HotWheelsVroom

I truly hate Microsoft Rewards. I have over 30k points in my account that I cannot use for basically anything. For the past few years that the Rewards app was available on Xbox, I was able to redeem all of my rewards and gift cards without the need of any extra information. Every time I was able to redeem gift cards, I did, and boom - they were instantly redeemed and available on my account funds. Nowadays, I can't redeem jack squat on their Rewards program. Nothing at all. They went ahead and discontinued that very useful Rewards on Xbox app that I had been using for many years with all of my Rewards points, and they replaced it with a far inferior app that is just a tab on your Xbox Profile. And yes, it does have a way to redeem your points for stuff like gift cards, but good luck trying to use the very points you earned, you literally can't. It forces you to scan a QR code which, in return, leads you to phone number verification via SMS. I already ranted about phone verification in this community before, so I won't get into it. Anyways, your Rewards points become completely useless. It's like Microsoft is trying to make it so you can't use your points! So, redeeming points on Xbox? USELESS now. You can't do it. You need security info. And if you are trying to redeem points on the website directly... well... heh, good luck. I have been trying to redeem the classic Tim Burton film Beetlejuice for the entire dang month. Every time, I couldn't. Because you need to add a phone number to be able to. No phone number, no movie. And then, when I tried to add a phone number? "LOL, ~~we~~ you need your security info first". And since I don't have access to it, guess what? I have to wait 30 days to get new security info. THIRTY. WHOLE. DAYS. I can bet you ten to one that the offer will be gone by then and I would have missed out due to Microsoft's stupid systrm they have put in place. You know what could really solve this problem? AUTHENTICATOR APP. I know I said I hated authentication apps before, but by God I finally got a phone. Honestly, it would be so much more convenient if I could just use Bing Authenticator to verify with Rewards. But no, I can't, because Rewards still requires a phone number with an active line. I am gonna miss out on an incredible offer due to this, and I am absolutely angry about this. I seriously hate Microsoft Rewards now. They don't even want me using my own points to redeem crap. And this stupid phone number verification crap is the reason why. Can we just get rid of phone number verification entirely? It's outdated. Pointless, even, because throughout my experience on Reddit, I was still attacked by a person with a million alt accounts.

I seriously could be done with Rewards after this nonsnese.

NoRedInk is an awful, terrible, and hurtful online teaching application that some schools force their students to use. The whole website is fundamentally flawed and is an absolute waste of time. The prompts that NoRedInk gives to the students make absolutely no sense and causes the students to get frustrated while completing their assigned tasks on the site. Students have claimed that NoRedInk assignments take hours to complete when in reality it should only take about 30 minutes.

NoRedInk also unfairly and brutally punishes students for even one question answered incorrectly. If a student gets a question wrong at any point during the lesson, they are required to correctly answer 3 more questions in a row to continue on with said lesson, and the counter resets itself if another question is answered incorrectly. Also, if the students use hints at any time, they cannot move on with the lesson unless they answer 3 questions in a row correctly. This is why students who use NoRedInk are scared of using the site hints because they fear that if they use said hints then they will be met with the brutal and unforgiving penalty system. The penalty can also seemingly go on infinitely if the student constantly fails to get 3 correct answers in a row, and can seemingly be stuck on one topic forever, without an end in sight. This website, with the addition of the broken and unfair penalty system, ultimately ruins students' days and also kills their grades.

As a victim of NoRedInk, I absolutely hated this website with a burning passion. I was seemingly stuck on one topic for 50+ minutes with the website constantly mocking me for my 'great effort'. I cannot stress how many mental breakdowns I have had because of this ineffective and harmful site. During my ELA class, my friends all around me were getting frustrated with this site and its ridiculous and unfair penalty system. Some even slammed their fists on their desks because of the site's brutal and unforgiving nature. All of my friends around me hated it as much as I did.

All of the stress that comes from NoRedInk is completely unnecessary, and quite frankly, harmful. All of the stress that NoRedInk gives its victims (the students) is unhealthy amounts of stress that can actually negatively affect them later on as an adult. Study Island, which is a few layers above this site, but still bad, has many different ways to learn a certain subject, and does not punish you for getting a question wrong. All it will do is show an X next to the wrong answer, then will let you move on with the lesson. It does not have a unfair, harmful, ridiculous, and unforgiving penalty system where you are forced to do more questions in a row, and answer them correctly. The only website where you experience such behavior on is NoRedInk.

