SBNation.com User Blog: Swamphunter

Cal vs Washington State 2012 Highlights: The last win of the season before the beginning of the end.

Swamphunter — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 06:18:42 -0000

Cal vs Washington State 2012 Highlights: The last win of the season before the beginning of the end.

Cal vs UCLA 2012 Highlights: Bears unleash their frustrations on the Bruins.

Swamphunter — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 05:34:37 -0000

Cal vs UCLA 2012 Highlights: Bears unleash their frustrations on the Bruins.

Cal vs Southern Utah Highlights - Bears sleepwalk to a win. I posted this with default dimensions...

Swamphunter — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 02:45:16 -0000

Cal vs Southern Utah Highlights - Bears sleepwalk to a win.

I posted this with default dimensions due to these not being allowed to front page anymore, apparently.

Cal vs Oregon 2006 Highlights - Bears debut their gold uniforms in style.

Swamphunter — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 00:17:09 -0000

Cal vs Oregon 2006 Highlights - Bears debut their gold uniforms in style.

Cal fans arguing over Tedford's legacy.wmv P.S. This is purely comedic.

Swamphunter — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 02:44:51 -0000

Cal fans arguing over Tedford's legacy.wmv
P.S. This is purely comedic.

Cal vs USC 2003 Highlights - Bears topple #3 in 3 OTs

Swamphunter — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 20:21:47 -0000

Cal vs USC 2003 Highlights - Bears topple #3 in 3 OTs

View in HD! Cal vs Tennessee 2007 Highlights - Bears get revenge.

Swamphunter — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 21:47:05 -0000

View in HD!
Cal vs Tennessee 2007 Highlights - Bears get revenge.

Cal Football in 2012 - According to NCAA Football '13

Swamphunter — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 07:24:18 -0000

Berkelium97 said: "Do you plan to do this with Cal against each of our opponents? It would make for a great fanpost…"

The Swamphunter says: "Sure! Why the hell not?"

In this, I simulate NCAA Football 2013 to show predictions of how our Golden Bears will do this upcoming season.

Berkelium97 said: "Do you plan to do this with Cal against each of our opponents? It would make for a great fanpost…"

The Swamphunter says: "Sure! Why the hell not?"

In this, I simulate NCAA Football 2013 to show predictions of how our Golden Bears will do this upcoming season.

Note: Cal's stats in the game are B Overall, B+ Offense and C+ Defense. Defense is unfairly low, so expect some blowout scores.

The results of the first simulation are as follows:

via i.imgur.com

Yeeeeeah... no bueno. No bueno at all. Things looked like they turned around after we upset Ohio State, but everything fell apart after $C hung 56 points on us. We managed to beat the Pirate Cougars, yet we still lost to a Furd squad that just managed a .500 record. And somehow, OSU got even worse than they were last year. Oh, and the Fuskies are now #1 in the Nation. GOD DAMN YOU TOSH.

Our Achilles heel was going onto National TV where we only won one game, the tOSU one. Every other game was a flop when the nation watched us play, and then we only managed a 3-3 record on the new Pac-12 network, too.

Of course, only one season is not enough to work on, so I have decided to do this for a total of five times so I can work up a good average to base this report on.

Season #2:

via i.imgur.com

Well... we got one more win... but at a price. Maynard was lost mid season to a partially torn ACL. This time, it looks like we had something kinda going even after we lost to the Buckeyes in a close game, but then we were forced to walk the plank when Wazzu hung 59 points on us. Also, the 6-6 Furd squad killed us instead of a close game. We managed to beat the Devils and the Baby Bears, though!

Our overall attendance dropped by ~2,000, and National TV was somewhat nicer to us this time, but still the key to our downfall. Pac-12 Network continues to be indifferent.

Season #3:

via i.imgur.com

Another 5-7 season. This time we at least won all of our non-conference games, including kicking the tar out of the Buckeyes. The rest of the season was mostly close games for the most part... until Big Game and then we got the tar kicked out of us for the rest of the season, pretty much. Utah and Washington are Top Ten teams, and OSU continues to be awful. Again, a 6-6 Furd team blows us out in what is becoming a recurring trend (that we lose to a mediocre Furd team that is not as good as last year at all).

The Pac-12 Network is our saving grace this year, where we have a winning record on games shown locally. Nationally, though, continues to be our calling card for fail. Interestingly enough, our attendance is the highest it's been so far.

Season #4:

via i.imgur.com

This isn't looking too good, guys. Of course, most of this is chalked up to our awfully rated defense, but it is rather depressing nonetheless.We ended the year on a five game skid that started with, you guessed it, losing to a 6-6 Furd team. Most of our games were relatively close, save for UCLA and Washington curb stomping us.

National TV was our death card. No wins at all. The Pac-12 Network was at least kind to us. Bonus factoid: attendance was second most in the simulations so far, despite another losing record.

Season #5:

via i.imgur.com

This is the worst. Possible. Thing.

