We
have another laptop bag review and this time around, the bag is
provided by booq. The bag at hand is part of the Mamba line and is a
courier built to hold up to a 15 Macbook Pro or PC with similar
dimensions. Along with your trusty laptop, the Mamba Courier is built to
also hold all the tech toys, chargers and accessories in a fashionable
style. The bag is fashionable along with functional, as it uses natural
fiber,waterproof, and organically dried developed exclusively for the
lineup. It is time to see how the bag holds up for a daily commute.
My
favorite part of the Mamba is the material used, it is thick and
rugged, without feeling stiff. The hooks are not the typical clip, but a
solid hook in which you slip through the loops to keep the flap shut.
While I was a bit worried about the bag being bulky after my time spent
with the Python Courier, this bag provided a good amount of storage for
the daily commute and some essentials. My least favorite part of the the
bag has got to be the main opening. When unzipped, you have to roll
open the top to locate and access your storage. Only other item that I
wish were different would be the hooks to close the flap, I would have
preferred they be adjustable to vary depending on the amount of content
in tow.
The
Mamba is a sexy bag, from the fabric used to the bright red lining. As a
day bag, there was no question I loved it. It was unique and made a
statement without calling for attention while at the same time having a
solid feel and resting assured that my precious cargo was safe. It is a
bit snug in there, so anything more than a laptop, charger, camera, and
hard drive gets difficult to close and secure the flap. The Mamba
Collection by booq are available now in three colors in the forms
backpack, messenger bag, or sleeve built to fit laptop sizes 11, 13, and
15.
It
seems as though it is the year of go anywhere Bluetooth speakers, as we
have another review for you in this category and the contender is Nuu
and their Splash. The Splash is a compact Bluetooth speaker that is
built to withstand the elements while sporting an elegant look that
would be at home in most any room in the house. A microphone is also
packed into this aluminum speaker making it easy to conduct business
when you have to or just need to take a quick call without having to dig
for your phone. The reason that this portable speaker is dubbed Splash
is because it has an IP55 rating, which means it is resistant to both
dust and water, so you don’t have to worry about being overly careful
with it like most other electronics. 
I
have spent a lot of time with a number of Bluetooth speakers and after
seeing a lot of companies are going the more compact route, with around
10-12 hours of playtime, and making them sturdy. So what sets one apart
from the other? The answer would be price and features. Some have
microphones and rugged standards, others have charging capabilities, and
the Splash has a pretty solid trifecta going for itself, but what
really makes it stand out in a saturated market? The Splash’s price
point. Sure it does a lot of things in which the others can do well, but
the price is my selling point. At a price of 99 dollars, it does
everything the others can do just as well at a much lower price point. 
I
could see where Nuu was going when they designed the Splash, it tries
to offer everything but kitchen sink with the lower price point, I would
like to think I can tell where where corners had to be cut to offer at
the hundred dollar price. The first would be the battery, as it does not
last quite as long as most others and drops significantly at high
volumes. While it does claim to be tough and rugged, it definitely does
not look the part with the aluminum body and glossy top, as it looks
like a small drop will scratch or crack the top and body.
I
am hard pressed to say anything bad about this little speaker. While it
does not do much to stand out above the rest. It does a great job of
performing as well, if not better than those out there at almost half
the price. While I am not one that puts a lot of faith in newer
electronics companies as many come and go, but few companies and
products stand out to me during a review and shockingly, the Splash is a
diamond in the rough. Not for being extraordinary, but for doing what
they do well, only at a more affordable price tag.
Just
a few short weeks after Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus became available free
to PS Plus users on the Vita, we are graced with the second epic action,
gore filled, ninja hack and slash for the portable console with the
release of Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus. While Ninja Gaiden 2 has been out
for a couple years now, Sigma 2 Plus provides more to fans and those
that may have missed it the first time. More of what, you say? More
places to play from on the portable console, more characters to play as,
more game modes, and most all, more Ryu Hayabusa. In Ninja Gaiden 2,
Ryu has to locate the Demon Statue, stolen by the Black Spider Ninja
Clan, to put stop to the resurrection of the Archfiend in battles taking
place from Tokyo to New York. I had a great time with Ninja Gaiden
Sigma Plus, let's see if the second can surpass the first attempt of the
portable port.
