It’s been a while since I’ve updated this blog. I’ve decided to resurrect it, but at a new location. You can now visit Mike Got Game! here, where there’s no “.wordpress.com” extension to the domain.

Would I put in posts more regularly? Yes, of course. Especially now that I’m paying to have my domain hosted. Wouldn’t you?

The Cleveland Cavaliers are trailing the San Antonio Spurs 2-0 in the NBA Finals, and while they’ve been in this situation before, the opponents they’re facing is a different beast. No, the Spurs are nothing like the Detroit Pistons, and this isn’t a good thing for the young Cavs.

This ain’t the Eastern Conference anymore.

The Cavs reason that they were down 0-2 against the Detroit Pistons during the conference finals and still won the series in six games. One thing the Cavs failed to notice was their first two games against the Pistons were decided by a total of six points. In contrast, Cleveland lost by a total of 20 points in the first two games against San Antonio, but was blown out in Game 2 by almost 30 points. The final score hardly reflected how badly Cleveland was dominated.

The Cavs outrebounded a Pistons team that was loaded with a beefy frontcourt that consisted of Rasheed Wallace, Chris Webber, Jason Maxiell, and Antonio McDyess. The Pistons clamped down on LeBron and the Cavs by throwing double teams, triple teams, and wide variety of defenses. The Cavs star gladly dished the ball to Boobie Gibson, who delivered timely treys that broke Detroit’s heart.

The Pistons imploded, and Cleveland earned its’ first-ever trip to the NBA Finals.

It’s the Cavs who are now getting outrebounded when facing a more mature Spurs team. The Spurs are defending LeBron like the Pistons did, but have taken it up several notches by throwing James a variety of players aside from Bruce Bowen. When James tries to take it strong, at least three Spurs players collapse on him. If LeBron tries to isolate, the Spurs send a second defender to sag. If LeBron asks for a pick, the Spurs trap. LeBron tries to pass to his teammates on the perimeter, but the Spurs switch and always end up with somebody guarding the 3-point line.

Forget the fact that the Cavs had a strong run at the end of Game 2; this wasn’t because they’ve figured out the Spurs. If you remember Game 1, Cleveland also had a late 4th quarter run that made the score closer than it seemed. This can be attributed to the Spurs slacking off instead of the Cavs figuring them out.

How then can the Cavs win? Here’s my $0.02:

• The first thing Cleveland has to remember is play more aggressive. Yes, it sounds so clichéd, but this is what LeBron’s team lacks whenever they started a game in the Finals. Cleveland digs itself in a hole at the beginning of the game by being lethargic on both ends of the floor. The Cavs need to maintain this level of aggressiveness for 48 minutes if they want to remain within striking distance, and then execute their brand of play in the 4th quarter.

• Next, LeBron is going to need more picks if he wants to score. Since James is the primary ball handler, he will need many picks to get around the stifling Spurs defense. How many picks, you ask? As many as it takes to get rid of a triple team.

• The Cavs need to show more Boobie. Gibson was the X-factor that helped LeBron beat the Pistons. When defenders swarm LeBron, he passes off to Gibson for an open three. Gibson also showed that he was capable of creating his own shot, making him even more valuable. Unfortunately, Boobie Gibson played for only 27 minutes on Game 1 and 31 minutes on Game 2. They hardly ran any plays for Gibson in the first two losses. If Cleveland hopes to win at home, they’re going to have to put up more decoys for the Spurs, and giving Boobie more minutes and more shots is just the thing.

• Cleveland should also put LeBron on Tony Parker. This matchup showed promise because whenever James gets in Parker’s way, the Spurs guard resorts to his jumpshot to score. While Parker may have a spectacular perimeter game, this would be much better than having him attack the paint. After all, those outside jumpers won’t always fall. Never ever put Larry Hughes on Parker. As we all know, Hughes is injured and has become a defensive liability. Cleveland may opt to put Gibson on Parker on some stretches to let James rest on defense, but they shouldn’t use this alternative too often because Boobie might pick up quick fouls in the process.

• The Cavs were at their deadliest on offense when they put in all their shooters on the floor. This would be a combo of Damon Jones, Gibson, James, and Donyell Marshall. San Antonio would have some difficulty covering the perimeter because LeBron would have many options when forced to give up the ball. More importantly, the shooters would open up the floor for Ilgauskas, who hasn’t been effective so far. Marshall may be in a shooting funk, but giving him some good looks might change that.