6-6 Furd beats us. Again.

We lost to a Top Ten Oregon team in OT by three points.

Pretty much the rest of our losses were curb stompings by our opponents.

We somehow lost both Sofele and Maynard to injury in the middle of the season only for them to return at the end of a horrific 3-9 campaign.

We lost to Southern freaking Utah.

Okay... some final numbers to look at:

FINAL W-L RATIO: 21-39

By each team:

vs Nevada: 3-2

vs Southern Utah (FCS W): 4-1

@ Ohio State: 2-3

@ U$C: 0-5

vs ASU: 2-3

vs UCLA: 1-4

@ WSU: 4-1

vs Furd: 0-5

@ Utah: 0-5

vs Wash: 1-4

vs Ore: 0-5

@ OSU: 4-1

We had the best record against our FCS team, Wazzu and the Beavers. Nevada was a toss-up for the most part. We did surprisingly well against the Buckeyes. The Fuskies, Devils and Bruins gave us a hard time most of the time. The Ducks, Furd, $C and Utah kicked our asses all day every day.

Our best seasons were two 5-7 seasons. Followed by two 4-8 seasons and a final 3-8 season.

Most of our high-profile game losses were by blowouts, once again due to the poorly rated defense not performing well against the highly-scored offenses.

FINAL NOTE: The game has the Cal Bears as the constant 8th or 9th place Pac-12 team, usually coming in somewhere between 4th or 6th in the Pac-12 North. U$C and Oregon are constantly in the top 25, usually in the Top Ten.

Furd is the only team that maintained the same record for all five simulated seasons at 6-6 (Nevada was second with four 8-4 seasons and one 9-3 one).

What can we take away from this: Well, according to the game our defense is shit, even though the majority of our squad as well as our DC are returning from an impressive year last year. The only (and most likely) way these simulations come true is if our defense is really as bad as the game portrays it as, as well as high-profile players on offense being taken out due to injury as shown in the 3-8 season and Maynard for the latter half of the first 5-7 season.

And I personally don't see that happening, knock on wood.

NCAA Football '13 Review: If it ain't broke... don't fix it?

Swamphunter — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 04:33:58 -0000

via web-vassets.ea.com

Another year, another rendition of EA Sports' NCAA football game. The theme of this year's game is all about the Heisman Trophy. The big "gimmick" that has been implemented is the ability to play as one of several former Heisman winners either at the schools they played at, or any other school you so choose. Is this new feature enough to encourage buyers to pick up a new copy? Let's find out.

via web-vassets.ea.com

NCAA Football 13 Heisman Trophy Intro (via jayarealgoon21)

EA's NCAA Football has entered it's 20th year, with the first incarnation of the series being released in 1992. It was originally known as "Bill Walsh College Football," and only featured the Top 25 teams as playable for that year, however 25 Historical teams were also added as well. It was followed by by a sequel two years later in 1994 under the aptly named "Bill Walsh College Football '95." As you can see, our Palo Alto rivals made the cover since Walsh used to coach them, however it was also the year that the Cal Bears were first entered into a college football video game.

Fast forward to the present. This year, NCAAF 13 has every single FBS-level school included in the game, even the new schools that just graduated from FCS level... all except the University of South Alabama. This has been met with some controversy, however it has been reported that it took the NCAA too long to confirm that USA would indeed be FBS ready to EA Sports, and it was outside of EA Sport's development deadline. The flip side to this whole ordeal is that USA will be given the red carpet treatment for next year's game, ensuring that USA will be one of the more well-scouted and well-developed schools in the entire game.

I, personally, am happy for them. However, I also wish that I saw this kind of effort go towards ALL of the major schools in the game.

I say this, because another year goes by and it is honestly hard to see the difference between this year and last year. While this does not make NCAAF 13 a BAD game, it can be a letdown to the more dedicated fans who wanted just some more effort from this year's release.

Cal Intro - NCAA Football 13 (via Swamphunter)

That's not to say that they didn't add ANYTHING... making it's return from last gen is the screen score ticker bar (most prominent in Dynasty mode during the ongoing season), and brand new to this year is ESPN studio updates. They both have scores from games that are being "played" outside of your own, and studio updates do what they do just like in the real world: keep you informed of other notable semi-high-profile games that are being played at the same time or have just finished. This helps the already strong ESPN presentation just that much more like the real thing.

Graphically as a whole, the engine itself is mostly unchanged from previous games this generation. However, motion blur has been added, which is both a good and bad thing. It looks cool from afar and on replays, but during actual gameplay it can come off as a bit weird to look at. Nothing TOO bad, but it may be a bit annoying to those that have beef with fake motion blur in games.

Minute details on the graphics side have also been added for several teams, especially with our Golden Bears. Our helmets now correctly sport their "Bears" front sticker, and also have the "California" script on helmet models that have the plastic lining on the back near the neckline. Our white helmets have also been added after they made their debut last season. We are now one step closer to matching Oregon in uniform combination options. If only we had a throwback option of our own...

