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Prima Games Blog

The Prima Games Blog is the place to read about new video games, get expert strategy, tips, downloads,
free walkthroughs, and insider game info by gamers for gamers.

Archive for January, 2009

Jan
28
2009

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by mikesearle

lord of the rings conquest: gandalf vs. saruman

It’s the age-old question: Who would win in a fight, the mega-powerful good guy or the ultra-unstoppable bad guy? One the best parts of playing Lord of the Rings Conquest is becoming one of the most commanding heroes in Middle-earth. Here are five heroes from each side that will definitely get the blood flowing.

Good Guy #1: Gandalf

Middle-earth’s greatest wizard, Gandalf, matches up well against any of Sauron’s foes. You Shall Not Pass! destroys enemies next to him, while Lightning and Cleansing Fire burns them at range. In close combat, Gandalf cuts through foes better than you’d expect with his trusty Glamdring in hand. All this power comes in a frame that can handle lots of damage, and even if the forces of evil manage to hurt him, Gandalf is only one Healing Wisdom away from returning to full health.

Good Guy #2: Aragorn

The greatest warrior in the game, Aragorn slices through foes with his magical sword, Andúril, and withstands blow after blow to continue the fight. Dunharrow Dash shoulders foes out of the way and works wonders against overrun situations. Andúril’s Spirit will ruin an opponent if you time it to strike the foe. Your most powerful ability, Wave of Undead, sprays an area-effect blast that annihilates anything in its path. Aragorn can lead any charge, and there’s no better hero for wading into the thick of things to slaughter Sauron’s minions.

Good Guy #3: Legolas

Super deadly Legolas has the same quiver full of tricks that the Archer has and then some. His draw and release is much quicker than the average Archer, allowing him to rapid-fire on one target or several. With added health, his melee combat skills can put Orc Warriors to shame, and anyone that can take down giant Oliphaunts single-handedly deserves high praise indeed.

Good Guy #4: Frodo

Often underestimated, the small Hobbit Frodo can be a big, big threat. Perhaps the most deadly Cloaked Scout, Frodo has all the standard Scout weapons, and his short size helps him blend in even more with the surroundings. Normally on the quest of the Ringbearer, Frodo can be called upon to do battle in multiplayer action.

Good Guy #5: Isildur

The man who cut the One Ring from Sauron’s finger now has more than the Dark Lord to contend with. Isildur’s dazzling fighting techniques–quite literally, as his moves blur together in colorful animation–will avenge his fallen comrades on those unfortunate enough to be caught awestruck. All the standard Warrior abilities, with some extra kick, are at Isildur’s disposal.

Bad Guy #1: Saruman

Saruman may resemble Gandalf with one major difference: He has the potential to deal more damage. Where Gandalf and Mages in general can harm multiple foes with their area-effect flames, Saruman’s Fire Ball has a tighter firing arc and erupts for more damage if you strike your target. His Isengard Blast matches Gandalf’s You Shall Not Pass! ability, and when he loses health, a Heal can bring him back up to full. Also, if he performs melee attacks and launches a Fire Ball, it will target the person he was attacking.

Bad Guy #2: Balrog

The most dangerous creature in the incredibly dangerous Mines of Moria, the Balrog faces off against Gandalf in the “War of the Ring” and returns later in the Shire as a Hero you can control in the “Rise of Sauron.” Its most debilitating attack, its Fire Breath, razes a huge area in front of it and drops even the stoutest defender in seconds should they be unfortunate enough to linger in the flames.

Bad Guy #3: Witch-king

As you might imagine, the leader of the Nazgûl has the same strengths and weaknesses as the Nazgûl. However, his intimidating form packs a little more punch, and attacks like Terror Quake are swifter to execute. The Witch-king commands whatever situation you send him into, offensively or defensively, and the enemy shall bend their knee one way or another.

Bad Guy #4: Mouth of Sauron

The Mouth of Sauron is not like other Mages. His melee attacks are unique, and his Barad-dûr Fury is actually a powerful staff combo. Catch a foe with the full brunt of Barad-dûr Fury and even captains will fall. Of course, he still has the advantage of other Mages with a Fire Wall that can harm multiple enemies at once, and a Heal that can return him to full strength even should he decide to charge into the midst of heated combat.

Bad Guy #5: Sauron

The most powerful figure on the evil side towers over the battlefield. Imposing in size like one of the giants, Sauron fights as well as any Warrior, except he trades in sword for mace. With his long reach, Heart of Horror and Soul Collector can be brutal, while the area-effect Mordor Pound knocks down anyone caught in front of his mace slam. The Dark Lord can power through the entire side of good; he’s that nasty!