All that NoRedInk seems to do is bully students by punishing them for even getting a single question wrong, making it one of the most disgraceful learning tools to ever exist. The students are being forced to use a website that practically bullies them and mocks them for every single question that they get wrong, and it is disgusting and evil. How would you feel if a site mocked you and pointed fingers at you for being incorrect? It's evil, and the site is especially evil for doing this kind of behavior and bullying students.

As a victim of this site, I hated every single second I was forced to use it. Every second of my ELA class was being forced to use this harmful learning website that, in the end, does not teach students practically anything. I hated every second of using it, and my friends did too. Some of them even got stuck on one topic basically forever and couldn't complete the assignment we were given.

This site actually sparked student suicide rates up by 80% back in 2018.

By god, can we just let students use programs that are actually very engaging and fun all the while actually teaching kids the subjects? That is exactly what made Timez Attack popular in the first place - it taught kids mathematics in a fun and engaging way. Test results were over 200% higher than regular test results (around 95% for most students). And you wanna know why? Because it was fun all while actually teaching kids the subject. And that game was made by veteran game developers who worked on some of the most iconic games from the PlayStation 2, so Big Brainz definitely had experience with game development. But no! We can't have any sence of "fun" in school, so we're going to instead force students onto these crappy websites that do nothing but hurt students' self esteem and mental state. And these sites don't actually make anything better, they make things worse! All that sites like NoRedInk do is cause bad student behavior and it only further decreases test scores and kills grades. Why can't we have fun and engaging ways to learn topics in school? Why do we have to keep using these sites that do nothing but bully and ridicule students? I truly hate the mindset of "no fun allowed at school, let's force you onto this website that bullies you for getting a single question wrong, that will definitely solve the problem". Come on! Let's get crap like Timez Attack and Prodigy again. Stop forcing students onto these websites that do nothing to improve scores and bully students. It's the exact same reason why students hate IXL. Stop, think for a second, America.

NoRedInk is a horrible learning application that causes bad student behavior, and frustrates a ton of students. Being a victim of this site, I say that we need to band together, as one, and say that we've had enough. We've had enough of putting up with this broken and unforgiving site and its harsh and unforgiving penalty system. This site either must be banned, or taken down entirely. Everyone hates the site and it must be done away with. Forever.

FlatOut: A great introduction to the chaotic demolition derby racer. This game laid the groundwork for the entire series and it feels wrong to deny its place in gaming history. This is more of a test of the destruction physics, a tech demo, if you will, with racing elements. But, this is still a great game regardless. The handling is great, it feels fun to control, and the destruction physics are amazing for 2004. It is such a simple intro, but what an intro it is. FlatOut truly revolutionized the racing game genre with its destruction physics engine. For 2004, this was state-of-the-art, and it still is to this day. This game is, without a doubt, a true technological feat in racing games, and gaming in general. Definitely a game you should pick up and play. This is where FlatOut got its start, and it is an absolute gem to play. While not the best game in the series, it is a great introduction to the chaotic nature of the series. I got this for free on GOG during Valentine's Day, and it was an amazing experience. I loved FlatOut, and GOG were absolute chads for giving this game away for free. The best element of the game has to be the fact you can fly through the windshield if your car accures too much damage. This is an easy 8/10. Definitely pick this one up.