Around 500 new animations were added to this year's game. If you were tired of the same two run animations for running backs, fear no more since there are tons of variations to everything thankfully implemented this year, from passing to dropbacks to tackle avoidance.

Gameplay at large remains unchanged. The notable changes were to the tackling system that was updated last year, making this year's tackling engine a lot better and more realistic. Clipping has been noticeably cut down, which is always a good thing in any sports game. Game rules have been updated to match with this season, mainly all the new kickoff rules that were implemented in this past off season. One of my major grinds against last year's game, which was the psychic defensive pass coverage that the AI abused to insane levels, has thankfully been toned down and fixed. This makes passing in NCAAF 13 against the AI much more enjoyable and nowhere near as much of a headache. Receivers also have improved perception when having footballs throws to them.

NCAA Football 13 Gameplay (via Swamphunter)

The Heisman Challenge that was implemented this year is, unfortunately, nothing all that special. Out of the box, you have the choice of Robert Griffin III, Barry Sanders, Doug Flutie, Herschel Walker, Desmond Howard, Charlie Ward, Marcus Allen, Andre Ware, Eddie George and Carson Palmer to play as in what is essentially a customized version of the already existing "Road to Glory." The difference between the two is that while you have a lot more free reign in "Road to Glory," in Heisman Challenge you play to meet or exceed the yearly stats of the player you choose.

So if you play as Doug Flutie, you have the objective of passing for over 3,454 yards in that season, throw more than 27 TDs that season, throw more than 6 TDs in a single game and gain more than 472 pass yards in a single game. For certain players and stat nuts, this may seem as a welcome challenge for them, but to me, all I see it as is a, "What If" scenario for your favorite school.

I say this because when you play Heisman Challenge, you have the option to play them at any school you wish. The flip side of this whole thing is that it can become embarrassingly easy for your chosen player to win the challenge if you decide to play them at, say, a school in the WAC or Sun Belt.

All in all, I see it as a fun time killer, but nothing really else outside of that. There is to be DLC for the mode, as Archie Griffin, Tim Brown, Jim Plunkett, Tim Tebow, Mark Ingram and Matt Leinart are listed as future downloadable content. I'm tempted to get the Plunkett DLC just so I can kill Furd with their own Heisman winner.

In the end, while NCAAF 13 is not a bad game by any means, it hasn't improved quite enough when compared to last year's version to encourage a purchase. Heisman Challenge may be a fun little gimmick that is worth trying out if you want goals to shoot down and see a Heisman winner play for your school, but for the most part, if you have last year's game and this year's one is just not speaking to you, then I will have to say that you should probably skip this one.

But, if you haven't purchased one in a while, then like I said last year, there's no better time than now to pick up the latest version.

DBD 2.16.12: History of Video Game Handhelds

Swamphunter — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 10:59:41 -0000

The PlayStation Vita, originally known as the PSP 2, will officially launch next Wednesday... however there are reports of some being released into the wild early.

I can personally vouch.

via i.imgur.com

With the release of Sony's second handheld device, let's look back at the other notable handheld gaming devices that have kept us either occupied and/or distracted.

The PlayStation Vita, originally known as the PSP 2, will officially launch next Wednesday... however there are reports of some being released into the wild early.

I can personally vouch.

via i.imgur.com

With the release of Sony's second handheld device, let's look back at the other notable handheld gaming devices that have kept us either occupied and/or distracted.

In the early 1980's, we only had games like the Tiger electronic LCD handhelds or Matttel's Football. They were sold separately and only allowed one game on each to be played.

via www.handheldmuseum.com

In 1989 though, things changed. Nintendo released a handheld that had interchangeable cartridges allowing for more than one game to be played on it. It was a technological leap since it basically had the processing power equivalent to 1983's Nintendo Entertainment System.

It was called the Game Boy.

via upload.wikimedia.org

The best selling game to ever grace the monochromatic, green-tinted screen was the classic Tetris (mostly because Nintendo had a promotion going on that included the game with the handheld) with over 30 Million cartridges sold.

Even 1998's World-changing Pokemon Red and Blue couldn't top that.

Throughout the Nineties, we would see handhelds from Nintendo's major competitors, such as the Atari Lynx and the TurboExpress.

via upload.wikimedia.org

The one that came the closest to even denting the Game Boy's major market share was 1990's Sega Game Gear. It was basically a portable version of their current home console, the Master System, allowing for essentially the entire main game library to be played on the handheld. The major complaint was that it sucked batteries dry faster than you can buy them and put them in.

via upload.wikimedia.org

The Game Boy would enjoy market dominance until 1998, when the original Game Boy line would finally be phased out by it's successor, the Game Boy Color.

via upload.wikimedia.org

While essentially still a Game Boy of old, it allowed games to finally be played in glorious color! Say farewell to the monochrome and hello to glorious 15-bit colors.