For more tips, walkthroughs and hints, check out the Lord of the Rings Conquest Official Game Guide and enter the movie replica contest!

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Related Posts: lord of the rings conquest: tour guide to middle-earth lord of the rings conquest: what class are you? Lord of the Rings Conquest Tips

Jan
27
2009

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by sorako18

Gandalf the girl?

Jamie modeling the Gandalf the White Staff

Jamie modeling the Gandalf the White Staff

Enter to win this lovely modeled Gandalf the White Staff at the Prima Lord of the Rings Conquest Movie Replica Contest page

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Related Posts: Last Chance for LotR Swag! lord of the rings conquest: gandalf vs. saruman lord of the rings conquest: tour guide to middle-earth You know you want one…

Jan
27
2009

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by knightwriter75

Gamer Dad—Part 4: Pinewood Racing

The Matterhorn Bobsled Derby Car

The Matterhorn Bobsled Derby Car

 

Gamer Dads don’t only play video games with their family. They are also involved in other activities such as little league or soccer. In addition to coaching my kids’ sports teams, I am also the Cub Master for my oldest son’s Cub Scout pack. This month we had the annual pinewood derby. If you have never experienced one of these either as a child or an adult, you are missing out. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For this race, cub scouts and their parents take a 7-½ inch block of wood and create a racing car out of it. In addition to the block, the kit comes with four nails (axles) and four plastic wheels. The finished cars are then raced down a wooden track approximately 35 feet in length which is elevated four feet high at one end. Gravity supplies all of the power as these cars accelerate down the track.

While the cub scouts are supposed to take an active role in creating the car, parents tend to get involved—some quite a bit more than others. As our son began planning out what he wanted to do for his car, my wife took the lead in design. She is much more creative than me. We wanted to do something different, so my son chose to make his car look like a Matterhorn bobsled from Disneyland. The two of them worked on cutting, shaping, sanding, and painting the body of the car and ended up with a good looking final product.

While they made the car look good, I concentrated on making it fast. Since gravity is the only source of power for the car, there are two main factors to increase the speed of one of these cars—increase weight and decrease friction. The weight is limited to a maximum of five ounces—so it is important to have the final race weight right at five ounces. Since the cars do not travel that fast, wind resistance is not that big of a factor. However, the friction with the wheels is where a race is won or lost.

For the race, you have to use the axles and wheels that came with the car kit. Graphite can be used for lubrication—but nothing else. You can’t add bearings, bushings or washers. After doing some research, I learned that it is important to make the wheels and axles as smooth as possible. I sanded off the molding imperfections on the surface of the wheels and also filed off the burrs on the axles before polishing them to a smooth shine. Finally as we were attaching the wheels to the car, we made sure that one of the front wheels was a bit higher than the rest so that the car ran on only three wheels, further reducing friction.

While the three of us had a good time building the car, the entire family enjoyed the race. As my son raced and I was the official starter, the rest of the family cheered on. My son was in the finals and in one race, had to go three times against another car since it was too close to call for the eyeballs of the judges. (Video tape reviewed at home showed that my son won the first two times). He ended up coming in 4th place. It was a lot of fun. Some fathers really get into this race. The car that won cost the father (who is an engineer) about $300 in research and parts—but I am not bitter. We had a good time working together on the car and watching my son race.

Now that the derby is over for the year, we have some more time to get back to video games.

 

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Jan
25
2009

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by mabooza

Far Cry 2: Armory on a Budget, Part 1

Last week I wrote about the golden AK-47s. But what about the other weapons? There are plenty of choices to make and only so many diamonds to go around. Most diamonds are earned by completing the faction and assassination missions. But there are still 400 diamonds scattered throughout the game world in 220 briefcases. If you’re not up for finding all the briefcases or doing all 12 optional assassination missions (worth 150 diamonds) then you’re going to need to watch your spending in the weapon shops. Here’s a list of my favorite weapons in Leboa-Sako, emphasizing versatility and value.

Homeland 37: Sure it’s just a basic pump shotgun, but at only four diamonds it’s a steal. Before going to Mike’s Bar for the first time you have to buy a weapon at the weapon’s shop, during the tutorial phase. Make this shotgun your first purchase.

IEDs: The IEDs (10 diamonds) are the best way to take out convoys and sabotage equipment. You’ll definitely want to make this purchase before going after the weapon convoys. If you place several along a road you can take out the target as well as the escorts.

