Thanks to a user on my Steam profile, I’ve got a few little tricks to share with you in case you’re playing Black Ops and need a bit of a performance boost.

Disable Depth of Field and Anti-aliasing
These two things kill performance. The former tries to make it seem more realistic by “zooming” out distant parts of the level so it feels more realistic. The latter smooths off any rough edges on objects, which means more stress for your GPU to handle.

Simply turn off these options in Settings -> Video. You will get a noticeable responsiveness boost. If you’re still jittery, then lower the texture quality to ‘Low’ or ‘Medium’, model detail to ‘Low’ or ‘Medium’ and turn ‘Specular map’ off.

Enable the Lagometer
The lagometer is a cool little graph that shows how derpy (read: laggy) your internet connection is. Blue means it’s all good, but when it goes yellow and starts climbing, then it means it’s getting not-so-crash-hot. This feature only works in multiplayer. The bottom half of the graph is how long it’s taking to render what you see onscreen. If it goes red, then you’re losing frames and that’s no good (you get choppy gameplay).

At the Black Ops Multiplayer Main menu, press the tilde (~) key to open a console, and enter: drawLagometer 1. Press enter to run the command. Then, enter a session, and above your ammo should be a little graph. The dashed line is the “limit”.

Enable a FPS Meter
At the Black Ops Multiplayer Main menu, press the tilde (~) key to open a console, and enter: drawFPS Simple. Press enter to save that setting. Now, enter a session, and to your top right, you should see something that says “30 FPS (63 cg ms/frame)” or something to that extent. This just lets you know how well/awful your GPU is getting treated by the game. If the game is lagging, then the numbers will change to a dark red.

Advanced Tweaks
Make sure CoD Black Ops is shut down first before doing these tweaks.

In your Steamapps folder, located at C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps for x86 Windows, or for x64 Windows, this will be C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps. Under that folder should be a folder called “call of duty black ops”. Look for a file in that folder called “config_mp.cfg”. Open this file in Wordpad. Find and set the following (quotes are important!):

r_multiGpu “0″ (If you use SLI or CrossFireX, set this to 1. If not, then make sure this is a 0)
r_multithreaded_device “1″ (Allows Black Ops to use more than 1 CPU for it’s workload).
cl_maxpackets “100″ (Less lag on laggy connections, like 3G modems, etc)
cl_maxfps “120″ (Allows a smoother gameplay experience by increasing the max frame rate the game will run at)
clips “30″ (Not sure what this does, but seems to have some positive effect)

Conclusion
Tweaking Black Ops is the key to getting better performance out of the game. While the in-game settings can be a little lacking in the tweaks department, there’s a heap of settings for advanced users to tweak in the configuration files. Of course, with Black Ops 2 on the horizon, the BO2 engine should have some new tweaks up it’s sleeve for maximum performance.

GainWard’s nVidia GeForce GT 440 is nothing special. By that, I mean, it’s pretty much a entry-level that can do some gaming, but as soon as you move into the games that require some pounding on your GPU, it falls apart, even when you pump out some more megahertz via overclocking tools. Let me explain.

I originally purchased this graphics card as I wanted to replace my ATI HD4850. How nVidia markets it’s cards is confusing, and I thought this would be a mid-range card since 440 is the beginning of the GT4xx series. As a general rule, I later discovered that in the GT 4xx family, that the 400 – 430 cards were entry-level, 440 – 470 were budget, and 480 – 500 were performance cards. Correct me if I’m wrong.

Still, the card itself would possibly be the equivalent of an ATI HD5450 – it uses a single slot PCIe x16 connection, and doesn’t require additional power as it’s bus powered. I guess this bus-powered design does limit it how much performance it can pump out, since my older ATI HD4850 requires a 6Pin connector. The fan and heatsink look pretty nice too.

Benchmarks
For the record: the PC used to test this is my custom-built AMD Gaming PC, which consists of a Phenom II X2 CPU clocked at 3.0Ghz, an ASUS M4N68-M V2 motherboard, 4GB of Corsair DDR3 Memory and 500GB WD Green SATA2 HDD, and a recycled HP IDE DVD Burner. Yes, I still use IDE. (Shush!)

Note: FPS means Frames Per Second in our review; not First Person Shooter.

