I’m addicted to my iPad, particularly when I’m on the treadmill or in airplanes. I mostly use it to watch TV series like “The Wire” or “Sons of Anarchy,” but I also love the apps and games as well.

There’s an app for practically everything now, so we shouldn’t be surprised to see a new app for poker games. There’s a new instructional poker game for the iPhone, iPod and iPad called “Insta Poker.” As you’re playing the game and make a decision, text comments from a pro pop up to give you immediate feedback, letting you know if you made the right or wrong move, and why. The feedback comes from pros like Antonio Esfandiari and Huck Seed. So now you can kill time on a plane with a game that might actually make you money, unlike complete time-wasters like Angry Birds.

Interestingly, the hands in the game are real hands track real events, like hands that took place in televised tournaments or at other high-stakes poker games. The key to this app is teaching you strategy as you’re playing which is critical if you want to develop into an effective poker player.

The game packs for the app cost 99 cents to $6.99, with the most expensive ones having around 15 hands, so the game isn’t cheap. But when you consider how much money you can win in your poker future, or at least how much less money you can lose, then the cost is really a drop in the bucket, or at least comparable to that turkey sandwich you’re ordering at the casino while justifying several more hours at the poker table.

As a fan of action movies, there is no game that can fulfill that itch I have for some ultra violence after watching one of my favorites like “Max Payne” does. More than that, though, the series has its own style and charm that very few games across any genre can possibly hope to match. It’s made up of a million little things that all come together to make something greater than it even looked on paper.

So in honor of “Max Payne 3’s” impending release, I’d like to reflect on ten of my favorite moments, levels, aspects, and everything else from the first two “Max Payne” games.

Mod Max – The “Max Payne” series was designed to be heavily moddable, and from day one gamers have taken advantage of that. From mods that make the game even more cinematic, to giving you the option of employing “Equilibrium’s” gunkata style, and way, way, to many “Matrix” mods, there is a strong community out there devoted to maximizing the games experience.

The two that really stand out, though, are the brilliant Kung Fu mod that gives Max martial arts skills, along with some deadlier gunplay abilities, thus helping the game become even more of an homage to the kung-fu classics that inspired it, and a mod that turns the game into a brawler set in the “Street Fighter” universe. The latter is actually kind of dull and buggy, while the former is a necessity. Both though represent the incredible ability the game has to be modded, and the creative impulses this series inspires out of its fanbase.

Innocent Man’s Story – This is maybe my favorite little moment of the series. In “Max Payne 2,” you are in a police station, when you overhear a cop interrogating a suspect over a double murder. Stay and listen and you will hear the absolute worst criminal alibi of all time delivered by a man who looks and sounds suspiciously like Joe Pesci.

I really can’t do this one justice with words. You have to see it for yourself.

Escorting Vinny – Escort missions have to be one of the worst ideas ever put into video games. The idea of having to protect someone with no ability to defend themselves from a constant onslaught of armed foes who desire nothing more than to see your charge dead is one that conjures both dread and constant restarts from gamers forced into them.

Leave it to “Max Payne 2,” then, to have one of the few exceptions. You’re forced to protect mob honcho, and renowned idiot, Vinnie Gognitti from a gang of assassins and escort him to a safe haven. The kicker here is that he’s trapped in a suit of his favorite comic character (Captain Baseball Bat Boy) that’s wired to explode. Vinnie is able to hide somewhat admirably, and can take a decent amount of damage, but it’s the costume and predicament that make this a bearable, and even entertaining, segment of the game. The best part comes when you make a stop at Vinnie’s apartment only to see that it’s filled with Captain Baseball Bat Boy memorabilia (that Vinnie will freak out over if you damage).

Only Max Payne could bring so much amusement to such a usually horrible design decision.

Comic Cut Scenes – These definitely aren’t one of those little things about the series, as they took up a large part of the games themselves, but I always loved the comic book strip-style cutscenes of the series. Their washed out noir-style drawings leant a sense of style to the characters and atmosphere that the games’ graphics couldn’t do on their own. In fact, when I visually remember this game, it tends to be in this style and not the actual gameplay. I don’t think I ever looked forward to a cinema break in an action game as much before, or since, “Max Payne.”

