, but I think it is an important piece. This is in no way meant to be funny, just to bring to light a part of what is still a big debate about the gaming industry as a whole.

Alexandra V. Tobias is a 22 year old high school graduate in Jacksonville, Florida who killed her 3 month old son, Dylan Lee Edmondson, while playing Farmville.



About Alexandra V. Tobias and her 3 month old baby

Alexandra V. Tobias graduated from Samuel W. Wolfson Senior High School in Jacksonville. According to the police report, she doesn't have a job and when the murder took place she was on a 6 month probation after a domestic battery charge, which she pled no contest.

What 'Happened'
On January 19, Alexandra Tobias was playing FarmVille. For those who don't play FarmVille, it is an online computer game played on Facebook where you raise and harvest crops, and raise animals with help of friends. While Tobias was playing FarmVille, her 3 month old son Dylan Lee Edmondson started crying. She then proceeded to shake him, during which she said she may have hit his head on her computer. She put him on the couch, then went outside to smoke and calm down. When she came back in, the family dog knocked him off of the couch, and he started crying again. She then proceeded to shake him a second time. At some point, she noticed that he had stopped breathing and called 911. Dylan was rushed to the hospital at 10 am on January 19.

Court Details
During the court trial, she answered the usual line of questions to ensure she knew what she was doing, but otherwise said little. The Judge is Circuit Judge Adrian G. Soud. Tobias pleaded guilty to the second-degree murder charge which is life in prison, but Prosecuter Richard Mantei said that the sentence could be less because state guidlines call for 25 to 50 years. The sentence hearing is scheduled for December. Until then, Tobias remains in Duval County jail.

Please keep the family of this woman and her child in your thoughts and prayers. This is a tragedy.



And they say violent video games lead to murder...

Source

The Friday News!

Welcome back gamers! The Gamer Chick here. Let's go over what happened this previous week and what is coming up next week. We will be talking about everything from violent video games (including the up-coming Supreme Court hearing), to a short review of some of this weeks and next weeks new releases!




This Last Week!

Here is a list of some of this last weeks (Oct 26-28th) new releases and a brief description along with the usual rating system!

- Splatterhouse

Release Date: October 28
ESRB: M - Mature (pending)
Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3

I shall start with one of the games that would definitely be on the "not sold to minors" list. Splatterhouse returns with the same glory, guts, gore, and metal. Just now the graphics are much better of course. For those who don't know what Splatterhouse is, the game follows the "story" of Rick Taylor, who is trying to rescue his girlfriend Jennifer from the West Mansion. Rick puts on the Terror Mask that he finds, and then transforms into a juggernaut of sorts. Imagine body parts and organs flying around while you kill an enemy with another enemy's limb. I wont give the rest of the game away. If you like metal, gore, guts, and horror, I would recommend buying it.



- Hasbro Family Game Night 3

Release Date: October 26
ESRB: E - Everyone
Platforms:Xbox 360, Wii, PS3

Another game bringing the old classic boardgames, Family Game Night 3 puts on a spin. I bet many of you are wondering how you are going to play Twister. It's no longer classic twister, but more of a dance-move twister. While Life, Clue, and Mouse Trap work just like you would expect, Yahtzee is now a card game. While I could see how this would bring families together, I don't know how it would hold their attention for long or if it's one of those games you keep coming back to. Good for if you want to mess around with family or friends or play with little kids. But not a game I would play over and over again or one that holds my attention for long. Rent (or borrow lol)

- Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2011

Release Date: October 26
ESRB: T - Teen
Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3, DS, Wii

Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2011 has very few things going for it. You follow Cole Rainsford who is on an African safari with his estranged father. You are hunting animals that have been savagely terrorizing villages. Then you get stranded and have to try to survive.Yes it has multi-player that includes head-to-head, multi-stage, and hot-seat. And yes the gun they made for it is cool, but honestly this game didn't do much for me. I say forget it.