• Mike Brown, the Cavaliers’ coach, should also figure out a way to slow down Manu Ginobili, who is part of the Spurs’ big three. I don’t really know how, since the guy’s so smart in drawing fouls. Perhaps the best way to do this is to use a different defensive scheme. This brings me to my last point…

• I think Cleveland should mix up their defense every so often to throw the Spurs off balance. A zone would make life a bit harder for Tim Duncan, and this might force the Spurs to resort to a perimeter game. This could lead to fewer points in the paint and more rebounds for the Cavs.

Is this series a futile attempt for Cleveland? Not at all. In basketball science, there’s always a way to beat an opponent, unless the skill levels are a huge disparity (i.e. high school players versus NBA players, or something similar). We don’t know what lies in store for Game 3. Who knows? Whatever happens then might change the tide of the series. Remember Dallas and Miami last year?

Then again, the Mavs are chokers.

Much has been said about the suspension of Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw, and the “dirty” play of the Spurs during the playoff series. Phoenix fans are screaming for Robert Horry’s blood, and they’re furious because the Spurs gained an unfair advantage in the suspension—despite the fact that it was Nash who got fouled hard. Many people are also criticizing the league for delivering an “unfair” suspension, which could change the complexion of the series.

I’ve kept quiet long enough, so I think it’s about time I put in my $0.02.

Robert Horry threw a cheap shot—perhaps his biggest and most memorable shot in recent memory. He reasons that he plays “old school,” and this is what players of his generation do. And you know what? He may be right. I’ve seen Karl Malone throw worse elbows than that hip-check we just saw in Game 4. I’ve seen Larry Bird and Michael Jordan throw cheap shots during the playoffs. Heck, I’ve seen Steve Nash make an extension at Kobe’s groin, among other things.

Another asterisk
But what I really hate about what Horry did is the effect it had on the series. If the Spurs win over the Suns, they’ll add another asterisk to their history. The first is the 1999 championship, which many consider a fluke because of the NBA lockout. If San Antonio wins because the Suns lost Stoudemire for one game, we won’t really know who the better team is.

Then again, Dallas is probably better than both clubs but they’re already eliminated.

What happened after Horry’s foul is even more interesting. Diaw and Stoudemire walked into the court while Horry and Bell were close to blows. Nash, in all his classiness, wanted a piece of Horry and I can’t blame him because it was a really hard foul.

A foul that’s as hard and cheap as the ones I’ve seen Jordan, Stockton, and Charles Oakley commit.

Anyways, what Diaw and Stoudemire did during the fracas was wrong, and the rest of the Phoenix bench/coaching staff should have stopped them from walking into the court because I’m sure they’re aware of The Rule.

According to NBA Rule No. 12 – Fouls and Penalties, Section VII – Fines, Article C:

“During an altercation, all players not participating in the game must remain in the immediate vicinity of their bench. Violators will be suspended, without pay, for a minimum of one game and fined up to $50,000.”

I think this is pretty clear. Webster defines “altercation” as a noisy heated angry dispute; also: noisy controversy; synonym see QUARREL.

Was there a noisy, heated, angry dispute between Bell and Horry? Yes. In fact, Nash also wanted to have at Horry for knocking him down hard. Ergo, this is an altercation, making the actions of Diaw and Stoudemire punishable by suspension. It may not be fair, but it was the right thing for the league to do. How can an organization have credibility if they are easily swayed by public sentiments over an important, zero-tolerance rule?

So where’s the unfair part?

You mean the time Tim Duncan and Bruce Bowen walked into the court because Elson and Jones got entangled? Let me ask you this: was there an “altercation”? No. Elson was whining to the refs, but there was no fight. End of story.

I’m also surprised to see Bell get furious at Horry for the foul. Sure, his teammate may have been knocked down, but wasn’t he suspended a year ago for his clothesline on Kobe? Sounds like another day for Bell if he committed a similar foul. I think that clothesline was even more vicious than the Horry hip-check, but that’s just me.

Lying through his teeth
I consider Stoudemire lucky because he didn’t get any more fines or additional days of suspension for lying through his teeth during the post-game press conference. Amare reasoned that he was going to the scorer’s table to get in the game. This was an outright lie because he had five fouls, and the possession after Nash’s fastbreak (and eventual collision with Horry’s hip) would result in Spurs ball—meaning Stoudemire would have to defend.

