Predators

AWESOME MOVIE ALERT!

Saw Predators in the theater today. I am a huge fan of Predator and this movie is as good as, if not a little better, than the first movie. They even reference the first movie in the new one, kind of making Predators the "true" sequel and pretending the 'meh' Predator 2 does not exist.

Lots of action and gore, good acting and script, and both the humans and Predators hunting them are badass. Also a cool plot twist near the end I did not see coming.If you are at all a fan of the first movie, or just good action/horror movies, go see it. Four stars.

Also:Predator 'dogs'.Really nasty f***ers.

Die Dracula Die!

I have been a fan of the Castlevania series since the first game came out on the Nintendo Entertainment System. I think I passed on Castlevania:Simon's Quest (although I rented it), but really enjoyed Castlevania III, which I still believe is one of the best Castlevanias behind Symphony of the Night. I played Caslevania IV on the Super NES and the excellent Genesis version. I also played Castlevania 64 (certainly the weakest in the series) and the two recent 3D versions for the past console generation, which unlike many people I liked a lot. I have all three Castlevanias for the Game Boy Advance, and when I got a DS I got Castlevania:Portrait of Ruin. I was not sure, after playing the GBA versions, if C:PofR would just be more of the same 'Metriodvania.'

I'm very glad to say that I love C:PofR. The graphics are noticably better, the demons you fight are as imaginative as ever (there are some returning faces, though. Horrible, monstrous faces.), there are great boss fights, and the fact you can switch between two totally different characters on the fly (or have them fight together) is great. Plus the titular 'portriats of ruin' add some scenic vareity to the game. So yeah, Konami has done it again. Once I'm working again I'd like to get the two other DS Castlevanias, I haven't gotten tired of whipping demons yet.

On a related note, what do you think about a 3D Castlevania on Nintendo's 3DS (come on, you know it's coming)? And anyone excited for the upcoming Lords of Shadow?

Games for makeup!

My wife goes to this forum called Makeup Alley, where women, and the occasional gay man, obsess over, well, makep. They also do swaps, usually for makeup, but for other stuff too. A woman was swapping a bunch of GBA games, and my wife, knowing my own obsession with video games, asked if I wanted anything off the list. Many of the games were serious under 10 kiddie games, but a few looked very interesting, Namely the three games pictured up top. Now anyone who reads this blog knows I'm not a big Mario fan, but Super Mario 3 IS a fun game, and I'd never played a Mario Kart game before. And I've always loved Sonic, even though the poor guys' last 10 games were terrible.

So Donna was willing to trade a limited edition Mac lipstick (which was pretty expensive, so she tells me) as well as some hair product samples. The woman who was swapping the GBA carts agreed to the three (I had actually been expecting one, which would have been fine for me, as none of these games are cheap, even used. But Donna assured me that the lipstick was NOT cheap by any means, she just happened to have gotten a duplicate for Christmas.)

So I got the games in the mail last week, and they are all pretty cool. We have not gotten a response from the woman who got the lipstick, I hope she likes it, honestly. And thanks to my wife, I got 3 good GBA games, technically free. She's even played some Super Mario Bros. 3, which is just as hard as I remembered it. (I played the games as part of Super Mario All Stars for the Super Nintendo.) All in all, pretty cool.

In movie news, I saw Knight and Day at the movies and liked it a lot. Lots of action with some funny dialogue thrown in. Also saw the Wolf Man remake (re-imagining?) on DVD. Thought it was pretty good, can't compare it to the classic original 'cause I haven't seen it! Really should get on that.

Oh, and I got the 20th anniversary Transformers The Movie soundtrack on cd with bonus tracks for only 5 bucks at half.com. I also have the soundtrack on tape, but that's 20+ years old and probably melted by now. I heard The Touch on that Transformers:War for Cybertron commercial and remembered how much I love that song and the rest of the soundtrack. Gonna rip the songs from the cd to my MP3 player so I can listen to them anywhere, too.

And yes, I really want T:WfC, but don't have a PS3 or X360 yet. I'll just have to wait till all are one...I mean, till I get a new system.

By the way, is it really freakin' hot, or is it just me?

Shootin' In Style

I recently played the game P.N. 03 after having bought it a year ago (yeah, I'm retarded) for about 4 bucks at Gamestop. I had read horrible reviews of the game when it had come out, as one of the infamous "Gamecube-exclusive Capcom 5". We all know how that turned out.

Anyway, I did not have any great expectations for the game, having almost stole it from Gamestop. But I quite like it. Basically, you're shooting bunches of robots wearing one of several versions of a mechanical suit, called an Aegis suit. Each suit having one "special attack" at the onset, although you can buy more special attacks for the suits. You can also power up the suits in different parameters and even buy extra continues at a shop. (Yup, this game has limited continues.)

You're "currency" is points you get by blowing up robots, and if you shoot a bunch of them in an alloted time limit, you rack up a "combo" and get bonus points. Frankly, this hooked me, as points mean something, and there is plenty to buy from the store (much of it expensive.) You can even do trial runs between missions to rack up extra purchasing points.