- Monopoly Streets

Release Date: October 26
ESRB: E - Everyone
Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii


I know many people who love Monopoly but find it boring after a while. This game will change all of that. Instead of being a small token moving around a board, Monopoly Streets brings Monopoly to life! Throw out that board cause you are now in a city! That's right. Monopoly Streets features a 3D city, tokens that have come to life (you can use either your 360 avatar, your Wii Mii character, or the character that goes with the token), when you upgrade property you see it, and each player has a headquarters that shrinks or grows with the players net worth. You can play on-line multiplayer matches, and you can also customize your game. Also, the boring old spaces now are actual places. You actually see the railroads, buildings, etc. I rate this game a buy as it brings an old classic game to a whole new level that can be enjoyed by all, and can be played over and over again.


- CSI: Fatal Conspiracy

Release Date: October 26
ESRB: M
Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii

In CSI Fatal Conspiracy, you team up with the cast of CSI in Sin City to bring down a drug cartel run by the Queen of the Hive. You work 5 connected cases collecting evidence, interviewing suspects and witnesses, and you analyze evidence. This game is a rent. I don't see how you would play it over and over again.





- Fable III

I will be doing an extensive review on Fable III coming soon! Keep an eye out for it!



Next Week!!

Here is a brief list of some of the new releases coming out next week (Oct 31- Nov 5) and the usual rating system (but with only looking at the trailers).

- Atari's Greatest Hits Vol. 1
Release Date: November 5
ESRB: E - Everyone
Platforms: DS

- Secret Files 2: Puritas Cordis
Release Date: November 4
ESRB: T - Teen
Platforms: DS, Wii



- Motion Sports
Release Date: November 4
ESRB: T- Teen
Platforms: Xbox 360


- Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2
Release Date: November 4
ESRB: T - Teen
Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360



- Shattered Horizon
Release Date: November 4
ESRB: T- Teen
Platforms:PC

- Rabbids Party Collection
Release Date: November 2
ESRB: Rating Pending
Platforms: Wii


- James Bond 007: Blood Stone
Release Date: November 2
ESRB: T - Teen
Platforms: DS, Xbox 360, PS3, PC

- God of War: Ghost of Sparta
Release Date: November 2
ESRB: M - Mature
Platforms: PSP


- Shutter Island
Release Date: October 31
ESRB: T - Teen
Platforms: DS

- Pokemon Ranger: Guardian Sign
Release Date: October 31
ESRB: E - Everyone
Platforms: DS

- F.E.A.R. 3 
Release Date: October 31
ESRB: M - Mature
Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360, PC


Also, big news next week on November 2 is the Supreme Court hearing on video games. Keep checking back for more details!

Trailer Thursday: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

The Gamer Chick here! This Trailer Thursday, we are going to put out another request :) Star Wars: Force Unleashed.



Star Wars: Force Unleashed was released today, October 26th. In my opinion, rent it before buying it.

Hot Topic: Schwarzenegger vs Gaming....

In case you haven't heard, on November 2 there will be a Supreme Court hearing on the case of Schwarzenegger v. Entertainment Merchants Associations/Entertainment Software Association. I will be taking a look into this issue, keeping you guys up to date on what is going on, and giving you a little more information on both sides and what they have to say.

To give you a brief description of what is going on, Schwarzenegger is trying to allow the government to regulate video game sales to minors. Keep checking back to see the breaking news!!!

This week, I will do my best to give you both sides of the issue before the Nov 2 case hearings. If you have any suggestions for this piece, concerns, or anything else, please email me! Your input will be put into the eventual article we post so if you want to be featured then send something right away.

Tech Tuesday: The Top 10 Gaming Apps for the iPhone, iPad and Android

Hey everybody, The Gamer Dude here with this week's edition of Tech Tuesday. Usually the Gamer Chick handles Tech Tuesday but she was swamped with work today so I decided to take over for today. Next week she'll be reviewing some of Apple's new tech they've come out with but this week I'm talking about something that has almost become a part of our everyday lives: apps.