Defend with five fouls? That’s ridiculous.

In addition, D’Antoni never instructed Amare to enter the game during this period because he was livid of the Horry foul and was giving the referee a piece of his mind.

The decision was fair because the NBA is just enforcing its rules. I still think Horry was out of line when he committed his flagrant foul, but the San Antonio bench was smart enough to stay away from the court and Diaw and Amare were not.

Questionable calls
The last thing I want to hear right now is accusations of officials making (or not making) calls in favor of the Spurs. That’s preposterous because if you really want to get anal about the calls, Phoenix wouldn’t have won Game 4 because the referees were making a lot of questionable whistles against the Spurs, causing Duncan to get into foul trouble. Because of this, Phoenix whittled down the lead and eventually won in the end even if they shouldn’t have.

I’d say the officiating in the Spurs vs. Suns series is just about right.

The refs make the calls as they see it. Yes, they ignore many calls, but this is the playoffs. Fouls are harder, there is more urgency in the way teams play.

As basketball fans, we will always notice the calls made against the team we’re rooting for. The truth about calls is that if you’re neutral, you’ll notice that whistles are usually even in the course of a game. Steve Kerr attests to this in his blog.

The physical play between the two teams is natural because this is the playoffs. It’s “win or go home fishing” with Kenny. But you know what? It’s not right to say which team is dirty because both clubs are guilty of doing these tactics at some point.

If you hate the Spurs for being “dirty,” you’re just jealous.

Much has been said about the Nintendo DS, the little handheld that could. The latest tidbit that’s making my mouth water is a new game, and you’re not going to believe which one is hitting the dual screens.

If you’ve played Ninja Gaiden on the Xbox, then you’ll be surprised to see it on the DS. Of course you can’t compare the visuals, but the eye candy that you get on Ninty’s handheld is as good as it gets.

And you know what? It also seems to play like the Xbox version.

The next surprise is the combat system, which uses the stylus for majority (if not all) of the attacks. According to the developers, the buttons can only be used for Ryu’s blocks. Sword attacks are made through upward, downward, and horizontal strokes of the stylus.

Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword (egad, another “DS” wordplay there) is coming to the U.S. this October–presumably near the “Q4 2007″ release date for The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass.

It’s going to be a great year end, I tell you.

I love old games.

I consider Irrational Games’ Freedom Force to be an old game. The best part is, Freedom Force is also fantastic. It came out last 2002, at a time when I couldn’t afford such a neat game, and my PC isn’t strong enough to handle it.

I did play the demo, but of course, I wanna play the whole thing.

Yes, it’s 2007, I’m a game journalist, and I’ve never played one of the best superhero games that ever came out. Jeez.

I tried visiting every branch of my favorite retailer, but they don’t have it anymore. Amazon is out of the picture because the last time I purchased a game online (City of Heroes to be exact), it landed at the Customs’ Las Piñas office.

What’s so bad about that?

Well, they milked me for more cash, that’s what. In fact, this problem is also stopping me from purchasing Gabriel Knight Mysteries because I know it’ll land in the same place, unless they sent it though courier, which would surely be more expensive.

Besides, I don’t know how to make them send it to me through courier.

So now, the only superhero adventures I have are in Paragon City, which isn’t exactly a bad thing.

The first time I ran Halo: Combat Evolved for the PC wasn’t a very pleasant experience. The game is terrific, but it didn’t perform that well in the hardware department. Yes, I had to tone down a lot of the eye candy to get a decent framerate despite being over the recommended specs.

Reading about the latest on Halo 2 didn’t come as a surprise. The system requirements are: A 2GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, and a fairly decent DirectX 9 video card. Microsoft is requiring you this kind of hardware to run a port originally released for the Xbox in 2004. Sure, it would have a higher resolution, but the game doesn’t even use DirectX 10.

I’m willing to bet that the game would stutter in current systems.

Halo 2 for the PC will have everything the Xbox version came with, including the single player and multiplayer content, and all the downloadable maps that were subsequently released. The belated sequel’s controls will be placed on keyboard and mouse, as how all shooters should be played. You can also plug in an Xbox 360 controller, but why would you want to make it harder for yourself?