FlatOut 2: ABSOLUTE PERFECTION. THIS is, without a doubt, the BEST game of the entire series, bar none. This is where the series hit its peak. There is a huge sense of speed, and that destruction engine is just... mwah, chef's kiss. This is a game for everyone who thinks that 'crash test dummy' should be a career choice. Wrecking into opponents and causing obscene crashes that feel borderline impossible in real life utterly satisfies me. Not to mention the handling, every vehicle feels so different but each of them feel perfect to control. You are very likely to oversteer on some vehicles, too. And, this is the first game of the series to include Nitrous. If you are in the air for a certain amount of time, or wreck into your opposition, you earn Nitrous, which allows you to quickly pick up insanely high speeds. The damage model of this game is, without a doubt, the best of the whole series. When I first played this, I instantly fell in love with it. I literally was yelling at the AI drivers like a madman, in a good way. I have never experienced this kind of feeling since I played Burnout 3: Takedown. Without a doubt, the best game of the whole series. THIS is what an arcade racer should feel like: chaotic and fun to play. The best part of the damage model is the improved version of flying through the windshield from the first FlatOut game. It's honestly a better version than in the first FlatOut. And that scream? Absolutely hilarious, one of the funniest parts of the game. This game is seriously on par with how much fun Burnout 3: Takedown was. It is always so much dumb fun to just wreck into your opposition and do insane crashes in whichever way you can. One time during a race, an AI driver flew over me with incredible height, and crashed right into a silo connected to a nearby barn on the other side. The car went absolutely nuts, rolled over several times before landing on its side, and the driver flew out of the windshield with incredible distance. I had to swerve out of the way to avoid getting hit, it was a moment that truly never could have happened in any modern racing game. Another time during that same race that silo crash happened in, I rammed into an AI opponent that was in first place from the car's backside, and in doing so, took both me and him off course. I then slammed into the side of his car, used my Nitrous, took both him and me back on the track by sliding his car across the grass while boosting, and then spun him out, taking me from second place to first place, and ultimately winning me the entire race. Another one that happened during that same race was that I was dragging an AI opponent and sliding his car into a barn by pushing his car on its side just like the AI opponent later on, and in doing so, crashed him into wood, sent him back several places, and severely damaged his car. It was so satisfying. It is literally just as fun as Burnout 3 is, and that's truly saying something. This is truly one of the all-time greatest racing games ever made, one of the greatest games ever made, and one of my all-time favorites, it truly falls under the Holy Trifecta. FlatOut 2 is an absolute must-play for anyone who loves arcade racing games, or racing games in general. This one gets a well-deserved 9.5/10. Truly one of the greats. How the heck do you top literal perfection? This one is truly unbeatable, no future entry can and will ever be able to top this. Might even be the Gold Standard. Who cares, though? Get it! It's worth it!

FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage: A great sequel to one of the greats, FlatOut 2. It honestly feels like DLC for FlatOut 2, kinda similar to how Burnout Revenge feels like DLC for Burnout 3. Is it better than FlatOut 2? In my opinion, no. But not by a long shot, either. The graphics are very sleek and polished, a little bit more than its predecessor. The tracks are also very fun to race around in, handling is still excellent, and the damage model for the cars is still amazing. But, the reason I feel that Ultimate Carnage is knocked down a peg or two for me, personally, is because it just feels more or less the same with updated graphics. It didn't have that big leap that FlatOut 2 did. In FlatOut 2, new mechanics were introduced, like Nitrous. But, Ultimate Carnage is just FlatOut 2 with a new coat of paint to make it fresh. No, I am NOT saying it is a bad game, far from it, in fact. But, I don't feel the same way I do for FlatOut 2, since FlatOut 2 revolutionized the entire series with changing the series into an arcade racer and adding useful mechanics. It is just nothing more than a great sequel in my eyes. But, it doesn't have that technological leap its predecessor did. Either way, pick this one up, it is a great game and you should absolutely check it out. Great game, gets a 9/10. Beautiful and very fun to play. Get it.

FlatOut 3: Chaos & Destruction: Easily the WORST game of the entire series. Bugbear handed the rights to FlatOut off to a entirely different studio, Team 6, so Bugbear could work on a different IP. And by God, this game is a complete train wreck. FlatOut 3 is, 100%, an absolute downgrade from Ultimate Carnage in every single respect. Actually, scratch that. It is arguably one of the worst RACING games ever made. The racing, which is one of the main focuses of the entire game, feels bland and uninspired. It actually feels boring to play, especially when the cars don't have the best handling, and in this game, they do not. They feel incredibly sluggish to control. Also, the puns and pop culture references when you select your character are flat-out painful to see. Some of them actually make me cringe just looking at them. The "Speed" mode where you race F1 cars isn't good, either, since there are, most of the times, uphills before sudden turns without warning, and the F1 cars control even worse than the cars from the main races. And this game is a buggy mess, too. Damage is almost NEVER calculated properly like in previous titles, and instead of your character flying through the windshield in certain crashes, they instead just get Thanos snapped out of existence. The AI is either brutally unfair as they can just get unnaturally fast and keep up with you to win races, or are absolutely braindead and don't know where they're at. And right from the get-go, the game's difficulty is absurdly high, even on the literal TUTORIAL race. The game's so broken as well, you can literally glitch through the terrain. Well, say goodbye to that car, it's heading to the Backrooms now. The WORST and most BROKEN physics, horrible AI that's either stupid or unbeatable, a laughably bad damage model, corny jokes, and the single-handedly WORST handling of any racing game I have ever played. FlatOut 3 is, without a doubt, THE worst game to come out of the entire series, and it completely ruined the series' reputation up to that point. Keep in mind, this game came out in 2011. You think they would learn from Ultimate Carnage and FlatOut 2. Nope! Far from it. Do NOT buy this, buy any of the previous games instead, you will enjoy them much more. I am sorry, but this... this gets a 2/10. Horrible. Absolutely horrible. Do not pick it up even if it is free. It is a waste of time, even if it is on sale, and it is just one of the worst racing games I've ever played. It's at least not The Day Before material where the entire game was a scam. But... horrible nonetheless. Avoid this game at all costs.