The first game I tried was Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. It seemed to have potential, however, as soon as I finished the first chapters’ mini-mission (where you go through a few challenges to determine your game’s difficulty settings) and walked outside, the game’s smoothness became jumpy. During gameplay, the FPS was bobbing up and down between 15 to 30 FPS. If you stripped all the eye-candy and ran it bare, then you got a reasonable 3 – 10 FPS speed boost. Of course, it depends on the amount of activity on-screen. Going prone and crawling around while looking low kept the FPS high, but standing up and looking around brought the card to an average of around 25 FPS. Playable, but not your cup of tea.

At the stock clocks, Multiplayer was choppy, but when overclocked to 900Mhz Core (along with memory clock adjustments), the game was playable. However, the card became unstable, giving me 3 black screen and reboot events.

Call of Duty: Black Ops was the second game I tested. The game lagged like hell with the recommended defaults that Treyarch recommend when you click the OK button on the “Set optimal defaults?” dialog. So, I stripped all the eye candy away and went barebones. The result? At the most, around 15 FPS. Choppy, but the worst I got was 3FPS, which mainly happened when a person threw a Willy Pete smoke grenade and made a smoke screen in Multiplayer. I promptly became the Round-ending Killcam. Oh joy.

Lastly, I tested Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. Again, with eye candy stripped, it was quite playable. The game engine is optimized to provide a decent experience, even on shitty graphics cards. There were parts of the game were the game was a little laggy, but hey, blame the GPU. I was unable to get a reading of the FPS, but it was better than Black Ops.

Overclocking
I wouldn’t recommend overclocking this card. While you can, it’s a matter of upping the Core GPU clock in conjunction with the RAM clock. Too high on either one and you’ll get nasty results, like pixel mispatches, corrupted display, etc. Shader Cores seem to be OK for overclocking. I was able to up the shader core from 1.6Ghz to 1.9Ghz without any ill effects, but I proceeded with caution. I used TechPowerUp’s GUITool which is a old alpha modding tool, but I was able to successfully get the card OverClocked. The worse result was that over 45,000 pixels mismatched when testing for stability – so it was a matter of trial and error.

I also used MSI’s Afterburner tool, but after a 30min burn-in and a good session on Modern Warfare online to test my custom clocks, the GT440 in my possession released the magic smoke. Yep – screen went blank, and the card stopped responding. A forced reboot resulted in the motherboard using the onboard video chip – the GeForce card, after a few reboots, was dead. So yeah, overclocker beware.

Conclusion
The card itself should provide a decent boost if you’re playing old games on integrated graphics. However, don’t expect miracles to happen with this budget card. One thing that the card has going for it is the fact it has 96 CUDA Cores, and if you need a card that has some CUDA cores for a CUDA-accelerated project; then this would be ideal. Still, with that all concluded, it’s not too shabby for the price I paid for it – $79 (incl. postage). Get it if you absolutely need a GPU but don’t intend to party hard.

We just spotted this earlier today. Apparently, it seems that rumors suggest that Nintendo may be considering making a interface for Android-powered devices to ‘interact’ (one way or another) with the Wii U, the console that is still under development. Other rumors suggest that the Wii U may run on Android itself, or just have some parts of Android mixed in with it all.

Again, these are all rumors – we don’t have anything to confirm that they are genuine, but given Nintendo’s ignorance of supporting other (mobile) gaming platforms other than it’s own, we wouldn’t be surprised if this rumor falls flat. At this moment in time, we’ll just have to wait and see.

Information in this article was sourced from Android Community.

We don’t have much detail, but we do have some screenshots courtesy of GameFAQs, listed below. As you can see in the screenshots, the HUD gets some cosmetic changes and levels seem to be more interactive. Click them for a larger view.

Of course, this is just a tech demo, which could be regarded as an Alpha or early Beta build of the game.

Image Credit: GameFAQs.

It may be chunky pixels but hey, you can’t blame a PC port of the beloved Super Smash Bros series that graced the Nintendo 64, Nintendo GameCube and Nintendo Wii consoles.

Dan Fornace’s Super Smash Land is what you’d expect to see on the original GameBoy or even a GameBoy Pocket. It features 11 stages, 6 characters, Arcade mode, 4-person multiplayer and even online leaderboards.