The graphics aren't anything spectacular, but they are well done, and the techno sountrack is nice to listen to while blasting various robots. What I really like about this game, besides the point system, is it's simplicity. You shoot and dodge missles and lasers, (or duck and take cover), and blast the 'bots with your own laser or special move (which are like the special moves in street fighter:up, down, shoot or something to that effect.) I am just so tired of all the overly complicated games made nowadays where you have to remember 20 different button combinations to play a damn game. With P.N. 03, I can just zone out and trash some bots, trying to get enough points to get the next cool Aegis suit.

Also, the heroine of the game, Vanessa, seems to be dancing along to the beat of the music as she turns robots to scrap. That's just cool.

So yeah, I recommend this game if you have a Gamecube or a (yuck) Wii. It's cheap enough, just don't expect to get your mind blown, and just enjoy the dancing. And shooting.

Flying the Unfriendly Skies

So, how's everyone doing? Man, it is hot here. Can't sleep, it's so hot. So I'm playing video games naked. (Kidding. Not wearing a shirt, though. My pale skin doth glow in the light of the television screen.)

So I'm playing Taito Legends 2, which is not only an awesome retro compilation, it's chock full of shoot em-up (shmup) goodness. I remember when the arcades were full of shooters, and I loved pumping quarters into those, even though I usually sucked at them. Still had a blast...um, blasting stuff. And sometimes I could get into the groove of the shooter...dodge, shoot, dodge, shoot, mega bomb, shoot, oh crap here comes the boss aaaannd I'm dead.

Now shmups, like arcades, are pretty much on life support. Xbox 360 live arcade does have a bunch of them, many new, so that's good. Don't have one of those yet,(new slim model looks cool though) so I make due with what shooters the PS1 and PS2 have in their library.

Does anyone here have a favorite shmup, either from the glory days of the arcade or on console? Or a series of shmups, for that matter?

Back to Taito Legends 2. There are a couple of bosses that are really ticking off.....

Two DS games that don't suck

Let's face it, a lot of DS games suck, and suck badly. Any of the dozens of Imagine titles, for instance, or anything with 'baby' or babyz' or whatever in the title. They kind of make me puke in my mouth a little, and also make me very embarrassed to look at the wall of DS games at Gamestop. I'm 41, makes me kinda feel like a perv or something to even glance at that crap.

Fortunately, there are a whole lot of good games for the DS that don't involve babies. I was very lucky to get some GS giftcards and a little money for my birthday, so I recently got two very good DS games:Glory of Heracles brand new for 15 bucks and Portrait of Ruin used for the same amount.


Glory of Heracles got mediocre reviews when it came out, but it's a pretty decent little RPG. Yes, you play a character, apparently an immortal demigod, with amnesia (an incredibly overused JRPG cliche), but the story is interesting and quite funny. The battle system is the standard turn-based affair, but each character has different passive and aggressive skills and magic abilities, which you can choose to 'soup up' by performing minigames on the touch screen. The music is nice, and the graphics are a little better then those you'd see on the PSOne, which is definately not a bad thing.

Overall, this JRPG does nothing radically different, but I am very much enjoying playing through the adventure and highly recommend it to anyone who like JRPGs, especially for the sweet $15 price.

Castlevania:Portrait of Ruin is your standard 'metriodvania' game, but when is that ever a bad thing? I've been wanting to get this game for quite a while, and when I saw it used (with case and instructions!) for $15, I snagged it. Haven't gotten very far, but what I see I like. The graphics are definately more detailed than than the GBA trio of Castlevania games (I have all three), and I like the fact that you can 'swap out' the two main characters, or even play with both at once, a nice touch. Plus the titular 'portraits of ruin' are a cool gimmick enabling players to visit different locations other the usual dreary old castle. I even like the story:set 1944, a really bad vampire dude named Brauner brings back Dracs' castle by collecting the tortured souls of those who died in World War II, and thus got his magical vampire powers back. Plus a whole bunch of hideous monsters to loot and pillage as a bonus!

I recommend this game also, but at this point anyone who is a Castlevania fan probably already has it. I have about 20 bucks left from my birthday, anyone recommend a good DS RPG? What about the other two DS Castlevanias?

Mario is not my hero

If there is any video game character that is iconic, it's Mario. The fat, mustachiod plumber is virtually synonimous with the medium itself. Even people who have never played a video game seem to recognize Mario. I don't doubt that some people worship at the alter of Mario, build shrines to him, buy every single game he is in and call them works of art. In fact, he is often integrated into art. In short, he is everything wonderful and great about video games.

Sorry to disagree, but I really could not care less about Mario and his games. Who died and made him a virtual god?

I may very well be missing the point, as I'm sure others will angrily attest to. I just have never understood what is so 'alluring' about the Mario character, and there is not one game that he is in that have ever liked. And that icludes Donkey Kong, when Mario is known as 'Jumpman.'

I have not played every Mario game, granted. I have played Super Mario and it's two sequels, and Super Mario 64. I have found most of these games far too hard, and thus aggrevating, as well as just plain boring to me. The only game I kinda-sorta liked is Super Mario 2, and that is not even a true Mario game! As for the others, I just usually give up in disgust, never to play the game again.