FlatOut 4: Total Insanity: A mediocre game that is FAR better than FlatOut 3. It's not good, it's not bad, it's just... mid. It doesn't have the same charm of any of the FlatOut games prior to FlatOut 3. The graphics, yes, are beautiful, but where is the fun, chaotic nature of the previous entries? Damage model is okay, but nothing to take home about. Car handling? It's alright, could be better. But it's seriously lacking in one MAJOR department: fun. The fun was had in the chaos. The ludicrous speeds. The crazy crashes and wrecks. While it is a massive and major improvement over FlatOut 3, it is nothing compared to any of the games in the series before FlatOut 3. It's just a mediocre racing game. There is nothing special about it. It's an alright game, but compared to FlatOut 2 and Ultimate Carnage, it's a massive downgrade and not an upgrade. If it were anything like FlatOut 2 or Ultimate Carnage, I would so be behind it. But, once again, different developer, this time, Kylotonn. My honest viewpoint for this game is to wait for it to go on sale. It's a mediocre racing title. It improved on everything that FlatOut 3 failed in, yes, but it's severely lacking in several departments. I will say that it is at least... a game. Not good, not bad. Just passable. I will give it somewhere between 5/10 to a 6/10. I would say a 5.5/10. It seriously needs some work. If this game was just as fun as previous titles, it would have a much higher score. It's just okay, that's all I have to say about it. I don't have anything else to add about FlatOut 4. I'd recommend you wait for a sale before you pick this one up.

Wreckfest: Okay, this is a great return to Bugbear's roots! I remember when this game was first being teased and it had the working title of Next Car Game and had that amazing and fun tech demo full with random crap inside of it. That tech demo is an amazing experience, an absolutely incredible and fun physics playground. I had so much fun messing around in that tech demo when it was first released at the end of 2013. It's a core memory. One of the most nostalgic demos I have ever played. But, Wreckfest as a whole is a great return to form for the developer Bugbear. This truly feels like a spiritual successor to FlatOut. The damage model is one of the best I have seen, and the cars feel great to handle and drive. The graphics? Absolutely gorgeous. The whole game truly feels like FlatOut 5. All of the little teeny tiny parts that come off of the car as it gets damaged is just so mesmerizing to watch and look at. Especially in that stupidly fun tech demo. This is everything that Team 6 wishes that FlatOut 3 could've been and then some. While it is a different game series entirely, it truly feels like a new entry in FlatOut. The tracks are great, and the demolition derby mode is a fun display of metal on metal mayhem. I could even say that this game is FlatOut 2.5. It brings back all of the fun of FlatOut 2 and completely modernizes and revamps it. But, there is one thing that this game lacks that unfortunately has to make me knock it down a peg, and that is the fact it just feels like... well, that - just a demolition derby racing game. A great game, absolutely, don't get me wrong. But it just feels like it has a little less of that arcadey-like feel that FlatOut 2 had. That's what made FlatOut 2 my personal favorite entry. Either way, Wreckfest is everything that FlatOut 3 should have been. It is kinda disappointing that FlatOut 3 went in the direction that it did, but by God, Wreckfest absolutely crushed it (pun intended) with the return to factor. In my opinion, this gets an 8.5/10. There is always room for improvement, though. But great game regardless! Definitely pick this up, it's absolutely worth the $30 or even at a slight discount.