It’s a shame then that “Max Payne 3” will be going the more traditional cut scene route. Of course, they were only done in the first place due to budget constraints that didn’t allow the developer to make full traditional cut scenes for the whole story (a problem new developer Rockstar definitely doesn’t share). That’s probably a good thing, though, as this aspect remains one of the few things that the many “Max Payne” imitation games wouldn’t dare try to copy, and is therefore forever unique to the series.

Worlds’ Most Talkative Bad Guys – There are countless incidents in both “Max Payne” games where you will sneak up on a group of bad guys (or even just NPCs) and catch them in the middle of a conversation. While these are sometimes no more elaborate than “ITS MAX PAYNE!,” some of them actually make up the best dialog in the game.

Some of my favorites are a group of thugs discussing the spoiler endings of some real movies (“Seven” and “The Usual Suspects“), two hitters loudly contemplating the best way to pull off a secret ambush on Max, and a regretful mobster saying that he doesn’t even enjoy this life of killing and is just trying to support his family.

You can find some more of these (from “Max Payne 2”) in this video.

Punchenello Manor – The best part of the first “Max Payne” comes when you get to finally invade the home of mob kingpin Angelo Punchenello. Recently loaded to the teeth, thanks to your good friend Vladimir, Max starts off in the mansion’s wine cellar and slowly works his way up to the big man himself, redecorating with his firearms along the way.

If the overall goal of “Max Payne” is to make the player feel like the star of their own action movie, then this level could be considered the apex of that mission. There is something so incredibly satisfying about working your way through the castle of a mob boss, and it really reminds you of the climax of several great action movies as well. Plus, the home itself is incredibly well designed and stands out from some of the other drab sections of the first game (such as warehouses and factories), to create a detailed environment that is just as much fun to admire as it is to shoot your way through. Barrels of wine spring leaks from bullet holes, pictures fall from their mounts, and pianos even go out of tune after becoming victims of gunfire.

Overall, it’s truly one of the best action playgrounds ever created.

Address Unknown – There’s a host of TV sets in the “Max Payne” titles. Most give you snow, a couple offer cutscenes, and one even blows up when you try to operate it. The rest, though ,are tuned into fake television shows such as the soap hit “Lords and Ladies,” the none too subtle self-referential “Dick Justice,” and comic turned TV show hit “Captain Baseball Bat Boy”.

The best one comes in “Max Payne 2” and is called “Address Unknown.” It’s a “Twin Peaks”-style mystery that follows a man on the hunt for the serial killer who murdered his wife. There seems to have been a particular care put into the these episodes, as the plot is actually genuinely engaging and makes the episodes worth seeking out in order to follow the series to its fun conclusion. It, along with the other syndications, stand as a glowing representation of Remedy’s creative potential.

Viking Mythos – The first “Max Payne’s” story and dialog was about as subtle as a slow-motion sawed-off shotgun blast to the face. However, some of the more clever and memorable bits of the tale came in the form of references to Norse mythology. The games fictional designer drug is called Valkyrie (or V), a nod to the warrior women of legend who chose the most worthy of soldiers to be taken to the heaven of Valhalla. Valhalla, then, is the name of the project that originally designed the drug as an enhancer for soldiers. The company behind the project is named Aesir, a play on the name of the high pantheon of Norse gods.

There are many more. The mob club Ragna Rock is a reference to the Viking apocalypse, Max’s benefactor is a one-eyed man named Woden, which is a reference to the equally eye-patched high god Odin. Hell, the name of the building they meet in (Asgard) shares a title with the Norse realm the gods lived in. The best reference, though, comes in the form of the games, constant snowfall, which apparently preceded the Ragnarok apocalypse. It sets the mood of the world perfectly and ties in all of its little nods well.

Like a Rag Doll – Released in 2003, “Max Payne 2” was one of the first games to use the Havok physics engine. This revolutionary system allowed for some of the best animation ever seen in a shooter, and led to shootouts that featured armies of bad guys dying in unique (and twistedly humorous) ways. Remedy made great use of the then-new technology by doing things like stacking a wall of cardboard boxes atop a stair case, or placing enemies in front of open windows where they could fall onto a scaffolding, thereby triggering a fall of debris that moved differently each time you did it based on how the kill went.