Around this time, SNK, the makers of the Neo Geo home and arcade machines, released their own handheld: the Neo Geo Pocket Color.

via upload.wikimedia.org

Much like their home console business though, it failed to gather enough steam to get a good foothold in the American and European market. Its production was phased out when SNK was bought out by Aruze, a pachinko machine developer.

The Game Boy line would finally make a generation leap in 2001 with the Game Boy Advance. Harnessing the power essentially of the Super NES, it allowed a whole new library of games to go portable.

via upload.wikimedia.org

It was this generation of handheld that Pokemon finally reigned supreme, with both Ruby and Sapphire and Emerald topping the sales charts.

Two years later in 2003, phone-maker Nokia tried their hand at the handheld console market, releasing the N-Gage. The N-Gage would have one of the most ill-fated histories ever in the home console market. It never met any expectations, sales-wise or with the critics. Doubling as both a phone and a gaming device, the style and look failed aesthetically and buyers were turned off from the system. The lack of good games also killed any hope it had of being successful.

via upload.wikimedia.org

2004 would be a major year for the handheld industry, as both Nintendo and Sony would be releasing their handhelds (Sony's first) the same year.

Nintendo had their DS. Harnessing the power of an Nintendo 64 console with added dual screens (one being touch-sensitive), handhelds were finally able to produce 3D-plane graphics with ease.

via upload.wikimedia.org

In Sony's corner, they announced and released their PlayStation Portable. Harnessing the equivalent power of an original PlayStation, Sony had the PSP focus on more action-oriented games, allowing them to take away a portion of Nintendo's handheld audience, something no one had done before in the handheld market.

via upload.wikimedia.org

We now arrive to the current generation. Nintendo already released their current handheld: the 3DS, an upgraded DS that has the ability to project 3D-images without the need for 3D glasses. So far, it appears that the 3DS is actually failing to meet expectations. A price slash occurred late last year, as well as free games being given out to owners. Whether the poor sales have to do with the economy or the handheld itself (or even the handheld's gimmick of 3D without the need for glasses) is unknown.

via upload.wikimedia.org

Sony's PlayStation Vita, or PSV, or PSVita, or PSP2, is awaiting in the wings, ready to pounce on the 3DS' downtrodden status in the market. It boasts a massive technological leap, with the ability to produce graphics just about as good as Sony's main current console, the PlayStation 3. It also features a touch screen and rear touch pad.

via upload.wikimedia.org

It also meets the demands of the more hardcore gamers by featuring something most handhelds don't have: dual analog sticks for improved control.

Poll

So which of the current generation handhelds are the more enticing?

Nintendo 3DS

5 votes

PlayStation Vita

2 votes

Oh you dern kids and your vidya game machina-ma-thingers.

16 votes

23 votes | Poll has closed

DBD 11.8.11 My modern day shooting game is better than YOUR modern day shooting game.

Swamphunter — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 11:03:54 -0000

Modern Warfare 3 launches today. It is the third Call of Duty game in the "Modern Warfare" sub-series, the fifth Call of Duty game developed by it's lead company Infinity Ward, and the seventh core title (not a spin-off) released so far in the Call of Duty series history.

The first Call of Duty was released in 2003.

Per Rishi's request for those who have to view this on IE, here is a direct link to the video instead of embed. [Twist]

GamerSpawn History - Call of Duty (via GamerSpawn)

Will Modern Warfare 3 break sales records again? We shall see in the near future, especially after this Holiday season.

With the release of Battlefield 3 two weeks ago, the first-person shooter genre with the two storied franchises going head-to-head. Any fan of either will be having plenty of fun for the time being.

As a fan of the whole genre myself, I personally enjoy both, but we can't let such level-headed thinking cloud our fanboyism now, can we.

Here's how I see it:
The action-arcadey lone-wolf player who is extremely reliant on twitch reflexes will enjoy CoD more.
The teamwork oriented player who wants to help in the battle outside of just killing other people will enjoy Battlefield more.
The player who is tired of the whole modern-era combat saga in first-person games will wait three more days for Skyrim.

You are not a Marine or a spetsnaz agent in Skyrim - via cache.gawkerassets.com

Poll

So... which side are you on?

Battlefield 3

2 votes

Modern Warfare 3

3 votes

Both!

4 votes

Screw guns, I want swords in Skyrim!

4 votes

WTF is this nerd sh*t!?

19 votes

32 votes | Poll has closed

Cal vs Baylor 2002 Highlights Special thanks to SadbutTrue999 @ Bear Insider and...