Plus it annoys me that Mario is whored out so badly by Nintendo. He's been in games of every sport imaginable, kart racing, RPGs (ok, I have played and enjoyed Mario and Luigi:Super Star Saga and Paper Mario:The Thousand Year Door. I will admit that.), educational games, dancing games(!), puzzle games, the list goes on and on. Most of these games are gobbled up by the gaming public, so of course Nintendo whores Mario out some more.

Don't get me wrong, I don't hate Mario. He is a likable character. I just don't understand how he is so bloody popular. Then again, I still don't know why Hana Montana/Miley Sirus is so popular, with literally thousands of products on the market. The girl seems nice enough, and she can sing, but how is she so popular? And why?

The only answer I can think of is age difference. I am 41, and was in my early to mid teens when the first Super Mario game came out and kick-started the video game industry after the crash of '83. Now there may be part of the answer:this game, and by proxy Nintendo, helped revive an all-but-dead-industry. That is a good thing, of course, but that was close to 25 years ago, and Mario is still, if not more so, as popular as he ever was. One could say that of Nintendo, who has been leaning on the 'we saved video gaming!' crutch for a very long time, and have been arrogant ever since. (Since Mario is pretty much representative of Nintendo, I had to put that jab in. Yeah, I'm not a big lover of the company right now.)

Anway, the age difference:a lot of people who were pretty young at the time played Super Mario as their first game (it did help that the game was a pack in with the NES.) As their first game, it had a big influence on them as budding video game enthusiasts. It was a fun and enjoyable experience for them, and so Mario became ingrained in their memory as a happy time in their young life. The ingredient of that magic called nostalgia, which I am certainly not immune to.

But I cut my teeth on the Atari 2600, before the crash, and gaming on that system formed the foundation of my nostalgic memories. Atari never had an official mascot or defining game, unless maybe it was Pac-Man (and everyone knows how badly that game turned out on the system.)

So can anyone explain to me why Mario and his games are so popular? I'm not trying to be a hate magnet here, I really don't get it. What am I missing? And does anyone agree with me, or am I alone in this?

XBox Love

I wrote a long blog last night, but somehow 1up deleted it. Pissed me off. I'm trying again, but this will be much shorter, in case it happens again.

I love my XBox. While most have forgotten about the original in lui of their shiny new 360s, I am still enjoying my big black box with the big green X on it.

I still play it almost every night. Granted, I got the XBox about the same year the 360 came out. So I was able to get a crapload of games at really cheap prices, new and used. Some bad, many very good. It seems very sad to me that the 360 did a half-assed job of emulating original XBox games. It's like Microsoft did not care that the XBox paved the way for the 360; that is was system better forgotten for 'bigger and better.'

I almost feel the XBox is like a latter day Dreamcast:both are excellent systems with quality games. Granted, I think XBox did last longer then the Dreamcast, which was around only a little more than two years. But the XBox didn't seem to last much longer.

Is it me, or have people forgotten what a trailblazer the XBox was? It was the first truly online system (although not the first. That was of course the Dreamcast.) It was also the first console to have a hard drive out of the box. Just two things that have become the pillars of this console generation.

I may get flak for this, but you guys can keep your 360 consoles that seem to be prone to burning out. I'm going to enjoy my still-working XBox (three years and counting) and play a little Far Cry. No achievements or leaderboards? Don't care.

Lookie what I got! Chaos Wars and EGM!!!

Chaos Wars for the PS2 and the first issue of the back from the dead EGM!!! Wheee!

Chaos Wars is a Gamestop only exclusive (I think.). It looked cool from previews and reviews, and best of all was only 10 bucks new! I managed to get the only copy left at the nearest Gamestop.

Haven't played it yet, but it seems interesting...a SRPG with characters from Gungrave, Shadow Hearts and various other Japanese series. I'm actually surprised this game made it over here, but I'm glad it did...games for the PS2 are slowing to a trickle, although that's to be expected. The system is close to 10 years old, after all.

I also got Lego Batman for the PS2 at Target. Normally don't care for the Lego games (they seem too childish), but I have played a little of the game and it's quite enjoyable. And it was on clearance for 5 bucks....can't complain about that! I also like the fact you can play as various Batman villains,albiet in cute lego form!

I am very happy that EGM is back. I got the first issue at the newstand, and although a subscription is only about 25 bucks, I'll wait until I'm working again. Which will be soon, I hope. The new EGM looks just as good, if not better, than it's last incarnation.

Below is a picture of the game and mag...I forgot to add Lego Batman (whoops!)

Two Great Artists Gone

Recently, two artists who dealt in fantasy passed away. One painted beautiful females and muscular barbarians with lifelike clarity, and another sang metal songs of the eternal battle of good verses evil.

Both men had a great influence on my imagination since I was young. I marveled at pictures that seemed so lifelike, even if they had dragons in them, that I could reach out and touch the scaly skin. A song called Sacred Heart become one of my favorite songs ever, with wizards and magic and a powerful talisman called the, curiously enough, sacred heart.

You may have known these artists, maybe not. It matters not; the passing of Frank Frazetta at 82, and of Ronnie James Dio at 67, affects me deeply. If you have ever loved fantasy or metal, or in my case both, the loss of these great artists is a saddening loss indeed.

Still, these great artists have left their own legacies behind:one in pictures, one in song. At least we will have those.

