From the Desk of Nick - E3 2012 Predictions

It’s that time of year again folks; the one that has nerds/geeks/gamers around the world salivating at all the new toys coming there way in the next year or two (or twelve). That’s right it E3, the Electronic Entertainment Expo is here again and with it comes rumours and excitement and of course speculation. Not to be outdone we here at Barrel Roll News are also compiling a list of what we think/hope/wish we’ll see at this year’s Expo. So what are some of my thoughts? Keep reading to find out

Mini-Game Review: Desert Bus (iOS & Android)

There is a game out there that comes around once a year to those of us on the net. I’ve already written about it in my “From the Desk” column last week and here I sit again talking about a certain bus. That’s right folks, Desert Bus is available to play on your mobile devices! And I’m here to tell you if it’s worth your 99 cents.

First of all, yes it is, because all the money goes to Desert Bus for Hope which in turn gives the money to Child’s Play. But is it fun? Well… sorta. It’s fun to play for me because I’ve seen what the people at DBfH are doing and I can be a part of the experience in a way.

It also makes for a great conversation starter. I was playing it yesterday at school and people came by and either asked what I was doing, or I’d offer to let them drive the bus. This then started the “Why would you play this?” questions, which allowed me to tell them about the awesomeness of the charity event that is still going on.

For those that don’t know, the game consists of you driving a bus for 8 hours without pause (because there is no pause in real life). Once you reach your destination you get a point and do it all over again. The bus lists slowly to the right which is easy to adjust on the mobile device with gyro controls. You can honk the horn and tap the glass and of course drive.

At hour 5 you get a bug that splats on your window. Cool right?

I’ll say this straight up, this game is not something you play for your enjoyment. You play them it for the experience and to be part of something and to help out a charity. If you want my opinion then go and get this app/game. The money goes to a great cause and if nothing else you can use it to pick up chicks/dudes (trust me, it’ll work).

From the Desk: Desert Bus for Hope

Today I’m here to tell you all about something really cool that is happening tomorrow. I waited this long to write this article because I didn’t want it to get lost in the daily grind and I’m hoping that one day is a short enough time span that you won’t forget to check it out. The “it” that I speak of is Desert Bus for Hope! It’s a gaming marathon that was started in 2007 by LoadingReadyRun, an internet sketch comedy group that has been around for 8 years.

The concept is simple, the LoadingReadyRun crew, plus some added staff for Desert bus, drive a virtual bus in the game Penn & Teller’s Smoke and Mirrors for a set amount of time. The time is set by the number of donations sent in, at the time of this writing they are sitting at 92 hours of playtime. The game is actually a mini game within the Penn & Teller game, in it the player drives eight-hours from Tucson, Arizona, to Las Vegas, Nevada. It continues on a never-ending loop and the bus slowly drifts to the right and needs constant monitoring so as not to crash. Honestly from what I’ve seen it could be the most boring (and horrid) game ever created.

They do a live cast and five of the participants have to drive in 24 hour stints, so it can get really funny. There is also auctions going on to raise even more money as the marathon drive goes on. The auction has a lot of cool stuff in it and you can check it out on the Desert Bus site.

But where does all the money go? Child’s Play! Most gamers should know about Child’s Play, but if you don’t here is a short explanation of what this great charity is. Child’s Play is a charity that aims to help out kid’s in the hospital by making their stay a little more pleasing by putting video game systems and games (plus books, toys and other things on kid’s wish lists) into hospitals. This helps in the rehabilitation process and the overall experience that children have in hospitals. And speaking as someone who spent a lot of time as a kid in hospitals, this is a great cause. It helps kids not be so scared of going to the hospital and everyone knows that a positive attitude can help when trying to get better.

Desert Bus is a great way to gain donations for a great cause, in short it’s great! I’m trying to do my part by spreading the word (and of course by donating), and hopefully it helps out. If anything folks check in on it tomorrow when the event begins and I’m sure you’ll want to get involved.

With that I give you the poster for the site and again the link to Desert Bus for Hope. Keep it up LoadingReadyRun, we’ll be watching!

From the Desk: Google+

I’ve been toying with the idea for this article for awhile now. I have a love/hate relationship with social networks. I never did the MySpace thing (I knew it was useless before they did); Facebook comes and goes into my life; Twitter is great for news updates (and advertising our site); and then there is Google+ the newcomer. It’s currently in Beta but I already believe that it has the ability to surpass everything else.

Venting: Used Games

Used Games

Capcom unveils their new anti-used game tactic and it makes me crazy because they don’t see why it’s happening. Read on to see what I’m talking about…

E3 2011: My Thoughts and Comment

E3 2011: My Thoughts and Comment By Nick

(Sorry for the lateness of my post, life seems to like popping up when I try to write articles) So E3 is over and I’d like to firstly thank all the people that came to check out the site during our small event on the 6th and 7th! To us it was a great success (plus we had fun, so we all win)! So now it comes time for us to talk about what we thought about the shows (we’d do more, but that involves being at E3, which involves money, which we don’t have). So I’m gonna keep it all together in this one topic under some nice headers. Enjoy and read on!

E3 Press Briefing Impressions

It’s almost routine how much everyone says this but this year’s E3 is jam packed full of new stuff, whether it be from new game consoles, new IPs, and just down right surprises as well as the let downs and the lack luster performances. Here’s what I thought of this year’s E3 content from the Press Briefings and what I expect to happen in the next coming months.

From the Desk: StreetPass

STREETPASS

Allow me to begin my first “From the Desk” article by explaining what it is quickly. I have my “Venting” articles that I use to get stuff off my chest (one of those is coming soon, I’m looking at you Ubisoft, and don’t think you’re safe either Capcom) but those have a negative vibe to them and I wanted a way to express things that I find fun and interesting. And so “From the Desk” was born. In my first installment I wanted to talk about the mystical powers of StreetPass the new 3DS feature. So roll down the windows, relax, (pretend your hand is a dolphin), and enjoy…

Hello & Welcome

The Barrel Roll News Network, a.k.a. BNN, is launching today for your enjoyment. The minds of “It Tastes Like Applesause” and “Yoshi001’s Geek News and Reviews” have come together to bring you the BNN. Prepare to have your minds blown by some awesome reviews of movies and games; not to mention some great news and updates on the very same things we review. So sit back, relax and get ready for some fun.

Thanks for visiting,

Tony & Nick

Used Games

E3 2011: My Thoughts and Comment By Nick

E3 Press Briefing Impressions

STREETPASS

Welcome to the BrNN!