Swamphunter — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 21:19:37 -0000

Cal vs Baylor 2002 Highlights

Special thanks to SadbutTrue999 @ Bear Insider and TouchedtheAxein82

DBD 6.6.11 'Twas the Night before E3

Swamphunter — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 05:50:23 -0000

Since 1995, the Electronic Entertainment Expo, or "E3," has been recognized as the largest trade show for the computer and video games industry. This year E3 is being held from June 7 to June 9 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Expected announcements range from a new entry in the Grand Theft Auto series, to Nintendo's newest console which is currently only known as "Project Cafe."

via upload.wikimedia.org

What developers and publishers are expected to show off at this year's show (from Wikipedia):

Agent (PS3) BioShock Infinite (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) Duke Nukem Forever (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) Grand Theft Auto V (TBA) The Darkness II (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) XCOM (PC, Xbox 360) Activision Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) Prototype 2 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure (PS3, Wii, Xbox 360) Spider-Man: Edge of Time (PS3, Wii, Xbox 360) X-Men: Destiny (PS3, Xbox 360) Atlus Catherine (PS3) Bethesda Prey 2 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) Rage (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) Capcom Asura's Wrath (PS3, Xbox 360) DmC Devil May Cry (PS3, Xbox 360) Megaman Legends 3 (3DS) Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) Resident Evil: Revelations (3DS) Street Fighter X Tekken (PS3, Xbox 360) Deep Silver Dead Island (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) Risen 2 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) Electronic Arts Battlefield 3 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) FIFA 12 (3DS, PC, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360) Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) Mass Effect 3 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) Need for Speed: The Run (3DS, PC, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360) Shadows of the Damned (PS3, Xbox 360) SSX (PS3, Xbox 360) Star Wars: The Old Republic (PC) Madden NFL 12 (3DS, PC, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360)	Konami Metal Gear Solid HD Collection (PS3, Xbox 360) Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater 3D (3DS) Silent Hill: Book of Memories (NGP) Silent Hill: Downpour (PS3, Xbox 360) Silent Hill Collection (PS3, Xbox 360) Zone of the Enders Collection (PS3, Xbox 360) Microsoft Forza Motorsport 4 (Xbox 360) Gears of War 3 (Xbox 360) Ms. Splosion Man (Xbox 360) Namco Bandai Dark Souls (PS3, Xbox 360) Inversion (PS3, Xbox 360) Ridge Racer Unbounded (3DS, PC, PS3, Xbox 360) Soulcalibur V (PS3, Xbox 360) Tales of Graces F (PS3) Tales of the Abyss (3DS) Tekken X Street Fighter (PS3, Xbox 360) Natsume Rune Factory: Tides of Destiny (PS3, Wii) Nintendo Animal Crossing 3DS (3DS) Kid Icarus: Uprising (3DS) Mario Kart 3DS (3DS) Paper Mario (3DS) Star Fox 64 3D (3DS) Super Mario (3DS) The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (3DS) The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii) Project Café games (Project Café) Sega Aliens: Colonial Marines (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) Anarchy Reigns (PS3, Xbox 360) Binary Domain (PS3, Xbox 360) Shinobi (3DS) Sonic Generations (PS3, Xbox 360, 3DS)	Journey (PS3) Square Enix Deus Ex: Human Revolution (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) Dungeon Siege III (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) Final Fantasy XIII-2 (PS3, Xbox 360) Hitman: Absolution (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance (3DS) Tomb Raider (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) THQ Devil's Third (Xbox 360, PS3) Saints Row: The Third (Xbox 360, PS3, PC) WWE '12 (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii) UFC Undisputed 3 (PS3, Xbox 360) Tecmo Koei Ninja Gaiden III (PS3, Xbox 360) Ubisoft Assassin's Creed: Revelations (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) Call of Juarez: The Cartel (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) Driver: San Francisco (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) Just Dance 3 (Wii) From Dust (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) Rayman Origins (PC, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360) Rocksmith (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (DS, PC, PS3, Xbox 360) TrackMania 2 (PC) Warner Bros. Bastion (PC, Xbox 360) Batman: Arkham City (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) The Lord of the Rings: War in the North (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)

"Project Cafe"

The biggest announcement for this year's E3 is going to be what Nintendo's next console will be. What is known, is that the console will feature controllers with touch screens and cameras, system RAM and video capabilities very comparable to the Xbox 360 and PS3 and output to the TV at HD quality (like the Xbox 360 and PS3 as well).
The only other bit that is known is that the new console will in some way partly resemble the design of the Super NES from the early 1990's.

Will these mockups from IGN be a glimpse into gaming's future?

via stream.davidturnbull.netdna-cdn.com

We will need to wait for E3 to find out!

NCAA 11: Throwback Uniform team v1

Swamphunter — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 01:24:05 -0000

Hey all,

I had absolutely nothing to do this Sunday. So in light of this article, I used NCAA Football 11's TeamBuilder feature to create a Cal team that has the uniforms that we wore from the mid to late nineties as well as the one we started wearing once Tedford came to Cal.

Here's the link: http://www.easports.com/teambuilder#/school/2272803096:1284946667

I have additional info after the jump.

Hey all,

I have additional info after the jump.