Applications, shortened apps, are an essential part of the three major tech devices out there, the iPhone, the iPad and the Android. Soon we will be getting apps for the Mac but that is neither here or now. There are hundreds of thousands of apps spread across two marketplaces and at times it can seem overwhelming as to which ones are actually worth getting. Now for a lot of people free apps are the way they roll, never spending a penny on a single app and really that's fine. There are plenty of great free apps out there and in fact they make up 95% of my Galaxy and iPod Touch. That being said however, most quality apps out there tend to have some price attached to them, usually between 99 cents to about 15 dollars.

Since there are so many to choose from I've decided to split this article into two: Games and Other. The Other article will come out somewhere down the road but today I've decided to focus on Games by creating a Top 10 list of the best Gaming Apps for the iPhone, iPad and the Android. Hope you enjoy.

(I'll also try to keep it as short as possible since we have 30 apps to get through but on some I may give more detail)

First up...the iPhone(Touch)-

10. Paper Toss World Tour

The first Paper Toss was a free app that provided some simple and easy fun while being challenging enough to make us want to come back. They kept releasing DLC for the game but eventually the people behind the game must have realized that it was time to go global so they released Paper Toss: World Tour.

A sort of direct sequel to the "Airport" level, World Tour follows you around different unlockable countries where you basically do the same thing you did in the last game: throw paper into a waste basket while a fan blows winds at different speeds. The more countries you unlock, the more difficult it gets. But the atmosphere, the music and the little tidbits of humor thrown in there when you really (or purposefully) biff a throw makes this a fun game that can keep you coming back. It's only 99 cents and the first one is still free so pick both of them up, get the DLC and start taking out the trash.

9. Ultimate Spider-Man: Total Mayhem

I'm a sucker for Spider-Man but it's not my love of the comic series that drew me to the game but the great story, great gameplay and of course all of the great Spider-Man villains and cronies you get to fight. It's fun, it has great controls and if you like Spider-Man then you should pick this one up immediately. 


8. N.O.V.A

This is Halo for the iPhone. Sure it's not actually Halo but you play a soldier with an awesome metal suit and advanced healing, speed and jumping abilities. And you shoot a bunch of aliens...so basically Halo. But it's a ton of fun and one of the few good examples of an FPS for the iPhone.
7. Tap Defense

If I could take a picture of addiction, this would be somewhere near by. It's a simple tower defense game where you use magical powers to stop Satan and his armies from getting into heaven but with so many customizable and upgradable weapons as well as the myriad enemies and gameplay types it becomes a game you'll find yourself coming back to time and time again.


6. Cut the Rope

This is actually a fairly new release but one that has taken the world, and me, by storm. It's a pretty simple premise: There is a monster in the box that needs candy so you need to cut the rope in a way where it lands in it's mouth. It may sound simple at first but when you need to start using physics and gravity to maneuver the candy around it becomes insanely difficult...and addictive.


5. All-In-One Gamebox

How would you like 35 games for the price of 1? Oh and did I mention the number of games is continuously increasing? Oh and did I mention all of them are simple but extremely addictive? You will lose hours on this little treasure trove of games and it is worth every penny.


4. Zombie Infection

Like NOVA, it's a clone of another successful franchise, this time being Resident Evil. But that's not exactly a bad thing. Tight controls, a good story and plenty of zombies to kill all at a cheap price make this a hard one not to buy for fans of the series it's ripping off. I've had tons of fun with this one.

3. Doom II RPG

A few years ago I picked up the original Doom RPG for my Verizon enV and I played the heck out of it. I thought the premise was silly at first, Doom with RPG elements attached, but the fluid and sometimes intense turn based combat, the classic graphics, the level of exploration, the unusually deep story and all of the different weapons and choices you could make in the game made it an amazing game. The follow up builds on that premise but gives you even better controls, more choices, a deeper story and more weapons. It's more of the same but with even more then before. A must buy for Doom fans.