Piki Geek has the scoop, so get cracking and polish up your Super Smash Bros fighting skills.

At first glance, it looks like your average Mario platformer. The box shows Mario jumping over to some Bricks, while avoiding a Goomba with a Tandooki tail. But then you put the game cart into the 3DS, and this is where it shines. This review will be seperated into “Graphics”, “Gameplay”, “Audio” and then a summary of the game in general.

Graphics
Well, since New Super Mario Bros in 2006 was a disappointment (ie. it was 2.5D (some 3D elements while everything else was 2D tiles/sprites) instead of pushing the DS to it’s visual limit with a 3D rendered level), I personally can say that this is like a pocket Mario Galaxy. Sure, you won’t be getting all the sexy visuals that Mario Galaxy on the Wii provides; but it gets pretty damn close to it without becoming a dogs breakfast in the process.

When playing in traditional mode without 3D effects, on-screen visuals are crisp, clean and sharp. You can clearly see what’s lying ahead, either something to help you, or hinder your progress. However, Mario 3D Land excels in the 3D visuals department. Sit back, knock that 3D slider to the max, and watch objects become realistic. It’s almost like that object is sitting in front of you. On some levels, I found having 3D visuals enabled made the game almost bursting out of the 3DS screen. Pretty damn cool.

I’ve yet to see any rendering issues, but I have seen a little bit of clipping at times. Nothing serious, but sometimes some clipping will suddenly appear, then disappear. While most objects have been recycled from Mario Galaxy, some new enemies and objects appear in-game, which is always welcome in a Mario game because it breathes some new life into the game, rather than the traditional host of Goombas, Koopas, and you know the rest.

Gameplay
Nintendo has taken Mario Galaxy’s engine, pulled all that planet gravity jazz out of it, thrown in some new abilities for Mario, and made it feel like like Mario 64. And that’s a good thing, since Mario Sunshine’s engine was utter trash. If you’ve played Mario Galaxy, then that is a bonus, newcomers will need to spend time playing around with the control system. Sadly, no switchable controls like the ones in Mario 64 DS. The only gripe is that I found the levels too easy, and I’ve already cleared half the game on the same day I bought it!

Unlike how each world section (ie. World 1, World 2, etc) in older Mario games were theme-related (ie. Grasslands, Water, etc), each “World” in Mario 3D Land may have elements of the “theme”, but not all of it. For example, you might find a water level in a snow world, or a desert in a completely random world. It’s things like this that make it less of “Oh yeah, another boring level ahead”, and more “Oh wow, that level was good, this one looks even better!”.

Another cool feature is the item hold system, if you get a better powerup, it switches like it does in Super Mario World – for example, if you have a Tandooki Mario suit on, and get a Fire flower, you’ll turn into Fire Mario with your Tandooki suit in reserve. Makes switching back and forth between powers quite easy.

So, what’s the plot? Yes, it’s the tranditional setup. Bowser kidnaps the Princess, again for the umpeeth time. No cake involved though. There’s also some rather amusing cutscenes in the mix, I got a laugh out of the World 4 beginning cutscene.

Audio
Most music has been recycled from Mario Galaxy series (note to self: stop saying “Mario Galaxy”!) but there is some welcome additions to the party, either remixes of classics or completely original tracks. Sounds also have been recycled, but there are some remastered ones (ie. tandooki tail, etc) and power up/take damage sounds. Mario himself makes the traditional sounds he usually makes, but there’s a few new ones in the mix.

Either way, Mario 3D Land in the music department isn’t earcancer and provides a nice balance between classic and recent Mario title music.

Overall Verdict
Hands down, this is a solid Mario title. I like it a lot, and if you’re looking for something to test out the 3D functions of the 3DS, give this game a shot. Despite the game being a little too easy at times, it’s a winner for any Mario veteran. Don’t just dismiss the game as being another rehash of a exsting game – play the game first before you judge.

Coburn’s verdict? Well, I’d award this game 2.75 out of 3 stars. That missing 0.25 of a star is just that it’s a little too easy (in certain parts) and sometimes the controls can be a little annoying, but with those gripes aside, it’s a winner.

Here’s a video of the K-ON! themes in use

Watch this video on YouTube.