The team includes a roster of fully named players. Unfortunately I cannot edit the team depth chart in TeamBuilder so you may need to do that yourself once it is downloaded. I recommend using Cal's official depth chart list found here: http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/cal/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/depth-chart.pdf

Also, I used the official Cal roster for names and other touch-ups found here: http://www.calbears.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/cal-m-footbl-mtt.html

I also upped some of the default stats on a select few players that better represents their current playing ability, mainly Tavecchio's kicking power since he has found a way to better utilize it, as well as Keenan Allen's offensive stats since he was put into the game as a defense-only player. I kept him at the SS position so he can still do both offense and defense should the need arise.

Here are the two uniform choices:

via img.photobucket.com

The old-school nineties uniform, complete with bear claw helmet logo (made by yours truly to the best of his ability)!

The other home uniform:

via img.photobucket.com

Something a little more familiar, the uniform that was introduced by Jeff Tedford when he first came to Cal and was used until the end of the 2007 season.

Included is a white jersey for both versions! For those pesky Away games.

via img.photobucket.com

So for those with NCAA 11, please download this and give it a shot! If there are any problems with it please tell me so I can update it.

2004 Cal Football Highlights This is the last of my uploads from the "March to Victory" DVD, as...

Swamphunter — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 03:21:44 -0000

2004 Cal Football Highlights

This is the last of my uploads from the "March to Victory" DVD, as this was the last year the DVD covered. If anyone knows if there are any releases covering 2005, 2006 and 2007, or any other way I can get highlights from those seasons (so I can cobble my own highlight videos up), I'd be grateful.

Part two is here. Stupid ten minute limit.

Backbreaker Review: It may not be flashy, but damn it, it gets the job done right.

Swamphunter — Sun, 30 May 2010 07:36:07 -0000

Does this game rise up to the challenge and face EA's football series? (via img.photobucket.com)

Electronic Arts (EA) and their sports division (EA Sports) has not had any real, serious competition in the world of American gridiron football since 2005 when the last edition of 2K's "NFL" series was released to the public. It was widely regarded as the best sports game released at the time, however, money issues on Sega's end as well as the NFL deciding to give their licensing rights exclusively to EA for the Madden series quickly brought an end to the franchise. It attempted a come back in 2008 with backing from a few ex-NFL celebs like Barry Sanders, Jerry Rice (yay!) and John Elway (BOO!), and it was called All-Pro Football 2K8. While it wasn't Madden or NCAA, it also wasn't widely regarded as better than the former.

Quite the interesting mix we got there... (via upload.wikimedia.org)

Let's fast-forward to May 29, 2010. A gridiron football game has been released to the public. It is the first game of its kind: using an in-game physics engine for all of the player tackle animations instead of pre-recorded animations using motion capture. While it successfully accomplishes this task, does it outplay and outshine EA's series? Let's find out after the jump.

Does this game rise up to the challenge and face EA's football series? (via img.photobucket.com)

Quite the interesting mix we got there... (via upload.wikimedia.org)

Backbreaker - Trailer - PS3/Xbox360 (via YouTube)

Backbreaker is developed by NaturalMotion, the same creators of the Euphoria physics engine, which the game uses for all of its tackle animations. It is published by 505 Games, who is notable for also publishing IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey.

Getting started

I will say this right off the bat. If you do pick this game up, do NOT go into this thinking it plays like Madden or NCAA, because I will tell you this right now: It does not.

Imagine it as a cross between a football game and "Gears of War." The camera, which is normally placed twenty feet above the field, is actually a few feet above the ground, and a few feet behind your assigned player. This can be very disorienting at first, however, the game is prepared with several tutorials right out of the gate in the main menu that will introduce you fully to the world of Backbreaker. It takes about the length of just a few of the beginning tutorials to get fully used to the camera angle. Also in the tutorials, you learn how to run, throw and play defense in Backbreaker as well. Running is rather straight forward: you use the left stick to move your character and you flick your right stick in certain motions to perform spin and juke moves (rather reminiscent of the flick stick controls of the "Skate" series).

The same goes for throwing, and this is where the differences between Backbreaker and Madden really start to show up. To throw a quick, no frills pass, you flick the right stick forward. For a bomb, you move the right stick in a u-motion, and so-on and so-forth. There's no "Press button A to throw to receiver A" here, as you look across the screen moving the right stick either left or right across to your different receivers. So in a way, the "vision cone" from Madden makes an unwelcome return here, and this is where some users might start to have negative feelings towards the game. But let's not pass judgment too quickly here. It is something that can be quite frustrating at first to get used to, but with a little practice anyone can be a master at it.

Fast-forward to 1:30 to get a view of what playing offense is like in Backbreaker (via pastapadre)

Starting a game is easy with Backbreaker. If you want a quick, traditional exhibition match, it's there in the menu as well as the regular forms of single-player gameplay: Franchise and Season mode. These modes all come with what's expected: play your team through a regular season and manage it while getting to the championship game and win the big one. Realistic stat-tracking is present for these as well, so if your running back had a career day it shows up as having the best day out of the rest of the computer-controlled league.