2. Pocket God

The little game that could. Imagine for a second that you are god. Imagine that the world you oversee is a small island full of gibberish speaking pygmies who are about as bright as a black cat in a coal mine. Imagine you could kill and respawn them as much ore as little as you wanted. Imagine you could control their environment, their food, their lifestyle, their weather and practically every element of their life. Imagine you could name all of them. Imagine you could write your own stories using the characters and share them with the world.


Sound fun yet? And with new episodes coming more frequently then anyone could have expected, there is so much to do in Pocket God and all of it is fun. A must must must buy.


1. Game Dev Story

Chances are if you are reading this blog that you like video games. Have you ever wanted to make your own video game? Well in Game Dev Story you can do just that but with a twist. Instead of making the game from scratch and playing it only to realize it totally sucks *cough RPG Maker cough* you get to create the idea for the game and take over the development team and handle all the different aspects that go into making the game. Imagine a business sim but this time with video games, and it's more fun.

It's outrageously addictive, fun and if you are a creative person then the ideas and possibilities of Game Dev Story are endless.

Next up...the iPad-


10. Air Attack HD

It's a pretty simple game: you fly and you shoot. Not much more to it. But it's colorful, it's fun and you see a lot of stuff blow up. Hard to ask for more from a flying shooter.

9. Crash Nitro Racing 3D

The classic kart game from Sony's non Spartan spokesperson is fun for any fan of Mario Kart or any other arcade style over the top racer. It's pretty, it's colorful and it's oddly addictive. If you like kart racers, pick this one up.

8. Reckless Racing HD-

If you don't like kart racers then pick THIS one up. It's made by EA (who know how to make iPad games) and it's a fun and simple to use racer that will keep you coming back for more.

7. GTA: Chinatown Wars

The smash Nintendo DS, PSP and iPhone game is now available for the iPad. Great controls, a deep and innovative story, plenty of side quests and mini games, and of course lots of breaking the law and blowing stuff up make this a must buy for not only action-adventure fans but also for any fans of GTA. It may be colorful, but it's still GTA.

6. Brothers in Arms 2 HD

Imagine Zombie Infection but in WWII and with Nazi's instead of zombies. It still has the sharp controls, great graphics, interesting story and fun gameplay that made ZI such a hit, but this time with Baker's Dozen. Considering the console series is pretty much DOA, this is the place to go for your Brothers In Arms fix.

5. Mirror's Edge

Parkour is fast, it's fresh, it's constantly changing and innovating and always growing. Now make a game version of it. Now wait a year and release it the way it was supposed to be released: third person and 2D. Imagine Sonic the Hedgehog but with parkour and you got this game. It's a ton of fun and a must buy for fans of fast paced action.

4. Samurai 2: Vengeance

Samurai's are awesome. The swords, the epic battles, the code of honor and all the carnage they dealt all for the sake of protecting those they serve, samurai's are bad ass. Now make a game where you play as a samurai. Sounds cool already doesn't it? Well give it artsy, cell shaded graphics, tons of bosses and enemies and lots and lots of blood and you got Samurai II. It's like a pocket Ninja Gaiden. A must buy.

3. Plants vs Zombies HD

Unless you've been living under a rock then there is a good chance you've already played this game. But why I picked the iPad version instead of any of the others is because I like the feel of the iPad's version better. The controls feel fun and easy to use and the HD graphics make the game brighter and more colorful then it has every been before. If you don't already have it elsewhere or you've never played it then I suggest getting it.

2. Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge

How would you like to play a full fledged 12-30 hour RPG with two different graphic styles, great humor and voice acting, commentary, hints, and tons of other bonus unlockables, all to do with pirates? I thought so. Buy this. The classic PC prequel to my favorite game of all time is now on the iPad and it's amazing. If you haven't already experienced it or even if you have (you'll find a lot of great new content) then buy this now.

1. Dexter: The Game

I realize this may come off as bias since Dexter is currently my favorite show airing on TV, but Dexter the Game is a fun, surprisingly deep action-adventure game with full voice acting from the cast, plenty of mini games to keep you busy, overarching mysteries, amazing graphics and gameplay and if anything else you get to play as a serial killer taking out other crime lords and other evil people. I mean come on?! Awesome!