In fact, except for bullet time, you could call this “Max Payne’s” most significant contribution to video games. The Havok engine is now standard in many action games (and is a particular darling of Valve ever since “Half-Life 2”), and it makes going back to shooters before its invention somewhat more difficult (just look at the static deaths in the first “Max Payne” for a good example of this). “Max Payne 2” may have not invented the software, but it showed fans and developers how much better things could be with it.

The Secret Rooms – Littered throughout both games are secret rooms and passages in nearly every level. At the least, they are loaded with painkillers, guns and ammo. Sometimes, though, some of the game’s best Easter eggs can be found in these hidden areas (including the absolute oddest Buffy the Vampire Slayer reference I’ve ever encountered).

What I love about these is that even though “Max Payne” is a pretty linear experience, these secret rooms keep you exploring every nook of the game, and provided an opportunity for Remedy to show off their impressive skill at creating “those little moments.” Hidden rooms never go out of style in video games, and style is one of the things that the “Max Payne” series excels at. It’s a great combination.

Funhouse – I mentioned before that “Max Payne 2” contains some of my favorite level design of all time. Of those segments, the greatest is the funhouse level. Actually, I guess I should say levels as you actually pay a visit to it three times throughout the game. The first is a standard, but incredible, walkthrough of the house as you take a break from the shooting and violence to enjoy the cheap thrills. The last one involves you going through it again while everything burns around you, causing the tricks and decorations to short out.

By far the best one is your second time through as you get to go behind the scenes of the ride and see how all of the tricks work, while also using them to help take out a gang of baddies sent to kill Max and Mona. It’s just such a simple idea that is taken to absolute perfection, and for that reason actually represents what makes the “Max Payne” franchise so great in the first place.

Max Payne 3

Scouting Report

The wait for this game has had many fans feel what it’s like to be stuck in Max’s signature slowdown bullet time mode. Original developer Remedy did an amazing job with the first “Max Payne” when it came to capturing that particular brand of Hong Kong cinema gunplay, popularized by the likes of “Hard Boiled” and “The Killer“, while infusing it with some old fashioned American film noir style. It resulted in one of the most revolutionary and unique shooters ever made. For the sequel, “Max Payne 2“, they managed to blow nearly everyone’s expectations away by retaining the essentially the same gameplay of the first, but then smothering the entire experience with unbelievable amount of style, emphasized by some of the best level design ever in a game and some perfect ragdoll physics, to create what is one of my personal favorite games of all time.

But now it’s Rockstar’s turn to take the reins (and why not as that iconic R logo on the first two led many to believe it was one of their developments anyway), as they attempt to bring Max back into the limelight. So far, from the numerous preview trailers, it looks like the emphasis is on refinement of the system and not starting a revolution….as least in the single player. Yes for the first time ever, Max is going multiplayer in what Rockstar is hoping is going to be a unique attempt at that eternal question. How do you make bullet time work in multiplayer?

Prospects

I have zero doubt this game is going to be good. I have some questions though on whether or not it will be great.

It’s obvious from everything we’ve seen so far that Rockstar is not looking to stray from the established gameplay of the first two, and merely tweak it with some very welcome additions (mostly cosmetic). But at this point, many fans want the game to be more than “just fun”, and to pull that off, Rockstar is going to have to match the numerous little X-factors that Remedy populated the first two games with. As this installment is moving away from its previous Noir style roots, they’re going to have to find a way to make the new “Man on Fire”-style world and plot shine as bright and feel as unique. Failing that, it’s going to come down to the multiplayer to be what makes this game stand out in a busy market (even for a returning legend).

I see this game turning out much like the last two “Uncharted” titles. A strong and cinematic, but brief, single player campaign that is bolstered somewhat by a multiplayer mode that is not quite an add-on, but far from mandatory. But since that’s probably the bare minimum we can expect from this title, I still can’t be more excited to see the Payne train pulling back into the station.