Rest in peace, Frank and Ronnie.

Ticked off, pissed off and generally annoyed

Sorry if this blog has zip to do with videogames, but there were a couple of things on the internet that make me just hate my fellow man, with a passion. And I'm really not fond of people in general.
Lane Bryant Lingerie add banned by Fox and CBS:
As you may or may not know, Lane Bryant makes clothes for 'larger women', or to put it another way, for women who actually look like normal, healthy women but in this ass-backwards society would be considered 'fat,' I quite honestly find such women very attractive, since, you know, they actually look like women instead of the size 0 bobbleheaded skeletons that are considered attractive nowadays. Lane Bryant did what I consider a very tasteful add of a very pretty 'full-figured' woman trying on different underwear before going on a dinner date. I think they show more skin on 'The Hills' (also full of bobbleheads). Check it: http://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/banned-lane-bryant-lingerie-ad?cb=1272024994984&contribution=false
Fox and CBS basically banned this commercial because the model was 'showing too much cleavage'. WTF?
OMG! We can't have little Billy see this much cleavage on television! It will turn him into a raging sex pervert!!
Another excuse is that her breasts are too large. Let me type that again:her breasts are too large. I may be biased, being a straight guy and all, but what is the problem with a pretty girl having too large breasts (that I am sure are real, not fake? ).THIS can't be shown on television, though, oh no.
K'now how I see it? The fuckheads in charge of adverising do not want show happy, full figured woman in cute underwear. Replace the model in the commercial with a skinny bitch with fake boobs and everything would be hunky dorry, right? God forbid girls love their body's, no matter what size they are. And so the discrimination against women look they are supposed to, or even slightly overweight, continues.
I would like to hear comments on this matter. You know where I stand. There was another subject I wanted to rant about (IGN and their list of "Funniest movies of all time.:) I have problems not with the list, but with the morons who commented on the list. Almost all consisted of "Why isn't Dumb and Dumber on the list?" Because it's an insult to comedy, moron. http://movies.ign.com/articles/674/674712p1.html

Two new (ok, technically used) DS games

Y'know, I really hate Nintendo with their "we know what the consumer wants, let's not bother asking them" attitude and yet making barrels of cash from it, and the Wii is a piece of garbage fit only for very young or very ancient people to "play", but damned if I don't like the DS. Granted, there is still too much kiddy garbage "games" floating around for my taste, but I find myself using my shiny silver DS lite quite a lot.


I got two used games from Gamestop yesterday (not gonna pay 30-35 bucks for a new game, can't afford it, but damn I would love to get Dementium II, coming out next week. Oh well.) Those games are Lunar Knights, which came out several years ago and got (warrented) excellent reviews, and Big Mutha Truckers (say what?) which I did not even know there was a DS version of (I have BMT 2 for the XBOX, so I am familiar with the game.) I had not seen those games anywhere else, so I had to snap them up or probably only get them online for ridiculous prices.) Lunar Knights was only 10 bucks, and BMT was only a fiver.

Both are great games. LK is a dungeon crawler/RPG/shooter made by the same guy who did the Metal Gear games (seriously) and is as fun and well done as you would think. BMT is a fun little game with 3D graphics where you drive a truck and make deliveries to make money to improve your truck. It's more fun than it sounds.

Gotta love it when you find games you never expected to find at a good price. Never gets old.

Going for the gore

With the remake/reboot/rethinking of Splatterhouse coming out soon (ok, this September, but it's been in development hell forever)and looking gruesomely awesome in screenshots, and the remake/reboot/rehiring of A Nightmare On Elm Street coming out at the end of the month and looking like it's gonna kick ass, I thought I'd ask the age old question of what youse guys favorite horror videogames are. Not just the ones that almost made you crap your undies, also those that are not necessarily scary but are overflowing with gore and other assorted body parts. I thought I'd mention that I played and loved the original Splatterhouse on the PC Engine and loved it; I'm thinking good thoughts about the new game, and also think the original NOES is a horror classic, although the remake looks pretty sweet. Just so I could, y'know, date myself.

So what are your faves? Remember, not just scares, but could wholesome gory fun. To get the blood flowing, here are some of mine:

Scary:Fatal Frame 2:Crimson Butterfly

Gory and fun:Obscure:The Aftermath

Scary and Gory:Manhunt

So, who wants to put their heads on the chopping block?

The Evil That Men Do

There is a show on television, a very good show, that you may have seen or heard of called Criminal Minds. It deals with a group of CSI profilers who have to get into the minds of criminals, most often murderers, in order to catch them. This show is not just dark in tone; it's pitch black. But that is the nature of the beast, as the bad men are often very sick and twisted. The sad thing is that the show is very true to life, in fact some of the episodes are torn right from current happenings.

Anyone who has played video games for any length of times knows of the forever ongoing debate over whether video game violence causes the player to become violent himself. In 99.9 percent of the many acts of violence carried out every day in the world, video games are not a factor. In the very few cases that playing video games can be factored in, there are other forces at work and violent video games is just one of the reasons a person hurts or kills others.