MAC-10: When you’re not carrying around IEDs in your secondary weapon slot, equip yourself with a MAC-10, available after taking out the second weapon convoy for 10 diamonds. This is easily the best back-up weapon available in Leboa-Sako, ideal when carrying a sniper rifle in your primary slot.

AK-47: Also available from the second weapon convoy for 10 diamonds, this is the best assault rifle in the northern district. In fact, it’s the most reliable assault rifle in the whole game, though not quite as reliable as its golden counterpart.

Dragunov SVD: You’ll need to take out all four weapon convoys to acquire this weapon in Leboa-Sako, but it’s well worth the effort. At 20 diamonds it’s one of the more expensive weapons in the northern district but it’s also the most well rounded sniper rifle in the game. So avoid buying the M1903. Instead, save your diamonds for this semi-automatic beast.

Dart Rifle: If you still have some extra money after buying the Dragunov SVD, pick-up a Dart Rifle for only 10 diamonds. This is great for silently picking off sentries and is most effective at night. But the ammo capacity is very limited and you can’t buy the Marksman Bandolier until you reach Bowa-Seko.

At the bargain price of only 64 diamonds these weapons should be more than adequate to help you get through the six faction missions in Leboa-Sako. Next week we’ll take a look at some essential purchases for Bowa-Seko, the southern district.

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Related Posts: Far Cry 2: Machete Madness Far Cry 2: Armory on a Budget, Part 2 Far Cry 2: The Gold AK-47s Far Cry 2: Bonus Missions

Jan
21
2009

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by mikesearle

lord of the rings conquest: tour guide to middle-earth

Want to take a tour, albeit a sometimes bloody tour, down memory lane in Tolkien’s ultimate tale of good versus evil? Here are 10 key places in the game that you may remember from the books.

 

HELM’S DEEP

You start out defending the Deeping Wall and the good men of Rohan, and end in a battle to save Théoden in his throne room. When the Orcs crush forward against the stone ramparts in Helm’s Deep, you will really feel the press of Sauron’s horde and the delicate balance of despair and salvation that hangs over all of Middle-earth.

 

ISENGARD

Saruman’s Orcs have ravaged the land, and Wormtongue is a far greater threat than you ever imagined, able to slink into the shadows and slay with more than cruel words. You will gain the aid of Ents here (and play one yourself!) as you smash through to the Tower of Orthanc and play Gandalf against Saruman.

 

MINES OF MORIA

The dark twists and deadly drops of Moria are far from its greatest perils. The place teems with Orc stink, and the rumble of Trolls in the depths shake even the stoutest Warriors. Should you make it to the final chamber, the direst evil stands in your path—the mighty Balrog!

 

OSGILIATH

In the dying ruins of Osgiliath, you seek out the aid of Faramir and his Rangers (or slay him when playing through on the side of Sauron). Cut through Orc after Orc as you shepherd the Hobbit, Frodo Baggins, to safety outside the city.

 

MINAS TIRITH

The greatest city of the West, Minas Tirith, is falling. Join forces with Gandalf to save it against all odds on your first pass through as a good guy, then become a member of Saruman’s team as you dismantle it stone by stone on your second pass under Sauron’s guidance.

 

PELENNOR FIELDS

Huge siege engines and gigantic Oliphaunts crush the defenders as they crunch toward Théoden’s war camps. Legolas and Éowyn come to you aid, but will they be enough against hundreds of Orcs, Easterling armies, war machines and the Lord of the Nazgûl?

 

THE BLACK GATE

Aragorn, Gandalf, Gimli and Legolas lead an army into Mordor’s fearsome fortress. You can play all four Heroes as you throw back Orcs, burn Trolls, and duel with the Mouth of Sauron and his deadly Captains. Can you outlast the endless horde long enough for Frodo to destroy the One Ring in Mount Doom?

 

MOUNT DOOM

You must kill the thieving Hobbit, Frodo Baggins! Yes, once you’ve unlocked the good side, you can play through the evil side as a lieutenant of Sauron. In the fiery caverns of Mount Doom, you race around as the Nazgûl and the Witch-king, cutting through traitorous Orcs who want the One Ring for themselves, in order to stop the Hobbit from destroying the Master’s precious artifact.

 

WEATHERTOP

The forces of Sauron are on the move. In a massive battle around Weathertop, you play one of the Orc classes (and later Saruman) accomplishing multiple mission objectives. In the end, you must face the imposter king Aragorn atop the rocky precipice.