AND FINALLY...the ANDROID


10. Asphalt 5

A pretty standard racer but with great graphics and plenty of cars to choose from this is one racer you'll find yourself coming back to over and over and over.

9. Backbreaker Football

It may not be Madden and hell it may not even be actual football but there is just something fun about running a ball down a field while dodging defenders. It ain't deep, but it's fun and when you do get tackled it's still fun because the physics engine make every tackle unique and worse then the one before. Even if you don't like football give this one a look.

8. Uniwar

Imagine Tap Defense but with a grid. One part tower defense, one part Strategy RPG and one part action game, this is a fun little game for anyone looking for a quick fix when they aren't playing Starcraft 2. It won't appeal to everyone but I got a kick out of it. Plus it looks cool and the variety in what you can use is pretty deep so I recommend it.

7. The Plateau 

A neat little addictive puzzle game that builds on the old game where you connect a line without crossing the same line twice. It seems easy at first, almost too easy to some, but once you get deeper into it you soon realize how difficult it is and just how fun it really is. A great puzzle game and lots of fun.

6. Super KO Boxing 2

Do you like Punch Out? Yes? Then buy this. It's Punch Out for the Android...plain and simple. There aren't any of the licensed characters (although the characters that they did get are just as fun and memorable...I mean look at the guy in the screencap) but the core gameplay and fun is still there. 

5. Homerun Battle 3D

An arcade style, over the top Home Run Derby that's fun for everyone. The controls are really responsive, the graphics are amazing for the Android, it's cheap, and it's fun. It doesn't take itself seriously and it's a hoot to play. A must buy for baseball fans.

4. Let's Golf

Available for almost every system ever, Let's Golf is your arcade style golf game borrowing heavily from the Hot Shots and Pangya series. It has a lot of different courses, clubs, and characters for you to use so if you like to play golf or want to just put in a quick round before a meeting then this is the game for you.

3. Zenonia

I didn't expect much from this game at first but it soon became an amazingly fun and addictive RPG in the vein of Legend of Zelda. Many times I found myself comparing it to the first one in the best way possible. The sprites are well animated, the story is great, the overall design and combat are great and it's a must buy for Zelda or RPG fans.

2. Drop7

What do you get when you mix the two most addictive things: Sudoku and Tetris and put them together? You get this. Be warned...your life will slowly dwindle away when you see these two addictive superpowers combine to create a memorable and unique experience. 

1. Angry Birds

Like Plants vs Zombies, there is a good chance you are or have already played this game. But why did I choose the Android over the iPad and iPhone, both of which have sold more units of Angry Birds then the Android? Well it's pretty simple...it's free. Not only is it free but it has all of the DLC (minus the Halloween expansion pack thing) to date. So you get a ton of fun, addictive puzzles for free. I realize that the game is pretty cheap for the other systems, but it's hard to beat free and fully loaded. That and whenever I turn on my Fascinate I find myself playing it so it certainly stands head and shoulders above the other games.

Well that's about it. Tune in next week for more and leave your comments on the list as well as some of your favorite apps.

Monday Modern Review: Fallout New Vegas

Welcome back to Monday Modern Review! The Gamer Chick here.

The Story

As the name of the game states, this Fallout takes place in New Vegas (or Las Vegas that is being rebuilt) about a hundred years after a nuclear war between the US and China. The main story is that your character, for this blog you, are trying to figure out who shot you in the head and left you in a shallow grave. You are in charge of carrying a package to New Vegas.

From the beginning of the game you have a lot of control over the game. You get to customize your character, which I will include later under Character. You can choose to join a faction (which will be explained under Factions), what to say to different characters, etc. Later in this post I will include the different states, skills, and some of the other ways to customize your character. In addition, you can have up to 2 companions with you. One of them has to be human and one either robot or animal.