Starhawk

Scouting Report

As the successor to the PS3 launch title “Warhawk“, Starhawk looks to carve its own niche in the world of online shooters by emphasizing class based combat in a very real way. From everything that’s been shown so far, “Starhawk“ absolutely demands a variety of players of different classes working in perfect harmony. So while everyone may want to play as the half mech, half jet class for those sweet “Warhawk” style dogfights, without a good sniper or someone to work on base defenses, victory will take a backseat to your own amusement. Even in a game that will support up to 32 players in a match, developers LightBox Interactive have made it pretty clear so far that even one lone wolf from the pack can be detrimental to the rest of the team.

Prospects

Well, I’ll never knock a game for trying to be unique, and “Starhawk”’s ability to call in offensive and defensive structures to shape the battlefield along with its emphasis on teamwork are certainly welcome ideas. However, and I hope I’m wrong on this, I don’t see this one making much of an impact. So far everything I’ve seen gives me strong déjà vu to the PC bomb “Planetside“. While “Planetside” wasn’t necessarily a bad game, though it did have its own set of flaws, what ultimately led to its undoing is that it became nearly impossible to pit two teams functioning as one unit against each other in most of its matches. Thus the game degraded into a simple, lesser shooter and never evolved to its full potential.

Hopefully this game will eventually become a cult hit, and lead to a small dedicated fanbase playing it the right way. So if it sounds like something you may be interested in, keep an eye on it. Just be prepared to invest some time and patience into it maturing.

Diablo 3

Scouting Report

With very few possible exceptions, this may be the most anticipated game of all time. “Diablo 2” was a success in nearly every single aspect of how you would measure video games, and yet Blizzard is far from resting on their laurels and are aiming to make “Diablo 3” a true sequel that will justify the twelve year wait.

The most noticeable of the changes comes to the graphics, which are more colorful and vibrant than the usual style of the series. Looking deeper though, Blizzard is also making some major changes to the core gameplay, most obviously in the character building system that now puts more emphasis on loot, armor, crafting, and skill runes (a new addition) while doing away with the series famous skill tree. Along with minor tweaks like modifications to the mana system and nixing the potion belt, its obvious the emphasis is on streamlining the game, and therefore making it more accessible, while still trying to maintain the feel that made Diablo II one of the most successful games of all time.

Prospects

There’s no denying that the reaction to the games major changes have been heated among “Diablo” fans. I question the need to make the game more accessible when the built-in “Diablo” fanbase is so large and powerful that they would have posted astronomical sales numbers on their own without Blizzard having to pander to John Q. Gamer. Indeed after playing the beta, I kept thinking that the game just feels softer. It’s lacking some of that edge and intensity, and I’m sad to say that the changes do indeed reek of “WoW“influence, right down to the new palette of the graphics.

However, this is still at the polar end of being a bad game. Much like “Max Payne 3”, the basic formula of “Diablo”’s hack and slash remains unalterably entertaining, and none of the changes are game breaking enough that even the most hardcore fans can’t get used to them in some way, and still enjoy the ride. Personally, this isn’t the “Diablo” I was waiting for. Speaking objectively though, it is still going to be a great game that will make many GOTY ballots and sell unbelievable amounts. Historically I would just expect this to be viewed the same way as “Starcraft 2“. This is to say, it will be an execptional game that fails to have the long term impact that many expect it to.

I’ve never understood the collector’s editions for World of Warcraft. I really enjoy the game, but there are so many easily attainable pets (which is the only thing that really entices me out of the feature list) that I can’t really understand dropping the extra cash on it. People spend money on weirder stuff, and I guess there’s enough involved to keep the crazy lore freaks happy.

Here’s what you get:

CATACLYSM EXCLUSIVE BEHIND-THE-SCENES DVD:
• Over an hour of developer interviews and commentaries, discussing the game’s development from early design through finished gameplay.
• The Cataclysm intro cinematic and major content patch trailers complete with Director’s Commentary.
• A special Warcraft retrospective examining the rich gaming history of the Warcraft universe.

COLLECTOR’S EDITION SOUNDTRACK:
• Seventeen epic tracks from Cataclysm.