 

RIVENDELL

Elrond and the Elves defend their home from your ruthless Orc army. Smash through the Elven swords with your mighty Trolls and powerful Orc classes, and square off against Elrond in a battle to the death. When Legolas joins the Elves, you gain the ultimate ally—the Dark Lord Sauron!

 

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Jan
21
2009

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by sorako18

You know you want one…

The Witch-king commands you to enter the Lord of the Rings: Conquest Replica contest!
Lord of the Rings War Helm of the Witch-king

Lord of the Rings War Helm of the Witch-king

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Jan
20
2009

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by knightwriter75

Gamer Dad—Part 3: Getting in Shape!

As with most people, our family decided as one of our New Year’s Resolutions to exercise more. So to help us achieve our goal, we sought out a Wii Fit. I had heard it was good for an exercise program and did a bit of research online so I would know what I was getting.

 

Let me tell you, Wii Fits can be tough to find. I eventually found one at Wal-Mart. I had stopped looking for them was walking by the video game aisle and just happened to see several locked up behind class. I purchased one and brought it home to begin using. Since all of our family (with the exception of our toddler twins) has their own Mii (Wii avatar), it was a quick process to get everyone signed up for Wii Fit.

 

Wii Fit is the name of the game which comes with the balance board. This board weighs you and then also senses shifting of weight as you stand and balance on the board. The game focuses on four main areas—Yoga, Balance, Strength Training, and Aerobics.

 

Yoga helps build up your flexibility as well as balance and posture with several different poses. Balance offers a variety of games such as skiing or tilting a maze to drop a ball in a hole to work on controlling your balance. Strength training offers several exercises including push-ups, crunches, twists and so forth to build up muscle strength and endurance. Finally aerobics includes hula-hoop twisting, step aerobics, can even running in place.

 

Wii Fit keeps track of your progress. When you initially weigh in, you can set a goal of how many pounds you would like to lose and a timeframe for it. Each time you do one of the exercises, you are awarded coins in your Fit Bank for each minute you exercise. The game keeps track of these minutes and also lets you add in additional minutes for outside exercise such as if you took a walk or went for a run.

 

What really impressed me was that you have a personal fitness trainer that shows you how to do the exercises and offers encouragement and suggestions. It is also fun to watch your progress. Because it is like a game, Wii Fit makes exercising fun. Our family enjoys working out and trying to beat each others records since each exercise awards points for how well you do or for the number of repetitions. This healthy competition has our kids getting on the balance board as soon as they get home from school so they can try to better their past records, earn coins (minutes) for their Fit Bank, and unlock new exercises.

 

The Wii is a great family gaming system. Even if you don’t have Wii Fit, some of the games with come with it on Wii Sports can provide a bit of a workout. Get together as a family and play tennis or have a homerun derby. The key is to get up off the couch, move around, and have a good time together.

 

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Jan
18
2009

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by mabooza

Far Cry 2: The Gold AK-47s

Although I played through Far Cry 2 several times while writing the guide, I’m enjoying going through it again at my own pace and trying out some new tactics on the various open-world missions. A few days before the guide went to print Ubisoft revealed the locations of a few gold AK-47s. Since we were scrambling to put the guide together I didn’t have much time to test out these ultra-rare weapons. So we included their locations in the map compendium at the back of the guide and I put a small note box next to the AK-47 description on page 29, noting their existence.

Now that I’ve had the chance to dive into the retail version of the game I can finally report on the performance of the gold AK-47. First of all, these weapons are extremely rare and very well-hidden. The easiest one to find is located in the eastern sector of Leboa-Sako. From the weapon shop travel east. On the other side of the mountain (in the southeast area of the sector) is a small roadside shack containing a diamond briefcase and a gold AK-47. Once you have one, hold onto it, storing it in a primary weapon crate when you’re not using it. Otherwise you’ll have to track down another one, and the others are much more difficult to find. So what makes the gold AK-47 so great? Based on my experience, the weapon does not degrade and never jams. I’ve pumped over 1,000 rounds through my gold AK and it hasn’t jammed once, nor has it exploded in my face. That alone makes it worth hunting one down.

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Related Posts: Far Cry 2: Machete Madness Far Cry 2: Armory on a Budget, Part 2 Far Cry 2: Armory on a Budget, Part 1 Far Cry 2: Bonus Missions

Jan
15
2009

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by knightwriter75

Gamer Dad—Part 2: The Family Band

Part of the fun of being a Gamer Dad is playing with the family. The more people that can participate in a game, the better. Our family received Rock Band 2 as a gift from my brother. The kids had played it before at his house and really enjoyed it. So they were really thrilled that they could now play it at home.