Myself, I play and enjoy very violent games, yet cannot even think of hurting or killing another living being, animal, or even insect. Yet I find it cathartic to shoot 'people' on the screen, I enjoy it, for the most part. There are two factors that make this so:I am shooting/killing 'bad guys', and those 'bad guys' are basically light on a screen, put there soley to be destroyed. They are bad men who have done bad deeds, and you are the judge, jury, and executioner. I hold this same reasoning for action/horror movies, two genres I enjoy. None of the bloodshed and death is real, it is simply special effects and acting. The dead men get up after the director yells "cut", and wander over to catering to have some lunch.

The thing is, the urge to kill is in all human beings, me included. Most of the human race can supress it, as any civilized person should be able to do. Yet, it is there, or why else would violent video games be so popular. Right now wargames are very popular, which basically boils down to one 'soldier' killing another, for (insert reason). Hundreds of fake men and women die, and it is enjoyable. Unlike real war, there is no real pain, no families losing loved ones. No death.

Make no mistake, I am for violence in games. These games are for adults, not children, and even then, most would be fools to believe that even kids can see the wrongness of killing a REAL human being, as long as they are taught that by parents. Yes, it comes down to parenting, always has. Violence and death is part of life, sadly, and kids should never be coddled against it. If they watch the news, they will learn the world is a dark, frustrating place, and very unfair.

A dark place, yes, but one learns to deal with it. Videogames help. Anger and frustration can be channeled into 'killing' bad guys that are not real. Death is unfair, it can happen to anyone, at any time. Death has no real meaning in videogames, one can magically come back to life and the bad guys never really stay dead.

Videogames are a form of fantasy, of escapism. It can help people deal with the darkness deep in ones soul. It is cathartic. One can shoot apart or tear apart an enemy, and perhaps even feel good about it. No one has died, no real blood is shed.

Society will always have to deal with those who have allowed the darkness to overtake them and allowed them to commit terrible acts, sadly. Shows like Criminal Minds (I will once again re-iterate:this is very good, albeit a very dark series) will continue to show those who have gone down a dark, dark path. Why do they do these men do such bad things? I am always wondering this, appalled and fixated at the same time. My wife especially loves the show. She has a psych degree and might make a good profiler herself.

Maybe some men are born twisted, or grow up that way. I don't know. All of us have that dark seed in us. Some let that grow. Most let it wither and die.

We kill in videogames, knowing it is not real, and acts performed in games will not translate to real life. It is just a game, after all. Just a game.

Isn't it?

The Playstation 2 Is Dead....Long Live The Playstation 2

The Playstation 2 is almost 10 years old. It's not quite dead, but it does have one foot in the grave and toppling forward into the hole. Games are still being made for it, but for all intents and the PS2 is done.

Which makes me sad, because I believe the PS2 is one of the best consoles ever created, with one of the best libraries of any console. As of this point in time, the PS3 (and the XB360) pale in comparison, fancy HD graphics and trophy acheivements notwithstanding. And the Wii is a Playstation 2 with waggle, worse graphics and crap games.

I have had many games systems in the past 30 years, and no console has made me happier to be a gamer. The original Playstation is a great console, but the PS2 is 10 times better. And the games...the great games...I won't bother listing them, you know what they are.

And what disturbs me is Sony's half-assed backwards compatibility with PS2 games (although Microsoft is guilty of this also.) Most likely this is so, eventually, Sony can sell PS2 games on PSN...after they have sold the entire original Playstation library, of course.

I know this blog seems overly negative, and I still have my PS2 and 100+ games to enjoy on it, but the great ride that was the PS2 is over. Like riding a rollercoaster, it was an exciting and awesome ride. Too bad the PS3 is more akin to a merry-go-round.

RIP, Playstation 2. You deserve it

Games to Movies

I was watching a preview of the coming movie adaptation of Prince of Persia:The Sands of Time on tv (it really does look awesome), and I got to thinking of videogame movies (or rather, the good ones). There are not that many, but two of my favorites (which I own on disc) are Silent Hill and Doom. Yes, Doom. A lot of of critics and game players hated on the film, but I quite enjoy it. Sure, the monsters are mutated humans, and not demons from hell, but that doesn't make them any less dangerous. And the five minute 1st person section of the film is pure genius, IMHO.

Silent Hill is also well done, and pretty frightening actually. Other than the ending (they're ghosts now? What did I miss?) I really like this film.

So what about you guys? Any video game movie adaptations that you enjoy? Disagree with my faves? If you don't have any faves, which ones do you hate? (And writing 'anything by Ewe Boll' is a very good answer.) :P

Games to movies

I was watching a preview of the coming movie adaptation of Prince of Persia:The Sands of Time on tv (it really does look awesome), and I got to thinking of videogame movies (or rather, the good ones). There are not that many, but two of my favorites (which I own on disc) are Silent Hill and Doom. Yes, Doom. A lot of of critics and game players hated on the film, but I quite enjoy it. Sure, the monsters are mutated humans, and not demons from hell, but that doesn't make them any less dangerous. And the five minute 1st person section of the film is pure genius, IMHO.

Silent Hill is also well done, and pretty frightening actually. Other than the ending (they're ghosts now? What did I miss?) I really like this film.