The most intriguing feature of Halo 2’s PC version is the ability to play the game while it installs in the background—a feature that is said to be enabled by Windows Vista.

Microsoft is also merging the Xbox Live with the Games for Windows Live. That means if you have a Gold membership at Xbox Live, you don’t have to sign up for a separate service. It works the other way around as well. A GFW Live account lets you set up an Xbox Live account. This feature’s success is yet to be determined though, because PC users aren’t used to paying for multiplayer, unless it’s an MMORPG.

The only feature added in the PC version is the map editor, which lets you design new maps and share them over the service. Could this be an avenue for the world’s next Counter-Strike?

The biggest obstacle for Halo 2 is its required use of Vista. By the time more people start using the new OS, Halo 2 won’t look as purdy anymore. Not that its visuals are comparable with those jaw-dropping DirectX 10 graphics in Crysis.

M$ has some nice ideas going for Halo 2, but its PC version might not cause the same mania as its console cousin back in 2004.

After years of wait (it’s beginning to feel like the Half-Life 2 vigil, actually), S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is going to hit store shelves in eight days. In fact, there was news earlier this month that the long-awaited first-person shooter/survival action game has been released to manufacturing.

In case you’ve been staying away from civilization, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: The Shadow of Chernobyl took six years to develop, and has been generating a lot of buzz for its massive game world that’s set in an alternate reality. As the game’s story goes, a second nuclear disaster happened at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, and it caused a lot of grotesque mutations in the area.

You take on the role of a “Stalker” or illegal explorer, and it’s your job to scavenge through this zone for artifacts. Progress in the game is non-linear, so you’ll be able to roam about at your own pace. Interestingly, the game comes with role-playing and economic elements. The game’s X-ray Engine promises cutting-edge visuals and non-scripted AI, which is said to develop even when not in contact with the player.

If that were as good as advertised, then wow.

There were many promises that came out in a span of six years, and many times in between, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. has actually been considered as vaporware (**cough Duke Nukem Forever cough**). It’s just amazing to think what this game has gone through, and in eight days, we’ll find out if S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is worth the hype.

The last time I was this excited about an FPS for the PC was 2004 when Doom III and Half-Life 2 came out. I’m hoping that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. will fill those marquee shoes. Well, the gaming deities have smiled upon us, because S.T.A.L.K.E.R. will retail at a mere $39.99.

Now if only Gears of War would land on the PC, that would make my year complete.

The Blog Parteeh ‘07 would be the first gathering of bloggers for the year. Time to update those blogs, you wouldn’t want to be caught dead with a post published last October!

This time, getting invited won’t be as simple as knowing your neighbor’s brother’s cousin’s girlfriend’s dog. According to the “parteeh” blog, you have to do the following to get your foot in:

1) Blog about the event – Which is what I’m doing right now.

2) Add links to the sponsors on this post. Not that my blog’s traffic matters haha.

The Sponsors:

Migs Paraz
MyJournal Philippines
FeedText, Inc.
A Bugged Life
The Blog Herald
b5media blog network
About My Recovery
Pinoy.Tech.Blog
Sheero Media Solutions
Enthropia, Inc. { Boracay.com.ph, Recipes.com.ph, WebMaster.com.ph }
Krispy Kreme Philippines
GMA New Media
Awesome Philippines
Codamon.com
Bouncing Red Ball

The Donors:

Bo Sanchez
Marc Javellana
Bubba Gump
e-YellowPages
Adobe User Group – Philippines
Microwarehouse Inc.
Weddings @ Work
Google Philippines
Hinge Inquirer Publications
Andrew dela Serna

The third is add a blogparteeh07 tag at the end of your entry. Let’s see if my attempt works.

My email is michaelleano@gmail.com

If I get mountains of spam in the coming weeks, I know who to blame. Capice?

What are you waiting for? You have a day to do all that!

I stared at the screen in disbelief at the news. I’ve been a regular of the site for years, and like you, Greg, I write about games for a living. I’m one of the early game journalists in the Philippines and when I started, I didn’t know how to go about it.

There was simply no one here to emulate at that time.

That’s when I found GameSpot, and I turned to it for all my gaming news. I read every review, preview, and news article. I assimilated into the culture, the writing style. I reveled in it. I absorbed the knowledge from your editors.