Presentation

Once again, this is where the differences between NCAA and Madden show up. NCAA and Madden have play-by-play and color-commentators giving background info and other information on either your players or your opposition during play. In Backbreaker, all you have is your PA announcer in the stadium giving stats before and after each down. Also, while NCAA and Madden have a variety of songs and licensed music in both the menus and in the game, the only licensed song I have yet to hear in Backbreaker is P.O.D.s "Boom," which only plays during every kickoff... and I do mean EVERY kickoff.

While it does lack in the voice and music department, Backbreaker is NOT lacking in the sound effect and visuals department. The player models and stadiums are very detailed and realistic, then you get tackled by a big defensive lineman and you can just feel the sound of that tackle in you. Also, while you're running on a 60-yard touchdown run getting away from the defense, everything goes quiet until you ease up on your aggression trigger (the game's "speed" button) and then you hear your fans screaming for you to score.
However, one thing I have noticed when the visiting team is pretty much killing the home team, the home crowd always stays to the end of the game (while in NCAA or Madden, the stadium can be seen visually more empty in the later stages of a blowout win/loss). I am not sure why all of 65,000+ would want to stay for their team's 68-0 loss. I guess they're just very loyal to their new local team.

Gameplay

Everything you learned in the tutorials plays out very naturally when you're playing an actual football game in Backreaker. The controls are very responsive and you will find yourself scoring touchdowns in no time flat.
However, there are a few interesting flaws I have found:

One, is that no one will never be flagged for pass interference as it is known by us. I'm not sure if the game has changed the rules for it's own benefit or it's just a bug caused by the physics engine, but I have seen several instances where a cornerback runs into a receiver, causing the receiver to fall down and the cornerback to pick off the incoming pass.
Another is that the computer LOVES to rough the kicker for some reason. Most of the time it is one of your down linemen on a punt, they get out of their stance, heads toward the punter and instead of trying to block the punt, they just tackle the punter. I had a drive where it happened three times in a row, by the same player. On the fourth punt, I took control of the player instead of the return man, and the punter was able to get his kick off.

It's those two issues which really shake you out of your game-zone and remind you that you're playing a football game, however it's only those two issues which are really a fail on the game's interpretation of football. The game does a really damn good job with the rest.

A case of your receivers not being on the same page (via Afrikanxl)

Final word

Backbreaker should be interesting for those who are looking for an alternative for Madden or NCAA. For the long-term Madden or NCAA fan, there's a definite period of re-learning video game football to play Backbreaker, but when you do, you will find one of the most interesting and entertaining football game experiences out there right now.

Loved:
+ The visual and audio presentation. It makes you feel like you're really out on the football field.
+ The physics engine. Seeing realistic tackles as well as ones that can scare the socks off you sell what the developers are trying to show gamers.
+ Create-a-Team. This is one of the best create-a-team systems out there. If you played the car racers Forza 2 or 3 and are used to that style of in-depth customization, you will be right at home with Backbreaker.
+ The run game. There's nothing like the thrill of the chase from 11 guys wanting your hide for their mantelpiece.
+The passing game. Completing a pass in Backbreaker feels like a real accomplishment instead of a commodity like in Madden or NCAA.

Hated:
- The passing game. I know I just said I liked it, but weird, rare bits like your receiver not attempting to catch a thrown ball or the aforementioned missing pass interference make the passing game something to despise as well.
- Special Teams mishaps. Roughing the Kicker will happen by your AI teammates. If it happens more than once, take control of that player on the next fourth down. If not, it may spell doom to your team in that game.
- The PA announcer. Mister Stocky McGeneric can get monotonous and bland (but only if you really pay attention to him).
- "Boom" by P.O.D. This song will get on your nerves sooner or later (every kickoff it plays and there's no way to turn it off).

WTF:
- The crowd. Seriously... who sticks around to see their team losing by fifty points? In the third quarter?

2003 Cal Football Highlights - Part 2

Swamphunter — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 22:59:00 -0000

2003 Cal Football Highlights - Part 2

2003 Cal Football Highlights - Part 1

Swamphunter — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 22:57:25 -0000

2003 Cal Football Highlights - Part 1

Rugby: Cal vs Chico State cancelled due to unfit field conditions.

Swamphunter — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 21:47:31 -0000

Rugby: Cal vs Chico State cancelled due to unfit field conditions.

"With the Wildcats' field deemed unavailable due to weather conditions, Cal offered to host the match at Witter Rugby Field, but Chico State declined to travel.

The match will be rescheduled for later in the spring."

Well, at least I'm up at Chico having a good time for Super Bowl weekend. I feel bad for some of the Old Blues I chatted with briefly that drove up here just for the match alone. Four hours from the Bay Area is no cakewalk.