One of the cool features is Hardcore Mode. Hardcore Mode makes the game more realistic, as in you have to rest, feed, and water your character. I wouldn't generally recommend it until you have played the game through before. Hardcore Mode also makes everything count towards your weight limit (including things such as ammo).

Fallout New Vegas has three possible endings, which I am not going to give away. You will have to play it to find out.

Tech, Sound, and Art

Fallout New Vegas adds a whole new level to video games. In the game, you use technology that people would try to utilize in the new world or technology that people are trying to get working again.

As far as sound goes, one of the things I really like with this game is the fact that the sounds can sound farther away or closer. It goes along with the landscape.

In case you couldn't tell from the previews of the game (if you haven't seen one, there is a trailer at the bottom), they made New Vegas feel as if you were back in the 50's, and in a western, at the same time. Each of the casinos has its own individual theme, which makes exploring them even more interesting.

The Strip and the Surrounding Area

Fallout New Vegas consists of New Vegas and the territory around it, including underground sewers. The world stretches from the strip to Hoover Dam. While exploring the area, you collect herbs, seeds, and fruits to create things such as healing powder or stimpaks. You also get Caps, which is the New Vegas form of currency. There are also new animal foes, not limited to Cazadores, Giant Praying Mantises, and Nightstalkers.

The Hoover Dam gives the citizens around it clean water and power, which isn't available in all areas. Naturally because of this, the different factions are in a fight over it. This is a small side story of the main storyline.

The Strip is controlled by Mr. House. In the Strip, you can gamble, check out the casinos, and watch drunk people stumbling around. Mr. House has Securitron robots patrol the strip. If you start shooting or show a weapon, they will take you out.

Character

In Fallout New Vegas, you can customize your character. You choose the gender, race, face, hair, and age. You can also have the game randomly generate a face. You also have some control over basic stats, which you build on during the game, eventually choosing a perk. I will go into more detail on that a little further on.

The environment in Fallout New Vegas reacts to what you do as the player. Therefore, you have control as to where the game goes. By choosing what you say to various characters, it allows you to choose which factions to join (if you even want to join any of them).

Factions

There are various factions you can join. Or you can be like Zack and try to go through the game with annoying every faction out there. The main three are:

• The New California Republic (NCR)
• NCR is a government-type faction that has become too big for its own good
• NCR can't protect its citizens, enforce its laws, or protect its territory
• Caesars Legion
• Caesars Legion is a huge army
• Said army is made of slaves
• It is basically trying to conquer everything in its path
• Mr House
• Doesn't want either faction taking control of the Strip

There are also many small factions that you can shift alliances with. Some of them are:

• Great Khans
• Boomers
• Followers of the Apocalypse
• Kings
• Crimson Caravan
• Jackals

S.P.E.C.I.A.L., Skills, and Perks

S.P.E.C.I.A.L. is your basic stats and skills. It stands for: Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, and Luck. You use points towards these at the beginning of the game.

Skills determine how your character interacts. You can choose from skills such as guns, bartering, and lock picking.

Perks you get every other level. They help you build your character. It ranges from enabling Easter Eggs, lets you level up immediately, eat human flesh to regain health, and you can increase your VATS accuracy. VATS stand for Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System. It allows you accuracy when shooting, such as which part of the opponent you shoot.


Final Verdict
Buy it! Although Fallout New Vegas can be glitchy and freezes randomly (hopefully there will be a patch for it soon), it is a great game. With how much you can change the outcome of the game and the way the game plays out, it makes a great game.

Phoning It In-Verizon's Android Phones

Hey everybody! Travis McCollum here, or I guess "The Gamer Dude" if you feel so inclined to call me so, bringing you a little segment I came up with called "Phoning It In." 

I've loved phones for a long time and I consider myself a bit of a phone connoisseur. Although I do my business through Verizon, I always go to the Apple Store or the AT&T stores or the Sprint stores mostly just to see all there new products. Phones are always evolving, always growing and always changing. And to see the latest and greatest from all of the different companies is great. And with the holiday season slowly but surely approaching it's good to look at some of the available options out there. The big problem however is that there are SO many phones out there that it can get a little overwhelming. So hopefully with this segment I can help you pick, or at least narrow down, some potential choices for phones and you might be surprised what some companies are coming out with.  