 

The nice feature about Rock Band is that four people can play at once with each person having their own unique role in the band—lead guitar, bass guitar, drums, and vocals. While one person can enjoy the game by his or herself, Rock Band really rocks when you have a full band of four players. Guitar Hero World Tour is another band game for up to four players.

 

In our family, the drums are popular and the kids usually take turns playing them. (Gamer Dad is not as good at the drums since he does not get a chance to practice) They also enjoy playing the guitars; however, the vocal parts are more popular with my daughters.

 

One of the fun features of Rock Band is creating a band. We came up with the name for our band as a group and then my oldest daughter designed our logo. Once the band was created, our family began the tour. In Rock Band, you begin in one city and can play at a single venue. As you play different songs and song sets, you can unlock other venues as well as other cities. The songs in the early cities are fairly easy, with songs in cities farther away from your home city getting more difficult.

 

While many may think that Rock Band only offers heavy metal songs, in reality it actually offers a wide variety of music. In addition to metal, punk, and contemporary rock, the game includes some softer and older hits as well. Plus, you can purchase and download songs from several different genre. Recently a country pack was released with five songs by some of the hottest country singers and groups. Despite initial conceptions, these songs can be challenging with one by the Dixie Chicks actually quite difficult. More oldies are also appearing such as Roy Orbison and even Jimmy Buffet. Gamer Dads should have no trouble finding some songs from when they were younger and hipper which they can share with their family.

 

From first hand experience, Rock Band or other musical games which let several family members play together can provide some great family entertainment and together time. It looks like the future will offer even more songs of all different types including the Beatles and who knows what else since every week new songs are available.

 

If your family has a music game they like to play, chime in and share with us.

 

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Related Posts: Gamer Dad—Part 3: Getting in Shape!

Jan
15
2009

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by mikesearle

lord of the rings conquest: what class are you?

In the epic clash for Middle-earth’s salvation or damnation, four classes meet on the field of battle. You can have fun with them all, but in the end, you’ll probably gravitate toward one. Here’s a peek at each one, and why it may be your dream profession…

ARCHER

You can’t say you didn’t admire Legolas in the movies. The speed at which he twangs that bow and takes down Orcs, and to climb up the back of an Oliphaunt, we’re impressed.

You can do everything Legolas did–even play Legolas in the game–and then some. Your quiver has some extra special arrows in it. Fire Arrows deal with groups, Multi-Arrow strikes up to three foes simultaneously, and Poison Arrow slows and weakens opponents.

It’s for you if…you want to be the top assassin from afar. You never have to see the hatred in your foes’ eyes since they’ll never have the chance to get close to you.

MAGE

Admit it. You’ve always harbored a desire to lead the Fellowship, if you were ever given the chance. Other than playing Heroes like Gandalf, the Mage is the closest you’ll come to packing the power of Middle-earth’s wizards. As the Mage, you are a long-range bomber who can deal with large crowds with a single Fire Wall or Lightning blast. You’re also a great support class with a Heal ability to regain health for your allies and a Shield to cancel enemy ranged attacks. You are not, however, made of the sterner stuff of Warriors and shouldn’t just charge headlong into every combat situation.

It’s for you if…you love to rain destruction down on the enemy army, but also enjoy the supporting your fellow allies with a Heal here or there.

SCOUT

You have the power to slip in and out of shadow. As quiet as a whisper, you sneak up behind enemies and draw your blade. You are the master unseen assassin.

The Scout can do it all in close combat. He can dodge and weave through the crowd. Pummel enemies with special Foe Hammer and Foe Hewer attacks. Drop Satchel Bombs with deadly precision. In multiplayer action, the Scout can seize capture points all by himself without lifting a finger.

It’s for you if…you can’t wait to one-shot kill someone from behind. If you also like to show off your nifty combat moves, grab yourself a pair of daggers.

WARRIOR

You are the soldier for your side, strong and resilient. Sword in hand, your mailed body fearlessly races into battle without heed for life or limb. You are the great protector.

As a Warrior, you can play offensively or defensively, and do it well. Your special fire abilities can torch enemies, as large as Ents or as small as Orc Grunts. It takes opponents a long time to drop you in combat, and if you have your way, that will never happen.

It’s for you if…you can’t wait to charge into the heat of battle. You can take more blows than any other class, and a Warrior’s hits hurt hard.

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