But it was you, Greg, that stood out.

Yes, the GameSpot editors are objective, but it was your writing style that had me hooked. You were uncompromising, unbiased, and clear. Your most important attribute that I value is your taste in games.

Reviews and reviewers will always vary in opinion and that’s a fact. There are reviewers that love strategy games, while some are predisposed with first-person shooters. One reviewer would rate a game differently and his or her audience would either agree or not.

It’s difficult to find that reviewer that agrees with your preferences. Greg and I are very similar in that aspect so I always tune in to his reviews–be it written or for video.

To find a game journalist whose tastes are similar to yours can be difficult, and Greg has done that in spades. To find one that also writes excellently is a steal, and that is what Greg’s work in GameSpot means to me.

Greg Kasavin is my favorite game journalist. Not Jeff Green, not Dan Hsu, not Desslock. To hear him leaving is a shock. To never read his reviews again is a loss. Greg, your presence in GameSpot will be missed.

I’m sure you’ve seen the reactions of the community, so don’t be surprised.

What I am surprised about though is your decision. As a game journalist, you know the work conditions within the industry: the insane crunch, the 7-day work weeks, low salary, and no overtime pay, among others. Yes, these things could happen when you’re a game journalist, I understand, but it’s nothing compared to what the games industry offers.

I’m sorry to bring this up now. Being the intelligent person that you are, I’m sure you’ve considered those factors. I also understand your drive to work on a beloved game franchise, so there’s no question there. I hope you achieve that dream—that this franchise would flourish even more as you join the ranks of the people working on it.

Here’s to you, Greg Kasavin. May you always excel in what you love doing.

More of the same isn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially when you’re following a proven formula. This kind of approach is safe for game makers, especially if said game is good. The problem though is that too much familiarity could get old really fast. This is why sequels should put in new features to keep the series from stagnating.

The latest Castlevania for the DS is a good case in point. Portrait of Ruin sticks to the franchise’s Symphony of the Night roots, and introduces new elements that are well implemented. Despite being a 2D game in the age of 3D and pixel shaders, the new iteration is terrific.

If you’ve lived under a rock for the past two decades (yes, the series debuted in 1986), the Castlevania series lets you fight Count Dracula and his undead minions. Portrait of Ruin stars vampire hunter Jonathan Morris and a young witch named Charlotte Aulin.

Portrait of Ruin plays like Symphony of the Night, another Castlevania game released for the PlayStation last 1997. That means environments aren’t divided into stages; you can explore freely. RPG elements are also inserted, so Jonathan and Charlotte can increase their level when they’ve gained a certain number of experience points.

If it’s more of the same, then why is it so fun?

Good question. For one thing, there are new dynamics introduced here that’s done very well. You can switch between the protagonists at any time, and can play with both simultaneously. Combining the characters’ powers for combo attacks are cool, and puzzles requiring you to get through certain areas are a great touch (no pun intended).

Cooperative play feels a bit limited, giving you to only three short levels. The use of Wi-Fi for the Shop mode is a great idea because you can trade your items with friends and through Nintendo’s WFC, but it feels rather pointless because you can get all the items in the game anyway—eventually at least. It would have been better if Konami placed in a lot of rare items that are randomly generated.

Portrait of Ruin is better than its DS predecessor Dawn of Sorrow because it does away with the wonky tracing mechanic, which requires you to pull out and use your stylus after fighting a stage boss.

Did I mention that Portrait of Ruin looks great? The 2D animations are silky smooth for both protagonists and monsters. Backgrounds look colorful and foreboding, thanks to a great color palette that’s sinister but never dreary. The character design is well made, and has finally departed from the androgynous approach used by the series in some of its GBA games. Portrait of Ruin isn’t a technical masterpiece in graphics, but in art.

Audio is a mixed bag. While the effects sound average, it’s the soundtrack that shines. This is a Castlevania game after all, so the music pulls you in the monster horror mood that the game projects.

Is purchasing this game worth it? Yes. If you explore every 2D corner that it has to offer, Portrait of Ruin will give you around 12 hours of polished gameplay. While not as long as Oblivion’s ridiculous 200+ hour lifespan, Portrait of Ruin’s length feels just right for a handheld.

Do yourself a favor and get the game already. Castlevania fan or not, it’s a fun title to get lost in.