So what about you guys? Any video game movie adaptations that you enjoy? Disagree with my faves? If you don't have any faves, which ones do you hate? (And writing 'anything by Ewe Boll' is a very good answer.) :P

HD? No Thanks

One of the many reasons I have not gotten a PS3 or XBox360 (a major one having no job at the moment) is that, apparently you should get an HD television in order to fully enjoy the graphics of the games. It's not needed, but highly recommended.

To this, I say:screw that.

Basically, if I were to buy one of the aformentioned systems for approx. 300, I SHOULD also get a an HDtv, which costs, what, 300-400? Why would I spend that amount of money when I have several perfectly fine standard definition tvs to play games and watch movies on?

Frankly, the thing about HD tv is I simply do not give a flying fig newton about it. I've heard watching sports on it is WONDERFUL, but the thing is, I don't watch sports. And I've heard many people having problems with their HD televisions. I just turn on my 20 inch standard definition tv and I'm ready to go. I quite like it. I even have my XBox and PS1 hooked up to a standard 13-inch. I bet that blows some people's minds. And am I wrong, or does one have to pay a monthly fee for the privilage of HD?

Maybe I'm just getting old, but I don't see the greatness of HD or Blue-Ray, for that matter. (Again, were I to get a Blue Ray player, I would need an HD tv to really enjoy it. I suppose. I'll stick with DVDs for now, thanks.)

Right now, I am very much enjoying (and often being blown away by) my last gen systems and games. Sorry to repeat myself, but I do not see the point of HDtv right now. I really don't.

Does this preclude my ever getting an HDtv, X360 or PS3 in the future? Hell no. When prices go down more (and they will, trust me) and I need a new tv, maybe.

Am I forgetting the Wii, which still has standard definition graphics? No. It's just the Wii is a piece of gimmicky crap. It would still be gimmicky crap if it it did have HD graphics. Nuff said.

Sick day games

I and wife are both very sick (may be strep throat), so I'll keep this blog short. But it got me to wondering if anyone out there plays video games when they are unwell, and if you have any favorite video games you play to make you feel better. Or do you just chill and watch television or movies? I have been playing very simple video games since I got sick , the more complicated ones give me headaches (literally.)

Hope everyone else is well!

GAMER The Movie

Just wondering if anyone saw/liked Gamer. Just saw it a few days ago and quite liked it. There was a lot of action and gore, which is good, but the movie also dealt with themes of control and freedom. And there is a song and dance number/fight scene which is as cool as it sounds. Really, no sarcasm.

As long as I'm mentioning 'game movies', did anyone but me like Doom (which I own.) Sure, the monsters are genetic human mutations rather then demons from Hell, but I just really love this movie. And the '1st person' section of the movie is pure genius.

Finally, I also really like Silent Hill. The only problem I have with the movie is the WTF happened ending? Anyone figure out exactly what was going on there? Anyone? Bueller?

The DS:Lost Potential

I got a DS Lite from my lovely wife this past Christmas, and I love it. It disheartens me that there are so many games for the under 10 set. (Especially the Imagine series. I know they are serious money makers but...blech.) There are also many 'extremely casual' games, such as crosswords or sudoku, but I don't mind those so much, these 'games' create a bigger older target audience, and that's cool with me.
It just bothers me that the DS may turn out to be the best selling handheld ever, yet the games for it are so limited. Nintendo and developers of games for the DS seem to believe that the vast majority of people who own DS are really young kids. If that were true...and I believe it is most definately not...why is Nintendo debuting the DS XL next month? It has a bigger screen for older people whose sight is fading, and a bigger stylus made for adult hands.
What pisses me off is that I am certain that Nintendo beleives the DS, like the Wii, is a toy fit only for the young 'uns and families with kids. If that is so, why is the DS so damn popular? Adults like me like the DS, and Nintendo knows this hence the DS XL here and DS LL in Japan.
Why are there not more M-rated games? More hardcore games? Why aren't more 1st person shooters made for the DS, even though the system is perfect for them? (I should know, I own two of the three 1st person shooters made so far for the DS, and they control perfectly.)
Nintendo seems content as always to fart out dozens of Mario games and kiddie fodder for the DS. It is a unique systems that took risks..two screens and touch control....yet in it's fourth year, games for the system are 80% crap, 10% Mario, and 10% good games. I wish Nintendo would, just once, see the forest for the trees full of money.
You can do it, Nintendo. You have the potential to exploit the DS. Exploitation is what you are good at.

Pure Imagination

'Come with me,and you'll see, a land of pure imagination...'

I love this song, one of the best parts of the original Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and sung awesomely by Gene Wilder. The remake is good, but I was saddened by it's being excised from the movie. Johnny Depp would have nailed it. Oh well.

One of the reasons I love playing video games is not just the chance to blow someone's head off with a shotgun without actually killing anyone, it is a chance to see the remarkable worlds and creatures created by some incredibly talented people. There is and will be for the forseeable future a debate on whether video games are art or not; I stand firmly in the 'games are art.' section.

I have seen incedible worlds on the television screen that I have only seen in my dreams, and better still, I can interact with these worlds. It is an incredible feeling, one I am sure a lot of other gamers have felt that way. I will not mention any particular games in this blog; I know what they are, and you know what they are.