(Source Video)

Yeah, that error that you see above happened to myself eariler this evening playing the “Goalpost” mission of Modern Warfare 3. Unlike how the game would randomly crash in eariler versions of Modern Warfare, MW3 catches that error and kicks you back to the title screen. A little discomforting, shooting away, screen flickers and title screen appears. The exit button was also a little confusing – would I have to restart MW3 or was this going to close the popup?

According to this article on GameFront, to avoid getting the error, don’t randomly walk down the street. Here’s how to fix:

The solution is not to go along the street but jump inside the bulding with broken windows on the right. There will be several enemies there, you will kill them, exit the building on the other side and the checkpoint will save. Going along the street in the open causes this glitch.

This “fix” has been confirmed working by lots of happy camers on the GameFront article’s comments. Now, the question is: “Infinity Ward, MW3 Patch where?”

We hope this helps!

Now, this guide is basically a “Where to buy”. Nothing special, but I recommend shopping around. Don’t just go to a store that has it for $100 when you can get a genuine copy for $20 less from another store. No ripoffs, no scams here – what you see has been researched and are clean providers.

Let’s go:

1. GAME Australia. Yes, somehow, the UK gaming brand has worked it’s way down under. Formly known as GameWizards down south australia, they’re popping up around the place. They’re selling MW3 for a respectable $98.00. Present two $50 notes or a $100 note and she’s yours with $2 to boot. Nice. (Check out the GAME website here.)

2. Big W Australia. These guys have a little confusing website, but the latest Big W catalogue shows off Modern Warfare 3 for $78. If you want a Call of Duty T-Shirt with that, pop on a extra $10 and make it $88. Not bad. The tee comes with sizes from M to XXL. We’ve yet to see the MW3 sunglasses, though. See the staff instore, or hit them up on their website.

3. Dick Smith Electronics.
I personally pre-ordered though the DSE crew, they only wanted a $8 deposit and a copy was reserved for me. They are selling the game for $80. Two bucks dearer than Big W, but they have great service too! Check out the website. You can’t say no for a deal like that.

4. GameTraders Australia
Apparently, GameTraders will stock Modern Warfare 3. Since our newsdesk PC doesn’t support Flash (or maybe I’m just too lazy to install it), a quick google revealed they’ll be selling it. The website should reveal the goods. Requires Flash.

5. Last but not least, EB Games Australia.
These guys are the most hyped up for the release, if you check out their website they have gone nuts with the Modern Warfare 3 gear. Although, some of the gear’s price tag will sting your wallet. The game itself will cost $98. Falls into the same category as the first crowd above.

Don’t forget that various drink companies have made energy drinks (or even various cola flavoured drinks) with Call of Duty: MW3 codes on it that can double your XP points online or give you bonus stuff. An example is V-branded drink – they have codes that double your XP, etc.

Conclusion
Being the gamer I am, sometimes it doesn’t hurt to wait until the launch rush has subsided. I mean, sure, you might have issues finding a copy, but hey, no pain no gain! Plus, hunting around allows you to save a few $$$ in the process.

Also, a word of advice. Avoid eBay and other auction crowds unless you know the copy is genuine. People have been arrested for pirating the Modern Warfare series in the past and a person who got busted – big time – even said to others not to buy a illegal copy. Why? You’ll experience the same situation that he did.

If you don’t check the founder’s twitter (@coburn64), you may not have known that a Team Fortress 2 Server was quietly on the to-do list. Well, we’ve made this possible, harnessing the power of a old laptop* that we had kicking around in the storage room.

At the moment, we have capacity for just 6 players, which is ideal for 3v3 matches. As we get more bandwidth, we’ll expand to a maximum of 12 players (hopefully).

Your Gold Pass Details
TF2 Server: tokiko.coburndomain.net
TF2 Port: 57777
Web Server: http://tokiko.coburndomain.net:57778 (use this if you want to query the TF2 server status).

Make sure you read the Message of the Day, and if you like our server, please drop a penny in our donations jar so we can pay our hosting bills!

Also, we only use Stock Maps – we don’t have the resources to provide custom made maps. You can still have fun on stock maps, no?

Report any bugs in our IRC or alternatively, speak to CubeBurner in-game.

*Note: by “old laptop”, we mean that the battery doesn’t even last more than 10 minutes, at the most. It’s also a Core 2 Duo.