On today's edition we are looking at Verizon's Android based phone lineup. Ever since the end of last year, Android based phones have been trying to work their way into our hearts in an attempt to stop the ever popular iPhone and it's incarnations. And for some people they prefer Android based phones. Granted as soon as AT&T loses it's exclusivity with the iPhone and it's free to be distributed to any carrier it so chooses (the iPad coming to Verizon is a good indication of things to come) then the iPhone will basically become the norm. But until that time comes (And who knows? Some may prefer Blackberries and Android's) all the carriers are trying to sell the best products they can.

And Verizon is no exception. Their "Droid" lineup is quite big. Not only is there the original Droid, which is still a good phone in and of itself, but there is the Droid Incredible, Droid X, Droid 2, Droid R2-D2, and of course the other Android based phones like the Samsung Fascinate, LG Ally and Motorola Devour. If that sounds like a lot of phones, that's because it is. When you walk into a Verizon store the selection can be quite daunting. I got a chance to get my hands on all the aforementioned phones and have a little mini-review for each.  

First up- The Original Droid

The Original Droid, or Droid 1, is the first incarnation of the Verizon phone and it actually works really well. Unlike the next few incarnations, this one has a fully functional QWERTY keyboard that works and feels really natural. The buttons aren't overwhelmingly tiny and have a nice resistance to them, in other words you feel like you are pressing each button and not just gliding over them. The space key is bigger then the rest and is placed perfectly where it's supposed to be. In fact compared to the other phones, the space key is actually better. The button on the side is a bit wonky, but that is fixed in later incarnations. The picture size is pretty good, albeit small compared to some of the others. It's also a bit darker then the others and not as well lit. It has a 5.0 mega pixel camera and 720x480 px video and both of them are pretty good, although they do feel kind of standard if ya know what I mean. My older blackberry had a 5.0 mega pixel camera although I will say the Droid has better video.

Overall it's a good phone and it set a standard for the next incarnations. Do I recommend getting it now? Well it is cheaper then most of the other Droids and if you aren't looking for anything top of the line then I suggest getting it. Otherwise look to the other phones.

Next up are the Droid X and Droid Incredible-

The Droid X and the Droid Incredible are so similar that I had to condense my review for both of them into one. Basically they are the same phone but with a few different tweaks that set them apart. 

• The Droid X has an HDMI output that can be plugged into any Hi-Def television
• The Droid Incredible runs on Android 2.2 AND HTC Sense with Friendstream (basically the Incredible flows better)
• They both have duel LED flash camera's with a roller zoom and 720p video. The only difference is that the X runs at 24 frames per second while the Incredible doesn't. 
• The Droid X can have up to 40 Gig's of memory while the Droid Incredible has only 9 Gigs. 
• Because of it's FM Tuner, the Incredible can run more audio files then the X.
• And the Incredible is lighter.

Each phone is basically the same otherwise and really it's just a matter of personal taste whether you get the X or the Incredible. Both phones are pretty state of the art despite them being released earlier but considering the price of both phones right now is about the same of the top of the line phones, it's hard for me to recommend them over the other ones.

Next up is the Droid 2 and Droid R2-D2-

These are the same phones basically but I thought I'd cover both since I know a lot of people are fans of Star Wars. 

The Droid 2/R2-D2 are the latest in the Droid family and they both have something that the other phones, and for that matter most phones, don't have: Flash 10.1. What that means is you can watch and experience the internet like you would at home. 85 out of the top 100 sites utilize Flash as one of their main components and the Droid 2/R2-D2 has full Flash functionality. What it sacrifices however is the storage space of the Droid X (It holds 32 of memory altogether) as well as the camera capabilities and video capabilities. It has a 5.0 mega pixel camera and 720x480px video (the same as the original Droid) and also doesn't have the screen size or brightness of the other phones. It does have one thing in common with the original Droid that is a good thing and that is the QWERTY keyboard. The keyboard is much better then the original, except for the space bar, I still prefer the original's space bar. But the buttons have more resistance, the side button is fixed and it feels better overall then the original.