Visually
Sigma 2 Plus is far and away better than the first, with added content
and better graphics from the first. The cutscenes look amazing and while
Ninja Gaiden 2 was my favorite in the series and having already beat on
the 360, it was still fun to go back and play with the different
weapons and multiple costumes. The gory finishing moves never got old
and the huge epic boss fights were still as memorable as before, albeit
without the lightning fast gameplay and that polish you get playing on
the home console. The unlockables and replay value is what had me coming
back for more. As you complete levels, you also unlock chapter
challenges as you play through the story along with costumes and weapons
for multiple characters in Tag Mode.
Unfortunately,
there are a couple things that take away from the gameplay with the
visual overhaul. When things get hectic, five or more enemies on the
screen at once, things slow down. Not just slow down but get rough and
pixelated. I feel that I would have rather had the smooth playability
over the shinier graphics, much like Mortal Kombat’s Vita entry. As a
fan of the series, I am not an adopter of the “Hero” playstyle as it
gimps the gameplay making the game a bit of a breeze, which goes against
what the Ninja Gaiden titles were all about, challenging levels with
frantic button mashing to stay alive. Lastly, some of the game mode feel
like they were added as filler, while some modes are nice to have like
the Ninja Race, and Tag Mode would have been great if it had online
multiplayer support.
Ninja
Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus is a great game for the Vita. While it is a port of
a Team Ninja classic, new content helps justify the purchase. I did say
that the slowdown and pixelation was pretty bad, but don’t let that
dissuade you from purchasing as it has many hours to offer, along with
great rewards and equal amount frustration. It took me about a half an
hour to get used to the slower gameplay, but the rewards and new moves
kept me coming back for more. I hope for the success of this title,
mainly to see if the Vita will get it’s own Ninja Gaiden, like the DS
did, but more fun and less touch controls.
Not
so long ago, Zen Pinball announced that we were going to soon be graced
with the Star Wars Pinball Collection and low and behold, we have the
first installment. Of the 10 announced Star Wars themed tables, the
first pack includes Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, Boba Fett, and
The Clone Wars. While being downloadable on virtually every digital
store, I spent my time with the Vita’s iteration since it is Cross-Buy
entitled content. All of the tables are based on characters and moments
in the Star Wars universe on stunningly detailed tables, backed the
authentic sounds. In a genre that has a niche following and few
developers, Zen Studios stand out above the rest and it is time to see
if they are getting comfortable in the top spot.
Each
table is unique to the other and provides a great amount of replay
value. While I have been a fan of Zen Pinball/Pinball FX since their
release of the Street Fighter 2 table, and they have come a long ways
from then. The tables are now much more intricate, look stunning, play
smoothly, and provide an experience that console gamers can appreciate.
Of the three tables, I must say that my favorite was the Empire Strikes
Back table with the missions consisting of movie scenes, two sets of
flippers, and the numerous ramps to keep things challenging. The online
leaderboards are also nice to see how you compare to fans of the virtual
table game. The reason I chose the Vita over the numerous other
platforms is mostly because of the cross-buy capabilities, but also
because of the beautiful large screen and the ability to play in
portrait mode but just turning the Vita vertically.
While
the pinball genre is lacking the following that it deserves in the
gaming community for the last several decades, it has grown alongside
the console community, and still does not provide the same experience on
a physical table. Of the three tables, I would have to say that my
least favorite was the Clone Wars table as I was never really a fan of
the animated series and all of the tables seem to follow the storylines
rather closely. While there are online multiplayer capabilities, it has
always been difficult to find matches. Come to think of it, the only
time in which I have found online matches were on Xbox Live, late at
night, on weekends. Luckily the single player and leaderboards provide
an entertaining enough experience, unfortunately when you can find a multiplayer, it is so fun, that it makes sitting alone in lobbies all
that much more disappointing.
It
is safe to say that Zen Pinball is the first thing that comes to mind
when I think of Pinball titles on gaming consoles. With fast gameplay,
close to authentic physics, and crystal clear 3D graphics, it is easy to
see why this is such a standout title. Now throw in the licensing of
huge franchises such as Marvel and now Star Wars, you have a nearly
unstoppable juggernaut. You know, if you are a pinball fan. Since the
vita does not have a huge community, you can also find it on Xbox Live
Arcade, PlayStation Network, Mac Apple Store, Apple App Store, Google
Play, and more to be announced at the low price of $9.99 for all three
tables.