Gaming is not all about violence and death, although right now that is a big part of the gaming landscape. Gaming is about unleashing the imagination, for the creators and for the players. Since I was a child, I have wanted to be a comic book writer and/or illustrator. That is a dream I still have but will probably never realize for a multitude of reasons. But now there are videogames, which are each generation creating more realistic but breath-taking worlds. This is also happening in movies, which I think is wonderful, through the use of Computer Generated Images. Now the dreamakers can put their dreams up on the big screen, so we can wonder at them.

In videogames we can go one better, though. We can take part in and explore the dreams and imaginations of others. And in so doing, be inspired ourselves. We can play in a land made only of confections, in land full of dragons and demons, on a world far, far away. It is a good time be a videogame player.

So come with me, to a land of pure imagination...because we can.

And thanks to all the once and future creators of video games, because not only are they the dreamers of dreams, they are the the makers of dreams.

Tonight We Try To Take Over THE WORLD!

At Acme Labs....

"What in the 8 planets in the solar system are you doing, Pinky? You're cavorting about like a spastic orangutan!"

*Zoink* I'm playing with the Wii, Brain! It's fun!"

"Ugh, Pinky, I don't need any information about your carnel desires..."

"No, Brain, THE Wii. It's really popular with human people. You use a remote-whatsit and nunchucky to play games and stuff.*Narf* It's really hilarious."

"Hmmmm. Well, I have no doubt that your small mind would find this ridiculous pastime enjoyable. As for me...wait, did you say this 'Wii' is popular with humans?"

"Yup."

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Pinky?"

"No Brain, I've never been in a pool full of pudding, either."

"No Pinky, you mentally challenged ignoramous. Remind me to slap you later. I'm thinking we could use this "Wii" to take over the world! Any who played the Wii could be hypnotized to be my slave! They would dance like puppets holding those...controller whatsis. I just need to spread a virus through the internet..."

*Narf* "Sorry Brain, I don't think it would work."

"And why not, my microceleptic friend?"

"Well, the Wii isn't really connected to the 'internut' very well. And you need these friend codes that I still can't figure out, and mostly old people and children play with the Wii. That wouldn't make a very good army, would it, Brain?"

"No, I suppose you've got a point, Pinky. Oh well, I still have plans involving the XBox and it's 'Red Ring of Death. That might work."

"Scuse me Brain, all this talk about the 'Wii' makes me want to take one."

"You do that in the corner this time, Pinky, not the water dish. And get some rest for tomorrow."

"Why? What are we doing tomorrow, Brain?"

"Same thing we do every day, Pinky:Try to take over the world!!"

DLC and Patches? F@@k that!

Back in my day, we would insert a cartridge or disk into a game console, and viola! you played the game. I LOVE that. Games were whole and complete unto themselves, nothing more needed. That is not the case any more.

Now we have down loadable content, or DLC for many games. Now you not only pay 60 bucks or for a game, now you can pay extra money for new maps, new weapons, new outfits or what have you. A lot of people seem to enjoy doing this, and it is supposed to 'extend' the 'life' of certain games. Maybe it's just my generation, but isn't that what sequels are for? For the money one can put into DLC for one game, one might be almost be able to pay for a sequel, probably with a new story, weapons, characters, enemies, etc. But in this economy, why not throw more money into buying stuff THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE DISK ALREADY. Remember, in my day, everything was on the cartridge or disk...and stuff the developers could not fit on this game, they could put on the sequel.

And now it seems that develpers not only have money coming in from DLC, they don't even need to put money into quality control. Something screwy in the game? Fix it with a patch! I'm kind of surprised that publishers do not force players into paying for patches....although Activision will probably start doing that soon, evil empire that it is.

I admit that much of this bile comes from the fact that game consoles are now connected into the internet 24/7. My belief is that the internet on computers is a good thing; on consoles, not so much. It seems apparent game consoles connected to the web, while a necessary evolution I suppose, is just away for game developers to siphon even more money from game players' pockets. Although one could argue that for the web in general, I suppose.

Don't even get me started on how popular downloadable games have become. Topic of another blog, for sure.

Maybe DLC and patches just make my favorite hobby that much more complicated. I yearn for the simpler, less expensive and patch free times, but one does get that way when one reaches my advanced age.

What say you? Love the concept of DLC? Are patches a now necessary evil, or should they not exist at all?

Why All the Army Games?