THE ART OF CATACLYSM:
• 176 pages of art, featuring never-before-seen images from the archives of the Blizzard Film Department and the World of Warcraft development team.
• Progressive visuals from every stage of development – from early concepts through to finished, detailed art.

WORLD OF WARCRAFT®: CATACLYSM PC/MAC GAME:
• The full World of Warcraft expansion set on CD-ROM and DVD-ROM.

WORLD OF WARCRAFT TRADING CARD GAME STARTER PACKS AND EXCLUSIVE CARDS:
• One 60-card deck from the new Wrathgate series featuring two extended art cards and visuals from several of fantasy’s top creators.
• Two exclusive hero cards, marking the first appearance of goblin and worgen heroes in the WOW:TCG.
• One full-sized rule book to teach you how to play.

EXCLUSIVE IN-GAME PET:
• He may not be a breaker of worlds… at least not yet… but Lil’ Deathwing will still aid you in your titanic struggle to save Azeroth from his much, much larger counterpart.

CATACLYSM MOUSEPAD:
• A special-edition mouse pad depicting Deathwing menacing the ravaged continents of Azeroth.

See, there’s some good stuff in there. Gamestop lists the box set at $79.99.

Did anyone else feel like this was more of a tutorial on the basics than a display of the potential behind Xin Zhao. That first kill on Guinsoo looked like a damn bot (I’m guessing Guinsoo was typing?) and most of the teamfights played out such that I didn’t see Xin Zhao doing a whole lot – it was mostly his fed teammates dishing out the damage and pulling down triple kills. It’s kinda tough to get a good look at any champion when you have a power combo like Alistar/Annie for teamfights. The one helpful tip was the Malzahar kill top for which Phreak used Audacious Charge. That’s about all I learned. Use it like Kat/Akali to get close to people but with a bonus AOE slow.

As Destructoid reports, the trademark is good for PAL territories. I hate to say I think this will be a real game, but I do. The question remains, why? Is Nintendo trying to encourage the already pervasive drug culture that comes along with a lot of games. And how do you determine who wins? Will it always be the guy with the Volcano?

My curiosity pretty much stops with theory, though. I have absolutely zero interest in playing a game associated with the Vitality Sensor. Sure, motion control is fun, but even then it’s more of a mental exercise in timing, control, and trouncing the competition. I don’t need a video game to help me fall asleep.

Sounds kinda boring, doesn’t it? Well that’s because it is. I embedded the video below so you can see just how boring for yourself. Granted, this all about setting up the conflict that started Halo, so there’s a lot of dialogue. It’s strange, though, that Bungie is investing so much in establishing stock characters in a short trailer. You have the chick trying to prove herself in command. The psycho sharpening a knife with a skull painted on his visor. The dutiful lieutenant reporting for duty. I’m not sure what about this was supposed to excite me, and there was virtually nothing to make me say, “yeah, this will be the biggest game of 2010,” other than the word Halo in the title.

See for yourself:

“I feel confident that there’s nothing that will compare in size. Halo: Reach will be the biggest game of 2010.”

So what else releases in 2010? Here’s a short list:
-StarCraft II
-Mass Effect 2
-God of War III
-Final Fantasy XIII
-Gran Turismo 5

Greenberg thinks the Master Chief can beat every one of those. A few on the list, sure, but GT5? Final Fantasy XIII for the West? I have my doubts.

Source: Gamasutra

If you think you’ll get the game in June, think again. Chris Hinojosa-Miranda told Destructoid that Polyphony Digital hasn’t even started thinking about DLC yet. That might not seem like a big deal, but that’s one of the primary ways developers have been monetizing games today. The fact that Sony isn’t even talking about it yet says to me that they have to focus 100% on just getting the game out the door.

The good news is that when the game finally releases there will be plenty to do. The roster includes something on the order of 1000 cars. Then again, it’s tough to look at that number without wondering just how long until we get to see any of them.

It looks like the update works with titles you’ve already purchased as well. Just head to your download list and you can pick up the game on your console. The update also makes it a little easier to transfer data from one PS3 to another, a nice little bonus for those of you who picked up the PS3 Slim. The new data transfer is a simple LAN connection that dumps everything over to your new rig.

For full details on the patch, hit up the Playstation Blog.