In a lot of ways the Droid 2 is the direct upgrade of the Droid 1. It doesn't have the features or functionality of the Incredible or the X and feels and handles a lot like the original, but it does have Flash and a better keyboard so it's hard not to recommend this phone. If you are more of a camera/video person then I suggest the X or the Incredible but otherwise if you are looking for a Droid then look no further. 

The Droid R2-D2's only difference is the phone's back and camera look just like R2-D2, it has Star Wars themed wallpaper and a bunch of Star Wars games, pictures and videos pre-loaded into it. It's slightly more expensive then the Droid 2 but if you are a Star Wars nerd and want the best Droid out there then get this.

Now we are out of the Droid's and into Verizon's other Android based phones. There are only three available, or at least available for me to buy, and two out of the three are actually older then most of the other Verizon Android based phones, the original Droid being the oldest. 

First up is the LG VS740 aka the LG Ally-

The LG Ally is LG's first Android based phone. It's the cheapest out of all of Verizon's Android based phones (running about 50 dollars usually) and has a QWERTY keyboard. It has a 3.1 mega pixel camera and video (not HD though), the screen is smaller then all the others and it's only distinguishing feature is the Socialite Application which is like MOTOBLUR but simpler. It integrates your Twitter, Facebook, and E-mail altogether into one place. It doesn't have the depth or functionality of MOTOBLUR or other versions of this kind of program but it was pretty simple to use.

This is the simple person's Android based phone. Not simple stupid but simple as in it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the other phones but is still a fully functional Smartphone. If you don't want to spend a lot of money then this one is for you. 

Next is the Motorola Devour-

The only difference between the Devour and the Ally is the Devour has MOTOBLUR and runs on Android 1.6 while the Ally runs on 2.1. MOTOBLUR is a simple and easy way to integrate your texts, E-mails, Facebook, Twitter and all social networking sites into one place for you to use. It has a 3.0 mega pixel camera and video, and runs about 20 dollars more then the Ally.

Personally I would just go with the Ally because while the Ally may not have all the bells and whistles (neither does this one) it has fully functional and fast internet (sans Flash) which this one doesn't have. Unless you live and die by social networking sites then I suggest skipping this one, especially considering it's price. You don't get your money's worth with this one.

Finally is the Samsung Fascinate-

The Samsung Fascinate is the newest Verizon phone and the Verizon equivalent of the Samsung i9000 Galaxy S series of phones. It has full screen customization up to seven pages, 5.0 mega pixel camera with a ton of extra features (auto-focus, face indicator, panoramic shot, action shot, stop motion, smile shot and self shot) as well as 720p HD video with instant Youtube upload features. It's also one of, if not the lightest and thinnest Android based phones out there and has a ton of features like Buddies Now (let's you look at what your circle of friends are up to), Feeds and Updates (Twitter and Facebook Updates to the minute), Weather Clock, FM Tuner and a ton of apps (which the others have but not to the level that this has). 

It looks, feels and acts a lot like an iPhone 3 and if there wasn't the little Android button or the Verizon thing at the top you probably could have fooled me into thinking it was one. It doesn't have a QWERTY keyboard but the swipe technology works great and the buttons themselves feel great. You don't make a ton of mistakes typing with this one. 

This is my personal phone and I'm having a blast with it. It's top of the line so it's pretty expensive but it's totally worth it. Unless you absolutely need Flash or the camera with the most mega pixel's out there then pick this one up now.

Verizon has a ton of great Android based phones and all of them fit to a person's need. Besides the Devour, there are reasons for everyone to get any of the phones. Depending on your price range, frequency of pictures or internet use there is a phone out there for you right now.

Well that about does it for this edition of Phoning It In. Tune in next week when I look at the new Windows 7 phones!