2002 Pac-10 Highlights from Jeff Tedford's first season. Showcasing wins against: #12...

Swamphunter — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:51:17 -0000

2002 Pac-10 Highlights from Jeff Tedford's first season.

Showcasing wins against:
#12 Washington
UCLA
#23 Arizona State
Stanfurd

Up next: 2003 Highlights

2002 Non-Conference highlights from Jeff Tedford's first season. Originally from the "March to...

Swamphunter — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 07:55:05 -0000

2002 Non-Conference highlights from Jeff Tedford's first season.

Originally from the "March to Victory: California Football 2002-2004" DVD. For those still upset from Saturday, here are some memories of a simpler time.

I'll upload more later on.

Looking for feedback: 1975 California Golden Bears for NCAA Football 10

Swamphunter — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 04:01:48 -0000

Looking for feedback: 1975 California Golden Bears for NCAA Football 10

Hey all,

I made the 1975 Cal Football team in NCAA 10 using the online TeamBuilder feature. Piecing together what info is out there and readily available, I'm pretty sure I got the primary and away uniforms right, with what notable players on the roster listed by name (including Joe Roth). Seeing as CGB is home to some of the smartest Cal fans out there, I'm looking for your feedback on making this at least one of the most accurate throwback teams on TeamBuilder.

Thanks guys!

Jahvid Best places #4 in the Rivals.com Top 100 players countdown.

Swamphunter — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:38:30 -0000

Jahvid Best places #4 in the Rivals.com Top 100 players countdown.

How fitting. #4 gets the 4th spot!

Syd'Quan also placed #29 in the countdown as well.

Stanford being Internet savy!? Attacking "The Play" vids on YouTube.

Swamphunter — Sun, 24 May 2009 11:23:48 -0000

Stanford being Internet savy!? Attacking "The Play" vids on YouTube.

Look at any of the comments in the videos.

Also, take note of a certain user, "abbeywood22" who appears at just the right time in all of these comments to sweep up a horde of Up Thumbs from the Furders.

I guess they're still a little upset from what happened, and are now using the power of the Internets to try and sway sympathy their way.

GET YOUR ASS OUT OF THE HOUSE AND VOTE! .COM

Swamphunter — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 20:52:21 -0000

GET YOUR ASS OUT OF THE HOUSE AND VOTE! .COM

For those that haven't voted yet.

Forgive me Tedford, for I have sinned - Rock Band 2 Edition. My updated and final version of my...

Swamphunter — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 18:32:52 -0000

Forgive me Tedford, for I have sinned - Rock Band 2 Edition.

My updated and final version of my biggest sin against the Church of Tedfordism to date.

Fox Sports deems the Stanfurd Tree the #1 worst College Mascot.

Swamphunter — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 03:28:28 -0000

Fox Sports deems the Stanfurd Tree the #1 worst College Mascot.

Ahahahaha.

Red Alert 3's Dr. Zelinski (Peter Stormare) responds to DJax's MNF blunder.

Swamphunter — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 17:43:28 -0000

Red Alert 3's Dr. Zelinski (Peter Stormare) responds to DJax's MNF blunder.

Remembering the Schutte Circus Catch of 2006

Swamphunter — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 22:44:37 -0000

2005 was a disappointment for many, I'm sure (it was for me, I tell ya). Joe Ayoob was hailed as the next hot Cal Quarterback following the departure of Aaron Rodgers, and the leg injury to Longshore.

Boy, did that fall flat.

Good ol' Booya only lasted upwards of five games before what I simply called, "running out of gas." He ended up 8th in the Pac-10 in YPG (155.2), and having an almost 1:1 ratio of TDs to INTs (15:14). Luckily, Steve Levy was there to get us out of the fire, save the Big Game and go on to beat BYU at the Las Vegas Bowl.

So here comes 2006. We open up against a 1AA team (Portland), and test our might with the fresh Longshore-led offence. With seven minutes left in the Fourth quarter, Tedford pulled the first stringers and started mixing in some second and third stringers. One of those third stringers, was Bryan Schutte.

I remember the first time I saw him walk out and play a series. I thought to myself , "White running backs still exist?" So, after seeing him pull off a nice burst off the right side, I knew that this dude really did have some speed.

Several plays later, I saw the greatest catch I've ever seen at a Cal game.
It's simply known, as Schutte's Catch (starts at 4:07).

That was what I consider the beginning of a really good season. The Bears went on to the Holiday Bowl (boo) to beat Texas A&M 45-10 (yay!).

Now, what happened to Bryan Schutte? That's a good question. I don't know, but some of the comments in the YouTube video point that he'll actually be back in 2009 (injury perhaps). I'm buying that, since his Cal Player Bio still shows him as a RS Freshman.

So until then, I await the return of the man with the hands, the dude with the moves, the pacemaker of performance, Mr. Schutte.

DeSean makes boneheaded move on MNF, Digg.com laughs at him.

Swamphunter — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 17:20:37 -0000

DeSean makes boneheaded move on MNF, Digg.com laughs at him.

Eagles would score on the next play, though.

Digg continues to be full of asshat commentators.