When I played the first Medal of Honor game on the now-ancient PSOne, I loved the WWII first person shooter. I still own it and dive into it once in a while. At the time, a WWII shooter seemed special and very unique.
Fast forward about fifteen years and just about every other game on the PS3, X360 and even the Wii is a military shooter. Now, I enjoy 1st person shooters, and always love me killing a bunch of dirty Nazis, but it seems to me that this genre has not only reached it's saturation point, but gone beyond it.
I suppose the fact that online multiplayer is so popular is part of the reason why military shooters are so popular. Yelling military tactics to your friends is just so cool. But there seems to me there are just so many ways to make a military shooter. The thing is....
It seems that recently, if someone tries something different then a military shooter, say with aliens or monsters, the critics piss all over them, while just every cookie cutter military shooter often get glowing reviews. But just how many variations can be made of 'shoot bad guys with guns, not shoot fellow soldiers' can be.
Apparently, as many as the public wants. Which is a lot. Back in the early 90's, there was a huge glut of fighters spurred by the phenominal success of Street Fighter II (which, while it is a good game that has withstood the test of time, it is not one the best games of all time in my belief, one that does jibe with many others) The fighter genre pretty much died out, at least till now, with the release of, ironically, Street Fighter IV. Perhaps fighters will rise again to supplant military shooters...although I'm not sure this is a good thing,
I do have to mention that the game Borderlands, which has been well recieved, thinks outside the militarty shooter box, however the game could be, and has, been labeled an RPG shooter. Nothing wrong with that, I just hope it does not drown in the sea of brown and tan colored military shooters. Look, people enjoy these games, and companies make millions off them (or billions, in the case of Modern Warefare 2.), just, enough already. This steady stream of soldiers games need to be slowed, if not stopped. It is certainly putting me off of getting a new system.
As for the equal surplus of zombie games, I have no beef with that. Shooting zombies NEVER gets old.

The next console I get will be a Playstation 3, and I'll tell you why

A couple years ago, if someone had asked if I were going to get a PS3, I would have have said "no freakin' way, that thing is too expensive", but it would be my only problem with the system. Now that the PS3 is around $300 (and liable to go to $250 by the end of the year), I think this is the next gen system I'd like to have. Why not a X360 or (ugh) Wii? Here's why:

Red Ring of Death (or 3/4 ring of death):Why get an X360 when it has over an 80% chance of farting out. I've read of people buying multiple X360s when each one 'red-ringed'. It's their money, they can do what they want with it, but I can only afford one system, which I would hope would last longer then six months.

You have to pay to go online on X360. As of now, with the PS3, going online is free. Nada. Sure, everyone says that XBox live is awesome, but being online is extremely low priority for me. I don't see the fun playing online matches with potty-mouthed 16 year old males who have time to play games multiple times and win every achievement so they can utterly destroy people like me, who dabbles in most games. And pay for the privilage.

All the good games are cross platform anyway. The only game exclusive to X360 that comes to mind is Gears of War. And sorry, I could give two farts in a high wind about that series. Mountains of man muscle shooting all kinds of monsters, some bigger than buildings? Whatever. I'll play Resistance:Fall of Man instead, which actually looks far more interesting.

The Wii:where do I start? I hate this system with the heat of a thousand burning suns. It's a system for kids, or couples who have kids. Since I'm neither, the Wii can suck it. Nintendo is doing what they have done for three generations going:taking giant backwards instead of going forward (the waggle remotes are a gimmick, people, not an innovation), only this generation they are making bundles of money off of it, which makes me very, very sad. No HD, limited online (what's with the friend codes?), those stupid avatars that make everyone look retarded, 90% of games are pure kiddie drool or a bunch of mini games. Oh, and companies have tried to make interesting, adult themed games, but not a one of them sold well, so much so that it looks like there will be no mature (ie good) games for the system ever again. And Mario is a cmplete douche, I've always thought that. A fat, mustachiod plumber is gamings most famous icon and has sold the most games ever. Someone shoot me in the head. (Nintendo fanboys, ready your guns)

I do like the DS Lite, though, I have to admit. WAY too many games made for brain-impaired five year olds, which also makes me sad, but at least there are quite a few games I'm not embarrassed to play in public. Touch screen>waggle, also. Just thought I'd mention it.

So, yeah, Sony and the Playstation 3 may have some problems (which I'm sure people will mention), but right now, I'm going with them. Granted it won't be for a couple years, so my opinion could change.

But I will never get a Wii. Just the name makes me want to projectile vomit. Wheeee!

What is video game addiction?

I recently made a youtube video showcasing all the systems and games I currently own, which I consider is a lot...the link is at the end of this blog if ya wanna check it out. Anyway, I wonder if I am a videogame addict. I'd like to believe I am not...I only play 1 to 2 hours a day, and sometimes not for days at a time. However, I do enjoy BUYING video games, especially if they are cheap (one of the reasons I have not gotten any next gen consoles is the price of new games at 60 dolllars a pop...I can get 3 new PS2 games for that price.) I did get a DS Lite for Christmas, which I love, but I refuse to pay 30-35 bucks for new games. Hell no.
Regardless of my frugal ways, I still buy inordinate amounts of games, even though my total collection has exceeded the 300 mark, easily. I absolutely love buying video games, new or used, even though I probably have not finished 80 percent of the games I own. I love playing video games (any genre save for sports, and many games that would be considered 'crappy.') I have low standards for video games; I consider it a good thing.
My wife (quite rightfully and fairly) told me I could buy one game a week, especially since I am currently between jobs at the moment. Last week I got 4(!) games, all very cheap, and my wife was ok about it, but I still felt lame. I have dozens of good games I've barely touched, for cripes sake!
So my question is this:do I have an addiction because I buy too many videogames when I own a ridiculous amount already, or would I have one if I played video games 8 hours a day, every day? I don't do that, but videogames are a big part of my life...I buy them, play them, read a lot about them. Am I just 'hardcore'....or do I need serious help? I welcome any comments and observations on what constitutes 'addiction', videogames or otherwise.